IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING SHIPS AND FORTIFICATIONS AGAINST TORPEDOES, AND FOR OTHer like PurpOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Thomas Parlour, of Brooklyn, New York,
United States of America, now of. 8, Southampton Buildings, London,
Shipwright, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING SHIPS
AND FORTIFICATIONS AGAINST TORPEDOES, AND FOR OTHer like PurpOSES."
Sealed the 11th December 1877, and dated the 16th June 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Thomas Parlour at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th June 1877.
JOSEPH THOMAS PARLOUR, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America,
now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Shipwright. "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR PROTECTING SHIPS AND FORTIFICATIONS AGAINST TORPEDOES, AND
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."
FOR
My said Invention is designed for the protection of iron-clad or other ships, and
of fortifications or fortified structures on the sea const, or otherwise situated, and
relates to apparatus which will prevent injury to the same from floating topedoes,
torpedo boats, stationary torpedoes, or mines, or other destructive implements or
engines, floating, fixed, or anchored, or otherwise arranged, or swimmers or divers
armed with explosive or other articles or materials for the destruction of ships or
fortifications, or other structures.
In the following description I have more particularly explained my Invention as
applied for the protection of ships.
The said apparatus may be attached to the deck, sides, or bottom of a vessel in
such manner as to ward off or destroy the torpedoes to prevent them reaching or
coming in contact with the vessel. The said apparatus is arranged as follows:-I
attach to the deck, sides, or bottom of the vessel adjustable extending frames or
brackets with stays placed at a suitable distance apart, and arranged to swing out-
ward when in use, and to swing inward against the sides of the vessel when not in
At the outer end or corner of the said frames or brackets, at the top and
bottom of the same, are fastened toothed and grooved wheels or drums placed hori-
zontally. Passing around the said wheels or drums, and connecting the two upper
[Price 8d.1
11se.

page_text: wheels, is an endless chain, band, wire rope, or rope of hemp or other material, a
similar chain, band, or wire, or other rope passes around and connects the lower
wheels or drums between the said chains, band, or rope, and attached to them are
perpendicular iron or steel bars, rods, tubes, or wire rope or chains placed about
two feet apart. The said wheels or drums are made to revolve by means of chains
working in tooth wheels, or by shafting and bevel gear wheels, or by any suitable
mechanism connected with the ship and driven by steam power, or otherwise. The
said iron or steel bars, rods, tubing, or chains being attached to said endless chains,
wire ropes, hemp ropes, or bands, are caused to revolve simultaneously with the
wheels, and thus strike and throw off, or destroy or disable any torpedoes, torpedo
boats, mines, or other implement or apparatus intended for the destruction of the
said vessel, or any swimmers or divers attempting to fix such apparatus, or to other-
wise injure the said vessel.
The said frames, brackets, rails, or guides are arranged with tubing. or otherwise
to slide into or past each other telescopically or otherwise, and are fixed in any
position required by set screws, chains, or other convenient means. The said frames,
brackets, rails, or guides are worked by means of screws, chains, or other suitable
power, and can be extended to any required depth below the bottom of the vessel to
remove torpedoes, mines, or other dangerous apparatus. By the same means the
said frames or brackets can be drawn up into a small compass and swung against
the sides of the vessel when not in use.
In a modification of my said Invention I employ extending frames attached to
stays or brackets provided with rods or tubes of iron, steel, or other suitable
material, and with guide rollers mounted on axles revolving around the said frames.
Formned on or attached to the said frames, at the top and bottom of the same, are
toothed wheels, around which passes an endless chain, band, wire or hemp rope, or
the like, fastened to which are guide rollers, mounted in the frame and revolving
around the said frame. To these guide rollers are attached, by means of eyes, bolts,
shackles, swivels, or similar devices, apparatus consisting of wire or hemp ropes,
chains, rods, or tubes or strips of sheet iron, or bars of iron or steel, as in a revolving
chain shutter or Venetian blind, which apparatus is caused to revolve by means of
wheels working at the top and bottom of the said frames, and operated by stcam,
hydraulic, or other suitable power.
By this last-described arrangement of my Invention the vessel will be protected
from torpedoes, torpedo boats, and other boats, mines, swimmers, or divers, and the
like; and by an upward extension of the frame armed with swinging shutters of
paper pulp, iron, or steel, or other suitable material, the deck and lower masts are
also protected from shot and shell, and other destructive projectiles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Thomas Parlour in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
December 1877.
↓
JOSEPH THOMAS PARLOUR, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America,
now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Shipwright. " IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR PROTECTING SHIPS AND FORTIFICATIONS AGAINST TORPEDOES, AND FOR
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."
My said Invention is designed for the protection of iron-clad or other ships, and
of fortifications or fortified structures on the sea coast, or in other exposed situations,
and relates to apparatus which will prevent injury to the same from torpedoes,
torpedo boats; stationary torpedoes, mines, or other destructive implements or engines
floating, fixed, or anchored, or otherwise arranged, or from swiminers or divers
armed with explosive or other implements or materials for the destruction of ships
or fortifications, or other structures.
In the following description I have more particularly explained my Invention as
applied for the protection of ships, but from this description its adaptation to the
other above-named purposes may be readily understood.
The said apparatus may be attached to the deck, sides, or bottom of a vessel in
such manner as to ward off or destroy the torpedoes to prevent their reaching or
coming in contact with the vessel.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Figure 1 is a half-midship section of an iron-clad vessel provided with my
improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating a modified construction of my said
apparatus.
Figure 3 is an exterior side view of the apparatus shewn in Figure 2.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the Drawings.
For
The apparatus shown in Figure 1 is constructed and arranged as follows:-I
attach to the deck, sides, or bottom of the vessel adjustable extending frames, con-
sisting of brackets a connected by longitudinal stays placed at a suitable distance
apart; these frames are arranged to swing outwardly when in use, as shewn in full
lines; but when this apparatus is not in use it is desirable that it should not
offer any obstruction to the vessel's course, or be otherwise inconvenient.
this purpose the said frames are made adjustable, as follows, that is to say:-a¹ is
a tubular part which is hinged or jointed to the arms a fixed on the vessel's
side so. that it can be swung inward or outward, that is to say, fore and aft
on these joints. The part a³ is fitted to slide vertically within the said tubular
part. When the apparatus is in use this sliding part occupies the position
shewn in full lines, but when not in use the same is first
shewn in dotted lines, and then stowed away on deck.
part are racks a' which gear with toothed wheels b.
connected by bevel gearing with a shaft which extends
in the side of the vessel, and is driven by steam or other power. Or the said
wheel b may be turned by an endless chain extending from any suitable driving
apparatus on deck.
raised to the position
Attached to this sliding
These wheels may be
through a stuffing box
At the corners of the sliding part a³ of the frame or brackets a at the top
and bottom of the same are fastened toothed wheels c and grooved wheels or
drum & mounted on horizontal shafts or axes. Passing around the wheels or
drum & are endless chains or bands, or wire or other ropes. Between the said
chains, bands, or ropes, and attached to them, are perpendicular iron or steel bars,
rods, tubes, wire ropes, or chains placed at suitable distances apart, as herein-after
described in connection with Figure 3. The said wheels or drums are revolved by
means of chains e working on tooth wheels f, or by shafting and bevel gear wheels,
or by any suitable mechanism connected with the ship, and driven by steam power
or otherwise. The said iron or steel bars, rods, tubings, or chains attached to the

page_text: The said
aforesaid endless chains, ropes, or bands are guided in the frames by means of small
pulleys or rollers, and are caused to revolve simultaneously with the wheels, and
thus will strike and throw off, or destroy or disable any torpedoes, torpedo boats,
mines, or other implement or apparatus intended for the destruction of the said
vessel, or any swimmers or divers attempting to fix such apparatus to, or otherwise
injure the said vessel. The said frames, brackets, rails, or guides are fixed in
any desired position by set screws, chains, or other convenient means.
frames may be adjusted by screws, chains, or other suitable means instead of by
those above described; the said sliding part can be extended to thirty feet or any
required depth below the bottom of the vessel to remove the torpedoes, mines, or
other dangerous apparatus, or protect the vessel from the same. And the said
frames or brackets when the said sliding part is removed aro swung against
the sides of the vessel, or may be altogether removed when the apparatus is not
in use.
In the modification of my said Invention, shewn in Figures 2 and 3, I employ
extending frames g attached to stays or brackets h. The frames g are constructed
of vertical pieces g¹ and horizontal pieces g³, which are hinged or jointed at g³. At
the bottom of the said vertical pieces I provide curved pieces g', which are inclined
outward, so as to throw off any torpedo or other dangerous object that might fall
upon them. These frames may be made to extend 30 feet or more below the ship's
bottom. The said frames are provided with longitudinal rods or tubes i of iron,
steel, or other suitable material attached to the vertical parts gl and parts gt. The
apparatus shewn in Figure 1 is provided with similar rods, bars, or tubes, which by
means of the wheels and endless chain bands or ropes are caused to travel or revolve
around the said frame. But in the apparatus shewn in Figures 2 and 3, these bars,
rods, or tubes i, when adjusted to protect the vessel, remain stationary, the frame
being then in the position shewn in full lines, whereas when the apparatus is not in
use it is drawn up into the position shewn in dotted lines. The jointed construction
of the said frame above described permits this adjustment to be readily effected by
means of chains k, or by other suitable means. By this last-described arrangement
of my Invention the vessel will be protected from torpedoes, torpedo boats, and
other boats, mines, swimmers, or divers, and the like, and by an upward extension
of the frame armed with swinging shutters made of paper pulp, iron, or steel, or
other suitable material; the deck and lower masts are also protected from shot and
shell and other destructive projectiles.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim the apparatus consisting of the adjustable
frame constructed as shewn in Figure I, or in Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawings, and
provided with means for protecting vessels, or with such modifications thereof as
may be required for the protection of fortifications or other structures, and operating
to protect the said vessels or other structures from torpedoes and ather destructive
implements, engines, or agencies, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.