IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND LAUNCHING TORPEDOES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES AMBROSE M°EVOY, of 18 Adam Street Adelphi in the County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND LAUNCHING TORPEDOES" to
be as follows:-
13
My apparatus consists of a boat or vessel which either floats on or remains below
the surface of the water. These boats are steered electrically or mechanically from
a distance through wires or cables. They may be propelled in any suitable
manner. The boats have upon them one or more locomotive or fish torpedoes and
also apparatus for launching the same. This apparatus is of any usual construction
but it is set in action by an electric current passed through the wire or the
cable.
By means of my invention a torpedo can be conveyed to within a comparatively
short distance of the ship or other object to be attacked and be then launched.
Thus the chance of missing the object will be greatly diminished.
Again, since the boat itself is not injured by the explosion being stopped at a safe
distance, the cost of each explosion is greatly diminished, for instead of providing
the torpedo with the expensive machinery which is required for propelling it for a
long distance as is at present necessary, all of which machinery is destroyed and
lost by the explosion, the torpedoes discharged from my boats having to run but a
short distance need have only comparatively inexpensive propelling machinery.
1
Did this and dow of Contamhan 1001

page_text: "
I CHARLES AMBROSE M°EVOY of 18 Adam Street Adelphi in the County of
Middlesex Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND LAUNCHING TORPEDOES
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My apparatus consists of a boat or vessel which either floats on or remains below
the surface of the water. These boats are steered electrically or mechanically from
a distance through wires or cables. They may be propelled in any suitable
manner. The boats have upon them one or more locomotive or fish torpedoes and
also apparatus for launching the same. This apparatus is of any usual construction
but it is set in action by an electric current passed through the wire or the
cable.
!
:
By means of my invention a torpedo can be conveyed to within a comparatively
short distance of the ship or other object to be attacked and be then launched.
Thus the chance of missing the object will be greatly diminished.
:
Again since the boat itself is not injured by the explosion being stopped at a safe
distance the cost of each explosion is greatly diminished for instead of providing
the torpedo with the expensive machinery which is required for propelling it for a
long distance as is at present necessary all of which machinery is destroyed and
lost by the explosion the torpedo discharged from my boats having to run but a
short distance need have only comparatively inexpensive propelling machinery.
The drawing annexed shews apparatus arranged in the manner above described.
A is a submarine torpedo boat propelled in any ordinary manner and it may be
steered electrically or mechanically from a distance through wires or cables in any
ordinary manner. B is a fish torpedo lying within a launching tube or gun C
forming part of the torpedo boat. D is a coiled spring for projecting the torpedo
from the launching tube. E is a releasing bolt or trigger connected to the armature
of an electro magnet F so that when an electric current is sent through the magnet
coils the trigger or bolt E is drawn back and the torpedo set free to be thrown by
the coiled spring from the firing tube. One end of the magnet coil
or cable M to the
place from which the torpedo is directed and controlled-so that when an electric
current is sent through the cable M from the distant point the torpedo may be
projected forwards from the torpedo vessel.
at H the other is connected by a wire K to the insulated 18 put to "earth'
When the firing tube or gun C is to be loaded with a torpedo the coiled spring is
first compressed by a piston drawn back by a wire rope or otherwise-the torpedo
is then introduced into the tube or gun until it is retained by the bolt or trigger E-
the rope which is holding back the spring may then be released and the spring be
allowed to press the piston with its full strength against the rear end of the torpedo
so as to be ready to throw it forwards whenever the bolt or trigger E is drawn
back

page_text: The boat or vessel may be propelled by any ordinary mechanism and may be
controlled either electrically or mechanically in any ordinary way by wires or cables
either from the shore or from a vessel.
The torpedo also may either be constructed to be self propelling by any ordinary
propelling mechanism which is automatically put into action at the time when the
torpedo is projected from the firing tube or gun or may simply be a torpedo or
projectile without any self contained propelling mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of a boat or vessel for conveying and launching torpedoes
in such manner that it may be directed electrically or mechanically from a distance
through wires or cables and in such manner that the discharging of a torpedo from
it may also be effected through a wire or cable from the distant point substantially
as described.
2. The construction of a boat or vessel for conveying and launching torpedoes
in such manner that the discharge of a torpedo may be controlled through a wire
or cable from a distant point substantially as described.
3. The employment of a coiled spring for discharging torpedoes from a torpedo
vessel substantially as herein before described.