IMPROove- MENTS IN TORPEDO BOATS OR FISH TORPEDOES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Mallory, of Bridgeport, in the State of
Connecticut, in the United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROove-
MENTS IN TORPEDO BOATS OR FISH TORPEDOES."
Sealed the 2nd April 1880, and dated the 5th February 1880.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Henry Mallory at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th February 1880.
WILLIAM HENRY MALLORY, of Bridgeport, in the State of Connecticut, in the
United States of America. " IMPROVEMENTS IN TORPEDO BOATS OR FISH
TORPEDOES."
My Invention relates to short range free going torpedo boats which are intended
to be substituted for the ordinary torpedo boom carried on torpedo launches. These
boats contain within themselves sufficient propulsive power to run a short distance,
say five or six hundred feet, and are so constructed as to travel through the water
in the direction in which they are pointed. By this means it becomes unnecessary
to run the torpedo launch as close to the vessel to be blown up as was previously
the case, because this torpedo when started will itself from its own power traverse
the distance between the launch and the vessel to be blown up.
Various attempts have before now been made to accomplish a similar purpose, as
for instance, in the Whitehead torpedoes manufactured in England, which run by
compressed air and are provided with an automatic steering apparatus. These
torpedoes are however complicated and expensive, and when in action do not follow
a straight line, but rather a series of curves. My improved torpedo boat on the
contrary is very simple, its motive power being obtained from a series of coiled
springs, and it possesses a new movement, viz., a rotation around its own axis like
a rifle bullet, whereby great accuracy of aim can be attained. This revolution
moreover is the natural result of the motive power as will be presently explained,
and the rapidity of revolution is controlled by means of wings or fins.
The general construction of my improved torpedo boat is as follows:-The shell
itself consists of a long cigar shaped vessel, say twelve or fifteen feet in length, and
ten inches in diameter, but these proportions may be varied. The propelling power
is a centrally located screw propellor which is mounted on a ring about the centre
of the boat, and is provided with a suitable number of propellor blades. This ring

page_text: is attached to one end of a coiled spring similar to an ordinary clock spring, but of
course much heavier. The inner end of this spiral is connected with a metallic
double connecting drum, which joins it to the outer end of an adjacent parallel
coiled spring similar to the first. There is a series of these sufficient to give the
number of rotations which may be required to advance the boat the distance
designed. They are so connected together that the inner end of each spring is
connected to the outer end of the next, or vice versa, so that the total number of
revolutions which can be given to the propeller wheel depends entirely on the
number of turns which each spring is capable of producing multiplied by the
number of springs. In this way I get a great capacity for rotation from a series of
springs coiled in a cylinder having a very small diameter, their effect however
being the same as that of a single spring, one end of which is attached to the
propellor, the other to the boat. It will be plainly seen that a boat so contrived
must have a tendency to revolve in the opposite direction from that in which the
propellor is moving, owing to the reaction between the propeller and the boat.
This tendency is utilized in my improved torpedo boat by allowing the spring to
give to the boat a rotation about its own axis, and this rotation is controlled by
means of fins or wings attached to the stern of the boat, which allow it to rotate
about one and one half turns in advancing its own length, and serves also as a base
for the spring to act against in rotating the propeller.
My boat consists generally of three sections connected together by a central tube,
the bow or front end being provided with the explosive, the stern or rear end
containing a coil of exploding wire, if one is required.
The details of my boat will be clearly understood from the accompanying
Drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 represents a general view of my boat suspended in what is known as
the gun, which consists simply of an open tube sufficiently large to allow the boat.
to move freely through it; B represents a double conical or cigar shaped boat; the
centre section or ring is made moveable, and is provided with parallel blades P;
S represents a series of springs constructed as described and shown more clearly
in Figures
and 3, which represent sections through said springs. The propeller P
should preferably be placed about the middle of the boat; C represents a coil of
wire in a compartment communicating with the water. This coil of wire C is so
arranged that the twist which is naturally given to the wire in uncoiling is
compensated by the rotation of the propelled boat in the opposite direction, so
that when the wire is uncoiled to its full length, it is practically untwisted, which
is not true in the case of a boat not revolving around its own axis, unless some
special arrangement is made to counteract the twist due to the uncoiling of the
wire. This is continued out of the stern of the boat, and forward into the magazine
M in the bow. This magazine is also provided with a firing pin N, and may be
fired in connection with the wire, or independently as may be desired. The
springs are arranged in a series of metallic drums, shewn in detail in Figure 4.
The springs are coiled alternately inside of the outer flange, and outside of the
inner flange, and are connected in series, as shewn, so that the outer spiral or coil
of each spring is connected inside of the outer flange, while its inner coil is
connected outside of the inner flange of the next drum in the series. It will thus
be seen that each of these drums containing springs has a capacity of revolution
independent of the others, but they are so connected that the propeller blades will
revolve as many times as all the springs are capable of being wound. The propeller
is prevented from revolving when the apparatus is not in use by means of a key K,
which passes through the stationary part of the boat, and through the revolving
propeller ring. The springs may either be wound by revolving the propeller by
hand, or the propeller being locked by the key K; the worm wheel U provided with
a suitable revolving stem may be revolved at the other end, the last drum S¹ of
the series being connected with a cylinder revolved by said worm wheel, as shown.
The end compartments are connected by the central tube T through which the
firing wire R may pass, and the stern is provided with blades W previously

page_text: described. The water is allowed to enter the spring compartments and the wire
compartments freely, but the series of springs are protected by the free sheathing V
outside, which extends as far as the revolving propeller ring. The propeller is
arranged approximately in the centre of the lateral resistance of the boat, so that
there is no tendency to slew the boat in either direction, which might be the case
if it were placed at the stern, or at any other position.
The operation of my boat can now be readily understood. The boat B is first
placed in the gun G, which is suspended by means of the swivel H at the side or
end of the launch. The launch having been brought within striking distance, the
proper direction is given to the gun and the key K is withdrawn from the pro-
peller, the springs having been previously wound. The boat immediately assumes
a central position in the gun, and passes freely through it in a direction coincident
with its axial line. By depressing the tube the boat can be caused to strike at any
distance under water. After leaving the gun the boat follows a straight line in the
direction in which it started, and assumes a rotation around its own axis equal to
a turn and a half in moving its own length, and opposite to the direction in which
the propeller is moving, or a rotation approximately equal to that due to the
fins W. In striking the vessel the firing pin N is driven in, and this may either
directly fire the charge or it may be used to make an electrical connection between
the wire R and the boat, thereby firing the charge. It is evident that the rotating
fins may be used in connection with other means of propulsion than that here
shown, also that the coiled springs could be used to operate a screw propeller at the
stern, and various other modifications might be made without interfering with the
principle of my Invention.
I have found also that a very efficient spring for the purpose of moving the pro-
peller, or for any other purpose for which coiled springs are used, can be made by
running a longitudinal groove or depression along the spring. This depression
stiffens the spring, and makes a more effective power for the same weight of metal.
It is also advisable when a spring of even tension is desired to make this groove
taper, that is to say, deeper at one end than at the other, preferably deepest at
the outside and least at the centre. This form is shewn in Figure 5 of the
Drawings.
What I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. A free torpedo boat provided with a central propeller, thereby avoiding the
variation in travel due to a screw propeller at the stern, and giving to the boat a
true rectilinear movement, substantially as described.
Second. A free torpedo boat provided with a series of coiled springs, each per-
manently connected to the next, and the end one of the series being connected with
the propeller wheel, substantially as described.
Third. A free torpedo boat provided with spirally arranged fins or their equiva-
lent, whereby a rotation around its axis may be given to said boat while in motion,
thereby enabling it to pursue a direct unvarying course through the water, substan-
tially as described.
Fourth. A torpedo boat provided with a propeller wheel and with spirally
arranged wings permanently attached to the boat for the purpose of allowing the
boat to assume a determined rotation in the opposite direction to that in which the
propeller is moving, substantially as described.
Fifth. A torpedo boat provided with a centrally arranged propeller wheel and
with spirally arranged wings permanently attached to the boat for the purpose of
allowing the boat to assume a determined rotation in the opposite direction to that
in which the propeller is moving, substantially as described.
Sixth. A free torpedo boat provided with mechanism whereby it is given a recti-
linear motion along its axis and a rotation about the same, thereby causing it to
follow a rectilinear course through the water, substantially as described.
Seventh. A free torpedo boat provided with a screw propeller and with a series
of parallel laid coiled springs, the inner end of each spring being connected with the
outer end of the next by means of a connecting drum or other suitable mechanism,

page_text: whereby the effect upon the propeller is that of a coiled spring of the combined
length of all the springs, substantially as described.
Eighth. In a torpedo boat the combination of a screw propeller and coiled spring,
and a worm wheel or equivalent mechanism for winding said spring, substantially
as described.
Ninth. In a free torpedo boat a firing wire coiled in the same direction as that in
which the torpedo itself is revolved, whereby said wire is delivered untwisted, sub-
stantially as described.
Tenth. A torpedo boat consisting of two independent float sections and a central
connection which serves to maintain a permanent relation between these sections,
and also as a passage for the firing wire between said sections, substantially as
described.
Eleventh. A free torpedo boat provided with a propeller operated by means of a
spring or series of springs and a locking mechanism or key, preventing the rota-
tion of the propeller wheel until withdrawn by the operator, substantially as
described.
Twelfth. In combination with a free torpedo boat a swivel tube or gun for the
purpose of suspending and giving direction to the torpedo boat, substantially as
described.
Thirteenth. The combination in a torpedo boat with a centrally located pro-
peller wheel of a spring power mechanism arranged axially therein, that is to say,
with the axis about which the springs are coiled coincident with that of the torpedo
boat, substantially as described, whereby a rotating translatory movement is
imparted to the boat in a true rectilinear direction, as herein set forth.
Fourteenth. In a torpedo boat provided with a propeller wheel as the motive
power, the herein described spring mechanism, the same consisting of a series of
coiled springs which are connected together by double drums, as shown and
described, the outer end of one spring being connected with the inside of the drum,
while its inner end is connected to the spindle of the next drum, and the end one of
the series being connected with the propeller wheel, the several drums of said spring
mechanism being arranged with their axes coincident with that of the torpedo boat,
substantially as shown and set forth.
Fifteenth. In a torpedo boat the combination with a centrally located spring
mechanism to actuate the same of spirally arranged fins permanently attached to
the rear end of the boat, so that the rotation around its axis may give to the boat
when in motion a direction opposite to that of the propeller, thereby maintaining it
on a direct unvarying course through the water, substantially as described.
Sixteenth. A torpedo boat provided with a centrally arranged propeller wheel
and with spirally arranged wings permanently attached to the boat for the purpose
of allowing the boat to assume a determined rotation in the opposite direction to
that in which the propeller is moving, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Mallory, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.