Improvements in Guard Cordons for the Protection of Ships and Harbours.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Guard Cordons for the Protection of Ships
and Harbours.
I, THEODOR FAVARGER, Engineer of 21 Rue Royale, Paris, France do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention. is the protection of vessels of war, of anchorages and
open roadsteds from the attacks of torpedo boats, war ships and other floating means
of offense by giving notice of their approach and of their position at night as well as
in foggy weather. For this purpose we establish a cordon made up of convenient
lengths of a light strong rope or wire to which are attached floats for the purpose of
buoying the entire length of the same either at or below the surface of the water and
in such a manner that the said lengths may be properly laid out in position for use, as
well as also wound promptly upon a reel for storage when not in use.
The ends of
these lengths of rope or wire are fitted with clamps or shackles whereby they may be
quickly and securely fastened either to other lengths or to buoys or anchorages at the
junction of these lengths of ropes, small buoys are attached by shackling or otherwise
and these buoys are anchored in position by suitable cables and anchors by means of
which the desired or requisite circuit of the cordon is maintained.
These buoys are made of a suitable metal and they are divided internally into
compartments or chambers arranged to serve the following purposes, first to regulate
and maintain their buoyancy second to contain inflammable materials intended to
light the buoy itself, when any part of the cordon is contacted by floating engines of
attack and third to contain detachable flasks or floats which are withdrawn therefrom,
under circumstances similar to those above-mentioned, without disturbing the anchored
position of the buoy itself and which flasks contain inflammable material which ignites
on their disconnection from the buoy, for this purpose the ends of the lengths forming
the cordon are attached by means of links or bridles to the said flasks in such a
manner that, when by the effect of the pressure exerted on the cordon by the attacking
body the ends become released from the buoys, they still maintain their connection
with the flasks which are thereby withdrawn entirely from the buoys and towed by
the attacking body; each flask contains a firing apparatus which on its withdrawel

page_text: ignites the inflammable material contained in the buoys and thus marks the position
of the attacking body as the flaming flasks are being towed along by the attacking
vessel; in order to ensure the buoyancy of these flasks when detached from their
respectif buoys, they are provided with a bag of suitable material which is extended
and enflated by the gases generated by the inflammable material during its combustion
and they are thus prevented from being drawn under water.
In order that my said invention be clearly understood, I will describe the same in
detail conjointly with the 16 figures of the accompanying drawings of which
Fig. 1 is an illustratif view of a guard cordon surrounding a vessel which it is
intended to protect.
Fig. 2 an elevation of a part of the cordon with its floats attached.
Fig. 3 a front and a side elevation of a float detached.
Fig. 4 an elevation of one end of cordon wire with its shackle.
Fig. 5 a plan of the same.
Fig. 6 a buoy in elevation.
Fig. 7 an anchor with its cable attachment.
Fig. 8 a sectional elevation of the buoy on a larger scale.
Fig. 9 a section of same through W. W Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 a front view of a hammer spring.
Fig. 11 a section of the said spring with the hammer attached thereto.
Fig. 12 a plan partially in section of the connection between the condons and the
buoy.
Fig. 13 a plan of one of the detachable flasks.
Fig. 14 a section of the same through X X Fig. 8.
Fig. 15 a section d° do through Y Y-d" and
Fig. 16 a partial front elevation of one of the said flasks with its link.
In these figures a is the cordon guard which is made up of light galvanised steel
wire rope in lengths say of 150 yards each. At distances of about 2 inches, this said
wire rope is provided with short single wires b worked in the strands or otherwise
attached thereto and by means of which small curiform floats of cork care secured
to the cordon; these floats are coated with a preservative paint-a single galvanised
iron wired is carried along one side or on the top of these floats e and caught up or
attached to each securing wire b. By this arrangement the cordon is floated just
below the surface of the water and the floats are kept in line and position and when
not in use the cordon may be readily wound upon a reel or coiled. Each end of each
length of wire forming the cordon has a thimble e spliced in it to which is connected
a small galvanised steel clip or shackle f and which serve for their attachment either
to a buoy or to other lengths of cordon wire.
y are the small buoys which are secured between the consecutive ends of the cordon
wire a and maintained in place by the shackled ends of the said wires as well as by
cast iron anchors of the clump or mushroom pattern to which they are attached by a
light rope or wire i, one end of which being spliced to the anchor ring and the other
knotted at the length desired, to a strap fastened to a staple at the bottom of the
buoy as shown in Fig. 6 and 7.
The entire circuit of the cordon a is made up of the above mentioned lengths of
wire with buoys inserted at the junctions of the said lengths and duly anchored as
shown in illustration Fig. 1 with a vessel to be protected occupying the center of a
circle thus composed measuring about 1000 yards in diameter and containing a series
of buoys placed at about 150 yards apart. These figures are merely given by way of
illustration, for in reality the only practical limit for the diameter of such a circle will
be such a radius at which the light emitted by such a buoy would be readily visible at
night from aboad such protected ship.
The buoy is made of muntz metal plates and conical in shape; it is divided
internally into two superposed chambers viz. a lower one A containing flasks E charged
with an inflammable material for lighting the buoy and an upper one B filled with cork
for the purpose of maintaining its buoyancy and in which are likewise formed metallic
cavities or chambers for receiving detachable flasks D filled with inflammable

page_text: materials. This lower chamber A contains two earthenwere flasks EE shaped to its
internal conical contour and provided above with projecting necks that are hermetically
sealed; grooves are cut or formed round the bases of these necks to form planes of
weakness and these flasks are charged with calcium phosphate.
A stout stirrup is rivetted to the point or lower end of the buoy for the purpose
of attaching thereto the mooring lines k. from the ends of this stirrup there project
upwards two nickle plated flat steel springs e. e provided with hammer heads on their
outer ends opposite to these hammer heads holes are made in the wall of the buoy,
which holes are covered with disks of thin lead e soldered water tight-a swell or
projection e is formed at about the middle of the neck of each earthenware flask E
and it rests against the inner face of the said leaden disk. If necessary to ensure the
presence of water in the lower chamber A small hotes may be made through the walls
of said chamber and covers with flexible hinges.may be attached internally opposite to
said hinges.
The extremity of each hammer headed springe is held or guided laterally in jaws h. h
which are bolted outside the buoy and serve as a guide for the blow of the hammer
when propelled by the spring, a small ringe is held between the link and the
spring e in such a manner that as long as it is in place, the head of the hammer
cannot touch the lead disk e¹ and the strength of the springe is such that a pull of say
100 pounds in necessary to draw the ring away from the jaws and off the end of the
springe whereby the hammer impelled by the spring strikes the plate e¹ and breaks
the neck of the flask E. To guard against the accidental release of the spring e
and its hammer during the laying and handling of the cordon guard, a stick of
Salammoniac or other material readily soluble in water is inserted in and across the
jaws h. opposite to a small head raised on the ring see Fig. 12 and 8 which will
prevent such accidental release of the spring until such time as the entire cordon is
connected and laid, whilst very shortly afterwards the salammoniac is melted out by
the water and the apparatus is in a position to fulfil the intended requirements.
When the proper strain has been brought on any part of the floating cordon guard,
the hammer head in connection with such length of the cordon is drawn back until
the ring slips away from the jaws and off the spring e the hammer of which is
thus liberated and projected forward by the spring e and striking the lead disc e
breakes the neck of the flask E inside the buoy whereby the sea-water coming in
contact with the calcium phosphate ignites the same and the flamming gasses produced
find an exit through the vertical tube fixed in the center of the buoy.
};
The upper end of the bridle or link is jointed to the metal flask 1) which is housed
in the chamber C of the buoy which latter is roughly cylindrical and traverses the
buoy horizontally. This flask is filled with calcium phosphate and its face is closed
and hermetically sealed by a glass plate 1 just inside of which is hung a firing
hammer m on an axis n which is set in tension by a spiral spring o passed over one
end of the said axis, this end likewise carries a small lever p which projects upwards
outside the flask and serves for cocking the hammer and which when set is inserted,
with the flask, in a groove g* made in the wall of the chamber c and maintains the
haminer cocked ready for action on the withdrawal of the flask from its chamber.
A rubber bags is secured hermetically over the inner end of the flask D and is
closed at its outer end by a metal plate t pierced with a small central hole t* and a
small hollow keel u is fixed to the under side of the flask.
When the strain on the cordon a produced by the attacking vessel has disconnected
the extremity of its corresponding length of wire rope from its buoy, it further
extracts the flask D from its chamber c, the lever p is thereby liberated and
consequently the hammer m is propelled by the spring o and strikes and breaks the
glass plate and the calcium phosphate contained in the flask is ignited by the
irruption of the sea water, whereby gasses are produced which inflate the bag's and
issue in the shape of a flame through the hole pierced in the back plate . The
detached inflated bag keeps the flask D from being drawn under water and the flame
escaping freely therefrom inarks constantly the position of the attacking vessel, as the
flask is being towed along by it.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what is claimed is.
Firstly A floating cordon of rope or wire completely cutting off communication with
the object to be attacked at any appropriate distance therefrom and having attached
thereto at appropriate intervals moored buoys containing materials which ignite by
contact with sca-water and produce a flame which issues from the upper surface of the
buoy.
Secondly A devize connecting the buoys to the cordon, by means of which, when a
certain pressure is brought upon a given length of the cordon guard one end of such
length is disconnected from the buoy and at the same time inflammable material
contained in the lower part of the buoy ignited and the flame thus produced projected
from the upper surface of the buoy.
Thirdly A flask contained in a chamber formed in the buoy and which is withdrawn
from the same by the impact of an attacking vessel against the cordon, such flask
containing inflammable material and being permanently attached by a link to one end
of the length of wire rope forming the cordon.
Fourthly The arrangement by means of which when one end of the cordon is
disconnected from the buoy, the flask of inflammable material is withdrawn from the
buoy as stated and towed by the attacking vessel at the end of such length of cordon
whilst the inflammable material contained in the flask is ignited and issues therefrom
in the shape of a flame.
Fifthly The arrangements of parts adapted to the detachable flask of inflammable
material by which it is expanded by the gases produced and rendered sufficiently
boyant to float on the surface of the sea and prevented from being drawn under the
same whilst being towed along by an attacking vessel and
Sixthly The arrangement of a stick of salamimoniac or other material soluble in water
interposed between the cordon and the buoy in the manner and for the purpose above
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
AL
100-
BRANDON & SON,
Agents for Applicant.