IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO THE INTERIOR OF TORPEDO BOATS AND SUBMARINE VESSELS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Henry Arnold of Landport Portsmouth in the
County of Hants for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO THE INTERIOR OF TORPEDO BOATS
AND SUBMARINE VESSELS
(Void by reason of the Patentee having neglected to file a Specification in
pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Henry Arnold at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th June 1883.
ARTHUR HENRY ARNOLD of Landport Portsmouth in the County of Hants
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO
THE INTERIOR OF TORPEDO BOATS AND SUBMARINE VESSELS »
My invention has for its object a means. or method of supplying air to torpedo
boats and submarine vessels in such a way that the fresh air may be kept separato
from the exhaled or used up air thus obviating any necessity for the use of
chemicals to produce and purify air or the component parts of air artificially; and
also the use of electrical decomposition of water in order to procure oxygen for
breathing.
And my invention consists in drawing the fresh air by means of a fan into the
submerged boat or vessel through one side of a double tube (which tube is capable
of extension up to and above the surface of the water by means of telescopic joints)
into one side of an air reservoir or reservoirs which is or are divided into two
compartments by an elastic diaphragm arranged for the purpose and which
reservoir or reservoirs are situated in any suitable part or parts of the body of
the boat or vessel as may be required. The fresh air is made to enter one portion
of the double tube by means of a suitably arranged fan and on passing into and
filling the fresh air compartment of the resevoir it presses the diaphragm towards
Price 2d1

page_text: the other side of the same thereby diminishing the space in the other compartment
and expelling the exhaled or used up air through the second portion of the double
tube.
When the fresh air compartment has been charged as required and the further
supply stopped by suitable taps the requisite communication between the lungs of
the navigator and the two sides of the diaphragm is effected by two separate pipes
connected with the mouth piece which pipes are provided with suitable valves one
of which opens the passage or tube to the fresh air compartment on inspiring and
the other opens the passage or tube to the used up air compartment on exhaling.
If required a smaller or ancillary reservoir arranged with a fixed diaphragm may
be worn on the person, into which the fresh air may be drawn (by extending the sides
which are flexible) through suitably arranged valves and the fresh air is inspired
from the fresh air compartment of this smaller, or ancillary resevoir as before
described, and the used up air exhaled also through valves into the used up air
compartment of this smaller resevoir from whence it is expelled by external
pressure of the elastic sides instead of breathing directly into the large resevoir
into which the air is drawn and from which also the used up air is expelled
The double telescopic tube for admitting the air is drawn down into the vessel
(when not in use) and the proper time for renewing the fresh air supply is
ascertained by means of slits fitted with glass in the walls of the resevoir the
position of the diaphragm indicating the amount of fresh air contained in the
resevoir at the time of inspection.
The above described apparatus can be adapted and applied to any suitably
constructed torpedo boat or submarine vessel which can be otherwise fitted in any
convenient manner.