IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBMARINE BOATS OR VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS. USED FOR WORKING UNDER WATER
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Delany at the Office: of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the 8th January,
1859. A communication from Lodner D. Phillips, of the City of Chicago,
Cook County, and State of Illinois, United States of America.
s. I, WILLIAM DELANY, of the City of Chicago, Cook County, and State of
Illinois, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBMARINE BOATS OR VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS.
USED FOR WORKING UNDER WATER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object' improvements in submarine boats or
vessels, and in apparatus for working under water. For these purposes a boat.
or vessel. is constructed of plate iron, or it may be of wood or other material,.
supported by a frame of sufficient strength; this boat or vessel is closed on all
sides, it is elliptical or rather egg-shaped in transverse section, and runs off to
a point at both ends, one end being, however, rather more rounded than the
other, and its length is several times its greatest' diameter, and at the top,
bottom, and sides four or other number of keels are fixed to keep the vessel
steady in the water. Within the boat or vessel are, two strong metal
tanks, into one of which air can be forced by an air pump. This tank is.
connected with the second. tank by a pipe furnished with a 'cock; and the
second tank also communicates by a pipe with the water exterior of the boat
or vessel, so that a person within the.. boat or vessel can fill this tank with
water, and thus increase the weight of the boat or vessel so as to cause it to
sink, or, by allowing the air to pass from the air tank to the water tank, the
water may be again ejected so as to lighten the vessel sufficiently to cause it to
rise to the surface. Through one end of the vessel a hollow shaft passes by a

page_text: ball-and-socket joint, and on this shaft a rudder is mounted; beyond the rudder
there is a screw propeller, which is driven from the interior by an axis passing
through the hollow shaft of the rudder; by this propeller the vessel may be
propelled in any desired direction. A similar screw may be placed at the
other end of the vessel, if thought desirable. The persons within the boat or
vessel are supplied with air from time to time from the air tank, and the
vitiated air is allowed to escape by a cock into the exterior water. Double
doors are formed in the top, bottom, and sides of the vessel, and these may be
opened beneath the water to allow of ballast being passed out when necessary,
and for other purposes.
In conjunction with this boat or vessel a diving armour is employed, so that
when the boat or vessel arrives at a point where work is to be done, a diver may
leave the same to do whatever may be required. This armour is formed of
metal, the moving parts being so fitted and jointed together that the pressure
of the water may be sustained by the armour, and not communicated to the
body of the diver. Through the sides of the armour a number of tongs pass,
with which the diver can hold any tool with which he has to work, or any other
article; these tongs pass through ball-and-socket joints, and are arranged to be
readily acted on from the interior of the armour, so as to cause them to open
and close. Into the ball-and-socket joints any tools may be fitted, and 'these
also serve to pass short tools from the exterior to the interior of the armour,
as may be required.
In order to facilitate the movement of the diver a screw propeller is attached
to the front. of the armour. The diver is supplied with air from the air tank
within the boat or vessel, or otherwise; and he also carries on his back a
reservoir of compressed air, which enables him temporarily to disconnect the
hose, if required. The rope by which the diver is lowered is also so arranged
that the diver can disconnect it if he desires. Exterior of the armour is an
elastic bag, into which the diver admits air so as to inflate it when he wishes to
rise to the surface. A lamp is mounted within the armour, and in front of the
same is a bull's eye, which concentrates the light on objects in front of the
diver.
The submarine boat or vessel is in some cases fitted with steam engines to
propel it more rapidly when the boat or vessel is at the surface of the water;
the same power also serves to pump air into the tank.