Improved Means for Protecting Ships or Vessels against the Attack of Torpedoes and Submarine Boats.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 30th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Protecting Ships or Vessels against the Attack
of Torpedoes and Submarine Boats.
I, GEORGE HORATIO JONES, of 57 Great Russell Street, in the County of
London, Surgeon Dentist and Doctor of Dental Surgery (U.S.A.), do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide improved means for protecting ships
or vessels against the attack of torpedoes and submarine boats.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated
1st November 1892 No. 19,672, I have described an improved torpedo guard or
fender and means for moving the same into and out of its defensive position. My
present invention is designed to further simplify and improve the construction and
increase the efficiency of the apparatus described in my said former Specification,
and to provide in a more convenient and efficacious manner than heretofore, for the
protection of a ship or vessel by sheet-metal guards or shields extending almost
from end to end of the same.
According to one part of my present invention, I make the torpedo guard, fender
or shield in such a manner that I am enabled to dispense with the hinge-joints
described in my said former Specification for connecting the metal plates which
form the respective sections of the guard or fender.
I accomplish this result as hereinafter mentioned, viz. :-According to one
method, I provide along the sides of the ship or vessel, a guard or shield made of
metal sheets or plates and in suitable lengths or sections, each of which is shaped
to suit the corresponding part of the ship or vessel, and is secured to and carried
by the rams or pistons of Huid-pressure cylinders, so that the several sections may
be moved into and out of their defensive position without the aid of ropes or
chains.
These
In cases where it is desired to protect the bottom of the ship or vessel against
the attack of torpedoes or submarine boats, I provide, in addition to the guard or
shield for the sides of the ship or vessel, a guard or shield made of metal sheets or
plates and in suitable lengths or sections, which are connected by hinge-joints to the
keel or keel-plate or to a movable plate or plates beneath the same.
sections are arranged to be raised and lowered by means of ropes or chains, the said
sections turning about the said hinge-joints. The botton guard or shield and the
side guard or shield are preferably made of such dimensions that one of the same
overlaps the other both when drawn in close to the skin of the ship and when
moved into their defensive position.
According to another modification of my invention, I connect the sections of the
side guard or shield to the side of the ship by hinge-joints at their upper edges; and,
in this case, I find it advantageous that the side guard or shield should extend above
the armour-belt of the ship. These hinge-joints support the guard or shield, so
that I am enabled to dispense with cylinders and rams or pistons at the upper part
of the shield, and to simply employ cylinders and rams or pistons in the lower
part of the ship or vessel, these pistons being coupled or connected to the lower
parts of the sections of the side guard or shield. These cylinders may be con-
veniently arranged beneath the boilers of the ship or vessel, or in any other suitable
place between the fromas of the shin

page_text: The aforesaid hinge-joints are so constructed that either section of the side guard
or shield can be readily removed and replaced in case it should be damaged.
There may be one or more of the cylinders and pistons arranged in combination
with each section of the side guard or shield. In some instances, the plates or
sections are made with vertical slots through which the piston-rods extend, and
which permit the required angular movement of the sections relatively to the said
piston-rods. In other instances, I arrange one of the cylinders and pistons between
two adjacent sections of the guard or shield, so that the two sections can be worked
thereby.
I find it advantageous to so arrange the sections of the bottom guard or shield
that they form a break-joint structure with those of the side guard or shield.
According to another part of my said invention I connect the sections of the
bottom guard or shield to a movable plate or plates beneath the keel or keel-plate,
and provide for raising and lowering the said movable plate or plates, for example
by means of fluid-pressure cylinders and rams or pistons.
In some cases, I find it advantageous to connect lifting ropes or chains with the
sections of the bottom guard or shield at or near their upper edge, and also to
connect other lifting ropes or chains with the said sections at a point about midway
between their hinge-joints and their upper edge.
According to another part of my said invention, I employ in combination with a
side guard or shield such as that above mentioned, a bottom guard or shield which
is supported and can be raised and lowered by means of vertical rams or pistons
working in fluid-pressure cylinders, or by other convenient means, instead of being
connected by hinge-joints to the keel or keel-plate or to a movable plate or plates
beneath the same.
n
ሳስ 1
1. 1004
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Means for Protecting Ships or Vessels against the Attack
of Torpedoes and Submarine Boats.
I, GEORGE HORATIO JONES, of 57, Great Russell Street, in the County of
London, Surgeon Dentist and Doctor of Dental Surgery (U.S.A.), 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:—
My invention has for its object to provide improved means for protecting ships
or vessels against the attack of torpedoes and submarine boats.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated
1st November 1892, No. 19,672, I have described an improved torpedo guard or
fender and means for moving the same into and out of its defensive position. My
present invention is designed to further simplify and improve the construction and
increase the efficiency of the apparatus described in my said former Specification,
and to provide in a more convenient and efficacious manner than heretofore for the
protection of a ship or vessel by sheet-metal guards or shields extending almost
from end to end of the same.
According to one part of my present invention I make the torpedo guard, fender
or shield in such a manner that I am enabled to dispense with the hinge-joints
described in my said former Specification for commeeting the metal plates which
form the respective sections of the guard or fender.
According to another part of my said invention I connect the sections of the side

page_text: guard or shield to the ship's side by hinge-joints or pivots and combine therewith
suitable means for turning the said sections about their hinges or pivots to move
them into and out of their defensive position.
According to another part of my said invention, I connect the sections of the
bottom guard or shield to a movable plate or plates beneath the keel or keel-plate
and provide for raising and lowering the said movable plate or plates by fluid-
pressure or other suitable power. Or I connect the bottom plates to vertical rods
extending through the bottom of the hull and provide suitable means for raising
and lowering the said plates.
My said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter
described.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice:
Figure 1 is a half midship section of a vessel, and
Figure 2 a side elevation of the forward portion of the same, showing an improved
arrangement of my guard or shield adapted for protecting the sides only of the
vessel.
Figure 3 is a half midship section showing my guard or shield adapted to protect
the bottom as well as the sides of the vessel.
Figures 4 and 5 are similar views illustrating another modification of my improved
guard or shield, and showing the parts in different positions.
Figure 6 is a similar view showing a further modification of my said guard or
shield.
Figure 7 is a half midship section, and
Figure 8 a side elevation of a portion of a ship, showing another arrangement of
my guard or shield.
Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 are half midship sections showing other modifications of
the arrangement shown in Figures 7 and 8.
Figure 13 is a sectional view illustrating a detail of construction.
Figure 14 is a sectional elevation showing means for moving the guard in or out
by hand, and
Figure 15 is a plan showing another arrangement of devices for this purpose.
Figures 16 and 17 are half-midship sections illustrating further modifications of
the arrangement shown in Figures 7 and 8.
Figure 18 is a half-midship section of a vessel and
Figure 19 a side elevation showing another arrangement of my improved guard
or shield.
Figure 20 is a half-midship section of a vessel showing a further modification of
my invention.
Figures 21, 22 and 23 are similar views illustrating other modifications thereof.
Figures 24, 25 and 26 are partial midship sections of vessels showing further
modifications of my said invention.
Figure 27 is a partial midship section, and
Figure 28 is a side elevation of a part of a vessel, showing an arrangement
wherein I provide for extending the guard or shield by means of the ship's
derricks.
Figure 29 is a plan of the forward part of a vessel illustrating a further
modification of my said invention.
Figures 30, 31 and 32 are partial midship sections showing still further
modifications of my said invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, each of the sections B of the
guard or shield is shaped to suit the corresponding part of the ship and extends
below the bilge of the ship, and it is secured to and carried by the rams or piston-
rods C of fluid-pressure cylinders C, one set of rans or piston-rods being
attached to the said sections near the upper edge thereof and another set near the

page_text: lower edge thereof. The upper set of cylinders may be arranged either beneath or
above the armour-belt A. In this arrangement, I dispense entirely with hinge-
joints, and the sections B form an efficient protection for the sides of the ship and
can be moved into and out of their defensive position, if desired, without the aid of
ropes or chains. To ensure the simultaneous action of the upper and lower rams or
piston-rods, I sometimes provide spur-gearing and connecting-rods or other suitable
means for connecting the said rams or piston-rods so that they must move together.
I can, if desired, substitute for the fluid-pressure cylinders, racks and pinions for
moving in and out the rods C¹ and plates or sections B, the said rods extending
through suitable stuffing-boxes in the side of the ship, and the pinions being
connected with means for rotating them. Or I can employ other suitable means
for working the rods C¹ to move the plates or sections as required.
In Figure 3, I have shown an arrangement adapted for use in cases where it is
also desired to protect the bottom of the ship or vessel. In this case I provide, in
combination with the guard or shield B for protecting the sides of the ship, a
sheet-metal guard or shield D made in suitable lengths or sections which are
hinged or pivotted at a to the keel-plate b, the hinge-joints being preferably
constructed as described in my said former Specification so that the plates can be
readily detached from the ship if necessary. These sections of the guard or shield D
are arranged to be raised and lowered by means of ropes or chains E, the said
sections turning about the hinge-joints or pivots a. This arrangement affords a
complete protection for the vessel without the use of plates connected together by
hinge-joints to form the respective sections of either guard or shield.
The
The ropes or chains E are operated by suitable mechanism on board the vessel
and each rope or chain extends between adjacent sections of the guard B.
bottom guard or shield D and the side guard or shield B are preferably made of
such dimensions that one of the same overlaps the other both when they are drawn
in close to the skin of the ship and when they are moved into their defensive
position, as shown.
In Figures 4 and 5, the sections of the bottom guard or shield D are connected
by means of hinge-joints a, as above described, to a movable plate or plates H
beneath the keel or keel-plate, and the movable plate or plates H are raised and
lowered by means of vertical fluid-pressure cylinders P and rams or piston-rods P,
or they may be raised and lowered by equivalent devices. The sections of the
bottom guard or shield D are, in this case, provided with lifting ropes or chains E
attached to the said sections at or near their upper edge.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 6, I employ, in combination with a side
guard or shield B similar to that described with reference to Figure 1, a bottom
guard or shield D the several sections of which are supported and can be raised and
lowered by means of vertical rams or piston-rods P working in fluid-pressure
cylinders P, or by equivalent devices, instead of being connected by hinge-joints to
the keel or keel plate or to a movable plate or plates beneath the same as above
described.
The bottom plates D are sometimes so attached to the vertical rods P that they
can be readily detached therefrom when desired, or the rods are screwed or
otherwise attached to the pistons in such a manner that they ean, when necessary,
be readily detached therefrom, the pistons being provided with means for holding
them fast while the rods P¹ are being detached.
In other instances I provide the bottom plates D with vertical guide-rods
working in tubes or sockets fixed in the hull of the ship, and 1 provide for raising
and lowering the said plates by ropes or chains or other convenient means.
In one arrangement of this kind, I attach the ropes or chains to the said guide-
rods and pass them through tubes or trunks into the ship to be worked by suitable
winches or the like.
In Figures 7 and 8, the sections of the side guard or shield B are connected
at their upper edge to the side of the ship by hinge-joints B', and I find it

page_text: advantageous, in this case, that the side guard or shield D should extend above
the armour-belt A as shown. The hinge-joints B' are so constructed that either
section of the side guard or shield B, should it be damaged, can be readily removed
and replaced without disturbing the other sections thereof, and the said hinge-
joints are of sufficient strength to support the said guard, so that I am enabled, if
desired, to dispense with the supporting rods at the upper part of the shield and to
simply employ rods C₁ in the lower part of the ship or vessel, coupled or connected
to the lower parts of the sections of the side guard or shield B. The plates or
sections B may, for this purpose, be made with vertical slots or notches d,
Figure 8, through which extend the rods C, the ends of the said rods being
provided with rollers e; the required relative movement and change of angle
between the sections of the guard B and the said rods is thus permitted. The rods
being arranged between adjacent sections of the guard or shield B, each rod assists
in working two of such sections. By turning the rod C¹ through an angle of
ninety degrees, it will be disconnected from the sections B. To prevent sagging
of the sections D, additional ropes or chains E¹ may be used in combination
therewith.
I sometimes arrange the sections of the bottom guard or shield D so that they
form a break-joint structure with those of the side guard or shield B, suitable
slots being formed in the sections D through which the ends of the rods C¹ may
project when the shields are close to the ship's side.
In Figure 9 I provide for the extension of the guards or shields B and D by
gravity and for their retraction by means of ropes or chains. The sections B are
hinged or pivotted at B' to the ship's side and the sections D to the keel at a, and
the lower edges of the guard B are connected to the upper edges of the guard D by
means of bolts working in slots or guides in the guard B so that, as the guard D
descends by gravity, it moves outward the side guard B. Ropes or chains E are
attached to the upper edge of the guard D, whereby the guards B and D may be
simultaneously retracted. Vertical fluid-pressure cylinders P may, if desired, he
provided on the wing bulkhead as shown in Figure 11, the rods P₁ of the said
cylinders being connected to the sections of the guard D, to facilitate the lowering
and raising of the same. Or, if desired, the rods P' may be simply guide-rods
working in tubes or sockets in the ship's hull.
In Figure 10 the sections B forming the side guard, are secured at their upper
edge to the ship's side as shown at either directly or through suitable springs and
are forced outwards by means of rods C¹ acting thereon at or near their free edge.
The elasticity of the plates forming the guard B or of the said springs permits the
outward movement of the said guard without the use of hinge-joints. It is obvious
that this arrangement may, if desired, be applied to the guards D protecting the
bottom of the ship, the plates being secured so that they can be sprung downward,
instead of being hinged.
In Figure 12 I have shown an arrangement in which the sections B are hinged
at B' to movable rods C₁ extending through the ship's side. By this arrangement
the lower rods C' can be moved further out than the upper rods C¹, or vice versa so
as to maintain the sections B approximately at the same distance (or at different
distances if desired) from the ship's side at all parts of such sections. It is obvious
that, if desired, the spring joint shown in Figure 10 may be attached to rods C¹
in a similar manner.
In this arrangement the upper rods C¹ only require to be moved out a few feet
from the ship's side and will therefore afford a more efficient support for the
sections B.
To permit the removal and replacement of a damaged rod C' I sometimes form
the piston i, Figure 13, with a screw-threaded socket at one side thereof into
which the rod is screwed. To the other side of the said piston is rigidly
secured a rod passing through a cover m provided with cup-leathers or other
suitable packing, at the inner end of the cylinder C; the said rod / has a square,
hexagonal or other suitably shaped part n which may move in guides or ways o,

page_text: whereby rotation of the piston is prevented, so that by turning the rod C in one
or the other direction, it can be screwed into or out of the said piston. It is obvious
that other suitable devices can be employed for this purpose. The rod C is,
moreover, so arranged that, by turning it through an angle of ninety degrees or
some other suitable angle, it will be disconnected from the plates or sections of the
guard or shield.
In Figure 14 I have shown an arrangement whereby the rods C¹ may be moved
in and out by hand power in case of a break-down of the fluid-pressure or other
mechanism employed. The rod is, in this case, provided with a rack with
which is geared a pinion p connected through a train of gearing with a crank-
handle 9 or other suitable device for rotating it; the said pinion is so arranged
that it can be readily connected to and disconnected from its shaft.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 15, ropes s are attached to the rod / aml
are passed around suitable pulleyst for the purpose of moving the rods C¹ in and
out by hand.
In Figures 16 and 17, I have shown arrangements in which the side guard or
shield B is pivotted to rods C¹ above the armour-belt A. and is arranged to be
turned about the pivots by means of other rods (" arranged at a still higher level,
so as to bring the said shield into the required position relatively to the ship's side.
The rods C may be moved in and out by means of fluid-pressure cylinders or other
suitable devices. By these means I am enabled to dispense with rods arranged
below the water-line.
In Figures 18 and 19 the plates or sections B of the guard or shield are
pivotted at B¹ to the ship's side, the joints comprising brackets or hinge-plates
firmly secured to the ship's side, and straps or plates u' which are firmly secured
to the said plates or sections B, and are connected by removable hinge-pins u² to
the said brackets or plates u; or other suitable hinge-joints may be employed
which will permit of the ready removal and replacement of the said plates or
sections when necessary.
For moving the plates or sections B into their defensive
position, wire ropes or hawsers J are attached to the straps and are passed over
pulleys carried by pivotted davits or jib-cranes K, and thence over guide
pulleys to a windlass or winch L or other suitable hoisting or winding engine.
For moving the plates B inward close to the ship's side, ropes or hawsers Ji are
attached to the said plates and are passed around pulleys to the said windlass
or winch L, the straps being preferably made with a recess or cavity and the
plate B with corresponding holes, to receive the pulleys when the guard or
shield is retracted. In order that the ropes or hawsers J and J' may be operated
simultaneously and without slackening either of the said hawsers, I wind the said
hawsers on drums of slightly different diameters fixed on the same shaft, the
diameters of the said drums corresponding respectively to the different lengths of
the parts of the said hawsers J and J' which have to he hauled in and paid out in
order to move the said guard or shield as required. Or, if desired, the "slack"
may be compensated for by using two separate drums and suitably proportioning
the gearing for driving the said drums. The davits or jib-cranes K on either side
of the ship are arranged to be simultaneously swung out or in by means of a wire
rope or chain M attached to all the said davits or jib-cranes and worked by suitable
winches or capstans, one in the after part and another in the forward part of the
ship in order that the plates or sections B on either side of the ship may all be
simultaneously extended or retracted, I sometimes provide for operating the
whole of the windlasses or winches L on each side of the ship or vessel from a
single shaft driven by an independent steam-engine or other convenient source of
motive power.
To move the guard or shield into its retracted or inoperative position, the
hawsers Jare hauled in and the hawsers J are simultaneously paid out by means
of the winches L, the jib-cranes K being at the same time allowed to swing round
to the ship's side, until the plates 3 are brought close to the ship's side, where

page_text: they are secured by locking the drums of the said winches or otherwise making
fast the said wire-ropes or hawsers. The guard or shiell is extended by first
swinging out the davits or jib-cranes K by means of the hawser M and then
hauling in the hawsers J and simultaneously paying out the hawsers J¹.
I find it advantageous to make the plates or sections B of such height that,
when they are in their defensive position, their upper edges will be at or near the
water-line, and to extend the straps u' upward so that the hinge-joints B' will be
above the armour-belt. This arrangement is also useful when rods or pistons or
other equivalent devices are employed for moving the plates B into and out of
their defensive position.
To retain either section of the guard or shield in its defensive position in case of
the hawsers J being shot away or parted, I sometimes provide rods or chains the
upper ends of which are attached to the ship's side, whilst their lower ends are
provided with hooks which may be caused to engage with eyes on the plates or
sections B when in their defensive position. Or I connect together the plates or
sections B at their adjacent edges by means of headed bolts arranged on alternate
plates or sections and working in suitable slots in the adjoining plates or sections,
so that, in the event of the hawsers J of either plate being damaged, the said plite
will be supported by the adjacent plates.
In Figure 20 the guard or shield B is pivotted at B₁ to the ship's side an is
extended or retracted by inclined rods C₁ actuated by means of fluid-pressure
cylinders C or other convenient means and provided at their outer ends with
pivotted shoes or slides j, which move between guides j' secured to the guard or
shield B, so that the said guard can be readily extended or retracted by the
outward or inward movement of the rods C. The cylinders C can, in this case,
be so arranged as to take up but little of the useful space in the ship.
In Figure 21 the guard or shield B is pivotted at B' to the ship's side and is
provided at its upper end with one or more arms or levers y passing through the
ship's side. These levers are forked and engage with pins y formed on a nut y³
which is capable of being moved up and down in suitable guides by means of a
leading screw y³, operated from a steam-engine or other convenient source of power
through worm-gearing y. By these means the guard or shield B can be readily
extended or retracted.
In Figure 22 the guard or shield B is pivotted at B' to the ship's side but is
extended or retracted through the medium of toothed segments geared with
worms or endless screws 2¹ mounted on shafts 2 turning in suitable bearings
attached to the ship's side and driven by worm-gearing from a steam-engine or
other convenient motor. In this arrangement and in some of the other arrange-
ments shown, the plates or sections can be raised so as to bring them above the
water-line as indicated for example by the dotted lines in Figures 22 and 24. They
will then offer no resistance to the movement of the ship through the water.
In Figure 23 the plates B, pivotted at B' to the ship's side, are moved out and
in by means of levers y provided with pawls or bolts y which are adapted to enter
either of two notches in the part of the hinge-joint attached to the plate B, and
which can be raised out of the notches by a cord y. The levers y are operated
by a rope y' to move the plates out. To move the plates in, the pawls or bolts y
are first lifted out of their notches; the plates then descend by gravity, the levers
are pushed outward by the screws y³ so as to press the plates firmly against the
ship's side, and the pawls drop into the other notches, and hold the plates securely
in place.
Figure 24 shows another modification of my invention in which the guard or
shield B is arranged in a somewhat similar manner to that described with reference
to Figure 22, the shaft 2 provided with the worm ¹ being mounted horizontally
instead of vertically, and extending directly through a stuffing-box attached to
the ship's side. The shaft 2 is, in this case, operated by means of spur-gearing -
by hand, or other power as desired.
In Figure 25 I have shown an arrangement wherein the guard or shield B is

page_text: pivotted at B to the ship's side, and is provided with a toothed segment geared
with a rack formed on a rod moving in guides on the ship's side and operated
by a screw-threaded shaft 12 which works in a fixed nut l³. The shaft 2 is rotated
to raise or lower the rod and thus extend or retract the guard or shield B, by
means of worm-gearing driven by hand or other power. To hold up the guard
or shield B, I provide an adjustable link or suspension rod N coupled at one end
to a bracket N' on the said guard or shield, and at the other end to the nut 13.
This link or rod N is made with a rotary part N³ having an internal scre v-
thread at its upper end adapted to engage with a corresponding screw-thread on
the part N2, see Figure 27. When this rotary part is unscrewed, it is free to slide
down the part N2 and thus permit the guard or shield to be moved in close to the
ship's side.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 26 the guard or shield B is pivotted at B
to the ships's side and is extended or retracted by means of a toggle-joint 0, 0¹,
worked by means of a liuk O2 coupled at one end to the centre of the toggle-joint
and at its other end to a nut 13 moving in suitable guides on the ship's side and
working on a screw-threaded shaft 2 driven in any suitable manner through worm-
gearing. A guard plate A is secured to the ship's side so as to protect the
hinges of the guard or shield against the fire of machine-guns.
In the case of ships of war provided with bilge-keels, I make the sections of my
guard or shield of such form that they will fit closely over the bilge-keel on either
side of the ship. Or I provide the said sections with projecting ribs to form the
bilge-keel, instead of having the bilge keel formed on the ship.
In some instances I attach to the plates B a kind of bilge-keel B6 (Figure 26),
which also serves, when the guard or fender is extended, to prevent the riding of a
torpedo up the inclined part of the plates into close proximity to the ship's side
above the water-line.
In Figure 26 I have also shown a curved plate B' hinged or pivotted at its
lower edge to the ship's side and arranged to be raised by a rope or chain, when
the shield or guard is retracted, for the purpose of covering the lower edge of the
plate B and drawing the same in close to the ship's side.
I sometimes provide for extending and retracting the guard or shield by means
of the usual derricks of the ship as shown in Figures 27 and 28, a rope or chain A'
being attached to each plate B, and so arranged that it can, when desired, be
hooked on to the derrick chain AB, and, when the guard or shield is retracted, it
can be hooked to the ship's side at A' above the water-line. In this case I use,
for securing the guard or shield closely against the ship's side, a steel wire
hawser A (Figure 28) which is passed through eyes B on the plates B and
around pulleys A" carried by brackets pivotted to the ship's side, and is worked
by winches or capstans one at each end of the ship.
I sometimes so arrange the plates B near the stem and stern of the vessel that,
when the guard or shield is extended, the whole of the plates on either side of the
ship will be in alignment with each other and will therefore present the minimum
of resistance to movement of the vessel through the water. For example I attach
the hinge-joints at the upper edges of the said plates B by swivel joints to the ends
of rods C, Figure 29, which can be moved in and out by hydraulic or other
power.
Figure 30 shows another modification of my invention in which the guard or
shield B is pivotted at B' to the ship's side and is adapted to be extended and
retracted by means of hawsers J J₁, passing over pulleys v1, v2, substantially s
described above with reference to Figures 18 and 19; instead, however, of the
hawsers J and J' being attached directly to the guard or shield B they are attached
to a strip or flap of metal f pivotted at f' to the plate B; this strip or flap of
metal is provided with stops to limit its movement in an upward direction, so that,
when the guard B is in its defensive position, the strip or flap will be hel
approximately at right angles thereto and will serve to deflect and throw back-
wards any torpedoes that would otherwise ride up onto the upper part of the

page_text: plate B and thus operate in a somewhat similar manner to the bilge-keel B
described with reference to Figure 26; when the guard or fender B is retracted,
the strip or flap f will be drawn down snugly against the surface of the said guard
as the hawser Jis hauled in and the hawser J paid out and will thus in no way
impede the motion of the ship. The said strip or flap falso affords a proper
purchase for moving the shield into its defensive position by means of the rope J.
For this purpose pivotted arms or levers may be substituted for the said strip
or flap.
Figure 31 shows a further modification of my invention in which the guard B is
extended by means of hawsers J passing over pulleys at the end of davits or jib-
cranes K and operated in any suitable manner from the interior of the ship, and is
retracted by means of a hawser J¹, the lower end of which is attached to the side
of the vessel at J³, and which is passed through a suitable aperture in the guard or
shield, over a pulley g mounted thereon, and thence along the outside of the
guard B and through eyes thereon to a pulley g¹ on the ship's side, whence it
passes over suitable pulleys to the interior of the vessel, being operated by a winch
or in any other suitable manner. It is evident that, if desired, the ropes J' may
be attached to the lower end of the plates B and passed around pulleys on the
ship's hull.
Instead of the swinging davits K, I sometimes employ rods or booms (1,
Figure 32, provided at their outer ends with pulleys v, and extending through
stuffing-boxes in castings m secured to the ship's side, these castings being of such
size as to be capable of enclosing the pulleys v when the rods or booms Care
retracted. The said booms are adapted to be pushed out by hand or otherwise, to
afford a purchase for moving the shield outward by means of the hawsers J, and
can then be drawn inward so that they lie within the hull of the ship. I provide
suitable screw-threaded sockets m' in convenient positions on the frame of the ship,
into either of which a bolt m², passed through the inner end of the rod or boom (
can be screwed for the purpose of securing the said rod or boom in either its
extended or retracted position.
The parts of the mechanism, in the several figures of the drawings, are shown
somewhat large for the sake of clearness in the drawings.
In some cases I find it advantageous, instead of painting the plates forming my
improved guard or shield or coating them with anti-fouling composition, to coat
them with aluminium or other suitable metal to prevent oxidation and the deposit
of crustaceæ, seaweed or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A torpedo guard or shield comprising plates or sections which extend
from the water-line or near the water-line to below the bilge of the ship and are
conformed to the ship's hull, and which are supported by movable rods extending
through the ship's side, substantially as herein before described.
Second. The combination, with the side plates or sections of my torpedo guard
or shield, of the bottom plates or sections which overlap the side plates or sections
but are not connected thereto by hinge-joints, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Third. A torpedo guard or shield comprising bottom plates or sections hinged
or pivotted to vertically movable rods extending through the bottom of the ship,
for the purposes above specified.
Fourth. A torpedo guard or shield comprising plates or sections hinged or
pivotted to the ship's side or to movable rods extending through the same, and
suitable means whereby the said plates or sections can be turned about their hinges
or pivots to move them into and out of their defensive position, for the purposes
above specified.
Fifth. A torpedo guard or shield comprising plates or sections pivotted to the

page_text: ship's side or to movable rods extending through the same, and suitable means
whereby the said plates or sections can be readily moved into and out of their
defensive position, and can, when desired, be raised above the water-line.
Sixth. The plates or sections forming the bottom guard or shield, attached to
guide-rods working in tubes or sockets in the hull of the ship, and provided with
means for raising and lowering them as required, substantially as and for the
purposes above specified.
Seventh. The modification of my invention wherein the bottom plates or sections
are provided with guide-rods working in tubes or trunks in the hull of the ship,
and ropes or chains are attached to the said guide-rods for raising and lowering
the said plates or sections, substantially as described.
Eighth. A torpedo guard or shield comprising side plates or sections and bottom
plates or sections conformed to the ship's hull, and means whereby the said side
plates or sections will be moved into and out of their defensive position simul-
taneously with the bottom plates or sections, substantially as described.
Ninth. The modification of my invention in which the side plates or sections are
pivotted to one set of movable rods and are arranged to he turned about their
pivots by another set of movable rods, substantially as described.
Tenth. The modification of my invention wherein I provide for the operation of
the movable rods carrying the plates or sections, either by means of fluid-pressure
cylinders or by hand or other power through the medium of a rack and pinion or
of rope or other suitable gearing, substantially as, and for the purposes, above
specified.
Eleventh. A torpedo guard or shield comprising plates or sections hinged or
pivotted to the ship's side and arranged to be moved into their defensive position
by means of ropes, chains or hawsers, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Twelfth. The combination, with the plates or sections worked by ropes, chains
or hawsers, of the davits or jib-cranes pivotted to the ship's side and arranged to
be swung out and in, substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Thirteenth. The modification of my torpedo guard or shield in which the plates
extend upward to or nearly to the water-line and are fastened to arms or straps
which are hinged or pivotted to the ship's side, substantially as described.
Fourteenth. The combination, with a torpedo guard or shield consisting of
pivotted plates or sections, of levers operated by screw-gearing or by ropes or other
suitable means, for turning the said plates or sections about their pivots,
substantially as described.
Fifteenth. The combination, with a torpedo guard or shield consisting of
pivotted plates or sections, of segments of worm-wheels attached to the said plates
or sections and geared with worms or endless screws, substantially as, and for the
purposes, above specified.
Sixteenth. The modification of my torpedo guard or shield in which the plates
or sections are arranged to be turned about their hinges or pivots by means of
racks and pinions, substantially as described.
Seventeenth. The employment of adjustable links or suspension-rods in com-
bination with the plates or sections, for the purpose of sustaining them when the
guard or shield is extended.
Eighteenth. The combination, with a torpedo guard or shield consisting of
pivotted plates or sections, of toggle-joints for effecting the extension and
retraction thereof, substantially as described.
Nineteenth. The modification of my invention wherein I provide for retracting
the guard or shield by means of the ordinary derricks of the ship, substantially as
described.
Twentieth. The use of a bilge-keel or like projection formed with or attached
to the plates or sections of the guard or shield, substantially as, and for the
purposes, above specified.
Twenty-first. The combination, with the side plates or sections, of plates hinged
or pivotted at their lower edge to the ship's hull and adapted to overlap the lower

page_text: edge of the side plates or sections when the latter are retracted, and means for
drawing the same in close to the ship's side, substantially as described.
Twenty-second. The modification of my invention wherein I provide for drawing
in the guard or fender close to the ship's side by means of a hawser or cable,
substantially as described.
Twenty-third. The use of plates or sections at either end of the ship, hinged or
jointed to rods which are movable in and out so that all the plates or sections on
either side of the ship can be brought into alignment with each other, substantially
as described.
Twenty-fourth. The combination, with the pivotted plates or sections, of levers
or flaps pivotted thereto and attached to the ropes, chains or hawsers for extending
and retracting the guard or shield, substantially as, and for the purposes, above
specified.
Twenty-fifth. The combination, with the pivotted plates or sections arranged to
be worked by ropes, chains or hawsers, of rods or booms carrying pulleys and
arranged to be moved in and out of the hull of the ship, substantially as, and for
the purposes, above specified.
Twenty-sixth. A torpedo guard or shield comprising plates or sections hinged or
pivotted to the ship's side and arranged to be moved outward by ropes, chains or
hawsers passing around pulleys attached to jib-cranes or davits or to movable rods
or booms, and to be moved inward by ropes, chains or hawsers attached at one end
to the ship's side or to the plates or sections and passed around suitable pulleys,
substantially as set forth.
Twenty-seventh. The improved torpedo guard or shield constructed and com-
bined with means for operating it, substantially as described with reference to
either of the forms or modifications illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 29th day of January 1895.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.