Improvements in Submarine Boats, chiefly designed for use as Torpedo Boats.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1893
Improvements in Submarine Boats, chiefly designed for use as
Torpedo Boats.
I, GEORGE COLLINS BAKER, 197, 44th Street, Chicago, in the County of Cook,
State of Illinois, United States of America, Engineer and Manufacturer, 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 relates to a submarine boat which is capable of propulsion upon
the surface of the water, and to that end is provided preferably with an engine by
which its propelling apparatus may be driven, and which is also capable of motion
downwardly through the water, or parallel with the surface, or of an upward
motion: and to this end the propelling apparatus is capable of adjustment to
impart the desired direction of movement to the boat. A feature of my invention
is to provide a boat of this character which is adapted to carry
and discharge
torpedoes with requisite precision.
A steering and propelling mechanism of the capabilities above mentioned is
described and claimed in my United States Patent No. 358,425; but my present
improvement has more particular relation to the adapting of a submarine boat for
use as a torpedo boat; and to this end I construct it of peculiar form and so
combine it with the propelling and steering apparatus that all of the movements of
the boat may be guided and controlled with the required certainty and accuracy
for discharging torpedoes effectively. It is an essential requirement of boats of
this character that they shall be so constructed as to adapt them to maintain a
stationary position under water for greater or less periods of time; and that they
may be moved either forward or backward or upward or downward without
liability to deflection from the desired course.
My present invention provides a boat having all these capabilities and which is
constructed on such lines that it forms no obstruction to its own passage through
the water and no irregularities of outline which would interfere with its movement,
either up or down or through the water, or afford surfaces against which the water
could act to destroy its equilibrium or cause it to be deflected out of the desired
course. To this end the general outlines of the boat are of the greatest
importance and form a feature of my present invention. To render the importance
of the conformation of the vessel to regular lines clear, I may observe that if the
vessel were constructed with a flat or deck top and with its bow, stern and keel
upon curved lines, its bow could not be forced into the water without very powerful
machinery and the tendency of such a vessel would be to rise out of the water,
and therefore there would exist with such a vessel a constant tendency to be
deflected out of its desired course or that course for which its machinery was set.
If, on the other hand, a vessel were constructed with a flat bottom and a curved
deck, the tendency of such vessel would be to descend or dive. But by con-
structing the vessel upon uniform or regular lines, terminating at the bow and
stern respectively, the boat is perfectly balanced, having neither a tendency to dip
into nor to rise out of the water, except as influenced by the propelling mechanism,
and responding readily thereto so that it may be kept upon a pre-determined and
desired course with as much certainty while beneath the surface of the water as a
boat can be steered upon the surface.
I mount in some convenient portion of the boat a torpedo tube or gun for firing
torpedoes, which are of a character to adapt them to be discharged from a tube
or gun mounted inside the boat, or in case it is desired to serve a torpedo which is
not adapted to be so discharged it may be served from.apparatus connected to the
outside of the boat..

page_text: Other features of novelty which may be mentioned are, first, the combination
with a furnace and its boiler whereby steam is generated for driving an engine,
an adjustable smoke stack whose cover is adapted to seat itself and form a water
tight joint when the stack is lowered and at the same time to muffle or close the
smoke pipe to prevent the escape of smoke in the boat, and when the vessel is at
anchor upon the surface or travelling thereon, this stack is raised so that it
registers with the smoke pipe and delivers into the atmosphere, second, a steam
engine which is so connected with the main driving shaft of the propeller wheels
that when the vessel is being propelled upon the surface it may be driven by
steam, and which engine is also adapted to be geared with a dynamo so as to charge
a series of storage batteries placed in the hold of the vessel, and the gearing being
also so arranged that the direction of movement of the dynamo may be reversed,
in which case current is supplied thereto from the storage batteries and the
dynamo becomes a motor which is suitably connected with the driving shaft of
the propeller blades and the vessel is thereby electrically driven when under
water.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a boat embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a boat built on slightly different
lines but also embodying my invention.
Figure 3 is a similar view designed to show the arrangement of the machinery
within the boat.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view at right angles to that shown in Figure 3,
and showing the machinery and appurtenances in plan.
Figure 5 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line of the main driving
shaft; and
Figure 6 is a sectional detail of a part of the propelling apparatus.
In carrying out my invention I construct the boat upon uniform lines, the general
shape or outline of the boat being elliptical and the ends of the boat being con-
verged so as to render them pointed or wedged shaped. By the term "uniform
lines I mean that the portions of the boat above and below a plane passing
through its longitudinal centre are in outline substantially duplicates of each other,
and the same is true of the portions of the boat on each side of a vertical plane
passing transversely through its middle. The vertical diameter of the body of
the boat is preferably greater than the transverse diameter, and the proportions
which I recommend are that the length of the boat shall be to its greatest vertical
diameter as-say-four to one, and its vertical diameter is to its tranverse diameter
as say two to one.
The shell or body of the boat may be constructed of wood or metal or a com-
bination of the two. As shown in the drawings, A is intended to represent a
wooden shell covered with a metal sheathing B, but steel ribs may be substituted
for the wooden shell and the sheathing may be of boiler or other suitable plate.
The interior frame work of the boat may be of a simple character as its general
form makes it self-bracing. In the drawings I have shown a line of transverse
beams. C which suitably brace the sides of the boat and also serve to divide it
centrally and longitudinally into upper and lower decks. D represents a fixed or
solid ballast, and E water compartments with suitable bulk heads F which furnish
the division walls for the compartments and sustain a lower deck G upon which a
part of the machinery may be mounted. The permanent ballast is designed to
maintain the boat upon an even keel while the liquid ballast is used to assist in the
total submersion of the vessel, and suitable provision will be made for withdrawing
the liquid ballast when running on the surface.
Upon the deck G is placed the boiler H, the smoke pipe from the furnace of
which delivers into the vertically adjustable smoke stack I. The ends of this stack
are closed and its side wall is perforated near its bottom to register with the
opening in the smoke stack from the furnace when the stack is elevated, while a
perforation in the upper end of this smoke stack permits the discharge of the

page_text: smoke into the atmosphere. The under side of the closed top is flanged and
adapted to seat upon the flange of the opening in the top of the boat in which the
stack slides. When the smoke stack is lowered its imperforate portions seals the
end of the smoke pipe from the furnace thus preventing the escape of smoke into
the boat, while its upper end seats itself thus preventing the entrance of water to
the interior of the boat through the opening in its shell. The steam from the
boiler is supplied to a suitable engine as J, which is adapted to drive the main
shaft K carrying the propellers. This engine is also so geared with the dynamo L
that the latter may be driven thereby to charge the storage batteries M which
are arranged within the interior of the boat. The dynamo also has driving con-
nection with the main shaft so that when it is not practicable to run the engine
for the driving of the boat the dynamo may be converted into a motor which is
supplied with current from the storage battery and the boat driven by this
electrical means.
The propelling apparatus is particularly shown in Figures 5 and 6, and comprises
in the form shown the propeller blades N, which are mounted upon short shafts
carried in sleeved bearings O, which sleeve encircles and is rotatable upon the main
driving shaft. Bevel gears mounted upon the respective ends of the main shaft and
enmeshed with similar gear wheels on the propeller shafts furnish means whereby
rotary motion may be imparted to the propeller blades. Said sleeves are supported
in collars O¹ rigidly secured to the shell of the boat and provided with suitable
glands or stuffing boxes to prevent entrance of water. The inner ends of the
sleeves are provided with suitable gearing as, for example, the worm gears Q which
are turned by the worms R, the latter being arranged to be manipulated preferably
from the pilot's station. Obviously upon the rotation of these worms in either
direction the propellers may be moved in the arc of a circle around the driving gear
which imparts motion to them and hence the direction of movement of the boat is
controlled by simply shifting the propellers with reference to the driving shaft and
by such adjustment of the propellers the boat may be driven forward or back-
ward upon the surface or below the surface of the water, or it may be drawn down
into the water or caused to rise out of the water and at any desired angle of
movement.
The particular location of the propellers is of the utmost importance in the
operation of a submarine boat. If this propelling apparatus were placed nearer to
one end of the boat than to the other the tendency to dive or rise out of the water,
depending upon the location, would be almost irresistible, but by arranging the pro-
pellers at or about the middle of the sides of the boat the equilibrium is undisturbed
by the action of the propellers.
The arrangement of the apparatus within the interior of the boat and the
particular driving means may be varied as such particular arrangement and
apparatus is not essential to the main features of my invention. The purpose of
providing a steam engine, dynamo and storage batteries is to afford means, by the
use of the steam engine, for propelling the boat when riding upon the surface of the
water and to furnish means also for the generation of electricity which is stored in
the storage battery and which can be utilized when the boat is below the surface
of the water as a propelling force. Of course the steam apparatus might be
omitted altogether, and the storage batteries charged by means external to the
boat.
T represents a conning tower which is arranged preferably in the upper portion
of the shell of the boat and has transparent sections through which observations
can be made. The conning tower has a swinging top T¹ which when in place,
affords a water tight joint but which can be raised upon the rod t and when so
raised clear of its seat can be swung laterally to uncover a large opening to admit
air or for the passage of men and supplies. U represents openings provided with
suitable covers, preferably transparent, which are used for the admission of light
or uncovered to admit air to the interior of the boat when above the surface.
V represents a torpedo tube opening at the shell of the boat and toward one end

page_text: and which is adapted for the discharge of the torpedo X; but a submarine gun
may be located in the same position.
In Figure 1 I have shown a torpedo W of that type which is provided with
propelling and directing means the propelling means being electrical or pneumatic.
according to some known forms, and the steering mechanism being usually
electrically controlled. Torpedoes of this type can be advantageously used in
connection with my improved boat. Heretofore the use of these torpedoes has been
limited because of the fact that no means have been provided for carrying them
safely within range of the object of attack, and the range of the torpedo itself is so
short that it could not be successfully used either offensively or defensively against
a war vessel carrying a modern long range gun. By combining a torpedo of this
character with my improved boat, the boat and its attached torpedo may move
under water to within range of the torpedo and the boat being brought to the
surface the torpedo may be disconnected and discharged, its movements being
controlled and guided by the gunner in the boat, and the latter can be brought to
the surface, the torpedo discharged and the boat withdrawn before the modern gun
could be trained upon it.
A boat constructed as above described can be used for a variety of purposes.
For example, in the examination of wrecks, in inspection of the character of the
bed of lakes and other bodies of water, for the purpose of locating sub-marine
structures, in the laying and inspection of telegraphic and other cables, and
generally wherever it is desired to perform work below the surface of the water,
but the chief object and aim of the invention is to provide a boat which shall
be well adapted as a war vessel and particularly designed for the discharge of
torpedoes.
The advantages of the boat above described for this last named purpose are
perhaps sufficiently obvious as not to require extended mention. Attention is
called to the fact however that sufficient celerity of movement may be obtained
with a comparatively low motive power because the shape of the boat presents but
little obstruction to its propulsion through the water. The main features however
is the ability to perfectly control the movements of the boat and to guide and direct
it in any desired course without deflection whereby accuracy may be obtained in
the discharging of torpedoes.
I do not intend to limit my invention to the precise arrangements and details of
construction except as indicated by the claims.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A submarine boat having its body constructed upon uniform lines, said lines
converging toward the bow and stern of the boat, substantially as described.
2. A submarine boat having its body constructed upon uniform lines, said lines
converging toward the bow and stern of the boat, in combination with propelling
mechanism arranged centrally of the sides, substantially as described.
3. A boat of the class described having its body formed upon uniform lines
whereby the sections of the boat upon either side of a plane passing through its
centre are duplicates of each other, substantially as described.
4. A boat of the class described having its body constructed upon regular lines,
said body being in general form elliptical and its ends converging toward its bow
and stern, substantially as described.
5. A boat of the class described having its body constructed upon uniform lines,
its vertical diameter being greater than its transverse diameter and its length
exceeding its longest transverse diameter, substantially as described.
6. A submarine boat having propelling mechanism arranged centrally of its sides,
in combination with. a torpedo and meaus for carrying and discharging the same,
substantially as described.
7. A sub-marine boat having its body formed upon regular lines substantially as

page_text: herein shown and described in combination with adjustable propellers arranged at.
or about the longitudinal centre of the sides of the boat, said propelling mechanism
being adjustable around the main driving shaft thereof, and a torpedo connected.
with and adapted to be discharged from the boat, substantially as described.
8. The combination with a submarine boat, of a furnace for generating steam.
therein, said furnace having a smoke pipe leading therefrom and terminating within
the boat and a sliding smoke stack adapted to slide through an aperture in the shell
of the boat and having its ends closed and its side wall perforated near its respective
ends, the lower perforation adapted to register with the delivery end of the smoke.
pipe, substantially as described.
9. In a submarine boat, the combination with a steam generator, a steam engine.
supplied from said generator, a driving shaft having propellers and gearing between.
the engine and the shaft, a dynamo geared with the engine, and also adapted to be
geared with the main shaft and electrical storage batteries and connections between.
the batteries and dynamo whereby the latter may be used to charge the batteries
when run by the engine or may be used to drive the main shaft when supplied with
current from the batteries, substantially as described.
Dad thin ooth dow of M 1902
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.