IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TORPEDO BOATS OR SUBMARINE VESSELS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TORPEDO BOATS OR SUBMARINE
VESSELS communicated to him from abroad by Winfield Scott Sims, of
Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th May 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TORPEDO
BOATS OR SUBMARINE VESSELS [a communication to him from abroad by Winfield
Scott Sims, of Newark, New Jersey, United States of America]
"
'
My invention relates to torpedo boats or submarine vessels, the power for
propelling and steering which is derived from electricity generated by a
stationary generator or generators on shore or other operating station, the
propelling being accomplished by an electro-motor, and the steering by electro
magnets on board the vessel, actuated by the electricity generated by the local
generator through circuit wire connections maintained between the said generator
or generators and the vessel. Both the propelling and the steering are thus under
the control of the operator at the local station.
For convenience of storing, transporting and handling I make the boat, which is
formed of sheet metal, preferably copper, in sections, which when put together form
an elongated shell with pointed ends. The sections are connected together by
screw or lock joints that are readily coupled and uncoupled and that may be made
water tight by an annular projection or rib on the face of one end of each section
meeting and pressing closely upon an india rubber ring inserted in the face of the
opposite section, the screw or lock joints being also so provided with metallic
transfer plates or strips and impinging springs, suitably insulated and adjusted,
that perfect electrical connection is established between the different sections, and

page_text: .
I prefer to divide the shell into separate compartments for the reception of the
propelling and steering apparatus and other devices intended to be carried in the
boat.
The boat when submerged is maintained at a suitable distance below the surface
by an elongated float to which the boat is connected by suitable stanchions. At
the bow of the boat is fixed a guard consisting of a sharp-edged metal blade
extending upward from the boat, inclining back to the forward end of the float by
means of which an obstruction, for example a rope or cable or spar, if met at or
near the surface of the water will be severed by the guard, or the boat will be
deflected downward and pass under the obstruction, the latter passing over the
float. At the stern of the boat is a guard post or bar, the lower end of which is
secured to the boat and the upper end to the float which acts as a guard, and also
may furnish a support and bearing for the upper end of the rudder shaft.
The boat is provided with a screw propeller; and within the boat suitably
located tberein is placed an electro-motor so connected with the propeller shaft as
to rotate the propeller. At the operating station, usually on shore, is located an
electric generator, a battery or a dynamo machine connected with the electrical
apparatus in the boat by a circuit wire or wires which are paid out from the boat
as it moves from the operating station. The circuit wire or wires may be carried
in the float, the inboard end being connected with the electrical devices of the boat
through the medium of the float stanchions already described, which may be made
hollow for that purpose, or may be carried in an independent case attached to the
boat; but I prefer to place them in a compartment of the boat itself, as already
described.
By having the generator on shore or other local station, instead of in the boat
itself, the power, duration, regulation and application of the current of electricity
for actuating the motor, or steering the vessel, are at all times entirely under the
control of the operator, which cannot be done practically, when the materials and
apparatus for generating the current have to be carried in the boat.
For the steering of the boat two electro-magnets are suitably placed in the shell;
opposite to the poles of each of which is arranged an armature, which is connected
by a rod to one end of a cross-bar, on the rudder post, so that one magnet when
charged will act through its armature to turn the rudder in one direction, and the
other when charged will act to turn it in the opposite direction, and when neither
is charged, the rudder will take a direct astern position.
These electro magnets are so connected with a generator, which may be at battery,
at the shore station, by suitable electrical devices that the main current may be
conveyed to either of the magnets or cut off from both, at the pleasure of the
operator.
As the amount of deflection of the rudder from a straight astern position will
vary with the distance traversed by the armature from its then state of rest to the
face of its attracting magnet, and consequently with the length of the steering rod
which connects the armature with the cross-bar on the rudder post, I make each
rod in two parts and connect the parts by an adjusting nut for shortening or
lengthening the rod at pleasure and so regulating and controlling the possible
deflection of the rudder.
The armature may be attached directly to the ends of the tiller or cross-bar
without the intervention of the rods above described, or the tiller or cross-bar may
be so constructed that its extremities shall constitute the armature.
To stiffen the shell of the boat I place within the shell at the base of the
stanchions that connect the boat to the float, strong metal rings or curved stays
that fit against the inner wall of the shell, the basis of said stanchions being bolted
to these rings.
Upon the float I erect perpendicular rods provided with flags, balls or discs at
their upper ends to serve as guides to the operator in directing and controlling the
boat, which rods are so hinged at their lower ends that in passing under a cable or
other obstruction they will be depressed into slots in the surface of the float, 'and

page_text: on passing clear of such obstruction will, by means of springs or other familiar
mechanical devices, resume an erect position.
In the bow of the boat I place the explosive material with which it is or may be
armed or equipped and which may be exploded by percussion, or at will, by the
operator at a distance by means of electricity communicated from the operating
station.
The float may also be constructed in detachable sections with water tight
compartments and made buoyant and comparatively indestructible by shot or
puncture, by constructing it of sheet metal filled with any well known buoyant
material, or the boat may be used without the float to run at the surface of the
water; and is adapted for use as a despatch boat for laying cables or other
purposes.
I thus operate and control my boat by electricity from the shore or other
operating station at a distance from the boat, propelling it and steering it and at
will exploding its charge, by a single main current generated at the operating
station.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO TORPEDO
BOATS OR SUBMARINE VESSELS a communication to me from abroad by Winfield
Scott Sims, of Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
"
This Invention relates to Torpedo boats, and comprises the novel construction
and arrangement of the said boats and of the propelling and steering devices
therefor. It also comprises several minor combinations and devices hereinafter
described.
The boat is propelled by electricity generated by a generator located at an
operating station, outside of the boat, and conducted to an electric motor in the
boat, by a conductor paid out from the said boat as the latter moves from the
station. The steering is effected solely by the electricity generated by a generator
located at the said operating station
I will now proceed to describe apparatus which embodies the principle of this
Invention and by which that principle may be made practically operative.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a torpedo boat and a side elevation
of the float from which the boat it suspended together with a view of the shore
station at which is located the electrical generator.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the after part of the boat showing
the steering mechanism.
Figure 3 is a transverse section drawn to an enlarged scale on the line x, x.
Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan of the electro magnets employed to operate the steering
mechanism, and a relay for shifting the current into one or the other of the
magnets at pleasure.
Figure 5 is a plan of another relay for shifting the current into the charge
exploder.
Figure 6 is a plan of the rear half and
Figure 7 a plan of the front half of the interior of the boat showing the location
therein of the several parts of the propelling steering and firing apparatus and of
the wire conductor and
Figure 8 is a view partly in section of a detached piece of the shell of the boat
showing the devices for establishing electrical connection between the sections of
the boat.
The boat consists of a metallic water-tight shell preferably of copper cylindrical
or nearly so in form with pointed ends and divided into suitable compartments for
containing the explosive charge, the cable and the apparatus and devices employed
in propelling and steering the boat and exploding the charge.
For convenience of handling and transportation the shell is preferably formed
in sections detachably secured together with water tight joints by any suitable
means.
When it is intended that the boat shall be submerged when in use, I suspend it
from a float B also consisting of a metallic shell of any desired form.
It is
preferably of a length somewhat less than the length of the boat and is flattened
in order to diminish its elevation above the water. It may be made comparatively
indestructible by shot or puncture by being filled with any suitable buoyant

page_text: material. It is connected to the boat by suitable rods or stanchions C C firmly
secured to the under side of the float and the top of the boat. I connect the
forward end of the float with the bow of the boat by a metal blade or guard D
which is inclined forward from the float, and sharpened to a cutting edge in front.
By this arrangement if any obstruction as for example a rope or cable is
encountered on or near the surface of the water this guard will cut through it, or
the float and boat will be deflected downward and pass under it. I also place a
guard D¹ at the stern of the boat for carrying any such obstruction over the stern
rudder and propeller after passing over the float.
The shell may be stiffened by any suitable means.
Provision is made for propelling the boat through the agency of electricity,
which is generated at the operating station, outside of the boat and conducted by a
Buitable wire conductor to an electric motor within the boat by which motor a
Ecrew propeller is actuated.
H indicates an electric motor located in and properly secured to the shell of the
boat in a water-tight compartment. As I do not intend to limit myself to any
particular forin or construction of motor I do not deem it necessary to give a
detailed description of the same Any of the cominon forms by which a driving
shaft can be continuously rotated may be employed.
K is the propeller shaft properly journalled in bearings in the boat and K' the
propeller. The driving shaft h in the motor is properly connected to the propeller
shaft so that motion from the motor is communicated to the propeller.
At the operating station W Figure 1 which may be on shore at some suitable
point, are placed the generators of electricity, that for generating the main current
being preferably a dynamo machine driven by steam power, that for generating the
auxiliary current may be a battery
G indicates an insulated wire cable made of two separate wire conductors suitably
insulated from each other, one of which is intended to conduct the main current
employed as the motive power in propelling and steering the boat and firing the
charge and the other of which is intended to conduct the auxiliary current for
actuating a relay in the boat to switch the main current through the steering
magnet.
w and w Figure 1 indicate the dynamo for generating the main current and
the battery for generating the auxiliary current; and V indicates the larger or
main conductor and V¹ the smaller or auxiliary conductor, branching from the
cable to the two generators.
The cable is carried in an apartment in the boat which is separated from the
adjoining apartments by water-tight bulkheads and is wound in a coil therein.
One end of the main conductor V of the cable is electrically connected to one of
the poles of the dynamo and the other end of the same with the motor in the boat.
It may be wound in a coil in its apartment in the boat and paid out through an
orifice in the bottom of the boat as the boat moves from the station A return wire
may be employed, but preferably a short ground wire V2 is used at the dynamo,
and the current grounded in the boat by simple connection to the shell as at V³.
It may if preferred be carried in the float; and the end on board the boat led
lown through one of the stanchions C made hollow for the purpose, or it may be
carried in an independent case attached to the boat. But I prefer to carry it in
the boat itself as described. A common switch may be used at the station to make
and break electric connection between the dynamo and the boat.
A considerable power is required to propel the boat at the requisite speed. By
locating the generating apparatus on shore as described, the desired amount of
electricity may be generated and applied as a motive force directly to the propeller
of the boat and the operation continued any desired length of time without iter-
mission or interruption while both the generation of the force and the application
of the same are under the immediate control of the operator at the station.
The electrical apparatus in the boat for operating the steering mechanism is
placed in the same circuit with that for propelling the boat, so that the same shore

page_text: dynamo generates electricity for both.
"
To this end, two independent horse-shoe
electro-magnets I I' are placed in the boat, the cores of which are arranged hori-
zontally with their poles facing towards the stern of the boat. The magnets are
respectively provided with armatures JJ' each consisting of a bar of iron extending
across the poles of the magnet with its ends extending beyond the magnet and
fitted to slide in grooves ; in the frame M secured to the shell of the boat. The
armatures are thus supported by the frame, and can slide freely back and forth in
the said grooves Rigid iron connecting rods l, l', connect the armatures respectively
to the ends of the tiller L, fixed on the rudder post E¹, the said rods being preferably
provided with screw swivels m m' whereby the armatures may be adjusted to and
from the poles of the magnets, thus regulating the extent of the movement of the
tiller communicated to it from the armatures. It is evident that the rudder will
be turned to "port" or "starboard" as one or the other of the said magnets is
charged and that when released from the magnets and the rudder is brought to
"steady or straight astern, by the action of the water when under way, the
armatures will be brought into the position shown in Figure 2, that of the inagnet
last charged being drawn away from it and the armature of the other magnet being
pushed towards it; and to accomplish this movement, the said connecting rods
must be rigid as stated. Obviously flexible ropes or chains will not answer the
purpose. These magnets may be placed in the same circuit with the propelling
motor, so as to be charged from the same shore generator, and provision is made
for switching the current into one or the other magnet at pleasure. by the operator
at the station, For this purpose a suitable relay located in the boat is employed
placed in the circuit of an auxiliary generator, which circuit is formed by one of
the conductors of the cable. Such a relay is shown in Figure 4 and consists of a
large permanent horse-shoe magnet R of which R' R' are the poles, an electro
horse-shoe magnet P of which P P are the poles, the pole pieces a, b, pivoted
respectively at one end to the poles of the permanent magnet so as to be polarized
thereby and the contact screws and the springs shown in the drawings. These
pole pieces extend inward toward each other between the cores of the electro
magnet P and the springs 8 8' hold the said poles pieces a, b, in contact with the
contact screws c and d respectively. When a current of electricity is sent through
the magnet P, one of the pole pieces is drawn away from the contact screw with
which it is held in contact, and if the current be reversed, the other pole piece is
drawn away from the other contact screw and the first resumes its original position
by means of the spring 8 or s¹ as the case may be.
The circuit connections and operations of this relay are as follows it being
understood that the direction of the current from the shore generator is through
ground to boat, thence to the propelling motor, through the propelling motor and
relay to the on-board end of the main conductor of the cable and back to the shore
.generator through the cable. This circuit when the pole-pieces a b of the steering
relay are both drawn into contact with the contact screws c, d is from the shore
generator through ground to the shell of the boat, thence through the motor to the
binding post 2 in the relay thence through the contact screw d the pole piece b the
magnet R the pole piece a and the contact screw c to the binding post 1, thence to
the main conductor in the cable and through it to the shore generator. The circuit
from the auxiliary generator through the relay is as follows: through earth to the
shell of boat, thence to the binding post 4 in the relay thence through the coil of
magnet P and the binding post 3 to the auxiliary conductor in the cable and
through it to the generator. A wire connection is established between the binding
post 1 through the coil of the port steering magnet I and the binding post 5 in the
relay, (which is connected to the magnet R) and from the said binding post 5
through the coil of the starboard steering magnet I to the binding post 2 in the
relay. Now if it is desired to charge the starboard steering magnet I¹ a current of
electricity to deflect the bar b, is sent to earth from the auxiliary battery which
reaches the shell of the boat, it thence passes to the binding post 4 in the relay,
thence to the electro magnet P (charging it) provided with the pole pieces P P

page_text: and thence through the binding post 3 to the auxiliary conductor in the cable and
back to the auxiliary battery, whereby the pole-piece b is drawn away from the
contact screw d toward the pole piece P¹ of the magnet P, thus breaking the main
circuit between b and d. Then the main current from the dynamo machine, to
reach the pole piece a is diverted from the post 2; through the coil of the starboard
steering magnet 1 charging it thence through the post 5 the permanent magnet R,
the pole-piece a, the contact screw c, the post 1 to the main conductor in the cable
and thence back to the dynamo. To charge the port magnet I, a reversed current
is sent through the auxiliary conductor whereby the pole piece a is drawn away
from the contact screw c, when the current from the dynaino, unable to reach the
contact screw c is diverted from the permanent magnet R, to the post 5 through
the coil of the port steering magnet I, thence to post 1 and the main conductor.
The devices and arrangements for exploding the charge at the will of the
operator are as follows that is to say-In the main circuit between the steering
relay and the dynamo on shore there is placed within the boat another relay,
Figure 5. This second relay consists of a horse-shoe electro-magnet O, and a
permanent horse shoe magnet S having a pole piece S¹, pivoted to one its
poles S² so as to partake of its magnetism, the free end N of which pole-piece
extends inward between the poles o', o³ of the magnet O, the contact screws e and i
and a spring & which acts to hold the pole piece S¹ in contact with the screw i,
and out of contact with the screw e. The coil of the said electro-magnet is in the
main circuit. This relay is also provided with binding posts 6, 7, and 8. with
electrical connection between 6 and 7 through the coil of the magnet O, and an
electrical connection between the said coil of the magnet and the binding post 8,
through the contact screw e and pole piece S¹ (when the two are in contact) and
through the magnet S. An electrical conductor extends from the binding post 8,
through the fuse of the charge F to the shell of the boat and so to ground. With
line connections thus established and with the connection taken between the pole
piece S¹, and the contact screw e, the course of the current is from the steering.
relay to the binding post 6 through coil of electro-magnet O, to binding post 7,
then to the main conductor in the cable. If now it is desired to explode the
charge, the current from the dynamo machine is reversed at the operating station
by means of a suitable switch. The consequent change of polarity in the magnet O,
then deflects the pole piece S', into contact with the screw e, and establishes a
branch circuit by which a portion of the current will now pass from the coil of the
electro magnet O through the contact screw e the pole piece S₁, the permanent
magnet S, the binding post 8, the fuse of the charge and the shell of the boat to
ground and thereby explode the charge.
On the top of the float I secure rods A, A¹ provided with flags or discs at their
upper ends to serve as guides to the operator at the operating station, in directing
the boat, These rods are hinged at their lower ends to the shell of the float, which
is provided on its upper surface with hollows or depressions do, d' into which the
rods and guides may each independently of the other be depressed when the rods.
are swung upon their hinges down upon the float. The hinges are so made that
the rods may swing upward and forward to a perpendicular position and no farther
and they are provided respectively with springs r, r¹ at their lower ends which
act to hold them erect but which will permit them to be depressed and when
released from the depressing force cause them to automatically resume their perpen-
dicular position. By this arrangement, if an obstruction should pass over the float,.
the guides instead of being broken away as they would be if rigid, will swing.
down out of its way and then be automatically erected.
1 do not limit myself to the precise device described by which these guides are
made depressible, and when depressed, automatically return to an erect position as
any equivalent device may be used therefor.
When the boat is made in detachable sections I establish the necessary connection.
between the electrical wires of the several sections by the following device-At
one end of the sections I connect the wire or wires with contact pieces ff'.formed.

page_text: preferably of small brass plates inserted in or affixed to the outer face of the bulk-
head, and if no bulkhead, then on the outer face of inward projections f", f³ from
the shell of the boat. The said contact pieces are suitably insulated from the bulk-
head or the projections ƒ³, f. The wire conductors in. the boat are cut into
sections corresponding to the sections of the boat and the ends of the several
sections of wire are severally connected to the said contact pieces f, f¹. Then a
spring g is connected to one of the contact pieces f and is so formed and placed in
such a manner that when the sections of the boat are put together the said spring
will make contact with the opposite contact piece. It will thus be seen that a
continuous circuit may be thereby established throughout the boat and yet the
sections of the boat may be taken apart without disturbing the line wires.
The stanchions by which the boat is connected with the float as well as the
guards are detachable and the float may also be constructed in detachable sections
for convenience in storing or transportation.
I do not confine myself to the precise form of apparatus hereinbefore described
as this may in many respects be varied without departing from the nature of this
invention as above defined-For example a separate generator and separate
conductor may be employed to generate and conduct the electricity for actuating
the steering magnets in which case a suitable relay in the boat is employed in
this separate circuit to switch the current from one magnet to the other at the
pleasure of the operator or a separate generator and conductor for each of the
steering magnets, or a single separate generator with two separate conductors
branching at the station therefrom may be employed.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign Correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it
understood that I claim.
First The combination with the described torpedo boat, provided with a screw
propeller, and an electro motor therein connected to the said propeller so as to
communicate motion thereto, of a generator of electricity located outside of the
said boat and electrically connected with the said electro-motor by a suitable
conductor arranged in the said boat to be paid out therefrom as the boat moves
from the generator, whereby the force employed as the propelling power may
be derived from electricity generated outside of said boat, and applied to actuate
the said propelling electro-motor within the said boat, all as, and for, the purpose,
described.
Second-The combination with the described torpedo boat and an electric
generator stationed outside of the said boat and electrically connected therewith
by an electric conductor arranged to be paid out from the boat as the same
moves away from the generator, of the described steering mechanism, and the
electro-magnets I, I provided with armatures J, J1, by the movements of which
the said steering mechanism is actuated, all as, and for the purpose, described.
Third The combination with the described main and auxiliary electric circuits,
the main and auxiliary electric generators located at the operating station outside
of the boat, and the described propelling motor and steering magnets, of the
described steering relay electrically connected to the auxiliary generator and in
the circuit of the main generator between the said motor and steering magnets,
together with the described accessory devices whereby the main current, after
passing through the said motor, may, by means of the auxiliary current, be
switched through either of the steering magnets at the option of the operator,
all as specified.
Fourth-The combination, in a torpedo boat, with the main conductor therein
leading from a generator located at a station outside of the boat, and with a branch
of said conductor leading to the explosive charge in the boat, of a relay in the
circuit formed by the said main and branch conductors, together with the described
accessory devices in the said relay, whereby when the current through the said
main conductor is reversed it is switched through the said branch conductor to the
explosive charge, all as, and for the purpose, described,

page_text: Fifth The combination in the described torpedo boat, of the two independent
magnets I, I', the rudder E, the tiller L, the armatures J, J arranged to slide in
ways, and the rigid tiller rods 7, , as, and for the purpose, described.
Sixth-The combination in the described torpedo boat, of the rudder E, the
tiller L, the magnets I, I', and the rigid connecting rods 1, 1, provided with the
adjusting screw swivels m, m', as, and for the purpose, described.
Seventh-The combination with the bow of the float B, and boat B³, of the
sharp edged guard D, as, and for the purpose, described.
Eighth The combination with the stern of the float and of the boat, of the
guard D¹, all, as, and for the purpose, described.
Ninth The combination with the described sections of a torpedo boat, of the
described sections of the line wire electrical conductor therein, the insulated contact
plates ff, and springs g, as, and for the purpose, described.
Tenth The combination with the float B provided with the hollows or
depressions do, d, of one or more sight rods A, A¹ hinged to the said float so
as to be depressible into the said hollows, and provided with the described springs
which act to maintain the said rods yieldingly in an erect position, as, and for the
purpose, described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty third day of November in the year of our, Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.