IMPROVEMENTS IN TORPEDO NETS
Year: 1885

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We, DONALD BARNS MORISON of 9 South Crescent Hartlepool in the County of
Durham Engineer and HERBERT CHEESMAN of Brougham Terrace Hartlepool,
Ropemaker do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
TORPEDO NETS to be as follows :-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of Torpedo Nets such
as are used for the protection of ships of war.
Our invention cousists in constructing a net with straight metallic links, which
are preferably weldless; these links being coupled together by metallic rings of
small diameter. In one form of net the straight links are arranged in squares and
at each angle of the squares the links are coupled together by rings.
Dated this 4th day of Angust. 1885

page_text: We DONALD BARNS MORISON, of 9, South Crescent, Hartlepool, in the county of
Durham Engineer, and HERBERT CHEESMAN of Brougham Terrace, Hartlepool,
Ropemaker 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of torpedo nets such
Our invention consists in
as are used for the protection of ships of war.
constructing a net with weldless metallic links the said links being joined to one
another or they can be coupled together by metallic rings of small diameter. In
one form of net the links are arranged in squares and at each angle of the squares
the links are coupled together by the small metallic rings or shackles.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the
same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents a
front view of a portion of a torpedo net constructed according to our invention,
the weldless links which are here shewn straight being arranged in squares and
coupled together by small metallic rings or shackles. Figure 2 is a cross section
of the same. Figures 8 to 16 illustrate various modifications of the torpedo net
shewn in figures 1 and 2. Similar reference letters represent similar or corre-
sponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.
Referring to figures 1 and 2, a, a, are the weldless links which are here shewn.
straight and formed at their extremities with eyes b, through which are passed the
metallic rings or shackles c, of small diameter which serve to couple the said
straight links a, thereby forming a net with square meshes as shewn in figure 1.
In figures 3 and 4 which are similar views to figures 1 and 2 respectively we have
shewn the links a, as being bent in the centre and connected together at that point
by means of the small rings o, in addition to those for coupling the ends of the
links thereby forming diamond shaped meshes.
In figures 5 and 6 which are similar views to figures 3 and 4 we have shown the
bent links a, as being directly linked together at their centres thereby dispensing
with the small rings c, at this point of the links a.
In the torpedo net shewn in figures 7 and 8 (which are similar views to figures 1
and 2) we entirely dispense with the rings c, and connect the links a, (which are
bent into the shape shewn in figure 7) directly to one another by means of their
eyes b, thereby forming a net having hexagonal meshes, the vertical sides d, of
which are formed by some of the links a, being bent into a fork shape while the
other sides e, of the said meshes are formed by the remainder of the bars a, being
bent at about a right angle. In figures 9 and 10 which represent a front view
and plan respectively of another form of our improved torpedo net, we have shown
the horizontal links a, as being bent into a forked shape and linked directly to one
another, the eyes b, at the end of one link receiving the bent end of the next link.
These bent ends are coupled together vertically by links d, the end of these links
being between the eyes b, of the bent links a. The eyes in the links are sufficiently
large to allow each link being threaded into the others, the whole forming a weld-

page_text: less net. In figures 11 and 12 which also represent similar views to figures 1,
and 2, we have shewn the links a, curved into the form of a ring one end being
formed with a jaw g, which engages with and is united by means of a pin h, to
the other end of the link thereby forming a weldless ring, or the links can be
formed with plain eyes b, and united by the pins h as shown in figures 13 and 14
which represent front and side views respectively of a ring of this construction.
These rings can be cut from a weldless tube and coupled together by rings or
shackles c, and when made as in figures 11, 12, 13 and 14 may be employed to
repair torpedo nets made of wire rope rings. When the rings or links are made as
shewn in figures 1 and 2 we couple them together by means of small metallic
rings; when however the said rings are cut from a weldless tube or are made of
wire rope we couple them by means of weldless couplings an example of which is
shewn in front and side elevations respectively at figures 15 and 16; the said
coupling being formed of a fork shaped piece of metal c, united at the extremities
by means of a pin c³. Any of the illustrated designs of torpedo nets or modifications
thereof may be manufactured with welded links, or open unwelded links as is
shewn in figure 17, but we prefer to use closed weldless links when possible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our .said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The use of closed weldless metallic rings, links or shackles in the manufacture
of torpedo nets as hereinbefore described.
2. The manufacture and use of the improved torpedo nets hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the various figures of the accompanying drawing.
Dated th. 1011.
1000