Improvements in and relating to Submarine Boats.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Submarine Boats.
I, DOMINGO URZUA-CRUZAT, Professor of Physical Sciences, care of Clark
Bros. and Co. Ld., Dashwood House, 9, New Broad Street, in the City and County
of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;
My invention relates to submarine boats and more especially to those of the
kind propelled by the expulsion of water and it is the object of my invention to
provide a simple and efficient means for propelling, manipulating and navigating
the same.
The external form of the vessel may be of more or less cigar shape or other
usual or suitable form having suitably arranged keels or the like where required.
In describing my invention I will for clearness refer separately to,
1. The means for propulsion.
2.
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3.
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steering in the horizontal plane.
submersion, unsubmersion, vertical movement and stability.
expulsion of vitiated air.
1. MEANS FOR PROPULSION.
For propulsion purposes I provide the boat with a rotary pump or pumps
adapted to pump and discharge water through a more or less centrally arranged
tubular conduit or water pipe which may be straight or curved as desired and
passes from the front to the rear of the boat. The pump is or may be arranged to
work in or form an enlarged portion of the conduit and suitably arranged air
vessels or pressure regulating chambers or apparatus are arranged at the delivery,
or intake and delivery sides of the pump. The water pipe or conduit on the
intake and expulsion or delivery sides of the pump is of approximately equal
capacity or of such dimensions as will give an intake and discharge of equal
velocity securing an immunity from disturbance of water at the intake and
expulsion ends of the boat, resulting in an increased efficiency as regards speed'
and economy of power.
2. STEERING IN THE HORIZONTAL PLANE.
For this purpose I provide the water expulsion outlet with three apertures one'
opening and discharging directly astern and centrally of the boat and two others:
adapted to discharge one to the right and the other to the left at right angles:
or otherwise with the central one; At or about these discharge apertures I provide
a regulating sluice or valve adapted to adjust the area of the combined discharge
apertures to the capacity of the discharge pipe from the pump. By this means:
the water may be discharged directly astern for propulsion of the vessel or directed
to the right or left, thereby serving as a rudder or means for steering, the
го

page_text: adjustment of the size of lateral apertures and corresponding discharge of water
determining the extent of deviation from the normal course.
3. SUBMERSION, UNSUBMERSION AND VERTICAL MOVEMENT.
pump
To this end I provide centrally in the base or other convenient part of the
boat a watertight chamber containing a collapsable vessel of leather or other
suitable material, or the chamber may be equivalently in the form of a cylinder
and piston.
Assuming the former to be employed the said watertight chamber
is in communication with both the intake and discharge pipes of the
suitable intermediate valves or cocks being provided. The interior of the collaps-
ible vessel itself is in communication with a smaller vessel or air compression
chamber to which a pressure gauge is fitted. On opening the valve in com-
munication with the discharge side of the pump the water therefrom under
pressure passes into the watertight. chamber and collapses the flexible vessel so
as to expel the air contained therein and compress same in the smaller chamber
referred to, the water occupying its space, the buoyancy of the vessel is conse-
quently lessened and it is submerged to a depth in proportion to the capacity of
the chamber mentioned or to the extent to which the compression is allowed to
proceed which may be ascertained by the pressure gauge referred to. I may
arrange these chambers in such manner that the boat which may have a prede-
termined buoyancy under normal conditions, for instance, with an access turret
or raised outlook hatchway and a portion of the vessel itself above water level,
the collapsible chamber referred to serving to reduce the buoyancy to another
predetermined limit so that the outlook turret or a portion thereof only is visible.
For further submersion two or more jets of water are employed adapted to issue
from apertures or nozzles on the upperside of the boat and acting on the water
so cause the boat to descend. These jets are or may be supplied from the main
pump or propelling engine or from an auxiliary pump. Where two or two
groups of such jets are employed, one at or about either end of the vessel and
connected to and supplied from the main pump they also serve as means for
securing stability and controlling the angle of inclination of the vessel. To this
end the two pipes leading from the jets are brought parallel or adjacent to one
another at a convenient point, whereat, cocks, taps or valves are so arranged as
to be operated by hand for submersion purposes and also to be under control of
a pendulum device acting as a regulator for the horizontal position of the vessel,
this pendulum is suspended centrally or otherwise of the vessel and is connected
by suitable levers or the like to and adapted to operate the cocks controlling each
jet or group of jets; suitable springs are provided to secure steadiness of motion.
It will thus be seen that should the boat leave the horizontal the pendulum
Keeps to the vertical and through the connecting levers closes or partially closes
the valve to one jet the force of the other acting to return the boat to its horizontal
position when the balance is again established.
It will be obvious that by moving the pendulum out of the vertical by hand
or otherwise and so varying the strength of the jets at either end the boat may be
readily steered as regards its inclination in the vertical plane.
To regulate and predetermine the depth to which the boat is to be submerged
by the jets I provide in connection therewith an apparatus comprising a cylinder
having a plunger or piston controlled by a spring the pressure or strength of
which is adjustable by a hand-wheel or the like.
One side of the said piston or plunger is in communication with the exterior
of the vessel so that as soon as the desired depth is reached the external water
pressure acts upon the piston and through it operates a valve controlling the
supply to the submerging jets, shutting off water therefrom, consequently the
downward inovement of the boat ceases.
A EXPULSION OF AID

page_text: carrying compressed or liquefied air and for discharging the vitiated air I employ
an ejector operated by the water pressure from the main or auxiliary pumps
and controlled by suitable valves, the ejected air being preferably drawn from
the base of the vessel.
The construction and internal arrangements of the boat apart from the above
described improvements may be of any usual or convenient kind and the motive
power for the pumps may be electrical or otherwise as suitable or convenient. It
will be obvious from the foregoing that the movement of the vessel is readily
controlled by the operation of the cocks or valves mentioned. For instance
assuming the vessel to be in normal position with part of the vessel and its turret
above water the cock is opened to the chamber containing the collapsible vessel
which fills and the boat is submerged to the predetermined depth, then for further
submersion the cocks to the upper jets are opened and the jets continue in
operation until the external pressure of water operates the spring pressed piston
and closes the supply to the jets. The steering in the horizontal plane is con-
trolled by the sluice or valves before mentioned in connection with the propelling
water jet and the stability and position in the vertical plane are controlled by
the pendulum device described. It will be obvious that by completely shutting
off the submerging jets the boat will at once ascend to the surface which ascension
may be accelerated by closing communication between the collapsible chamber
and the pressure side of the pump and opening the cock to the intake side when
the compressed air will again expand the collapsible chamber and expel the water
increasing the buoyancy of the vessel to its normal state.
The direction of propulsion may be readily reversed by reversing the pump the
steering apparatus being of course duplicated.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1898.
PRYOR & HARVEY,
Agents.
Improvements in and relating to Submarine Boats.
I, DOMINGO URZUA-CRUZAT, care of Clark Bros. and Co., Limited, Dashwood
House, 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Professor of Physical Sciences,
of the Chilian Cruiser Angamos, 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 submarine boats and more especially to those of the
kind propelled by the expulsion of water, and it is the object of my invention
to provide a simple and efficient means for propelling, manipulating and navigat-
ing the same.
The external form of the vessel may be of more or less cigar shape or other
usual or suitable form, having suitably arranged keels or the like where required.
I will describe my invention in reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of the submarine boat, illustrating
diagrammatically the propelling and submerging mechanism. Fig. 2 is a sectional
plan of the flexible steering apparatus hereinafter referred to. Fig. 3 is an
enlarged and detailed view of the mechanism for controlling the submersion and
unsubmersion of the boat. Fig. 4 is a section of the pipe for use in expelling
the vitiated air, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the boat showing the water
chamber used for partial submersion.

page_text: 1. The means for propulsion.
Hoid
"
"
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4.
"
وو
steering in the horizontal plane.
submersion, unsubmersion, vertical movement and stability.
expulsion of vitiated air.
1. MEANS FOR PROPULSION.
For propulsion purposes I provide the boat with a rotary pump or pumps
adapted to pump and discharge water through a more or less centrally arranged
tubular conduit or water pipe which may be straight or curved as desired and
passes from the front to the rear of the boat, the inlet and exit of the conduit
being arranged centrally and in a direct line so that the water for propulsion
will enter and leave in a direct line whereby the boat will travel practically in
a straight line to the point at which it is directed without deviation, when sub-
merged, except when the steering apparatus is in use.
In Fig. 1, the casing A of the pump B is shown as forming an enlarged portion
of the conduit or pipe C and suitably arranged air vessels or pressure regulating
chambers a are connected to the delivery, or intake and delivery sides of the
pump B.
The water pipe or conduit C on the intake c and expulsion or delivering
sides of the pump are of approximately equal capacity or of such dimensions
as will give an intake and discharge of equal velocity securing an immunity
from disturbance of water at the intake and expulsion ends of the boat resulting
in an increased efficiency as regards speed, economy of power, and invisibility of
the boat when submerged, including the above advantage of direct travel when
required.
2. STEERING IN THE HORIZONTAL PLANE.
For this purpose I provide the water expulsion outlet with three apertures,
one opening and discharging directly astern and centrally of the boat and two
others adapted to discharge one to the right and the other to the left at right
angles or otherwise with the central one. At or about these discharge apertures
I provide a regulating sluice or valve adapted to adjust the area of the combined
discharge apertures to the capacity of the discharge pipe from the pump. By
this means the water may be discharged directly astern for the propulsion of the
vessel or directed to the right or left thereby serving as a rudder or means for
steering, the adjustment of the size of the lateral apertures and corresponding
discharge of water determining the extent of deviation from the normal course;
or for this purpose I may equivalently employ a simpler arrangement shewn in
Fig. 2 of the drawings where the terminations e, e of the discharge conduit C
are formed of flexible metallic tubing, mounted upon oscillating arms or
carriers ff and adapted to be operated by shafts f f driven by suitable gearing
or from a hand wheel under the control of the navigator, so that the exit of the
flexible tube may be directed astern for propulsion of the boat or directed to
the right or left at any angle within the cut-away parts h h whereby the expelled
water will act as a rudder or means for steering as well as propelling the boat,
the extent of the deviation of the exit from the central position determining the
extent of deviation of the boat from its normal straight course. The casing of
the boat is appropriately cut away and enclosed as shown clearly at h, Fig. 5,
to allow of the proper adjustment of the flexible exits ee which are provided as
shown at both ends of the conduit C so that the boat may be propelled and steered
in both directions.
3. SUBMERSION, UNSUBMERSION, VERTICAL MOVEMENT, AND STABILITY.
To this end I provide centrally in the base or other convenient part of the boat
a watertight chamber containing a collapsable vessel of leather or other suitable
material or the chamber may be equivalently in the form of a cylinder and piston.

page_text: Assuming the former to be employed as shown in Fig. 5, the said watertight
chamber is in communication with propulsion tube C on both the intake and
discharge sides of the pump B, suitable intermediate valves or cocks or a two-
way cock such as j, having an intermediate closed position, being provided. The
interior of the collapsable vessel itself is in communication with a smaller
vessel or air compression chamber to which a pressure gauge is fitted. On
opening the valve j so as to place the chamber i in communication with the
discharge side of the pump B the water therefrom under pressure passes into the
watertight chamber and collapses the flexible vessel k so as to expel the air
contained therein and compress same in the smaller chamber referred to, the
water occupying its space, the buoyancy of the vessel is consequently lessened and
it is submerged to a depth in proportion to the capacity of the chamber mentioned
or to the extent to which the compression is allowed to proceed which may be
ascertained by the pressure gauge referred to and I may arrange these chambers
in such manner that the boat may have a predetermined buoyancy under normal
conditions, for instance with an access turret or raised outlook turret or hatchway T
and a portion of the vessel itself above the water as shown by water level WL,
the collapsable chamber referred to when fully collapsed serving to reduce the
buoyancy to another predetermined limit or water level wl so that the outlook
turret Tor a portion thereof only is visible. It is obvious that instead of the
above arrangement I may employ water tanks n
in Fig. 1, the filling of which will submerge the boat to a predetermined depth
n of fixed capacity as shown
such as is indicated by line wl according to the capacity of the tanks. For further
submersion two or more jets of water are employed adapted to issue from apertures
or nozzles such as oo on the upperside of the boat. These jets impinge on the
water and cause the boat to descend, and they are or may be supplied from the
main pump or propelling engine or from an auxiliary pump. The latter arrange-
ment is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings where the nozzles oo are connected
by pipes to the auxiliary pump P. Where two jets are employed, (one at
or about either end of the vessel as shown in Fig. 1.) and connected to and supplied
from the main or auxiliary pump they also serve as means for securing stability
and controlling the angle of inclination of the boat. To this end the two
pipes pleading from the nozzles oo are brought parallel or adjacent to one
another at a convenient point as at p p whereat, cocks, taps or valves qq are
so arranged as to be operated by hand for submersion purposes and also to be
under control of a pendulum device Q acting as a regulator for the horizontal
position of the vessel. This pendulum Q is suspended centrally or otherwise of
the vessel and is connected by suitable levers or the like rr to and adapted to
operate the cocks controlling each jet or group of jets; suitable springs ss are
provided to secure steadiness of motion. It will thus be seen that should the
boat leave the horizontal, the pendulum Q keeps to the vertical and through the
connecting levers r r closes or partially closes the cock to one jet, the force of
the other jet acting to return the boat to its horizontal-position when the balance
s again established.
It will be obvious that by moving the pendulum Q out of the vertical by hand
r otherwise and so varying the strength of the jets at either end, the boat may
be readily steered as regards its inclination in the vertical plane.
To regulate and predetermine the depth to which the boat is to be submerged
y the jets I provide in connection therewith an apparatus such as is shown in
ig. 3, wherein M is a cylinder having a plunger or piston m controlled by a
oring m the pressure or strength of which is adjustable by a hand-wheel "m²
the like.
One side of the said piston or plunger m is in communication with the exterior
the vessel by a pipe m³ so that as soon as the boat reaches the desired depth
e external water pressure acts upon the piston m and through it operates the
alve V which controls the supply to the submerging jets, shutting off water there-
om, or reducing the pressure and quantity of water passing thereto. In the

page_text: arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the pipes 2 p supplying the jets receive their
water from an auxiliary pump P fed by a pipe 22. The discharge from the
pump P is divided into two branches, one 3 passing to the submersion jet
pipes and the other passing out at the bottom of the boat at p³ (Fig. 1).
The branch p is provided with the regulating valve V by which the pressure of
the jets is controlled. The position of the valve V is regulated by the spring
pressed piston described through the medium of a rack such as m¹ engaging
à toothed wheel on the valve spindle or otherwise suitably. In operation it
will be seen that the valve V is normally open whilst the external pressure is
below that at which the adjustable piston has been set for the corresponding
depth. As soon, however, as the predetermined depth is reached or passed the
piston m will be moved against its spring m³ by the water pressure and through
the rack m will open the valve V with a corresponding reduction in the pressure
of the jets pp, allowing the boat to rise by its buoyancy, resulting in a reduction
of pressure on the piston m and reverse operation of valve V. Thus any variation
in pressure owing to variation of depth will cause the piston m to open or close
the valve Vaccordingly, and so automatically maintain the boat as the prede-
termined depth at which the spring m¹ has been set.
When required the automatic apparatus may be dispensed with and the valve V
eperated by a hand-wheel placed conveniently.
4. EXPULSION OF AIR.
For supplying air to the crew I may employ any of the well known apparatus
carrying compressed or liquefied air, and for discharging the vitiated air I
employ an ejector operated by the water pressure from the main or auxiliary
pumps and controlled by suitable valves, the ejected air being preferably drawn
from the base of the vessel. In the drawings (Figs. 1 and 3) the ejector X is
shown as arranged in the discharge pipe p' of the auxiliary pump P and a per-
forated air suction pipe is led thereto preferably from the lower part of the
vessel as shown so that the air when vitiated is being constantly exhausted from
the vessel and passing into the water is discharged by the pump P and is
so distributed in the water as not to cause any disturbance of the surrounding
water calculated to disclose the position of the boat to an enemy.
The construction and internal arrangements of the boat apart from the above
described improvements may be of any usual or convenient kind, and the motive
power for the pumps may be electrical or otherwise as suitable or convenient. It
will be obvious from the foregoing that the movement of the vessel is readily con-
trolled by the operation of the cocks or valves mentioned. For instance, assum-
ing the vessel to be in normal position with part of the vessel and its turret above
water the cock is opened to the chamber containing the collapsable vessel or
water tank, which fills and the boat is submerged to the predetermined depth,
then for further submersion the cocks to the upper submerging nozzles are opened
and the jets therefrom continue in operation until the external pressure of water
operates the spring-pressed piston m as stated, and closes the supply to the
jets or reduces the pressure thereof so as to balance the position of the boat and
keep it in suspension at the predetermined depth. The steering in the horizontal
plane is controlled by the sluice or valves before mentioned in connection with the
propelling water jet or the flexible exit of the conduit whilst the stability and
position in the vertical plane are controlled by the pendulum device described.
It will be obvious that by completely shutting off the submerging jets the
buoyancy of the boat will cause it to at once ascend to the surface which ascen-
sion may be accelerated by closing the communication between the water chamber
and the pressure side of the pump and opening the cock to the intake side so that
the water will be pumped out and the compressed air in the cylinder will again
he free to expand the collapsable vessel or the tank will be emptied thus increasing
the buoyancy of the boat to its normal state.

page_text: The direction of propulsion may be readily reversed by reversing the pump,
the duplicated steering apparatus acting as described.
From the above description it will be seen that the boat has some very special
advantages, namely, all the mechanism controlling its movements are based on
the same simple principle of water expulsion and there are no externally project-
ing parts even for steering purposes. When the boat is once directed to a
particular course she will maintain same without deviation and without the em-
ployment of the steering mechanism and she can be stopped in less time than
submarine boats propelled by other means, and can be propelled backwards or
forwards with equal facility; submersion is quickly accomplished and the boat
can be maintained at any desired depth by varying the power of the submersion
jets.
The boat is safe at all times, being buoyant enough to return to the surface,
should any of the mechanism fail consequently there is no need for carrying.
safety ballast as is usually adopted by other boats.
The cost of construction will be very small in comparison with such boats
hitherto constructed.
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:-
1. In a submarine boat the use in combination with a pump or pumps of a
water inlet and expulsion tube or conduit passing from end to end of the boat and
having its intake and exit arranged centrally of the boat and so that the water
used for propulsion will enter and leave in a direct line whereby the boat may
be directed and will travel practically in a straight line without deviation when
submerged, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a submarine boat the use for partial submersion of a water tank in com-
munication with a pump and a collapsable air chamber or vessel within the tank
and a smaller chamber for receiving the air therefrom, the latter chamber having
a gauge for indicating the air pressure by which the depth of submersion can
be ascertained and controlled by suitable valves substantially as set forth.
3. In a submarine boat the use with a partially submerging apparatus such as
described, of two or more water jets or groups of water jets directed upwards and
arranged at both ends of the boat, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In a submarine boat the use in combination with two or more submerging
jets or groups of jets such as described of a cock or cocks controlled and adapted to
be operated by a suitably arranged pendulum or by hand whereby the issue of
water from said jets and consequently the inclination of the vessel in the vertical
plane is controlled, substantially as described.
5. In a submarine boat the method of and means for steering comprising the
use for this purpose of a propulsion tube whose exit is adjustable in the horizontal
plane so as to direct the discharged water directly astern or at any angle to the
right or left, substantially as set forth.
6. In a submarine boat the use of a propulsion tube whose exit is divided into
three apertures, one arranged directly astern and two laterally, the said exits being
controlled by a valve adapted for adjustment so as to divert a portion or the whole
of the expelled water directly astern for propulsion or laterally for steering
purposes, substantially as described.
7. In a submarine boat of the kind described the method of and means for
automatically controlling the depth of submersion comprising a spring pressed.
piston or plunger operated by the external water pressure and controlling a valve
or valves which controls the pressure or quantity of water passing to the sub-
merging jets, substantially as described.
8. In a submarine boat the use in combination of the main pump and conduits
with centrally arranged reversible entrance and exit, the latter being adjustable
laterally, the partially submerging tank with collapsable chamber or of fixed

page_text: capacity, the submerging jets or group of jets controlled by hand and by a suitably
disposed pendulum, and the valve and its spring pressed piston for controlling the
submersion jets, the means for discharging the vitiated air, all arranged and
adapted to operate or for operation, substantially in the manner and for the pur-
poses set forth.
9. In a submarine boat the use in combination or separately of the herein
described methods of and means for and for controlling (1) the propulsion (2)
steering in the horizontal plane, (3) submersion, unsubmersion, vertical movement
and stability, and (4) the expulsion of vitiated air.
Dated this Third day of March 1899.
For the Applicant,
PRYOR & HARVEY,
Chartered Patent Agents,
3, St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle on Tyne.