IMPROVEMENTS IN TORPEDOES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Ambrose M°Evoy, of 18, Adam Street, Adelphi,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TORPEDOES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Ambrose McEvoy
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1880.
CHARLES AMBROSE M°Evor, of 18, Adam Street, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TORPEDOES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in torpedoes.
With floating torpedoes, as now commonly made, which are not necessarily
connected with the shore, but which are required to explode if struck by a passing
vessel, great care is required both when laying down such torpedoes and setting
them ready to act, and also, subsequently, when it is required to take up such
torpedoes, or to examine them to see that they are in working order. To remedy
this I form the mechanism by which the firing of the torpedo so effected in such a
manuer that the firing of the fuse is caused by the completion of an electric circuit
through the fuse from a small electric battery enclosed with the fuse and igniting
charge.
To ensure that the fuse shall not be fired accidentally when laying down or
taking up a torpedo, I carry two insulated wires out from the case containing the
fuse and battery. To fire the fuse the circuit from the battery through the fuse
has to be completed through these wires, so that the fuse cannot be fired so long as
the ends of these wires are kept apart out of electrical contact with one another.
The insulated wires may be led away to any required distance from the torpedo,
and when the torpedo has been set in position the ends of the wires may be
fastened together and dropped into the water, or one insulated wire only might be
led away from the torpedo and be attached at its end to a metallic plate which
can be dropped into the water when the torpedo has been moored in place. The
firing of the fuse will then depend solely upon a circuit closing apparatus worked
by a rocking weight in any of the ways now well understood, and which have
Dan C21

page_text: before been used for the firing of torpedoes by the completion of a circuit from a
battery on shore or a distant vessel. When the torpedo is struck the rocking
weight of the circuit closing mechanism is thrown to one or other side, and by its
movement causes a contact apparatus to close the circuit; the current then passes
through the fuse and ignites it, so firing the igniting charge, and by it the main
charge of the torpedo.
The circuit closer, the fuse, the firing charge, and the battery are all enclosed in
a water tight case, the end of which is closed by a screw plug. The outer end of
the plug is enlarged and has a screw thread cut upon it that can be screwed into a
hole in the bottom of the casing of the torpedo. The whole firing mechanism may
thus readily be separated from the torpedo and taken apart and examined.
The two insulated wires, above mentioned, are led away through the screw
plug.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Ambrose McEvoy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th June 1881.
CHARLES AMBROSE MCEVOY, of 18, Adam Street, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TORPEDOES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in torpedoes.
With floating torpedoes, as now commonly made, which are not necessarily
connected with the shore, but which are required to explode if struck by a passing
vessel, great care is required both when laying down such torpedoes and setting
them ready to act, and also, subsequently, when it is required to take up such
torpedoes, or to examine them to see that they are in working order. To remedy
this I form the mechanism by which the firing of the torpedo is effected in such a
manner that the firing of the fuse is caused by the completion of an electric circuit
through the fuse from a small electric battery enclosed with the fuse and igniting
charge, together with the circuit closer which is to complete the circuit if the
torpedo is struck, in a watertight case which is screwed or secured in the bottom
of the outer casing of the torpedo. To ensure that the fuse shall not be fired
accidentally when the torpedo is being laid down or taken up an insulated wire or
wires are also carried out from the bottom of the case containing the battery
fuse, &c. The circuit from the battery through the fuse has to be completed
through this wire or wires before the fuse can be fired. When a torpedo has been
laid down in place the wire or wires are led off to a distance from it, the ends of
the wires being kept apart and insulated. At a distance from the torpedo the
wires are coupled together and dropped into the water, or if a single wire is used a
plate at its end is dropped into the water, so that in either case the circuit through
the fuse can then be completed by the circuit closer should the torpedo be struck
by a passing vessel.
When the torpedo is to be taken up or examined the ends of the wires from the
torpedo are taken out from the water and the circuit through them broken, the
torpedo can then be approached with safety. To obtain still further security when
taking up such a torpedo I also prefer to provide means by which an absolute
break in the circuit can be produced, as hereinafter described, inside the water
tight case which contains the whole firing mechanism of the torpedo. When
an absolute break in the circuit has thus been produced inside the watertight case
the fuse cannot by any possibility be exploded, even though the ends of the wires
leading from the torpedo are brought into electrical connection with one another,
and the torpedo can be taken up and examined with perfect safety.
Figure 1 of the Drawing hereunto annexed shews on a small scale a vertical
section of a torpedo arranged to be fired in the manner above described. Figure 2
is a vertical section on a larger scale of the watertight case which contains the
firing mechanism above described.
A is the outer casing of the torpedo which contains the main charge of the
torpedo; B is the case containing the firing mechanism; the end of this case is
closed by a plug C, on the exterior of which is a screw thread C¹ to screw into a
hole in the bottom of the casing of the torpedo as shewn. In this way the whole
firing mechanism may readily be separated from the torpedo and taken apart and
examined. D is the igniting charge which serves to fire the main charge of the
torpedo; E is an electrical fuse of any ordinary construction; F is a battery
contained in a close case, it rests upon the top of the fixed outer casing which
surrounds the rocking weight G of the circuit closer. The rocking weight rests
upon the top of a fixed horizontal plate H, and is held down against it by the head
of a rod I which is itself pressed downwards by a spring
as shewn. If the

page_text: weight is from any cause thrown over to one side or the other it lifts the rod I and
brings a metal ring K carried upon an ebonite disc which projects around the rod
into contact with a metallic spring finger L carried as shown from a fixed ebonite
plate M.
The ring is connected as shewn with one pole of the battery and the
finger L with the other pole of the battery. The wire N from one pole of the
battery is coupled to the fuse E, and carried out through a hole in the screw plug C
which closes the bottom of the case B. The wire O from the other pole of the
battery is coupled to the metallic finger L. A second insulated wire P is led out
through the plug C inside the case; the end of the wire is connected to a fine
wire Q, and through this wire to the plug C, and is also connected by another
wire to the metal ring K. The object of this arrangement is that when a torpedo
is to be taken up the outer end of the wire P at a distance from the torpedo may
be coupled to one pole of a powerful battery, whilst the other pole of the battery
is put to "earth," a strong battery current can thus be sent through the fire wire Q,
and this wire is thereby fused. The circuit of the small battery F cannot then by
any possibility be completed, and the torpedo may be approached with perfect
safety. Where the insulated wires N and P are led out through a hole in the
plug Ca watertight joint is secured by elastic packing compressed between two
metallic washers in the manner shewn by the Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination of mechanism for firing a torpedo consisting of an
igniting charge, fuse, battery, and circuit closer, all enclosed in a watertight case
to be screwed or secured to the outer casing of the torpedo, substantially as
described.
Second. The combination of mechanism for firing a torpedo, substantially as
herein before described and shewn in the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Ambrose McEvoy, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.