NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING SHIPS AND SUCH LIKE FLOATING BODIES, PARTS OF WHICH SAID APPARATUS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SEA
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Hector Auguste Dufrené at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th October 1865.-A communication from Monsieur Stanislas Sorel,
residing at No. 17, Rue Fontaine aux Rois, Paris, in the Empire of
France.
I, HECTOR AUGUSTE DUFRENÉ, of the General Patent Offices, 10, Rue de
la Fidélité, Paris, in the Empire of France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury,
London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING SHIPS AND SUCH
LIKE FLOATING BODIES, PARTS OF WHICH SAID APPARATUS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SEA," to be as follows, that is to say :-
The Invention communicated to me consists of new or improved means
and apparatus for destroying an enemy's ships in case of war, and in defending
harbours and roadsteads against an enemy's fleet, parts of which said apparatus
are also applicable to saving life and property at sea.
The means consist in the employment of fulminates, gunpowder, and other
blasting powders, to be exploded under the keel or near the sides of the vessels
to be destroyed, and in the apparatus for conducting and setting fire to such
explosive materials under or against the vessels to be sunk or destroyed.
Water having a strong resisting power to sudden mechanical effects, such as
the rapid expansion of gases from the explosion of powder, the powder
instantaneously taking fire will sink the ship or vessel near which it is
exploded. Fulminates having the objection of being dangerous in their pre-
paration and in their employment they may be replaced by blasting powders

page_text: which are easy to prepare, or by a mixture of ordinary powder and of fulminate
of mercury.
The apparatus for conducting and setting fire to these materials under or
against the enemy's vessel consists of a suitable gas or air engine, which by
means of a screw gives motion to a long floating cylinder almost completely
immersed in the water. This cylinder carries the materials to be exploded
under or against the vessel to be destroyed. The engine is supplied with
gas by means of an india-rubber pipe in connection with a gasometer placed
on land or on board of an iron plated or other ship. The floating cylinder
which carries the explosive materials is guided by means of cords communicating
with the land or with the ship. As soon as the magazine of explosive
materials touches the vessel to be attacked, they are exploded by the action
of an analogous mechanism to that of the trigger of a gun by the effect of
the concussion, by which means the hammer in falling will explode the cap;
if this mechanism does not produce this effect the explosion can be obtained
by means of an induction electric apparatus, the conducting wire of which as
well as the guiding cords of the floating cylinder are in communication with
the shore or with a ship.
same;
In the accompanying Drawing, A, A, shew the vessel to be attacked or
destroyed; B, B, level of the sea; C, C, floating cylinder; C¹, end view of
this cylinder contains the gas or other suitable motive engine, and
carries the explosive materials enclosed in the barrel D, if required several
barrels can be employed. a, a, india-rubber tube by which the elecctric appa
ratus communicates fire to the explosive materials which can be set fire to
simultaneously in several places; b, b, man-hole properly closed to prevent
the entrance of the sea water; c and d are tubes adapted to the man-hole,
one of which is for introducing the necessary air into the engine, and the
other to discharge the gaseous products of combustion; these tubes are sup-
ported by cork floats e and f, which always keep the openings of these tubes
above the water, and the air and gas pass through a kind of metal funnel
perforated with holes; h, h, india-rubber tube which conducts the hydrogen
gas to the engine from a gasometer placed on land or in a ship, if required
one or several recipients filled with compressed gas can be employed instead
of a gasometer; E, E, is the screw; i is a keel serving to guide the cylinder
C; k is a cord in communication with the land, or with an armour
plated or other vesssel, it serves with the gas tube h (which should be pro-
tected by a cord) to guide the cylinder C against the enemy's vessel; F is a
sight by which the cylinder can be seen at a great distance and permits of
guiding it with precision. The site of the sight opposite the attacking vessel
g

page_text: or the shore has the form of a parabolic mirror, and is made of polished metal
or silvered glass, for night service a light is placed to the focus of the mirror,
and a glass with two colors visible at a great distance is placed before it as a
cover, this sight is mounted on a pivot so that it can always be kept turned
The cords l
towards the attacking vessel by means of the cord and rod m.
and k should be very light, they are supported on the surface of the water
as are also the tube h, and conducting wires by being passed through
large gutta percba rings to which pieces of cork are attached. The
apparatus being set in motion is guided by means of the cord k and
tube h, if the cord k is pulled the apparatus will be moved to the right,
and if the tube is pulled the apparatus will be moved to the left,
which deviation will be produced by the action of the large keel i, which acts
as a helm when by pulling the cord or tube, the cylinder is caused to move in
an oblique direction, if this is not sufficient a helm can be added to be acted
upon by means of cords, or it may be directed or guided from an armour
plated vessel carrying the electric and other apparatus for exploding the
materials when required. Instead of conveying hydrogen gas to the machine
by an india-rubber pipe communicating with the land or with an armour
plated or other vessel, I can use any volatile liquid hydrocarburet contained
in a metal recipient to be placed in the cylinder C. This hydrocarburet
replaces the gas, and allows of despensing with the tube h, which can be
replaced by a cord similar to k. The recipient should contain enough
hydrocarburet to work the machine for 12 hours. The explosive material is
set fire to when near the enemies vessel as already explained by means of
a trigger mechanism, which on contact with the enemies ship or vessel will
explode one or several fulminating caps, which will set fire to the explosive
materials, and in case the desired effect does not take place the explosion can
Le produced by means of an electric shock.
These apparatus except the parts required to explode the fulminates or
explosive material are applicable to conveying a rope or boat to a ship
wrecked or in distress for saving life and property at sea.