Improvements in Firing Submarine Mines or Torpedoes and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Nov., 1888
Improvements in Firing Submarine Mines or Torpedoes and in
Apparatus therefor.
1 JOHN TOWNSEND BUCKNILL Lieutenant Colonel in H.M. Reserve of Royal
Engineers, and of Thornfield, in the County of Southampton, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I employ two observers at A and B.
I arrange the mines in one line directed on the outer observer at B.
The mines are connected by thin cables to the inner observer at A through single
cables to a junction box and from thence by a multiple cable.
The firing battery is at A.
When B sees a ship on the line he signals by a call bell to A, or, if cable A B be
out of order he uses a visual signal.
At A there is a chart of the mine field to scale with the positions of the mines on
it occupied by metal buttons.
Each cable core terminates in the button of the mine to which the core leads.
Over the chart sweeps an arm carrying a stretched wire which the observer can
charge with the potential of the firing battery when he desires. The arm is attached
When
to a vertical rod on which the telescope is likewise fixed parallel to the arm.
the telescope moves in azimuth, so does the arm. Consequently the wire touches
a button and fires a mine when the telescope is directed on a mine. The wire is
not charged by observer at A unless B signals.
If desired a break in the circuit of the firing battery may be bridged by the move-
ment of an armature actuated by B in the circuit A B in which case no signal
(visual or otherwise) need pass between B and A.
If desired a second line may be similarly fired by the same two observers-the arm
at A baving its stretched wire divided by an insulator intermediate between the
scaled distance of furthest mine in one group and the nearest in the other group.
Each section of the wire is primed by the movement of a separate electro magnet

page_text: actuated by B two cores being employed between B and A or a single core may be
used as before and an electro magnet so constructed that a + current from B will
cause it to move one way and a current to move the other way thus switching the
firing battery to the wire sweeping over the one group to the other
and numerous combinations may be designed on similar principles.
Dated this 4th day of February 1888.
group. Other
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Firing Submarine Mines or Torpedoes and in
Apparatus therefor.
I, JOHN TOWNSEND BUCKNILL Lieutenant Colonel (late Major R.E.) and of Thorn-
field in the County of Southampton 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 :-
I employ two observers at A and B.
I arrange the mines in a line or lines directed on the outer observer at B.
The mines are connected by electric cables to the inner observer at A.
The firing battery is at A.
When B sees a ship on the line he signals by a call bell to A. or by a visual
signal.
At A.there is a chart of the mine field to scale with the positions of the mines on
it occupied by metal buttons.
Each cable core terminates in the button of the mine to which the core leads.
Over the chart sweeps an arm carrying a stretched wire or straight edge which the
observer can charge with the potential of the firing battery when he desires. The
arm is attached to a vertical rod which passes through the chart table at the position
of station A indicated on the chart, on this rod the telescope is likewise fixed parallel
to the arm. When the telescope moves in azimuth so does the arm.
Consequently the wire or straight edge touches a button when the telescope is
directed on the position of a mine and if B signal the wire is charged by observer
at A and the mine is fired.
If desired a break in the circuit of the firing battery may be bridged by the
movement of an armature actuated by B in a circuit A. B by a small battery
at B in which case no signal (visual or otherwise) need pass between B and A.

page_text: If desired more than one line may be similarly fired by the same two observers and
instruments the arm at A having its stretched wire or straight edge divided by an
insulator or insulators intermediate between the scaled distance of the furthest mine
in one group and the nearest in the other group. Each section of the wire can be
primed by the movement of a separate electro-magnet actuated by B two or more
cores being employed between B and A. or a single core may be used for 2 sections
and the electro-magnet be so constructed that a + current from B will cause it to
move one way and a current to move the other way thus switching the firing battery-
to the wire sweeping over the one group or to the wire sweeping over the other
group as desired.
-
Other mine combinations of a similar character can be worked by instruments
constructed in the manner hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
:―
1. The method of and apparatus for firing submarine mines or torpedoes substan-
tially as herein described.
2. The combination of apparatus substantially as described consisting in the mines
or torpedoes laid in a line or lines directed upon a signalling station the cable cores
connecting such mines or torpedoes with a firing station the chart at the firing
station-the buttons on the chart corresponding in position with the mines or torpedoes
and connected with them the moveable straight edge or arm radiating from the
position of the firing station as indicated upon the chart moving over the buttons
and making electrical contact with them, the battery or other source of electricity
and the telescope or other sight parallel with the straight edge or arm.
Dated this 26th day of October 1888.
J. T. BUCKNILL.