Improvements in Lighting, Steering, Propelling, and Exploding Torpedoes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lighting, Steering, Propelling, and Exploding
Torpedoes.
I, JOHN STEVENS EDDY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at
171 La Salle Street, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, U.S.A., Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to a new and improved device for lighting steering pro-
pelling and exploding torpedoes from a point without and at a distance from the
same. The purpose of the invention is to provide means whereby an operator
from a safe distance, as, for instance, an elevated tower, high point of ground,
or a vessel, may steer, propel and guide with absolute certainty and with great
rapidity a receptacle of the proper size and form charged with dynamite or other
suitable explosive against or into the immediate vicinity of a warship, fortification
or obstruction which it is desired to destroy or remove.
To such end the invention consists in certain novel features illustrated by means
of the drawings presented herewith to which reference is had in the following
description.
These drawings consist of five figures, of which, Figure 1 is a side elevation
partly in diametrical vertical longitudinal section, of a torpedo, or shell, of suitable
form and construction to illustrate my invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the
same partly in horizontal diametrical longitudinal section; Figure 3 is a detail
side elevation of a pulley or drum which will be hereinafter more fully described;
Figure 4 is a face view of said drum, the shaft and bearing in transverse cross
section; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of a drum partly broken away and certain
devices connected therewith, the use of which will appear in the description later on.
In these drawings, A represents the shell of the torpedo, which is preferably
provided with a keel, a, and fins, a¹, to steady it in the water. Upon the top of
the shell are a pair of standards, a², a³, arranged at a considerable distance apart
and in the plane of the axis of the torpedo. Upon the tops of these standards
are electric lights, a', a³, provided with suitable shade-reflectors arranged to throw
the light directly to the rear of the torpedo and prevent the same from being seen
in front of the latter. The torpedo is provided with a shaft, B, journalled in a
bearing, b, at the rear end of the torpedo and also in a thrust bearing or block, b¹,
to take up the forward thrust of the screw. Upon the rear end of the shaft and
without the torpedo is a screw propeller, C, and within the torpedo at the opposite
end of the shaft an electric motor, D), is mounted upon a suitable foundation and its
armature coupled to the end of the shaft by means of a coupling, d.
A rudder, E, is secured to a rudder post, e, extending within the torpedo and
bearing within the same oppositely extending arms, e¹, e², connected by means of
cables, e³, e, to a steering motor, F. Said motor has upon its shaft a double pulley
or drum, f, and the cables, e³, et, extend around pulleys, e³, e, to
opposite sides of said drum and about the same in opposite directions
and preferably have their ends secured positively thereto. The shaft of the steer-
ing motor is lettered f¹, and the bearing adjacent to the drum is lettered f³. A
stop, f, is provided upon the side of the drum adjacent to the bearing and a

page_text: second stop, f, is provided upon the bearing in the path of the stop, fª. The
steering motor is placed in position with the stop, f, arranged as shown in the
drawings and the rudder in the plane of the keel.
In operation the passage of a current of electricity in one direction through the
armature will rotate the shaft thereof in one direction until the two stops are in
engagement and such rotation, transmitted through the cables, e, e, will throw
the rudder to one side and change the course of the torpedo to that side of its
former line of motion. The passage of a current of electricity in the opposite
direction through the armature of the steering motor will turn the same the other
way and throw the rudder to the other side of the plane of the keel. When all
current through the armature is cut off the rudder will fall into the plane of the
keel and bring the armature shaft into the position shown in the drawings.
From the lights, a, a, a pair of wires extend to an opening, a, in the bottom
of the torpedo near the rear end thereof to which point also extend a pair of wires
from the propelling motor, D, and from the steering motor, F, and also a pair of
wires, m, to explode the charge. All of these wires are, of course, insulated, and
at this point they enter a flexible tubular casing, G, which extends through a
rigid casing, H, which is practically an extension of the keel until a point behind
the propeller is reached from which point the flexible casing is free to bend and
travel in the easiest and most direct course. Said casing is preferably of sufficient
strength to prevent collapse from outward pressure and preferably of sufficient size
and lightness to float both itself and the wires contained therein, so that the latter
may rest upon the top of the water to avoid any obstructions beneath the surface
of the same.
At the point from which the torpedo is to be operated the cable is wound about
a drum, I. This drum is journalled upon a suitable axle or shaft, ?, turning in
bearings, J, J, one of which has a laterally extending arm, J2, bearing a series
of brushes, Ja, connected by wires with a switch board, J', containing a series of
operating switches. The end of the cable or tubular casing, is fastened to the
drum, I, at I, and the wires in said casing are here separated and passed to
annular rings, I, set in one of the faces of the drum concentric with the axis
thereof and in position to be traversed by the brushes, J3, making a connection
between said wires and the switch board. The wires 1 and 2 are from the electric
lights and pass to a switch 3 designed merely to close or break the circuit. The
wires 4, 5, are from the steering motor and pass to a double switch, 6, the con-
nection being reversed upon the opposite sides of the said switch. The wires, 7, 8,
come from the propelling motor and the wires 9, 10 are exploding wires, cach set
passing through a simple switch or key for making or breaking the circuit, said
keys being numbered, respectively, 11 and 12. The closing of the switch 3 lights
the lights, the closing of the switch 11 starts the torpedo, the swinging of the
switch 6 turns it in one direction or the other, and the closing of the switch 12
explodes the same. The drum, I, turns freely upon its shaft and allows the cable
to escape without resistance. If preferred, said drum may be turned by suitable
gear to pay out the cable at the same speed as the torpedo is moving.
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 combination with a torpedo having means for its propulsion, of a rudder,
a steering motor within the torpedo, connections between the steering motor and
the rudder by means of which the operation of the motor controls the rudder,
conducting wires extending from the motor to a distant point and there provided
with a device for making, breaking and reversing the current; substantially as
described.
2. The combination with a torpedo having means for its propulsion, of a rudder,
a steering motor therein having an armature of limited movement in either direc-
tion and connected with the rudder to control the same and wires leading from

page_text: said motor to a distant point and there provided with devices for making, breaking
and reversing the current in the motor; substantially as described.
3. The combination with a torpedo having means for its propulsion, of a series
of controlling or operating wires extending from said vessel to a distant point
and enclosed in a cable of sufficient size and lightness to float upon the surface
of the water; substantially as described.
4. The combination with a torpedo having means for its propulsion and guidance
operated by means of electricity, of a cable containing the necessary wires and
extending from the torpedo to a distant point, a suitably journalled drum for
holding said cable and having one end of the same secured thereto, a series of
annular rings upon said drum and in connection with the ends of the wires con-
tained in said cable and a series of brushes bearing upon said rings and connected
with suitable supply wires whereby a constant connection is kept up between
the wires in the cable and the supply wires during the rotation of the drum;
substantially as described.
5. The combination with a torpedo having means for its propulsion, of a rudder,
a steering motor having upon the end of the shaft a drum or pulley carrying a
cable extending to the rudder and adapted to operate the same, co-acting stops,
one moving with the armature shaft and the other stationary, adapted to limit
the movement of the armature shaft in either direction, conducting wires covered
by a buoyant casing extending from said steering motor to a distant point and
devices at said point for making, breaking and reversing the current through the
steering motor; substantially as described.
6. In combination, a torpedo having a pair of signal lights carried thereby and
above the same, said signal lights being arranged at some distance apart in the
vertical plane in the axis of the torpedo and having reflectors to conceal them
from view in front of the torpedo and throw the light to the rear thereof, a
propeller upon said torpedo connected with an electric motor within the same and
operated thereby, an explosive charge within the torpedo, a rudder attached to
said torpedo and operated from within by means of a steering motor having an
armature of limited movement in opposite directions, separate wires leading to
the lights, the propelling motor, the charge and the steering motor, said wires
being contained within a buoyant cable adapted to extend from the torpedo to a
distant point and to float upon water because of its buoyancy, a drum for the
support of the said cable when the same is not extended upon the water, said
drum being secured to one end of said cable and mounted upon journals to permit
of the rolling up or unrolling of the cable, a series of annular conducting rings
upon the drum concentric with the axis thereof and respectively connected by
conducting wires with the wires within the end of the cable attached to the drum,
a series of brushes supported adjacent to said rings and bearing upon the same to
make electrical connections therewith, a series of wires extending from the brushes
to a switch board containing switches adapted to make and break the respective
circuits and in the case of the circuit to the steering motor, to make, break and
reverse said circuit and suitable means for supplying each of the circuits with an
electric current adapted thereto; substantially as described.
7. The combination with a torpedo having a propelling device, of an electric
motor within said torpedo and suitably connected with said propelling device to
drive the same and a set of wires passing from said motor without the torpedo and
to a distant point and there connected with a suitable generator to furnish current
for propelling the torpedo; substantially as described.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents for the Applicant.