Year: 1887

page_text: I, HANS ECHBERG, of No. 239 Swanston Street, in the City of Melbourne, and
Colony of Victoria, Cabinet Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates first to a novel description of torpedo of the fish type and
secondly to the means for propelling and directing it in the water. The torpedo has
been specially designed for being laid under water in channels harbours or rivers in
readiness for being floated to the surface and steered to contact with a vessel or other
object which it is desired to blow up or destroy. It is furnished with side swimming
blades or fins, a rudder and a deep keel, and it is sufficiently ballasted to cause it to
lie dormant at the bottom of the harbour or channel, when not set in motion by the
appliances hereinafter described. The torpedo is propelled through the water by
means of a line or cable which is attached to the keel under its fore end. This cable
then stretches across the bottom of the channel and passes around a sheave attached
to a suitable anchorage and then returns to its starting side and rises to the shore
where its end is attached to a high speed winding or hauling engine while it is directed
or steered by the steering ropes attached to the rudder, which are also brought to the
shore. Immediately motion is imparted to the torpedo through the agency of the line
or cable the pitch or angle of its side swimming fins causes it to first rise to the
surface and then to swim thereat while it is steered by tiller ropes or lines.
The drawings hereto attached illustrate my said invention :-
Figure 1 shewing a side view of the torpedo as it appears when swimming in the
water; and
Figure 2 a plan looking down on its top.
Figure 3 is a view of its front or nose end, and
Figure 4 a view of its back or tail end, while
Figure 5 is a cross section at line a a, Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of a channel shewing the arrangement of the line or
cable for propelling the torpedo.
A is the body of the torpedo, which has a suitable compartment in it to carry the
necessary explosive material, and at its fore end A¹ a percussion cap or other suitable
device for exploding the torpedo when it contacts with a ship or other object. A² is
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page_text: the keel which is made of the requisite weight and depth. This keel under the fore
part of the body is pierced with a number of holes to either of which the shackle A³
of the drag line or cable is secured, the position of such shackle determining the angle
at which the torpedo lies and swims in the water. The back end of the keel is carried
sufficiently high to form the stern post for the rudder B the top end of which is
furnished with a tiller wheel B' to which the steering lines B are secured and which
lines pass through the blocks B* attached to the outer ends of the central fins C-and
thence they lead to the shore or other point from which the torpedo is steered. The
fins or swimming blades C, three of which are shewn on each side of the torpedo, aro
of sufficient combined area and disposed at such an angle or pitch as that when the
torpedo is drawn a certain distance through the water it will rise to the surface
and swim thereat. Any number of fins may be used, as this necessarily will have to
be determined by the shape and size of the torpedo.
The line or cable D the one end of which is secured to the shackle A3 of the torpedo,
then stretches across the bottom of the river or channel E and then passes around the
sheave D¹ secured to an anchorage D' and then returns across the channel and is
guided by the sheaves D³ supported on a suitable framing on the mushroom
anchors D and its end is attached to suitable winding gear F or other suitable
mechanism for drawing or winding in the cable. B' are the steering lines before
referred to and also stretching to the shore. G are the channel buoys and H a vessel
in the channel. By the above described means the torpedo can be steered and drawn
through the water from the one point.
The mode of operation is as follows:-Supposing the torpedo to be lying dormant
in the water, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 6, and it is desired to attack a
vessel in the channel, then by drawing or winding the drag line or cable the first
effect is to raise the torpedo to the surface, such being caused by the pitch or lay of
its fins or swimming blades which cause it to rise at about the angle shown by dotted
lines in Figure 6, until it reaches the surface when it swims thereat while its course is
being guided by the tiller or steering ropes which are brought to near the same point
as the drag line or cable and by these combined means it can be propelled and directed
to attack the vessel in the channel.
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 torpedoes which lie dormant under water until required the use of side fins or
swimming blades which cause them when drawn through the water to rise near the
surface and swim thereat, substantially as described and explained.
2. In torpedoes the combination of the ballasted body or vessel which containes the
explosive material, with the side fins or swimming blades, the rudder and the deep
keel to which the drag line or cable is attached substantially as herein described and
explained and as illustrated in my drawings.
3. The combination with the above claimed description of torpedoes, of a line or
cable attached to it and stretching across the channel and supported by guide sheaves
and then passing around an anchored sheave and returning to the starting side where
it is attached to a suitable winding engine substantially as herein described and
explained and as illustrated in my drawings.
Dated this Twenty-third day of June One thousand eight hundred and eighty