Improvements in and connected with Submarine Boats.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 27th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Submarine Boats.
I, GEORGE CROYDON MARKS, of 18 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
London, W.C., Consulting Engineer, (a communication from Count Eugenio Piatti
dal Pozzo, of Paris, in the Republic of France,) do hereby, declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in submarine vessels and has for its
object to construct a submarine vessel in such a manner as to resist the greatest
pressures produced by great depths and with devices which give every facility for
making observations and for working at said great depths.
In carrying my invention into effect I make my submarine vessel of spherical
shape as experiments and practical experience have shown that that is the only
shape which will render a vessel of this kind capable of withstanding the highest
pressures corresponding to the greatest. depths susceptible of being explored. Its
internal space is utilized in the most convenient manner and contains mechanism
for transmitting motion to the screw propellers which are preferably three in
number and are arranged in such a manner as to enable the boat to move in any
direction and also the mechanism for operating a rudder. These various parts are
arranged internally on a floor to which access is gained from the outside by means
of a manhole oppositely disposed which is closed hermetically and to which there
is fitted an internal ladder. Sight holes are provided in such a manner as to allow
of observations being taken in all directions from inside the vessel. Ballast cases
or boxes are mounted symmetrically on the outside and are adapted to be operated
from the interior in order that, being filled with heavy materials when the boat
descends, they may be inverted and emptied wholly or partially in such a manner
as to allow the vessel to rise automatically at a greater or less speed without the
necessity of being pulled up by its suspending cable which may serve at the same
time to carry the electric wires for communication by telephone or other wires.
This arrangement of tipping cases or boxes is supplemented by a safety device
comprising weights arranged outside in the same manner and which are provided
with suspending cables adapted to unwind from pulleys when the axles of the said
pulleys are freed. This safety device will be employed when for any cause what-
ever the boxes shall not be able to act; and the weights will be connected in such
a manner with their respective suspending cables that when the said cables
(according to the depth) shall not be sufficiently long to allow the boat to free
itself from the action of the said weights in order to rise again automatically to the
surface of the water, the said weights shall become automatically disengaged from
their cables and shall sink to the bottom of the water, leaving the boat free.
For the purpose of executing submarine work making explorations, removing
rocks, wrecks, etc. I combine with my submarine boat (constructed as hereinbefore
described) an external arrangement of tongs having two arms of suitable length,
one of which is fixed, whilst the other is moveable and is able to move longitudinally
with relation to the first in such a manner as to cause the jaws of the tongs thus

page_text: formed to operate by opening or shutting the said jaws by means of
which it will then be possible to hold and move tackle or rigging, machines and
materials which will be necessary according to the work to be done.
For the purpose of moving and operating the moveable arm the latter is formed
with a toothed rack upon which acts a pinion mounted upon a vertical shaft which
is adapted to be operated from the inside of the boat according to the observations
obtained through the sight hole or holes. For the purpose of subjecting the shell
or hull of my boat only to the pressure of the medium in which it is situated, without
running the risk of influencing or interrupting the equilibrium of the maximum
molecular resistances by any accidental strain or effort resulting especially from the
operation of the above mentioned devices, I apply to the said shell either externally
only, or both externally or internally, a sheathing of wood formed of rings strongly
hooped and connected together. To this sheathing only there are fixed all the supports
of the said parts for transmitting power and the other various accessories in such a
manner that the shell shall only be pierced by apertures for the passage of said
parts, which apertures shall also be adapted to be obturated in the most hermetic
manner whilst allowing freedom of operation of the said parts, traversing the same.
Dated this 18th day of February 1897.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Submarine Boats.
I, GEORGE CROYDON MARKS, of 18 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
London, W.C., Consulting Engineer, (a communication from Count Eugenio Piatti
dal Pozzo, of Paris, in the Republic of France), 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in submarine.vessels and has for its
object to construct a submarine vessel in such a manner as to resist the greatest
pressures produced by great. depths and with devices which give every facility for
making observations and for working at said great depths. The vessel may be
suspended from a ship's side, pontoon, dockside or pier or by any suitable means
according to the depth of water or circumstances under which it is required to be
worked.
In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation in vertical section and part outer elevation showing the
submarine vessel.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, one half being in horizontal section, while
Figure 3 is a view of a detail.
In carrying my invention into effect I make my submarine vessel A of spherical
shape, as experiments and practical experience have shown that that is the only
shape which will render a vessel of this kind.capable of withstanding the highest
pressures corresponding to the greatest depths susceptible of being explored. Its
internal space is utilised in the most convenient manner and contains mechanism B
for transmitting motion to the screw propellers C which are preferably three in
number and are arranged in such a manner as to enable the vessel to move in any
direction, and also the mechanism D1 D2 for operating a rudder D. These various
parts are arranged internally on a floor E to which access is gained from the outside
by means of a manhole F oppositely disposed which is closed hermetically and to
which there is fitted an internal ladder H. Sight holes J, K, L, M, N, are provided
in such a manner as to allow of observations being taken in all directions from

page_text: inside the vessel. Ballast cases or boxes O. P are mounted symmetrically on the
outside and are adapted to be operated from the interior by means of the mechan-
ism with the connected bevil gear in order that, being filled with heavy materials
when the vessel descends, they may be inverted and emptied wholly or partially in
such a manner as to allow the vessel to rise automatically at a greater or less
speed without the necessity of being pulled up by the suspending cable G which
may serve at the_same_time_to_carry the electric wires for communication by tele-
phone, or other wires. This arrangement of tipping cases or boxes OP is supple-
mented by a safety device comprising weights S T arranged outside in the same
manner and which are provided with suspending cables adapted to unwind from
pulleys U U when the axies of the said pulleys are freed. This safety device will
be employed when for any cause whatever the boxes OP shall not be able to act;
and the weights ST will be connected by safety catches of any well known form
and in such a manner with their respective suspending cables that when the said
cables (according to the depth) shall not be sufficiently long to allow the vessel to
free itself from the action of the said weights in order to rise again automatically
to the surface of the water, the said weights shall become automatically disengaged
from their cables and shall sink to the bottom of the water, leaving the vessel free.
For the purpose of executing submarine work making explorations, removing
rocks wrecks etc. I combine with my submarine vessel (constructed as hereinbefore
described) an external arrangement of tongs W having two arms of suitable
length, one W' of which is fixed, whilst the other W is movable and is able to
move longitudinally with relation to the first arm in such a manner as to cause
the jaws X of the tongs thus formed to operate by opening or shutting the said
jaws by means of which it will then be possible to hold and move tackle or rigging,
machines and materials which will be necessary according to the work to be done.
For the purpose of moving and operating the movable arm W" the latter is
formed with a toothed rack X upon which acts a pinion X" mounted upon a vertical
shaft Y which is adapted to be operated from the inside of the vessel according
to the observations obtained through the sight hole or holes arranged at Z. For the
purpose of subjecting the shell or hull of my submarine vessel only to the pressure
of the medium in which it is situated, without running the risk of influencing or
interrupting the equilibrium of the maximum molecular resistances by any acci-
dental strain or effort resulting especially from the operation of the above mentioned
devices, I apply to the said shell either externally only, as shown in the drawings
or both externally and internally, a sheathing of wood R formed of rings strongly
hooped and connected together. To this sheathing R only there are fixed all the
supports of the said parts for transmitting power and the other various accessories
in such a manner that the shell shall only be pierced by apertures for the passage
of said parts, which apertures shall also be adapted to be obturated in the most
hermetic manner whilst allowing freedom of operation of the said parts traversing
the same.
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, A submarine vessel for use more particularly in making explorations and
working at great depths, comprising in combination:-
A spherical shell A of maximum strength, sheathed, either externally only, or
both externally and internally, with the curved sheathing of wood R, which
sheathing R serves the purpose of alone holding all the supports of the several
parts for operating and steering the vessel, three screw propellers C arranged and
combined with a rudder D for enabling the vessel to be moved in all directions;
ballast boxes or cases (P which when emptied allow the submarine vessel to
automatically rise; a safety device consisting of weights ST with connected
mechanism for use in the event of the mechanism operating the boxes OP failing
to act or becoming deranged; and external tongs W having jaws X adapted to be

page_text: operated from the inside of the vessel and which serve to grasp, hold and move or
otherwise operate upon the tackle riggings, machines, materials, etc., required for
any particular work to be performed.
2. The improvements in sub-marine vessels substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.