IMPROVEMENTS IN METHODS OR APPLIANCES FOR STOWING IN OR DISCHARGING TORPEDOES FROM TORPEDO BOATS OR OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edwin Atkinson, of Greenwich, in the County of
Kent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METHODS OR APPLIANCES FOR
STOWING IN OR DISCHARGING TORPEDOES FROM TORPEDO BOATS OR OTHER
VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edwin Atkinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th June 1880.
"IMPROVEMENTS
JOHN EDWIN ATKINSON, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent.
IN METHODS OR APPLIANCES FOR STOWING IN OR DISCHARGING TORPEDOES FROM
TORPEDO BOATS OR OTHER VESSELS."
This Invention has reference to the arrangement of torpedoes and their fittings
on board torpedo boats and other vessels, for the purpose of stowing them and
holding them in readiness for rapidly discharging through the bottom or sides of
the vessels as many torpedoes as the space at command will permit, the receptacles
for the torpedoes and the appliances being constructed and arranged for discharging
either in a fore and aft or transverse direction.
This Invention consists in constructing within the hull of the vessel a watertight
trunk or well, which can be placed in any suitable position, and within which
trunk or well one or more torpedoes can be stowed and held in readiness for being
discharged, the torpedoes being placed one above the other, and so arranged that
they can be lowered in quick succession into a discharging trunk or tube, out of
which they can be impelled in the usual manner.
The discharging trunk is fitted accurately in the bottom of the well aperture,
and when not in position for discharging a torpedo completely closes in the opening
in the vessel-bottom so as not to impede the speed of the vessel when under weigh,
but when the trunk is required for discharging a torpedo it has to be placed in an
oblique position by the means hereinafter described.
The torpedoes are to be stowed in the well upon hinged brackets or their
equivalents one above another, and held there until required for lowering into the
discharging trunk.
For the purpose of lowering and depositing the torpedoes in the discharging
trunk a carrier is provided, which can be raised to a sufficient height to take the
weight of the torpedo, and when this is done the hinged brackets above mentioned

page_text: are turned back, and the carrier with the torpedo upon it is lowered into the
discharging trunk; guide bars may be fitted to the sides of the well to ensure
regularity in raising and lowering the carrier, which can be effected by long vertical
screws, or any other suitable arrangement of mechanism which would give the
same secure holding and raising and lowering actions would answer the purpose.
The lid or door of the discharging trunk is hinged or pivotted so as to turn up
against the sides of the well, and after the carrier with the torpedo thereon has
been deposited in the trunk the door is closed. Suitable rollers, and letting go gear,
and guides are fitted within the discharging trunk and upon the carrier to keep the
torpedo in position until ready for discharging.
When everything is ready for discharging the torpedo one end of the discharging
trunk is lowered in an oblique direction until it is below the line of keel. This
is done by a suitable mechanical contrivance by which the operation can be reversed,
so that if the torpedo has to be discharged ahend of the vessel the fore end of the
trunk is lowered, and if astern the after end is lowered. For these purposes the
trunk can be pivoted at either end, and an impulse tube is also fitted at either end
for discharging the torpedo forward or aft, as may be desired.
In vessels of deep draught, or where it may not be necessary to stow the
torpedoes in the well, the carrier can be dispensed with, and the discharging trunk
itself will be raised to the top of the well and the torpedo deposited therein, after
which it can be lowered on to a door that will be fitted in the opening in the
vessel's bottom to close the aperture, and discharged as before mentioned; this door
would be fitted with the same mechanical contrivance for raising and lowering at
either end, as before mentioned.
The advantages of this method of carrying and discharging torpedoes are that
every thing is under cover and out of sight of the enemy, that none of the crew
need be exposed while in action, that nothing can be seen by the enemy of the
preparations being made for discharging the torpedo or to tell the direction in
which it may be travelling, that a torpedo may be discharged towards an object
while the head of the vessel is turned in an opposite direction, and that in small
vessels and launches it will entirely obviate the necessity which at present exists of
having the torpedoes with their carriages and firing party on deck, and as the
appliances and torpedoes by this Invention will be placed more within the body of
the vessel the risk of damage to them in action, or injury by collision, is to a great
extent avoided.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Edwin Atkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
December 1880.
JOHN EDWIN ATKINSON, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN METHODS OR APPLIANCES FOR STOWING IN OR DISCHARGING TORPEDOES FROM
TORPEDO BOATS OR OTHER VESSELS."
This Invention has reference to the arrangement of torpedoes and their fittings
on board torpedo boats and other vessels for the purpose of stowing them and
holding them in readiness for rapidly discharging through the submerged part of
the vessel as many torpedoes as the space at command will permit, the receptacles
for the torpedoes and the appliances being constructed and arranged for discharging
either in a fore and aft, transverse, or other direction.
The Invention consists in constructing within the hull of the vessel one or more
watertight trunks or wells, which can be placed in any suitable position for
discharging the torpedoes in the required direction, and within which trunk or
well one or more torpedoes can be stowed and held in readiness for being discharged,
the torpedoes being placed one above the other, and so arranged that they can be
lowered in quick succession into a discharging trunk or tube, out of which they can
be impelled in the usual manner.
And in order that my improvements may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, in which, for convenience of illustration, I have
represented my improvements as applied to a first class torpedo boat. Like letters
represent like parts in the different views. Sheet 1. Fig. 1 shows profile of a
vessel under weigh with torpedoes stowed in well and the trunk closed; Fig. 2
shows profile of vessel with trunk lowered for discharging the torpedo ahead;
Fig. 3 shows profile of vessel with trunk lowered for discharging the torpedo
astern; and Fig. 4 shows plan of vessel arranged in accordance with my improve-
ments. Sheet 2. Fig. 1 shows profile of fore part of vessel with torpedo in position
for lowering into the well; Fig. 2, plan of same. Sheet 3. Fig. 1 shows longitudinal
section of the well with the torpedoes (a, a, a,) stowed, and the discharging
trunk (b) closed; Fig. 2 shows longitudinal section of well with the discharging
trunk lowered for firing the torpedo ahead; the dotted lines show the discharging
trunk lowered for firing the torpedo astern. Sheet 4. Fig. 1 shows a cross section
through the well, with the carrier (c) in position after lowering torpedo into
discharging trunk; the dotted lines show carrier raised for lowering the torpedoes;
Fig. 2 is a cross section through the well showing the hinged brackets (d, d,) for
supporting the torpedoes, and the discharging trunk (b) closed; Fig. 3 is a cross
section of vessel at the end of well, showing the raising and lowering gear for
discharging trunk, also an arrangement for pivoting the discharging trunk.
Sheet, 5. Fig. 1 is a sectional plan of well showing torpedo supported in the hinged
brackets (d, d); Fig. 2 is a plan of the lid of the discharging trunk. The
discharging (b) is fitted accurately though not necessarily water tight in the bottom
of the well aperture, and when not in position for discharging a torpedo completely
closes in the opening in the vessel's bottom so as not to impede the speed of the
vessel when under weigh, but when the trunk is required for discharging a torpedo
it has to be placed in an oblique position by the means hereinafter described.
The torpedoes are to be stowed in the well upon hinged brackets (d, d,) one
above another, and held there until required for lowering into the discharging
trunk. For the purpose of lowering and depositing the torpedoes in the
discharging trunk a carrier (c) is provided, which can be raised to a sufficient
height to take the weight of the torpedo, and when this is done the hinged

page_text: brackets (d, d,) above mentioned are turned aside, and the carrier (c) with the
torpedo upon it is lowered into the discharging trunk; guide bars are fitted to the
sides of the well to ensure regularity in raising and lowering the carrier, which can
be effected by long vertical screws, or some other equivalent mechanical arrange-
ment which would give the same secure holding, and raising, and lowering actions.
An alternative arrangement is shown in Fig. 1, Sheet 4. This consists of a chain
or equivalent attached to the carrier at one end, and passing over a pulley at or
near the top of the well to a small barrel, which would be provided with a ratchet
and pawl, and turned by a winch handle. In this Fig. also is shown an arrangement
for raising the lid of the discharging trunk.
The lid or door (e), Fig. 1, Sheet 4, of the discharging trunk is hinged so as to
turn up against the side of the well, and after the carrier (c) with the torpedo
thereon has been deposited in the trunk the door (e) is closed. Suitable rollers, and
letting go gear, and guides are fitted within the discharging trunk and upon the
carrier to keep the torpedo in position until ready for discharging.
When everything is ready for discharging the torpedo one end of the discharging
trunk is lowered in an oblique direction until it is below the line of keel or well.
This is done by a mechanical contrivance by which the operation can be reversed,
so that if the torpedo has to be discharged ahead of the vessel the fore end of the
trunk is lowered, and if discharged asteru the after end is lowered. For these
purposes the trunk can be pivotted at either end, and an impulse tube is also fitted
at each end of the well for discharging the torpedo in the direction required.
This arrangement is fully shown in Sheet 3 of the accompanying Drawings. (a) is
the torpedo and (b) the discharging trunk, and in Fig. 1 the trunk lies even with the
keel of the vessel; in Fig. 2 it is depressed at the forward end so that the mouth is
just clear of the bottom of the vessel. In this view the trunk is pivotted at (g),
and the descent of the other end has been regulated by the toothed segment (h) and
pinion (i), worked by a winch handle as before. Instead of the toothed segment
and pinion a chain may be attached at the bottom of the segment and carried over
a small barrel in lieu of the pinion; the motion would be similar in the two cases.
To discharge the torpedo astern it would be necessary to wind up the bow or
forward end by means of the toothed segment and pinion, pivot that end at (g¹),
The method of pivotting
and lower the other end, as indicated by the dotted lines.
and unpivotting is clearly shown at Fig. 3, Sheet 4, where the handle (c) actuates
two connecting links (), which are jointed at their other ends to the pivots or
stops (m), so that by moving the handle both pivots are inserted or withdrawn
simultaneously. This arrangement or a modification of it is provided at each end
of the discharging trunk.
In vessels of deep draught, or where it may not be necessary to stow the
torpedoes in the well, the carrier can be dispensed with and the discharging trunk
itself raised to the top of the well, and the torpedo deposited therein, after which it
can be lowered onto a door fitted in the opening in the vessel's bottom to close the
aperture, and discharged as before mentioned. This door would be fitted with a
similar mechanical contrivance for raising and lowering at either end to that already
mentioned in connection with the discharging trunk.
The advantages of this method of carrying and discharging torpedoes are, that
everything is under cover and out of sight of the enemy, that none of the crew need
be exposed while in action, that nothing can be seen by the enemy of the preparations
being made for discharging the torpedo nor can he tell the direction in which it is
travelling, that the torpedo may be discharged towards an object while the head of
the vessel is turned in an opposite direction, and that in small vessels and launches
it will entirely obviate the necessity which at present exists of having the torpedoes
with their carriages and firing party on deck, and as the appliances and torpedoes
by this Invention, will be placed well within the body of the vessel, the risk of
damage to them in action or by collision is to a great extent avoided.
I have only described and illustrated the well when placed in a fore and aft
direction, and when so placed it would be capable of discharging the torpedoes also

page_text: only in a fore and aft direction; this form is adapted for small craft, where there
would not be beam enough to accomodate the well if placed transversely. But in
large craft it may be convenient to place the well across the vessel so as to discharge
sideways, or in some cases two wells could be employed, one for fore and aft and
the other for transverse firing. It is evident also that the wells can be placed at
different angles to the longer axis of the vessel to suit any special purpose, without
departing from the principle of my Invention.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the method of performing
the same, I wish it to be understood that what I claim and desire to protect under
the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,--
First. The herein described improved method of carrying and discharging
torpedoes in torpedo boats and other vessels, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth and shown.
Second. The construction and arrangement of the well, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth and shown.
Third. The herein described discharging trunk, from either end of which the
torpedo can be discharged, thus enabling fore and aft, transverse, or other discharges
to be effected in any two approximately opposite and horizontal directions, according
to the placing of the well within the vessel, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth and shown.
Fourth. The use of the impulse tube at each end of the well for discharging the
torpedoes in either direction, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. As a receptacle for torpedoes, the well fitted with hinged brackets (d, d,)
substantially as set forth and shown.
Sixth. As a receptacle and lowering apparatus for torpedoes, the well fitted with
hinged brackets (d, d,) and carrier (c) with its actuating mechanisın, substantially
as set forth and shown.
Seventh. As a combined receptacle and lowering and discharging apparatus for
torpedoes, the combination of the well, hinged brackets (d, d,) carrier (c) with its
actuating mechanism, and discharging trunk (b) with its actuating mechanism, all
substantially as and for the purposes set forth and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Edwin Atkinson, have hereunto set my
haud and seal, this 6th day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
TATT
PRETAZ
זגCTAICA
JOHN EDWIN ATKINSON. (L.S.)