Improvements in and relating to Torpedo Guards or Nets.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Torpedo Guards or Nets.
We Joux LYNCH residing at 1615 New Hampshire Avenue in the City of
Vashington, District of Columbia, and THOMAS MIDGLEY residing in Beaver
Falls in the County of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
nanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
nd by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to war vessels, and has for its object the construction of
metallic netting to surround a vessel and form a guard against submerged
orpedoes.
The invention will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in
the claims.
In the accompanying drawings which form part of this Specification
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a section of our improved torpedo-guard
to be applied to the sides of a vessel
Figure 2 an end view showing part of the section rolled from the lower end
Figure 3 an edge view of a section of the supporting piece or bar on the upper
end of the section
Figure 4 a side elevation of a section to be applied around the bow and stern
of a vessel
Figure 5 an edge view of the same, and
Figure 6 an enlarged plan of the coupling for the bars at their points of inter-
section.
Reference being had to the drawings and the letters thereon A indicates a
section of our improved torpedo-guard or netting, which is composed of parallel
bars B formed of intertwined helices a having their ends secured by being bent
back into or upon the helix as at b. The length of the bars may be varied
for use upon vessels of different dimensions, and are preferably made about two
inches wide.
In constructing the bars B sections of cylindrical helices are screwed into each
other to form a sheet of any convenient length and width, the length of the sheet
preferably being equal to the length required for the bars B. The sheet is then
passed through a suitable machine and the helices a flattened or elongated, the
sheet being held or kept under longitudinal tension while the helices are being
flattened to make them equal in length and seat each helix in the adjacent helices
with which it is intertwined, and form a compact and flexible fabric which can
be readily rolled upon itself. The sheet is then cut transversely of the helices
into bars B of any suitable width and the ends of the helices secured on both
edges of the bars.
The bars B are then placed in position parallel with each other upon a flat
surface, such as a table, and the bars C interwoven with the bars B as shown to
form meshes about six inches square. The bars C may be made of strands of
wire passed through the helices a and braided or twisted between the bars B
as at e, thus securely holding the bars B in proper position in the netting or
guard.
Instead of using the strands of wire to form the bars as shown in Figures 1
and 2, they may be made of the same material as the bars B as shown in Figures 4
and 5. In this latter construction the bars are coupled or connected at the points
where they intersect by two sections c, d, of wire bent in serpentine form. These
sections are laid across each other and each bar connected to both sections by a
section e of cylindrical helices being screwed into the end of each bar B and C
1

page_text: and into both of the sections cd, as shown in Figure 6. The connecting section e
may then be flattened to conform to the length and appearance of the body of the
bars, and their ends properly secured by bending as on the edges of the bars B
and C.
This latter construction produces an exceedingly flexible guard admirably
adapted for use at the bow and stern of a vessel where the sections of the guard
must be bent or curved to conform to the contour of the vessel.
At the lower end of the section A is a tubular bar D to which the bars B are
secured, and upon which the section is rolled when the guard is taken out of the
water, and may then be readily stored for future use. In Figures 1 and 2 the
tubular bar D is shown, made of ordinary iron pipe and in practice is from two to
two and a half inches in diameter. This bar is provided at the bottom with a
longitudinal slot of a width equal to the bars C, and on its top with a series of
rectangular slots through which the bars B pass, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
To apply this bar D to a section of the guard or netting, the bars B are passed
through the slots and and the bars pushed back upon said bars, when the lower
bar C is inserted through the bars B and the bar D then pushed down until it
rests upon the bar C. It is obvious however that instead of using the bar C of
many strands of wire, one bar of metal may be used.
"
In Figures 4 and 5 the tubular bar D is made of intertwined coiled wire
helices and the bars B secured thereto by being intertwined therewith. This
.construction of the bar is especially adapted to the sections which must necessarily
be curved in their application to a vessel, and is exceedingly flexible.
At the ends of the bars C are formed loops which are made to overlap the
loops of an adjacent section, and a bar 13 passed through the loops to connect the
sections.
The sections are supported from the upper end, and for this purpose a bar E
Figures 1 and 2 of intertwined coiled wire helices is attached to each section.
This bar is made five ply thick and at the points where the bars B come, the
middle or centre ply is removed, thus forming a series of passages through the
bar E and through which passages the bars B pass. The supporting bar may
however be made of wire rope or cable as F in Figures 4 and 5, and passed through
loops in the bars B.
For the purpose of handling or transporting the netting it may be rolled from
either the upper or lower end of the sections.
The guard thus constructed is comparatively light by reason of the large meshes,
and when applied to a vessel it may be readily suspended upon booms or guard
arms in the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is.
First. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of crossed
flexible bars intersected at their points of crossing.
Second. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel
flexible bars of intertwined helices and transverse intersecting bars.
Third. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel
flexible bars of intertwined elongated helices and transverse intersecting flexible
bars.
Fourth. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel
bars of intertwined helices and transverse bars of strands of wire.
Fifth. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel
bars of intertwined elongated helices and transverse bars of braided strands of
wire.
Sixth. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel
and transverse intersected flexible bars and a cylindrical bar at one end of the
section.

page_text: Seventh. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of crossed
flexible bars and a tubular bar at one end of the section.
Eighth. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of crossed
flexible bars and a flexible bar of intertwined helices at one end of the section.
Ninth. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel
bars of intertwined helices, intersecting bars and a flexible bar of intertwined
helices at one end of the section.
Tenth. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of vertical
and horizontal flexible bars and a flexible tubular bar of intertwined helices at one
end of the section.
Eleventh. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of crossed
flexible bars and a supporting bar.
Twelfth. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of crossed
and intersected flexible bars and a flexible supporting-bar.
Thirteenth. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of vertical
and horizontal intersected flexible bars and means for coupling or connecting
adjacent sections.
Fourteenth. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of crossed
and intersected flexible bars, and the horizontal bars provided with loops at their
ends.
Dated this 17th day of November 1891
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.