Improvements in Torpedoes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1895-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1895
Improvements in Torpedoes.
I ALFRED HARRIS of 68 Gower Street Bedford Square in the County of
Middlesex Law Student do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
It consists of a float made of wood or any suitable material propelled by means
of the rotary motion of a tube containing combustible material which on being
ignited generates gases under great pressure and the gases being released through
suitable apertures causing the tube to rotate on its axis at a high velocity.
Attached to the tube is a spur wheel gearing with a pinion fixed on a propeller
shaft the motion of the latter being imparted by the rotation of the tube containing
the combustible material when ignited this tube may be ignited by means of what
is known as a friction tube in gunnery or electric tube.
The detonating or exploding charge is contained in a case of suitable metal
containing any high explosive substance or powder and is housed at the bottom of
the float, it being attached to the said float by parallel bars which are so arranged
that on impact of the float the releasing gear allows the case containing the charge
to drop at the suitable depth to strike the unarmoured part of a ship. I also
provide the necessary provision on the front of the case of a detonator firing the
charge by contact. I also provide an electric steering arrangement by which the
operator can control the run of the torpedo.
Dated this 24th day of May 1894.
Improvements in Torpedoes.
I, ALFRED HARRIS, of 68 Gower Street, Bedford Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Law Student, 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:—
According to my invention the torpedo which is of the auto-mobile type is
propelled by means of a screw propeller that receives its motion by suitable
gearing from a rotary tube or casing containing rocket composition or other
suitable combustible material. This combustible composition or material, which
may be ignited by a friction tube or an electric tube, generates gases under
sufficient pressure to cause the rapid rotation of said tube or casing as the gases
escape through suitable outlets with which it is provided.
The case containing the detonating or exploding charge normally lies in or
against the under side of the torpedo and is connected thereto in such a manner by
parallel or other pivoted bars that on the impact of the torpedo with a ship.or
other object the case containing the detonating or exploding charge is released
from its normal position and under the influence of the before-mentioned pivoted
bars is caused to strike the ship and explode at that part thereof which is
unarmoured.

page_text: means of which the course of the torpedo can be controlled from the shore or from
a ship or fort.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section,
Figure 2 a plan, and
Figures 3, 4, and 5 are vertical transverse sections taken respectively on the
lines 1. 1. 2. 2 and 3. 3 of Figure 1, shewing a torpedo constructed in accordance
with my invention.
Figure 6 is an end view of the rotary tube shewing one method in which I can
obtain the rotary motion thereof.
Figures 6 and 6" are respectively a side elevation and an end view of the
extremity of the rotary tube shewing another method of obtaining the rotary
mötion.
Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure but illustrating 'alternative means for
steering the torpedo.
The Figures 3 to 7 are drawn to an enlarged scale.
'A is the float or hull of the torpedo, B the rotary tube or casing containing the
combustible materiál, C the screw propeller, D the case containing the detonating
or exploding charge, and E the rudder.
The float or hull of the torpedo may be composed of wood or other suitable
materiál 'and is provided with a longitudinal chamber B' for containing the rotary
tube or casing B. This rotary tube or casing is capable of freely revolving about
the pivots the latter of which is adjustable. Near the end 62 of the tube B is
a series of bent tubes 3 through which when the combustible material-is ignited,
the gases escape and by so doing impart rotary motion to the said rotary tube.
I do not however confine myself to this method of producing the rotary motion of
the rotary tube as any other suitable means may be employed for the purpose.
For instance I may adopt the means shewn at Figures 6 and 6 consisting of a series
of half tubes & projecting from the end 2 said half tubes being so arranged that as
the gases escape a pressure will be exerted upon them tending to revolve the
tube B. Near the end of the tube is a spur wheel gearing with a pinion c¹
mounted on the propeller shaft c and by means of which the rotary motion of the
said tube B is transmitted to the screw propeller C.
The escaping gases 'leave the torpedo through the opening A' in the stern, the
residue of their energy being thus utilized to assist in propelling the torpedo.
D' is an opening or cavity situated in the underside of the float and within which
the case D, containing the explosive charge, is normally housed. This case is
advantageously made rectangular in cross section and the cavity D' is of corre-
sponding shape so that said case will be prevented from turning while within the
cavity. The case D is provided with collars d d having pivots d' d' on opposite
sides thereof to which the bars or rods d² d2 are connected. The opposite ends of
these bars are pivotally connected to the float or hull A by means of bolts d³
about which said bars can freely turn at the required time, suitable openings A* A*
(Figure 3) being formed in the float or hull to permit of the movement of
said bars.
The before mentioned collars d are provided at their upper parts with sockets d
which have longitudinal slots or openings d formed therein. Extending from the
front end or nose of the torpedo and passing through the before mentioned
sockets d is a bar or bolt d' which is capable of longitudinal movement, but is
normally kept in its forward position and with its front end projecting from the
nose of the torpedo by means of the spiral spring d'. The parts d d that are
immediately in front of the sockets d' are flattened, that is to say they are made of

page_text: less width than that of the slots or openings in the sockets, so that when the bar
or bolt is forced backwards a sufficient distance to bring these flattened parts
entirely within the sockets, the case D will no longer be supported by the bar or
bolt but will be at liberty to escape from the cavity D' and, under the influence of
the pivoted bars d', to perform a curvilinear course so as to bring its firing pin
into collision with the ship or other object at some point considerably below the
surface of the water and depending upon the length of the pivoted bars d². These
bars can be made telescopic so that they will extend during the fall of the case D
and thereby enable the charge to explode at a much greater depth. 10 and d¹ are
safety-pins with which the long bolt d and the firing pin d' are respectively
provided and which, while in place, keep the torpedo in a passive or harmless
condition.
The steering of the torpedo is effected, in the arrangement illustrated at
Figure 1, by means of an arm ƒ depending from the tiller f¹ of the rudder a d
situated between a pair of set screws ff. By screwing up one of the said set
screws and unscrewing the other, the tiller can prior to the launching of the
torpedo, be set and retained in any desired position for directing the course of the
torpedo. For this purpose the upper portion a of the stern of the torpedo may
be made movable or detachable to permit of the set screws being readily
manipulated.
When it is desirable to control the steering of the torpedo during its conrse
I substitute for each of the set screws f² an electro-magnet g (see Figure 7) the
said arm then serving as an armature that is capable of rocking between the poles
of the electro-magnets according as the one or the other of such electro-magnets is
energized by the electric current. Or the armature may be magnetic and the
circuit of the electric current be such that both of the electro-magnets are
magnetized simultaneously but with opposite polarity and in this way a com-
paratively strong magnetic field could be produced for effecting the movements of
the armature. By changing the direction of the electric current and thereby
reversing the polarity of the electro-magnets the said armature could be shifted to
the left or to the right as desired.
Assuming it to be provided with the steering device shewn in Figure 1 the
operation of the torpedo is as follows:-
The rudder having been set in position for steering the torpedo in the proper
direction, the safety pin do is removed from the bar or bolt and the safety
pin d is also removed from the firing pin d. The torpedo is then launched and
the combustible composition within the rotary tube B is ignited. Immediately on
the ignition of the combustible composition, the gases thereby generated escape at
a high pressure through the bent tubes and thus impart rapid rotary motion to
the tube B which motion is transmitted by the gear wheels bc to the propeller.
The torpedo rapidly advances towards the destined object and on striking it the
long bolt d is driven backwards far enough to disengage the collars of the case D
from the said long bolt. The case D then immediately leaves the cavity D' and,
under the influence of the pivoted arms d' follows a curvilinear course thereby
bringing the firing pin d into collision with the object and exploding the charge at
a point considerably below the surface of the water. In the case of a ship this.
point would be below its armour plated portion and therefore at its most assailable
part.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim, is:-
1. A torpedo in which the force of impact causes the explosive charge to be
released from its normal position and under the influence of suitable guiding
mechanism to follow a curvilinear course substantially as described and for the
purpose specified.

page_text: 2. In a torpedo a revolvable tube containing combustible composition and
provided with means for enabling the gases generated by the burning of such
composition to impart rotary motion to the tube for the purpose specified.
3. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting my improve-
ments in torpedoes substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of February 1990.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.