IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBMARINE TORPEDO LAUNCHES, AND IN APPARATUS CON- NECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBMARINE TORPEDO LAUNCHES, AND IN APPARATUS CON-
NECTED THEREWITH."—A communication from abroad by Henry Julius
Smith, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Decla-
ration, on the 29th January 1873, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SUBMARINE TORPEDO LAUNCHES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," and
have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, admin-

page_text: istrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and
have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to
me from abroad by Henry Julius Smith, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a part of
this Specification, and in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional
elevation of the launch and apparatus employed in carrying the said
Invention into practice. Figure 2 is a rear elevation with the float
rudder and propeller omitted. Figure 3 is a plan of the steering apparatus.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a galvanometer herein-after described.
Figure 5 is a plan of the same on the line x, x, Figure 4.
a sectional elevation of the same on the line x¹, ±³, Figure 4. Figure 7 is
a sectional elevation, and Figure 8 a plan of the engine for operating
the rudder, including a portion of the contrivance for governing the
admission into this engine of compressed air or other fluid at the
will of the operator.
Figure 6 is
Although in this description compressed air will be spoken of as
employed to work the engines, other gases may be used, and I prefer to
use liquified ammonia. It is unnecessary to add that when ammonia is
used the metal employed in the construction of the launch and the
apparatus contained therein with which the ammonia comes in contact
must be iron or steel.
The launch herein described is designed to be navigated under water,
and with that end in view I have built it in what is known among ship-|
builders as the "cigar" shape. It is divided by bulkheads as shown,
into three compartments, viz., the forward compartment or the torpedo
proper, being a chamber filled with the material by the explosion of
which the vessel attacked is to be destroyed, the stern compartment
carrying the propelling and steering apparatus; and the middle compart-
ment, carrying the reservoir in which is confined the motive power or
in other words carrying the boiler, and carrying also an insulated wire
coiled upon a reel, by means of which electrical communication may be

page_text: established between the launch and the shore. The launch has a keel
and a rudder, as shewn; the stern and forward compartments are water
tight; the middle compartment for reasons herein-after made known is
open to the water.
The launch with its contents is much too heavy to float; to keep it
from sinking to the bottom a float is employed, buoying the launch
until detached, as herein-after explained; use is also made of the float to
regulate the depth under water at which the explosion shall take place.
In the Drawings the said float is marked A; B is a tube or pipe
passing through the float and communicating with the forward compart-
ment of the launch, as shewn; in this tube is a cord or chain marked a,
by means of which the torpedo is exploded at a depth regulated by the
length of the cord or chain. C is an exhaust pipe also passing through
the float, as shewn; G is a boom projecting in front of the launch and
its float, as shewn. It is slotted at b, b, as shewn; and rests upon
shoulders of the tubes B and C, being held in place (but so loosely as to
allow it to slide freely the length of the slots) by collars c, c, which are
secured by set screws.
The boom G forms a part of the device for securing the launch to the
float. For this purpose it has two other slots d, d, in which are two flat
headed bolts e, e, rigidly secured to the float. The slots d, d, are enlarged
at their forward ends to permit the heads of the bolts to slip through
when the boom strikes the enemy's vessel, the launch and float travelling
on an instant after the boom is checked. When the bolts e, e, pass
through their slots the launch and float becoming detached from each
other the launch sinks until checked by the cord a, the latter becoming
taut explodes the torpedo after it has sunk the length of the cord by
pulling a frictional primer or otherwise as desired.
H is a metallic reservoir within the middle compartment, as shown,
and holding the compressed air by which the launch is propelled and
steered. As previously intimated the water of the sea bas free play
upon nearly the whole of the outer surface of this reservoir. This is
for the purpose of supplying the heat abstracted from the compressed
air or other gas by its expansion. The sea water takes the place of
the fire under an ordinary steam boiler; and H, may be more properly
and in this description will be hereafter termed a boiler. Instead

page_text: of the box-shaped boiler shewn in the Drawings I prefer a scries of
tubes.
J is a pipe communicating, as shewn in Figure 2, with an oscillating
marine engine E in the stern compartment of the launch, and is used
to convey compressed air from the boiler to this engine. The trunnions &
of the said oscillating engine E have bearings, as shown in Figure 1,
in a framework secured to the bulkhead which separates the stern and
middle compartments. This framework also supports the other pro-
pelling and steering apparatus not secured directly to the bulklicad.
The engine E operates the propeller K in the ordinary manner by 1
means of the piston rod h, crank g, and propeller shaft k.
L is a reel carrying a coil of insulated wire 1, one end of which
passing under the roller communicates with the battery on shore.
The other end of the wire passes through a stuffing box in the axis
of the reel, and then through packing in the bulkhead, separating 1
the middle and stern compartments and connected with the outer end
of the wire of a galvanometer, as shewn.
The use of the galvanometer M in steering the launch is an essential
feature of this Invention. The said galvanometer is secured by straps
to the bulkhead between the stern and middle compartments, as shewn :
in Figure 3. The needle of the said galvanometer is poised as
shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, and near one end there is secured to it
a yoke m', as shewn.
P, P', are two insulated mercury cups on either side of the galvan-
ometer, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6, and R, R', are two bell-crank
levers pivoted as shewn in Figure 6. When at rest the outer ends
of these levers are in contact with the mercury in their respective
cups, their pivots are in contact with the inner end of the coil of the
galvanometer, and through one or the other of them when the launch
is in practical operation, with the assistance of the mercury in its
cup, and one of the wires 8, 8', the circuit between the shore battery
and the galvanometer is completed, the other communication between
the galvanometer and, the battery being by the wire passing over the
reel Las before described.
The office of these bell-crank levers is to break the communication ;

page_text: .
vice versa; this object is accomplished by reversing the current of
electricity from the battery on shore. When a current of electricity
is established from the battery the needle is deflected in one direction,
reversing the current deflects the needle in the other direction, and
the needle turning causes one arm of the yoke m¹ to pull up one of
its levers from its cup and the other arm of the yoke to push the other
lever down into its cup.
The property possesed by the needle of a galvanometer of reversing
its position with a change in the direction of the electrical current
passing through the wire of the galvanometer is made use of to steer
the launch by a contrivance next to bo described. N and N¹ are two
electro-magnets situated on either side of the launch, as seen in Figures
2 and 3. The aforesaid wire 8, as shewn in Figure 3, connects the
mercury in the cup P with one end of the coil of the electro-magnet
N, and the wire connects the mercury in the cup P' with one end
of the coil of the electro-magnet N¹.
The other end of each of the coils has a connection with the bulk-
head between the stern and middle compartments by means of wire
and respectively, as shewn in Figure 3, thereby establishing
electrical communication through the water with the shore battery.
When the battery is on and the current of electricity is established
the action of the needle m causes one of the electro-maguets to be
charged, and when the current is reversed the other electro-magnet
is charged.
J¹ is a pipe communicating, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 7, with the
cross pipe J". It is not seen in Figure 1, being directly behind the
pipe J. It carries compressed air from the boiler to work a second
engine which operates the rudder; O, O', are two armatures belonging
respectively to the electro-magnets N and N¹, and when the electro-
magnets are charged they attract respectively the armatures O and O'.
These armatures are very heavy and have thin sheets of brass upon
their faces, so that each falls from its magnet as soon as the latter loses
its charge. The said armatures O, O', are carried upon the ends of
levers fastened to the stems of and working respectively the valves o, o'.
When one of these valves is opened, the compressed air passes from the
pipe J into the pipe J. The last named pipe is stationary and serves
as a piston rod having a piston head also stationary; at cach face of the

page_text: piston head there are small holes in the piston rod, as shewn, allowing
the compressed air to pass into the cylinder upon one side or the other
of the piston head, according as one valve or the other is opened.
When one valve is opened the cylinder travels to the right, when the
other is opened the cylinder travels to the left. This motion of the
cylinder is communicated to the rudder by means of a rack attached to
the cylinder, and a toothed sector attached to the rudder post, as shewn.
In the Drawings the engine just described is marked F. Tho
cylinder and piston rod fit so loosely that the spent gas escapes into the
stern compartment, whence it finds an exit by means of the pipe C.
The gas from the marine engine is also discharged into this com-
partment.
The launch is set in the water and the valves i are opened by keys
which are put through holes in the shell of the launch, and gas begins
to escape from the boilers to work the engines E and F. The engine E
is started, putting the launch in motion. At this time the needle of the
galvanometer is at rest, and it may be assumed that both bell-crank
levers are in contact with the mercury cups; it is sufficient however if
one of these levers is in contact with its cup. Neither electro-magnet is
charged, both armatures are down closing their respective valves, and
the rudder is amidships.
The launch it may also be assumed proceeds in the direction in which
it starts, and it may not be necessary to change its course, if however it
becomes necessary to after the course from a change in the position of
the enemy's vessel or from the action of wind or tide, an electrical
communication is immediately established with the launch by attaching
the wire to the shore battery. This sends a current of electricity
through the galvanometer, and the needle is deflected to one side or the
other, charging one of the electro-magnets, and through that magnet
opening one of the valves o, o', and thereby starting the engine F, which
turns the rudder as already sufficiently explained. If the launch turns
the right way when the new course is established, the wire is detached
from the shore battery, the rudder assumes a position amidships, and the
launch advances. If the launch turns the wrong way the current must
be reversed and it will immediately turn the right way. It may how- ;
ever be determined by experiment before putting the launch to a
practical test in which way the needle will be deflected by a current in

page_text: either direction. The launch is thus made to advance until it strikes
the enemy's vessel and the torpedo is exploded.
A torpedo exploded in close proximity to the vessel attacked but near
the surface of the water will do but little damage. It is absolutely
necessary that it should be exploded at a considerable depth below the
surface, but it is impracticable to run the launch at a depth at which the
explosion will be effective, some means therefore, equivalent to the
device I have described, must be employed to sink the torpedo just
before it explodes. Other devices than that described might be
employed, for instance, the concussion of the launch itself with the
enemy's ship may be made to separate the launch from a floating
apparatus and ignite a time fuse, or set clockwork or electrical
apparatus in operation to discharge the torpedo, or the torpedo may be
rigged on the end of a boom and by concussion with the enemy's
vessel be detached and exploded at the required depth below the surface.
When the torpedo is rigged upon the boom it can best be discharged by
a cord performing the office of the cord a, one end being attached to a
primer in the torpedo, and the other secured to the boom.
In like manner a boat may be used under water, or nearly so, of such a
shape that independent torpedoes may be carried on the deck and be
detached when the boat comes in contact with the object attacked by.
some contrivance like the boom G, each independent torpedo having its
own separate float and cord. The float A, shown in the Drawings, does
a double duty in buoying the launch so that it may be run at a safe
and practicable distance below the surface, and also performing the office
described with regard to the explosion.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same,
I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. A submarine launch, carrying its own motive power and
navigated substantially as described, by means of a battery at a distance,
for the purpose specified.
Second. A steering apparatus controlled by the needle of a galvano-
meter, operated by a battery, as herein described.
Third. The combination of the galvanometer M, bell-crank levers R,
R', murcury cups P, P', wires s, s', electro-magnets N. N¹. wires ¿ µ

page_text: and a battery at a distance from the launch, as herein described for the
purpose specified.
Fourth. An engine in which the cylinder travels, and the piston rod
is stationary in combination with the rudder post, as herein described for
the purpose specified.
Fifth. A torpedo launch constructed as described, in combination with
a detachable float, so that the launch may be disconnected and sink to
the required depth before the explosion of the torpedo.
Sixth. The combination of the boom G, float A, and torpedo launch,
whereby the float and launch are coupled and uncoupled, as herein
described.
Seventh. A float and a torpedo united by a cord which determines the
depth at which the torpedo shall be exploded, as herein described.
Eighth. The combination of a float and torpedo and a cord to explode
the torpedo, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
klwoo
T
Witness,
JAMES EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W. C.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)