Improvements in Torpedoes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
Improvements in Torpedoes.
A communication from HERMAN LEINEWEBER, Inventor, of 225, Dearborn Street,
and ANDREW J. AUBERT, Real Estate Dealer, of 69, Dearborn Street, both
in Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 an improvement in the class of torpedoes, known as
"fish torpedoes," which are propelled under water and are adapted to be exploded
by impact against a ship.
It is customary, in order to shield a ship against access to it of torpedoes of the
variety to which my improvement relates, to hang metallic nets at the sides of
the ship for intercepting the torpedoes, thus to prevent them from reaching the
ship and their consequent impact against the same and resultant explosion.
The primary object of this invention is to provide a torpedo adapted to force its
way through such a net, if opposed in its path, and reach the ship to be exploded
by impact against it.
To these ends a torpedo constructed on the principle of a cartridge having its
ball in the form of a hollow projectile containing an explosive, is provided, whereby,
when the torpedo encounters an obstruction, such as the net referred to, the impact
shall, as by the effect of firing a cartridge, drive out the projectile-head, causing it
to penetrate and pass through the obstruction, and also set off the explosive
contents of the head to explode the latter against the ship. The construction is
such, however, that if there be no such obstruction to the torpedo against its
reaching the ship, the impact against the ship will cause the firing of the projectile-
portion of the torpedo and, thereupon, its explosion.
Referring to the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a view of the improved torpede in side elevation.
Figure 2 is an enlarged broken view of the same, partly in section, showing the
explosive projectile-bead in elevation.
Figure 3 is a broken view of the same in longitudinal section.
Figure 4 is a section taken at the line 4 on Figure 3 and viewed in the direction
of the arrow.
Figure 5 is a front-end view of the torpedo.
Figure 6 is a broken perspective view showing details.
A is the shell of the torpedo of usual or any suitable construction and material.
In the rear portion of the shell is contained the means for propelling the torpedo.
The propelling means form no part of this invention but may be of any suitable
variety and need involve no features of novelty; hence I do not illustrate nor
describe any particular means for the purpose, but show merely a propeller-
wheel B at the rear end of the torpedo to indicate its self-propelling function.
The shell A is bent toward its forward end, as represented at C, and a cover ?
fastened thereon to close the forward end of the chamber containing the means of
propulsion. The forward tapering extension A¹ of the shell may be of lighter.
material, as represented, and fastened to the rear part A.
A circumferentially flanged case E, for a shell E', preferably of cylindrical
shape and forming a tube for the projectile-head F, hereinafter described, is fastened
to the cover and receives inside its flanges p the rear end of the shell E', which

page_text: is shown to be fastened to the flange. The projectile-head F comprises a metal
shell, preferably of cylindrical shape, as to its body, to fit inside the tube E', and
having a pointed forward-end portion F; and the base of the head F is shown
as a cap F2 screwed into the shell and provided with a central nipple o, into
which is screwed a tube for a time-fuse m leading to a fulminating-cap 1 at
the end of the tube in the chamber for the explosive substance D, such as gun-
cotton in the projectile-head. The head F is inserted into the tube E' in the
extension A' of the shell A, and is fastened therein adequately to hold it in
place, as by rivets at a, but without presenting material resistance to firing the
projectile out of the shell A', as hereinafter described. The extent to which the
projectile-head is inserted is such as to leave between the bases E and F² a space
affording a chamber G to contain an explosive D', such as powder, to be ignited for
the purpose of firing the projectile and lighting the fuse m; and against the
forward inner wall of the chamber G is shown a disk which should be of
.7.
insulating material to tend to prevent overheating of said wall by the heat of
explosion in the chamber.
;
At opposite sides of the shell F are tubular guides H, extending into the shell A'
from its forward end, and each communicating, through a port k, with the
chamber G and near the port k in each guide H is a suitable fulminate i, affording
a chamber h to be filled with powder hand from which the port k leads. 1,1 are
rods terminating in needle-points I' adjacent to the fulminate i, being inserted into
the guides H, wherein they are yieldingly held by springs, each confined between
the outer end of a guide-tube and the shoulder afforded by the inner end of the
enlarged outer-end portion 12 of the rod, which is preferably bifurcated for a
purpose hereinafter described.
It will be noticed (see Figure 3) that a thimble extends inward from the
tapering forward-end portion of the shell-extension A, which should be somewhat
thickened, as shown at t, and that this thimble overlaps the outer ends of the
guide-tubes H; and in the enlarged portions 12 of the rods I are recesses e extending
from the thickened parts t of the shell A¹ for the purpose of limiting the yielding
motion of the rods.
K, K are blades, provided at opposite sides of the pointed ends of the pro-
jectile-head, being fastened, respectively, in the bifurcated ends of the rods I
and converging thence to a point beyond, but in line with, the pointed extremity
of the projectile-head, between which and the blades (the latter being caused to
converge mainly for the purpose of better adapting the torpedo to cut through
the water) is a space v to permit the desired degree of backward yield of the
rods I.
The operation is as follows:
The torpedo being in the water (in which it is submerged by its weight) and
directed toward a ship with its propelling mechanism in operation, if its pointed
end strikes a net, referred to, the impact will force in the rods sufficiently to cause
the needle-ends to penetrate the fulminate and produce ignition of the charges
of powder in the chamber h, whence, through the ports k, the powder in chamber G
will be ignited with the result of driving out the projectile-head F with suflicient
force to send it through the obstructing net to the ship, where it will be exploded
by the firing of the explosive material D in its contained chamber through the
medium of the fuse fired by the burning of the powder in the chamber G. Should
the first obstruction encountered by the torpedo be the ship itself, instead of a net,
the impact of the blades K against the ship will first effect firing of the projectile-
head against, and probably enbedment thereof in, the ship-body and subsequent
explosion of the projectile-head.
The details of construction thus described and shown in the drawings are
believed to be the best for the embodiment of the invention, which, however, is
not to be understood as being limited to such details, but, on the contrary, as
including any torpedo constructed to operate on the same projectile-principle as

page_text: устень, men proerpie is apprcaure to an corpedoes of the claISS &
which this improvement relates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A torpedo having an explosive projectile-head, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
2. In a torpedo, the combination with the shell containing the propelling means,
of an explosive projectile-head, and explosive chamber behind the head, and means
operating by impact with the torpedo, to fire the explosive in said chamber to
drive out the projectile-head and fire the explosive therein, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
3. In a torpelo, the combination with the shell containing the propelling means,
of a hollow projectile-head containing explosive material and a fuse, an explosive
chamber behind the head to which the fuse is exposed, and yielding firing-means
extending beyond the projectile-head and operating, by impact of the torpedo, to
fire the explosive in said chamber to drive out the projectile-head and light the
fuse, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a torpedo, the combination with the shell containing the propelling means
of a hollow projectile-head F pointed at its forward end and containing an
explosive D and a fuse, a chamber G, behind the projectile-head, containing an
explosive D, a guide H extending along the projectile-head in the shell and
communicating with the chamber G through a port k, a fulminate i and a chamber h
containing an explosive in the guide and extending beyond the same, whereby
forcing inward the needle-rod fires the explosive in the chamber G to drive out
the projectile-head and light the fuse, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
5. In a torpedo, the combination with the shell containing the propelling-means,
of a hollow projectile-head pointed at its forward end and containing an
explosive D and a fuse, a chamber G, behind the projectile-head, containing an
explosive D', guides H flanking the projectile-head in the shell and communicating
with the chamber G through a port k, a fulminate and a chamber h containing
an explosive in each guide, needle-rods yieldingly confined in the guides,
and blades K connecting the needle-rods and converging thence to a point beyond
the pointed end of the projectile-head, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
6. In a torpedo, the combination with the shell containing the propelling means,
of a hollow projectile-head F pointed at its forward end and containing an
explosive D, the base of the projectile-head having a hollow nipple o, a fuse-tube n
fastened in the nipple and extending into the projectile-head and terminating
therein in a fulminating-cap 1, a fuse m in the tube, a chamber G behind the pro-
jectile-head, containing an explosive D', a guide I extending along the projectile-
head in the shell and communicating with the chamber G through a port k, a
fulminate i and a chamber containing an explosive in the guide, and a
needle-rod yieldingly confined in the guide and extending beyond the same,
whereby forcing inward the needle-rod fires the explosive in the chamber G to
drive out the projectile-head and light the fuse, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
7. A torpedo comprising, in combination, a shell containing the propelling-means,
a tube E' closed at its inner end and fastened in the shell, a hollow projectile-head F
inserted in the said tube, pointed at its forward end and containing an explosive D
and a fuse, a chamber G formed between the bases of the said tubes and projectile-
head and containing an explosive D', guides H flanking the said tube and com-
municating with the chamber G through ports k, a fulminate and a chamber h
containing an explosive in each guide, needle-rods I yieldingly confined in the

page_text: guides, and blades K connecting the needle-rods and converging thence to a point
beyond the pointed end of the projectile-head, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this 14th day of September 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.