Improved Means for Protecting Ships or Vessels Against the Attack of Torpedoes and Submarine Boats.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Protecting Ships or Vessels Against the Attack
of Torpedoes and Submarine Boats.
I, GEORGE HORATIO JONES, of 57 Great Russell Street, in the County of
London, Surgeon Dentist and Doctor of Dental Surgery (U.S.A.) do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to improved means for protecting ships or vessels against
the attack of torpedoes or submarine boats.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated
1st November 1892 No. 19672, I have described means whereby torpedo-nets may
be readily moved into and out of their defensive position, and, when not required
for defence, can be conveniently stowed outside the ship above the level of the
water. I have also described in my said former Specification and in the Specifica-
tions filed with any Application for Letters Patent dated 30th March 1894 No. 6437,
different forms of a torpedo guard or shield made of metal plates or sections, which,
when the guard or shield is not required for defence, are drawn in close to the
ship's sides. In the latter Specifications, I have described some forms or
modifications of my torpedo guard or shield, wherein the metal plates or sections
are connected by hinge-joints at their upper edges to the ship's side or to rods
arrauged to be moved out and in as required.
According to one part of my present invention, I provide a torpedo guard, shield
or fender, which, whilst it possesses most of the advantages peculiar to my metal
plate guard or shield, is adapted to be conveniently stowed outside the ship above
the water-line and can be very readily extended or lowered into its defensive
position when desired.
For this purpose, instead of connecting the several sections of the metal guard
or shield to the ship's sides or to rods capable of being pushed out therefrom,
I suspend the said sections from, or connect them by hinge-joints or other suitable
joints at their upper edges to connecting arms or bars, which are in turn connected
by hinge-joints or other suitable joints to the ship's side or to rods arranged to be
pushed out or extended therefrom. These connecting arms or bars are arranged
to be raised and lowered by any convenient means; for example by means of
suitable chains, ropes or hawsers. Each section of the guard or shield preferably
consists of two or more metal plates connected with each other by suitable joints
or arianged to slide relatively to each other, so that each section can be folded or
contracted into a comparatively small compass, and can, therefore, be conveniently
stowed close to the ship's side above the water-line. Or, instead of making each
section of metal plates as above mentioned, I make it of metal frames filled in with
trellis-work, netting or the like.
I sometimes provide rods or booms having pulleys at their outer ends, over
which are passed the ropes or hawsers for moving the guard or shield into and
out of its defensive position. These rods or booms are preferably arranged in such
a manner that they can be moved out and in, so that, when not required for use,
they can be drawn into the interior of the ship. Or I can use swinging davits or
other convenient devices for the purpose of obtaining a proper purchase for raising
and lowering the guard or shield.

page_text: I find it advantageous to provide on the ship's side suitable projections or stops,
against which the sections of the guard or shield can be securely held when the
said guard or shield is not required for defence.
According to one arrangement, I construct and arrange each section of the
guard or shield as follows, riz. :-To the outer end of two connecting arms or bars,
which are themselves connected by hinge-joints to the ship's side, I connect also
by hinge-oints the uppermost of a series of metal plates which are conne ted to
each other by hinge-joints, the said joints being made with suitable stops to limit
the relative angular motion of the plates and thus impart a degree of rigidity to
the guard or shield when extended. To the lowermost of these metal plates
I sometimes attach one or more metal plates in such a manner that they are free to
slide up and down relatively thereto. I provide suitable chains, ropes or hawsers
which are so attached to the said plates that, by properly manipulating them the
said plates can be folded or contracted and expanded and can be raised and lowered
with the said arms or bars as may be required, and the said arms or bars can be
sustained in any desired position when the guard or shield is in its defensive
position.
In some instances I make the said arms or bars extensible or telescopic so that
they can be lengthened and shortened as required.
According to another arrangement I connect the several plates forming each
section, by means of suitable links, for example like the pieces of a parallel rule,
so that the said section can be extended and contracted at will.
Instead of the connecting arms or bars, above mentioned, suitable plates may be
used or trellis-work or the like as may be found most convenient.
The connecting arnis, plate or trellis-work are sometimes hinged or pivoted to
a slide arranged to move up and down on or between guides on the ship's side, and
are it desired swivelled so that when lowered they are capable of horizontal angular
movement.
Dated the 23rd day of November 1894.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Means for Protecting Ships or Vessels Against the Attack
of Torpedoes and Submarine Boats.
I, GEORGE HORATIO JONES, of 57 Great Russell Street, in the County of
London, Surgeon Dentist and Doctor of Dental Surgery (U.S.A.) 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 :-
My invention relates to improved means for protecting ships or vessels against
the attack of torpedoes or submarine boats.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated
1st November 1892 No 19672, I have described means whereby torpedo nets may
be readily moved into and out of their defensive position, and, when not required
for defence, can be conveniently stowed outside the ship above the level of the
water. I have also described in my said former Specification and in the Specification
of former Letters Patent dated 30th March 1894 No. 6437, different forms of a
torpedo guard or shield made of metal plates or sections which, when the guard or
shield is not required for defence, are drawn in close to the ship's sides. In the
latter Specification I have described some forms or modifications of my torpedo

page_text: guard or shield, wherein the metal plates or sections are connected by hinge-jous
at their upper edges to the ship's side or to rods arranged to be moved out and
in as required.
According to one part of my present invention I provide a torpedo guard,
shield or fender which whilst it pos-esses most of the advantages peculiar to my
metal plate guard or shield, is adapted to be conveniently stowed outside the ship
above the water-line and can be very readily extended or lowered into its defensive
position when desired.
be
For this purpose, instead of connecting the several sections of the metal guard
or shield directly to the ship's sides or to rols capable of being pushed out there-
from, as described in my said former Specifications, I suspend the said sections
from or connect them by hinge-joints or other suitable joints at their upper
edges to arms, bars or boom's which are in turn connected by hinge-joints
or other suitable joints to the ship's side or to rols arranged to
pushed out or extended therefrom. These connecting arins, bars or booms
are arranged to be raised and lowered by any convenient means; for
example by means of suitable chains, ropes or hawsers. Each section of the guard
or shield preferably consists of two or more metal plates connected with each other
by suitable joints or arranged to slide relatively to each other, so that each section
can be folled or contractel into a comparatively small compass and can therefore
be conveniently stowed close to or upon the ship above the water-line.
Instead of using the said connecting arms or bars, I sometimes make the top
plate of the section so that it will serve the purpose of such arms or bars.
My said invention moreover comprises other improvements hereinafter
de-cribed.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice:
Figure 1 is a transverse section and
Figure 2 a side elevation of part of a ship-of-war illustrating one form or
arrangement of my improved guard or fender.
Figure 3 is a transverse midship section of a ship-of-war illustrating another
form or modification of my invention.
Figures 4 and 5 are similar views to Figures 1 and 2 respectively, showing a
further modification of my said invention.
Figure 6 is a transverse midship section, showing the guard or shield in a more
extended position.
Figures 7 and 8 are a transverse section, and a side elevation respectively,
showing another form or arrangement of my improved guard or fender.
Figures 9 and 10 are similar views illustrating a still further modification of my
invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the ship or vessel; B is the guard or shield.
The
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, each section of the guard or
shield B is formed of two metal plates B4, B hinged together at B³; the upper of
these plates is hinged or pivoted at its upper edge B2 to two connecting arms or
bars E which are themselves connected by hinge-joints E¹ to the ship's side.
several sections composed of the plates B, B' are adapted to be folded and unfolded,
extended and retracted and supported in their extended position or stowed against
the ship's side above the water-line by means of cables or hawsers c. c, e passing
over pulleys mounted at the en ls of rods or booms C adapted to be moved inward
or outward from the ship's side by means of fluid-pressure cylinders or in any other
suitable manner.
The guard or shield can by these means be folded or contracted
into a very small compass and stowed close to the ship's side above the water-
line so as to leave the skin of the vessel entirely free below the water-line. For this
purpose the plates B are folded one upon another by first slightly lowering the three
hawsers and then successively raising the hawsers c¹ and these sections are then
folded onto the connecting arms or bars E by means of the hawser &, the boom C

page_text: The arms or bars E
with the plates B' lying thereon are then drawn up close to the ship's side by means
of the hawser c, whereby they are held against stops d secured to the ship's side;
after this operation the booms or rods Care withdrawn into the vessel and the
hawsers c made fast.
being somewhat withdrawn, if necessary, for this purpose.
In the modification of my invention shown in Figure 3, each folding section of
the guard or shield B consists of three plates B connected by hinge-joints B, B³,
the said joints being made with suitable stops to limit the relative angular motion
of the plates and thus impart a degree of rigidity to the guard or shield when
extended. The upper plate B* of each section is pivoted at B₁ to the ship's side
and has the hawsers c attached to its outer edge, so that it serves instead of the
aforesaid arms or bars E which, in this case, are dispensed with.
In Figures 4, 5 and 6 I have shown another form or arrangement of my improved
guard, in which each folding section consists of a number of plates B, hinged to
one another at B3 and to the outer ends of the arms or bars E at B', the hinge or
other joints being made with suitable stops to limit the relative angular motion of
the plates B and thus impart a degree of rigidity to the guard or shield when
extended. The said sections are adapted to be extended or retracted by means of
cables or hawsers c, c², c² substantially as described above with reference to
Figures 1 to 3 with the exception that in this case I prefer to fold the plates B*
forming the several sections of the guard against the under side of the corresponding
arms E instead of onto the upper side as above described. To permit of the
guard or shield being supported at as great a distance as possible from the ship's
side without unduly lengthening the arms or bars E, I make the said arms or bars
hollow and provide them with an internal telescopic rod E2, Figure 6, which is
adapted to slide in and out, and on which the hinge-joint B is formed; this
telescopic rod E2 slides out as the hawser c³ is paid out, and is drawn in by the
said hawser when the latter is hauled in.
Figures 7 and 8 show another arrangement in which one of the plates B₁ of each
section of the guard or shield is adapted to slide relatively to the other plate
thereof on suitable guide-bars e prefeiably attached to the upper plate B, on
which bars slide suitably formed lugs or shoes el attached to the lower plate B.
Suitable stops are provided to limit the upward and downward motions of the
lower plate on the guides e when the said plate is moved relatively to the upper
plate by means of the hawsers e¹ to expand or contact the section of the guard or
fender.
The
According to another modification of my invention as shown in Figures 9 and 10
I form each section of the guard or fender of plates B* connected together by
means of links F arranged similarly to the pieces of a parallel rule, the central
plate B being attached to the pivot of the middle joint F1 of the said links.
sections, in this arrangement, are supported or suspended from pivoted arms or
bars E and booms C₁ and are operated by hawsers e, c' substantially as described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2 with the exception that the plates B, instead of
folding, by turning about one or more axes, are moved up or down relatively to
each other to expand or contract the section.
I can, if desired, use swinging davits or other convenient devices instead of the
rods or booms C¹ above described, for the purpose of obtaining a proper purchase
for raising and lowering the guard or shield.
In some cases, moreover, instead of making each section of metal plates as
above mentioned, I find it advantageous to make it of metal frames filled in with
trellis-work, netting or the like.
I sometimes hinge or pivot the connecting arms, plate or tiellis-work frame to a
slide arranged to move up and down on or between guides on the ship's side, and if
desired, I swivel the said connecting arins so that when lowered they are capable
of horizontal angular movement.
In other instances, I hinge or pivot the said connecting arms, plate or trellis
work frame to rods arranged to be pushed out from and drawn into the ship.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :―
First. A guard, shield or fender for the purpose above specified, consisting of
folding or expanding and contracting sections so connected to the ship's side that
they can, when folded or contracted, be conveniently stowed outside the ship above
the water-line, substantially as herein before described.
Second. A guard, shield or fender for the purpose above specified, consisting of
folding or expanding and contracting sections suspended from or connected to arms
or bars movable to and from the ship's side so that the said sections, when fold i
or contracted, can be conveniently stowed outside or upon the ship above the
water-line, substantially as herein before described.
Third. A guard, shield or fender for the purpose above specified, verein the
folding or expanding and contracting sections are connected to the ship's side by
means of pivoted arms, bars or booms and are adapted to be brought into their
defensive position or to be folded or contracted and secured above the water-line
by means of chains, ropes, hawsers or the like severally attached to the said arms
or bars, and to the said sections, substantially as, and for the purposes, herein-
before described.
Fourth. The modification of my invention in which the pivoted arms or bars,
whereby the sections of the guard or shield are connected to the ship's side, are
made telescopic or extensible, substantially as, and for the purposes, herein before
described.
Fifth. The modification of my invention wherein the upper plate or trellis-work
frame of each section is so arranged that it will serve the purpose of the pivoted
connecting arms or bars, substantially as described.
Sixth. A guard, shield or fender for the purpose above specified, in which the
plates forming each section are connected together so that they can be moved up
and down parallel to each other, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
Seventh. The improved guard, shield or fender constructed and provided with
means for moving it into and out of its defensive position, substantially as described
with reference to either of the forms or modifications illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated
antembar 1905
D. Young & Co.,
GEO. H. JUNES.
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.