IMPROVEMENTS IN MINES AND TORPEDO APPARATUS
Year: 1885

page_text: I CHARLES AMBROSE M°EVOY of 18 Adam Street Adelphi in the County of
Middlesex Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MINES AND TORPEDO APPARATUS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in mines and torpedo apparatus
and the improvements are especially applicable to mines or torpedoes to be laid just
below the surface of the ground.
For this purpose the charge of the torpedo is contained in a metallic canister or
vessel covered with a metallic lid fitting over it and to make a tight joint between
the canister and its lid, I spring over the rim of the lid and the circumference of
the canister just below it, an elastic ring of vulcanized india rubber or I make the
rim of the lid to enter a groove formed around the top of the canister or vessel
which can be filled with soft greasy or such like material which will serve to
exclude moisture.
Across the top of the canister or vessel I place a strong metal bar resting in
sockets fixed on the interior of its two opposite sides. The centre of the bar
carries a tube descending a distance into the canister and carrying at its lower
end a nipple on to which a percussion cap can be placed. At a short distance
above this cap
a metal block fitting loosely within the tube and which is held
away from the cap by a pin or wire passed through it, and through the sides of
the tube.
Above the block is a coiled spring on the upper end of which rests a piston
which can move freely within the tube. The piston is provided with a rod
projecting upwards from it, and carrying at its upper end an enlarged head which
comes just below the underside of the lid of the canister or vessel. This lid is
made somewhat arched to give it strength to sustain the weight of a few inches of
earth being placed above it.
When however the weight say of a man treading on the earth above bears upon
the lid, the lid is pressed inwards and the plunger or piston so forced downwards.
The first inward movement of the piston compresses the spiral spring below it, and
forces the lower end of the spring against the metal block before mentioned; but the
pressure of the spring is insufficient to shear the pin or wire which holds this block
from moving within the tube. When the spring has so been compressed a downward
extension of the piston rod comes against the block and forcing it downwards

page_text: shears the pin or wire, the block is then instantly projected forwards by the spring
against the percussion cap which is placed on the nipple and so explodes the cap
and fires the main charge.
Preferably I make the tube to drop freely through a hole in the bar and screw a
nut on to the upper end of the tube or otherwise form it with a projecting collar to
rest upon the top of the bar.
In some cases also I make the bar to carry contact apparatus to complete an
electric circuit whenever the lid of the canister is pressed inwards and so fire an
electric fuse.
The contact apparatus may be composed of two metal tongues one above the
other at a slight distance apart but which when the lid of the canister or vessel is
pressed inwards are pressed together by the head of the piston stem coming against
and pressing down the upper one and an electric circuit so completed through the
electric fuse which is placed within the charge thereby causing the charge to be
ignited.
This arrangement may be used either in addition to or in lieu of the percussion
cap and striker above described.
Fuses arranged in a similar manner to that above described so that the first
inward pressure of a piston compresses a spring which bears against a metal block
or striker retained by a pin or wire from being moved forwards and afterwards
shears the pin which retains the block or striker and sets it free to be thrown
forwards by the action of the now compressed spring against a percussion cap is
applicable also to what is known as the Whitehead and other such like torpedoes
used in naval warfare.

page_text: I, CHARLES AMBROSE MCEVOY of 18 Adam Street Adelphi in the County of
Middlesex Electrical Engineer 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 has for its object improvements in mines and torpedo apparatus
and the improvements are especially applicable to mines or torpedoes to be laid
just below the surface of the ground.
For this purpose the charge of the torpedo is contained in a metallic canister or
vessel covered with a metallic lid fitting over it and to make a tight joint between
the canister and its lid I spring over the rim of the lid and the circumference of
the canister just below it an elastic ring of vulcanised india rubber or I make the
rim of the lid to enter a groove formed around the top of the canister or vessel
which can be filled with soft greasy or such like material which will serve to
exclude moisture.
Across the top of the canister or vessel I place a strong metal bar resting in
sockets fixed on the interior of its two opposite sides.-The centre of the bar carries
a tube descending a distance into the canister and carrying at its lower end a
nipple on to which a percussion cap can be placed. At a short distance above this
cap is a metal block fitting loosely within the tube and which is held away from
the cap by a pin or wire passed through it and through the sides of the tube.
Above the block is a coiled spring on the upper end of which rests a piston which
can move freely within the tube. The piston is provided with a rod projecting
upwards from it and carrying at its upper end an enlarged head which comes just
below the underside of the lid of the canister or vessel. This lid is made
somewhat arched to give it strength to sustain the weight of few inches of earth
being placed above it.
When however the weight say of a man treading on the earth above bears upon
the lid the lid is pressed inwards and the plunger or piston so forced downwards.
The first inward movement of the piston compresses the spiral spring below it
and forces the lower end of the spring against the metal block before mentioned
but the pressure of the spring is insufficient to shear the pin or wire which holds
this block from moving within the tube. When the spring has so been compressed
a downward extension of the piston rod comes against the block and forcing it
downwards shears the pin or wire the block is then instantly projected forwards by.
the spring against the percussion cap which is placed on the nipple and so explodes
the cap and fires the main charge.
Preferably I make the tube to drop freely through a hole in the bar and screw a
nut ou to the upper end of the tube or otherwise form it with a projecting collar to
rest upon the top of the bar.
In some cases also I make the bar to carry contact apparatus to complete an
electric circuit whenever the lid of the canister is pressed inwards and so fire an
electric fuse.

page_text: The contact apparatus may be composed of two metal tongues one above the
other at a slight distance apart but which when the lid of the canister or vessel is
pressed inwards are pressed together by the head of the piston stem coming against
and pressing down the upper one and an electric circuit so completed through the
electric fuse which is placed within the charge thereby causing the charge to be
ignited.
This arrangement may be used either in addition to or in lieu of the percussion
cap and striker above described.
Fuses arranged in a similar manner to that above described so that the first
inward pressure of a piston compresses a spring which bears against a metal block
or striker retained by a pin or wire from being moved forwards and afterwards
shears the pin which retains the block or striker and sets it free to be thrown
forwards by the action of the now compressed spring against a percussion cap is
applicable also to what is known as the Whitehead and other such like torpedoes
used in naval warfare.
Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings hereunto annexed show elevations partly in
section of land torpedo apparatus constructed as herein before described.
In Figure 1A is a metallic canister closed at the top with a metallic lid B-C is
the elastic ring sprung over the rim of the lid and the sides of the canister to make
a water tight joint. D is a bar placed across the upper part of the canister and
resting at its ends in sockets E as shown at Figure 1. F is a tube dropped
through a hole in the centre of the bar-at its upper end it has a collar projecting
around it which rests upon the top of the bar and at its inner end it carries a
nipple G on to which a percussion cap is placed. H is a metal block held within
the tube at a distance above the cap by a wire I passed through the block and
through the sides of the tube. K is another block or piston which is pressed
upwards to the upper end of the tube by a coiled spring L interposed between it
and the block H.
The piston K has a rod extending upwards from it through the end cover of the
tube and on the end of the rod is a lead M which rests against the underside of
the lid of the case-N is a safety pin passing through a hole formed along the
bar D-it is pressed towards the centre of the bar by a coiled spring O as shown
so as to cause the inner end of the pin to enter a groove formed around the
piston K and prevent this piston from being pressed downwards. The outer end
of the pin passes through a hole in the side of the case and has an eye at its end
to which a string or wire may be attached. This allows of the torpedo when put
in place being kept out of action at any times desired and of being set ready to
come into action by drawing and holding back the safety pin. Where the pin
passes through the hole in the side of the case a watertight joint is obtained by an
elastic disc R secured at its edges to the sides of the hole and at its centre to
the pin.
The torpedo can be filled with its bursting charge either before or after the fuse
and its supporting bar D are put into place.
In Figure 2 the water tight joint between the case and its lid is shown to be
obtained by making the rim of the lid to dip into a trough formed around the
exterior of the top of the case and which is filled with grease or other material
which will exclude moisture.
In Figure 2 also the fuse is shewn to be supported by a disc which closes over
the upper part of the case A-the tube F of the fuse drops through a hole in the
centre of the disc-the hole may be made like a bottle mouth so that it may be
closed with an ordinary cork when the fuse is taken away-this allows of the
case A being kept ready charged and of the fuse being inserted into its place only
when the torpedo is to be brought into use. When this construction is adopted
the case A can be filled through a hole formed through the bottom which is then
closed water tight by a lid S.
The whole of the case A need not be of metal-it might be formed of compara-
tively shallow depth with a short tube projecting downwards from it at the bottom

page_text: to be tied into the mouth of a bag in which the explosive charge is contained.
This affords a ready way of allowing the firing mechanism to be carried about
separate from the bursting charges of the torpedoes.
The lid also of the case need not necessarily be of metal it may be of other
material of sufficient strength to sustain the weight of a few inches of earth placed
above it and yet which will yield when a heavier weight comes upon it. The
yielding portion of the case also need not necessarily be the lid although it is
preferable that it should be so.
As before stated the fuse of the torpedo might if preferred be an electric fuse-
it may be of any ordinary construction in which a circuit is completed through the
fuse by the pressing inwards of the lid of the canister A.
As before stated also the percussion fuse arrangement may be used for the firing
mechanism of Whitehead and other such like torpedoes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of a land torpedo of a case containing within it the charge
and also the fuse which is so arranged as to be fired by the pressing inwards of a
part of the case substantially as described.
2. The construction of land torpedoes substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the drawings.
3. The percussion fuse acting in the manner described.