Improvements in Torpedo Devices and Torpedo Boats:
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Torpedo Devices and Torpedo Boats:
1, RICHARD JORDAN GATLING of 297 Main Street, Hartford, State of Connecticut,
United States, Mechanical 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 relates to improved torpedo devices and pneumatic-gun armament for
Torpedo Boats, and improved means for protecting a deck-gun on such boats, all as
hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawing forming part of this Specification, Figure 1, is a longitudinal section
of the central portion of a boat, showing parts therein representing boilers and
engines, a pneumatic deck-gun in side elevation, gun-enclosure or casemate containing
said gun, and a gun-shield, all embodying my improvements.
Figure 2, is a side elevation of the stern-portion of said boat and Figure 3, a like
view of the bow-portion thereof, illustrating the application to said boat, of my said
improved torpedo devices.
Figure 4, is a side elevation, partly in section, of said deck-gun, and a section of
said boat on a larger scale than shown in Figure 1.
Figure 5, is a plan view of a portion of the boat-deck, said gun-enclosure and
shield, and the breech of said gun, the rear portion of the top of said enclosure being
shown broken away. Figure 6, is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section,
of the under-deck pneumatic gun, of the torpedo-carrying and releasing devices
connected with said gun.
Figure 7, is a perspective view of a torpedo shield which is attached to the main
torpedo-spar.
Figure 8, is a section of the buffer-spar, and a detail part below described.
Figure 9, is a rear end elevation of the deck-gun, and a cross-section of the gun
enclosure.
Figures 10 and 11, are detail views of parts of the deck-gun breech, hereinafter
described.
In the drawing, A indicates a portion of the deck of a boat, and B the hold of the
boat in which the below described pneumatic gun and its operating mechanism may
be mounted.
The said pneumatic gun consists of the breech-piece, 3, cast preferably from steel
or gun metal, having a cylindrical body, 4, in which is screwed the breech-block, 5,
and in its opposite end the gun-tube, 6, and a hollow cylinder, 7, extending at right
angles to said cylindrical body, 4, which, together with a solid metal cylinder, 8,
(excepting a transverse perforation, a, therethrough) constitute the rolling support
for the breech of the gun, in place of the trunnions usually provided therefor. The
said hollow cylinder, 7, has an opening, c, through its lower side and a similar
opening, e, through its upper side, (said openings cand e being about midway between
its ends) which extends from the interior of the cylinder, 7, through the side of the
cylindrical body, 4, communicating with the interior of the latter, and from the latter
with the said gun-tube, 6, which is screwed or otherwise secured thereto.
The operative position of the said cylinder, 8, is within the cylinder, 7, as shown
in Figures 1 and 4, and when so placed the perforation, a, through it transversely,
registers, or is in line with the said openings, c and e, through the opposite sides of
said cylinder, 7, and on the opposite ends of the said cylinder, 8, project two short
bearing shafts or studs, 9, which support, in connection with the trusses, or frame
pieces, 10, of heavy metallic construction, the breech portion of the gun, the said
shafts or studs, 9, entering proper circular perforations in said trusses, as shown.
The said cylinder, 8, and hollow cylinder, 7, are so fitted, the former within the

page_text: latter, that the breech-piece, 3, and the gun tube connected therewith may have a
suitably freo oscillating movement on said cylinder, 8, to provide for the requisite
elevation and depression of the gun, the said cylinder, 8, being so fixed in the
trusses, 10, and by its connection with an air-conduit as below described, that it is
perfectly rigid and can have no oscillating or rocking motion whatever.
Figures 4, 5, 10 and 11, illustrate in various positions the breech of the gun, the
said breech-piece, 3, the cylinder, S, and the said supporting trusses of the gun, in
assembled and operative positions.
A tube, 12, for conducting compressed air through the said cylinder, 8, and thence
through the said opening, e, to the interior of the breech-piece, 3, of the gun, is
screwed into, or otherwise secured to said cylinder, the said tube, 12, being secured
to the cylinder, 8, after the latter shall have been placed in the hollow cylinder, 7, by
passing the end of said tube through the opening, e, in the under side of said cylinder, 7,
the latter named opening being made somewhat larger than the external diameter of
the tube, 12, in order to permit the cylinder, 7, and the breech-piece of the gun
to have the necessary oscillating motion on the cylinder, S, but this motion is never
sufficient to materially interfere with the area of the air-conducting passage, e, above
mentioned, through which air passes to the interior of the said breech-piece.
Compressed air for discharging a projectile from the within described gun is
conveyed from any suitable air compressing mechanism through a conduit, B, into
a cylindrical valve-box, 15, said valve-hox having on its upper side a short conduit, 16,
communicating with said tube, 12, having a flange-connection by one end by means
of suitable bolts with said tube, 12, as shown.
The said valve-box, 15, is provided with a valve, 19, fixed on a stem, 20, having
bearings in the opposite ends of said box, the said valve being shown in a position in
Figure 4, which obstructs the passage of compressed air from said conduit, D, through
the valve-box and the said conduit, 16, and tube, 12, into the gun, said valve being
held in that position prior to the discharge of the gun by a brace, 21, pivotally
connected to the end of said valve-box or other fixed point, and having one end
engaging with said valve-stem, 20, as shown, whereby the valve is retained in the
above-mentioned position.
The said brace, 21, is attached to the end of a lever, 22, by a link, b, said lever
being pivotally hung to a fixed part of the boat or other place, and having its free
end extending under one end of the gun-shield, below described, whereby, by the
dropping of the end of said shield against the lover, 22, said lever is moved to the
position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, and the brace, 21, is disengaged from
the valve-stem, 20, thereby permitting the valve to slide in its box and permit
compressed air to pass freely to the gun.
The said gun-onclosing shield or casemate, 23, consists of a strong metallic construc-
tion of substantially semi-circular form in cross-section, secured in a fixed position
over said gun, whether upon the deck of a boat or elsewhere. Said enclosure, 23, is
open at the rear end to afford conveniences for loading said gun through the breech
with any suitable highly explosive shell. Said enclosure, 23, is open at its forward
end, and to protect the last named open end of the enclosure and the gun from injury
from shot or shell fired towards the gun, a shield, 24, having preferably the form of
a conic section, is suitably pivotted at, d, to the deck A, of the boat, or other
suitable placo, and from said pivotted point said shield extends normally in an
upwardly inclined direction to the plane of the upper side of said enclosure, 23, as
shown.
To the upper or free end of said shield, 24, there pends a lip or apron, 25, which,
when said shield is in its said normal position, covers and protects the front end of
said enclosure, 23, and the muzzle of the gun, thus fully protecting the parts and
things so covered from damage, as aforesaid, for any shots striking the inclined side
of the shield, 24, would be thereby given an upward flight without producing any
material damage. Tho said lip or apron, 25, of the gun-shield, 24, oxtends or hangs
from the end thereof adjoining the open end of the enclosure, 23, through an opening
in the deck, A, or the floor of the place where the gun is located, the lower ond of

page_text: said lip having a position, normally, opposite a metallic abutment, 26, which is fixed
to said deck or floor. The free end of said gun-shield, 21, is held in its upward norinal
position shown in Figure 1, by a sliding bolt, 27, supported under said deck or floor
in a horizontal position, as shown, one end thereof passing through said abutment, 26,
and entering a socket in said apron, 25, of the gun-shield whereby the latter is held
in its said upward normal position.
The said gun is adapted to be discharged by means of a cord or chain, 29, which is
pulled by an operator, one end of which cord is attached to the end of a lever, 28,
which is pivotally attached to said floor or deck and with which said sliding bolt is
connected as shown. Upon pulling the cord, 29, the bolt, 27, is drawn out of
engagement with the apron, 25, letting the free end of the shield, 24, drop to the
position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4, thereby uncovering the forward end of
the enclosure, 23, and the muzzle of the gun, and striking one end of the pivotted
lever, 22, and lifting its opposite end, and thereby the brace, 21, out of engagement
with the valve-stem, 20, and permitting the pneumatic pressure through the
conduit, D, to act as aforesaid to admit compressed air to the gun, whereby the
requisite pneumatic force is applied behind a projectile in the gun to discharge
the same.
Said projectile may be provided with any suitable fuse to cause its explosion upon
striking an object.
The said gun having the above-described oscillatory motion on the fixed cylinder, 8,
may have its muzzle elevated or depressed by any suitable mechanism, one means for
elevating the gun being shown in the drawings, which consists of a pump, a, having
a suitable connection with a cylinder, , the latter and the pump being supplied with
any suitable liquid, a piston, y, having a movement in said cylinder, =, induced by the
movement of said liquid, and a connection between the piston, y, and the gun, as
shown, whereby the movements of said piston are imparted to the gun. Said pump
is operated by a hand lever, h, or other suitable means."
The above-described construction of the breech-piece of the gun and its supporting
cylinder, 8, together with the trusses or frame-pieces, 10, the latter being, as shown,
firmly bolted to the deck, and the lower part of the hold of the boat, or to other fixed
objects, constitute a rigid and strong support for the gun under all conditions of
service. Furthermore, the cylindrical construction of that portion, 7, of the breech-
piece which almost entirely envelopes the circumference of the cylinder, 8, provides
such strength of parts for the resistance of air pressure as obviates the danger of the
leakage of air under great pressure when it is admitted to the gun as aforesaid, and
the said breech-construction is of such a nature that its cost as compared with similar
constructions heretofore produced is greatly reduced.
One of the essential objects of this invention is to provide, in connection with a
light running and noiseless steam launch or boat capable of great speed, a buffer-spar
or boom having a rearward end wise motion resulting from forcible impact with an
object, which rearward motion causes a torpedo to be disengaged, dropped and fired
in advance of the bow of the boat, and a pneumatic gun containing a second torpedo
or explosive shell to be discharged from a gun through the bow of the boat at or near
the water-line thereof, but in such a direction that said explosive shell will strike an
object a short distance beyond the bow of the torpedo boat below its water-line.
A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for protecting the
operators of said torpedo and pneumatic gun devices from injury by the enemy
during action.
In Figures 3 and 6, 30 indicates a spar projecting from the bow of the torpedo
boat. The said spar is constructed preferably of two metallic tubular sections, 31, 32,
(see Figure 6) united by an internal piece, 33, to which the adjoining ends of said
tubular sections are pinned or otherwise suitably secured. The outer end of said
tubular spar section, 31, in Figure 6, is shown broken off in order better to illustrate its
hollow construction.
The object in constructing the spar, 30, in two sections as described, is to facilitate
the replacing of the outer end of the spar after the boat shall have been in action as

page_text: said outer end or portion is likely to be greatly injured or destroyed either by being
driven against a ship or other object or by the explosion of the torpedo which it
carries, as below described.
The rear end of the spar, 30, passes freely through the bow of the boat, just below
the line of its deck and through a suitable metallic spring-case, 34, which is rigidly
secured by suitable means to said deck or other part of the interior of the boat. A
circular spider disk, 35, is rigidly fixed on the inner section 31, of said spar within
said spring-case, and between said spider disk and the opposite end of said spring-
case, 34, is placed a coil spring, 36, which exerts a constant force against the spar, 30,
to retain it in its most outwardly projected position, and to serve as a buffer-spring to
break the shock of the blow when the spar, 30, is driven against a ship.
The said spar, 30, to distinguish it from another spar below described may be
termed the upper or buffer-spar, and has fixed on its extreme outer end a metallic
gripper-head, 37, having a series of sharp points extending therefrom as shown in
Figure 6, which serve, upon striking the side of a ship or other object, to prevent the
end of the spar from being bent or deflected from its right line of movement, and
thus ensuring, to a great degree, the proper rearward movement of the spar which
causes the release and explosion of the torpedo carried or supported by it and the
firing of the pneumatic gun within the hold of the boat.
A second spar, 38, is binged by its rear end to the bow of the boat, as shown in
Figures 3 and 6, and extends parallel with and under the said buffer-spar, 30, said
spar, 38, being the one to which the torpedo, 39, is directly attached by suitable
metallic bands, o, or other proper means. The outer end of the spar, 38, and the
torpedo, 39, which it carries, is suspended under the buffer-spar, 30, by means of
hooks, 40, which enter rings, 41, on said spar, 30, and the downward motion of the
outer end of the torpedo-carrying spar, 38, when released and permitted to drop, as
below described, is limited as may be desired by a chain, i, connected by one end to
the buffer-spar, as shown, or directly to the bow of the boat as may be preferred.
The said torpedo, 39, may be provided with the usual percussion fuse at its apex for
igniting the torpedo-charge, or it may be provided, as shown, in Figure 6, with a fire-
arm construction similar to a breech of a pistol containing a lock having a trigger and
a hammer, and a powder-charge to be fired by the action of said hammer on a primer
in the usual way, for igniting the torpedo-charge, the trigger being actuated by the
tightening of a cord, /, connected to said trigger and by one end to a reel, g, which is
hung to the spar, 30, to rotate on a shaft, 42, a coil spring, 43, having one end
connected to said shaft, and its opposite end connected to said reel, serving to retain
the cord,, in a wound-on position and prevent undue slack, but yielding under a
tension insufficient to operate said trigger, to let out the cord when the buffer spar, 30,
is driven back and the spar, 38, and the torpedo, 39, drop; said cord however being
so short as to become, taut and draw said trigger about the time the torpedo shall have
dropped nearly to its lowermost position, thus, at that moment, causing the torpedo-
charge to be ignited and the torpedo to be exploded.
To provide requisite protection for the forward end of the torpedo, 39, and its spar-
supporting devices against the effect of any chance shot flying towards said parts, a
heavy metallic shield, 44, is rigidly secured on the buffer-spar, 30, in front of said
torpedo and supporting parts, which shield covers the ends thereof as shown in
Figure 6, while in an upward position and is open at its lower end to permit the
torpedo to be dropped without interference.
The operation of the above-described torpedo-supporting devices whereby the
torpedo is caused to explode is as follows.
The said torpedo is, in practice, intended to be carried at such a distance beyond
the bow of the boat, as will cause it when released from its supporting devices to be
dropped within a net which is oftentimes supported opposite the side or sides of a
ship to prevent torpedoes from being driven against the latter when said torpedoes
are operated by submarine devices.
Tho torpedo boat herein described and referred to which carries the torpedo in
advance of its bow, as aforesaid, is intended to be driven by suitable steam power at

page_text: a high rate of speed, and consequently when the extreme end of the spar, 30, strikes
a ship against which it is directed the spar is driven suddenly end wise into the boat
against the force of the spring, 36, and a few inches only of such rearward movement of
the buffer-spar serves to carry the rings, 41, to the rear of, and out of engagement with
the ends of the hooks, 40, on the under spar, 38, thereby letting it and the torpedo, 39,
which it carries, downward to such a point or distance under the water as it is
permitted to do by the length of the retarding chain, i, be it more or less, and if the
torpedo be fitted with devices for firing the same as above described which aro
operated at its rear end by the cord, f, which is drawn taut when the torpedo drops,
the latter will be exploded when in its downward movement it reaches the limit of the
length of said cord, and if the torpedo be provided as aforesaid with a percussion
fuse at its apex it will be exploded when driven against the side of the ship.
The above-described rearward movement of the buffer-spar, 30, is still further
utilized to cause a pneumatic gun, E, to be discharged substantially simultaneously
with the explosion of the said torpedo, 39, as below described, the said gun, E, being
adapted to carry a highly explosive shell, v, which is provided with an ordinary
percussion fuse at its apex and is intended to be exploded by impact with the object
which it strikes, thereby igniting the charge of and exploding said shell. The said
pneumatic gun, E, and its operating mechanism are shown mainly in section in
Figure 6, and the positions thereof within the bow of the boat aro indicated in dotted
lines in Figure 3, the muzzle of said gun being flush with the stem of the boat. The
pneumatic gun, E, is supported within the boat in an inclined position from its breech
towards its muzzle whereby the latter is brought near to the water-line, said inclined
position of the gun serving to direct the shell discharged from it against that portion
of a ship which is considerably under water.
The said pneumatic gun is provided with either a solid or a tubular piston, u, having
the head, m, and a spider disk, n, thereon whereby the piston is maintained in a
central or axial line within the gun.
In Figure 6, the said piston is shown to be tubular for the purpose of illustrating
one manner of making an electrical connection through the breech of the gun and
through said piston with the shell, e, if desired, said electrical connection being made
by means of the electrical conductor, s, with any suitable generator, whereby the skell
is discharged at a desired time by an operator.
Connection is made with said air-compressing mechanism by means of the
air-conduit, H, the latter being connected to the side of a valve-box, 46, in which is
an air-valve, 47, having a stem, 48, projecting through the ends of said valve-box
whereby the valve is guided in its movements, a conduit, 49, connecting said valve-
box with the side of the gun near its breech as shown. The said valve, 47, is shown
in Figure 6, in the position it occupies before the gun is discharged, the valve being
held in that position against the air-pressure communicated thereto through the
conduit, H, by a trip-lever, 50, hinged by one end to the breech of the gun or other
suitable fixed object, whose free end enters a notch in the valve-stem, 48, as shown,
thereby holding the valve in the position above described.
The connection between the buffer-spar, 30, and the above-described pneumatic
gun devices whereby the above-described rearward movement of said spar causes
the discharge of said gun, consists of an arm, 51, rigidly fixed on the rear end
of said spar having through its lower end a bolt, 52, which extends behind said
trip-bar, 50.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 6, that the position of said bolt, 52, with
respect to the rear adjoining side of the said trip-lover, 50, is such that a certain
degree of rearward movement of the buffer-spar, 30, is permitted, so that the
disengagement of the rings, 41, on said spar from the supporting hooks, 40, on the
torpedo-supporting spar, 38, may be effected and the torpedo 39, be permitted to drop,
as aforesaid, before the trip-lever, 50, shall have been disengaged from the stem of
the air-valve as aforesaid and the gun, E, be discharged, this provision being made to
secure the said action of the torpedo-carrying devices slightly in advance of the
discharge of the pneumatic gun, but in fact one action follows the other so closely

page_text: that the dropping of the torpedo and the discharge of the gun may be said to be
practically simultaneous.
For the purpose of excluding the water from the opening through the stem of the
boat, through which the pneumatic gun, E, discharges its shell as aforesaid, a cap, 53
is pivotted by its lower edge to said stem, (see Figure 3,) and is adapted to swing
upward and to cover said opening in the latter as shown, and is held temporarily in
said shut position by a pivotted lever, 54, on the stem above the cap, 53, the lower end
of said lever bearing against said cap and its upper end engaging with a projection
on the under side of the spar, 30, whereby while the buffer-spar occupies its above
described outwardly extended position the said lever, 54, is caused to be held firmly
against the upper edge of said cap, 53, thereby holding it closely against the stem of
the boat, but when said buffer-spar is moved inward as above described the projection
on the lower side thereof is carried out of engagement with the upper end of said
lever, 54, thereby releasing the same and letting it swing so as to disengage its lower
end from the cap, 53, which then is free to fall by gravity and uncover the said
opening in the stem of the boat.
The inner side of said cap, 53, opposite the end of the shell, v, within the gun, E,
is recessed so as to clear the inner side of the cap from the adjoining end of the
percussion fuse on the end of said shell when such fuse is used, and thus avoid any
danger from a premature explosion of said shell.
The position of the engines of the boat is indicated at L, Figure 1, without
any attempt in said Figure to illustrate any particular form or detail of engines, but
simply, by what is shown in said Figure, to give a general idea of the location of the
propelling machinery of the boat, the boilers being indicated at N, provided with draft
funnels as shown, projecting but slightly above the deck, the purpose being, in practice,
to employ some well known system of forced draft for the boilers of the boat.
practice, each of said boilers is provided with two funnels located as at, a', Figure 1,
and the sight-line from the below-described operators' compartment at the stern of the
boat to the bow thereof is between said funnels.
In
The said operator's compartment which is adapted to receive the crew of the boat,
is covered by a strong metallic roof or shield, 55, the side of which towards the bow
of the boat is inclined as shown, and has a sight-hole therethrough towards the
bow of the boat, and sight-holes through its side as shown at ¹, and in practico said
shield is constructed with a convenient opening in its rear end through which the
crew may escape in case of exigency.
The said operators' compartment is provided with one or more Gatling guns or
similar means of defense against the enemy's boats, as shown.
Figure 2, illustrates in a general manner, the arrangement of the steering devices
of the boat near the said compartment.
The boat is, in practice, provided with bulk-heads about on the lines, a¹, Figure 3.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :
1°. A pneumatic gun, and operating mechanism therefor and gun-shield for torpedo
and gun-boats, consisting of a gun, substantially as described, located near the plane
of the upper deck, an air valve-box having a connection with the breech of said gun
and with a compressed air conduit, an air-valve operating in said box to close and
open an air-passage leading from said conduit to the gun, a trip lever engaging with
said valve, combined with an enclosure for said gun, substantially as described, a gun-
shield pivotted by one end to the deck and presenting an exterior normally at an
upward incline from its pivotted end towards the gun, and having an apron on its
free end covering the gun muzzle and the end of its enclosure, combined with a hold-
up bolt to retain said shield in its said normal position, a lever to disengage said bolt
from the shield, and lever connections substantially as described, operated by the
dropping of said shield, to disengage the trip-lever from said air-valve, substantially
as set forth.

page_text: 2º. In a torpedo-boat, a gun located near the plane of the deck thereof, a
protecting enclosure for said gun open at its rear end and having the muzzle of said
gun piercing its opposite end; combined with a shield, substantially as described;
pivotted by one end to the deck of the boat, having an apron at its free end normally
covering the muzzle of said gun and the surrounding end of said enclosure, and a
device, substantially as described, holding said shield in its said normal position, but
detachable therefrom, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
30. A breech-piece for a pneumatic gun consisting of a cylindrical body to receive
the breech-plug and to which the rear end of the gun-tube is connected, a hollow
cylinder on one side of said body and at right angles thereto, combined with a
cylinder, 8, fitting within said hollow cylinder, on which the last named cylinder has
an oscillating motion, and an air-tube conducting air through said cylinder, 8, to said
body, substantially as set forth.
4. Supporting devices for guns consisting of fixed parallel frame-pieces, 10, a
non-rotatable cylinder having a shaft-like projection at each end entering said frame-
pieces, combined with a breech-piece having a cylindrical body to which the gun
tube is attached having a hollow cylinder thereon at right angles to said body fitted
to said non-rotatable cylinder and having an oscillating motion thereon, substantially
as set forth.
5°. In combination, a pneumatic gun, a valve-box, air-induction and eduction
conduits connected thereto, and communicating with said gun, an air-valve in said
box having a stem projecting through the end thereof, a brace, 21, engaging by one
end with said stem, a pivotted lever, 22, having one end connected with said brace,
and the gun-shield, 24, substantially as set forth.
6°. In a torpedo boat, a torpedo-supporting spar hinged by one end to the bow
thereof, to swing in a vertical plane, a torpedo carried on said hinged spar, an upper
spar extending from the bow of the boat over and in a line with said hinged spar
having by impact with some object a receding movement, and devices, substantially
as described, for suspending said hinged spar to said upper spar which are auto-
matically detachable as a result of said impact, combined and operating substantially
as set forth.
7°. In a torpedo-boat, a pneumatic gun discharging its projectile at the bow of the
boat near the water-line thereof, an air-valve box having a connection with the breech
of said gun and with a compressed air conduit, an air-valve operating in said box to
close and open an air passage leading from said conduit to the gun, and a trip-lever
engaging with said valve, combined with a longitudinally movable spar extending
from the bow of said boat having an arm thereon to engage with, and detach said
trip-lever from said valve when said spar is moved rearwardly, substantially as set
forth.
80. In combination with the movable spar, 30, and the boat, of a lever pivotted on
the bow of said boat having one arm thereof engaging with said spar, and a cap, 53,
hinged to one side of an opening in said bow and engaged by the opposite end of said
lever, substantially as set forth.
9°. In a torpedo-boat, a buffer-spar, 30, a hinged spar, 38, a torpedo attached to
said hinged, spar, a fire-arm substantially as described, attached to said torpedo,
having a trigger for discharging the same, a cord-reel hung to rotate on a shaft on
said spar, 30, a cord wound on said reel having one end connected to said trigger, and
a spring acting between said reel and its shaft to retain the cord temporarily in a
wound-on position, combined and operating substantially as described.
10°. In a torpedo boat, means for automatically operating a torpedo and for liberating
a projectile from a pneumatic gun at the bow of the boat from one actuating cause,
consisting of a torpedo-supporting spar hinged by one end to said bow, to swing
in a vertical plane, a torpedo carried on said hinged spar, an upper spar extending
from the bow of the boat over and in a line with said hinged spar having by
impact with some object a receding movement, devices substantially as described,
for suspending said hinged spar to said upper spar which are automatically
detachable as a result of said impact, whereby said torpedo is dropped, and a

page_text: pneumatic gun discharging its projectile at the bow of the boat near the water-
line thereof, an air valve-box having connection with the breech of said gun and
with a compressed air conduit, an air-valve operating in said box to close and open
an air passage leading from said conduit to the gun, a trip-lever engaging with said
valve, and an arm fixed on said impact-spar to engage with, and detach said trip-
lever from said valve when said spar is moved rearwardly as aforesaid, combined
and operating, substantially as set forth.
11°. In a torpedo boat, a torpedo-supporting spar hinged by one end to the bow
thereof, to swing in a vertical plane, a torpedo carried on said hinged spar, an
upper spar extending from the bow of the boat over and in a line with said hinged
spar having by impact with some object a receding movement, a shield fixed on said
upper spar in front of said torpedo and hinged spar, and devices, substantially as
described, for suspending said hinged spar to said upper spar which aro automatically
detachable as a result of said impact, combined and operating substantially as set
forth.
12°. In a torpedo boat, a buffer-spar projecting from the bow of said boat and
longitudinally movable therein, combined with a buffer-spring in engagement with
said spar, substantially as set forth.
13°. In a torpedo boat, a buffer-spar projecting from the bow of said boat and
longitudinally movable therein, a gripper-head substantially as described, fixed on the
outer end of said spar, combined with a buffer-spring in engagement with said spar,
substantially as set forth.
14°. In a torpedo-boat, a buffer-spar projecting from the bow of said boat and
longitudinally movable therein, a buffer spring in engagement with said spar, a torpedo-
supporting spar hinged to the boat under said buffer-spar, one or more hooks on said
hinged spar extending longitudinally thereof, devices substantially as described on
said buffer-spar with which said hooks engage, and a torpedo supported on said hinged
spar, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
Dated this 25th day of March 1890.
R. J. GATLING,
Per L. W.