AN APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING VESSELS AGAINST TORPEDO ATTACKS
Year: 1885

page_text: I ALFRED CHRISTOPHER KOERNER engineer of 21 rue royale Paris France,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING
VESSELS AGAINST TORPEDO ATTACKS, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention consists of an apparatus forming a metallic shield divided into
sections, surrounding the sides of a war or other vessel at a certain distance apart
from the said sides, thus forming a kind of shield which may be placed on deck
or brought into position, as required. Any torpedo projected against the vessel is
caused to explode as soon as it comes in contact with the metallic shield, but the
vessel is not disabled by the shock, either directly or indirectly.
In the twelve diagrams figures 1 to 12, fig. 1 is a side elevation, fig. 2 a sectional
front elevation and fig. 3 a plan of a war vessel provided with my protecting
apparatus, the apparatus being entirely folded against the vessel's sides and ready
to be unfolded or displayed.
Fig. 4, 5, and 6 indicate the same vessel with the same apparatus, in which the
spars are lowered horizontally.
Fig. 7, 8 and 9 indicate similar views in which the plates forming the protecting
shield are unfolded vertically against the sides of the vessel.
Fig. 10, 11 and 12 indicate similar views in which the said plates are brought
apart from the sides of the vessel towards the end of the spars, the apparatus
being in its definitive and protective position.
Fig. 13 is a front elevation, fig. 14 a side elevation showing one of the sections
or series of plates composing the shield, on a larger scale, the plates being unfolded,
or displayed.
Fig. 15 is a front elevation and fig. 16 a side elevation showing the same section
of plates folded up against each other.
Fig. 17 is a front elevation, fig. 18 a side elevation and figures 19 and 20 partial
top views, showing the uppermost plate of a section or series of plates.
Fig. 21 is a front elevation, fig. 22 a side elevation and figures 23 and 24 partial
top views, showing the middle plate of a section or series of plates.

page_text: Fig. 25 is a front elevation, fig. 26 a side elevation and fig. 27 a partial top view
showing the lowermost plate of a series of plates.
Fig. 28 is a front elevation and fig. 29 a side elevation of the uppermost plate
of such sections as are fitted upon spars which are oblique to the axis of the
vessel.
Fig. 30 is a side elevation of a spar with its accessories, fig. 31 is a top view
thereof, fig. 32 a partial side elevation and fig. 33 a partial front view.
Fig. 34, 36, 35 and 37 are details of the accessories belonging to the spar.
Fig. 38 is a front elevation of two spars carrying a complete section or series of
plates unfolded, showing also the ends of the adjoining sections or series. Fig. 39
is a side view of the saine.
Fig. 40 is a top view of fig. 38 and fig. 41 is a side view showing the spars
raised, and the series of plates folded against each other.
The war or other vessel to be protected against torpedo attacks is provided on
each of its sides, with a sheet metal shielding, parallel to the said sides and fitted
upon special spars. The shield is composed of several sections or series of plates,
the number of the series varying according to the length and shape of the vessel.
All the sections are separate from each other. The entire apparatus can be hoisted
on bord, section after section, and placed in any suitable place of the vessel. When
developped, as shown in fig. 10, 11 and 12, the sections alternate, and their upper
edge is about 1 or 2 feet above the sea level. When the vessel is lying at anchor,
it may also be provided with sections fore and aft. Each section is formed of six
or more plates of iron, steel or other suitable metal, about one eight of an inch
thick.
1 fig. 17 is the uppermost plate of a section; it is strengthened by an angle
iron 2 to which are bolted three guide-rods 3, 3, 3, the two outer ones of which are
provided with a hook 4, 4 by which the sections are separately hung.
5. fig. 21, is one of the middle plates of which there are four and they are
provided with guide-rods 3, 3, 3 by which the said plates are connected together.
Each of the four plates 5 has ribs or strengthening metal stripes 6, 6.
7. fig. 25, is the lowermost plate of the section; it has no guide rods, but is
provided with ribs 8, 8 and eyes 9, 9 fig. 27 through which pass the guide rods 3, 3
of that plate which is immediately above. At the lower portion, it is provided
with eyes 10, 10 through which passes an endless cable serving for bringing all the
plates of the section together, as hereinafter set forth.
11 fig. 28 is the uppermost plate of such sections as are located in a position
where the spars are not at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, i.e
fore and aft. The said plate 11 is similar to the corresponding uppermost
plate 1. fig. 17 except that the carrying hooks 12, 12 are capable of motion in
slots 13, 13 and that they bear against the angle iron 2. This modification
is necessary because in the first place the spars fore and aft are of a varying
length and in the second plate, they are diverging. The length of the
slots 13, 13 should correspond with the length of the spars and with the extent
of their obliquity.
In order to fold the section, an endless wire rope 14 fig. 13, 14, 15, 16, 38 is
made use of, which passes through the eyes 10, 10, surrounds the section on each
side and is fixed, at 15, to an eye. 16 by which the raising of each plate
successively is effected, a wire rope or a chain being passed through the said cye 16
and being used for that purpose.
The greater portion of the sections are suspended in such a manner that two of
the same are carried by three spars, except fore and aft, where two spars are
required for each section, see diagrams 3, 6, 9 and 12.
Each spar is made of wood or other suitable material and is fitted into a metal
bearing 18 fixed to the side of the vessel. The bearing 18, shown in section in
fig. 34, forms a point upon which turns the horizontal axis 19 of a metal arm 20
secured to the spar. The axis 19 has a swelling 21, the flat part of which bears

page_text: against another flat part, 22, formed upon the bearing 18 fig. 34, when the spar
is in the position shown in figures 30 and 31. The swelling 21 acts to prevent
any accidental raising of the spar out of its bearing or socket 18 when it is lowerered:
horizontally.
23, 23 are two wire ropes which hold up the spar after it is lowered; each
of them pass in the eye of a fixed metal ring 24 surrounding the spar and
they are secured by a ring to hooks or similar devices 25, 25, fig. 35, 36, 38,
39 and 40 provided with a spring tongue 26 for preventing the said ring from.
unhooking.
27 fig. 30, 31, 32, 37, 38 and 39 is a movable metal ring to which is suspended
one end of a section by the hook 4. At its upper part, the ring 27 is formed with
a small ring 28 to which are secured the two ends of a wire rope 29 which serves
for causing the section to be moved in either direction upon the spar, i.e for causing
the same to pass from the position shown in fig. 8 to that shown in fig. 11 and
vice versa.
The wire rope 29 passes in the first place over a pulley 30 mounted
in two brackets 31, 31 to a pulley 32 mounted on a projection 33 of the horizontal
axis 19; in the second place, it passes over a pully 34 mounted upon the end of
the said axis 19. The three pullies 30, 32, 34 thus serve to guide the wire rope 29
the two ends of which pass to the side of the vessel see fig. 30, 31, 33, 38 and 39.
The three other corresponding pullies 35, 36, 37 belong to the wire rope which
serves to operate the section, one of the hooks 4 of which is suspended from the
same spar, see fig. 32.
In order to raise and lower each spar, from the vertical position shown in fig. 41
to the horizontal position shown in fig. 30, I make use of a wire rope 38 fig. 30
which is fixed toward the end of the spar and passes to a pulley-block which is on
board the vessel. Both brackets 31, 31 are connected externally by a cross-piece 39,
fig. 31, and they are secured to the spar by means of bolts 40, 40; at their inner
ends, they are connected to the fixed ring 24 which they engage at 41, 41, in order
to secure it firmly.
"
Supposing the entire apparatus is stored ou bord, it is displayed as follows:
first the spars, together with their accessories, are hoisted overbord and while
keeping the same vertical, they are each placed in to their bearing 18; the wire
ropes 23 are then hooked into the devices 25; second the carrying rings 27, 27
being in the position they occupy in fig. 41, each section is hoisted overbord and
secured, by its hook 4, to its ring 27. Each section is surrounded by a chain 42,
fig. 41 for keeping the same and for facilitating handling; third, each spar 17 is
lowered horizontally, fourth each section is deplaced subsequent to the removal of
the chain 42; fifth each section is made to advance to the end of the spar 17 and
the wire ropes are all secured in place.
The same operation is reversed, for bringing the apparatus on bord.
In order to prevent the carrying hooks 4, from disengaging with the rings 27,
they are provided with a surrounding piece 43 and a pin 44.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1:-The hereinbefore described shield for protecting vessels against torpedo
attacks, composed of independant sections or series of plates, surrounding the
vessel entirely or partially, at a suitable distance from the sides thereof, as described
and illustrated.
2:-The section or series, composed of a number of plates connected as herein-
before described.
3:-The spars 17 supported in a bearing 18 secured to the side of the ship, and
adapted to support the sections or series by means of rings 27.
4-The guide pullies 30, 32, 34 together with wire rope 29 secured to a ring 28,
for operating the rings 27 supporting the sections.

page_text: 5:-The two ropes 23, 23 secured onto eyes of an annular piece 24 on the spar 17
and hooked onto their respective holders 25, 25 for the purpose of maintaining the
spar 17 at a given height."
6 The wire rope 14, passing through eyes 10, 10 of the lower plate 7 of a
section and secured at 15 to an eye 16 by which the plates of the section may be
made to slide against each other, for the purpose set forth.
.
ALL