improvements in apparatus for searching for submerged objects, and objects of it are to expedite and render search
Year: 1899

page_text: I, MAX VON SCHOULTZ, of No. 6, Nicolas Place, St. Petersburg, in the Empire
of Russia, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for searching for
submerged objects, and the objects of it are to expedite and render such searches
more reliable.
'
".
In searching for sunken or submerged objects generally, sounders or searchers
are used, (ordinarily with weights, or so-called 'fiume-drags with grapnels), in
many cases divers are also employed for the same purpose. These methods
however require much time and labour, and are consequently' very expensive
and undesirable.
This circumstance has aroused a series of inventions, which have been proposed
from time to time for the purpose of facilitating, hastening and rendering less
objectionable the searching after submerged, wrecked or foundered objects which
represent frequently considerable value, as for instance; ships, anchors, torpedoes,
and such like. Nevertheless, to this day; none of such inventions justify what
has been expected of them, nor have they found an application in practice. Even
the apparatus of Cantain McEvoy, called "ground searcher for metals
is only
fit to work (and even then imperfectly) in the open air, while submerged, that
is to say, in the very medium, in which it was designed to serve, it has entirely
failed to act. As for the rest even theoretically, these apparatuses_cannot
operate with success, being established upon the principle of the Hughes'
balance, which acts only in the open air, but in no wise under water, and the
less so under sea-water in a great mass, because such medium presents an
electrical resistance, which does not appreciably differ from that of the metals.
Attempts, based upon the attraction of metals by powerful electro-magnets,
have also been unsuccessful at sea. Thus all the means hitherto suggested
whereby to find submerged objects, are very imperfect and less practicable.
The apparatus forming the subject of the present application is intended to
serve as auxiliary to the searching by means of drags. It permits of easily and
promptly defining, without the assistance of divers, the object which has been
touched by the drag; moreover it can be applied independently as an electro-
magnetic drag with one line or with a series of lines.
This apparatus, based upon the phenomena of electro-magnetic induction, is
intended exclusively to search for and define under water, objects, constituted
of matter, the magnetic permeability of which differs considerably from that of
the ambient medium (water) as, iron, steel, etc., it is well known, that in practice
objects of just such a character are commonly searched for, as for instance;
ships, anchors, chains, torpedoes etc.
The apparatus consists of two principal parts: the "finder and the signaling

page_text: device" this latter is carried by one of the vessels performing the search and
communicates with the first part by means of an electrical cable connecting
both the parts.
The electromagnetic finder consists generally of a permanent magnet, or of an
electro-magnet, which magnet may be either straight or bent to any suitable
shape, and single or in any number; its poles may be provided with armatures of
soft iron. In the magnetic field, formed by the permanent magnets or by the
electro-magnets, are disposed, preferably on the polar pieces or suspended or
supported between them, one or more bobbins of insulated wire, connected either
for intensity or for quantity and whose general resistance corresponds to that
of the circuit in which they are inserted, consisting of the cable; the finder and
the signaling device.
The windings of the finder and the cable, likewise the point of their connection
(by means of a plug) are carefully insulated. For the purpose of protecting them
from any damage, all these parts may be provided, above the insulating layer,
with a jacket, armour or cover of a suitable substance or material; this cover
being preferably disposed in such a manner, that it can be taken off to facilitate
the inspection, repair and change of damaged parts.
When the magnetic field is formed by a permanent magnet or magnets, two
conductor wires are sufficient for the cable, or even a single wire, when the other
is substituted by the water. It is obvious that in this latter case one of the
with the
poles of the circuit should be connected with the body of the finder, viz.
magnet, its winding and the armour (when used), while the other pole of the
circuit should be connected with the ambient water, for instance through the
metallic hull of the vessel, the lightning-plate, the propeller, or a special
metallic-plate, depending from the board or suspended to the cable.
In the case of electro-magnets, the cable is provided with two supplementary
conductors which supply current to windings of the magnet or magnets. This
current may be fed from any suitable generator, installed on board the vessel,
as for instance a storage battery, a dynamo for continuous current etc.
When the apparatus is intended for sounding the ground that is to define
the matter and even the approximate dimensions and form of the body caught
by the drag, one or more telephones may be used, the receivers of which, for
the purpose of convenience may be applied to the ears of the operator or operators
by means of a strap. This telephone is inserted in the circuit of the finder, as
well as an interruptor of high frequency or a commutator driven by an electro-
motor, clockwork or the like. The interruptor, constructed specially to cut
alternately out and in the circuit with considerable frequency or the commutator,
alternating the direction of the telephone-current unceasingly during the sound-
ing operation, may have a very varied construction; movable contacts may also
be used for the same purpose, having a variable, and alternating with great
frequency, electric resistance.
An interruptor, actuated by a small electro-magnet, may also be used (the
so-called Neef-hammer), or a tuning-fork interruptor, or any other device of
this kind.
By the interruptor, as well as by the commutator, the sonorousness of the
crepitation sounds in the telephone increases, when this device is tuned in
accord with the telephone, that is to say, when the alternations of the current
correspond to the fundamental sound of the diaphragm.
The telephone may also be inserted in the secondary circuit of a transformer,
the primary winding of which is inserted in the circuit of the finder and of the
interruptor or commutator; to avoid any influence from self-induction condensers
may be intercalated in the circuit in the well known manner.
The same apparatus intended, as herein before explained, for the sounding of
the ground, when sufficiently protected from any damage which may be caused
by strokes and shocks upon the ground, and from strains in case of catching on a
metallic body lying on the ground, may be used as an electro-magnetic drag:

page_text: the passage of the boat over this body, the finder, towed by the boat signals by
the crepitation sound of the telephone the vicinity of the paramagnetic body.
For the purpose of hastening the search after submerged metallic objects, a
number of electro-magnetic drags may be used simultaneously; the drags are
fixed--in this case at equal intervals, corresponding to the width of the object
sought, to a transverse cable common to all. The cable is towed by two vessels
as an ordinary sweeting-drag.
To avoid a too great sagging of the cable, it may be supported by two or more
buoys which prevent it from sinking to the bottom.
When the electro-magnetic drag is to pass through soft ground, the towing
cable is preferably provided with a device constituted by a metallic piece of
suitable form and size, for the purpose of cutting a way for the drag to relieve
the drag of this strain. In the body of this device an independent electro-
magnetic finder may also be lodged. Generally for the purpose of excluding
the possibility of passing by the sought object, each towing cable may be pro-
vided with two or more finders, disposed and trailing tandem fashion, in this
manner each anterior finder serves as a pilot and passage former to the posterior
one, and so on, which contributes to mellow the bottom or bed and to deepen the
tinders in the soft mud.
"
This arrangement forms the electro-magnetic combined drag" which may
be single or unilinear, or multilinear,
In many cases, particularly when the expanse of the search is very great, it
may be convenient to substitute for the telephones a more apparent signaling
device, acting more energetically. In this case, to increase the sensitiveness of
electro-magnetic drag, an intermediary device may be used, which may be a
relay, a trigger-mechanism etc., it is actuated by the current, induced in the
windings of the finder by the proximity of a para-magnetic body (iron, steel etc.)
and serves only to close the circuit of a local battery of the signaling device.
It is preferable to employ for this purpose a switch of great sensitiveness,
feeling currents in both directions, but in such a manner, that the deviation of
the movable part is performed always in the same direction but cannot be
influenced by the rolling motion of the vessel.
A relay may be used for such purpose, consisting of two bobbins of insulated
wire connected in series, one of which is stationary and the other movable
around a common diameter, on which their planes cross, forming a slight angle,
maintained by a special spring with controlable tension. When a current is
sent by the finder in the bobbins of this device, the angle, formed by the planes
of the bobbins, is modified, which causes them to close the local circuit. To
increase the sensitiveness of this relay, it may be surrounded by an inductor or
casing of soft iron, which passes also through the inner movable hobbin, but
without touching
When a relay on the Arlincourt system etc., or a trigger-mechanism (for the
Hughes electro-magnet) is used, in front of these devices a special combination
is inserted, consisting of aluminium- plates and plates of another metal, for
instance lead, immersed in a suitable solution, which transforms the current,
sent by the windings of the finder, in a word, it is a transformer, based upon
the phenomena demonstrated by Professor Groetz.
For the signaling device any suitable means may be used, capable of attracting
the attention, when working, of the persons standing about. or of automatically
registering the moment of its working, or the point where it stood, that is,
where the carrying vessel stood, at the moment when the current has been sent
by the finder in the circuit-closer (relay trigger etc.)
With such an arrangement the dragging or sweeping of the sea-bottom can
be performed without interruption; more careful searches may be made subse-
quently at the marked points. The investigations may be performed by lines,
perpendicularly crossing each other. When the intervals between these lines
are not greater than the length of the object sought, multiplied by Sin. 45°, it is

page_text: almost certain that one of the finders will pass over the object and will signal
its presence.
It is obvious from all the above-said, that the before described arrangement
permits of performing systematical investigations even through a considerable
expanse with comparatively great promptitude.
Dated this 17th day of Mar 1900
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
improvements in Apparatus for Searching for Submerged Objects.
I, MAX VON SCHOULTZ, of No. 6, Nicolas Place, St. Petersburg, in the Empire
of Russia, Gentleman, 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 reference to improvements in apparatus for searching for
submerged objects, and the objects of it are to expedite and render such searches
more reliable.
In searching for sunken or submerged objects generally, sounders or searchers
are used, ordinarily with weights, or so-called fiume-drags with grapnels, in
many cases divers are also employed for the same purpose. These methods
however, require much time and labour, and are consequently very expensive
and undesirable.
This circumstance has aroused a series of inventions, which have been proposed
from time to time for the purpose of facilitating, hastening and rendering less
objectionable the searching after submerged, wrecked or foundered objects, which
represent frequently considerable value, as for instance, ships, anchors, torpedoes
and such like. Nevertheless, to this day none of such inventions justify what
has been expected of them, nor have they found an application in practice. Even
the apparatus of Captain McEvoy, called "ground searcher for metals," is only
fit to work (and even then imperfectly) in the open air, while submerged, that
is to say in the very medium, in which it was designed to serve, it has entirely
failed to act. As for the rest, even theoretically, these apparatuses cannot
operate with success, being established upon the principle of the Hughes'
balance, which acts only in the open air, but in no wise under water, and the
less so under sea-water in a great mass, because such medium presents an
electrical resistance, which does not appreciably differ from that of the metals.
Attempts, based upon the attraction of metals by powerful electro-magnets,
have also been unsuccessful at sea. Thus all the means, hitherto suggested
whereby to find and recover submerged objects, are very imperfect and less
practicable.
The apparatus, forming the subject of the present invention, is intended to
serve as auxiliary to the searching by means of drags. It permits of easily and
promptly defining, without the assistance of divers, the object which has been
touched by the drag, moreover, it can be applied independently as an electro-
magnetic drag with one line (as in Figure 2) or with a series of lines (as in
Figure 3).
This apparatus, based upon the phenomena of electro-magnetic induction, is
intended exclusively to search for and define under water, objects constituted
of matter, the magnetic permeability of which differs considerably from that of
the ambient medium (water), as iron, steel, etc., it is well known, that in practice

page_text: objects of just such a character are commonly searched for, as for instance.
ships, anchors, chains, torpedoes etc.
The apparatus, consists of two principal parts: the "finder" A and the
signalling device" C (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5); this latter is carried by one of
the vessels or boats, performing the search and communicates with the first part
by means of an electrical cable B, connecting both the parts.
The electro-magnetic finder A consists generally of a permanent magnet N-S
(Figure 4) or of an electro-magnet NS (Figure 5), which magnet may be
either straight or bent to any suitable shape and single or in any number; its
poles may be provided with armatures of soft iron. In the magnetic field, formed
by the permanent magnets N-S or by the electro-magnets N₁-S¹ are disposed,--
preferably on the polar pieces or suspended or supported between them,--one
or more bobbins D (see Figures 4 and 5) of insulated wire, connected either for
intensity or for quantity and whose general resistance corresponds to that of
the circuit in which they are inserted, consisting of the cable, the finder and
the signalling device.
The windings of the finder and the cable, likewise the point of their connection
(by means of a plug) are carefully insulated. For the purpose of protecting them
from any damage, all these parts may be provided, above the insulating layer,
with a jacket, armour or cover of a suitable substance or material; this cover
being preferably disposed in such a manner, that it can be taken off, to facilitate
the inspection, repair and change of damaged parts.
It is obvious, that on any modification in the magnetic field of the finder
induced by the influence of a mass of paramagnetic matter (iron, steel, nickel,
cobalt, manganese, chromium etc.), an electric current is induced in the wind-
ings D; the strength of this current will be proportional to the difference between
the magnetic permeability of this mass and that of the ambient medium (water),
and to the promptitude and energy of the modification in the magnetic field.
The towing or connecting cable B (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), suitably insulated
in conformity with the requirements of its service, may be provided with one
or two wires (Figure 4) or with three or four wires (Figure 5). When the
magnetic field is formed by a permanent magnet or magnets N-S (Figure 4),
two conductor-wires are sufficient for the cable, or even of a single wire, when
the other is substituted by the water. It is obvious, that in this latter case one
of the poles of the circuit should be connected with the body of the finder, viz.
with the magnet, its winding and the armour (when used), while the other pole
of the circuit should be connected with the ambient water, for instance through
the metallic hull of the vessel, the lightning-plate, the propeller or a special
metallic-plate depending from the board or suspended to the cable.
In the case of electro-magnets (Figure 5), the cable is provided with two
supplementary conductors which supply current to windings E of the magnet or
magnets. This current may be fed from any suitable generator, installed on board.
the vessel, as for instance a storage battery, a dynamo for continuous current etc.
The construction of the receiving or signalling devices depends upon the use
to which the apparatus is to be put and also upon the amount it is to cost.
When the apparatus is intended for sounding the ground (Figure 1), that is
to define the matter and even the approximate dimensions and form of the body
caught by the drag y, one or more telephones may be used, the receivers of
which for the purpose of convenience may be applied to the ears of the operator
or operators by means of a strap. This telephone is inserted in the circuit of
the finder, as well as an interruptor of high frequency g (Figures 4 and 6) or a
commutator K driven by an electro-motor, clockwork or the like (Figure 7).
The interruptor, constructed specially to cut alternately out and in the circuit
with considerable frequency or the commutator alternating the direction of the
telephone current unceasingly during the sounding operation, may have a very
varied construction; movable contacts may also be used for the same purpose,
baving a variable and alternating with great frequency, electric resistance.

page_text: The interruptor may consist of a metallic toothed wheel H (Figure 6), elec-
trically connected with one of the poles of the device, the other pole being
connected with a spring pawl m; engaging alternately with the teeth of the wheel
during the rotation of the latter and interrupting the current at very small
intervals,--
--or by a metallic cylinders (Figure 6), provided on its periphery with
inserted non-conducting tongues or strips (of ivory, ebonite, vulcanised fibre,
glass, etc.); and connected with one pole of the device. A contact-spring bears
upon this cylinder and communicates with the other pole. Said toothed wheel
or said cylinder, as the case may be, is-driven by hand or by any suitable motor,
for instance by a small electro-motor, clock-work, etc.
An interruptor, actuated by a small electro-magnet, may also be used (the
so-called Neet-bammer), or. a tuning-fork interruptor, or any other device of
this kind.
The commutator- (Figure 7) may also be constructed in any suitable manner,
for instance, it may consist of a cylinder of non-conducting matter, provided
with two independent armatures, disposed alternately on the periphery of the
cylinder and each connected through their terminals with one of the circuit
conductors; these armatures of course touch each other at no point of the cylinder.
Two brushes O; P bear upon this cylinder and are arranged in such a manner,
that at each given instant each brush touches a different armature. The
brushes O, P are connected through their terminals O, PI with the telephone
and indicate by the crepitation resounding in the telephone, the presence in the
circuit of a current, produced by the passage of the finder in the vicinity of a
paramagnetic body.
By the interruptor, as well as by the commutator, the sonorousness of the
crepitation sounds in the telephone increases, when this device is tuned in
accord with the telephone, that is to say, when the alternations of the current
correspond to the fundamental sound of the diaphragm.
The telephone may also be inserted in the secondary circuit of a transformer t
(Figure 8), the primary winding of which is inserted in the circuit of the finder
and of the interruptor or commutator; to avoid any influence from self-induction,
condensers may be intercalated in the circuit in the well-known manner.
The same apparatus intended, as hereinbefore explained, for the sounding of
the ground, when sufficiently protected from any damage, which may be caused
by strokes and shocks upon the ground and from strains in case of catching on a
metallic body, lying on the ground, may be used as an electro-magnetic drag,
as shewn diagrammatically in working position in Figure 2, wherein Q is a
metallic body, lying on the bed of the ocean; by the passage of the boat over this
body, the finder, towed by the boat (in the case shown a steamboat), signals
by the crepitation sound of the telephone the vicinity of the paramagnetic body.
For the purpose of hastening the search after submerged metallic objects, a
number of electro-magnetic drags may be used simultaneously; the drags are
fixed in this case at equal intervals, corresponding to the width of the object
sought, to a transverse cable, common to all, -, as shewn diagrammatically
in Figure 3. The cable is towed by two vessels as an ordinary sweeping-drag.
To avoid a too great sagging of the cable, it may be supported by two or
more buoys R, R (Figure 3), which prevent it from sinking to the bottom.
This arrangement is called electro-magnetic multi-linear single drag."
Apparatus of this type can render great services in searching for objects, whose
position can be defined only in a vague manner and when perquisition upon a
considerable expanse should be made.
"
Electro-magnetic multi-linear drags of smaller size may be applied, even
when a single towing-vessel is used, as shewn diagrammatically in Figure 9.
In this case the common cable is lashed to a transverse rod 2¹-, towed by the
vessel and maintained in a perpendicular position to the wave of the vessel by
two or more sprits; moreover it is sustained in a horizontal position at the
water level by two or more buoys R¹-R¹.

page_text: When the electro-magnetic drag is to pass through soft ground, the towing
cable is preferably provided with a device (Figure 2), constituted by a metallic
piece of suitable form and size, for the purpose of cutting a way for the drag
to relieve the drag of this strain. In the body of this device an independent
electro-magnetic finder may also be lodged. Generally, for the purpose of
excluding the possibility of passing by the sought object, each towing cable
may be provided with two or more finders disposed and trailing tandem fashion:
in this manner each anterior finder serves as a pilot and passage former to the
posterior one, and so on, which contributes to mellow the bottom or bed and to
deepen the finders in the soft mud.
This arrangement forms the "electro-magnetic combined drag," which may be
single or unilinear, or multilinear.
In many cases, particularly when the expanse of the search is very great, it
may be convenient to substitute for the telephones a more apparent signalling
device, acting more energetically, C (Figure 5). In this case, to increase the
sensitiveness of the electro-magnetic drag, an intermediary device (Figure 5)
may be used, which may be a relay, a trigger-mechanism etc., it is actuated by
the current, induced in the windings of the finder by the proximity of a para-
magnetic body (iron, steel etc.) and serves only to close the circuit of a local
battery of the signalling device.
It is preferable to employ for this purpose a switch of great sensitiveness,
responding to currents in either directions, but in such a manner that the
deviation of the movable part is performed always in the same direction but
cannot be influenced by the rolling motion of the vessel.
A relay may be used for such purpose, consisting of two bobbins of insulated
wire connected in series, one of which is stationary and the other movable
around a common diameter, on which their lanes eross. forming a slight angle,
maintained by a special spring with controllable tension. When a current is
sent by the finder in the bobbins of this device, the angle, formed by the planes
of the bobbins, is modified, which causes them to close the local circuit. Ta
increase the sensitiveness of this relay, it may be surrounded by an inductor or
casing of soft iron, which passes also through the inner movable bobbin, but.
without touching it.
When a relay of any well known system (such as the Arlincourt system etc.)
or a trigger-mechanism (such as the Hughes electro-magnet) is used, in front of
these devices a special combination is inserted, consisting of aluminium plates
and plates of another metal, for instance lead, immersed in a suitable solution,
which transforms the current sent by the windings of the finder; in word, it
is a transformer, based upon the phenomena demonstrated by Professor Groetz.
For the signalling device C (Figure 5) any suitable means may be used, capable
of attracting attention, when working, of the persons standing about. or of
automatically registering the moment of its working, or the point where it stood
(that is, where the carrying vessel stood) at the moment when the current has
been sent by the finder in the circuit closer (relay trigger etc.).
For this purpose different signalling devices may be used, for instance: an
electric bell or gong, an indicating board giving the No. of the actuated finder
by a multilinear system, an electric primer in combination with an alarm
rocket or a signal gun or an electro-magnetic device for automatically throwing
a buoy e'e. Finally, an autographic registering device (Figure 10) may be
applied for the same purpose, consisting substantially of a paper-covered
cylinder, turning at a speed proportional to the time, that is uniform, or to
the speed of the vessel, carrying the device. Side by side with this cylinder
slides at a corresponding speed in guide grooves or on guide rods b, b, a tablet r,
carrying registering electro-magnetic mechanism: the motion of the tablet is
performed by means of a screw e, parallel to the axis of the cylinder and fitting
in a nut on the tablet, the motion being imparted to the serew by the cylinder
by means of a gear. To each revolution of the cylinder corresponds a definite

page_text: movement of the tablet, which depends, for a given screw, only upon the ratio
of the angular speeds of this screw and of the cylinder, which can be regulated
by a suitable selection of the transmission gear. On the surface of the cylinder
bears a pencil, a pen or a style f secured to the armature of the electro-magnet;
when the armature is attracted by this latter, the style performs a movement in
a direction perpendicular to the spiral line, which it traces normally on the
cylinder paper it is easy to define by the position of this perpendicular line the
instant when this movement has been performed or the exact point where the
vessel was at this instant; this point can then be marked on the card.
With such an arrangement the dragging or sweeping of the sea-bottom can be
performed without interruption; and more careful searches may be made subse-
quently at the marked points. The investigations may be performed by lines,
perpendicularly crossing each other, traced for instance the ones from N to S
and the others from 0 to W. When the intervals between these lines are not
greater than the length of the object sought, multiplied by Sin. 45°, it is almost
certain that one of the finders will pass over the object and will signal its
presence.
It is obvious from all the abovesaid, that the before described arrangement
permits of performing systematical investigations even through a considerable
expanse with comparatively great promptitude.
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 herein before described combination of devices for searching for sub-
merged objects of any material (iron, steel, etc.) whose magnetic permeability
substantially differs from that of the ambient medium, said combination con-
sisting of one or more electro-magnetic finders consisting of one or more perma-
nent-magnets or of one or more electro-magnets whose magnetic field contains
windings in which, at each modification of the magnetic field traversing them, a
current is induced, which is transmitted by a metallic cable to a receiving device
and to a signalling device, serving to prevent the operator or operators, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The application of magnetic finders and of signalling devices combined
for searching for submerged objects of iron, steel, and the like, in the form of
following apparatus:
(a) as electro-magnetic leads, substantially as illustrated in Figure 1.
(b) as electro-magnetic unilinear single or combined drags, substantially
as illustrated in Figure 2.
(c) as electro-magnetic multilinear single or combined drags, substantially
as illustrated in Figure 3.
3. The combination with the magnetic finders and signalling devices of the
autographic registering devices to perform on considerable expanses a specdy
search for different submerged objects, consisting of paramagnetic matters, con-
structed and operated substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of Eah 1000
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings. Chancery Lane, London, W.C..
Agents for the Applicant.