US1542543A - Submarine mine - Google Patents

Description

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, F WESTMINSTER", LONDON, ENGLAND,

LIMITED, O WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, A BRITISH C0.:- v a sunmmnn MINE.

.appucationmea December 1, 1924. serial No. 758,144.

ATo all whom concern.:

Be it known 'that I, GIOVANNI EMANUnm ELIA, a subject o-f the 'King-of Italy, reslding at 'Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county-of London,

` have invented certain new and usefu Im.-

Aprovements inv or Relating to Submarine Mines ,\of which the following is aspecication.

This invention'relates to submarine mines, In certain classes of submarine nimes,

' especially those intended for use against the surfaceof the waterand, in order 4to increase the eective rangeof the4 mine, it `has been proposed to provide the mine with auxiliary firing-'gear including or constituted by aline or cable which is supported Iby a buoy'or float. or by an' auxiliary mine located "above the iotation chamber. The said A.b uoy or auxiliar niine may itself be provided with horn atteries and contact devices: such as' those of they-Herz'battery type or such contant devices-in the float'ma be adapted 'when' struck to fire the; main mine or both the main and the auxiliary mine. The` line by which the buoy or auxiliary mine]l is connected .to theflotation chambenis-Qr' may also be Aprovided with contact devices which, `whenstruck by a passingv b ody, effect the explosion' of. thev main charge within the notation chamber.

At the present. time -the aforesaid buoy or 'l auxiliary mine isconnected to the dotation chamber by` al predetermined length of line which isallowed to unwind freely'immedi- ',ately'after launching of the mine and during v its, descentto the sea bed. Owing, however,

'.to various causes, such as disturbances set up -durin the sinking ofthe anchor-to the sea bed w ich lnterfere with the paying out of the 45 predetermined length o f mooring cable for the -iotation` chamber, the buoyr or auxiliary mine which is ,connected-itc tlieiotation chamber may either become incorrectly anchored at such'a depth below the surface lasto be ineffectual against surfacel craft cr'` 4against a submarinetravelling at a short distance below the;l surface, or else it may ascend to thepsurfac/e of the`wate`r`and beresence ofthe submarine. v tol one feature ofthe w.;-

land,v

1 @Non To main mine by means of a suitable delay action device such as. a soluble plug or a hydrostatic/release until after the mine has been launched and the flotation chamber itself has been anchored at the predetermined distance below the surface, the buoy.v

or auxiliary mine being then released from the flotation chamber and the line connecting it to the flotation chamber being allowed to uncoil or pay out until the auxiliary mine has ascended to a predetermined depth below the surface. i

According to another feature of the present invention the final depth of submersion of the auxiliary mine is determined in an accurate manner by means which act independently of the fiotation chamber or main mine, whether the latter has been anchored at the correct Vdepthof submersion or not and wjhether or not the auxiliary mine is allowed to separate from the dotation chamber Vor main mine yimmediately after launching, ornormally-held in contact therewith,

asexplained above, by means 4of a dela action device until after the flotation c amber has been anchored. To this end the line, or a portion of the line, which connects the buoy. to the flotation chamber o'r main mine may be carried upon -a drum or reel and means such as a'hydrostatmay be provided on the auxiliary mine, or on the cable, or on a casing adjacent to the auxiliary mine,

'ed to lock'the drum or otherwise to stop the paying out of the line directly or it may be `associated with an auxiliary line which it releases and which serves to stop the-paying which, when the auxiliary mine has ascendn ed to the predetermined depth below the surout of the linel 'in a similar manner to that i sed in connection with certain classes the flotadepth beof submarine mines for anchorin tion chamber at a. predetermin low the surface, or any of the other methods uio lproposed for this purpose in connection with the anchorage of flotation chambers may also be used for accurately 4anchoring the auxiliary buoy. Alternatively the line may be carried upon payingout gear located either within the flotation chamber, within. the auxiliary mineitself or supportedy ad]acent to the lauxiliary mine or to the flotation chamber, and a hydrostat may be provided which is adapted to release vor actuate a source of power such as a mechanical or compressed air motor, or to complete a battery circuit for actuating an electric motor, thereby rctating (for example through worm gearing) a drum on which the line is wound or actuating a device to which one end of the line is connected. The hydrostat is set so that 1t comes into operation at a predetermined depth below the' surface, and on the prime mover being actuated the line isl either wound in or unwound to the required extent to secure the final anchorage of the auxiliary mine at the proper-' depth below theg surface.

In orderthat the said invention may be clearly lunderstood and readily carriedv into eifect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :--v

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the sequence of operations of the main mine and the auxiliary mine.

Figure 2 is a detail view showing a form of hydrostat release which normally mamtains the auxiliary mine in contact with the main mine or iiotation chamber.

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the paying out gear for the last section of the line which determines the final depth of submersion of the auxiliary mine, and

Figure 4 is an outside View of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 3, 14 is a casing which is located within or attached thtl auxiliary mine. 15 is a drum rotatabiy mounted upon a shaft 151 and- 16 lis a length of auxiliary line lwound upon the drum 15, the line in the example shownbeing 30 feet in length; 29 is the diaphragm of a hydrostat and 291 is a flange bolted to one of the end plates of the drum 15 and provided with openings 292 through which water has access to the diaphragm 29.- 28 is the spindle of the hydrostat which extends through the sleeve 293 ofthe hanged part 291. a recess in the spindle 28 of the hydrostat which co-oper'ates with the ball locking device, the, function of which will hereinafter be described. 142L is a casing which encloses the front part of the hydrostat and the adjacent parts, the said casing being provided with an opening 142 through which water has access to the diaphragm 29 of the hydrostat through the openings 292. The flange 291 is provided with proJections 37,

32 is a ball locking device and 294 is 37 which co-operate with a`spring-controlled plunger 34, 35,36 which'acts as a locking device as hereinafter f described. 30 is an air chamber behind the hydrostatic diaphragm 29, and l27 is a spindle which is locatedwithin a recess inthe fiange 291 and which projects in front of'a boss 271 on the spindle 28 and normally locks the hydrostat lto lock the drum 15 against rotation, and

22 is a soluble plug to which water is admitted after the auxiliary mine has separated from the flotation chamber or main mine so that it dissolves by theaction of the sea water and'releases the locking spindles 24 and 27. 33 is a flanged disc mounted upon the sleeve 293 and spindle 28 which cooperates with the springcontrolled plunger 34, 35, 36 to efect the locking of the drum 15 when the auxiliary mine has reached the set depth of submersion, the said disc beingv controlled bya spring 31 in the manner hereinafter described.

AThe sequence of operations will first be described with reference to the diagrammatic view shown at AFigure 1.

A (Figure 1) illustrates the mine after it has been launched and before it strikes the water. A1 shows the mine after it has sunk to a certain depth below the surface, and A2 shows thetu complete mine after it has risen to the surface.` At the position shown at A3 the plummet is released and the plummet line descends to the depth corresponding to the required depth of submersionof the main line. A.i the sinker has been released and is i'n the act of descending leaving bothv the main and thev auxiliary mines on the .surface until (position A5) the plummet touches the sea bed when the mooring'drum in4 the sinker is automatically-locked. At position'A the main mine or flotation chamber is shown at the set depth of submersion and' at this point the auxiliary mine 1 is released in any suitable manner, for example by a hydrostatic release or alternatively by a soluble plug, a suitable form of hydrostatic release being hereinafter described, and ascends freely (positionv A7) to a position some distance below the depth at which it is to' be anchored. At position A7 a length of moor- At thepositionl shown' atlim ing cable is still retained on a drum carried masses mine 1 is released and the auxiliary mine continues to ascend until the set depth is reached (position A8) whereupon the auxiliry drum is locked, for example by a hydrostatically operated device.

2 (Figure 2) is the main mine or flotation chamber which may be of any suitable construction and which is provided with a projecting flanged part 3 havingan opening 4 adapted to e engaged by `a' plunger 5. The plunger 5 is connected to a hydrostaticv diaphragm 6 located within a casing 7 secured to the auxiliarymie 1. The area of the Ydiaphrzgii 6 as also the strength of the hydrostat spring 8 is such that the plunger 5 is withdrawnv from engagement with the opening 4 in the flange 3 at or slightly above 'the depth at which the flotation chamber or main mine 2 is anchored (position AB) The auxiliary mine is also connected to the main mme by a bracket 9 attached to the main Y mine VYand carrying an upright pin 10 which engages'witlinanvop'eningbinabracket 12 attached to the'auxiliary mine 1. ln view of this arrangement and on the depth being reached for which the hydrostat has been set (position A8) the pin. 5 will be withdrawn out of engagement with the bracket 3 and the auxiliary mine 1 will rise, thus withdrawin the Ibracket 12 from engagement with t e pin 10 carried by the bracket 9. Instead .of attaching the auxiliary mine to the main mine by a hydostatic release as a spring 23 to draw down .the lookin spindle 24 s o that it is disengaged from t e recess ,25. in the ianged'sleeve 291.' The withdrawal such an extent as to allow the auxiliary mine 1 to ascend to the set depth, the hydrostatic pressure on the diaphragm 29 is reduced to 'I5 that. 'at which the" reviously regulated spring 31 has been adJusted, thus allowing the spring 3l to draw out the hydrostatic spindle 28 until the roove 294 formed therein comes opposite t balls 32 of the ball 80"* releasing device. The balls 32 are then forced into the groove 29 thus releasing the part 33. On the part 33 being released it.

is pushed in b the spring 31 and in turn the locking pin 34, said.

moves forwar locking'pin 34 being normally maintained shown at Figure 3.v the dpin 34 being moved forward its front en 36 engages within the' projections 37 'on the flanged 90 sleeve 291 which is bolted to the drum 15 thus preventing further rotation of the same and so stopping the unwinding oi; the auxiliary cable 16. The auxiliary mme is then locked at`the set depth.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent ofthe United States is 1. A submarine mine comprising, a buoyv aforesaid a solubleplug may also bemsedna'nt casing, a otation chamber, a line at- T and in such cases the soluble plug'will be `adapted to dissolveY onl Aafter the main mine has been` anchore at the redetermined depth below the' surface lposition Af).Y The auxiliary mine 1 is of the type which in addition to acting .as a buoy which supports the auxiliary contact devices 13, 13,

. the mine 1 is itself furnished with contact devices 1a which,

on being struck, serve to explode themine. Y l

Referring-more particularly to Figures 3 and 4, one end of the auxiliary line 1 6 which is wound upon the-drum 15 1s connected as shown4 at 1b',to the cablev which carries the' auxiliary contact devices 13, 13, the other end of the line being secured by Fmeans of a ball 18 located within lal cavity 19 in the drum 15. The drum 15V is normally locked and remains locked until the h drostat 6 has released the auxiliary mine 1 om the main" mine and the auxiliary cable with the-con tact devices 13-has unwound to the position' shown at A". When the auxiliary mine 1 leaves the main mine 2 owing to the actual 2 plug 22. Water thereupon haslaccess to thev soluble lug 22 and dissolves the same. The

, dissolution of the soluble plug22 then allows taching said buoyantncasing to said liotation chamber, means for securing' said buoyant casing t0 said flotation chamber until the latter has been anchored," means acting thereafter to release the buoyant casing from s'aid iotation chamber, andmeans B05.,

for arresting-the ascent of sa.i:d.'buoyant aging at a predetermined pome,

2. Asubmarinemme comprising, a buoyant casing, a :dotation `chamber, a hne attaching said buo ant casing t0 said. hote-,11.0

tionchamber, a. elay actionfdevice for securing` said -buo to( said. iotation chamber until the-dotation chamber has been anA chored and thereafterlreleasmg the buoyant casingfrom said otationchamber so as to means acting thereafter to release thebuoyant casing fromfsaidA dotation chamber,

means for arresting-theascent of said buoyant casin at a,r i determined point, and contact evi'cesj l isgosed along .the line which conneots'the uoyant leasing tothe 130 to said iotation chamber until flotation chamber, said contact devices servto release the buoy from the flotation chaming to explode said flotation chamber on bei' and allow it to ascend and means -for being struck. larresting theasce'nt ofwsaid buoy` at a pre- 40 4. A submarine mine comprising, a buoy,y detei'minQ51pOP'fp'- r- YLa Vflotation chambeig'ba liiier`a'r,tacli`ing/said"T'v /llllllluuu` mme oombmsmg a, bota' buoy to said flotation chamber, lmeans for tioncliamber, a buoy, .a length of line atsecurng saidbuoyv to said flotation chamtaching Said buOyjtO Salud HOQMIOII Chumbel, ber until the flotationV chamber has been an-i a device normally holdingsaid buoy in con- 45 Ch0red,^m`e.ns"a 'cting thereafter to release tact Vyitli said flotation chamber so that Said 10 thgbuoy from Salflutaxgmambegtmeans flotation chamber and said buoy consti- L `for arresting the ascent of saidIbTi-oyetT-U-@fgmbmg uut moans Whlob predeterminedpoint, said buoy being pro- 0u the 0 i! haLfLbI'bomg uuohorou fu' vided-With Contact devices'uliich serve to 10W u poumon of sulla vlkmullwwmda aud 50 effect the explosion of-said flotation cliammoans aotm' tboouftol to flousowubu-ull*ifV Y :i5 ber O-u the buoy being Struck by` u passing iaiy length ofV line so as to allow the buoy vessel. to ascend to a set depth after theflotation 5. A Submarineln'line Cion'lprisng, a buoy lld'l'nber,hls dOVn in anchored ant casing, a flotation chamber, a line atloosltlon- 'm taching said buoy 4to said flotationrrvham- .8- A Submarino mme oomblsmg,a flota* 20 ber, means fur Securing Suid buoy to SaQrtion` chamber, a buoy secured to .said flota- ""'\---f}uta+M .nhgmberdmiiinthfuchumtion chamber by a length of line, a deber has been anchored, means acting there- Vibo uol'uluny holding Suuu buoy QQQBQQ f--v^- after t0 release the buoy from Said 0tVatQn-Vl-th`slld"flGiiatIIhmD-m .Sald 60 chamber, means for arresting the ascent of otublob @bomber anu Saud b-uoy oo'ustltuto 2: said-buoy Iat a'predetermined point, and conu Sluzflo launoblng uulta moans Wbohisoutbo tact devices on said buoy and on said linel Hobutlou ohumbolf 'bolug auohoodt the Seb which serve to effect the explosion of said d oPth of munorslona allow a Poton of bho J -ilotation chamber on being struck by a passlm@ oouuootulg @he buoy to the otatlon 65 ing Vessel. l chamber to unwind-freely, means for re- WwtL-*JQA Submarine mine Comprising a buo o leasing an auxiliary lengthA o f line so as to a iotati'chamber, a line attaching said 110W tho buoy to uso/oud to a further eX* buoy to said flotation chamber, a liydrostattout after the otaton Chamber has Settled u cally controlled. device p normally holding dow? 1n the nehm-ed-` Posltlonund hydl`o` 'o Said buoy 'm Contact uv'usuwuO-statieallyk `cpntiolledy means for stopping the 5 35 mmbeusmuutda 10m Chamber und paying out Gefa` auxiliary length of line r Suid buuy (musi-gnu@ a Single luuuchpg unit, when the buoy has ascengded to the set depth.

said device acting at a predetermined Adepth GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

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