Buoyancy-varying device.

Application filed October 20,1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dorsey F. Asbury, a citizen of the United States, and resident °*^the fity of Washington, in the District of 5 Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buoyancy-Varying Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to buoyancy varvinc ' 10 devices.

³³ purpose to provide a device which will operate automatically under predetermined conditions to vary the buoyancy of a body adapted to be supported by and 15 travel m fluid. The variation of buoyancy effected by . my device may be either the transformation of a negative buoyancy to a positive, buoyancy or the transformation of a positive buoyancy to a negative buoy20 ancy, or it may simply vary a negative buoyancy or vary a positive buoyancy. In each instance the essential of my invention remains unchanged in that I always automatically release an element from the body 25 finder predetermined conditions to effect the variation in buoyancy. In cases where the buoyancy is to be transformed from a negative to positive the element released will possess a relatively high specific gravity 30 such as pelleted lead, while in cases where it is desired to transform the buoyancy of a body from positive to negative the element released will possess a relatively low specific gravity such as pelleted cork. ’ ³⁵ , ¹ disclose my invention in the best form known to me at present and as applied to an automobile torpedo and more particularly to a practice head for such torpedo for the purpose of transforming a negative buoyancy of the torpedo to a positive buoyancy under predetermined conditions; but it will be understood that it can also be applied to submarine boats, aeroplanes and airships, and that it is susceptible to im45 provement in forms, proportions, and details of construction and to desirable additions, by the exercise of ordinary mechanical skill and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

⁵⁰₊^Wr-r T^{y in}T^ention i^s applied to an automobile torpedo for the purpose of transforming a. negative buoyancy to a positive buoyancy it serves, during practice firing

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

Serial No. 56,926.

in deep water,, to. prevent the loss of the torpedo by obviating the danger of sinking 55 due to negative buoyancy; and also to encourage greater effort to recover a lost torpedo by dispelling the idea that it has sunk. . In the drawings chosen to illustrate my invention,, the scope whereof is pointed out 60 in the claims, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an automobile torpedo provided with a practice head embodying my invention; Fig. 2. an enlarged vertical section through the practice head of the torpedo; Fig. 3, a 65 section on the line 3—3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a top view of the weight holding head; Fig. 5, a section on the line 5—5 of Fig. 2, with the weight holding head removed; and Fig. 6, a top view of tbe weight container. 70

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters. of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, A indicates generally an automobile torpedo which includes a bodv portion 10 and a practice 75 head 11, the latter being secured to the body in lieu of the usual war head during practice firing. The body 10 contains the air flask, propelling mechanism, and gyroscopic control all as is well known. 80 , The practice head. 11 comprises an outer shell 12 which carries a securing ring 13 at its inner end, said ring being attached directly to the body 10 by means of screws 14. The head 11 further comprises an in.- 85 ner shell B disposed in spaced relation to the outer shell and forming in conjunction with the latter a liquid reservoir 15. This inner shell B includes an intermediate portion 16, a fore portion 17, and an aft por- 90 tion 18. The intermediate portion 16 and fore portion 17 are secured together by a binding wire 19, while the intermediate portion 16 and aft portion 18 are provided respectively with overlying securing flanges 95 20, the flange 20 of the portion 17 bearing against the ring 13. A protecting ring 21 lies against the flange 20 of the portion 18 and fastening devices 22 are passed through the ring 21 and flanges 20 into the ring 13 100 to secure the inner and outer shells of the head in proper assembled relation. The intermediate portion 16 of the inner shell B is provided with opposite alined openings 23 and a tubular member 24 has its ends 105 secured m these openings respectively, said

1,180,366 member thus communicating at both ends with the reservoir 15. Disposed within the inner shell B and surrounding the member 24 is a filler of buoyant material C, prefer5 ably cork.

The outer shell 12 is provided with an opening 25 which alines with the bore of the member 24 and is disposed on the keel side, of the torpedo. Secured in this open10 ing in any suitable manner is the open outer end of a weight container 26. This container extends into the bore of the member 24 and has its inner end closed by a head 27 provided with a plurality of openings 28 15 each of which is closed by a disk 29 secured to.the inner side of the head by means of a suitable uniting material adapted to be ruptured by a predetermined pressure of the liquid in the reservoir for the purpose of per20 mitting the liquid to enter the container 26.

Secured to the. inner side of the head 27 is a collapsible diaphragm 30 which is protected by a surrounding casing 31 attached to the head and formed in any suitable 25 manner.' The side wall of the casing 31 is provided with a plurality of slots 32 whereby the pressure of liquid in the container may be exerted upon the diaphragm. Mounted in the container 26 are bridge 30 guides 33 and 34 and slidable in these guides is a rod 35, the upper end of which is secured to the lower end of the diaphragm 30, while the lower end of the rod carries a head 36 slidable in a cup bearing 37 formed 35 integral with the guide bridge 34. In order to releasably secure a loose weight in the container 26 I provide a head 38 having a central opening 39 and a transverse groove 40, the latter being disposed on the inner 40 side of the head but opening through the outer side, thereof at its ends. Pivotally mounted in the groove 40 are oppositely disposed gravity released latches 41 adapted, when in locked position, to engage a 45 shoulder 42 on the inner wall of the container and thereby secure the head 38 against outward movement. In the assembled relation of the parts the head 36 is disposed between and engaged by the inner 50 ends of the . latches 41 and serves to hold said latches in locked position. By providing the opening 39 the interior of the container communicates constantly with the sea and therefore the diaphragm 30 is al55 ways subjected, to the depth of the pressure of the sea. Disposed within the container 26 and normally supported by the head 38 is a weight 43, the automatic discharge of which from the container 26 to the sea under 60 predetermined conditions serves to transform the negative buoyancy of the torpedo to a positive buoyancy and thereby float the torpedo. The outer shell 12 carries the usual calcium carbid. pot 44 which. serves as es a tracer in the well known manner.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assume first; that the torpedo is fired and sinks before completing its run. The water pressure inside the container 26 will increase. as the torpedo sinks and eventually 70 the diaphragm 30 will collapse sufficiently to raise the rod 35 and disengage the head 36 from between the inner ends of the latches 42 when said latches will move to unlock position under the influence of 75 gravity and permit the head 38 to fall away from the torpedo. The lead pellets of which the weight 43 is formed will then run out. of the container 26 and by the release of this weight the negative buoyancy 80 of the torpedo will be transformed to a positive buoyancy so that the torpedo will then float until recovered. Assume second; that the torpedo makes its run and hits the ob- ,. ject at which it is fired. The blow of the 85 head 11 against the object will dent' the shell 12 and increase the liquid pressure in the reservoir 15. This increased liquid pressure will rupture the disks 29 and finally act upon the diaphragm 30 to effect the re- eo lease of the head 38 and the discharge of the shot forming the weight 43 when the torpedo will float until recovered. Assume third; that the torpedo makes its run but misses the object at which it is fired. Un- 95 less its normal buoyancy is lost due to leakage no action of the device will take place and the head 11 will remain intact for another shot. However, if water should leak into the air flask or other portions of 100 the body 10 and cause the torpedo to sink the. action of the device will be the same as in the first instance.

In the application of the device as illustrated and described I attain a decided ad- 105 vantage by the use of a weight formed of a large number of pellets in that such a weight is certain, to run out in case the torpedo is badly listed or in nearly vertical position. ‘ ₁₁₀

Where I use the term “material” in the’ claims to indicate the element released from the body under predetermined conditions I wish to include within the scope of said term any. substance or element whether it be 115 liquid, solid or gaseous.