Untitled record

Sheets—Sheet 1.

J. H. McLEAN. Marine-Torpedo.

No. 222,718.

Patented Dec. 16, 1879.

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N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTOM. 4.·

Sheets—Sheet 2.

J. H. MoLEAN. Marine-Torpedo.

No. 222,718. Patented Dec. 16, 1879.

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. N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D ¢.

Sheets—Sheet 3.

J. H. MoLEAN. Marine-Torpedo,

No, 222,718. Patented Dec. 16, 1879.

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• PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, 0 C.

United States Patent Office.

JAMES H. McLEAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EIGHTH OF HIS RIGHT TO MYRON COLONEY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MARINE TORPEDOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,718, dated December 16,1879; application filed

February 17, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James H. McLean, M. D., of the city and county of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marine Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are, first, to produce a torpedo which will be cheap in construction, and at the same time effective in operation; second, to produce a torpedo which will automatically attach itself to any vessel which it may be made to approach, and will remain attached to the vessel for an indefinite period until it explodes; third, to combine with a torpedo adapted to automatically attach itself to vessels a suitable time-firing arrangement, by which the explosion of the torpedo can be effected at the proper period; fourth, to adapt torpedoes to approach an enemy at any desired depth of immersion.

To these ends my invention consists, first, in providing a torpedo with a system of magnets, by which it may be made to attach itself automatically to .any vessel which it may approach ; second, in mounting the said -magnets on pivots in such a manner that they will assume a position longitudinal to the torpedo when the latter is passing through the water, so as to offer the least possible resistance to the motion, and on approaching a vessel will turn against it so as to attach the torpedo effectively thereto; third, in providing a torpedo with an automatic propelling apparatus, a magnetic appliance to adapt it to attach itself to the side or bottom of a vessel, and a timefiring apparatus to determine the period of discharge; fourth, in working torpedoes in pairs hinged together, and each provided with a propeller in such a manner that they may run together in parallel position until reaching the object to be destroyed, and will then be turned end onto each other, so that any power remaining unexpended in their respective propellers may be neutralized each by the other; fifth, in providing a torpedo with numerous floats of small size attached by chains, to regulate the depth of immersion.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of torpedoes, one of which is shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the said torpedoes on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, the front portion being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the explosive shell or torpedo proper on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a winding-stop employed in connection with the propelling apparatus. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on a smaller scale, illustrating the operation of the apparatus and the mode of determining its depth of immersion.

The shell A of my torpedo is constructed of any preferred shape, but preferably with the customary conical ends shown in the drawings. It is provided with a suitable time-firing apparatus, B, for which purpose I prefer to use a device operating by clock-work, invented by Myron Coloney, of St. Louis, for which device said Coloney proposes applying for Letters Patent.

The torpedo proper is attached by arms 0 C to a cigar-shaped submarine boat, D, which is kept right side up by an air-chamber, E, and is maintained at any desired depth of submersion by numerous floats, F F, connected to the boat by chains//, of requisite length.

The said floats consist of hollow balls of india-rubber, which will not be liable to attract attention floating in the water.

The torpedo-boat is moved through the water by a screw-propeller, G, which I prefer to drive by springs Η H, acting through the medium of chains I I, fusee-drums J J, and gearing K.

The winding-gear consists of differential wheels K^z K², having diverse numbers of teeth, and carrying on their shafts arms V k², which come together after the necessary number of revolutions, so as to form a winding-stop.

The chains I are attached to sliding heads R, working on guide-rods S, and having attached to them rigid guide-rods T, which work through apertures in the stationary head U.

On one side of the boat are a pair of longitudinal bars, L L, between -which horseshoemagnets Μ M are hung on vertical pivots m m, adapting said magnets to turn freely backward into longitudinal position when the boat s

222,718 is in motion, or to turn radially outward or forward on approaching an iron ship, so as to draw and hold the apparatus in contact therewith.

In order to prevent or neutralize the attraction of the magnets M for the torpedo which carries them, any parts of the torpedo which must be made of iron or steel are suitably magnetized.

A pair of torpedo-boats thus constructed and equipped are coupled together in front by bars N, hinged at η n to the prow of each torpedo, the magnets Μ M being on the outer sides of the boats, and fixed magnets M' being also applied to the coupling-bars N.

To hold the paired boats in parallel position while passing through the water, I employ a brace, O, fixed to one boat, as ato o, and slipping at the other end into sockets p p in a lug or bracket, Γ, attached to the side of the other boat. This attachment holds theboats in proper relative position while in motion, but permits them to be drawn out of their parallel position by the attraction of the magnets against the side or bottom of the vessel.

The apparatus will thus be seen to operate in the following manner: The time-firing mechanism B being set to produce the explosion after the required interval and the propelling apparatus wound up to the required extent, the boats are started on their mission in the positions shown in Fig. 5, being carefully guided in the right direction. On reach-, ing the vessel to be destroyed the magnets M immediately draw the two boats around in line against the side of the vessel, where they are held point to point, any remaining force in the propellers being neutralized one b.y the other, as they will now operate in precisely opposite directions. To render the result more certain, it is the intention to regulate the timetiring apparatus so that the explosion will be delayed for a considerable period, which may be half an hour (more or less) after the propellers have come to rest.

When once the numerous magnets have taken hold there is no possibility of their becoming detached.

In the event of the enemy being protected by netting extending down below the waterline, the torpedo is still rendered effective by lengthening the chains//, so as to insure the torpedo passing underneath the netting. The chains being then caught by the edge of the netting, the torpedo is drifted up against the ship in the most· effective manner.