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US 4,359,957 AGranted
Torpedo and operating method
AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorJ. William Schnabel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorJ. William Schnabel
Estimating the term…
To prevent the accumulation of a gas bubble at the inner end portion of a torpedo tube, exhaust gases are not discharged from an improved torpedo until after the torpedo has moved out of the torpedo tube. The improved torpedo includes a gas powered engine which rotates a hollow drive shaft to effect rotation of torpedo drive propellers in a known manner. During operation of the engine, there is a continuous flow of gas through the engine into the hollow drive shaft. When the torpedo is in the torpedo tube, gas is conducted from the hollow drive shaft through a manifold to a storage tank. Water which may accumulate in the hollow drive shaft is centrifugally slung outwardly against the side wall of the rotating drive shaft. Tubes extend through the water to a central portion of the drive shaft so that the gas can be conducted through the water in the shaft to the manifold and storage tank. When the torpedo has moved out of the torpedo tube, the pressure of the stored gas causes a valve to open and gas is discharged from the torpedo through the drive shaft and valve.
A method of discharging a torpedo from a torpedo tube, said method comprising the steps of providing gas under pressure in the torpedo while the torpedo is in the torpedo tube, conducting the gas to an engine within the torpedo, operating the engine under the influence of the gas to move a torpedo drive element in water in the torpedo tube, moving the torpedo out of the torpedo tube under the influence of forces applied against the water in the torpedo tube by the drive element, continuously flowing gas through and discharging gas from the engine during operation of the engine and movement of the torpedo out of the torpedo tube, storing gas discharged from the engine in the torpedo during movement of the torpedo out of the torpedo tube, and initiating a discharge of gas from the torpedo only after the torpedo has moved completely out of the torpedo tube.
A torpedo comprising a source of gas under pressure, an engine operable under the influence of gas pressure and connected in fluid communication with said source of gas, drive means operable to apply force to water to move said torpedo through the water, a hollow rotatable drive shaft connected with said engine and said drive means, said engine being operable to discharge gas into and to rotate said drive shaft during operation of said drive means, tank means for holding gas, manifold means circumscribing said drive shaft and connected in fluid communication with said tank means for receiving a flow of gas from the interior of said drive shaft, orifice means connected in fluid communication with the interior of said drive shaft for conducting a flow of gas from said torpedo into the water, and valve means operable between a closed condition blocking gas flow through said orifice means and an open condition enabling gas to flow through said orifice means, said manifold means conducting a flow of gas from the interior of said drive shaft to said tank means during operation of said engine with said valve means in the closed condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.