Ships – Torpedoes
Patent
1996-09-06
1997-09-16
Carone, Michael J.
Ships
Torpedoes
114318, 114238, B63G 832
Patent
active
056668970
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a submarine weapon-handling and discharge system (WHDS) and to a submarine incorporating such a system. It is particularly concerned to provide a new torpedo WHDS.
Conventional torpedo WHDS in modern submarines utilise a torpedo tube arrangement in which a plurality, usually four or six, of torpedo tubes are positioned so as to extend through the pressure hull in a generally forward direction. The torpedoes are loaded into the tubes from a weapon-handling compartment located inside the pressure hull.
The position of the weapon-handling compartment is, therefore, fixed in relation to the location of the torpedo tubes while the tubes themselves are usually constrained by the size and position of the large main bow sonar array. The torpedoes are stowed on complex racks inside the weapon-handling compartment aligned with the tubes in order to allow the torpedoes to be loaded when required. Usually a mix of various torpedoes and anti-ship missiles is carried with a stowage capacity of about twenty weapons.
To launch a torpedo, first the appropriate weapon is selected from the various types stowed in the compartment and moved along the rack system until it is behind the selected torpedo tube. The torpedo tube is checked that it is empty of water and the outer door is closed. The inner door is opened and the torpedo is pushed in to the tube along rails. The inner door is then closed and locked while the submarine's fire control system feeds targeting data into the torpedo. At this point the outer door is opened as well as the outer hatch in the hull and the torpedo is launched, usually by forcing water in behind it. Sometimes the torpedo can "swim" out under its own power.
The present invention aims to provide an improved system whereby the complexity of the torpedo rack system may be reduced, the weapons-carrying capacity of the submarine may be significantly increased, the flexibility of the choice of weapon to be discharged may be improved and the loading of weapons into their stowed position is simplified.
Accordingly, in a first aspect of the invention provides a submarine having a pressure hull and an external casing, means to stow and discharge weapons, eg torpedoes, being located between the pressure hull and the external casing.
The means to stow the weapons is preferably provided as a rack of weapon canisters riding on rails attached to the outside of the pressure hull. The rack is preferably circular, ie the rails circumscribe a circle around the pressure hull. The weapons, eg torpedoes, are, therefore, carried inside the canisters and each canister is locked on to the continuous rails and is provided with means to launch its weapon.
The outer casing is provided with suitable hatches through which the weapons may be discharged and the rack may be rotatable so that selected weapons can be positioned in alignment with the hatches ready for launch.
Thus in another aspect of the invention provides a weapons-handling and discharge system for a submarine which comprises a rack for attachment around the exterior of the pressure hull of a submarine, canisters to contain weapons, an exterior casing provided around the pressure hull, the canisters being located between the pressure hull and the exterior casing, means to lock the canisters to the rack, a forward or rearward facing aperture in the casing and means to discharge the weapon through the aperture.
A single rack, which may be formed, for example, of two or three rails extending around the exterior of the pressure hull, may carry, for example, forty canisters. A canister may be designed to carry more than one weapon, eg a double weapon canister would allow forty weapons to be stowed in twenty canisters. Hence forty weapons can be carried by a single rack system, which is a considerably increase in weapon-carrying capacity compared to the twenty torpedoes of a conventional submarine. Moreover, it is possible to provide a submarine with two WHDS's of the invention, ie one forward and one rear-facing system, the latter positioned t
REFERENCES:
patent: 1037519 (1912-09-01), Peacock
patent: 1356294 (1920-10-01), Kuhajda
patent: 1370467 (1921-03-01), McMahon
patent: 2390688 (1945-12-01), Bradberry
patent: 2921501 (1960-01-01), Parot
patent: 3356056 (1967-12-01), Lehmann
patent: 3368510 (1968-02-01), Humphrey
patent: 3969977 (1976-07-01), Opdahl et al.
Carone Michael J.
John Lindsay & Son (Decorators) Ltd.
Lattig Matthew J.
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