The connections between these pole changers and switches, and the apparatus they operate or control on board the boat, are as follows—that is to say, the said propelling engines have a throttle valve, which controls the admission of the gas from its generator or reservoir to the cylinders of the said engine, and in combination with this valve in the boat there is a shunt and set of electro magnets. The armature of the latter is connected with a lever, which is pivoted so that the action of the electric current in one direction through these magnets will pull one end of the said lever down, and the action of the current in the other direction will pull its other end down—that is to say, by reversing the current through these magnets the movement of the said lever is reversed; and this lever, connected by suitable means with the slide of the said throttle valve, will open or close the same, and thereby start or stop the engine as required.
For operating and controlling the above-described steering apparatus, and indicating the position of the rudder to the operator on shore, the following devices are employed, in combination with the pole changers s2, s3 on the keyboard:—The pole changers are geared together by insulated toothed wheels, which are fixed on the spindles or axes of the said pole changers, so that the latter work accurately together and maintain the same relative positions to each other. The pole changer s2 is connected by one of the said insulated cable wires with a shunt on board the boat, which shunt is connected with a set of magnets arranged in combination with the valve of the engine that drives the steering apparatus, and which valve is reversed or opened and closed by the reversal of the currents through the said magnets, as above described, and the said engine moves the rudder to port or starboard at the will of the operator. In order that the operator may know the exact position of the rudder at any moment, a series of pins or projections fixed on an arc or other portion of the rudder stock, and arranged in combination with an insulated spring projecting into the path of the said series of pins, are employed. This spring is connected by one of the cable wires with the pole changer s3 on the keyboard, which is geared with and moves in unison with the pole changer s2, so that the electric current that controls the steering engine, and the current that returns the indication of the rudder's position, will both be reversed simultaneously. A separate battery is connected with the index on the said keyboard, whereby a constant current is maintained between this index and the indicating apparatus on the boat.
The current passing from the said spring to the shore is made to indicate the position of the rudder by the index on the keyboard by the contrivance shown in [Fig. 129]. This contrivance consists of a set of magnets w, which have a vibrating armature w1 pivoted to oscillate between them. One end of the armature lever is provided with insulated spring pawls w2, which take into ratchet wheels w3. On the same shafts on which these ratchet wheels are fixed are wheels w* formed with insulated teeth and geared with each other. The shaft of one of these wheels is geared by bevel pinions w4 with a vertical shaft w5, to which is attached the index needle or finger x**, [Fig. 128]. Therefore it will be obvious that this index finger is placed in connection with the aforesaid spring and series of pins attached to the rudder yoke on board the boat.
Now it will be obvious that when the rudder is turned in either direction these pins will come successively in contact with the said spring, and at each contact and separation the circuit will be made and broken, and an impulse will be transmitted through the cable, whereby a corresponding movement will be transmitted to the said index finger or pointer x** on the keyboard.
The pole changer s4 is connected with another of the insulated wires of the cable, which on board the boat is connected with a shunt and set of magnets arranged in combination with the aforesaid cylinders that operate the said guiding rods, so that by sending the current in one direction the said rods will be raised, and by sending the current in the opposite direction the said rods will be lowered.
The switch s5 is connected with another of the said insulated wires of the cable, which forms the circuit, including the aforesaid two resistance coils.
By adjusting this switch the operator completes the circuit through the two resistance coils, and then, but not till then, the charge can be exploded, either by the operator, or by the action of the firing pin or rod when the same is driven in and cuts out the other resistance coils as above described. The resistance coil X1, [Fig. 124], is connected to the binding screws 9, 10 by the wires 7 and 8. These binding screws are in metallic connection with the two springs X, but otherwise they are carefully insulated. One pole of the fuze Y is connected to the binding screw 10, the other put to earth through the body of the boat, as at E; the main wire 11 is connected to the binding screw 9. Now when the operator cuts out the resistance coil at the firing station, which is done by moving the switch s6, the electric current is sufficiently powerful to ignite the fuze Y through the resistance coil X1, so that at any moment the torpedo may be exploded by the operator on shore, or by the contact between the torpedo and the attacked vessel the rod V will be driven in, and, coming in contact with the springs X, will bridge over the space that originally existed between them and so cut out the resistance coil X1, and the torpedo will be exploded automatically.
Capabilities of the Lay Torpedo Boat.—The capabilities of the Lay torpedo boat are as follows:—
1.—It may be launched from the shore, a vessel, or a structure, and be kept under observation, and accurately guided or directed to the ship or other object to be attacked; and it may be exploded at any desired moment, or it may be caused to return to the original point of departure without being fired.
2.—It may be totally and instantaneously submerged to prevent its destruction or capture by the enemy, and it may be raised to the surface, as soon as the danger has passed, in a condition fit for immediate action.