Manual for submarine miningUnited States. War Department
History
Manual for submarine mining
United States. War Department
Submarine mines -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Two fuses are connected in multiple across the ends of the secondary
terminals. These terminals are 10 inches in length, to allow ample
margin for inserting fuses in the primer.
The transformer is of the step-down type and is rated at 22.5 watts, 60
cycles, 500 volts primary, and 14 volts secondary.
The mine circuit when normal is such that 80 volts should give only
30 mil-amperes, but a mine may be fired even when the circuit is so
defective that 80 volts give 120 mil-amperes.
Furthermore, 150 volts D. C. may be applied to the primary without
danger of explosion.
An explosion can not be produced unless the A. C. busses on the
operating board are energized, and as long as the firing switch on the
master block is open, there is no danger from accidental closing of
switches in making mine tests or from short circuits in the mine.
NOTE.—In designing this transformer the following variations were
considered: (_a_) Omitting reactance and tapping to ball seat beyond
primary of transformer; (_b_) using a condenser; (_c_) using two sets
of fuses, so as to be able to fire with either D. C. or A. C. All were
eliminated, as they impaired either the safety, the simplicity, or the
efficiency of the system.
=The circuit closer.=—This, when used with the buoyant mine, consists
of the following parts: The cap, the spring plate, the distance ring,
the steel ball, and the ball seat, which, when assembled, are mounted
on the top of the mine transformer.
=The ground mine case.=—The form and details of construction adopted
for the service pattern are the following (see fig. 9): The case is
cast-iron, in form a segment of a sphere, of which the height is
two-thirds of the radius. The bottom is nearly flat, with a central
sand-hole plug to empty the casting. Six internal radial ribs are added
to give additional supports to the top; the loading hole, 5½ inches in
diameter (3 inches in old pattern), is at the pole and is closed by a
compound plug. Before acceptance a hydraulic pressure of 100 pounds per
square inch must be borne without developing leakage.
Only one size of ground mine has been introduced into our service. This
pattern is designed to contain from 200 to 300 pounds of explosive
and to rest on the bottom in water not exceeding 35 feet in depth at
high tide. The dimensions are as follows: Radius of the sphere, 21⁹/₁₀
inches; diameter of the base, 40 inches; extreme height, 25 inches;
thickness of iron, seven-tenths of an inch; weight, empty in the air,
1,355 pounds; when submerged it loses 515 pounds. The capacity of this
case is about 5 cubic feet.
[Illustration: FIG. 9.—Ground mine case.]
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