torpedo tubes

[pekelney]

Does anyone have any drawings for Fleet Submarine torpedo tubes?  We are looking for any drawings to help us replicate the outer door gaskets, and to service the hydraulic ram packing. Note this is not in 21-Inch Submerged Torpedo Tubes, Ordnance Pamphlet 1085, Mark 32-39.

Thank you,

rich

[Darrin]

Rich,

I have somewhere in storage the TM3&2 and the TM1C Manuals, and I don't remember them really going into detail on the Muzzle Door gaskets, I do remember on 688's that the hydraulic ram packing were called "chevron packing" for obvious reasons and while it was not recommended that tubes #1&2 could be changed while in the water it could be safely done and it was NOT recommended that #3&4 be done while in the water and yes I once changed those ram packings while in the water due to the amount of water coming into the boat..    Best part was it wasn't even MY BOAT, I was a rider who got stuck with fixing the damned things

On a serious note, I can and will go look in the storage locker and see if I can find the box holding those manuals for you Rich if you don't have them already

Darrin

[pekelney]

We are looking for drawings of the fleetsub tubes.  Unfortunately the TM3&2 and the TM1C Manuals will not help here.

Thank you,

rich

[Darrin]

Rich,

I was a TM3 on first flight 688's and for the life of me I cannot remember replacing the Muzzle Door gaskets unless they were leaking badly and that procedure would have been done in a drydock period by the shipyard and as far as the Chevron Packing which I don't believe that the WWII boats had, those on the 688's could be done in the water and their are two of them on each ram (at least on 688's) and yes they can be put in upside down  

When the USS HONOLULU (SSN-718) went through her shipyard period in '93-'94 we did work on the shutter door area to replace the shutter door shoes and clean out the free flood areas long story on that one and a stupid idea for cleaning out the free floods at the time and I was at sea a LOT with Squadron 7 so I don't know if the Muzzle Doors gaskets were replaced or not..

So my friend dig out those shipyard plans from ALL of the boats you have and good luck, it's either that or sweet talk one of our permenantly drydocked bretheren to open their Muzzle Doors up once more and take the measurements for the outer diameter and then guesstimate on the thickness of the rubber gasket.

Darrin

[Karen D.]

Rich,

I combed through our blueprints, but didn't see any reference to the gaskets. But, I also don't have a lot of experience reading the blueprints either! Here is our list of blueprints. If you find one or more that might help, let me know which ones and I will take another look.

Karen

P.S. If anyone else is in need of drawings, feel free to look through the list to see if we have what you are loking for.

[Darrin]

WOW Karen,

You have what appears to be ALL of the blue prints for the Cobia

Rich, I believe that even without seeing the blue prints you might want to look at #59,60 those are the muzzle door and shafting drawings...

BZ to you Karen

[Jim]

59 & 60?  What column from Karen's list is that from?  I am getting ready to go through all of Pampanitos and Batfish/Archerfish drawings and the nomenclature control would help me.   

[Darrin]

Jim,

They are plan numbers 1770-8, 1770-10 Drawer #1, Folder #4, Print# 13,14..

These aren't listed by plan number just how they are logged in and where they are stored broken down on an Excel spread sheet, which is quite handy BTW

Darrin

[Jim]

Karen do guys happen to have the plans for the stern "screw guards" in there somewhere?  As an aside, what do the plaques on the riverwalk down the port side say?

[Karen D.]

We have ALMOST all of them. I can look though the list for anything that might show the screw guards.

The Riverwalk plaques are for the 28 submarines that were built here in Manitowoc.

Karen

[pekelney]

The Cobia collection is amazing.  I have emailed Karen and she is going to look for the following prints:

P70-C   P70-C-61   159105 ALT.3   TORPEDO TUBE MUZZLE DOOR MODIFICATION FOR TEE TYPE GASKET   
P70-C   P70-C-99   376181   MUZZLE DOOR MECHANISM - MODIFICATION OF 329622-1 FOR "T" GASKET
P70-C   P70-C-88   376189   MUZZLE DOOR MECHANISM - DOOR MODIFICATION OF 225219-1 FOR "T" GASKET
P70-C   P70-C-88   376189   MUZZLE DOOR MECHANISM- DOOR MODIFICATION OF 225219-1 FOR "T" GASKET
P70-C   P70-C-97   376190   MUZZLE DOOR MECHANISM - DOOR MODIFICATION OF 284893-1 FOR "T" GASKET
P70-C   P70-C-97   376190   MUZZLE DOOR MECHANISM - DOOR MODIFICATION OF 284893-1 FOR "T" GASKET
P70-C   P70-C-96   785754   ASSEMBLY 21" SUBMERGED TORPEDO TUBE DOOR MECHANISM  MK. 3 MOD. 1 (MUZZLE) R.H.   
P70-C   P70-C-82   785755   ASSEMBLY 21" SUBMERGED TORPEDO TUBE DOOR MECHANISM  MK. 3 MOD. 2 (MUZZLE) L.H.   

Hopefully the "T" and "TEE" gasket modifications match Pampanito.  It is our intention to make a soft tool (aluminum) and to mold N-Buna rubber gaskets before our next drydock in 2014.  If this works out we will contact the other boats to see if they want gaskets as well.  I am guessing the rubber is bad on many of the museum fleet boats.

rich

[Darrin]

Ya know not only are the Muzzle Door gaskets are probably bad on ALL of the museum boats, I am certain that most if not ALL of the boats upper hatch gaskets are bad... SO in my feeble mind, i have to ask the question of what it will cost to have the gaskets made for all of the upper hatches remade? i.e. Conning tower hatch, After Battery hatch, Crews Mess hatch.. And others for those special enough NOT to have their weapons shipping hatches removed and replaced with dog houses and stair wells... Cough COD Cough

[pekelney]

When we figure out how to make these we will contact all the ships.  We are focusing on the torpedo tubes because they are below the waterline.  The deck hatches, main induction, etc. are less critical, but they will become an issue at some point.  We will look at the other gaskets once we see how hard/expensive the custom gaskets for the tubes are.

rich

[Jim]

I haven't seen the drawings on the above waterline gaskets but, couldn't you make a mold and pour a urethane "T" gasket for them?  The are not going to see any Bar-pressures just keep the rain out.  If you get prints Ricf shoot me some and let me see what I can do.

[pekelney]

Karen and WMM crew found the drawings.  They were scanned bitmap so they are bit hard to read, but they can be read.  Take a look at:
http://maritime.org/tech/drawings/torpedo-muzzle-door-mod_buord376181-cobia-P70-C-99.jpg
http://maritime.org/tech/drawings/torpedo-muzzle-door-mod_buord376190_cobia-P70-C-97a.jpg
http://maritime.org/tech/drawings/torpedo-muzzle-door-mod_buord376190-cobia-P70-C-97.jpg
http://maritime.org/tech/drawings/torpedo-muzzle-door-mod_buord376189_cobia-P70-C-88.jpg
http://maritime.org/tech/drawings/torpedo-muzzle-door-mod_ss-57502-159105alt3_cobia-P70-C-61.jpg

These are from 1951.  We will not know if they match Pampanito until we get one of the doors open again (we are working on #1 which is above the water line.)  These are also drawings of the door, from which we can infer the shape of the gasket.  However, it would still be great if we could find a drawing of the gasket (or an actual spare gasket.)

We really appreciate Wisconsin Maritime Museum's help in finding these drawings.

rich