[edward]

Any ideas? I picked this up yesterday, came off a wreck purported to be carrying 1500 mines of various types, a WW1 sinking.

It is brass, 4.5" diameter with a domed, perforated top retained by 10 or 12 small bolts. It looks from the gunk on it to have been fitted to a steel plate about 3/16ths thick. The back is a brass case. There is a brass 'shuttle' inside that moves in and out of the top part, and stretched across the middle is a rubber diaphragm. The remains of a spring were in the brass back case, designed to hold the shuttle forward.

It looks to me like it is something designed to pull in the pin as pressure (depth) increased on the outside of the diapragm, so could it be some kind of depth release for a mine of some sort?

I'll put up some better pice once it is cleaned up. In the meantime does anyone have good sources for info on this kind of stuff, or any better ideas?

Attached a pic and badly-drawn sketch cross-section.

 

[Kirstie]

Looks like a chocolate chip muffin to me, but then, I haven't had my lunch yet.

 

[edward]

Looks like a chocolate chip muffin to me, but then, I haven't had my lunch yet.

If you fancy a bite, I'll post it to you might damage the teeth a bit though. To satisfy your squidge addiction, the wreck was clearly not dived much as it was plastered with crabs, lobsters etc, along with more congers than I've seen in a while. there were probably some slugs too

 

[Jay_Benson]

If you fancy a bite, I'll post it to you might damage the teeth a bit though. To satisfy your squidge addiction, the wreck was clearly not dived much as it was plastered with crabs, lobsters etc, along with more congers than I've seen in a while. there were probably some slugs too

Kirstie will want to know if there are enough spider crabs there to keep her going more than lobsters etc.

 

[Kirstie]

Do you know, spider crabs are becoming more aggressive? The last couple of dives I've done where I've seen them, they've physically jumped at me and grabbed at my camera! One actually launched itself off the wall at Firestone, waving its claws and trying to pinch me.

Word has obviously got out.......

 

[MRKYMARK]

fusey timery thing i think!

 

[chrisch]

Do you know, spider crabs are becoming more aggressive? The last couple of dives I've done where I've seen them, they've physically jumped at me and grabbed at my camera! One actually launched itself off the wall at Firestone, waving its claws and trying to pinch me.......

Look for the ones with seaweed on them. The ones you are dealing with are skinheads.

 

[edward]

Not sure it is a timer, no mechanism. it looks to me that the shuttle pin sticks out the top of the dome bit, then as depth increases the diphragm moves in against the spring, pulling the pin down and perhaps releasing something? it might perhaps relese the mine from its cradle at depth or something like that.

Cleaned up pictures to follow as soon as I can.

 

[Kirstie]

Look for the ones with seaweed on them. The ones you are dealing with are skinheads.

They're all b*stards as far as I'm concerned.

 

[TerryH]

Looks like a thermostat or pressure relief valve.
Could be as you say to do with a mine or maybe it's just part of the ship.

 

[The Duck]

Not sure it is a timer, no mechanism. it looks to me that the shuttle pin sticks out the top of the dome bit, then as depth increases the diphragm moves in against the spring, pulling the pin down and perhaps releasing something? it might perhaps relese the mine from its cradle at depth or something like that.

Cleaned up pictures to follow as soon as I can.

Sounds like the depth sensor for a depth charge firing mechanism - though this is a pure guess as I've never actually seen one.

 

[42]

it's not a porthole

 

[edward]

I think it is a depth release, but designed to pull the pin in at depth. I guess it could fire something. I'm strugging to find a source. is that museum of naval weapons still around in Gosport?

 

[edward]

it's not a porthole

I did look, honest

 

[MRKYMARK]

Not sure it is a timer, no mechanism. it looks to me that the shuttle pin sticks out the top of the dome bit, then as depth increases the diphragm moves in against the spring, pulling the pin down and perhaps releasing something? it might perhaps relese the mine from its cradle at depth or something like that.

Cleaned up pictures to follow as soon as I can.

yeh, i think you may find numbers all along the edge of the dome, you would turn the dome, and that made the plunger go up and down according to the time you wanted to set.
that is, if its what i am thinking it is!

 

[edward]

Maybe, although the dome is solid and was fixed with about 10 bolts. I think it might be from the cradle part rather than the mine itself, but I might be wrong.

Next time I might bring up a whole mine and make it into a bath or toilet Seven Incredible Steampunk Bathroom Fixtures - 1-800-Recycling coooool!

 

[Kirstie]

Google Image Result for http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/decouvertes/ImagesDecouvertes/collfus/KZ14b.jpg

We've got one of these at home - could it be this?

 

[MRKYMARK]

thats the sort of thing i'm thinking of

 

[petlowe]

I think it is a depth release, but designed to pull the pin in at depth. I guess it could fire something. I'm strugging to find a source. is that museum of naval weapons still around in Gosport?

IF it's from the mine it's either going to arm it or release the cradle............
They did not have acoustic mines in WW1.

 

[GSK]

not sure of its official name but I think Angela would call it "crap"