Patent GB-190307970-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and connected with Mechanism for Operating Bulkhead Doors and the like.
Inventor: PRESTON FREDERICK GEORGE PANIZ
IPC: B63B19/00
Filed: 1903-04-06
Granted: 1904-07-06
Abstract: 7970. Preston, F. G. P., and Ralston, G. C. April 6. Bulkhead doors.-Consists of means for simultaneously opening or closing all the bulkhead doors in a ship or other structure, either hydraulically or pneumatically, from a central station, at the same time affording facilities for momentarily opening any one door to permit any person enclosed to pass through, the door closing after him. Means for signalling from the central station just before the doors are closed, and indicating at the central station the completion of the operation, are also provided. Fig. 1 shows one arrangement, and is a diagrammatic representation of the disposition of the several parts. The door e is operated by rack and pinion gearing from the cylinders f, g, which are of equal area and supplied with water under pressure by the controlling-valve x. The valve x is actuated by ( 1 ) the handle 21 at the door, (2) a weight 28, which falls when water enters the compartment and raises the float 23, and (3) the handle 45 at the central station operating through the slide valve 40, arranged to connect the controlling-main r either with the pressure main p or the exhaust main 52. The accumulator a, a' is of the same construction as that described in Specification No. 3524, A.D. 1902, and is supplied by the pipe 36 from the pumps, the pipe h being connected with the boiler feed-pump branch. A similar system is also described, in which the cylinders f, g are of unequal areas, pressure from the main p being always on the smaller piston, the larger one having pressure supplied and exhausted by the controlling-valve x. Several different constructions of this coutrolling-valve are described with reference to each of the two systems. In one form, Figs. 2 and 3, applied to the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, a slide valve t, operated by a piston w, admits the water under pressure to either end of the cylinders from the pipe o. In the position shown the door is open. To close it from the bridge, the slide valve 40 ismoved to admit water under pressure to the controlling-main r, and thence by the pipe q to the back of the piston w by the passages 1, 2, 3. Water is thus admitted to the other end of the cylinder, the exhaust taking place through suitable ports, and the door closes. To close the door by the handle 21, the valve 15 is raised by the handle, thereby admitting pressure through the passages 1, 2, 3 to the piston as before described, a ball valve being placed in the pipe q to prevent direct passage to the exhaust. To open the door, at the door, after it has been closed from the bridge or bilge, the handle 21 is moved and lifts the valve 6 against the upper seat 4, exhausting the space 3 by way of the passage 8x, the slide valve returning to its normal position. The action of the bilge float upon rising is to release the weight 28, which operates the valve 15 and closes the door as above described. An alternative valve is described, in which the slide valve is operated by the differential action of two pistons controlled by lift valves operated by the handle at the door and the bilge-float weight. Fig. 6 shows the arrangement and form of valves in use with the system operated by the differential action of the cylinders f, g. The cylinder 60 is fitted with a piston 61 having a hollow rod with a disc valve 63 on it. This disc valve has a seat, upon which is a smaller valve 65, connected to the door handle. The valve in the casing 69 is operated from the bilge. Pressure in the pipe q lifts the valve 65 and admits pressure from the pipe p to the end f of the cylinder, by way of pipe 68, and opens the door. Similarly, lifting the valve 65 by the door handle opens the door. The falling of the bilge-float weight closes the door by exhausting the cylinder end f. Valves are described, which are modifications of the alternative valve above referred to, adapted to the system with differential cylinders, and consisting, one of beat valves, and the other of a slide valve, operated by a piston controlled in a similar manner to that previously described. Modifications of the valves shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are also described adapted to work with the differential cylinders. Fig. 13 shows a form of the valves in which the ball valve in some of the abovedescribed arrangements is replaced by a doublebeat valve 92. The bilge-float valve 95 is shown in position to keep the door open. To close the door from the bridge, the main q is exhausted and the cylinder f, which is connected to the pipe v, is thereby also exhausted. To open the door from below, the valve 85 is lifted, admitting pressure to the cylinder f. When the bilge-float weight falls, the valve 95 is lifted off the seat 98 and exhausts the cylinder, closing the door. The controlling- valve shown in Fig. 14 consists of a double valve 107, the lower seat 105 of which is a piston having holes through it and operated by the lever 110 either from the handle at the door or the weight in the bilge. A piston-operated slide valve is described, somewhat similar to Fig. 2, and stated to be able to take the place of the slide valve 40, Fig. 1. A reversing-valve is described, for use in a system, such as that described in Specification No. 3524, A.D. 1902, where two controlling-mains are used and the cylinder ends are alternately supplied with pressure and exhausted, comprising a double piston, having a double-seated valve in its tubular spindle, operating a slide valve. The piston is actuated by means of a slide valve moved by a handle at the door. When the door-operating cylinders are of equal area, the valve arrangement shown in Figs. 22 and 23 can be used. A slide valve 231 distributesthe water under pressure to the cylinders, and is operated by a lever 236, which also operates a controlling-valve consisting of a double piston 238 fitted with valves 240, 241, as shown. Pipes 244, 245 connect the valve with the valve on the bridge, which is of the form described in Specification No. 3524, A.D. 1902. To close the door from the bridge, pressure is admitted by the pipe 244 and moves the piston 238, whereby operating the slide valve and closing the door. To open the door, pressure is admitted by pipe 245 and the slide valve 231 is moved in the opposite direction. In order to move the slide valve 231 by the handle 248, this handle is arranged in conjunction with a valve 250, Fig. 23, by which equilibrium may be established between the two ends of the piston 238, by lifting the valves 257 from their seats by the handle 263. The bilge float admits pressure by the pipe 261 to close the door. To close the doors automatically in the event of injury to the pressure-supply system, a clutch is provided, which keeps the operating- mechanism in gear while pressure is in the pipes, but releases the mechanism when the pressure fails, and allows the door to fall by its own weight. Horizontally-sliding doors are closed by steam pressure when the other pressure fails, as described in Specification No. 3524, A.D. 1902. To signal to those below that the doors are about to be closed, the operating-handle 45, Fig. 1, is held in a locked position by the screw 190 until a signal has been given. The movement of the screw 190 to unlock the handle 45 admits pressure to the main 200 by the valve 202, and this operates a valve 202, near the door, which closes a switch and sets a bell ringing. The valve 202, near the door, at the same time admits pressure to the pipe 209, which closes the switch on the bridge by the valve 210, and rings a bell, and, when the door has closed, a bar 215 moves the valve 202 and thereby opens both switches ; the bells thereupon cease ringing. The bridge alarm bell continues to ring until all the doors are closed. A bilge float valve 220 is also fitted to sound an alarm when the door is closed by the bilge float weight 28, both at the door and the bridge.