Improved Means or Apparatus for Closing Water-tight Doors of Ships Bulk-heads Automatically or by Hand.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 22nd May, 1896-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Apparatus for Closing Water-tight Doors of
Ships Bulk-heads Automatically or by Hand.
I, WILLIAM O'BRIEN, Engineer 21 Ibrox Terrace, Ibrox, Glasgow County
of Lanark North Britain do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
An improved means or apparatus for closing water-tight doors of ships' bulk-
heads automatically or by hand the operation of which is as follows;-
The automatic closing of these doors is by means of an eccentric bush inserted
in the bracket which crosses the door at the top and which is recessed for
containing the worm which is geared to the worm rack fitted or cast on the back of
the door this being the usual gear passed by the "Board of Trade" Lloyd's, and
the British Corporation.
A lever is attached to this eccentric bush and makes one half turn in the bracket
as before mentioned by which means the worm is thrown out of gear from the
rack.
To make this half turn, the said lever is attached by a connecting rod to a bell-
crank lever and bracket fastened on the bulk-head, the other part of this bell-crank
is fastened by another connecting rod to a float in the bilge of the ship.
This float is enclosed in a casing perforated to admit the water to act on the
float but which I lay no claim to as it has been already adopted for many other
purposes.
The door being then detached drops by gravity, but to prevent the door from
closing too heavily and damaging the framing, I have fixed two atmospheric
cylinders one on each side of the bracket as previously mentioned, the piston rods
of these cylinders being attached to the door.
As the door descends the pistons in the cylinders descend likewise compressing
the air at the same time and allows the door to fall gently into its normal position.
I may point out that this gear does not interfere with the Board of Trade,
Lloyds or the British Corporation requirements.
In order that the officer in charge of the deck should have immediate control
over these water tight doors I lead hand gear from the bridge or any other portion
of the ship that might be arranged, by means of levers fastened to a wire rope or
chain connected to the bell-crank attached to the eccentric for throwing the worm
out of gear.
Dated this 17th day of March 1896
WILLIAM O'BRIEN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Apparatus for Closing Water-tight Doors of
Ships' Bulk-heads Automatically or by Hand.
I, WILLIAM O'BRIEN 21 Ibrox Terrace Ibrox, Glasgow County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved means or apparatus for closing water-tight
doors of ship's bulkheads, automatically or by hand.

page_text: In order that my invention may be understood and carried into effect I have
hereunto appended explanatory sheets of drawings in the several figures of which,
corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of references.
Figure 1, is a front elevation of water tight door being full open showing
apparatus for automatically closing the door into its normal position, it also shows
two cylinders with their piston rods made fast to water tight doors.
Figure 2, is a side elevation, of water tight door being full open and giving
another view of the apparatus for automatically closing the, door, this view shows
the rack on water tight door with the worm for working the rack in gear, it also
shews the shaft passing through and keyed to the worm and extending to the hand
gear to meet the Board of. Trade requirements and placed at the height required
by them.
Fig. 3. is a similar, view showing the apparatus when the door has been
automatically closed in to its normal position and the worm out of gear.
Fig. 4, is a plan of the water tight door with the bracket extending across the
door for carrying the two cylinders. Those cylinders with their pistons and piston
rods, are to prevent the door from coming down too hurriedly, this bracket also
carries the worm for working the rack and also shows a plan of the automatic
gear with the worm in gear, the rack and eccentric bushes in position.
Fig. 5,, is a similar view showing the eccentric bushes in a different position and
the worm out of gear with the rack.
A, represents the float which is placed in the bilge of the ship convenient to the
lever connected to a rod made fast to the float, this rod acts
as a guide to keep the float in place. C, a connecting rod made fast to bell-crank
lever E. On one of the other parts of this bell crank is a balance weight F which
can be adjusted to take up the weight of gear. G, is a connecting rod made
fast at one end to the remaining part of bell-crank lever E, the other end of which.
is made fast to lever 1, this lever is made fast to the eccentric bushes H at top and
bottom. D, is a cross handle, fixed on connecting rod C and is an additional
means for working automatic gear if required. J, is a bracket extending, across
the door made fast to the frames, of the door on which are made fast the two
cylinders L, the piston rods of those cylinders passing through this bracket and
fixed to the door. K, a rack on back of water-tight door. M is the gear for
working, the door by hand corresponding to what is commonly used for opening
and closing the bulkhead, doors of ships and fitted to meet the Board of Trade
requirements. N'is chain, wire or manila rope working over, puileys connected
at one,end to bell crank lever E the other end being connected to hand lever O placed
in, any convenient position such as navigating bridge or conning, towers so that the
officer in charge can shut the doors of any compartment.
The operation of, my invention is as follows;. In the case, of water getting into
the ship through collision or otherwise the water finds its way into the bilge of
the ship and when it reaches the height of the float A it raises the float which
presses up the lever B and with it the rod C alters the position of the bell crauk
lever E pulls the counecting rod G which is made fast to the levers I made fast to
the eccentric bushes H, therefore when the eccentric bushes are turned about a
quarter of a turn by this operation in the bracket J the worm is taken out of gear
with the rack K on the door: The worm being out of gear with the rack the door
immediately descends, the pistons, in the cylinders likewise, compressing the air or
liquid if used at the same time and allows the door to fall gently into its normal
position without injuring the framework.
As, some water tight doors are fitted with a long screw K¹ and a, nut made fast
on the back of the door, to meet this method of fittings and also the requirements
of the Board of Trade or others, I have put the eccentric motion on a square
shaft P extending up the side the wliole length of the door with a nut Q in halves
placed in the bracket on back of door as shewn more particularly in Figures 14
24, 34; 44 and 5. The same operation as described above throws the two parts

page_text: of the nut Qout of gear with the screw and the door descends, and therefore this
need not be herein further described.
In all cases of collisions with ships the water rushes into one compartment first,
in this case the automatic gear comes into action as before described, when this is
being done in the compartment where the collision has taken place all the other
water-tight doors can be shut. For this purpose I have provided hand gear
leading from the navigating bridge or conning towers and led with chain, wire or
manilla rope over pulleys connecting to the automatic gear so that the officer in.
charge can shut all the doors as shown in drawing and marked by the letters N
and O.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I make
no claim to the construction of the water-tight door as shown or to the gear for
working the door by hand as commonly employed for the opening and closing of
the same and to meet the Board of Trade requirements as shown in my drawings,.
but what I do claim is:
The combination of parts and appliances constituting an improved means-
or apparatus for closing water-tight doors of ship's bulkheads automatically
and consists of eccentric motion and application of same, split nut for vertical
screw spindle or shaft, two balance cylinders and applying hand gear by means of
chain, wire or manilla rope to the automatic gear substantially as herein before
described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawing.
Dated this 21st day of May 1896.
WILLIAM O'BRIEN.