Improvements in Sea-cocks for Vessels.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1896
Improvements in Sea-cocks for Vessels.
We, PARDON TILLING HAST PERKINS of No. 153 West Second Street in the
City of Oswego, in the County of Oswego, and State of New York, Pump-maker,
and THOMSON KINGSFORD, No. 34 West Oneida Street, in the City of Oswego,
County and State aforesaid, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to the devices which are employed in the interiors of
steam-boats and other navigating vessels and are arranged below the water-line of
the vessel and communicate with the water at the exterior of the vessel for the
purpose of receiving water to be utilized in the vessel.
The invention consists in an improved construction and combination of the
component parts of a sea-cock which is doubly safe from being broken by the
freezing of water within the said cock while the vessel is laid up during the winter
season, and said cock has its component parts detachable so as to afford ready
access for repairing or renewing same.
The invention also consists of auxiliary devices connected to the sea-cock
for utilizing the same while a portion thereof is dismantled for repairs or
other purposes. And the invention furthermore consists in the attachment to
the sea-cock of a steam-induction pipe for cleaning the strainer of the sea-
cock when required, all as hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the
claims.
In the annexed drawings
Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section of a sea-cock embodying said invention.
A and A' represent respectively the lower and upper sections of the barrel or
case of the sea-cock..
The lower section A is firmly bolted to either the side or bottom of the
interior of the vessel which is provided with an opening O' for the passage of
water from the exterior of the vessel to the interior of the aforesaid case through
the bottom thereof. In the lower end of the lower section A and above the
aforesaid opening in the vessel is secured the metal ring k which is provided with
the valve-seat h for the primary or inlet-valve b. By the aforesaid location of this
ring k, in relation to the opening O, the necessity of fitting said ring into the
opening is obviated, and thus the attachment of the sea-cock to the vessel is
materially facilitated. A strainer j spans the inlet opening to strain the water
entering the case. To the sides of the lower section A are connected the waste
cock and the pipe p which latter is extended to a reservoir R for oil or other
suitable incongealable fluid, and is provided with a stop-cock pl.
B is a skeleton diaphragm which rests with its rim on the outward flange i
formed on the top of the lower section A and is fastened thereto by means of
bolts m, the heads of which are countersunken in the rim so as to be flush with
the top of said rim. This diaphragm is formed with an annular valve-seat c,
surrounding a water-passage, and with the vertical screw-threaded central eye a
in which works the screw-threaded portion of the stem b¹ of the primary inlet-
valve b.
Upon the rim of the diaphragm B is seated another skeleton diaphragm C the
central or main portion of which rises some distance from the diaphragm B, and is

page_text: formed with a vertical screw-threaded central eye C in which works the screw-
threaded portion of the tubular stem d of the valve d which is fitted to the seat c.
Said stem passes through a stuffing-box e on top of the case and has extending
through it the stem 6' of the lower or primary valve b. To the upper ends of the
valve stems and 6' are attached respectively the hand-wheels o and r, by which
to turn said stems for setting the valves in either their closed or open positions as
may be required.
A stuffing-box f, on the upper end of the tubular valve-stem d', prevents the
escape of water between the two stems.
The upper section, A¹ is provided with the
water-outlet pipes or service pipes, P and P' which, in a steam vessel are connected
respectively to the force-pump and to the condenser, or to the feed-water-pipe of
the boiler, to supply water thereto according to the style of engine used in the
vessel.
In order to allow the sea-cock to be used for the aforesaid purpose while the
upper case-section, A' may be removed, for repairs or other purposes, I connect to
the lower section A, the auxiliary water-outlet pipe. D which is provided with a
three-way-cock 9 and branch pipes g' g' extending therefrom and leading to the
different parts of the engine or boiler requiring the supply of water.
In lieu of this single auxiliary pipe D with its three-way-cock a plurality of
pipes may be connected to, the lower case-section, A and provided with suitable
stop-cocks.
To allow the upper section A¹ to be removed from the lower section without
interfering with the operations of opening and closing either of the valves b and d,
I connect the upper diaphragm C to the lower section A, independently of the
upper section A', preferably by means of bolts u each of which is formed at or
near the center of its length with a suitable head u¹ which is countersunken in the
rim of the diaphragm C, and formed so as to obtain a secure hold on said. rim.
I preferably form said head cylindrical and provide it with screw-threads to engage
a corresponding screw-threaded eye in the rim of the, diaphragm C. The smaller
end-portions of the bolt are also screw-threaded and pass through the flanges of
the upper and lower case-sections, A.A!, and are provided with nuts on their
protruding ends.
It will be observed that by removing the nuts on the upper ends of the bolts u
the upper section A' can be removed from the lower section A while the heads u'
of the bolts u securely retain the diaphragm C on the lower section A.
When it is desired to use the sea-cock while the upper section is dismounted,
the inlet-valve b is to be raised from its seat h and the three-way-cock g of the
auxiliary outlet-pipe D is to be turned to allow the water to pass from the lower
section A to the place where the water is to be utilized.
In order to allow the strainer j to be cleaned from grass or other substances
that may have become lodged on the exterior of said strainer and tend to clog the
same; I provide the lower case-section A with a suitable inlet for steam under
pressure. This steam-inlet is readily obtained by connecting to the pipe D,
between the three-way-cock g and section A, a steam pipe n, which communicates
with the steam-space of a boiler (not shown) and is provided with a stop-cock n' by
which to control the flow of steam to the case-section A. The pressure of the
steam admitted to said case-section forces the obstructions from the exterior of
the strainer j. In admitting the steam to the case-section A, the three-way-cock g,
stop-cock p, valve d, waste-cock, l, and stop-cock p' are to be closed and the
lower or primary water-inlet valve 6 is to be opened, to allow the steam to be
forced through the strainer.
At the closing of navigation when the vessel is to be laid up, and the sea-cock is
in its normal condition, the lower or primary valve b, three-way-cock g, and steam-
cock n' are to be closed, and the upper valve d and the waste-cock are to be
opened and the stuffing-box f to be loosened to give air vent to the interior.of.the
case and allow the entrapped water to escape through the waste-cock l. Then the
upper valve d and the waste-cock are to be closed and the, stop-cock pl to be

page_text: opened to allow the oil to enter the case and form an incongealable seal over the
primary valve b. In the latter operation the air displaced by the oil escapes
through the loosened stuffing-box f.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The within described safety-sea-cock for a vessel, said cock comprising a case
provided with a water-inlet from the exterior of the vessel and a service-pipe
connected to the case above said inlet, two independently operating valves in the
case between said inlet and service-pipe for controlling the flow of water, an inlet
for incongealable sealing fluid to the space between the valves, and a water-waste-
cock communicating with said space as set forth.
2. A vessel's sea-cock, consisting of a case provided with a water-inlet from the
exterior of the vessel, and a service-pipe connected to the case above said inlet, a
primary valve for opening and closing the inlet and opening inward therefrom, a
secondary valve operating independently of said primary valve and interposed
between the same and service-pipe, an inlet for incongealable fluid to the space
between the valves, a water cock tapping said space, and an air-vent in the top of
the case as set forth.
3. A vessel's sea-cock, consisting of a case composed of detachable sections
secured end wise one upon the other, a water inlet in the lower section, a valve for
opening and closing said inlet, a valve-seat at the junction of the case-sections, a
valve on said seat and adjustable to control the communication between the
interiors of the two sectious, a waste-cock and an inlet for incongealable fluid
tapping the lower section, service-pipes connected to the upper section and an air-
vent in the top of the case as set forth.
4. The combination with a sea-cock case provided with a water inlet-valve, a
strainer spanning the inlet opening, and means for opening and closing said valve,
a steam-induction pipe connected to said case to admit thereto steam under pressure
for clearing the strainer as set forth.
5. A sen-cock composed of a case formed of sections detachably united, a primary
water inlet-valve in one section, water outlet-pipes connected to the other section, a
valve between the two sections, and an auxiliary water-outlet connected to the case
between the two valves to receive water through one section of the case independent
of the other section thereof.
6. The improved sea-cock composed of a case formed of an upper and a lower
section detachably united and provided with a water-inlet valve at the base of the
lower section, water-outlets in the upper section, a valve sustained on the lower
section independently of the upper section and controlling the flow of water to the
latter section, an auxiliary water-outlet connected to the lower section separate
from the outlets in the upper section, and a valve for controlling said auxiliary
outlet as set forth.
7. The combination of the case composed of an end-section provided with a water
inlet-valve at the base, two skeleton diaphragms secured to the top of said section
and each provided with a screw-threaded eye in its center and the lower diaphragın
provided with a valve-seat, a valve for said seat provided with a screw-threaded
tubular stem passing through the eye of the upper diaphragm and through the top
of the case, a screw-threaded stem attached to the aforesaid water-inlet valve and
passing through the eye of the lower diaphragm and through the aforesaid tubular
stem, a case section over the upper diaphragm and detachably secured to the lower
case-section and separate water-outlets connected to the respective sections as set
fortb.
8. In combination with the lower case-section A, and diaphragm B secured to the
top thereof, the diaphragm, C mounted on the rim of the diaphragm B, the case-
section A mounted on the rim of the diaphragm C, and bolts u formed with the
central head u' countersunk in the rim of the latter diaphragm and having their

page_text: end portions passing through the rim of the diaphragm B, and flanges of
the case-sections and provided with nuts on opposite ends as set forth and shown.
9. The combination with the detachably united case-sections A A¹ provided with
the valves bd, and having outlets P, P, connected to the upper section, the
auxiliary outlet pipe D connected to the lower section and provided with a valve
for controlling the passage of water through said pipe, and the steam-induction
pipe n connected to the pipe D between the valve thereof and the case and provided
with a stop-cock as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 14th day of October 1895.
-
PARDON TILLINGHAST PERKINS.
THOMSON KINGSFORD.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.