Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Dec., 1888
GEORGE DONKIN and BRYCE GRAY NICHOL, Engineers, both of St. Andrews Engine
Works, St. Andrews Street in the City of Newcastle on Tyne do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists in applying to an ordinary Watertight Bulkhead Door an
arrangement of Balance weight, chain & pulley, by means of which, in conjunction with
a short screw formed on the spindle, and a half nut hinged to the Bulkhead, the door
may be almost instantly closed and firmley secured in its seat, or, when closed, may
be opened to its full extent with equal rapidity, instead of being ciosed and opened
by means of a nut arranged in the door, and the usual long screw, the full traverse
of the aperture, in the Bulkhead, formed on the ordinary vertical spindle.
The pulley is arranged to revolve on a spindle attached to the Bulkhead at a suffi-
cient elevation to allow of the door suspended from one end of the chain, and the
balance weight from the other, to be raised or lowered through the required vertical
distance.
When the door is open, the balance weight being then at its lowest position, is
secured by any suitable appliance attached to it, such as a ring, to a hook secured to
the Bulkhead thereby retaining the door open to any required extent. In order to
close the door, the ring or other appliance holding the balance weight is disengaged,
when the door which together with its spindle, which is preferably somewhat heavier
than the balance weight, automatically closes. The descent may if required be
accelerated either by pushing up the balance weight or pulling down the door. When
the door has been closed, as described, the hinged half nut is caused to engage with
the short screw formed on the vertical spindle, and the spindle is then revolved by the
usual handwheel, sufficiently to wedge the door firmly into its seat.
To open the door the vertical spindle is revolved just sufficiently to loosen the door
in its seat, the half nut is then disengaged, the balance weight pulled down to its
lowest position and secured to the Bulkhead by its attachment, thus opening the door
and retaining it open.
Dated this 20th day of February 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Watertight Doors for Bulkheads of Ships
and Steamers.
GEORGE DONKIN, and BRYCE GRAY NICHOL, Engineers, both of Saint Andrews
Engine Works, Saint Andrews Street, in the City of Newcastle on Tyne, 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:
Our invention consists in applying to an ordinary Watertight Bulkhead Door, an
arrangement of Balance Weight, chain, and pulley, by means of which, in conjunction
with a short screw formed on the spindle, and a half nut hinged to the Bulkhead,
the door may be almost instantly closed, and firmly secured in its seat, or, when closed,
may be opened to its full extent with equal rapidity, instead of being closed and
opened by means of a nut arranged in the door, and the usual long screw, the full
traverse of the aperture in the Bulkhead, formed on the ordinary vertical spindle. The
pulley is arranged to revolve on a spindle attached to the Bulkhead, at a sufficient
elevation to allow of the door suspended from one end of the chain, and the balance
weight from the other, to be raised or lowered through the required vertical distance.
When the door is open, the balance weight being then at its lowest position, is secured
by any suitable appliance attached to it, such as a ring to a hook secured to the
Bulkhead, thereby retaining the door open to any required extent. In order to close
the door, the ring or other appliance holding the balance weight is disengaged, when
the door, which together with its spindle, preferably somewhat heavier than the balance
weight, automatically closes. The descent may if required be accelerated either by
pushing up the balance weight, or pulling down the door. When the door has been
closed, as described, the hinged half nut is caused to engage with the short screw
formed on the vertical spindle, and the spindle is then revolved by the usual hand-
wheel, sufficiently to wedge the door firmly into its seat. To open the door the
vertical spindle is revolved just sufficiently to loosen the door in its seat, the half nut
is then disengaged, the balance weight pulled down to its lowest position, and securel
to the Bulkhead by its attachment, thus opening the door and retaining it open.
The drawing shews two views of our invention, and the same lettering is used in
both views.
A. shews the frame firmly secured to the Bulkhead.
B. vertical sliding door.
C. vertical spindle.
D. short screw formed on vertical spindle.
E. hinged nut which engages with short screw D when the door is closed.
F. hinged bolt for securing the nut E in contact with screw D.
G. balance weight sliding in guides of L-section attached to Bulkhead.
H. chain and fixed hook for holding balance weight at its lowest position.
1. pulley (pivoted on axle fixed on Bulkhead) over which passes the chain connecting
balance weight to top of vertical spindle.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The application to an ordinary Watertight Bulkhead Door, an arrangement of Balance
Weight, chain, & pulley, by means of which, in conjunction with a short screw formed on
the spindle, and a half nut hinged to the Bulkhead, the door may be almost instantly
closed, and firmly secured in its seat, or, when closed, may be opened to its full extent
with equal rapidity, substantially as described.