AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING LEAKAGE IN SHIPS AND SUCH LIKE VESSELS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOSEPH FRANKLIN BATCHELOR, Bookkeeper, of the City of Baltimore and State
of Maryland, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING LEAKAGE IN SHIPS
AND SUCH LIKE VESSELS" 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 improved means for maintaining the buoyancy of such
vessels as ships, steamboats and all manner of floating craft, in the event of the
hull becoming damaged or springing a leak.
In the Drawing, Figure 1 is a cross section of a ship showing my improvements.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of part of the ship's hull.
The letter A designates the hull; B, B two decks; C, the commander's bridge.
On one of the decks is a donkey engine, d, which drives an air-compressor, e, by
which air is condensed in a reservoir, D; a pipe, f, connecting the compressor and
reservoir. The hull of the vessel is divided in the usual manner into tight
compartments; g, designates a wall separating two compartments E and F. All
compartments are designed to be made air-tight. The hatches, h, may if desired
be arranged to open downward and so fitted to their holes that when an air
pressure exists within the compartments they will be lield tightly to their positions.
A pipe, I, is controlled by a valve, j, and leads from the compressor, e, up and
extends along the commander's bridge where pipes, i, branch off, each of said pipes
leading to and supplying one of the compartiments in the vessel. Through these
pipes compressed air is conveyed directly to the compartments. A cock, k, is in
each pipe, i, at or near its connection with the main pipe; by this means air may
be shut off from passing to any particular compartment. An escape valve or blow
off cock, l, is also provided in each pipe, i; whereby to let the air from any
particular compartment escape. A pipe, J, leads from the reservoir to and
connects with the pipe, I, on the commander's bridge. Guages, n, are attached
to these pipes to indicate the air pressure.
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"The operation of this air apparatus is as follows: first, the compartments being
closed the air in each one is condensed sufficiently to exceed the density of the
water and thereby prevent the water from entering should the hull be damaged by
collision or otherwise. At twenty seven feet below the water line the density of
he water is about twelve pounds per square inch. Therefore for a vessel drawing

page_text: that depth of water, the compression of air in the compartments should exceed twelve
pounds. The air in all the compartments being condensed, the reservoir, D, is then
charged with air under a high pressure; this constitutes the storage supply to be
drawn on in case of emergency. In the event of a leak occurring in a compartment,
the escaping air will cause bubbles to rise on the surface of the water alongside of
the vessel, and thereby serve as a tell-tale or alarm, the officer on the bridge can
turn the cocks, k, and shut off communication with all the compartments except the
one wherein the leak exists; this one is then put in communication with the
storage reservoir, D, and by the highly condensed air therein the pressure in the
leaky compartment may be maintained high enough to exclude the water. If
necessary the air-compressor, e, may be set in motion by the engine.
To expel any water that may find its way into the compartment a pipe, K, is
extended along the bottom of the hull from end to end; in each compartment is a
discharge pipe, L, connecting with the pipe, K, and leading up the inside of the
hull and discharging at m, through the side. The pipe, K, has in each compartment
an opening covered by a cap o. A vertical rod, M, is attached to each cap, extends
up through the decks has a swivel point, p, whereby the upper end may turn
without turning the lower end, and a screw thread, g, whereby the rod may be
raised or lowered to, force the cap, o, down and tightly close the opening. The
lower end of the rod, M, has a vertical slot, and a pin on the cap, o, passes through
the slot; by this mode of attaching the rod, the cap may set loosely on the opening
when the rod is raised. At each side of the cap is a float, ", which when water
gets into the compartment, will raise the cap, if it be loose on the opening and
allow the water to enter pipe, K. When this occurs the compressed air within the
compartment will operate to force the water up the discharge pipe, L, thus acting
automatically. The pipe, K, has check-valves, 8, which allow the water to flow
one way; thereby water from any of the compartments may flow to the center of
the vessel where it enters a receptacle, N ; a pipe, t, leads from the air reservoir to
this receptacle is controlled by a valve, u. A water discharge pipe, P, leads from
the receptacle up the side of the vessel and opens out above the water line.
Should leakage water accumulate in any compartment in greater quantity than the
ordinary compression of air in that compartment could discharge through the
pipe L, then this water would flow to the receptacle, N, where it can be forced out
by the action of the highly-condensed air from the reservoir passing through the
pipe t.
Glass guage tubes, ?, near the receptacle are to show the height to which
the water has risen at either end of the vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1 The combination with a vessel having tight compartments, of an air-storage
reservoir; an air compressor; and pipes leading from the reservoir and compressor,
either or both, to each compartment, whereby the several compartments may be
charged with air condensed sufficiently to exclude water, as set forth.
2nd The combination with a vessel having tight compartments, of an air-storage
reservoir; an air compressor, pipes leading from the reservoir and compressor,
either or both, to each compartment; and a water-discharge pipe, whereby tlie
compressed air may be operated to force leakage water from the vessel, as set
forth.
Dated 1 1
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