Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing Bulkhead-doors, Ports, Valves, Gates and other Reciprocating Devices
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug.,
1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing Bulkhead-doors,
Ports, Valves, Gates and other Reciprocating Devices.
"
[A communication from abroad by THE "LONG-ARM' SYSTEM COMPANY, a
Corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of West
Virginia, U.S.A., and whose principal office is at No. 934, Garfield Buildings,
Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America.]
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, London, England, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent
Agents, 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 improvements in apparatus for opening and closing
bulkhead-doors, hatches, ports, valves, gates, and other reciprocating devices,
and while designed especially for use on shipboard, it may be used advantage-
ously in factories, theatres, large buildings, or any other place where such a
system is necessary or desirable.
The objects of my invention are, first, to construct an improved apparatus
which shall be simple, durable, positive in its action, reliable, and not likely
to get out of order, by means of which a series of mechanical devices situated
at a distance from the operating point may be all operated simultaneously in
case of an emergency; second, to provide an improved system in which the
power for operating a number of mechanical devices will be supplied to the
said devices through a fluid pressure system and will be maintained at a pre-
determined pressure therein, and, third, to provide means at each device to be
operated whereby the said device may be controlled at will.
Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts
are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 represents a view of the system connected to an accumulator, for supply-
ing fluid-pressure to the main line and its branches.
Fig. 2 represents a central vertical section through the emergency cylinder,
for operating the valve for applying increased pressure, the scale being enlarged.
Fig. 3 represents a vertical section through the emergency valve for operating
the emergency system.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a sliding bulkhead-door, with the apparatus for
operating the same, parts being broken away.
Fig. 5 represents a section. made by the plane 5-5 of Fig. 4, and looking
down, and shews the valve casing in plan, the scale being enlarged.
Fig. 6 represents a section through the bulkhead made by the plane 6-6
of Fig. 4, and looking to the left, and shews the valve casing and operating
hand lever in elevation, the scale being enlarged.
Fig.
represents a section through the valve casing and its contents, made
by the plane 7 of Figs. 9 to 11, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

page_text: Fig. 8 represents a similar section made by the plane oo 01 figs. to 11,
and looking in the direction of the arrows.
Fig. 9 represents a section made by the plane 9-9 of Figs. 7 and 8, and
looking in the direction of the arrows.
Fig. 10 represents a section through the valve casing made by the plane 10--10
of Figs. 7 and 8, and looking in the direction of the arrows, the valve being
omitted, and
Fig. 11 represents a section through the valve casing made by the plane 11--11
of Figs. 7 and 8, and looking in the direction of the arrows, the valves being
omitted.
Fig. 12 shews diagrammatically a modified form of my invention in which the
several reciprocating devices are operated by compressed air, and there is no
return system, and
Fig. 13 shews a section through the upper part of one of the water tanks, for
hand operation, used in the system shewn in Fig. 12, the scale being enlarged.
My present invention is intended as an improvement upon the inventions
described in the Specifications to British Patents No. 16013 dated July 20, 1896
and No. 18248 dated Aug. 5, 1897.
As the general idea of the operation of the system from the central station
has been fully described in the two patents last referred to, it will be more con-
venient in the present application first to assume that there is a lower or ordinary
working pressure normally maintained in the system under which each separate
device may be operated at will, while a higher or emergency pressure may be
rapidly transmitted through the system whereby all the bulkhead-doors or other
reciprocating devices in the system may be simultaneously operated from a
central station or from any one of a plurality of main or central stations.
With this assumption, I will first explain the apparatus for operating each
door or other sliding device, under both working and emergency pressure, and
will then describe the central station and the means for shifting from ordinary
to emergency pressure, or the reverse.
.
Referring, therefore, first to Fig. 4, in which a vertically sliding bulkhead-
door is shewn as a typical "reciprocating device" to be operated according to
my invention, A represents an ordinary bulkhead having a frame A¹ for a
sliding door B. The door B has secured thereto the cylinder B into which
passes the hollow piston rod A³, fast to the bracket A2, secured to the bulk-
head A. This hollow piston rod A³ encloses a smaller hollow rod or pipe A³,
with an annular space between the two for the passage of fluid and this annular
space opens into the cylinder B above the piston (not shewn) while the inner
hollow rod A opens into the cylinder 13 below the piston. This fluid pressure
through the inner hollow rod A will force the floor down, while fluid pressure
through the annular space between the hollow piston rod A³ and the pipe. A*
will force the door upwards.
The pipe A is connected with the valve casing D by means of the pipe C,
while the annular space between the pipe A and the hollow piston rod 'A³ is
connected with the valve casing D by means of the pipe C".
The valve casing I) is secured to the bulkhead A, near the door by means of
the ears d or in any other convenient way. This casing, and its contents, are
shewn in detail in Figs. 5 to 11, in which the valve casing 1) is separated by
means of the web D¹ into the two principal chambers D2 and D³, which I shall
call the fluid pressure chamber and the exhaust chamber, and the ends of these
chambers are closed by the screw plugs D and D5, which plugs permit access to
the interior of the valve casing.
The pipe E, leading to the accumulator F or other source of fluid pressure,
opens into the chamber D2, while the return pipe H opens into the exhaust
chamber D³ and connects the same with the reservoir H', connected to the return
pipe H leading to the reservoir H.
Opening into the fluid pressure chamber D2 is the valve chamber D, having

page_text: the valve seat do, and the passage Di having the valve seat d at its inner end;
while opening into the exhaust chamber 13 is the valve chamber 18 having the
valve seat ds, and the passage D having the valve seat d'.
The valve chambers 16 and 18 are connected by the passages d¹ and №18 and
the passage 110 with the pipe C, while the passages 17 and 1 are connected by
the passages and d, and the passages D with the pipe C. The passages Ifo
and D are bored through the casing, and the ends opposite to C and C¹, may
be connected to similar pipes for opening and closing other doors, or may be
stopped up, as with the screw plugs c c¹, see Figs. 10 and 11.
The poppet valves K and K8 are mounted in the valve chambers D6 and D8,
respectively, while the poppet valves K and K are mounted in the fluid pressure
chamber and the exhaust chamber D³, respectively. Each of these valves
is pressed towards its seat by a spring K³, which spring is under a tension that
may be regulated by screwing up on the cap K¹, with the valves K and K,
or upon the cap K³, with the valves K7 and K8. The springs K³ also return
the shaft M and handles M¹ and N¹ to their normal position; the said springs
on the valves K7 and K8 being more especially for this purpose as will be herein-
after described.
The cap K is perforated as at ¹ to prevent back pressure behind the
valves K and K.
The stems of the valves K to K are mounted in sleeves K screwed into the
valve casing D. Beyond the valves are the cruciform guide stems k³.
The valve K has the reduced portion between the shoulders and to
engage the lifting toe m; the valve K8 has the head to engage the lifting
toe me, and the valves K and K have their stems slotted at as and to
engage the lifting toes m² and m³, respectively.
The shaft M, journalled in the casing D and in the screw plugs D' and D³,
is provided with collars M2 and M³, mounted in the chambers 13 and D², re-
spectively, the collar M2 having the lifting toes m8 and m³ thereon; and the
collar M³ having the lifting toes m and m thereon. These lifting toes are
so arranged that before the shoulder of the valve K brings up against the
face of the sleeve K, thus checking the further rotation of the shaft M, the
toe m will bring up against the shoulder and will lock the valve K on its
seat, while the toe m³ will bring up against the end of the slot and lock the
valve K9 on its seat.
For convenience in journalling the shaft M, the collar M³ is made to fit in
a recess in the plug D and is locked against turning on the shaft M in any con-
venient way, such as the pin m³ engaging in the groove m³ of the collar or by
a squared end such as m (see Fig. 9), fitting in a corresponding recess in the
collar M³.
The handle M fits over the squared end m of the shaft M. So that the
shaft M may be turned from either side of the bulkhead A, the handle M¹ has,
a boss with sector bevelled gear M thereon meshing in the sector bevelled
gear N on the spindle N, which is journalled in the bulkhead and carries on
the opposite side of the bulkhead from the shaft M, a handle N¹ Thus if either
of the handles M¹ or N¹ be moved through an angle, it will rotate the shaft M
The
through a like angle, and will operate the poppet valves by hand.
angular motion of the handles and Ni is limited by the throw
of the poppet valves, as will be hereinafter described. The direction of
motion of the handles for say, the door opening position is suggested by the
button mo or no on that side of the handle, whereby an operator can know in
the dark, in which direction to throw the handle.
The various springs K³ are set to hold the popept valves K to K on their
seats at the usual working pressure, say 150 pounds per square inch. It will
be seen that an operator can open or close any door by simply turning either of
the handles M¹ or N₁in the proper direction. Thus suppose the door B is
closed and it is desired to open the same without disturbing any of the other

page_text: doors, hatches, etc., in the system. The operator moves the handle M in
the direction of the arrow W in Fig. 6. This causes the shaft M to turn in the
direction of the arrows in Figs. 7 and 8, causing the toe m² to move the
valve K off its seat to admit fluid pressure from the chamber D2 to the pas-
sage D7 and from it to the pipe C. At the same time the valve K6 is locked
on its seat by the toe m, and thus prevents any fluid pressure being transmitted
through the chamber 16 and pipe C.
The same motion of the shaft ML operates in the exhaust chamber D³, to move
the valve K8 off its seat, permitting any fluid below the piston in the cylinder B¹
to flow through the pipe C, the passages 110 and 118 and the chamber D³, to the
exhaust chamber D, and thence through the pipe H to the reservoir H¹. To
close the door by hand, move the handle M³ or N¹ in the opposite direction.
This will rock the shaft M against the direction of the arrows w, and the toes m
and m will move the valves K and K off their seats, while their springs K³,
added to the pressure will hold the valves K7 and K8 on their seats. This will
allow fluid under pressure to pass from the chamber D2 through the chamber De
and passages 16 and D to the pipe C, to run down the door, while any fluid
above the fixed piston in the cylinder B will be forced up through the annular
space and the pipe C, and through the passage D", dis and 1 and thence
through the chamber D3 and pipe H to the reservoir H¹.
Now suppose the pressure in the pipe E to be considerably raised, suddenly
or otherwise, say from 150 to 300 pounds, as for closing all the doors under the
emergency action. The increased pressure transmitted from the pipe E to the
chamber would force back the valve K and flowing into the chamber 1)6
will pass through the passages 16 and 110 to the pipe C and thence to the lower
end of the cylinder 131. Any fluid in the cylinder B₁ feeling the effect of this
increased pressure would rise through the pipe C¹ and pressing on the fluid in
the passages " and would force the valve K open, and flowing into the
chamber 13 would escape through the pipe H. The pressure in the passages I)10
and d¹s assisted by the spring K³ will keep the valve K8 on its seat; while the
pressure in the chamber 12 also keeps the valve K on its seat. Thus it will
be seen that materially increasing the pressure in the pipe E will cause the
doors to close, but without affecting the position of the shaft M or of the
handles M or N¹.
"
It will be seen that there is no wire drawing of the emergency pressure
through the valve K nor of the release through the valve K9 as there was in
the former arrangement, to make the emergency closing slow and uncertain.
These valves K and K are spring seated poppet valves which when forced off
their seats by a certain pressure (dependent on the adjustment of the springs K
will"
pop open to the full lift and stay there until the pressure is reduced
much below that required to open them, thus giving a positive and full flow to
close the door under emergency. This action is obtained by packing the stems
of valves at d and making said stems much larger in cross section area than the
opening in the valve seats; thus when the emergency pressure once gets into
the chamber I and can act on the increased area of the valve it pops it open
and holds it open. When liberty action is necessary, that is the opening of a
single door by hand, (and this action occurs only during the period of emergency
pressure and action) the heels of the toes m" and m" push down and lock down
the valves K and K and hold them there during the liberty period; thus there
can be no escape of pressure, and therefore, this liberty action is positive and
certain...
The easy and quick adjustment of the springs is an important and novel
feature; all the valve stems or sleeves are so packed that each spring can be
quickly and independently adjusted under pressure (the only proper way to
adjust as the adjustment is always by trial and relative).
The positive and sure return of the toes, rockshaft and handles to their normal
position is a vital matter in the success of the arrangement; should they remain

page_text: so as to leave some of the passages open the emergency action could not take
place.
In this application there are no special springs or device for this return, the
return action of the valve springs on the toes does it, there is practically no
chance of the two shafts sticking in their bearings and they are absolutely un-
affected by variation in pressure (except the slight increase in friction on the
thrust collar, Fig. 9, from pressure on end of shaft in pressure chamber 12).
The practical difficulties from grit, sediment and foreign substances in the
fluid used, renders it necessary for a successful device of this kind to be fitted
with valve seats arranged so as to be self cleaning, and valves whose working
faces can not only be renewed quickly and inexpensively but which are of such
a nature as to close tight even when some small foreign substance is caught
between them and the seat. In this application these difficulties occurring in
practice are avoided by a suitable combination of devices. The removable valve
faces are of a comparatively soft substance into which grit will press and allow
the valve to seat tight. The seats are of the raised-lip type, placed in a vertical
plane, so that the flow of liquid will constantly wash and clean them and so that
sediment will fall away from them.
The pressure is maintained, and increased and decreased, as desired, by means
of the apparatus shewn diagrammatically in Fig. 1, where F represents a steam
or other fluid pressure accumulator of any well-known form, F being the steam
or other fluid pressure cylinder and 12 the ram-cylinder thereof. This accumu-
lator with its pump or compressor I, may be called the central station or source
of power and control, hereinafter referred to.
Steam or other fluid pressure is supplied to the steam cylinder F through a
pipe P from any suitable source.
For convenience of description, the pipe P and cylinder F will be herein-
after called the steam pipe" and "steam cylinder," although any other suitable
fluid under pressure, such as compressed air, may be admitted to the same. This
pipe is preferably provided with reducing valves and p¹ for the fluid to pass
through before entering the steam cylinder. The first reducing valve is set to
reduce the steam-pressure to a predetermined limit, as, for instance, a pressure
of one-hundred pounds to the square inch, and the second reducing-valve is set
to reduce the steam-pressure to about one-half the pressure allowed to pass
through the first valve or about fifty pounds to the square inch, which latter is the
normal pressure for working the system.
The steam cylinders I2 of the accumulator pumps I are supplied with steam
through a pipe P from the interior of the steam-cylinder F and the supply of
steam to the pumps may be automatically regulated in any well-known way.
These pumps I, when in operation, are supplied with fluid through the return
pipe H and from the central reservoir for returns H, which fluid is forced
through the pipe I into the ram-cylinder F2, whence it is forced through the
distributing main E and its branches to the several doors or other devices to be
operated.
A branch pipe 12 leads from the steam-pipe P between the two reducing-
valves p, p to the pipe P¹, thus serving as a "by-pass" from between the
reducing-valves to the cylinder and pumps.
A valve po is placed in the pipe P2, and when this valve is closed, the steam
entering the cylinder and pumps must pass through both of the reducing-
valves and p1, where its pressure is reduced in two steps to the usual working
pressure. When the valve p³ is open, the steam will be admitted to the cylinder
and pumps at the pressure with which it leaves the first reducing valve, thus
immediately increasing, generally doubling, the fluid pressure in the main E
and its branches. It will be obvious that other well known devices for increas-
ing the pressure may be adopted.
The object of increasing or doubling, the pressure in the main E is to close all
the bulkhead doors at once, as in case of accident to the ship or in any other

page_text: emergency, as has already been described. The valve 25 is opened or closed by
means of an emergency power-cylinder Q, which forms a part of a primary
system which may be briefly described as follows:--
the
The emergency cylinder Q contains the piston Q₁ mounted on the piston
rod connected by the link q to a lever for turning the valve p
This piston
is pushed backward by means of the spring Q, which spring is adjusted not to
yield under the ordinary back pressure in the reservoir Ho of the system, but
to yield under the full working pressure in the main E. The compression of the
spring is adjusted by means of the screwthreaded sleeve and the travel of the
piston is limited by means of the sleeve Q³, see Fig. 2, which is screw-
threaded as at to
of
The end
engage the said sleeve q
cylinder is preferably closed by means of a screw head Q. The
pipe R from the outer end of the cylinder Qis preferably con-
nected to a cross R, as shewn in Fig. 2, so that two or more emergency stations
may be connected to the emergency-power cylinder Q. To this cross R¹ is con-
nected one or more pipes R, each of which is connected to an emergency
valve R³, controlled by a hand lever R. The three-way valve R³ has a passage 1³
(see Fig. 3) which may be made to connect either the pipes R2 and R³, as shewn
in Fig. 3, or the pipes R2 and Rs, see Fig. 1. The pipe R is connected to the
reservoir Ho; while the pipe R is connected to the pressure main E, and by it
to the ram-cylinder 2, thus always containing the same pressure as in the
latter.
The gauge S indicates the pressure in this pipe R and consequently the
pressure in the main E. It will be evident, if the emergency valve R be held
in the position shewn in full lines in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Fig. 3, that
connection will be established between the reservoir II and cylinder Q, in
which the pressure will not be sufficient to move the piston Q and valve p³,
and hence the system will remain under the ordinary working pressure, indicated
by the gauge S. Now if the valve lever R be moved to the position shewn in
dotted lines in Fig. 1, direct communication will be established between the
pressure main E and the cylinder Q, and the piston Q will be pressed back
moving the valve 2 and admitting increased pressure to the cylinder F and
steam cylinders I, thus increasing the pressure in the ram-cylinder F2 and
pressure main E, and causing the emergency action at each door or hatch, as
has already been described.
The increase of pressure required to cause the emergency action will be indi-
cated on the gauge S.
In order to provide for accidents to the system or to any part thereof, whereby
the motion of one or more doors is affected, I provide means for operating each
door by hand, which will now be described.
T represents an ordinary hand pump of any suitable construction bolted to
the bulkhead A and operated by a handle T, which steps in the reciprocating
socket t. When not in use this handle is preferably held in clips t¹¹ at one side
of the door frame, as shewn in Fig. 4.
The pipe U delivers fluid under pressure from the pump T to the chamber D²
of the valve casing D, while this fluid so delivered is drawn through the pipe U1
from the reservoir H¹. By turning the handle in the proper position for opening
or closing, and operating the pump, the door may be raised or lowered by hand
irrespective of the operation of the rest of the system. During this action, the
check valve e in the pipe E (Fig. 4) confines the pressure from hand pumps to
the chamber D².
Thus it will be seen that all the doors, hatches, or the like may be operated
simultaneously by the simple movement of a hand lever at some central point,
or from any one of several central points, while each door or hatch may always
be opened or closed by itself by simply turning a handle without affecting the
other doors, hatches, or the like, in the system. Thus a man imprisoned in a
watertight compartment may open his door, and escape by simply turning a

page_text: hand lever, the door closing again automatically after his liberation; while
every other door or hatch on the ship is jammed tight. The same door may be
opened an indefinite number of times to permit the escape of a large number of
men, and yet will close automatically whenever the hand lever is released.
Tuis automatic closing will continue as long as the emergency pressure is on.
Moreover, each door or hatch may be opened or closed by hand. power should
the connection from the fluid pressure main be broken, as by an enemy's shell,
or from any other cause.
While I have shewn in Figure 1 a single door operated by a single fluid
pressure pipe, I intend that the fluid pressure main and return pipe H2 shall
have a number of branch pipes such as e, and el, h¹ and ², respectively, each
connected to a door or other device to be operated.
This system shewn in Figure 12 is operated by compressed air from the central
station or by liquid, by hand, at each door or other reciprocating device.
This system shewn in Figure 12 includes a steam chest F supplied with
steam or other fluid pressure from the pipe f+, and operating air pumps F,
which deliver air under pressure through the pipe f to the reservoir H³. This
reservoir is connected by the pipe E to the various reciprocating devices to be
operated and also by the pipe to the valve H, which valve is so arranged that
when the pressure in the reservoir H5 exceeds a pre-determined limit, the
valve H will close, automatically shutting off steam or fluid pressure from the
steam chest F4, and thus serving as a safety device to prevent excessive pressure
in the reservoir H³.
The emergency system is operated as before by means of the handle R+ and
the valve R3, which admits fluid pressure from the pipe E and pipes R and R2
to the double reducing valve Q, fully opening the same and allowing the emer-
gency pressure to flow into the pipe E, which operates the emergency mechanism
at the several doors or other reciprocating devices in the manner already
described.
The construction and arrangement of the valve Q by means of which the
ordinary working pressure, say one hundred and fifty pounds, is normally
admitted to the pipe E, while the emergency pressure, say three hundred pounds,
may be admitted to said pipe E when desired, is not a part of my present inven-
tion, but it is well known in the art and will not be further described.
When the emergency pressure is taken off, the compressed air in the pipe R2
escapes through the escape pipe R into the atmosphere. With this system
shewn in Figure 12, the general arrangement of parts at the door is substantially
the same as in the system already described, except that I preferably use liquid
under pressure in the hand pump for moving the door by hand. This is accom-
plished by having auxiliary reservoirs H° filled with water up to say the holes ho
which water may be poured in by removing the cap 10 on the top of the reser-
voir, as shewn in Figure 12.
This reservoir is connected to the valve casing D by means of the pipe H as
has already been described; but so that the liquid returned from the door may
run down, the reservoir Ho is preferably placed below the valve casing 1), as
shewn in Figure 12. The hand pump T draws liquid through the pipe U¹ into
the chamber 12 in the valve casing D. whence it passes into the pipes C or C¹
for opening or closing the door, according to the position of the handle M', as
has already been described.
When this liquid has passed into the cylinder B, as in operating the door by
hand, it will remain there, until the door is subsequently operated in the reverse
direction, either by liquid or by fluid pressure. In this case the liquid formerly
in the cylinder B will be driven back into the valve casing and will pass through
the pipe H into the reservoir H°. More or less air will pass along with the
liquid and these two will strike the scatter plate 6, see Figure 13, the liquid
falling down into the reservoir; while the air will escape through the holes /

page_text: and around the edges of the plate h7, and upward through the holes hº in the top
of the reservoir, to the atmosphere. Some air will also flow out through the
holes ho. These holes 8 and 9 should not be super-imposed for two reasons,
first, to prevent the 'spattering of any liquid upward therethrough and second,
to prevent air from whistling too loud as it escapes upwards.
If desired, in the system shewn either in Figure 1 or Figure 12, the gauge S
may be supplemented by a small whistle adapted to blow during emergency
action, thus to indicate when the emergency pressure is on.
Thus it will be seen that the system is capable of application either to liquid
under pressure, or to air, or other gas under pressure, and it is not intended
to limit the claims to the use of any particular kind of fluid pressure.
While this specification and drawings represent the invention as applied to
bulkhead doors, it will be understood that these were selected as the particular
form of reciprocating device to which the invention is probably most applicable;
but the same idea may be applied to closing doors in tunnels or drifts of mines,
to closing hatches, elevator wells and passages in warehouses and the like, to
closing air passages in fire-proof buildings, to simultaneously operating "fire-
curtains" and opening all exits in theatres, and to a great variety of purposes,
where it is desired to supply a system for simultaneously closing a number of
doors, and yet permitting the separate opening and closing of each particular
door without affecting the others in the system.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a fluid pressure system, the mechanism for simultaneously operating a
plurality of reciprocating devices from a central station, with means for operating
each of the devices separately when desired, without interfering with the
operation from the central station of the other reciprocating devices, substan-
tially as hereindescribed and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
2. The arrangement of valves and the mechanism for operating the same,
substantially as described and shewn in Figures 5 to 11 of the drawings hereunto
annexed.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts hereindescribed and shewn in
Fig. 4 of the drawings.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts hereindescribed and shewn in
Figures 7 to 11 of the drawings."
5. The fluid pressure system substantially as hereindescribed and as shewn in
Fig. 12 of the drawings hereunto annexed."
6. The combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereindescribed,
and as shewn in Fig. 12 of the drawings hereunto annexed.
7. The device for operating all the various reciprocating devices from the
central station by means of compressed air, in combination with the hand pumps
and liquid reservoirs for operating each of the reciprocating devices separately,
substantially as hereindescribed, and as shewn in Fig. 12 of the drawings here-
unto annexed.
8. In a hydraulic system of the character described, the combination with a
fluid pressure main and a branch pipe leading therefrom, and means for raising
and lowering the pressure in said main, a reciprocating device operated by the
pressure in said branch pipe, and valve mechanism connected to said branch
pipe, and adapted to be operated by hand at all pressures and to be operated
automatically at high pressure only, substantially as hereindescribed, and as
shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed..
9. In a fluid pressure system of the character described, the combination with
a fluid pressure main, of an emergency cylinder, with a piston therein, a valve
operated by said piston, mechanism controlled by said valve for increasing the
pressure in said main, a door and a cylinder and piston for moving said door,

page_text: and spring seated poppet valves controlling the supply of fluid. to said cylinder,
substantially as described.
10. In a fluid pressure system of the character described, the combination with
a fluid pressure main, of an emergency cylinder, with a piston therein, a valve
operated by said piston, mechanism controlled by said valve for increasing the
pressure in said main, a door and a cylinder and piston for moving said door,
and spring seated poppet valves controlling the supply of fluid to said cylinder,
and operated by increase of pressure, with independent means operated by hand
for tripping said valves, substantially as described.
11. In a fluid pressure system of the character described, the combination with
a fluid pressure main and means for suddenly increasing the pressure in said
main when desired, of a door and means operated by the increased pressure for
moving said door, with additional means operated by either the normal or the
increased fluid pressure and controlled by hand for moving said door indepen-
dently of the emergency mechanism, substantially as described.
12. In a fluid pressure system of the character described, the combination with
a fluid pressure main and means for suddenly increasing the pressure in said
main when desired, of a door and a cylinder and piston for moving said door, and
spring seated poppet valves controlling the supply of fluid to said cylinder,
substantially as described.
13. In an emergency system of the character described the combination with
a fluid pressure main and means for suddenly increasing the pressure in said
main when desired, of a door and a cylinder and piston for moving said door, and
spring balanced poppet valves controlling the supply of fluid to said cylinder,
and operated by increase of pressure, with independent means operated by hand
for tripping said valves, substantially as described.
14. In a fluid pressure system of the character described, the combination with
a fluid pressure main and means for suddenly increasing the pressure in said
main when desired, of a door, pipes for fluid pressure, poppet valves operated
by the increased pressure for admitting fluid through said pipes and moving said
door, a rock shaft having toes engaging said poppet valves, and a hand lever
on said rock shaft, substantially as described.
15. In a fluid pressure system of the character described, the combination with
a fluid pressure main and means for suddenly increasing the pressure in said
main when desired, of a door, pipes for fluid pressure, poppet valves operated by
the increased pressure for admitting fluid through said pipes and moving said
door, a rock shaft having toes engaging said poppet valves, a hand lever and a
sector-bevelled gear carried by said rock shaft, a counter shaft, having a sector-
bevelled gear meshing with that on the rock shaft, and projecting through the
bulkhead, and a second hand lever on the end of this counter shaft and on the
opposite side of the bulkhead from the first, substantially as described.
16. A fluid pressure system for operating bulkhead doors and the like, com-
prising a fluid pressure main with means for varying the pressure in said main,
a valve casing connected to said fluid pressure main, poppet valves mounted in
said casing and normally held on their seats by springs, a cylinder and piston
for operating the door, and pipes leading from said valve casing into said
cylinder respectively above and below the piston, substantially as described.
17. A fluid pressure system for operating bulkhead doors and the like, com-
prising an accumulator, with means for suddenly increasing the pressure in said
accumulator, of a fluid pressure main leading from said accumulator, a valve
casing connected to said fluid pressure main, poppet valves mounted in said
casing and normally held on their seats by springs, but yielding to the increased
pressure, independent means for moving said poppet valves by hand and operative
on both sides of the bulk head, a cylinder and piston for operating the door, and
pipes leading from said valve casing into said cylinder, respectively above and
below the piston, substantially as described.
18. A fluid pressure system for operating bulkhead doors and the like, com-

page_text: prising a valve casing divided into two chambers, a fluid pressure chamber, and
an exhaust chamber, double passages opening into each chamber, poppet valves
normally pressed on their seats, controlling said passages, a rock shaft with
lifting toes for opening one of each pair of said valves in each chamber, a hand
lever for rocking said rock shaft, a cylinder and piston for moving the door, a
pipe leading from said valve casing into said cylinder at one side of said piston,
and another pipe leading from said valve casing into said cylinder at the other
side of said piston, with a hand pump and a pipe therefrom for delivering fluid
under pressure to said fluid pressure chamber, substantially as described..
Dated the 22nd day of June 1899.