Improvements in the Construction of Watertight and other Doors, which have to Form a Joint under Pressure when Closed.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
Improvements in the Construction of Watertight and other Doors,
which have to Form a Joint under Pressure when Closed.
1, JAMES DONALD Engineer of 43 East Mount Barrow-in-Furness in the
County of Lancaster, and I, WILLIAM JOHNSTONE Lloyds Surveyor of
264 Abbey Road Barrow-in-Furness aforesaid do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the means of closing doors known as "water tight"
doors on board sailing ships, steamers, and other craft, by which means the locking
of the door in position, so as to force it against its joint can be performed in one
operation.
In hinged doors of this description the locking is usually effected by means of a
number of turn-buttons or screw-bolts each one of which must be operated upon
separately or in a series of groups, thus causing a dangerous delay and uncertainty
in efficiently closing the door.
The above mentioned defects are entirely avoided by the improvements constituting
this invention, of which the following is a description. The door is carried on
binges with an oval hole and is prefarably made of steel plate of a dished section,
the flange thus formed being trued up and bearing on rubber or other suitable
jointing material fixed in or on the door frame, making the joint when closed; or
the flange or lip may be formed on the frame attached to the bulkhead or other
opening, and the material for the joint carried on the door. Round the door on
all sides are placed a number of "shoot bolts" the sides of which, furthest from
the joint, are wedge shaped and these engage in suitable catches on the frame,.
when "shot" to close the door on the jointing material. These bolts are suitably
guided on the door and are worked by a series of levers, cranks and discs, with.
connecting rods attached to them and to a central disc which controls their working..
To this central disc is attached a handle one movement of which shoots all the
aforesaid bolts into their respective catches, the requisite pressure for compressing
the door to the material forming the joint being obtained by the wedge shape of
these bolts, while the length of the handle and proportions of levers, cranks, and.
discs are arranged to enable one man to perform the operation of closing the door
against its joint by a single movement.
When desired handles can be placed on both sides of the door, thereby admitting
of the door being worked from either side. The mechanism of the door can be
protected by a suitable covering, such as steel or iron plates, which may be arranged
in sections and hinged to the main door, so as to give free and easy access to the
gear for examination and overhaul. The oval holes in the hinge pieces allow the
door to travel to its joint when the aforesaid wedge shaped bolts are shot into their
catches.
The faces of the hinges may be made spiral so that the door when freed from
the catch or hook holding it open, will have a tendency to fall to its frame.
The before mentioned arrangement of locking gear can be fitted to existing
hinged water tight doors, and can be applied to all doors and openings in ships or
on land which have to be made water, oil or air tight, or which have to form joints
under pressure and subject to pressure.
:

page_text: By means of the improvements hereinbefore described, the efficiency and security
of such doors are greatly increased, the operation of closing effected by one operation,
and the certainty of locking ensured.
3000
JAMES DONALD.
WILLIAM JOHNSTONE.
Improvements in the Construction of Watertight and other Doors,
which have to Form a Joint under Pressure when Closed.
I, JAMES DONALD, Engineer of 43 East Mount, Barrow-in-Furness, in the
County of Lancaster, and 1, WILLIAM JOHNSTONE, Engineer of 264, Abbey Road,
Barrow-in-Furness, aforesaid, 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, that is to say :-
This invention relates to the means of securing watertight doors such as are fixed
to bulkhead doorways and other doorways in ships of various kinds, and in other
structures. The invention is applicable to hinged doors, and comprises improved
mechanism, which, whilst, admitting of a door being closed and locked very
quickly, also ensures the forcing of the door into watertight contact with the
door frame.
Such a hinged door as ordinarily made is usually locked by means of a number
of turn buckles or hasps, or of screw bolts, each one of which has to be operated on
separately or in a series of groups which causes dangerous delay and renders
complete closing uncertain.
The material defects referred to and others are entirely avoided by the improve-
ments constituting the present invention, and which are hereinafter described with
the aid of explanatory drawings accompanying this specification.
Figure, 1, on Sheet, 1, of the drawings is an elevation of a door as made or
fitted with the improvements, one half of the figure showing parts in their unlocked
position, and the other half showing parts as locked. Figure, 2, is an inverted
horizontal section. Figure, 1, and 2, show the door as arranged for being closed
or opened by means of a hand lever on the door itself. Figures, 3, 4, and 5, show
additional parts for opening and closing the door by means of a vertical shaft which
may extend up to the deck of a ship, the hand levers and other parts on the door
itself being however retained, so that the door can be closed or opened either from
the deck or at the door itself. Figures, 6, and 7, on Sheet, 2, and 8, and 9, on
Sheet, 3, are front elevations of parts of other modifications of the improved water-
tight door. In these drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to
mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The door, A, is by preference made of a steel plate, which by stamping or
hydraulic pressure made of the section shown in Figure, 2, that is with a shallow
channel close to the edge on every side, there being fixed in the said channel a
piece, A 1, of rubber or other suitable compressible material. The door frame, B,
is made with a flange, B 1, which when the door, A, is closed has bearing on it the
rubber piece, A 1, of the door so as to make watertight contact. The door, A, is
hinged to the frame, B, by hinges, C, the door parts of which are made with slight
elongated holes for the hinge pins to give the door freedom to move close to the
door frame.
A number of bolts, D, are fitted to the top, bottom, and sides of the door, A,
being held in guide plates, D 1, riveted to the door; and to receive the bolts, D,

page_text: the door frame, B, has fixed to it a corresponding number of staple-like holding or
socket plates, E. On the left-hand side of Figures, 1, and 2, the bolts, D, are
shown as unlocked, and on the right-hand side they are shown as shot into the
socket plates, E, of the door frame, B. The bolts, D, are made with wedge-shaped
points, as shown in Figure, 2; and when they are shot or locked their action on
the socket plates, E, of the door frame, B, causes the door, A, to be strongly
pressed against the door frame.
The
The bolts, D, are all moved simultaneously by means of a plate, F, at the centre
of the door this plate being fixed on a short spindle, G 1, passing through the door
and fitted to turn in the bearing through which it passes. The spindle, G 1, has
two hand levers, G, fixed on it, one on each side of the door so that the door can
be locked and unlocked from either side. The centre plate, F, is connected by
links, F1, directly to the bolts, D, at the middles of the vertical sides of the door;
and by links, F2, to bellcrank plates, F 3, centered on studs fixed in the door,
which plates, F 3, are by links, F 4 connected to the other bolts, D.
links, F 1, F 4, and the bellcrank plates, F 3, are arranged so as to simultaneously
move all the bolts, D, inwards or outwards, accordingly as the centre plate, F,
is turned in one direction or the other. To the top of the door frame, B, there is
fixed a semi-circular guard bar, H, which when the door is opened prevents a
bolt, D, which is near the hinge at the top of the door from being moved outwards,
and when that bolt is by the guard prevented from moving outwards, it also
prevents any of the other bolts from being moved, in consequence of all the bolts
being connected in the manner herein before described to the centre plate, F. The
door, A, may be secured in an open position either at right angles or back against
the bulkhead or at any other predetermined position by having a notch formed
in the desired position in the under edge of the guard, H, so that when the door is
opened to the proper extent the bolt, D, at the upper inner corner can be moved
out into the notch. When about to close the door, the bolt must first be withdrawn
from the notch in the guard, H.
In Figure, 3, various parts connected with the bolts are not shown, but it is to
be understood that they are the same as shown in Figures, 1, and 2, and herein-
before described. For the purpose of closing and opening the door, A, from the
deck of a ship, a vertical shaft, J, is arranged so as to coincide with the axis of the
door binges; and any suitable mechanism is arranged at the deck for giving this
shaft, J, vertical and turning movements. In this modification the door, A, is
provided with comparatively long binge bars, K, which are fixed upon tubular
bosses or short sleeves, K1, fitted on squared parts of the vertical shaft, J,
arranged to allow of the vertical movement of that shaft, whilst it moves the
binges so as to open or close the door when it is turned. The bosses, K 1, are held
in position vertically by brackets, K 2, fixed to the door frame, B. It is by the
vertical movement of the shaft, J, that the bolts, D, are unlocked or locked. The
shaft, J, is made with a slotted enlargement, J 1, through which there passes a
pin, L, connecting a pair of links, L 1 (one on each side of the shaft) and these
links, L 1, are jointed to a lever, L2, centered on a small bracket fixed to the
door frame, B, and connected by a link, L3, to the hand lever, G (or it might be
to a centre plate, F). When the shaft, J, is moved downwards it, by the
connections just described, moves the hand lever, G, and centre plate, F,
(Figure, 1) so as to shoot or lock the bolts, D. The slot in the enlargement J 1,
of the shaft allows of the pin, L, being drawn down when the bolts, D, are being
shot or locked by means of the hand lever, G.
Figure, 4, is a plan (not inverted) showing the guard, H, and parts for releasing
the door, A, from the guard when about to close it these parts being shown in
elevation in Figure, 3. A lever, M centered on the guard, H, or it might be on
the door frame, B, is arranged for depressing the bolt, D, when engaged in the
notch in the under edge of the gnard, H. This lever, M, is made with an open
middle part, M 1, (Figure, 4) to embrace a piece, M2, which is secured on the
shaft, J, and is formed with a pair of collars between which engage pins, M 3, on

page_text: the lever, M, this lever being consequently moved downwards when the shaft, J, is
lowered.
When about to close and lock the door, A, by means of the vertical shaft, J, this
shaft is first depressed sufficiently to release the door from the notch in the
guard, H; the shaft, J, is next turned to turn and close the door, A, upon the
door frame, B, and then the shaft, J, is further depressed to shoot and lock
the bolts, D.
In the modification shown in Figure, 6, a simpler form of mechanism is shown
for locking and unlocking the bolts, D. The centre plate, F, is connected directly
by links, F 1, aud, F4, to the various bolts, D, the intervening bellcrank
plates (F3) employed in the modification shown in Figure, 1, being dispensed with.
Guides, P, are provided for guiding the centre pins, P1, joining some of the
links, F 1, and, F4, where necessary. The bolts, D, and the parts for moving
them are shown in their locked positious in full lines, and in their unlocked
positions in dotted lines. Parts of this modification not shown or described are
similar to corresponding parts of the modification first described.
In the modification shown in Figure, 7, the two upperinost bolts, D, are connected
by a stiff cross link, P 2, and the two lowermost and the three at each side are also
connected in separate sets by similar links. These stiff links, P 2, are connected
by other links, F 1, to the centre plate, F, from which the bolts, D, are actuated.
The unlocked positions of the bolts, D, and the parts for moving them are indicated
by dotted lines. Parts of this modification not shown or described are similar to
corresponding parts of the modification first described.
In the modification shown in Figure, 8, racks, Q, and a pinion, Q1, are employed
instead of the centre plate (F) of the modification first described. The racks, Q,
are suitably guided and are connected by links, F 1, and F 4, to the bolts, D,
the pinion Q1, being worked in a manner similar to the centre plate (F)
of the modification first. described. The unlocked positions of the parts are
indicated by dotted lines. Parts of this modification not shown or described are
similar to corresponding parts of the modifications first described.
In the modification shown in Figure, 9, a central bar, R, moving vertically in
guides, R 1, is employed, and this bar is connected by links, F 1, F 4, and levers, R 2,
to the bolts, D, the levers, R 2, turning about fixed centres, R 3. To one side of
the bar a rack, Q, is fixed which gears, with a pinion, Q 1, worked similarly to the
centre plate, F, of the modification first described. Parts of this modification not
shown or described are similar to corresponding parts of the modification first
described.
In all the modifications herein before described the locking mechanism in
connection with the door is protected by a suitable covering, S, (shown in
Figure, 2, only) of steel or iron plate which may be made in sections and hinged
to the main door so as to give tree and easy access to the gear for examination
and overhaul. The faces of the hinges may be made spiral so that the door when
freed from the catch or hook (not shown) holding it open will have a tendency to
fall to its frame.
The number of locking bolts (D) required for a door will obviously vary with
the size of the door, larger doors than the examples shown in the drawings having
.more bolts and smaller doors fewer, bolts. The disposition of the bolts and the
mechanism for actuating them are modified to suit each case.
Any of the before-mentioned arrangements of locking gears can be fitted to
existing binged watertight doors and can be applied to all doors and openings in
ships or on land which have to be made water, oil, or airtight, or which have to
form joints under pressure or subject to pressure.
case the
The locking mechanism may be arranged on the opposite side of the door
to that in which it is shown in Figures, 1, and 2, and in such a
bolts, (D) would engage with the bulkhead direct instead of with socket plates
on the bulkhead.
By means of the improvements herein before described, the efficiency and security

page_text: of such doors are greatly increased, the operation of closing being effected by one
the operation, and the certainty of locking insured..
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 :-
A watertight or other door for forming a joint under pressure when closed,.
comprising a compressible contact strip on the door to bear on a flange on the door
frame, and bolts connected by links and levers to a centre plate or equivalent so as
to be moved simultaneously into sockets on or in the door frame, and made with.
wedge-shaped ends to force the door against the door frame substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to any of the modifications shown in the
drawings.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of February 1897
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.