Improvements in or relating to Means for Stopping Leaks or Holes in Watertight Compartments or Chambers.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Means for Stopping Leaks or Holes in
Watertight Compartments or Chambers.
We, JUST LUCIEN MAURICE, Engineer, of 68, Rue de Rennes, Paris, and FRÉDÉRIC
CHAPLET, of Laval, Mayenne, both in the Republic of France, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means for stopping leaks or holes in water-
tight compartments or chambers, and is especially applicable to the water-tight
compartments of ships, so as to fill a breach caused by a projectile accident &c.
The invention relates to the construction and use of cubes, balls or forms of any
desired shape, the outer surface or envelope of which is impermeable and the
density of which is much lower than that of water, whereby whatever be their shape
they are capable of floating in water. These buoyant bodies are placed in the
water-tight compartment.
The substance of which these "floats" are composed is compressible and slightly
elastic and plastic, so that under pressure they are adapted to press against the
hole and to close it.
If a shell bursts in a water-tight compartment, the effect of its explosion is
minimised by these compressible and elastic bodies.
These bodies may be formed in many ways, as, for instance in the following
way:
་
(1) THE INNER FILLING.
The inner filling may be constituted by a mixture of asbestos fibres, of which
the lightest and most elastic are chosen, and of good quality horse-hair.
This mixture, which I call uninflammable felt," is practically uninflammable
and does not decompose, and, at the same time, is elastic."
(2) THE OUTER COVER OR ENVELOPE.
The cover may consist, say, of asbestos cloth, rendered impermeable, or of
ordinary canvas or cloth rendered practically uninflammable and impermeable, as
for instance, hemp or linen canvas as prepared and used for manufacturing buckets
for fire-brigades.
The bodies according to the present invention may be of any shape and dimen-
sions, but having regard to the usual sizes of water-tight compartments and the
diameter of shells, it is advisable to use bodies of practically cubical shape, with a
side of about 33 centimetrés.
The density of the floats is about 100 to 120 kilogrammes per cubic metre.
according to the material and the manner in which it is arranged.
In case a ship's armour or side becomes pierced by a shell the floats act as
follows:
Water enters the breech either directly, or owing to the rolling of the ship, or
[Price 8d.1

page_text: to the movement of the waves. A portion of this water passes directly into the
ship beyond the inner wall of the cellular portion, if the pressure of water is strong
and sudden. But the greater portion will enter the water-tight compartment.
This water at once raises the floats which-like a moveable valve-rise and form
a screen or packing between the two holes made by the shell. The upward pres-
sure of water on the floats, the upper row of which is stopped by the top of the
chamber, expands them in the direction of their width thereby pressing them
against the walls and thus practically closing both the inner and the outer holes
in a sufficiently water-tight manner.
Datad i 1441
12.1 ... 1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to Means for Stopping Leaks or Holes in
Watertight Compartments or Chambers.
We, JUST LUCIEN MAURICE, Engineer, of 68, Rue de Rennes, Paris, in the Republic
of France, and FRÉDÉRIC CHAILET, of Laval, Mayenne, in the Republic of France,
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 improved means for stopping leaks or holes in water-
tight compartments or chambers, and is especially applicable to the water-tight
compartments of ships, so as to fill a breach caused by a projectile accident &e.
The invention relates to the construction and use of cubes, balls or forms of any
desired shape, the outer surface or envelope of which is impermeable and the
density of which is much lower than that of water, whereby whatever be their shape
they are capable of floating in water. These buoyant bodies are placed in the
water-tight compartment.
The substance of which these floats are composed is compressible and slightly
elastic and plastic, so that under pressure they are adapted to press against the
hole and to close it.
23
If a shell bursts in a water-tight compartment, the effect of its explosion is
minimised by these compressible and elastic bodies.
These bodies may be formed in many ways, as, for instance, in the following
way:
(1) THE INNER FILLING.
The inner filling may be constituted by a mixture of asbestos fibres, of which
the lightest and most elastic are chosen, and of good quality horse-hair.
This mixture which I call " uninflammable felt " is practically uninflammable
and does not decompose, and, at the same time, is elastic.
(2) THE OUTER COVER OR ENVELOPE.
The cover may consist, say, of asbestos cloth, rendered impermeable or of any
ordinary canvas or cloth rendered practically uninflammable and impermeable, as
for instance, hemp or linen canvas as prepared and used for manufacturing buckets
for fire-brigades.
The bodies according to the present invention may be of any shape and dimen-
sions, but having regard to the usual sizes of water-tight compartments and the

page_text: diameter of shells, it is advisable to use bodies of practically cubical shape, with a
side of about 33 centimetres.
The density of the floats is about 100 to 120 kilogrammes per cubic metre
according to the material and the manner in which it is arranged.
In case a ship's armour or side becomes pierced by a shell the floats act as
follows:-
Water enters the breach either directly, or owing to the rolling of the shin, or
to the movements of the waves. A portion of this water passes directly into the
ship beyond the inner wall of the cellular portion, if the pressure of water is strong
and sudden. But the greater portion will enter the water-tight compartment.
This water at once raises the floats which-like a movable valve-rise and form
a screen or packing between the two holes made by the shell. The upward pres-
sure of water on the floats, the upper row of which is stopped by the top of the
chamber, expands them in the direction of their width, thereby pressing them
against the walls and thus practically closing both the inner and the outer holes
in a sufficiently water-tight manner.
In order to enable the invention to be better understood it is illustrated by way
of example in the accompanying drawings;
Figure 1 showing a coffer-dam or water-tight compartment with its floats in their
normal position, and
Figure 2 showing the same after a shell has penetrated the walls.
A is the outer wall and B the inner wall of the chamber, C, being the elastic
float. Should a shot strike and pass through either the outer wall or both walls,
as indicated by the arrow, Figure 2, water will enter the compartment and descend
to the bottom of the chamber, whereupon the floats will rise and close the opening
or openings in the manner described."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. Elastic floats formed of an inner filling of light buoyant fibres in an envelope
or covering of asbestos-or other cloth substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. Elastic floats formed of an inner filling of asbestos fibres and horse hair in
an envelope or covering of asbestos or other cloth substantially as and for the pur-
pose described.
3. The use of elastic floats of the character described for stopping leaks or holes
in watertight compartments or chambers, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of October 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.