Improved Method of and Appliances for Retaining Dishes and the like in Position on Tables on Board Ship.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Appliances for Retaining Dishes and the
like in Position on Tables on Board Ship.
We, WILLIAM MARSDEN FLETCHER, of 22 Westminster Road, Liscard near
Birkenhead in the County of Chester, Engineer, and ARTHUR GEORGE DUNNING
of 77 Field Street, Bloxwith in the County of Stafford, Mariner, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our present invention is intended to overcome the difficulty experienced on
board ship in retaining dishes, etc., in position on the tables during heavy weather,
the portable frames which are at present attached to the tables for this purpose,
being found to be inconvenient and inefficient.
According to our invention, we retain the dishes and the like in position, by
providing appliances for causing, automatically or at will, a partial vacuum
between the bottom of the dish and the table, when the former is placed upon
the latter.
At each place where a dish is to be placed on the table, we provide a rubber
seating flush with the table top; the whole top of the table may be faced with
rubber, but we preferably inlay the rubber in the form of flat annular rings.
These rubber rings are adapted to make an air-tight joint with the bearing rims of
any dishes that may be placed upon them.
The centre of each of these seatings communicates with a main exhausting
trunk pipe by a small pipe which we lead underneath the table, and the action may
be controlled either by a small stop cock in the pipe for each seating, to be
operated at will, or by an automatic valve in the centre of each seating, adapted to
be operated by the act of placing the dish in position.
Each of these automatic valves is preferably in the form of a cylindrical plug of
two diameters, and it works freely, but air-tight, in its cylindrical seating which
passes through the table top and is secured therein; the upper part of the valve
and casing is of smaller diameter than the lower part, and the pipe, leading
to the main exhaust pipe, enters the valve casing at the top of its lower or
larger part.
When there is no exhaustion in the pipe leading to the valve, the latter falls by
gravity to its lowest position which is determined by a stop; in this position, the
top of the valve is flush with the surface of the table and offers no obstruction to
anything placed thereon. When the said pipe is exhausted, the action of the
partial vacuum in the annular space above the lower or larger part of the valve,
draws the latter up to its highest position, so that the top of the valve projects a
little above the surface of the table. The valve has a small perforation at the top
which communicates by a passage with a small port or opening in the side of the
valve, and the height of this port is such that when the valve is in its upper
position the port is closed, and when in its lower position it opens to the
exhausting pipe.
The main exhausting pipe communicates through a stop-cock with a condenser
or other means of maintaining a partial vacuum, and, if desired, each individual
pipe may also have a stop-cock for the purpose of isolating its corresponding valve.
The action is obvious; as soon as the main stop cock is opened and the pipes
exhausted, the valves spring up so as to project above the table and close their
ports; if now a dish be placed centrally over a valve and pressed on to the rubber
seating, the valve will be depressed by the bottom of the dish, the port in the valve

page_text: will be opened and the space below the dish exhausted, so holding the dish firmly
in position.
The degree of exhaustion is only sufficient to hold the dish down with sufficient
firmness, and the dish may be lifted off its seating by a moderate force. Where
the trunk pipe leads from a condenser which would give too high a degree of
exhaustion, we preferably fit a reducing valve to keep the degree of exhaustion
within the proper limit. By means of the stop-cock in the main trunk pipe, the
whole apparatus may be cut off from the condenser when it is not in use.
Dated this Oth dow of Innu 1904
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Appliances for Retaining Dishes and the
like in Position on Tables on Board Ship.
We, WILLIAM MARSDEN FLETCHER, of 22 Westminster Road, Liscard near
Birkenhead in the County of Chester, Engineer, and ARTHUR GEORGE DUNNING
of 77 Field Street, Bloxwith in the County of Stafford, Mariner, 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 present invention is intended to overcome the difficulty experienced on
board ship in retaining dishes, etc., in position on the tables during heavy weather,
the portable frames which are at present attached to the tables for this purpose,
being found to be inconvenient and inefficient.
According to our invention, we retain the dishes and the like in position, by
providing appliances for causing, automatically or at will, a partial vacuum
between the bottom of the dish and the table, when the former is placed upon
the latter.
At each place where a dish is to be placed on the table, we provide a rubber
seating flush with the table top; the whole top of the table may be faced with
rubber, but we preferably inlay the rubber in the form of flat annular rings.
These rubber rings are adapted to make an air-tight joint with the bearing rims of
any dishes that may be placed upon them.
The centre of each of these seatings communicates with a main exhausting
trunk pipe by a small pipe which we lead underneath the table, and the action may
be controlled either by a small stop cock in the pipe for each seating, to be
operated at will, or by an automatic valve in the centre of each seating, adapted to
be operated by the act of placing the dish in position.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate our invention,
Fig. I is a sectional elevation on the line A. A. of a portion of the table where it
is desired to retain the dish or plate; the valve for automatically accomplishing
this, and a plate in position, being also shown in the section.
Fig. II is a plan, a portion of the table being cut away to show the valve
underneath.
Fig. III is a view analogous to Fig. I showing the valve in the position it
occupies before the plate is put on.
Figs. IV and V are sections of the valve and the casing on the lines B. B. and C. C.
respectively, and viewed in the directions indicated by the small arrows.
I is the table, 2 the plate, 3 the rubber seating and 4 the pipe communicating
with the condenser or other means of maintaining a partial vacuum. The pipe 4
may simply pass through the table and be controlled by an ordinary cock or valve
underneath, which, when the plate is put in position, may be opened, causing a

page_text: partial vacuum underneath the plate which is thus secured in position by
the atmospheric pressure; the cock of course, being closed when the plate has to
be removed.
We prefer however to make the cock or valve which controls the pipe automatic
in its action and adapted when depressed by the plate to open the communication
with the condenser, which communication is normally closed.
We construct such an automatic valve preferably in the form of a cylindrical
plug 5 consisting of two parts a and b of different diameters; these parts fit in
corresponding cylindrical portions c and d of the seating 6.
The part a of the valve has a small port 7 which communicates through a passage
with perforations in the top of the valve. The casing has a port 9 near
the top of the part d, the said port communicating with the condenser or other
means of producing a partial vacuum by means of a pipe 4 secured by a union 10
as shown.
The casing 6 passes through the table centrally with reference to the rubber ring
and is secured in position by the nut 11; its lower end is closed by a cap 12 having
an opening 13 therein.
The perforated top of the valve projects a little above the table when in its
highest position, as shown in Fig. 111; in this position it will be seen that the
lower part & closes the port 9 and that the port 7 is also closed, being within the
cylindrical portion c. Should the valve be depressed when the pipe 4 is in com-
munication with the partial vacuum it will be seen that the valve will, when
released, lift to its highest position, in virtue of the partial vacuum in the annular
space in the upper portion of d. If now the plate be placed in position as shown in
Fig. I the valve will be depressed, the ports 9 and 7 opened and a communication
established between the space under the plate 2 and the condenser.
The bearing rim of the plate will make a good joint with the rubber, even with
an interposed table cloth, and there will consequently be a partial vacuum
underneath the plate, and the preponderance of atmospheric pressure on the top of
the plate will be sufficient to hold the latter firmly on the table, the valve being,
of course, kept down and open by the pressure of the plate on the top thereof.
There are, of course, as many valves fitted as there are places where a dish or
plate is to be secured, and each of the pipes 4 lead to a main trunk exhausting pipe
connected, through a cock, to the condenser or the like and cach pipe 4 may have
a separate stop cock for isolating its corresponding valve.
When the communication with the condenser is cut off all the valves will fall by
gravity to their lowest position, in which position their tops will be just below the
table top so as to offer no obstruction to anything placed thereon.
The degree of exhaustion need only be sufficient to hold the dish or plate down
with the requisite firmness, and the latter may be lifted off its seating by a moderate
force. Where the trunk pipe leads from a condenser which would give too high
a degree of exhaustion, we preferably fit a reducing valve to keep the degree of
exhaustion within the proper limit. By means of the stop cock in the main
trunk pipe, the whole apparatus may be cut off from the condenser when it is
not in use.
An additional valve may be fitted, adapted to be readily opened to break the
vacuum under the plate when it is desired to remove the latter, such valve being
operated either from the underside of the edge of the table or from the top of the
table adjacent to the plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our shid
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is ;-
1. The improved method of holding plates, etc., on tables on board ship, which
consists in placing the plate on a rubber or other yielding surface and producing a
partial vacuum between the underside of the plate and the rubber: substantially

page_text: 2. The improved means for holding plates, etc., on a table, which consist of a
yielding surface attached to the top of the table, a central opening through the
same communicating through a passage with a condenser or other means for
producing a partial vacuum, and a valve for controlling the said passage;
substantially as described.
3. The improved means for holding plates, etc., on a table which consist of a
yielding surface attached to the top of the table, a central opening through the
same communicating through a passage with a condenser or other means for
producing a partial vacuum, and a valve for controlling the said passage and
adapted to be operated automatically when the plate is placed in position;
substantially as described and illustrated.
4. In combination with the plate and the table with a yielding surface; a
cylindrical casing passing centrally through the table and provided with a port
leading to a condenser or the like, and a valve working in the said casing adapted
normally to close the said port, but which, when depressed, puts the said port into
communication with the space between the plate and the table; substantially as
described and illustrated.
5. The improved apparatus for holding plates, etc., on a table, substantially as
described and illustrated in reference to Figs. I to V.
Dated this 12th day of October 1894.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.