Improvements in Automatic Ventilation Valves, specially applicable to Ships' Ventilators.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1896--Accepted, 24th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Ventilation Valves, specially applicable
to Ships' Ventilators.
I, JOSEPH HAMILTON GIBSON, of 12 Brattan Road, Birkenhead, in the County
of Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to ventilation valves such as are fitted on board ship to
the ventilation casings, where the casings pass through water-tight bulkheads.
Such valves are adapted to close automatically in the event of either of the
compartments separated by the bulkhead being flooded.
As at present constructed these valves are made in the form of shutters, each
shutter, or each pair of shutters in the case of a double shutter valve, being
articulated to a weighted lever which tends normally to close the valve; the valve
is opened by hand in opposition to the weighted lever, and is kept open by a
trigger connected to a float which is adapted, should either of the compart-
ments become flooded, to release the trigger and so allow the weighted lever to
close the valve.
The object of my present invention is to improve such valves in the following
respects;-By substituting a spring or springs for the weighted lever so as to save
the space occupied by the latter, and render it easier to adjust the force necessary to
close the valve, especially if the rolling of the ship has to be taken into account; by
providing a connection between the valve and the means for closing it which is
direct acting and which does not tend to deflect the valve and cause it to jam in
its seatings; by engaging the trigger directly to the valve; and by making the
valve, its seating and the means for releasing and closing it, a self contained
structure adapted to be completed in the workshop and subsequently to be easily
fitted in any position in the ship.
The valve is made in the form of a shutter, but the seating instead of being
formed on the bulkhead, as usual, is made in the form of a deep frame, and has
sufficient rigidity to permit of the facings being machined; the seating is also
adapted to carry the means for automatically releasing and closing the valve.
The back of the valve is provided with a rack, which if desired may be cast
integral therewith; and a shaft, carried transversely across the seating, is provided
with a pinion adapted to engage with the rack, and with one, or in the case of a
large valve, two spiral springs which normally tend to turn the shaft so as to close
the valve. The bearings of the shaft are carried from the seating and inay be
made integral with the casing which contains the springs. The springs, which are
preferably made of a non-corrosible metal, are so connected to the shaft and the
casing, that their turning effect may be adjusted to suit the weight of the valve.
The springs may act either to close the valve, as described, in opposition to gravity,
or when there is sufficient head room, the valve may be adapted to close by gravity
in opposition to the springs.
The valve is opened by turning the shaft, in opposition to the closing force, by
means of a handle or by means of a rim on the spring casing. The trigger, which
holds the valve open, engages directly with the valve or with a ratchet on the
shaft and is released by means of a float placed in a receiver on one side of the

page_text: bulkhead, the receiver being connected, through a cock, to the compartment on
the other side of the bulkhead so that when either compartment is flooded, water
enters the receiver and operates the float; when the valve closes, the cock on the
connecting pipe is also automatically closed.
The same pattern can be applied to either horizontal or vertical valves.
Projections may be provided at the top and bottom of the valve which interlock
with corresponding projections on the casing, in order to more securely hold the
valve against its seating when closed.
The spring casing may be provided with a recess in which a suitable absorbent
material may be stored to take up any moisture finding its way into the casing, and
so prevent corrosion of the spring.
Dated this 7th day of December 1895
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26 Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Automatic Ventilation Valves, specially applicable
to Ships' Ventilators.
I, JOSEPH HAMILTON GIBSON, formerly of 12 Brattan Road, Birkenhead, but
now of 11 Glenalmond Road, Egremont in the County of Chester, Engineer, 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 ventilation valves such as are fitted on board ship to
the ventilation casings, where the casings pass through water-tight bulkheads.
Such valves are adapted to close automatically in event of either of the compartments
separated by the bulkhead being flooded.
As at present constructed these valves are made in the form of shutters, each
shutter, or pair of shutters in the case of a double shutter valve, being articulated
to a weighted lever which tends normally to close the valve; the valve is opened
by hand in opposition to the weighted lever, and is kept open by a trigger
connected to a Hoat which is adapted, should either of the compartments become
flooded, to release the trigger and so allow the weighted lever to close the valve.
The object of my present invention is to improve such valves in the following
respects; By substituting a spring or springs for the weighted lever so as to save
the space occupied by the latter and render it easier to adjust the force necessary
to close the valve, especially if the rolling of the ship has to be taken into account;
by providing a connection between the valve and the means for closing it which is
direct acting and which does not tend to deflect the valve and cause it to jam in its
seatings; by engaging the trigger directly to the valve; and by making the valve,
its seating and the means for releasing and closing it, as far as possible a self-
contained structure adapted to be completed in the workshop and subsequently to
be easily fitted in any position in the ship.
I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1
is an elevation, Fig. II a sectional elevation on the line A. A. of Fig. 1, and
Fig. III a plan in section on the line B. B. of Figs. I and II; in Fig. II the means
for releasing the valve are shown, for the sake of clearness, in outside view, though
they are in part in front of the plane of section.
Throughout the drawings, the same parts are indicated by the same reference
figures, and in the case of sections, the direction in which they are viewed is

page_text: indicated by the small arrows placed adjacent to the letters denoting the plane of
section.
The
In the drawings, 1 is the bulkhead, 2 the ventilating casings, and 3 the valve
seating which is attached directly to the bulkhead so as to enclose the opening in
the latter; the seating is made in the form of a deep frame, and has sufficient
rigidity to permit of the flanges being machined, and it is also adapted, as far as
possible, to carry the mechanism for automatically operating the valve.
valve 4 slides in a parallel groove in the seating, but in order to make a water-tight
joint, the valve and the seating are provided, respectively, with facings 5 and 6,
arranged obliquely, relatively to the direction of motion of the valve, and which
are adapted, therefore, to come into close contact when the valve closes. In order
to still further strengthen the valve to resist pressure when closed, and to ensure a
water-tight joint at the top and bottom, as well as at the sides of the valve, I provide,
at the top, lugs 7 on the seating which engage with facings 8 on the valve, and
at the bottom, lugs 9 on the seating which engage with the slots 10 on the valve.
A rack 11 is formed on or fixed to the back of the valve and a pinion 12
gearing therewith is carried on the shaft 13; the shaft is carried in bearings 14
secured to or made integral with the seating. In the arrangement illustrated the
shaft tends to rotate, in virtue of the elastic force of a spiral spring 26, so as to
close the valve.
The spring is carried in a spring box 15, 15', one part, 15, of which is made integral
with one of the bearings 14; the other part 15' fits over a feather on the shaft
and is detachably secured by a uut as shown; the part 15' also forms a hand wheel.
Opposite ends of the spring are attached respectively to these two parts of the spring
box, and it will be seen that when the spring is so secured, the turning moment can
be accurately adjusted by withdrawing the feather and rotating the part 151
relatively to the shaft through the required number of complete turns, and after-
wards inserting the feather and screwing up the nut. I prefer to make the springs
of a non-oxidisable material, and in the case of large valves to fit more than the
one spring; in some cases a cavity, such as 16, is formed in the spring box for
storing absorbent material.
The spring may actually supply the force necessary to close the valve, as in the
arrangement shown, or, it may be employed to only partially balance the force of
gravity in which case the excess of the latter force closes the valve, but in either
case the valve requires to be held open, and a trigger lever 17 is employed for this
purpose.
The lever 17 engages with a detent 27 fixed directly to the valve; the lever is
counterbalanced and its long arm is articulated to a float 18 housed in a float box 19.
When the float box fills with water the float rises and lifts the lever 17 so as to
disengage it from the detent 27 and so release the valve.
In order that the float box may be filled with water when the water rises on
either side of the bulkhead, a pipe 20 communicates with the other side of the
bulkhead through a cock 21 and box 22. The plug of the cock has a lever 23
which is so articulated to a pin 24 on the valve, that when the valve is open the
cock is open and when the valve is closed the cock is closed; this arrangement of
the float and cock is however common to most forms of automatic ventilating valves.
The valve is operated by hand either by the hand-wheel 15¹ or by special handles
which fit on the square ends of the shaft. The arrangement is covered in by a
light casing 25.
The trigger lever may engage with a ratchet on the shaft instead of a detent
such as 27, and it will be seen that the arrangement is applicable either to horizontal
or vertical valves, and as practically the only difference between the horizontal
arrangement, and the form illustrated, lies in the different disposition of the
float box, cock and levers, I have not thought it necessary to illustrate the
horizontal arrangement.
The valves, in the case of exceptionally large openings may be made in pairs
operated by the one shaft.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In automatic ventilation valves; the combination of a valve adapted to
slide in a seating and provided with a rack; a pinion carried by a shaft and
gearing with said rack; a spring adapted to rotate the said shaft; and means for
releasing the valve; substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In combination; a valve provided with a rack and automatic releasing gear;
a pinion carried by a shaft; a spring box made in two parts, one part being fixed
and the other part being detachably secured to that said shaft; and an interposed
spring; substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved automatic
ventilation valve; substantially as described and illustrated.
Deted this 9th dow of Contember 1906
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26 Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.