Improvements in or relating to Means for Closing the Openings or Doorways in Engine Casings or Crank Chambers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Means for Closing the Openings or
Doorways in Engine Casings or Crank Chambers.
I, WILLIAM SISSON, of Quay Street Iron Works, Gloucester, in the County of
Gloucester, 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 has reference to an improved construction and arrangement of
means whereby the openings or doorways (hereinafter called doorways) in the
walls of the casings or crank chambers of engines of the closed in type can be
easily and quickly closed and opened, and whereby, when the doorways are closed,
lubricant or other liquid that may be thrown against the inner sides of the
covers or doprs (hereinafter called doors) closing the said doorways will be pre-
vented from escaping without the use of packing material.
To this end the side walls of the casings or chambers and the doors used to
close the doorways therein, are constructed and arranged as I shall now describe
with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings wherein Fig. 1 shows
in central section part of the crank chamber of an engine of the closed in type
the doorways in the opposite sides of which are closed according to this invention.
Fig. 2 shows part of one of the side walls of the chamber as seen from the outer
side thereof.
The doorway 1 in each of the inclined side walls 2 of the crank chamber 3
is made, as by boring, of larger size at its outer end than at its inner end so
as to form an inwardly extending flange 4 having a flat outer surface or seat 5,
and such doorway is closed by a dished sheet metal door 6 the rim or flange 6"
of which is adapted to form an easy fit in the outer portion of the doorway and
the free edge 6 of which is turned or faced to fit closely against the flat sur-
face 5 of the flange 4 against which it is forced by a suitable fastening device.
A simple and convenient fastening device for this purpose comprises a bolt 7 that
extends through and is movable endway within a sleeve 1 carried by the door 6
and is provided at its outer end with a handle 7ª and a screw threaded part 7b
fitted with a nut 8, and at its inner end is provided with a tee shaped head that
may conveniently be formed by a tee shaped nut 7 that is fixed to the bolt.
The arrangement is such that the head or nut 7° can be passed through a slot
in a suitably fixed support 9, such as a cross bar, or it may be the guide framing
and by then rotating the bolt through 90° the head or nut 7° thereon can be
brought into a position to engage the rear side of the said support 9 so that
upon then tightening up the nut 8 by means of its handle 8ª the door 6. can be
easily and firmly secured in place in the opening 1 with the edge 6b of its rim
or flange 6 bearing closely against the outer surface 5 of the flange 4, and that
by slackening the nut 8 and partly turning the bolt 7 through 90°, the latter
will be disengaged from the support 9 and the door can be readily removed.
The rim 6 of the door may, conveniently, taper very slightly inward towards
its free edge, as shown, so as to facilitate the insertion of the door in the door-
way 1 and its removal therefrom, the dimension of the door at 6° being such as
to form an easy fit in the outer end of the doorway.

page_text: To ensure that any lubricant or other liquid that may be thrown from the
chamber 3 into the dished door 6 by the revolving crank 10 or other mechanism
within the chamber 3 and which may leak between the inner edge 6b of the
door and the flange 4 shall be prevented, without the use of packing, from
escaping to the exterior of the plate and shall be returned to the chamber, the
portion of the side wall 2 surrounding the enlarged part of the doorway 1 is
formed with a groove 11 that communicates with the interior of the chamber 3
by draining passages 12. To prevent lubricant or other liquid being thrown up
through the drain passages 12 that are in the side wall 2 of the chamber 3 towards
which the crank or other mechanism revolves when rising from the lower part
of the chamber, the lower ends of such passages should be protected by a baffle
plate such as 13.
Doors constructed and applied as described can be made very light, and in
conjunction with a stepped seat in the doorway and drain passages as described,
will effectually prevent the escape of lubricant or other liquid from the chamber
without the use of packing material; they are also less expensive, more effectual,
and more easily applied than doors with conical seats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. Closing a doorway in the wall of an engine casing or crank chamber by
means of a dished cover or door having an inwardly turned rim or flange that
loosely fits the outer portion of the doorway and the free edge of which is adapted
to fit closely against a flat surface or seat formed around the doorway and against
which the said edge is forced by a suitable fastening device, suitable channels
being formed in the said wall for leading back to the chamber any lubricant or
other liquid that may leak between the edge of the cover or door and the surface
or seat against which it bears, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the side wall of an engine crank or like chamber
having a stepped opening or doorway therethrough and draining channels leading
therefrom to the chamber, of a dished sheet metal cover or door
having a rim arranged to loosely fit the outer portion of the said open-
ing or doorway and fit against the stepped seat in the opening or doorway, and
fastening means adapted to fix the cover or door in place, the several parts being
constructed and arranged substantially as herein before described with reference
to the drawings annexed.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.