Improvements in and relating to Manhole and like Doors.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 5th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Manhole and like Doors.
1, ALEXANDER LAMBIE, Manager to the Firm of Russell and Company,
Shipbuilders, Greenock, Renfrewshire, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention to be as follows:-—
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved method of
constructing and operating the manhole doors of tanks and boilers, and fluid tight
doors of a like nature such as used on board of steam and sailing ships; and
which will be more simple, expeditiously operated and efficient than such doors as
heretofore constructed.
In carrying these improvements into practice under one arrangement as applied
to form the manhole door on the top of a tank, the door would preferably consist
of an oval shaped metal plate which would be placed within the open manhole
space, and in its closed position come up and bear on the inner surface of the tank
shell round said hole.
By my improvements a series of bolts or pins would project from the outer
surface of door being preferably countersunk or secured to segmental plates or
stiffeners rivetted on each side of the outer surface of door, although they may be
secured to the door direct. And the circumferential outer surface of door which
bears on shell of tank would have a ring of rubber or other fluid tight packing.. An
arm or eyeholt would be mounted by an eye at its one end over each of the bolts,
projecting from door and be adjustably tightened up and secured by a screw nut
mounted over the bolts which would be formed with screw threads. These arms or
eyebolts would each project out at right angles to their carrying screw bolts, and
have a collar or cam mounted eccentrically at. their outer free end to bear over the
outer surface of the shell of tank.. When the manhole door is desired to be opened
a regulated distance, this is effected by turning round the eccentrics on the
projecting arms on each side of door, preferably by a hand lever entering a slot
formed on each eccentric, so as to bring round the concentric or face of smallest
leverage next the shell of tank and so press in the door from bearing on inner
surface of shell. While in closing the door the eccentric is reversed so as to bring
the eccentric or face of greatest leverage next the shell of tank and thus draw or
bring in the door plate to closely bear with its rubber packing on the inner surface
of shell round the manhole space, and the eccentric may be locked in this closed
position of the door by a pinching screw pin or equivalent locking device.
By a modified arrangement the eccentric would be mounted over the free end of
a kneed arm or bracket countersunk or otherwise secured at its other end (bent at
right angles) to the segmental plates or door, and in this case screw nuts and bolts
would not be required. But by an alternative arrangement the eccentrics would be
dispensed with and screw pins substituted. In this case the screw pins would pass
through screw sockets or eyes on the free or overhung ends of the kneed arms or
brackets; and by turning these screw pins the door would be opened or closed as
desired. In this arrangement central blocks would preferably be countersunk

page_text: rivetted or secured to the door, and the kneed brackets would be formed with
recesses and placed over these blocks, and be secured by pinching screws or other
fastenings to these blocks.
12th February 1904
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
Improvements in and relating to Manhole and like Doors.
I, ALEXANDER LAMBIE, Manager to the Firm of Russell and Company,
Shipbuilders, Greenock, Renfrewshire, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing that is
to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved method of
operating the manhole doors of tanks and boilers, and fluid tight doors of a like
nature such as used on board of steam and sailing ships; and which will be more
simple, expeditiously operated, and efficient than such doors as heretofore
constructed.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in the several figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections broken away showing one arrangement of
my improved eccentric operating device as applied for closing and opening the
manhole door of a tank; in Figure 1 the door being shown closed and in Figure 2
open.
Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 showing a slightly modified way of
applying the eccentric acting organ, and
Figure 4 is a detached view of the eccentric shown in Figures 1 to 3.
Figures 5 to 13 show modified ways of applying my improved eccentric acting
organ and which my experience during the provisional protection has taught me to
be the most simple, easiest operated, and least liable to get out of order.
In Figures 5 and 6 a plan view and vertical section are respectively shown of the
modification most suitable for being applied to the manhole doors of small tanks
such as bread tanks.
In Figure 7 a plan view is shown of the modification most suitable for the
manhole doors of large tanks such as water ballast tanks; and Figures 8 and 9 are
vertical sections corresponding to Figure 7 showing the manhole door in its open and
closed positions respectively; while Figure 10 is a transverse section broken away
at right angles to Figure 9.
Figures 11 and 12 are views corresponding to Figures 9 and 10 of a slightly
modified arrangement and Figure 13 a view corresponding to Figure 11 showing a
locking arrangement of the eccentric organ.
Referring to these drawings. In carrying these improvements into practice under
one arrangement as applied to form the manhole door on the top of a tank A', the
door would preferably consist of an oval shaped metal plate A which would be
placed within the open manhole space and in its closed position come up and bear
on the inner surface of the tank shell round said hole.
By my improvements a series of bolts or pins a would project from the outer
surface of door. A and be countersunk or secured to segmental plates or stiffeners A³
rivetted on each side of the outer surface of door, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 or.

page_text: they may be secured to the door direct as in Figures 5 to 10: And the circum-
ferential outer surface A³ of door A which bears on the shell A' of tank would
have a ring of rubber, rope yarn or other fluid tight packing b.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2 an arm or eyebolt a would be mounted by an eye
at its one end over each of the bolts a projecting from door 'A and be adjustably
tightened up and secured by a screw nut b¹ mounted over the bolts a which would
be formed with screw threads. These arms or eyebolts a' would each project out
at right angles to their carrying screw bolts a and have a collar or cam organ c with
eccentric eye c¹ mounted eccentrically at their outer free end to bear over the outer
surface of the shell A' of tank.
When the manhole door is desired to be opened a regulated distance, this is
effected by turning round the eccentrics c on the projecting arms a¹ on each side
of door preferably by a hand lever entering a slot c² formed on each eccentric c so
as to bring round the face of smallest leverage next the shell A' of tank and so
press in the door A. from bearing on inner face of shell to the position shown in
Figure 2. While in closing the door A: the eccentric c is reversed so as to bring
the eccentric or face of greatest leverage next the shell A' of tank and thus draw
or bring in the door plate A to closely bear with its rubber packing on the inner
surface of shell round the manhole space as shown in Figure 1 and the eccentric c
may be locked in this closed position of the door by a pinching screw pin or
equivalent locking device.
By a modified arrangement as shown in Figure 3 the eccentric c would be
mounted over the free end of a kneed arm or bracket a¹ countersunk or otherwise
secured at its other end, bent at right angles, to the segmental plates A³ or door A,
and in this case screw nuts and bolts would not be required.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 5 and 6 loose or revolving plates A³ are
mounted round the pins a and are formed with oval holes A*, to allow of plates
being mounted over the pins a.. The eccentrics c are shown as formed of fork or
duplex eyed shape, mounted loosely over transverse pins a¹ passing through the
outer end of the pins a, and are operated to close or open the door in an analogous
manner to that described in reference to Figures 1 to 3, the eccentric on the left
hand of Figure 6 being shown in the open position of the door and in the centre and
right hand in the closed position of door.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 7 to 10 transverse bars a³ are mounted over
the door space of tank, and the pins a secured to the door A are fitted in pairs
and formed of kneed shape at their upper end for mounting the eye c¹ of the
eccentric c on over a recessed part a' of the crossbars a³. The door A may be
dish shaped at the parts over which the crossbars a³ pass and the bars would be
formed of corresponding bulged shape. The eccentrics c would be operated to
close or open the door in an analogous manner to that already described..
In the arrangement shown in Figures 11 and 12 the pins a are formed with a
connecting bridge a' so as to be one bracket piece a, a', and the eccentric organ 63
Figuré 11 is formed open or with transverse slots into its oscillating eye at c* so
that it can be shipped on to or removed from the transverse bridge piece a', and
the operating hand lever c³ may if desired be formed in one piece with the eccentric c.
With this arrangement one portable eccentric acting organ can be used to operate
in turn for tightening up each bar a³ or device which can then be locked by
inserting a pin a through eyes in the bracket piece a and in the bar a³, so as
to lock these together before slackening and removing the eccentric organ c by
its eye slots from the bridge piece a¹.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 13 a bracket piece a a' is formed as in
Figures 11 and 12, and teeth or notches d are formed in the centre of bridge
part a' of bracket, and a swivel or spring pawl d' is mounted on the eccentric
organ c so that when the latter is tightened up it will be locked or prevented
from slipping by the pawl d engaging with the teeth d'. This arrangement will
be particularly suitable for manhole doors subject to great pressure such as in
steam boilers.

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 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The method of operating manhole and like doors by eccentric acting
organs, substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Second. In combination with manhole and like doors, the use of eccentric
acting organs to close or open said doors, substantially as herein described in
reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 10th November 1894.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.