IMPROVEMENTS an Invention of IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING SHIPS AND OTHER FLOATING VESSELS TO PREVENT COLLISIONS OR OTHER ACCIDENTS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Love of Finchley in the County of Middlesex for
" IMPROVEMENTS
an Invention of
IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND
STOPPING SHIPS AND OTHER FLOATING VESSELS TO PREVENT COLLISIONS OR
OTHER ACCIDENTS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Love at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th September 1883.
IMPROVEMENTS IN
JAMES LOVE of Finchley in the County of Middlesex,
APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING SHIPS AND OTHER FLOATING VESSELS
TO PREVENT COLLISIONS OR OTHER ACCIDENTS
"
This invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and application of
brake apparatus to ships and other floating vessels for the purpose of retarding
and stopping their progress rapidly in order to prevent collisions or other
accidents.
The apparatus consists advantageously of four (or other suitable number)
hydraulic cylinders with a solid piston to each cylinder having a screw and nut at
one end with a pin and two cup leathers to each. The piston is placed in the end
of the cylinder which is made tight with a stuffing box.
At each end of the cylinder there is a pipe which lets the compressed water in
from the tank regulated by stop valves.
The four hydraulic cylinders are fixed in the fore part of the ship two in a line
with the deck one from right to left across the bows and another from left to right
across the bows. The two in a line with the deck are fitted with strong iron heads
and runners into which girdle irons are fitted to hold two iron plates which extend
from the keel to the upper deck the two side pistons being connected with the side
plates by a sliding plate in the front brake plates.
The water tank is fixed on the upper deck and has four pipes connected to it
having eight valves fitted to them two of which let the water into the four

page_text: hydraulic cylinders at one end two others let the water escape from the opposite
end and two others let it in the other end the other two letting it out again when
the brake is off.
The brake is applied when one lever is pulled which opens a valve when the
water is forced with great force into the cylinder which forces out the pistons and 5
they force out the plates in front of the ship and thus stop her progress.
The tank has an air chamber and a valve into which the air is forced and then
the water is forced in to the pressure required in the tank and there is a gauge
glass to show the pressure in the tank.
The water discharged from the cylinders is forced into a cistern at each side of 1
the ship and can be forced from there back into the tank when required

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions, of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Love in the Patent Office on the 27th March 1884.
JAMES LOVE of Finchley in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING SHIPS AND OTHER FLOATING VESSELS
TO PREVENT COLLISIONS OR OTHER ACCIDENTS "
This Invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and application of
brake apparatus to ships and other floating vessels for the purpose of retarding
and stopping their progress rapidly in order to prevent collisions or other
accidents.
The apparatus consists advantageously of four (or other suitable number)
hydraulic cylinders with a solid piston to each cylinder having a screw and nut at
one end with a pin and two cup leathers to each. The piston is placed in the end
of the cylinder which is made tight with a stuffing box.
At each end of the cylinder there is a pipe which lets the compressed water in
from the tank regulated by stop valves.
The four hydraulic cylinders are fixed in the fore part of the ship two in a line
with the deck one from right to left across the bows and another from left to right
across the bows. The two in a line with the deck are fitted with strong iron heads
and runners into which guides are fitted to hold two iron plates which extend from
near the keel to the upper deck the two side pistons being connected with the side
plates by a sliding plate in the front brake plates.
The water tank is fixed on the upper deck and has four pipes connected to it
having eight valves fitted to them two of which let the water into the four
hydraulic cylinders at one end and two others let the water escape from the opposite
end and two others let it in the other end the other two letting it out again when
the brake is off.
The brake is applied when one lever is pulled which opens a valve when the
water is forced with great force into the cylinder which forces out the pistons and
they force out the plates in front of the ship and thus stop her progress.
The tank has an air chamber and a valve into which the air is forced and then
the water is forced in to the pressure required in the tank and there is a gauge
glass to show the pressure in the tank.
The water discharged from the cylinders is forced into a cistern at each side of
the ship and can be forced from there back into the tank when required.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a plan of the stem of a ship or vessel
fitted with my improved apparatus.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of one of the hydraulic cylinders and Figure 4
is a separate view of the stopping or retarding plates.
a. a. are two hydraulic cylinders placed one over the other and with their centres
parallel with the keel of the vessel. b and c are two other similar cylinders placed
with their centres at similar angles to the keel The cylinders a. a. are fitted with
rams a¹. a². working through stuffing boxes in the cut water. The rams a¹. a. are
connected at their outer ends to a strong head frame d. The cylinders b and c are
also fitted with ramse working through stuffing boxes in the sides of the ship.
The outer ends of the rams b and c are connected to blocks f sliding in guides f¹

page_text: carried by the stopping plates g-these blocks may be carried by small friction
rollers in order to reduce the friction to a minimum.
The stopping or retarding plates are hinged to the head frame d and are capable
of moving outwards around this hinge joint. The position of these plates when the
apparatus is not in use is seen on the plan they then lie close to the sides of the
vessel and form a slight continuation of the bows.
The action of the apparatus is as follows;-on a collision being likely to occur
water under pressure is supplied to all the cylinders forcing their pistons and rams
outwards the head frame and the stopping plates g are then caused to assume the
position shewn in Figure 2 and will then act to retard the progress of the vessel
through the water. Should the collision occur the whole of the four rams together
with the head frame and stopping plates will be forced inwards against the pressure
of the water contained in the cylinders and so absorb all the force of the collision
acting as a spring buffer.
The means of supplying water under pressure to the cylinders and emptying the
same is not shown on the drawings as these will be fitted to accommodate themselves
to the internal construction and arrangement of the fore part of the ship. The
hydraulic cylinders and rams together with their pistons may be of any ordinary
construction and separately form no part of my invention.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice I would remark that I make no claim to any of
the mechanical or other parts separately which are well known and in common use
But what I claim is:-
The improved arrangement and application of brake apparatus such as g. g. to
the bows of ships and other floating vessels for the purpose of retarding and stopping
them to prevent collisions and other accidents the apparatus being arranged to act
substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before fully described and
represented in the drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof I the said James Love have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twenty sixth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
TIMES LOVE rol