Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Closing the Water-tight Doors in the Bulkheads of Ships.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 26th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Automatically
Closing the Water-tight Doors in the Bulkheads of Ships.
"
I FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY of 36 Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention as
communicated to me by Petrus Nicolaas Hoorweg and Cornelis Hendrikus.
Vinke, Engineers; both of Budapest, Hungary, to be as follows:-
;
This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for automatically closing
the watertight doors etc. in the bulkheads of ships, the closing being effected by
means of the water which would enter in the event of the vessel leaking.
The gist of the invention consists in that an electrical circuit is closed when the
level of the bilge-water rises to a certain point, whereby an electro-magnet is
caused to move a differential piston valve, so that the fluid contained in a cylinder
may escape, the said fluid being under pressure by the weight of the bulk-head-
door and when the fluid escapes the door is enabled to move downward or side-ways
as the case may be. That is to say the method forming the subject of this
invention consists in that the water entering the hull in case of its being damaged
is used to close automatically the doors of the bulkheads and for this purpose the
bilge-water in raising discharges the fluid from a cylinder thus allowing the door to
move to the closed position.
The apparatus is arranged and operates in the following manner :-
Within the bilge there are arranged boxes in each of which is a float which is
raised by the bilge-water and closes a circuit of an electrical battery. This battery
actuates one or more electro magnets the armatures of which are connected to or
form part of differential piston valves.
pressure to
These valves are arranged in such manner as to allow a fluid under
escape with great rapidity from a cylinder, the stroke and the strength necessary
for the operation of these valves being a very small one.
The pressure on the fluid contained in the cylinder is produced by the weight of
the suspended bulkhead door or by means of a special weight secured to a rope or
the like, where the door is required to move in a horizontal direction or to be turned
on an axis, the door itself being acted upon directly or by means of intermediate
mechanism of any kind by the piston of the cylinder.
As soon as the fluid escapes the piston moves upwardly or downwardly as the
case may be and at the same time the door moves downwardly or sideways or turns
around its axis.
1
The stroke of the piston may be either the same as that of the door itself or it
may be smaller and operate a pawl or other device adapted to allow the door to
perform its automatic motion.
The battery may in some cases be omitted and the current be provided by the
circuit of the electric lighting plant where such exists.
The differential pistons of the exhaust valve may be actuated by means of a
float directly; the electro magnet and the battery being dispensed with.
Dated this 29th day of January 1894.
F. W. GOLDI,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C..

page_text: Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Automatically
Closing the Water-tight Doors in the Bulkheads of Ships.
I FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY of 36 Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention as
communicated to me by Petrus Nicolaas Hoorweg and Cornelis Hendrikus
Vinke, Engineers of Budapest, Hungary, 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 a method of and apparatus for automatically closing
the watertight doors &c. in.the bulkheads of ships, by utilizing the rising water
which would enter the hold in the event of the vessel leaking.
The gist of the invention consists in that an electrical circuit is closed when the
level of the bilge-water rises to a certain point, whereby an electro-magnet is
caused to move a differential piston valve, so that the fluid contained in a cylinder
may escape, the said fluid being under pressure by the weight of the bulkhead-
door and when the fluid escapes, the door is enabled to move downward or sideways
as the case may be. That is to say the method forming the subject of this invention
consists in that the water entering the hull in case of its being damaged is used to
close automatically the doors of the bulkheads and for this purpose the incoming
water in rising discharges the fluid from a cylinder thus allowing the door to move
to the closed position.
The apparatus is arranged and operates in the following manner :-Within the
bilge there are arranged boxes in each of which is a float which is raised by the
incoming water and closes a circuit of an electrical battery. This battery actuates
one or more electro-magnets, the armatures of which are connected to or form part
of differential piston valves. These valves are arranged in such manner as to
allow a fluid under pressure to escape with great rapidity from a cylinder, the
stroke and the strength necessary for the operation of these valves being a very
small one.
The pressure on the fluid contained in the cylinder is produced by the weight of
the suspended bulkhead door or by means of springs or of a special weight secured
to a rope or the like, where the door turns on an axis or slides in a horizontal
direction, the door itself being acted upon directly, or by means of intermediate
mechanism of any kind, by the piston of the cylinder. As soon as the fluid escapes
the piston moves up or down as the case may be and at the same time the door
talls, slides to, or swings round its axis.
The stroke of the piston may be either the same as that of the door itself
or it may be smaller and operate a pawl or other device adapted to allow the door
to perform its automatic motion.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein
Figure shews the complete arrangement of apparatus,
Figures 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views shewing modifications,
Figures 4 to 6 are enlarged sections shewing details of construction, and
Figs. 7 and 8 shew the invention as applied to horizontal sliding doors.
1.;
In Figure 1 the letter A. indicates one of the boxes in the hold the float in
which completes the circuit of the electric battery B. Under the influence of this.
battery the electro-magnet actuates the differential piston valve C thereby
discharging the liquid under pressure from the cylinder k..
The watertight bulkhead door E which falls in the direction F to close the
opening G in the bulkhead in this case, for example, hangs on the double lever H
whose other end is linked to the piston D in the cylinder k. The arm of the lever H

page_text: on which the door E is suspended is so formed that the hook or chain by which
the door hangs is disconnected therefrom when the piston D reaches the upper
part of the cylinder k, whereupon the door E falls down to the closed position
under the action of gravity. In this case therefore the travel of the door E is
only partly effected by the discharge of the water from the cylinder k, and when
the door E is disconnected from the lever H, the latter, by reason of the unbalanced
pressure above the piston D, flies back in the opposite direction.
A great advantage of this contrivance is that the same construction which
already exists can easily be employed in connection with the bulkhead doors and
that in this way :-Should a door be moved by means of the usual contrivances,
either winding screws or toothed rods, this mechanisın can remain, but care must
be taken that these contrivances can be disconnected as soon as the door E is hung
on the double lever H.
When the door has dropped it can be moved up to the position shewn in Figure 1
by means of the re-insertion of the winding screws or toothed rods as the case
may be.
The apparatus can be arranged with the piston D attached directly or by means
of chains or ropes to the door E as shewn in Figures 2 and 3 thus dispensing with
the lever H.
Figure 2 illustrates a construction in which the piston D of the escapement
cylinder k is strongly bound to the door E so that by the downfall of the door this
piston runs in the same direction.
As soon as, through the disconnection of the electric current, the liquid flowing
through under the piston D of the cylinder k, has run off, the door E goes back
with greater or lesser velocity according as the liquid flows out quickly or slowly
and the escapement cylinder k works in the same manner as a cataract.
Figure 3 illustrates a contrivance with the same working action as shewn in
Figure 2 with the exception that the cylinder k, if there is no room in the bulkhead
above the door, is fixed by the side of the door and the connection of the piston D
with the door E is made by means of a chain or rope worked over a roller or
rollers r.
By the contrivances shewn in Figures 2 and 3 the door can be moved upwards
by means of a forcing pump which forces pressure either under or over the
piston D in the cylinder k.
The forms illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 do not however exhaust the methods
of application of the invention, but they serve to clearly indicate the apparatus
and the mode of operation.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are sections of the float box, the differential piston valve
and the cylinder respectively shewing the forms in which it is preferred to construct
these parts. Referring to Figure 4, the water entering the openings a in the box
or case A raises the float b so that contact is established at c and the electric circuit
through the battery B completed. To further ensure the effective contact the
spring contact pieces c are pressed against a metal plate secured between them on
the inside of the box or case A.
The current passing through the battery B energises the electro-magnet sn,
Figure 5, whereby the pistons d' d² of the differential valve C are slightly raised.
The liquid under pressure in the cylinder which has been hitherto balanced by the
position of the differential valve now rapidly passes through the aperture e in the
bottom of the valve casing, which has been opened by the raising of the valve
pistons d' d and acting on the underside of the piston d² causes the electro-magnet
to slide upwards over the metal rod thus opening the outlet so that the liquid
from the cylinder k passes through the valve between the pistons d'and and
discharges through the outlet h.
In Figure 5 a cock or valve is applied to the opening K of the differential
piston valve C so that in case of necessity any body in its vicinity can let off the
compressed fluid by opening the cock or valve, whereby the door falls down without
the differential piston valve C being brought into action.

page_text: Further, it should be remarked that the contact apparatus can be fixed in any
part of the ship, on the bridge for instance, so that at any time the electric current
can be connected and the differential piston valve C closed by order of the person
in command.
The outflow of the liquid from the cylinder k causes the piston D to rise. This
piston D is connected by the link to the lever H centred at O (see Figure 6) and
when the piston rises the lever is turned on its centre O in such a manner that the
attachment p by which the door E is suspended is released and the door falls.
The mechanism is likewise with trifling variations and by means of such elements
as weights, accumulators &c., applicable to horizontal sliding as well as revolving
doors as shewn in Figures 7 and 8.
Horizontal sliding doors are made to close by means of a simple contrivance,
which replaces the door's own weight and consisting of the employment of two
weights PP (see Figure 7) which sink down in cylindrical receptacles RR built
in the double floor or ships hold.
The door E is in this case held open by the same apparatus as illustrated in
Figure 1 for vertical doors, the releasing of which takes place through the entry
into action of the differential piston valve C.
A further arrangement and more worthy of recommendation for horizontal sliding
doors is the following:-
Two cylinders kk (see Figure 8) are placed in horizontal position behind the
door E the pistons DD of which are connected with the doors by means of rods.
By means of the liquid pressure generated by an accumulator Acc. (for example
the accumulator used for other hydraulic constructions on board, such as cranes,
turret movement etc.) the pistons DD of the cylinders kk are moved and the door,
fitted with friction rollers to facilitate its movement, is closed in the direction G.
In order to prevent the liquid pressure generated in the accumulator from acting
on the piston when the door should remain open the differential piston valve C as
shewn in Figure 5 is inserted in the conduit pipe.
Should the electric current connected by means of the rising bilge-water set the
valve C in action, the liquid pressure of the accumulator acts on the pistons DD
of the cylinders kk and the door E is closed in the direction G.
By this arrangement the doors can be reopened by the employment of the
customary toothed rods, in which case care must be taken that the gear can be
disconnected.
Revolving doors are best placed in sloping places so that they can close by
means of their own weight on the disconnection of a hook or other holding or
checking apparatus.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that the invention can be
considerably modified without departing from the essential features of novelty and
that every form of horizontal or vertical sliding door as well as doors turning on
hinges or axes in the bulkheads of ships can be automatically closed by means of
this invention. The modification necessary to adapt the invention to other kinds
of doors than those shewn in the drawings will be readily understood without
further instructions.
The battery may in some cases be omitted and the current be provided by the
circuit of the electric lighting plant where such exists on board. In other cases
the piston of the differential valve may be actuated by means of the float directly;
the electro-magnet and battery being dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I. declare that what I
claim is
1. Apparatus for automatically closing the bulkhead doors of ships by the water
rising in the hold, characterized by a float raised by the incoming water thereby
completing an electric circuit and energising an electro-magnet which actuates a
piston in a differential valve thereby discharging the fluid contained under pressure

page_text: in a cylinder and allowing the bulkhead door which is connected to the piston in
said cylinder to close, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In apparatus of the kind indicated in the preceding claim the special form of
differential valve shewn in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings having an
aperture e in the bottom of the valve casing through which on a small motion of
the pistons d' d' the water flows and pressing on the underside of the piston d'
thereby causes the electro magnet to slide on a rod fon which it is fitted as a
socket, thus opening communication from the cylinder to the outlet / in the valve
casing through which the water under pressure in the cylinder is discharged,
substantially as described.
3. The method of and apparatus for automatically closing the bulkhead doors of
ships by the water rising in the hold through leakage, substantially as herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this day or
0
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.