SELF-CLOSING DOORS FOR WATERTIGHT BULKHEADS OF STEAMSHIPS
Year: 1885

page_text: I FREDERIC BAPTY, of 65 Blackheath Road, Greenwich in the County of Kent,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "SELF-CLOSING DOORS FOR
WATERTIGHT BULKHEADS OF STEAMSHIPS" to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is, to construct the doors in bulkheads and bunkers
of ships so that they will be automatically and tightly closed in case of leakage,
but which can be easily opened and closed under normal conditions so as to
allow of free communication between the various compartments whenever necessary
or desirable.
I construct the doors in two parts, and in the bottom framing of the ship,
preferably directly under the bulkhead or in the wake of the door, I cunstruct a
watertight cell, in which I place a float, or floats, connected directly with the lower
part of the door and indirectly by levers and rods, or by chains and pulleys, with
the upper part.
I make the parts of the door to slide in taper grooves and balance these with
the floats and levers, so that they move quite freely until the moment of closure.
I fix hinged guard plates or covers so as to fall over the lower part of the door,
when open, and prevent anything getting into the aperture which could obstruct
the free motion of the door.
I make communications between the cell and the adjacent compartments by
means of large and easily moved valves actuated by floats and levers, the floats
being so placed as to allow the cell to be quickly filled in case of excessive leakage
but not to be disturbed by the ordinary wash of the bilge-water.
I also make a communication between the cell and the bilge-pump and put in a
sea-cock for the regular and convenient testing of the efficiency and working order
of the invention.

page_text: Self-closing Doors for Watertight Bulkheads of Steam Ships.
I FREDERIC BAPTY of 65 BlackHeath Road Greenwich in the County of Kent,
Engineer. and Patent Agent 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:-
The object of my invention is, to construct the doors in bulkheads and bunkers
of ships so that they will be forcibly and automatically closed in case of more than
usual leakage, but which can be easily opened or closed under normal conditions,
so as to allow of free communication between the various compartments whenever
necessary or desirable.
I usually construct the door in two parts, and, in the bottom framing of the ship,
preferably directly under the bulkhead; and under or in the wake of the door,
I construct a watertight cell or tank in which I place a float or floats connected
directly with the lower part of the door, and indirectly by levers and rods, or by
chains and pulleys, with the upper part. I make the parts of the door to slide in
taper grooves and balance these with the floats and levers so that they move quite
easily until the moment of closure. I fix hinged guard plates or covers so as to
fall over the lower part of the door when opened and prevent anything getting
into the aperture which might jam or obstruct the free motion of, the door.
I make communications between the cell and the adjacent compartments by
means of large and easily moved valves actuated by floats and levers the floats
being so placed as to allow the cell to be quickly filled in case of excessive leakage
but not to be disturbed by the ordinary wash of the bilge water.
I also make a communication between the cell and the bilge-pump and put in a
sea cock for the regular and convenient testing of the efficient working of thie
invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate one form of application of this invention,
Figure 1 being a longitudinal and Figure 2 a transverse section.
The letters a; shew the watertight cell or float-tank, b, b, the floats joined by a
saddle piece which carries the lower part of the door c, from these Hoats extend
brackets r, r, which carry the rods d, d, these rods pass loosely through the floor
at 8, 8, the holes however at 8, 8, are fitted with conical collars so that when the
conical parts of the rods at p, p, are raised they fit them tightly; the upper part
of the door f, is connected through the levers e, e, and the links e¹, e¹, and d₁, d¹
with the rods d, d, the two parts of the door slide in the tapered framing k, l, quite
*freely until in actual contact; i, is a curved hinged guard plate which falls over
the opening when the lower part of the door sinks and prevents coal or other
materials getting into the aperture; g,g, are valves communicating with the bilges
of both the adjoining compartments and worked by the lever floats h, h; and l, is
a hood to prevent coal from obstructing the motion of the door when applied to
coal bunkers.
The action of the invention as herein described is this:-suppose water to have
accumulated from any cause until it reaches the valves g, g, the valve floats h, h,
will be brought into action and water admitted into the float cell, the floats b, b,

page_text: will cause the two parts of the door to move towards each other, the lower part will
raise the hinged cover i, and move aside any ordinary obstruction from the door-
way, the floats b, b, having, when carried out in moderate proportions, a lifting
power of from 700 to 1000 lbs.
To test the working condition of the invention, the sea-cock is opened until the
float cell is filled and the door closed; then the sea cock is closed, the valve in
communication with the bilge pump opened and the float cell emptied when the
door can be again easily opened.
I sometimes apply the Invention to doors moving horizontally and do not confine
myself to the details gaven.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In ships' bulkheads the use and application of doors formed in two parts
which move vertically in opposite directions, the parts being connected by levers
and with floats and so balanced as to be easily opened or closed under ordinary
conditions but automatically closed with sufficient force to move out of their path
any ordinary obstacle in case of an abnormal influx of water.
2. In ships' bulkheads, the use and application of doors which are automatically
and forcibly closed horizontally or otherwise by the power obtained as described..
3. In the cellular bottom fraining of ships the use and application of float cells
having valves actuated by lever-floats as and for the purposes described.
+. The use and application of the hinged guard plate.
5. The general combination and arrangement as described and illustrated.
Dated thin 50th day of Santambor 1886