Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Closing or Opening of Valves and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1894
Complete Spécification Left, 8th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Closing or Opening
of Valves and the like.
I BENJAMIN HANNEN Junior of 258 Gray's Inn Road in the County of
Middlesex Builder and Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the automatic closing or opening of valves, water-tight
doors, slides or other apertures by the use of a plug as hereinafter described which,
when dry, presents sufficient friction to prevent the rising or falling of an arm or
other mechanical contrivance through the plug but when moistened by water allows
such arm or other mechanical contrivance to rise or fall as the case may be and
thus actuates any weighted lever or other suitable mechanical appliance to be used
for the purpose of closing or opening such apertures.
In order that the application of my invention may be fully understood I mention
the following examples of its use:
In the case of strong rooms and other closed chambers which it is necessary to
ventilate the ventilators do, and would, unless automatically closed, allow water, in
the case of the premises being flooded, to penetrate into such strong rooms or
chambers. By the use of my invention upon any water approaching such strong
room or chamber it would come into contact with my plug suitably placed and
would melt or dissolve it, or destroy its power of resistance and thereby release a
weight, or lever, which would actuate a suitable mechanical contrivance which
would cause the ventilators to be automatically closed and become water-tight.
As another example of the use to which my invention may be put I would state
that the doors or slides dividing a ship or building into water-tight compartments
could be operated upon in the same way by the plug becoming similarly melted, or
its power of resistance taken away, by contact with water entering the compartment
or building.
My invention may be carried out in various ways-I will give the following as
an example of a suitable method although other methods may be adopted:
The plug hereafter described is inserted in a thin flat metal slide which has a
hole in it the size of the plug leaving the plug projecting on either side and the
slide and plug thus being suitable to act as a catch. The slide is inserted in a
strong perforated metal box, securely fastened to the floor wall partition or other
suitable place and in a position which would be readily reached by the first
approach of water, with a slit cut in the top or side just sufficiently large to allow
the slide to pass readily through when the plug is not in position. The slide is
inserted in the slit in the box, the plug is then placed in position; the slide is then
connected with an arm or lever, and weighted to act upon the necessary mechanical
contrivance for closing or opening the required apertures. The plug inserted in
the slide being too large to pass through the slit holds the arm or lever suspended
and inactive, and therefore prevents any mechanical action taking place. Directly
the water entering through the apertures of the box touches the plug the same
melts or loses its power of resistance and the weighted arm or lever acts thus
giving the power necessary for actuating the mechanical contrivance for closing or
opening, as the case may be, the apertures.
The plug herein before described may be made of various substances which will
present the necessary friction or resistance when dry but will readily melt, dissolve or

page_text: lose its power of resistance, on contact with water. From the experiments I have
made I have found that a plug in the form of a hollow tube composed of pipeclay
is the most suitable material for the purpose desired, but I claim to make the said
plug of any other suitable material combining the necessary qualifications as before
indicated.
Dated the 16th dow of Iul.. 1904
THEO. MCKENNA,
17 & 18, Basinghall Street, London, E.C., Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Closing or Opening
of Valves and the like.
I BENJAMIN HANNEN Junior of 258 Gray's Inn Road London Builder and
Contractor 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 :-
My invention relates to the automatic closing or opening of valves watertight
doors slides or other apertures by the use of a plug as hereinafter described which when
dry presents sufficient resistance to prevent the rising or falling of an arm or other
mechanical contrivance through the plug but when moistened by water allows such
arm or other mechanical contrivance to rise or fall as the case may be and thus
actuates any weighted lever or other suitable mechanical appliance to be used for
the purpose of closing or opening such apertures.
In order that the application of my invention may be fully understood I mention
the following examples of its use,
In the case of strong rooms and other closed chambers which it is necessary to
ventilate the ventilators do and would unless automatically closed allow water in
the case of the premises being flooded to penetrate into such strong rooms or
chambers. By the use of my invention upon any water approaching such strong
room or chamber it would come into contact with my plug suitably placed and
would melt or dissolve it or destroy its power of resistance and thereby release a
weight or lever which would actuate a suitable mechanical contrivance which would
cause the ventilators to be automatically closed and become water tight.
As another example of the use to which my invention may be put I would state
that the doors or slides dividing a ship or building into water tight compartments
could be operated upon in the same way by the plug becoming similarly melted or
its power of resistance taken away by contact with water entering the compartment.
or building.
My invention may be carried out in various ways and I refer to the accompanying.
drawings so that my object may be more clearly understood.
I first refer to Figs. 1 to 4 as shewing one method of carrying out my.
invention.
The plug a hereafter described is inserted in a thin flat slide A made of metal or
other suitable material provided with a hole for the insertion of the plug which
when in situ projects on both sides so as to retain the slide in position. The slide is
inserted in a strong perforated box through a slot of such size as to allow it to
pass freely in and out when the plug is removed but too narrow to allow the plug
to pass through. This box is made so that it may be securely fastened to the floor
wall partition or other suitable place in a position which would be readily reached
by the first approach of water. The box may be of any suitable shape and the.
slot d may be cut in the top or other side as may be most convenient and
arranged so that the plug can be inserted in the slide after the slide is in position
be
may
or so that the slide with the plug in position may be slipped in the slot from the

page_text: open side or end which may then be closed. Figs. 1 to 4 show the box constructed
with a moveable perforated cover P the slit being cut in the side of the cover so
that when the plug has been placed in position in the slide the cover containing the
plug and slide is readily placed in position over the back plate B fixed to the floor
wall or partition as the case may be and kept in position by the projecting
pieces Bi which are fast or fixed on to the back plate and fit accurately into the
cover P.
The slide is then connected with a weighted arm or lever or other suitable
appliance arranged so as to act upon the contrivance for closing or opening the
apertures as required. The plug acting as a bolt holds the arm or lever or other
appliance suspended and inactive and therefore prevents any mechanical action
taking place. When however water enters through the apertures of the box the
plug melts or loses its power of resistance and the weighted arm or lever or other
appliance is released and the contrivance for closing or opening the apertures as the
case may be is set in motion. The plug hereinbefore referred to may be made of
any substance which will present the necessary resistance when dry but which will
readily melt or dissolve or lose its power of resistance when in contact with
water.
I have found the following substances suitable for the purpose, pipeclay, a
mixture of pipeclay plaster of Paris and sand sugar and salt but any other suitable
substance may be used.
The plug may be made in the form of a hollow tube or of any other suitable
shape.
In the place of the slide A. described in Figs. 1 to 41 may employ as shewn in
Figures 5 and 6 a thin band of leather or other suitable material which is formed
into a loop e.
The ends of this band are taken round the metal eye R and securely
bound together with wire g immediately below the eye. To this wire binding is
soldered a small piece of metal tubing D screwed with a male thread its whole
length on which the metal nut S works. This nut serves to tighten the leather
band round the plug. The plug and the other portions of the apparatus may be
constructed in the same way as that previously described.
Figs. 7 and 8 represent another method of applying my invention which is more
adapted for withstanding a great shock or vibration than those previously described
although somewhat slower in its action.
Instead of a separate slide and plug as hereinbefore described &c. the plug is
constructed by means of a soluble powder such as powdered sugar salt magnesia or
other suitable material tied up in muslin or coarse canvas as shewn in a in Fig. 7
the mouth of the bag being secured as shewn and a loop formed at the top, the size
of the bag being such that it cannot pass through the opening d until the powder
has been dissolved..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what [
claim is
1. The combination of a weighted lever or its equivalent and a restraining catch
or bolt which when dry holds the said lever or its equivalent in position but when
in presence of water allows the said lever or its equivalent to act as and for the
purposes described.
2. The apparatus described and shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4; in Fig. 5; and in
Figs. 6 and 7 respectively.
THEO. MCKENNA,
Agent.