Year: 1897

page_text: I, JOSEPH PRESTON CRIBB, of 57, Montgomerie Road, Southsea, in the County
of Hampshire, in the Borough of Portsmouth, Shipwright, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I construct of iron, steel, brass leather & indiarubber, machines by which one
man or more, may readily stop holes made by shot or otherwise, in a ship, either
above or below water in a most efficient manner. I construct it in the following
manner. I take a piece of metal and make a disc of any diameter, as shown in
Fig. which represents outside surface of machine, I cut it into three parts.
A, B, A. A represents wings or flaps, which are afterwards connected to B by
hinges, which allow of their being turned up as shown in Fig. 10. I then get
indiarubber, or leather, and rivet it to the inside of disc, the rivets being clenched
on the outside as shown in Fig. 2, the indiarubber, or leather being represented
by C, on Fig. 9. I then prepare a piece of metal shaped as and represented by
Fig. 3. This I call the base of machine, & I fasten it with Whitworth screws
through the rubber (or leather) to B as shown in Fig. 9 I then prepare a picce
of metal preferably brass having a Whitworth thread on one end, and a slot the
other end as represented in Fig. 4, to revolve & carry strong back Fig. 5, with it,
one quarter turn, right or left.
I then prepare a piece of metal (preferably steel), which I call strongback shaped
and drilled as shown in Fig. 5, and being thick enough to support the strain when
heaving up, (say 16 inch in thickness), and of width sufficient, to allow the
wings or flaps to be compressed, by hand when passing out of the hole in the ship
as shown in Fig. 10. I then drill a hole through base (indiarubber or leather) and
backbone represented by B Fig. 1, and in this bole I insert thread end of swivel
(Fig. 4), on this thread I screw the strongback Fig. 5, and then secure with a nut
as shown in Fig. 2, this allows swivel (Fig. 4), to revolve, and carry strongback
Fig. 5 with it, which locks A, B, A, as again shown in Fig. 2. I then prepare an
irou or brass rod shaped and represented by Fig. 6 which I call spindle. This
spindle contains a lever D), screwed up the whole length of thread and secured
with a stopnut, this lever regulates the action of the swivel Fig. 4, and strongback
Fig. 5. The top end of the spindle is inserted in slot of swivel and riveted, the
hole through the spindle being slightly larger than the rivet. The spindle is
constructed, as to allow the spindle to drop, at right angles, when passing out of
the hole in the ship, as shown in (Fig. 10.) Fig. 7 represents a driving wheel,
which is intended to be used for heaving up, after the bridge (represented by
(Fig. 8) and (Fig. 9), is placed on spindle as shown in Fig. 9.
Fig. 9, shows machine (complete) inside.
Fig. 10, shows machine when ready for passing out of hole in the ship.
There is no limit to size of machines or size of fitlings. The patent is sought

page_text: for in respect of the wings or flaps A, & A Fig. 1, & backbone B, Fig. 1, &
swivelled strong back Fig. 5.
improvements in LOK Stoppers.
I, JOSEPHI PRESTON CRIBB, of 57, Montgomerie Road, Southsea, in the County
of Hampshire, in the Borough of Portsmouth, Shipwright, 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 leak stoppers, which will successfully plug a shot or
similar hole, in a ships side either above or below water. According to my present
invention I construct by a combination of iron, steel, brass, leather, indiarubber,
or similar substances, a machine to be manipulated from the inside of ships.
I construct it in the following manner, I take a circular, oval, or similar shaped
piece of metal as shown in Fig. 1 in the accompanying drawings I cut it into 3
parts A, B, & A. A represents wings or flaps, which are afterwards connected to B
by hinges, which allow of their being turned up as shown in (Fig. 6) B, I call and
hereinafter refer to as the backbone, I then get indiarubber, or preferably leather,
and rivet it to the inside of the round, or oval shaped trisected plate. The leather
affixed to the plate, is represented by C on Fig. 5, and the hinges, connecting the
parts together, are on the outside of plate.
I then prepare a piece of iron plate, the size to be regulated by the size of the
machine, and shaped as represented by E in Fig. 5. Through this plate, which I
call the base of the machine, I drill four holes and countersink the said holes on
one side, I then lay the base E on the indiarubber, or leather C, so that it is on the
centre of the inside of the machine, then I drill through the leather and back-
bone B, (Fig. 1) and fasten it with Whitworth screws or rivets to the said backbone.
I then prepare a piece of metal as shown in Fig. 3 with a Whitworth thread on
one end and a slot at the other end, made for the insertion of the upper flattened
end of the spindle (Fig. 4).
I then drill a hole of a given diameter, at the centre and through the base E
(Fig. 5) and through backbone B (Fig. 1), which is on the opposite side of E.
In this centre hole I insert the thread end of the swivel Fig. 3 and on to the
portion which projects beyond B (Fig. 6), I fix a piece of metal shaped and shown
as F (Fig. 2 & 6) and which I call the strong back.
The hole in the centre of strong back is tapped so as to screw on to the thread
end of swivel Fig. 3, and parallel with the slot at the other end, and further secure
it with a nut as shown in Fig. 6. The strongback must be sufficiently narrow to
allow the wings A to come into position as shown in Fig. 6. The strongback is fixed
to the projecting portion of the swivel in such a manner, that the swivel & its
attachment are free to revolve, when actuated upon by a lever, hereinafter
described. So that upon the strongback F Fig. 6 being turned it brings and locks
the two wings A, into the same plane as the backbone B as shown in Fig. 2.
To prevent the strongback Ffrom revolving into its original position,
I place a stop H (as shown in Fig. 2 & 6) on one side wing which effectively
prevents a complete revolution. The wings when locked, appearing as shown in
Fig. 2. In order to easily manipulate the swivel and strongback, I prepare a con-
trivance, called a spindle, Fig. 4. This spindle is constructed in the following
manner, I obtain a bar of iron or steel upon which a thread has been made along

page_text: about two-thirds of the length. The upper part of this bar is round, while the
extreme end or top is flattened, drilled and shaped as shown in G (Fig. 4 & 5).
This flattened portion is then placed into the slot, contained in the projecting
portion of the swivel (Fig. 3). Then I drill a hole horizontally across the swivel,
the hole corresponding to the drilled portion of the upper part of the spindle.
This I fasten in such a manner, as to allow the spindle to work at the swivel as
a hinge so that it appears as shown Fig. 5 thus the spindle can be either parallel
with the face of the machine or perpendicular to it. On to the spindle I construct
a lever which I construct in the following manner.
I prepare a piece of iron, as shown by D Fig. 4 at one end of which, I drill a
hole, and tap a thread corresponding with the thread on the spindle, I then run
the said lever up the thread on spindle as far as it will go and further secure it
with a stop nut. This lever in conjunction with spindle, when turned acts upon
& causes the swivel (Fig. 3) to which it is connected, to revolve one half turn,
which carries the strongback F (Fig. 2 & 6) with it, the said strongback lock-
ing A, into the same plane as B.
Fig. 6, represents the stopper when ready for action with strongback F parallel
with the backbone B. To prevent the stopper from falling into the water, when
the outside pressure is removed, I make of iron, or steel, a bridge shaped, and shown
by J in Fig. 5.
This bridge has a hole in one side, sufficiently large to enable the bridge to be
freely shipped upon the spindle.
The bridge and leakstopper is then secured by a driving wheel K (Fig. 5) which
screws on to the thread of spindle, after the machine has been passed out of the
hole in the ship, the wheel keeping the bridge and consequently the leak stopper
rigid.
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:-
1st. The manner in which the round, or oval shaped plate Fig. 1 is cut into
three parts, A, B and A, and afterwards connected by hinges as shown in Fig. 2,
which when the machine is required to be used, the strongback F Fig. 2, is turned
in line with backbone Fig. 2 thus allowing the wings, or flaps, A and A to be
turned up as shown in Fig. 6, which is a distinct novelty, and to the best of my
knowledge and belief differs from all previously existing leakstoppers.
2nd. The swivel and its action with the strongback, which locks the machine
by means of the lever upon the spindle, being turned one quarter turn right or left,
after the machine is passed out through the hole in the ship.
Dated this 27th day of May 1898.