Improvements in the Ventilation of Bulkhead Spaces and other Parts of Steam Ships.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 16th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 14th June, 1887.
Improvements in the Ventilation of Bulkhead Spaces and other
Parts of Steam Ships.
CHARLES JAMES WALTER KERIN of 79 Fenchurch Street London E.C. Cargo
Surveyor and ELI LEMON SHELDON of 3 Lombard Court London E.C. Merchant do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
In steam ships carrying grain and other perishable cargo loss is frequently
occasioned by heating. This loss is increased and often wholly caused by the heat
from the engines and boilers being communicated to the cargo. To prevent this the
iron bulkheads nearest the boilers and engines are now lined with a temporary wooden
bulkhead leaving an intermediate air space between the wood and iron of six to nine
inches. This air space is often ventilated by means of two tubes surmounted by
cowles one being intended as an inlet and one as an outlet of air. But this method of
ventilation is found in practice to be insufficient either the air does not circulate
through these tubes or if it does it does not effect a change of air in but a small part
of the space between the bulkheads and the air in the space becomes heated from the
iron bulkhead; this heat is communicated to the wooden bulkhead and thence to
the cargo. Our invention has for its object the complete and continuous change of
the air contained between the wooden and iron bulkhead and the consequent preven-
tion of the accumulation of hot air and heating of the wooden bulkhead. To
accomplish this we divide the space between the iron and wooden bulkheads by upright
partitions, utilizing for this purpose the scantlings upon which the wooden lining is
fastened, into an even number of smaller narrow spaces. These spaces are connected
the one with the other by cutting away the bottom of the first partition the top of the
next and so on, forming in effect one long narrow continuous enclosed space from side
to side between the bulkheads having an approximate section of two feet by nine
inches. An opening is made from each side of the vessel into each end of this tube-
like space, the one for an inlet and the other as an outlet of air-These openings can
be extended beyond the sides of the vessel by the insertion of iron tubes of four or
six inches in diameter-Into the tube serving as an outlet of the air we insert a tube
about one fourth inch in diameter connected with the steam boiler, the end of this

page_text: small tube stops just short of the end of the outlet air tube so that the jet of steam
escaping through it from the boiler induces a current of air through the outlet tube
thus withdrawing air from that end of the bulkhead space which is at the same time
replaced by air drawn in from the other end of the bulkhead space through the inlet
tube Fresh air is thus compelled to traverse the entire length of the tube like bulk-
head space as arranged by the partitions before described and every part of it is thus
kept cool and ventilated. The jet of steam through the small tube can be controlled
by means of a stop cock and only turned on when there is danger of heating of the
cargo but at such times the ventilation of the bulkhead is rendered certain and
absolute and independent of the state of the atmosphere or the wind.
It is obvious that we can arrange the bulkhead space into a continuous tube like
space by means of transverse instead of upright partitions and that the inlet and
outlet air tubes can be arranged near the center of the vessel instead of at the sides
by continuing the iron tubes from the middle through the bulkhead partitions to the
spaces at each side of the vessel, and that by an opening through the wooden bulkhead
or other connection other parts of the ship could be ventilated.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Ventilation of Bulkhead Spaces and other
Parts of Steam Ships.
JANE KERIN Widow and administratrix of Charles James Walter Kerin late of
79 Fenchurch Street London E.C. and ELI LEMON SHELDON of 3 Lombard Court
Lombard Street London E.C. (Merchant) do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In steamships carrying grain and other perishable material loss is frequently
occasioned by heating. This loss is increased and often wholly caused by the heat
from the engine and boilers being communicated to the cargo. To prevent this the
iron bulkheads nearest the engines and boilers are now lined with a temporary wooden
bulkhead leaving an intermediate air space between the wood and iron of six to nine
inches. This air space is often ventilated by means of two tubes surmounted by
cowles one being intended as an inlet and one as an outlet for air-But this method
of ventilation is found in practice to be insufficient-either the air does not circulate
through the tubes or if it does it moves through the bulkhead space direct from one
tube to the other and does not affect the mass of air in the bulkhead space-the mass
or greater part of the air in the bulkhead space remains stagnant and becomes heated
from contact with the iron bulkhead conveys the heat to the wooden bulkhead and
thence to the cargo.
Our invention has for its object the complete and continuous change of the air
contained between the wooden and iron bulkheads and the consequent prevention of
the accumulation of hot air and the heating of the wooden bulkhead and consequent
heating of the cargo.
To accomplish this we divide the space between the iron and wooden bulkheads by
upright partitions (utilizing for this purpose the scantlings upon which the woodon
bulkhead is fastened) into an even number of smaller upright narrow spaces-These
spaces are connected the one with the other by cutting away the bottom of the first
partition the top of the second the bottom of the third and so on forming in effect
one long narrow continuous enclosed space from side to side between the bulkheads
having an approximate section of two feet by nine inches-An opening is made at
each side of the vessel into each end of this tube like space, the one for an inlet and
the other as an outlet of air. These openings can be extended beyond the sides of the
vessel or above the deck by the insertion of iron tubes four or six inches in diameter.
Into the tube serving as an outlet of air we insert a tube about one fourth of an inch
in diameter connected with the steam boiler and the end of this small steam tube stops
a little short of the outer end of the outlet air tube so that the jet of steam escaping
through it from the boiler induces a current of air through the outlet tube thus with-
drawing air from the bulkhead space which air is immediately replaced by air drawn
in at the inlet tube-The fresh air is thus compelled to traverse the entire length of

page_text: the tube like bulkhead space formed by the partitions before described and every part
of the bulkhead space is ventilated and cooled-The jet of steam through the small
tube can be controlled by a stop cock and need only be turned on when there is
danger of the cargo heating but at such time the ventilation of the bulkhead space is
rendered certain and absolute and independent of the state of the atmosphere or of
the wind. It is obvious that we can forin the bulkhead space into a continuous tube
like space by means of transverse instead of upright partitions and that the inlet and
outlet tubes can be arranged near the center of the vessel instead of at the sides by
continuing the iron tubes through the partitions of the bulkhead space and also that
by suitable openings through the wooden bulkhead other parts of the ship may be
ventilated by the same apparatus.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section through the bulkhead space from side to side of
the vessel A. A. A. are the partitions which are cut away alternately at the top and
bottom to form the tube like air space B. B. B. C is the inlet air tube. D is the
outlet air tube. The arrows show the direction of the air-The dotted lines show
the alternate arrangement of inlet and outlet tubes near center of vessel. Figure 2
is a vertical section of the outlet air tube F. E is small steam tube to induce outward
current of air. G is line of deck.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is
(1) The arrangement of the bulkhead space in steamships into a continuous tube
like space by suitable partitions with an opening into each end of such tube like
space the one as an inlet and the other as an outlet of air and the introduction into
the outlet opening of a small steam jet to produce an outward current of air,
substantially as described.