IMPROVEMENTS IN SIDE LIGHTS AND SHUTTERS FOR PORT HOLES AND OTHER OPENINGS IN SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert William Vivers, of Saint Martin, Boulogne-sur-
mer, in the Republic of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIDE
LIGHTS AND SHUTTERS FOR PORT HOLES AND OTHER OPENINGS IN SHIPS AND
VESSELS."
Sealed the 8th October 1878, and dated the 18th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert William Vivers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1878.
"
ROBERT WILLIAM VIVERS, of Saint Martin, Boulogne-sur-mer, in the Republic
of France. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN SIDE LIGHTS AND SHUTTERS FOR PORT HOLES AND
OTHER OPENINGS IN SHIPS AND VESSELS."
My Invention has for its object to furnish the port holes of ships and vessels with
side lights and shutters which shall be automatically closed by the pressure of the
water when the vessel heels over and the port holes are submerged, and thus pre-
vent the entrance of the water and avoid a frequent cause of foundering.
According to my Invention I provide the port holes and other openings with side
lights, or shutters, or lids, which are hinged or pivoted at their lower sides so as to
open outwards from the ship's side to an angle varying from 45° to S5°, the side
lights or shutters being maintained at the requisite inclination by a downwardly-
projecting stop piece attached to the side light or shutter or lid. The pressure of
the water on the outer surface of the side light or shutter closes the latter imme-
diately the port holes are submerged, and the side lights or shutters are held in
their closed position by suitable spring catches fitted in the port holes or other
opening.
Instead of having a stop piece on the side light or shutters for maintaining the
shutter at the inclination to which it is set, I may employ a cross bar, on which the
side light or shutter rests, provided with a nut to facilitate the adjustment of
the side light or shutter to the requisite angle; or other means may be employed for
the purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert William Vivers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
December 1878.
ROBERT WILLIAM VIVERS, of Saint Martin, Boulogne-sur-mer, in the Republic of
France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIDE LIGHTS AND SHUTTERS FOR PORT HOLES AND
OTHER OPENINGS IN SHIPS AND VESSELS."
My Invention has for its object to furnish the port holes or cabin windows of
ships and vessels with side lights and shutters which shall be closed by the pressure
of the water when the vessel heels over and the port holes are submerged. The
entrance of the water at the port holes, which is a frequent cause of foundering, is
thus prevented.
According to my Invention I provide the port holes and other openings in a
ship's hull above the water line with side lights or shutters, which are hinged or
pivoted at their lower sides so as to open outward from the ship's side to an angle
varying from 45° to 85°, the side lights or shutters being prevented froin opening too
far by jointed rods or by a stop or cross bar provided with a means of adjustinent
to regulate the extent to which the side light or shutter can open. Any of these
devices for holding the side light or shutter open at a certain angle may be used
alone or in combination with one another as preferred. The pressure of the water
on the outer surface of the side light or shutter closes the latter immediately the
port holes are submerged, and the side lights or shutters are held in their closed
position by suitable spring catches fitted in the port holes or other openings.

page_text: ship's side, as in Figure 2. There may be either one or two sets of these jointed
rods, one at each side of the window or shutter.
In Figures 4 and 5 those rods are shewn applied inside the port hole. In this
case they are jointed to the inner face of the side light or shutter at the top or side
thereof, and to the top or side of the port hole, and they may either hang down in
front of the glass window, as shewn in full lines in Figure 4, or they may lie nearly
flat against the sides or top of the port holes so as not to obstruct the light, as
indicated in dotted lines in the same Figure. All the joints of these rods C may be
rulo joints, and in any case they are so made as not to allow the two rods C to come
quite into a straight line. These rods C may also be made adjustable in length by
any suitable means, or they may be adjustably connected to the side light or shutter
and the ship's side so as to enable the angle to which the side light or shutter opens
to be varied.
In Figure 5 a simple stop d is indicated in dotted lines as being fixed to the side
of the ship or to the side light or shutter B to prevent it opening too far. There
may be one or two of these stops d, as shown in Figure 9, and they may or may
not be provided with adjusting screws d for the purpose above mentioned.
The arrangement shown in Figures 6, 7, 8 is similar to that in Figures 1, 2, 3,
except that the window or side light is fitted in its usual position a little way within
the port hole, and the upper rod C is the shortest in this case, and it folds against
the window or side light B when it is open, as shewn in Figure 8, and stands in the
position Figure 7 when it is closed. A square port hole is shown in this case, and
the hinge of the light or window is not inclined as in Figure 1, but it might be if
preferred.
In Figures and 7 I have also indicated in dotted lines a cross bar F, against
which the window may fall, and which may be used with or instead of rod C.
This cross bar F may be fixed adjustably by wing nuts and slots to the sides of the
port hole to enable its height to be varied to suit the angle to which the window is
to open.
In all cases the seat or rebate against which the window, or side light, or shutter
closes should be faced with india-rubber, or the window or shutter itself should
have india-rubber round the edges to make a water-tight closure.
Figure 9 shews two views of a spring catch which may be applied at the top or
sides of the window or shutter B to keep it shut when it is closed by the water.
G is the spring catch fixed in a small recess in the side or top of the port hole, and
G' is a staple attached to the window or shutter B in such a position as to engage
with the nib g of the catch when the window or shutter is closed; g' is a button,
by pressing which the spring catch may be released.
The arrangement shown in Figures 10, 11, 12, is more suitable for shutters than for
side lights. B, B, are the two flaps which form the shutter; they are hinged respec-
tively at top and bottom b, b, to the top and bottom of the port hole, and are con-
nected so that they balance and actuate one another by a rod E jointed at one end e
to the one flap B and at the other to the end of a bracket arm F fixed to and
standing out from the inner surface of the other flap, so that when the one is open
or closed the other shall be also opened or closed. Thus when the lower one is sub-
merged the pressure of the water on it will close the upper one also, the lengths of
the rod and bracket and the positions of the joints relatively to the hinges of the
flaps being so arranged that the one flap shall close just before the other if their
meeting edges are rebated or bevelled so as to overlap, in which case they would be
faced with india-rubber to make a water-tight joint. They may however be
arranged to close exactly together if their meeting edges simply butt together
without overlapping; dare stops to prevent the flaps opening too far.
In Figure 13, B, B, are the bulkhead doors, cabin doors, deck or engine room
windows or shutters opening only one way. They are connected together precisely
like the flaps in Figures 10, 11, 12, and work in the same way (except that they
turn on vertical hinges at the sides), so that no further description of them will be
Decessary.

page_text: Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, arranging the glazed lights or the shutters
of ships' cabin windows or port holes, or other openings, to open outwards, and
supporting them when open in such a way that they will be closed by the pressure
of the water upon them, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert William Vivers, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.