Year: 1886

page_text: I, JAMES BROADFOOT, of 55 Finnieston Street, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, 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, that is to say:-
•
My said Invention relates to ventilating pipes such as are fitted in connection
with the lower parts of large ships or in other situations where it is desirable to
prevent the passage of water from one compartment to others through or into
which the ventilating pipes extend.
In carrying out my Invention I fit a valve box in the line of ventilating pipes
at or near a bulkhead or partition through which the pipes extend; and inside of
the valve box or in connection with the lower part of it I provide a pocket or
recess into which water will drain when proceeding in either direction along the
ventilating pipes. A floating valve piece or a valve piece attached to a float is
placed in the valve box and when water fills into the pocket the valve piece is
raised by it so as to close the passage.
The precise form and constructive details of my automatic valve arrangement
may be variously modified. I however show a simple and convenient arrangement
on the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings, in which figure, 1, is a
longitudinal vertical section and figure, 2, is an elevation as at right angles to
figure, 1.
In figure, 1, portions, 3, 4, of a ventilating pipe, with a valve box, 5, bolted
between them are shown as fixed to a partition or bulkhead, 6, through which it
is wished to prevent the passage of water should it have access to the pipe at either
side of the bulkhead. The valve box, 5, has bolted to the bottom of it a pocket
or vessel, 7, to receive the valve piece, 8, when the the passage through the
ventilating pipe is open, the valve piece closing the passage when it is raised up
into contact with inclined seats, 9, provided in the valve box, 5. In the example
delineated the valve piece, 8, is wedge-shaped to fit tightly between the inclined
seats, 9, when closed; and it is made of copper or other suitable metal and hollow
so as to act as a float. In the event of water having access to part, 3 or 4, of the
ventilating pipe it will in passing along flow into the pocket, 7, before passing
further along the pipes; and then acting on the floating valve piece, 8, will raise it

page_text: r
up and close it against its seats, 9, thus automatically stopping any further
passage of the water along the ventilating pipe. In order to open the valve again
the water must be discharged from the pocket, 7, through an aperture at the
bottom provided for the purpose and fitted with a screw plug, 10.
In figure, 1, the valve seats, 9, are shown as having grooves formed in them to
be filled with leather or other suitable compressible material or a soft metal; or
such seating material may be fixed on the valve piece, 8; or the contact surfaces
of the valve piece, 8, and valve seats, 9, may be of hard metal planed and finished
so as to close together with sufficient tightness.
The valve piece or a float connected to it may be made wholly or partly of cork
or like any known kind of float that may be suitable.
Advantage may be taken of the presence of the valve by using it for closing the
ventilating pipe at any time for any purpose; and with this view a rod, 11, is
fixed to the valve piece, 8, and passing out through the top of the valve box, 5,
has attached to its upper end a chain, 12, which may be led to any convenient
position. The valve piece can be closed by means of the chain, 12, whilst this
chain will not prevent it from closing automatically in the event of water getting
into the ventilating pipe. Or provision may be made for moving the valve in any
other convenient way.
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 :-
The providing of a ventilating pipe with a valve to close the passage by floating
action in the event of water having access to the pipe such valve being constructed
and arranged substantially in the improved manner hereinbefore described.
.
Dated this tenth day of August 1886.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.