IMPROVEMENTS IN WELL DECKED AND OTHER SHIPS BULWARKS
Year: 1884

page_text: We JAMES LINKLETER Patentee & Manufacturer 60 Hotspur Street Tynemouth
Northumberland and THOMAS LINKLETER 80 Percy Street Tynemouth Northum-
berland Bathing Machine Manager do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for for IMPROVEMENTS IN WELL DECKED AND OTHER SHIPS BULWARKS to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to certain improvements in the Bulwarks of Well-decked
and other Ships, whereby a wave breaking onto the deck can have a clear run off,
allowing the ship to free herself ready to meet the next wave, without allowing the
water to come in through the same passage. This is accomplished by making ports
much longer then those at present in use, to the ends of these ports are hinge. one
or more long narrow doors, these hinges are cranked well inboard so that the doors
always have a tendency to hang under the hinge therefore are always closed no
matter how the ship rolls about.
The lower edge of such doors are beveled simeler to a carpenter's chizel, so as a
wave rushing towards the ports instantly acts on the beveled edge this combined
with the gravitation of the doors makes it instently close and stop the inrush of
water.
To the ports in front of the bridge or other ports where there is need of an
outlet for a large body of water their could be a number of these doors hinged so
as when a quantity of water was rushing off, these narrow doors would form a
grating and prevent a man or other such moveable object from. being washed
through.
The doors and hinges are so constructed that they can at any time be unshipd or
shipd for repair or other purposes and when oppisite the hatchways they can be
easly lifted off by hand and so clear the bulwarks to facilitate loading and
unloading.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
JAMES LINKLETER 60 Hotspur Street Tynemouth in the County of Northum-
borland Patentec & Manufacturer THOMAS LINKLETER 80 Percy Street Tynemouth
in the County of Northumberland Bathing Machine Manager do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BULWARKS OF WELL-DECKED
& OTHER SHIPS and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The improvements have for their object the providing of outlets to effect a
speedy clearance of large bodies of water from the decks of well-decked & other
vessels, & at the same time to prevent quantities of water being cast on to the deck
through the same passages; thereby increasing the safety of such vessels at sea,
& lessening the risk to life & limb. In the vessel's bulwarks we construct ports
longer than those usually employed, round the ports we fit iron, or equivalent,
frames, or brackets, & into these frames or brackets are hinged or pivoted one or
more long narrow doors, the bottom edge of each slightly overlaps the door below;
the hinges or pivots are cranked inboards in such a way that the doors hang close,
even when the ship rolls to large angles, & they can only be opened by pressure
from the inside. The lower edge of each door is bevilled on the outside, so that a
wavo dashing against it instantly acts on the bevilled edge, & this combined with
the gravitation of the door itself closes the port, & prevents the inrush of water.
When applied to well-decked & similar vessels a large port with several of these
doors can be fitted at the front of the bridge, at which place an outlet for large
bodies of water is chiefly needed, & in other parts of the bulwarks other ports may
be fitted, the sizes, distances apart, & number of doors in each of them varying in
proportion to the deck area & heiglt of bulwarks in the vessel. As the doors are
made narrow they form a substantial protective grating over the ports, & effectually
prevent Seamen, passengers, Live Stock, or moveable articles from being washed
through the port openings. When placed opposite the cargo hatchways in vesse's
where gangway ports are required in the bulwarks for the loading & discharging of
cargo, the doors can be readily unshipped out of the frames or brackets & a clear
opening is then formed in the bulwark capable of being used as a gangway & cargo
port.
The advantages of bulwarks constructed in accordance with these improvements
are that outlets are provided of considerably larger area than those generally used
without the objectionable features of the Intter, inasmuch as the doors of the ports
usually employed being hinged on the outside always hang open unless secured;
& when unfastened if struck by a sea dashing up the ship's side the doors are
thrown open, & the water rushes in on to the decks; so that the ordinary port
door just as readily admits water as it provides facilities for the water running off
the decks. If snecked when a sea comes on board there are then no means of
relieving the deck of the superincumbent water. By hinging the doors on the
improved principle, on the inside, the opposite effect to the above is produced, i.e―
the doors always hang close, & require no fastenings, thus preventing the inrush
of water through the ports, but as they yield to internal pressure they allow a

page_text: speedy clearance of water from off the decks. Moreover, as the hinges of the port
doors on the bulwarks as at present constructed are fitted on the outside of the
vessel; they are very frequently broken or carried away by coming in contact with
the sides of other vessels, quay walls, &c. &c, or by the force of the waves; but the
hinges on the doors in the improved bulwarks being placed entirely inboard all risk
of injury from external causes is obviated.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the mode in which our invention may be
carried into practical use.
Figure. 1. shews the forward portion of a well-decked ship, A, is a large relieving
port with four doors, in the bulwarks in front of the bridge; B, B1, B2, are smaller
ports in the bulwarks, with two doors to each.
Figure. 2. shews a sectional view of a port with four doors, C, C¹, C², C³, open;
D is the frame round the port, & into it the hinges E, E, E, E³, are pivoted.
Studs, F, F, F, F³, are fitted in the frame to prevent the port doors opening
beyond a limited angle.
Figure. 3. shews a sectional view of a port with four doors, C, C1, C2, C3, closed;
the bevilled edges G, G³, G², G³, slightly overlapping the top edges of the doors
below.
Figure. 4. shews an elevation of the port looking from the outside, C, C1, C2, C³,
are the doors; D is the frame round the port; E, E, E³, E³, are the door hinges;
F, F, F, F, the preventer studs; & a locking bar, H, is bolted to the frame at the
sides of the port to secure the doors into the frame.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said invention,
& in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is
1st The construction of bulwarks with ports having one or more doors in each
port hinged or pivoted on the inside of the bulwarks in such a manner that the
doors always hang close.
2nd The placing of the hinges or pivots on the ends of the port doors, so as to
allow a number of doors to be used in combination in one port.
3rd The bevilling of the lower edges of the doors on the outside.
4th The overlapping of the lower edges of the doors over the upper edges of the
door below.