Improved Stopper or Plug for Closing Shot Holes or other Breaches in Ships.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Stopper or Plug for Closing Shot Holes or other Breaches
in Ships.
EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW of 70 Deansgate, Manchester, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My said invention relates to an improved appliance for closing shot holes or
other breaches in ships.
According to my said invention I mount on a shaft or barrel a bag or receptacle
made wholly or partially of india rubber, india rubber and canvas or other material
capable of expansion on inflation by air. Combined with such expansible material
I in some cases use local insertions or strengthenings of canvas wire gauze leather
cane or the like and I may wholly or partly cover the bag with leather cloth metal
plates, wires or other similar protections alone or in combination with each other
for protecting the air bag against perforation by sharp corners or projections in or
about the breach. I may interpose a sheet or ring of matting between the bag
and the breach for a like purpose.
In the interior of the latter or communicating with the interior thereof is a back
pressure valve through which air is forced by means of a pump combined with the
barrel or shaft on which the bag is mounted.
The bag is pushed through the breach before inflation and after or during
inflation it is in one form of my said invention drawn tight against the outside of
the vessel by means of a screw preferably mounted in a loose bush working in a
nut in a cross bar taking against the inside of the vessel. In other forms of my
said invention I use other means such as wedges ropes or levers for putting and
keeping the inflated bag in position.
In order to prevent the air receptacle being deformed to such an extent as to be
pressed or pulled back through the opening I in some cases combine with the
elastic material pliable inelastic materials and or layers or plates of metal or so
form or mould it that when inflated it naturally tends to preserve the most suitable
shape. To aid in the latter object internal stretchers of practically inelastic
materials may also be employed in order to restrain some parts while others
expand.
Suitable inlets for the air are provided in the pump and means are provided for
rapidly rotating the screw in case such is used to tighten the bag against the side
of the vessel.
In another form of my said invention instead of the bag or air receptacle being
in such a position as that when inflated it mainly operates outside the breach the
barrel or shaft is so combined with the bag that it may be expanded in the
breach itself.
In order that a comparatively large volume of air may be injected at the earlier
stages of the inflation while the pressure is low the piston or ram is in some cases
EO constructed as that a larger ram surface is operative than at a later stage of the
inflation when the pressure becomes higher.
In combination with the said devices I in some cases use bolts or catches which
when the bead or bag has been pushed through the breach diverge and taking

page_text: against the outside of the vessel prevent the appliance being pushed back by the
pressure of the water.
Dated this 4th day of January 1896.
Improved Stopper or Plug for Closing Shot Holes or other Breaches
in Ships.
I EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW of 70 Deansgate, Manchester, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent, 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 said invention relates to an improved stopper or plug for closing shot holes
or other breaches in ships.
Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating my said invention and to
which reference is hereinafter made
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of the appliance in the breach before
inflation of the bag.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same form showing the appliance in the
breach with the bag inflated.
Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2 as seen from the inside of the vessel.
Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 2 as seen from the outside of the vessel.
Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are modifications of my invention to be hereafter described.
Fig. 9 is a section through - of Fig. 10 showing the appliance constructed
to close large breaches in ships.
Fig. 10 is an elevation of Fig. 9 as seen from the outside of the vessel.
Fig. 11 is a modification of Fig. 9 to be hereafter described.
According to one form of my said invention I mount on the shaft or barrel a
a bag or receptacle 6 made wholly or partially of india-rubber india-rubber aud
canvas or other material capable of expansion or inflation by air. Combined with
such expansible material I may use local insertions or strengthenings (Fig. 6) of
canvas wire gauze leather or the like and I may wholly or partly cover the bag b
with leather cloth cane metal plates wires or other similar protections alone or in
combination with each other for protecting the air bag against perforation by
sharp corners or projections in or about the breach.
In the interior of the bag bor communicating with the interior thereof is a back
pressure valved through which air is forced by means of the piston or ram a¹
sliding in the barrel or shaft a on which the bag bis mounted. The piston or
ram a is formed with a back pressure valve a*.
The bag b which may be secured to the shaft or barrel a by means of wire b
wound round the end of the air bag is pushed through the breach c before inflation
as shown at Fig. 1 and after or during inflation it is in one form of my said
invention drawn tight against the outside of the vessel by means of a rotatable
screw e mounted in a loose bush between two collars a³ on the barrel a and working
in a nut in a cross bar f' taking against the inside of the vessel.
In order to prevent the air bag b being deformed to such an extent as to be
pressed or pulled back through the breach c 1 may combine with the elastic
material pliable inelastic materials and or layers or plates of metal or so form or
mould it that when inflated it naturally tends to preserve the most suitable shape.
To aid in the latter object internal stretchers (Figs. 5 and 6) of practically
inelastic materials may be employed in order to retain some parts while others
expand.

page_text: In another form of my said invention instead of the bag or air receptacle 6 being
in such a position as that when inflated it mainly operates outside the breach the
barrel or shaft a is so combined with the bag that it may be expanded in the breach
itself as shown at Fig. 8.
In order that a comparatively large volume of air may be injected at the earlier
stages of the inflation while the pressure is low I in some cases construct the barrel
or shaft a baving air inlete a with two pistons or rams a' a' forming a double pump
as shown at Figs. 6 and 9. The piston or ram a' operated by the handle a is
constructed as that a larger ram surface is operative than at the later stage of the
inflation when on the pressure becoming high the smaller piston or ram a' is
operated.
In combination with the said devices I in some cases use catches or levers h
pivoted at to which are secured ropes k as shown at Fig. 8. When the bag has
been pushed through the breach e the ropes k on being drawn tight causes the:
levers h to diverge and taking against the outside of the vessel prevent the
appliance being pushed back by the pressure of the water.
Fig. 7 shows another form of lever for taking against the outside of the vessel
in order to prevent the bag being pushed back by the pressure of the water.
are levers moving in bearings on the barrel a. The ends of the said levers P
are bent so as to take over the barrel a until pushed through the breach c. When
in position in the breach the levers I are turued by the handles into the position
shown in dotted lines.
In another form of my said invention shown in section at Fig. 9 and in elevation
at Fig. 10 I form the bag or air receptacle as a mattress B for closing large
breaches in ships. The said mattress B.and pump are secured to a board m by
means of bolts s. n are strips of india-rubber leather canvas or the like cemented
or otherwise attached to the mattress B and secured to the board m. On the front
of the board m are secured metal plates o for strengthening and weighting the
board. Ropes r attached to hooks secured to the upper part of the board m
are provided to enable the appliance to be lowered down the side of the vessel to
the breach. When the appliance has been placed in the breach it is held in
position by means of ropes (Fig. 9) secured to hooks gl which take into lugs or
projections g2 on the barrel a. Instead of the mattress being inflated from the
inside of the vessel it may be inflated from the outside or deck of the vessel as
shown at Fig. 11. In this case I provide the back pressure valve d' at the top of
the inattress to which is connected a flexible tube d through which air is forced
into the mattress or bag B. Fig. 11 illustrates another method of securing the
appliance in position by the use of levers u pivoted at ul to the bolt t. Attached
to the said levers u are ropes w which on being drawn tight are secured to cleats m¹
mounted on the board m. In combination with the ropes w is a bolt screwed the
greater part of its length and having a rotatable nut engaging therewith which
when rotated causes the levers u to be drawn tightly against the inside of the vessel.
The said levers u are provided with projections u for taking over the sides of
smaller or irregular breaches.
το
In some cases I may use eye bolts y secured to the board m to which may be
secured ropes y for drawing the mattress tightly against the outside of the
vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.-
1. An improved stopper or plug for closing shot holes or other breaches in ships
substantially as set forth and shown.
2. A stopper or plug for closing breaches in ships consisting of an inflatable air
receptacle in combination with means for securing the same to the side of the
vessel substantially as set forth and shown.
3. In a stopper or plug for closing shot holes or other breaches in ships the

page_text: combination of an air bag 6 the barrel or shaft a a back pressure valve d a piston
or ram a¹ for forcing air into the bag a rotatable screw e nut and cross bar f¹
taking against the inside of the vessel substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and shown.
4. In a stopper or plug for closing shot holes or other breaches in ships the
combination with the air bag 6 of internal stretchers 62 substantially as set forth
and shown with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In a stopper or plug for closing shot holes or other breaches in ships the
combination with the bag b of a barrel or shaft having two pistons or rams a¹ a
sliding therein forming a double pump by which air is forced into a bag substan-
tially as set forth and shown with reference to Figs. 6 and 9 of the accompanying
drawings.
6. In a stopper or plug for closing shot holes or other breaches in ships the
combination with the barrel and air bag of levers I and h for preventing the air
bag being pushed back by the pressure of the water substantially as set forth and
shown with reference to Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
7. The combination of an air bag or mattress B3 of a barrel a secured to the
board m the rope and lugs or projections 92 to which are secured ropes g
substantially as set forth and shown with reference to Fig. 9 of the accompanying
drawings.
8. The combination with a mattress or air bag B of levers u pivoted at u' to
the bolt a rotating nut t¹ and ropes w for securing the mattress in position
substantially as set forth and shown with reference to Fig. 11 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 5th day of Octuber 1896
E. T. WHITELOW.