Improvements of Self Acting Gates for Water Ways.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th July, 1894-Accepted, 5th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements of Self Acting Gates for Water Ways.
1 JAMES EDWARD WHITING Civil Engineer of Poona in the Bombay
Presidency East Indies do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
These gates are to be of rectangular shape and may be made of any size, suitable
material and general design, so as to be watertight and stiff enough to resist the
pressure of the water. They will be hung across the water-way and shut against
the direction of flow. They will hang on vertical hinges which I prefer to make
in the form of a continuous socket so as to be watertight when the gate is held
shut against the water. That is to say one of the vertical edges of the gate will
be rounded off so as to fit into a vertical semitube attached to the side wall or to a
gate post. There will be a vertical heel or projection at the bottom of the rounded
edge to fit into a hole below the sill and another at the top to be caught by a
ringle above in such a manner that the gate cannot be carried away by the force of
a flood and yet can easily be erected or removed, if necessary, for repairs. The
gate may shut against a smooth bevilled sill and so as to rise slightly when com-
pletely shut and also it may close against a bevilled edge at its side so as to form
a watertight joint but yet not to stick tightly; the angle of the bevilled edge being
adjusted accordingly-or else two gates may be hung on opposite sides of the
water way and shut against one another at the centre and thus make a water tight
joint there.
The gates are to be closed by means of the tension of a chain with a suitable
counterpois weight-the chain passing over guide pullies and the weight hanging in
a cistern, so situated and with such openings made in it that when the water.in
the water way rises to the extreme level at which it is desired to maintain it, it
will enter into the cistern and the counterpois weight will be submerged and will
lose as much weight as water of equal bulk to itself would weigh and consequently
the tension of the chain, on which the weight hangs would be diminished to that
extent and it will be so arranged that then the pressure of the water on the face
of the gate will suffice to raise the counterpois hanging in water and thus to open
the gate and to keep it open until the water in the cistern shall have escaped
through an opening left for the purpose at its lowest point, and until the counterpois
will have recovered sufficient weight to cause the chain to close the gate.
words the opening into the cistern will be at the level, at which supply is to be
preserved and it will be larger than the hole at the bottom of the cistern from which
the regulating water is to escape from the cistern.
In other
The chain may be attached to the upper edge of the gate and act on it directly
or it may be attached to a rod or system of rods pressing against the down stream
side of the gate and in such a manner as to be safe from trees and other debris that
might clog the chain in high floods.
The cistern may be built in the body of the weir or wall, on which the gate
stands or it may be at any suitable position the chain being guided into it by suitable
pullies or levers, & the water by a pipe or conduit.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1893.

page_text: '
Improvements of Self Acting Gates for Water Ways.
I JAMES EDWARD WHITING, Civil Engineer, of Poona in the Bombay
Presidency East Indies, 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 :---
These gates are to be of rectangular shape and may be made of any size, suitable
material and general design so as to be watertight and stiff enough to resist the
pressure of the water. I prefer to make them of buckled steel plates with their
convex sides inwards, that is to say towards the water, and a central strut, with
diagonal bracings across outside, as shewn on the drawings, see Sheets Nos. 1-3
and 5. They will be hung across the water way and will shut against the direction
of flow. They will hang on vertical hinges, which I prefer to make in the form of
continuous sockets and so as to be watertight, when the gate is held shut against
the water. That is to say, one of the vertical edges of the gate may be rounded
off, or may have bulb iron attached to it, so as to fit into a vertical semitube
attached to, or formed in the side wall, or the gate post. There will be a vertical
heel or projection at the bottom of the rounded edge, or bulb iron to fit into a hole
below and another projection at the top to be caught by a ringle, or other arrange-
ment, in such a manner that the gate cannot be carried away by the force of a
flood, but yet can be easily erected or removed, if desired, for repairs.
The gate may shut against a smooth bevilled sill and so as to rise slightly when
shut, or it may be hung a little above the level of the floor and have a bottom
rail, or staunching plate (see Sheet 4 Figures Nos. 9 and 10) separate from the
rest of the gate, but fitting closely to its water fall along its lower edge, but
extending below it, so that the plate may hear upon the floor of the gateway, which
is to be made smooth and true. The staunching plate will have projecting pins or
bolts attached to it, that will pass through slot holes made for the purpose in the
margin of the gate, so as to give sufficient freedom in every direction, so that the
rail may adjust itself to close the opening, left below the gate, as well as to slide
over the gateway, when the gate swings-it will be pressed vertically downwards
on the floor and horizontally against the flange of the gate by the pressure of the
water, so as practically to prevent leakage when the gate is closed.
:
The gate may close against a vertical bevilled edge at the side of the gateway
opposite to the hinge or else two gates may be hung on opposite sides of the
gateway and have packings of wood, or other materials, fitted to their vertical
edges these will close one against the other, as shewn in Sheet 7 in Figure No. 1,
and in Sheet 3, Figure 8, so as to form a watertight joint.
with a
The gates are to be closed by means of the tension of a chain, or rope,
suitable counterpoise weight at its end-the chain or rope passing over guide pullies
and the weight hanging in a cistern, so situated and with such openings made in it,
that when the water in the waterway rises to the level, at which it is desired to
restrict it, it will enter into the cistern and the counterpoise weight will be
gradually submerged and lose weight corresponding to that of an equal bulk of
water and consequently the tension of the chain, on which the weight hangs, will be
diminished to that extent and it will be so arranged that when the pressure of
the water on the face of the gate will suffice to raise the counterpoise weight and
so to open the gate partly or entirely and until water shall have escaped through
an opening left for the purpose in the cistern and until the counterpoise shall have
recovered sufficient weight to cause the chain to close the gate-that is to say, the
opening into the cistern is to be at the level, at which supply is to be preserved and
it will be larger than the hole left near the bottom of the cistern, from which the
regulating water is to escape from the cistern.

page_text: The chain may be attached in any suitable manner and to any suitable part of
the gate, or to rods actuating the gate, or to a bar rising above the gate, and
rivetted to it, as shewn in Sheet 7, Figures No. 2 and 3, and so as to hold the chain
above the level of flood water: the cross strains on the gate being borne by the
diagonal bracing, described above together with the hinge and its socket.
The cistern may be built in the body of the weir or wall, on which the gate
stands, or it may be at any suitable adjacent site the chain being guided into it by
suitable pullies or leavers and the water by a pipe, or conduit.
In order that my said invention may be properly understood, I now proceed to
set forth more particularly the modes, in which the same may be carried into effect,
reference being had to the annexed five sheets of drawings and to the letters and
figures marked thereon; that is to say, Figure 1. of Sheet 1. represents in plan the
arrangements for a self acting gate for a waterway. The up stream edge of the
waterway is marked E and X'X' represent cutwaters of a series of masonry piers
built on the weir, over which the water passes to the gate, which is represented
as being made in two leaves marked G¹ and G. The leaf G₁ is shewn as seen
from above and G2 is a horizontal section taken through the lower part of the leaf.
The two leaves meet at the centre of the waterway, forming a watertight joint
there by means of suitable packing pieces, marked J and J. attached to angle
irous marked Sa' and Sa', which form the inner styles' or margins of the leaves G'
and G respectively. Sa¹ and Sa' being revetted to the flanges of buckled plates,
which form the body of each leaf. The angle irons Sa' & Sa' project above the
gate as shewn in Figure 2. of Sheet 1. in order to give attachments for the
actuating chains, as described further on. The outer margins of the leaves consist
of bulb iron plates, marked S6 and S63, these also are rivetted to the buckled plates
and form the outer styles' of the gate, as well as, the hinges, on which it swings;
the bulb parts fitting into semicircular recesses or continuous sockets, cut in timber
gateposts, marked P1 and P2. The backs of these posts fit into bevilled recesses
cut in the masonry piers; these recesses extending beyond the bevilled posts, which
are truncated, as shewn, to allow for shrinkage and consequent movement of the
timber. The ends of the posts will project above the gate and also below it into the
masonry floor, as shewn in Figure 2. of Sheet 1. and in Figure 4 of Sheet 2.
The flat parts of the bulb iron hinge plates, Sh' and Sb³, being cut away at top and
bottom, so that only the bulb parts may project; the lower entering into the masonry
floor to form a heel, or pivot, resting on brass or other suitable bearings. The
upper projecting bulb will be held by plummer blocks, marked Q₁ and Q' and
shewn on Figure 1. & 2. of Sheet 1. and Figure 4. of Sheet 2. and Figure 5. of
Sheet 3-these blocks will be held by nuts on bolts leaded into the masonry piers,
as shewn. The plummer blocks hold the bulb iron hinges and the hinges hold the
gate posts tight against the piers of the gateway.
The chains, by which the gate is actuated are shewn on Figures 1. and 3. of
Sheet 1. and on Figure 4. of Sheet 2. and on Figure 15. of Sheet 5. They are
marked C, C & C³;-C¹ being attached to the angle iron Sa' and C to angle
iron Sa² as shewn on Figures 1. and 3. of Sheet 1-they pass round the double
pulley marked F', shewn in plan on Figure 1. and in elevation on Figure 2. of
Sheet 1. The attachments will consist of ring bolts passing through the angle
irons Sa and Sa' as shewn on Figures 2. and 3. of Sheet 1. After going round
the double pulley the chains will hang, one above the other, until they join a
shakle, marked K on Figure 1. of Sheet 1. and on Figure 15. of Sheet 5.: by
this shakle they are connected to the single, but larger, chain C³, which passes
over a pulley, marked F2 on Sheet 1. It is supported in a block fixed in the pier,
f which X is the cut water as shewn in Figure 4. of Sheet 2. The lower en.l
of the chain is attached to and supports a counterpoise weight marked W hanging
in a cistern marked Z formed in the masonry pier. M on Figure 4. ot Sheet 2.
representing the mouth of a conduit admitting water, whenever it rises to, or
above the level of M, to the cistern Z; while O in the same figure represents an
cutlet of smaller section than M, by which water escapes: the whole being

page_text: arranged to produce automatic action of the gate as described in the former parts
of this Specification.
The pulley block F' will be placed, so that its cheeks & auxle may be held by
angle iron plates, the flanges of which marked A¹ & A', are shewn in elevation
on Figure 2. of Sheet 1. and in section on Figure 12. of Sheet 4 : between these
plates the double sheaf is enclosed. The angle irons A' and A2 will be attached
to the upper and lower flanges of two strut beams, marked R' and R' on Figure 1.
of Sheet 1. they may be rolled of H section, as shewn in Figure 13. of Sheet 4.
(R' and R' are omitted on Figure 2 of Sheet 1. to avoid confusion). The inner
ends of the beams R' and R' will be rivetted to the main beam, extending across
the waterway, and above the level of highest water flood-this beam marked R³
on Figure 1. of Sheet 1. may be of iron, rolled of channel section and its ends
may be supported on angle iron wall plates, placed in recesses, cut in the masonry
piers: the sections of the rolled beam and of the angle iron wall plates are
shewn in Figure 11. of Sheet 4. The combination, consisting of the pulley
block F', the angle irons A' and A³, carrying the double pulley-block and the
channel-iron beam R³, is shewn in Figure 12. of Sheet 4. The outer ends of the
Hbeams R and R2 abut against and rest on angle iron bed-plates :—these are placed
in masonry recesses, cut in the masonry piers and are marked L' and L' on Figure 1.
of Sheet 1.
Figure 2. of Sheet 1. represents the leaf G¹ of the gate in elevation and looking
towards the water with the gate shut; and Figure 3. of Sheet 1. gives a vertical
section of the same leaf, taken near the centre of it and looking towards leaf G³;
on these figures Dt represents a diagonal tension-bar and De a diagonal compression
bar: these bars are rivetted, near their ends, to the buckled plate Bp, forming
the body of the gate, as stated above. V represents a central strut, passing
through the centre of the buckled plate and through both of the diagonal bars; it is
screwed and carries four nuts, as shewn; one end of V is turned small, so as to
pass through a hole, drilled for the purpose, in the tension bar D. The nuts are
to be adjusted as found necessary to keep the gate braced and true under full
pressure of water.
Further details of the combination of the parts of the gate,
already described, are shewn on Figures 6. 7. and 8 of Sheet 3.
Figure 14. of Sheet 5 shews in vertical section the gate fitted to prevent leakage,
when shut; it has a bevilled clapper bar marked n, attached to its lower edge; so
that the gate may close against a corresponding smooth bevilled sill fixed in the
floor of the gateway and marked m. Figures 9. and 10. of Sheet 4. shew, in
vertical section and elevation respectively, the gate fitted with a movable
staunching bar or bottom rail, marked ; this is an alternative method to prevent
leakage; it is to be actuated by pressure of the water itself, when the gate is
shut, as described in the former part of this Specification and in the final Specifi
cation of my Application No. 23295 dated 4 December 1893.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that what I
claim 18
The efficient combination of gates for waterways, swinging horizontally or
vertical hinges, with automatic arrangements, as described above, for opening and
closing them.
Dated thio 7th day of December 1894
J. E. WHITING.