Improvements in and relating to Air and Light Ports for Marine Vessels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Air and Light Ports for Marine
Vessels.
We, WILLIAM KIMBALL MACKENZIE, Model Maker, and CHARLES
CHAMBERLAIX, Ship Joiner, citizens of the United States of America, residing
respectively at 512 Ninth Street south-east, and 226 A Street south-east, in the
City of Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the saine is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Figure 1 shows a sectional view of our device in place in a ship's side;
Figure 2 a sectional view on line -e of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the screw ring or locking device;
Figure 4a sectional view of the stopper or closure;
Figure 5 an elevation of one of the rings of the same from the inner side, and
Figure 6 a perspective view of one of the bearing blocks.
Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.
The principal object of our invention is to provide simple, effective and durable
means for closing and unclosing the air and light ports of marine vessels.
While we have applied said invention to the lighting and ventilating of marine
vessels, we would have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to such use.
Our invention consists in a stopper or closure for light and ventilating openings,
means for pivoting the same in said opening, and means for locking the said
stopper or closure in any desired position and forming a water-tight joint when
closed.
In the carrying of our invention into practice, we provide within the air and
light port a of a ship's side A, a frame or part B which is of a size and shape
exteriorly to fit snugly the said port a..
The outer end of the frame or part B is provided with a flange b by which it is
bolted to and supported in the ship's side.
The circular interior of the frame or part B has near its outer end a
circumferential groove in and guided by which are located the bearings for
the port stopper or closure C to be hereinafter described.
Just in rear of the groove bi the bore of the frame B is somewhat greater in
diameter than that portion of said bore in which the said groove is located, and is
screw-threaded to receive an exteriorly screw-threaded ring or lock D, which
serves to lock the stopper in its closed and various open positions. The screw
threads on both frame and ring are preferably deep, coarse and square-shaped, for
a purpose to be described.
The stopper or closure C is composed of the two part frame and a light lens,
and is mounted upon the pintles e provided upon the bearing blocks E located in
the circumferential groove of the frame B.
The two-part frame consists of the two rings c and c', each of which has within
its inner face a circumferential recess, which receives and contains the outer
circular edge or periphery of the light lens F, such lens being permanently secured,
preferably by cement, to one part of the two part frame.
The bearing and sliding blocks have such size and shape in cross section as to
substantially fill the groove band to be capable of sliding freely therein, and in

page_text: side elevation they conform to the curvature of said groove and are of such length
as to forin a good and sufficient bearing for the stopper or closure C. The pintles e,
upon which the stopper is pivoted, project from the blocks E and enter sockets ³ in
the periphery of the two-part frame of the stopper C, one half of each socket being
formed in each ring forming the two-part frame.
For fastening the two parts of the two-part frame together, we preferably
employ screws, the heads of which are counter-sunk, so as to bring their heads
flush with the outer face of the ring through which they pass.
Thus it will be seen that we have produced a stopper or closure for the light and
air ports of marine vessels mounted in such manner as to be capable of being
rotated to any desired position and then swung to any desired angle.
The locking ring D has within its outer end a circumferential groove d, which,
when the said ring is screwed to the outer limit of its movement to lock the stopper
in its closed position, registers with and forms around the joint between the frame
and stepper an air space or water seal, but should the ring D from any cause, fail
1) nake a water-tight joint, the screw-thread joint between the frame B
and said screw ring D will act to prevent the water from finding its way into
the vessel.
To limit the inner movement of the locking ring we have provided upon the
inner end of frame B a flat ring G whose width is slightly greater than the said
end of the frame, the extra width projecting inward, as shown in the drawing and
forms a stop g. Said ring is fastened to the end of the frame by screws g' whose
heads are counter-suuk so as to leave no projections from the inner face of the
frame.
For operating the screw and locking ring D we have provided the han:lles or
knobs located as shown in the drawings.
The locking ring is not only capable of locking the stopper in its closed position,
but also acts to hold it in any desired open position. In Figure 1 the stopper or
closure is shown in full lines as closed and locked, and in dotted lines opened and
locked.
It is obvious that by our construction the stopper or closure can he turned to
any desired opened position, and by turning the lock ring outward until the inner
periphery of the outer end of such ring comes in contact with the outer edge of the
closure or stopper, locked in such opened position.
Just outside of the circumferential groove 1 the mouth of the frame or part B
has an outward curve or flare & for the purpose of preventing accumulation of
water at such point. With this construction any water striking upon said flaring
portion of the frame will immediately run off, which in the winter season prevents
the formation of ice around the stopper.
As shown in the drawings the edges and of the stopper or closure C and
ring D, respectively, are rounded for the purpose of preventing the cutting or
marring of the same when brought in contact in the act of locking.
When desired to close the port a against both air and light, we provide in the
place of the stopper or closure C, a solid disk of metal, which is of the same size
and shape as said stopper C, and mount it upon the same bearing pintles.
When our device is used upon war ships and said ships in action, we provide in
place of the stopper or closure C, a disk of metal similar to the one just described
having a peep-hole in its centre.
Our device is simple in construction, effective in its operation, and contained
wholly within the ship's side and presenting an inner face that is flush with the
inner face of the said side.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what w
claim, is:-
1. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening
a stopper or closure for the latter, and means connecting the stopper or closure aug

page_text: the frame, whereby the former can be both rotated and swung upon its bearings,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a stopper or closure for the latter, means for connecting the stopper or closure and
the frame, whereby the former can be both rotated and swung upon its bearings,
and a locking device for such stopper or closure.
3. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a stopper or closure for the latter, and bearings located diametrically opposite
each other and pivotally supporting the stopper or closure, the said hearings being
movably mounted in the frame whereby the stopper or closure can be both rotated
and swing upon its bearings.
4. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a stopper or closure for the latter having within its periphery sockets adapted to
receive and contain bearing pintles, the latter being mounted and having move-
ment in the said frame, whereby the stopper or closure can be both rotated and
swung upon its bearings.
5. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a stopper or closure for the latter, means connecting said stopper or closure and
the frame, whereby the former can be both rotated and swung upon its bearings,
and a locking ring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a stopper or closure for the latter, means connecting said stopper or closure and
the frame, whereby the former can be both rotated and swung upon its bearing,
and a locking ring provided with coarse square screw-threads fitting and working
in like threads in the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a stopper or closure for the latter composed of a two part frame with light lens,
means connecting said stopper and the frame, whereby the former can be both
rotated and swung upon its bearings, and a locking ring, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
S. The combination of a frame or part having a circular opening and a
circumferential groove, bearing blocks within and guided by said groove, and
a circular stopper or closure mounted at diametrically opposite points upon said
bearing blocks, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
9. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a circumferential groove, bearing blocks within said groove, a stopper or closure
mounted on said blocks, and a screw ring fitting and having movement in the
screw-threaded portion of the frame or part, which serves to lock the stopper or
closure, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.
10. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a stopper or closure for the latter, means connecting the stopper or closure and the
frame whereby the former can be both rotated and swung upon its bearing,
and means adapted to lock the stopper or closure in its closed or opened
positions.
11. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening
and a circumferential groove, a stopper or closure for the opening mounted upon
bearings in and guided by said groove, whereby the said stopper or closure can be
both rotated and swung upon its bearings, and a locking ring adapted to lock the
stopper or closure in its closed or opened positions.
12. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a stopper or closure for the latter mounted upon bearings on or in said frame, and
a locking device provided with a circumferential groove in its outer face which
registers with and forms an air space around the joint between the said frame aud
stopper, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
13. The combination of a frame or part having a light or ventilating opening,
a circumferential groove and screw threads, a two-part stopper or closure nounted
upon bearings in and guided by said circumferential groove, a screw locking ring

page_text: having within its outer face a circumferential groove and means for turning said
ring to lock the stopper or closure in its closed or opened positions, and a stop ou
the frame for limiting the screw ring in its inward movement, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
Dated this 7th day of January 1896.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.