Improvements in Apparatus for Stopping Leaks in Ships at Sea.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1995
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stopping Leaks in Ships at Sea.
I, WILLIAM FREDERICK BEART, of Godmanchester, in the County of
Huntingdon, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
In order to stop leaks in ships at sea I first spread over the leak a strong flexible
openwork sheet which I term a skeleton mat and afterwards over this I apply a
watertight cover mat. I provide also apparatus for conveying the skeleton mat to
the place where it is required and to apply it and the cover mat over the damaged
part. Various arrangements may be made with these objects in view; in some
cases 1 provide the following apparatus :-
1. A skeleton collision mat consisting of a strong metallic open work sheet to be
first spread over the damaged part; this is best formed like a torpedo net of inter-
laced rings of wire or metal; it offers no obstruction to the water and hence is got
into position with comparative ease.
2. A cover mat preferably of strong closely woven fabric such as sail cloth which
is sufficiently water tight and is strong enough to sustain the water pressure when
supported by the skeleton mat against which it is to be spread.
3. A flat footed rail like a railway rail fixed on the outer side of the ship as high
out of the water as conveniently may be. Through the horizontal web of this rail
holes are formed at short intervals for the passage of ropes.
4. A carriage capable of running along the rail from end to end of the ship';
the carriage is provided with a brake and with a disengaging hook; it serves to
carry the skeleton mat and also a rope called the "bow rope to the place where
requ
quired for use.
The apparatus above referred to is provided in duplicate, one set for each side
of the ship. Various ropes and other appliances are also provided as hereinafter
mentioned.
The above mentioned apparatus is represented by the annexed drawings; these
will describe and afterwards I will explain more fully the way in which the
apparatus is intended to be used.
Figure 1 shows the skeleton mat; it may be made of various dimensions, Lut a
width of 14 feet and a depth of 20 feet will be suitable; it is stiffened at its top
and bottom edges by iron plates. The mat may be further stiffened if thought
desirable by means of transverse bars applied both at the top and bottom and at
intermediate parts. The rings of which the mat is constructed may be say 3 inches
in diameter. There are eyes near the four corners of the mat and these are
connected by chains with rings a, a, one at the top and one at the bottom, as shown.
The skeleton mat has two hempen ropes b, b, attached near its upper corners.
Figure 2 shows the cover mat of sail cloth or an extra strong woven fabric; it is
Bomewhat larger than the skeleton mat in both dimensions; it has cords o c attached
at its upper corners and other cords are attached at the lower corners. The
lower edge of the cover mat is weighted with a chain d made fast to it; it serves
to make it sink rapidly; and also serves as a core to roll the cover mat upon..
Figure 3 shows a plan of the rail fixed to the ship's side, the latter being
represented in section. The rail may be in short lengths as rhown, e'e are openings
for passing ropes.

page_text: Figure 4 shows a front elevation and· Figure 5. an end elevation of the carriage;
the rail and ship's side appear in section.
fis a frame or casting provided with two wheels g, g, bearing on the top of the
head of the rail and two other similar wheels h, h, underneath the head of the rail.
Also the carriage has two horizontal wheels i, i, which bear against the ship's side
and keep the carriage upright or parallel to it.
is a large releasing hook on the outboard side of the carriage; on this hook
the carriage supports its load.
I is a brake block jointed to the frame of the carriage and capable of being forced
down on to the rail by a hand screw m.
The normal arrangement of this apparatus on ship board is as follows:-The
skeleton mat is hung from the carriage, the mat being doubled and the two rings a, a,
being on the releasing hook k. The mat is also further folded and secured by a
lashing which can readily be cut immediately there is any prospect of the apparatus
being required for use. The hempen ropes from the corners of the skeleton mat
are led up through the holes e in the rail and made fast to cleats inboard. There
is a bow chain which passes from one carriage to the other around the bow outside
the ship. The bow chain is kept up out of the water by ties of rope yarn which
temporarily hold it or it may be supported in any other convenient way. The ends
of the bow chain are hooked or shackled on to the eyes w of the carriages.
The cover mat is kept rolled up in any convenient place where it is accessible at
a moment's notice.
When the apparatus is required for use the how chain is to be attached to the
ring a connected with the lower plate of the mat on that side of the vessel which
has received damage and at the same time on the side of the ship which is remote
from the damage the releasing hook k is made to drop the mat which then remains
supported by the ropes bb. Both carriages can now proceed towards the leak;
the bow chain having been dropped into the water.
Assuming that the skeleton mat can be brought by the carriage to the place
required all that is necessary in placing this mat is to make fast the top ropes bb
so as to allow the length of drop required and then to open the delivery hook and
permit the mat to drop. The bow chain is then hauled in from the other side until
the skeleton mat is held closely to the ship's bottom.
The skeleton mat having thus been placed and the bow chain hauled tant all is
ready for spreading the cover mat. This mat being light there is little difficulty
in handling it; the roll is passed overboard and it is fastened with cords so as to
retain the upper edge in the position required. Then the cover mat is allowed to
unroll controlled if needed by cords attached to the ends of the chain d and as the
roll descends it is held sufficiently close to the skeleton mat by the cords which
have been attached to the eyes on the lower plate of the net. The water pressure
ensures the close application of the cover mat to the damaged part of the ship's side
and the skeleton mat provides the necessary strength to sustain this pressure. The
skeleton mat also presents a sufficiently even and continuous surface for spreading
the cover mat, whilst the skeleton mat itself is spread with comparative ease in
consequence of its giving free passage to the water through it.
If owing to damage of the guide rail or side of the ship the mat cannot be
brought quite into the requisite position it can easily be shifted in the manner
illustrated by Figure 6 where o is a rope attached to one of the eyes upon the
carriage and p is a flanged pulley supported by the rope and moveable along it.
pl is a hook on the frame in which the pulley p is mounted. When the skeleton
mat suspended from the releasing hook has been brought by the carriage as near
to the damaged part as the carriage. can approach the carriage is locked fast upon
the rail by means of the brake screw m. Then the hook p¹ is made to engage with
the ring a of the skeleton mat, either directly or with an intermediate link and the
ropa o is led past the damage and secured. The releasing hook k is now opened
and the pulley is drawn along the rope o carrying the mat with it to the place

page_text: I may in some cases dispense altogether with the rail on the ship's side,
substituting for it a strained rope such as o with a pulley and hook p p¹ travelling
along it. Or preferably I arrange pulleys qq and a hook in the manner shown
in Figures 7 and 8 so that the rope s is held between two flanged pulleys one above
and the other below.. Also to keep the hook off from the side of the ship I
provide a roller t corresponding to the wheels ii in Figures 4 and 5. The rope is
supported at such intervals as may be necessary by cords passed around it and
secured inboard; these cords are removed to permit the carriage to pass.
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. Apparatus for closing a leak consisting of a skeleton or reticulate mat to be
first spread and a watertight cover mat to be applied over the skeleton mat; such
skeleton mat serving to form a sufficiently strong and smooth or even support and
the cover mat serving to prevent the passage of water through the skeleton mat.
2. Apparatus for conveying and placing a collision mat, such apparatus consisting
of a rail fixed to the side of the ship and a carriage with a disengaging hook
and with wheels above and below the rail and also wheels bearing against the
ship's side,
3. The combination of apparatus consisting of the rails fixed to the ship's side,
the carriages with disengaging hooks running on the rails, the bow chain and the
collision mat held by the carriages to be carried by them to the place where they
are required for use.
4. The combination of apparatus consisting of the rope stretched along the ship's
side, the pulley carrying a hook and running upon the strained rope, the how chain
and the collision mat.
5. The combination of apparatus consisting of a skeleton mat which is first spread
and a rolled cover mat which is held to the skeleton mat by ropes attached to the
lower edge of the skeleton mat, the whole so arranged that the cover mat may
descend by gravity and unrolling in the interval between the skeleton mat and the
said ropes attached thereto.
6. Leak stopping apparatus substantially as described and illustrated by the
annexed drawings.