Improvements in Yielding Deck Joints for Revolving Turrets on War Vessels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Yielding Deck Joints for Revolving Turrets
on War Vessels.
I, WILLIAM DURELL STIVERS, residing at No. 20, Storm Avenue, in Jersey
City, County of Hudson, in the State of New Jersey, U.S.A., Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The invention relates to new and useful improvements in yielding deck joints for
revolving turrets on war vessels. It is necessary in the construction of war vessels
having revolving turrets, to allow a considerable space between the exterior of
the turret and the adjacent edge of the deck. This is done to prevent the turret
from being jammed in any position due to a slight deformation of the turret or
ship from the effects of shot, or to any irregularities in first construction, or spring-
ing of the ship turret, or supports, from the strains in a seaway. It is especially
important in providing for displacement of the turret induced by the severe strain
imposed by the recoil produced by the firing of the guns with heavy projectiles.
It is common to allow a few inches of opening around the turret. The low free-
board of many vessels of this type exposes them to the frequent washing of the
seas across the deck, and it is necessary before venturing to sea to batten the joints
with canvas or other yielding material, secured to the deck and to the turret by
detachable fasteners.
It is obviously impracticable to revolve the turret under such conditions, and
there is no way by which such provision for keeping out the water at sea can be
removed without much labor and loss of time. If such battening is, left to lie
loosely on the deck, it is liable to be lifted by the seas and to admit much water
with possibly serious results. It has been considered impracticable to work the
guns of any vessel of the Monitor class at sea.
My invention, by excluding the water without interfering with rotation of the
turret, will allow the efficient use of the latter under any condition of wind and
wave.
I employ a diaphragm which extends outward from the turret, and is received in
a corresponding but deeper circular recess, provided in the deck;-or the
diaphragm may be held firmly to the deck and the inner edge may be received in
the corresponding but deeper circular recess on the exterior of the turret.
With either form the turret may be revolved with only the slightly
increased resistance due to the friction of the diaphragm in the recess, and, the
recess being made sufficiently deep in a horizontal direction, the horizontal motion
of the turret and of the deck relatively to each other, is perfectly allowed for by the
sliding of the diaphragm horizontally inward and outward in the recess.
By making the diaphragm of an elastic material, I also allow for the slight
vertical movement of the parts.
The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out
the invention. The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

page_text: Figure 1 is a cross section of the parts with an outline of the adjacent parts of
the cross section of a ship of the low freeboard or Monitor class.
Figure 2 is a partial plan view.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of a portion on a much larger scale.
Figures 4 to 7 inclusive are enlarged vertical sections through the joint proper,
illustrating modifications.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where
they appear.
A is the deck of a ship of the Monitor class, and A' the ordinary coaming close to
the edge of the hole or well" for the turret.
B is the turret, mounted in any ordinary manner on a stout supporting frame A²,
planted firmly on the keelsons A³, and provided with the ordinary conical rollers C
which allow the turret to be revolved to any required extent, at will. The
operating mechanism of the ordinary character need not be described.
A4 and A5 are segments of composition or other suitable strong material, secured
on the coaming by stout bolts, and holding tightly between them the outer edge of
the diaphragm 1), which extends inward towards the turret in a substantially
horizontal direction.
This diaphragm may be made in segments each of such length that twenty-four,
or some other number, will complete the circuit around the turret.
The segments may be of pure gum rubber, or of a compound of which rubber or
other elastic water-proof material forms a part. The edges may be either butted,
scarfed, or tongued and grooved and matched. I propose in some cases, to unite
the segments permanently by the use of rubber cement.
The outer edge of this diaphragm D and the confining segments A4 and A5, are
secured to the deck and its attachments by the aid of bolts D¹.
The inner edge
of the diaphragm is peculiarly equipped as follows:-
E is a shoe, adapted to receive. the inner edge of the elastic diaphragm. Its
upper and lower faces are smoothly finished and exactly parallel. This portion of
the mechanism, the shoe, may, like the diaphragm which it is to protect, be
formed in segments and scarfed together or otherwise conveniently united so as
to form in effect a continuous ring of metal extending around the turret B.
Bolts applied in the position indicated in Fig. 3, engage the shoe reliably with
the inner.edge of the diaphragm. The head of the screw F¹ is of considerable
area and is received in a corresponding hole on the upper face of the shoe, being
sunk flush, or a little lower than flush with the upper face of the shoe. The screw
head presses on the rubber through the medium of a bearing plate F2.
G, G, are strips of metal, extending radially across the exposed portion of the
diaphragm, and covering and clamping the joints therein. They are held together
by bolts H and nuts H¹. These parts are so thin that when the motion of the turret
and of the deck relatively to each other requires it, they may move forward and
outward within the deep groove in the segments which are carried on the turret,
and which I will now describe.
M, M, are segments of brass or other suitable material, with their inner faces
hollowed and fitted to the smooth round surface of the turret. M are lugs formed
thereon, (see Fig. 3) arranged to be bound tightly together by bolts N and nuts N¹.
These parts are fitted together with a little space between each segment and the
next, and the nuts are set up with great force so as to draw the ends of the segments
together and to hold them reliably in place hoop-wise on the turret.
A deep recess m is formed in the middle height of the segments M, and the
upper and lower faces are smoothly finished exactly parallel. This recess m is of
a little greater height than the thickness of the shoe E, so that the latter may be
received therein, and may move around and move outward and inward with free-
dom, and as the parts are fitted with a system of lubrication with heavy grease, it
will be seen that under such conditions no water will be received through the joint,

page_text: however deeply the seas may wash over the deck and immerse this portion of the
structure.
As the turret is revolved, the segments M which fit together so as to form a con-
tinuous double ring around the turret, receives the shoe and consequently the inner
edge of the diaphragm D, and maintains a tight contact therewith in all positions.
The revolving of the turret may be effected in all respects in the ordinary manner
the same as if my invention were not applied.
In all positions the turret is free to yield laterally to the fullest extent ever
required in practice, the shoe on the adjacent portion of the diaphragm being
received deeper into the recess m, or being drawn partially out of such recess,
according as the springing of the ship and of the supports of the turret due to the
recoil produced by the firing of the guns or to other cause, in one direction or the
other shall require.
The small vertical motion of these parts relatively to each other is accommodated
by the elastic bending of the diaphragm downward or upward, as required.
To facilitate lubrication I provide a groove m¹ extending around in the upper
face of the recess m, and a similar groove extending around on the lower face. Oil
being admitted to these grooves through an ordinary oil-hole, not shown, at one
point in each, will travel around and lubricate the whole of the bearing surfaces.
Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing
the advantages of the invention. Parts of the invention can be used without the
whole. I can drill and tap holes in the turret, and bolt the segments M upon
the turret instead of holding them hoop-wise as above described. I can attach the
diaphragm rigidly to the segments of the turret, and allow the diaphragm to slide
in a suitable double ring supported on the deck. Figure 4 shows such a
modification.
Instead of using rubber for the diaphragm and protecting its rubbing surface by
a metallic shoe as described, I can make the diaphragm entirely of metal, selecting
hard brass or other suitable elastic, metal.
I propose that all the metal work in and connected with my invention shall be
brass or copper.
It is important that the diaphragm be sufficiently thick and strong to receive
all the ordinary and extraordinary strains to which it is exposed in practice.
I can provide packing in the double ring in which the diaphragm slides.
Figure 5 shows such a modification with the segments which hold the diaphragm
to the turret arranged to embrace the same. hoop-wise, like Fig. 3.
Figure 6 shows the same adapted to hold the segments and also the diaphragm
to the turret by bolts like Fig. 4.
Although I have described the invention as applied to large turrets ordinarily
so called, it will serve also for those turrets that are set in barbettes. I use the
term deck to apply also to the base of a barbette.
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. In a war vessel having a turret arranged to turn horizontally, a diaphragm
extending across the otherwise open space between it and the deck and held loosely
between horizontal faces above and below on one of the parts so that such
diaphragm bridges the space and is securely defended against displacement down-
ward or upward, while allowing both a revolving and a bodily horizontal movement
and maintaining a, water-tight joint, as herein specified.
2. In a war vessel having a turret arranged to turn horizontally, a diaphragm
extending across the otherwise open space between it and the deck and held
loosely between horizontal faces above and below on one of the parts so that such
diaphragm bridges the space and is securely defended against displacement down-
ward or upward which allows both a revolving and a bodily horizontal movement,

page_text: with provisions for the parts to also yield vertically, all combined and arranged for
joint operation and maintaining a water-tight joint, substantially as herein
specified.
3. In a war vessel having a turret arranged to turn horizontally, an annular
diaphragm comprising a body 1 of rubber or analogous elastic water proof material,
and a metal shoe E fixed on the edge thereof and having its upper and lower
faces plane and parallel, in combination with rigid parts A4, A5, fitting loosely to
such faces both above and below, all arranged to serve substantially as herein
specified.
4. In a war vessel having a turret arranged to turn horizontally, a series of
segments M and bolts N, properly formed to fit together and apply around and
tightly embrace the turret so as to hold reliably, and a diaphragm 1 connecting
such segments with the deck of the ship and maintain a water-tight joint with
liberty for the turret to turn and to move bodily, all substantially as herein
specified.
5. In a war vessel having a turret arranged to turn horizontally, an annular
diaphragm comprising a body D of rubber or analogous elastic water-proof material
made in segments firmly united, one edge of such diaphragm being faced above
and below and received loosely between parallel annular parts so that the turret
may revolve and be moved bodily horizontally by the sliding of such parts and that
liberty is afforded by the elasticity of the diaphragm for vertical movements
relatively to each other and a water-tight joint be maintained, all substantially as
herein specified.