Improvements in Bulkhead Doors, and in Means for Operating the same Automatically or by Hand.
Year: 1895

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bulkhead Doors, and in Means for Operating the
same Automatically or by Hand.
A communication from abroad by CARL THEODOR DÖRR, of 3, Pfeilstrasse
Cologne, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Doctor of Philosophy.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of the Firm of J. C. Mewburn & Ellis, of 55
and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of London, Chartered Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for closing the doors of
ships' bulk-heads, automatically or by hand.
The serious accidents and loss of life and of shipping which the various sea-
faring nations have lately suffered by the sudden sinking of the vessels of their
war navy and mercantile marine have drawn attention to the necessity of finding
out ways and means (and of carrying the same into practice) for preventing the
sudden inrush of water into the compartments of a ship that are separated from
one another by means of bulkheads or partitions.
Investigations made and evidence taken frequently after the occurrence of such
catastrophes to shipping have proved that in most cases the sinking of the ship
was caused by the water rushing in through a leak not being limited to the
damaged compartments, but also spreading through open bulkhead doors into
those adjacent compartments of the ship which were up to that moment free from
water and undamaged.
So long as the hole in the side of the damaged ship is but small, or extends only
to perhaps two compartments, then it is possible to close the bulkhead doors by
direct manipulation. But if the leak extends to a greater number of compartments
of the ship, then even the most undaunted and careful behaviour of the persons
entrusted with the duty of closing the water-tight doors will not be able to effect
the closing of such doors with sufficient rapidity to arrest the inrush of large
masses of water which flow in under a head corresponding to the depth below the
surface of the water outside.
The consideration of these facts shows that the bulkheads or partitions of the
ship will fulfil their object in a proper manner only when the water-tight doors
provided in the same can be closed under all circumstances at the proper moment
and are so closed.
Now the present invention has for its object to enable the doors to be closed
with utmost certainty in single or in all the compartments of the ship, either in
the moment of danger or at any other desired moment.
This closing may be effected either-
1. Automatically by means of the water rushing into the compartment or
compartments; or
2. From any desired part of the ship (such for example as the captain's bridge)
by mechanical or electrical means or by the pressure of gas, steam or water;
whilst not excluding the possibility of
.
3. Closing the bulkhead doors by direct personal manipulation at the place
where the water is flowing through the leak into the compartment.

page_text: The present invention can be briefly described as follows when the bulkhead
doors are required to be closed automatically, that is to say by means of the water
flowing into the compartment :-When the water rushes into a compartment of a
ship it flows to the lowest point of same, and collects there, so as to operate or
force upward a float; this latter acts to disengage a pawl or locking lever which
has up till then prevented the rotation or other movement of an audible or, visual
alarm. This audible or visual alarm acts to apprize the persons or part of the
crew present in this compartment of the ship of the danger threatened by the
inrush of water, so that these persons are enabled to withdraw if necessary.
After the alarm has rotated or moved for a short time a safety locking device
which has up till now kept the bulkhead door open becomes released so that on
said release the door together with the flap valves and sliding valves closes auto-
matically, and the crew can escape through a trap door provided in the ceiling
of the compartment which is now filling with water. In case the entire compart-
ment becomes filled then the trap door is kept closed by the internal pressure of
the water.
The bulkhead doors which serve to divide the several compartments from each
other, and which are arranged to close either in a horizontal or in a vertical
direction, are constructed with packing, or tight joints in such a manner as to
entirely exclude a leaking through of the water into the next adjacent
compartment.
In addition to the automatic closure of the bulkhead doors by the inrushing
water, the present invention also provides means for enabling the compartment
doors to be closed at will in the moment of danger or in view of impending danger.
This intentional closing may be effected either from any desired part of the ship
(such for instance as the bridge) or from the place of the leak itself. For this
purpose the pawl or other mechanism which has up to that moment prevented a
rotation or movement of the alarm mechanism, must be made capable of being
raised; this may be effected by mechanical means (such as by a pull) or by
electricity (by completing the circuit of an electrical current) or pneumatically.
It must also be possible by a single operation of a mechanical device or by the
completion of a special electric circuit, to close all the bulkhead doors of all the
ship's compartments simultaneously, this being of importance in cases where
the danger is not thought to be great at the commencement, but is really very
serious.
If the door is closed intentionally by direct manipulation on the spot, that is to
say at the leak into the compartment, then it is not necessary to set in operation
the alarm and disengaging mechanisms provided between the leak and the door to
be closed.
In order that the persons in charge of the ship such as for instance the captain,
shall always be informed of the condition at any time of the various compartments
and doors, alarms with indicator boards may be provided at suitable points (such
as on the bridge) in such a manner as to indicate automatically and accurately the
state of affairs as regards the various operations of closure in the several com-
partments of the ship. For this purpose the said alarms or indicating apparatus
which are provided with bells and indicators are connected electrically or
pueumatically with the alarm apparatus in each ship's compartment. As soon as
these alarm apparatus in the compartments begin to operate, the corresponding
bell on the indicator board begins to ring whilst at the same time a flap or shutter
falls down bearing on it the number of the compartment which is filling with water.
The indicating apparatus are so constructed that the proper closure of the doors,
flaps and sliding valves in the several compartments of the ship is indicated by the
fall of other shutters.
A third and further series of falling shutters serves to indicate the leaking of
those compartments which, like the double bottom of the ship for instance are
normally kept closed.
Instead of operating the alarm apparatus and disengaging apparatus automatically

page_text: by mechanical or electrical means, they may be operated by means of steam,
explosions of gases, or by water pressure, compressed air or compressed gases,
from a central point.
These various modes of operating the alarm and releasing apparatus will not be
described again in the following description, but this reference to these fluids is
merely made to indicate the manifold ways in which this invention can be carried
into practice.
Although the closing of the doors in the bulkheads at the proper time in an
automatic manner or by direct or indirect manipulation, constitutes the essential
nature of the mode of operation and the main object of the apparatus illustrated,
whilst the alarm and indicating apparatus, although of great importance must
however occupy a secondary position to that held by the closure of the doors, yet
in describing the various apparatus the alarm apparatus will be first described
because such apparatus comes first into operation in the procedure of closing the
doors.
. In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention :-
Figure 1 shows an alarm apparatus for notifying danger in the case of inrush of
water into a compartment;
Figures 2, 3 and 4 show modifications of such apparatus ;
Figure 5 shows in elevation and Figure 6 in cross section the retaining and
releasing mechanism of the bulkhead ;
Figure 7 shows an apparatus for indicating in a visual manner the closing of the
door ;
Figures 8, 8 and 9 show modifications of parts of the releasing mechanism of
the bulkhead shown in Figures 6 and 7.
Figures 10, 11 and 12 show the bulkhead in combination with a compound
leverage for disengaging the door;
Figures 13 to 21 show. details of bulkhead doors which fall down or are pushed
aside by the operation of the disengaging apparatus.
Figure 22 shows an apparatus for indicating the operation that takes place on
the closing of the doors.
With the object of giving an audible or visual alarm to those of the crew who
may be present in a compartment fitted with closing devices, so as to notify them.
of the impending danger in case of an inrush of water into said compartment, the
bottom of the watertight compartment is provided with an opening at its lowest point.
as is for example shown in Figure 1 and in this opening there is arranged a
grating a under which is a basin or vessel b having a discharge pipe c.
Mounted.
in this basin is a Hoat f which is counterbalanced by a weight if necessary and
is pivoted at d. Now on water entering this compartment, the water flows through
the grating a into the basin and accumulates in the latter so that the float is.
compelled to rise by its buoyancy. A wire or connecting rod g fastened to the
end of the float lever serves, when the latter rises, to pull down the front end of a
lever provided with a pawl which engages in the toothed wheel k. By this
means the alarm apparatus k, whose spring barrel has up till now been prevented.
from rotating or moving by the rear end of the pawl, becomes released and allowed
to operate.
As in some cases in consequence of violent rocking and plunging of the ship, only
a little water will flow into the basin, and therefore the float will rise and fall
by fits and starts only, the interruption or cessation of the rotation or movement
of the alarm apparatus in consequence of a possible falling back of the pawl is
provided against by means of a coiled spring which is attached to the rear end of
the lever (Figure 3) and which is capable of rotating about a fixed point m and
which has a tendency in consequence of its elasticity to force up the end of the
lever i before the latter is disengaged, and to force the same downwards after it.
has been disengaged from the alarm apparatus.
As, after a few days, drippings or leakage would accumulate in the basin b, and
would thus act to operate the alarm unnecessarily, or even to cause the closing of

page_text: the bulkhead doors at an undesirable moment, there is provided a discharge
pipe c through which the accumulated bilge water is discharged into the double
bottom of the ship. A flap valve n which is open in an upward direction when at
rest closes the pipe c automatically as soon as the abutment o is rendered free by
the rising of the float f. A ball p acting as a valve and resting on a grating, is
inserted in an enlargement of the pipe c, and prevents water from flowing back
into the basin in case of the water rising in the pipe c. The two valves n and p
allow only of the escape of bilge water and prevent in case of danger any
possible communication between the undamaged and the damaged compartiments of
the ship. The discharge pipe c may also be replaced by a collecting basin from
which the bilge water can be discharged or pumped out from time to time. During
the usual washing of the ship, and in particular in warships, the grating a is
covered over so as to prevent the water from passing through, or the float f is held
down by means of an elastic key e which is passed through a hole in the grating,
and is afterwards hung up behind the same.
The apparatus may be simplified by arranging the float f in a shallow recess in
the surface of the bottom or directly upon the latter, as shown in Figure 2.
In this arrangement the float will begin to rise only after the water entering
through a leak in the compartment has risen to a height of a few inches. In this
case the grating and collecting basin are dispensed with and the float is covered
over by a protective grating a*.
As one door always connects two adjacent compartments, at least two floats
must be arranged to act upon one and the same lever, and it is advisable to arrange
the floats in the manner shown in plan in Figure 4; they are mounted on a spindle
passing through the bulkhead wall.
The releasing devices above described are always protected by linings or
coverings carried along the bulkheads. According to requirements several floats
may be arranged to act upon one and the same alarm apparatus, or a single float
may act upon a number of alarm apparatus.
In place of the float or floats there may be employed a number of vessels which
sink when they have received a determined quantity of water, and thereby cause
the release of the lever i.
In order by intentionally lifting the lever i from out of the alarm mechanism, to
enable the bulkhead doors to be closed even when there is no water in the
compartments, a wire or a connecting rod B₁ is led upwards and terminates at the
indicator boards of the indicating apparatus (Figure 1), and which on being pulled
acts to disengage the pawl h. This disengagement may also be produced by
electrical means (Figure 2). On the rising of the float f being caused by the
inrush of water or by intentional depression of the key A, an electrical circuit is
completed through the battery E, and the energizing of the electromagnet M acts
to disengage the pawl h by the attraction of the lever i.
When gas or air pressure is used, the float and the key A¹ serve to open
pressure reservoirs, and the pawl his disengaged by means of pistons or bellows.
The floats or sinking vessels may act directly upon the pistons or bellows, which
may also be moved or compressed by the action of the inflowing water or by being
pressed down.
As already stated it is intended that the alarm apparatus shall act only for a
time, whereupon the door, flap or sliding valve which has been kept open by
suitable means will be securely released and closed. For this purpose the
arrangement must be such that no door shall be closed before the alarm apparatus
has acted in order to notify the crew present in that compartment of the ship
of the impending danger.
Figure 5 is an elevation and Figure 6 is a cross section showing the connection
of the alarm apparatus with the retaining or the releasing mechanism of the bulkhead
door. On the lower edge of the bulkhead door or trap door there is mounted a
stud Z provided with a small roller which when. the door is open rests upon a
ledge which is inclined or excentric with reference to the point of suspension of

page_text: the quadrant Q. The quadrant Q is mounted loosely so as to be capable of
rotating on the projecting pin X, which extends outwards from the side wall S.
of the box that encloses the door T. Upon the pin X is also loosely mounted the
arm a¹ of a sector 8 which is fixed to the quadrant and takes into a toothed
wheel b¹ on the disc of the alarm apparatus C. On the upper end of the quadrant Q
there is pivotted a hook D which takes over a stud e¹ that projects from the arm a¹..
A rope L is fastened to the laterally projecting end of the hook. In consequence
of the tendency of the quadrant to always assume the lowest position, the hook D
will still further tighten its hold upon the stud c¹.
A frictional spring inserted between the quadrant and the hook serves to obviate
vibratory motion of the latter. From the rear face of the disc C of the alarm
apparatus there project studs which act when the disc is suitably rotated, to
operate the striker or hammer of an alarm bell O.
The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-When a door is to be
closed automatically by the inflowing water, or intentionally from the captain's
bridge, first the lever i is disengaged from the pawl h; the alarm apparatus C
fixed to the barrel k shown in Figures 1 to 4 being thus freed begins to act by
spring pressure and operates the clock O. By the rotary movement of the
barrel k in combination with the alarm apparatus C the sector engaging with
its teeth into the teeth of wheel on the axle of the barrel k moves so far that.
the ledge r of the quadrant Q, which is fixed with the sector on the axle is.
removed from the roller on the stud z, thereby releasing the latter and the door T
can fall down by its own weight. The sidewise movement of the quadrant may
be limited by means of a stud p².
If the bulkhead door of the compartment is to be closed at the place of the
inrush by the direct or personal exertion of the sailors present in the vicinity,.
then it is merely necessary without troubling to disengage the pawl lever i, to
pull strongly on the rope L, whereupon the hook D will slip off from the stud c
and the quadrant will be rotated by the weight of the door towards one side to an
extent such as to allow of the stud Z on the door becoming free from the ledger,.
and thus of the door falling down.
Figure 7 illustrates an apparatus which indicates previously in a visual manner
the necessary closing of the door. For this purpose a sigual arm or semaphore W
consisting of a frame covered with colored canvas is mounted loosely upon, for
instance the pin X in such a manner that a hollow part u of said semaphore shall
project. Into this hollow part there is hooked a hook q which projects from
the periphery of the disc C. If now in consequence of the rising of the float f
(Figures 1 and 2), or by pulling from the bridge so as to disengage the lever i,
the disc C begins to revolve, the hook 9 projecting from the latter, will release.
the hollow part on the semaphore W, which will then move into the position.
shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, and thus notifies the crew in that compartment.
of the impending closure of the bulkhead door.
In the case of falling trap doors the apertures of which extend close up to the
ceiling, the above described mechanisms are suitably modified and are arranged
horizontally on the ceiling and are protected by casings. In this case, in place of
the stud Z (Figure 5) there is arranged ou the falling trap door T (see Figure 8,.
side view, Figure 8ª end view, and Figure 9 plan) a bracket Z carrying two.
small rollers: The small rollers rest upon the slightly helically and upwardly
inclined sides of a double quadrant Q which is caused by the action of the
sector toothed gear b's (Figure 5) to rotate with the vertically arranged pin X..
When the small rollers z move into the vacant spaces between the hips of the
quadrant the door can fall down.
Instead of driving the disc C mechanically it may be driven by electricity
or by water pressure, whilst in place of the bell O, whistles may be scunded or
harmless visible and audible explosive bodies may be iguited by mechanical or
electrical means.
For ship's compartments of large size it will be advisable to.
arrange only one or two suitably more powerfully acting alarm apparatus which

page_text: may be connected with the levers of the disengaging apparatus by means of wires
or connecting rods. In this case the disengaging apparatus may consist simply of
one or of several levers engaging one with the other.
In order to obviate the necessity of equalizing the total weight of the door T
by a corresponding weight, it may be preferable to provide for the arrangement of
several levers t t t t situated one behind the other as shown in Figure 10 which
is a plan and Figure 11 which is a section on the line -x of Figure 10.
The stud Z protruding from the door T rests on a nose or enlargement of the
levert such nose being arranged near and sideways of the spindle X. The free
end of the lever t rests on a pose D' protruding from the lever t¹ at a convenient
distance from the spindle x' which carries the lever t¹.
By this lever arrangement the entire weight of the door T does not actuate
more than a fraction of such weight upon the nose D. Such fraction of the
weight is determined by the distance of the stud Z from the spindle, divided by the
entire length of the lever t. This fraction of the weight of the door is furthermore
diminished by the fact that the free end of the lever t¹ rests on a stud protruding
near the spindle X from the lever t² movable on such spindle X.
A third diminution of the weight of the dour will be ensured by sustaining
the free end of the lever 2 on a stud which is arranged near the spindle
on a lever t³ placed on ¹.
To neutralize the entire weight of the door acting downwards it is only necessary
to place a very small counterweight on the lever at the other side of the
spindle by this arrangement of compound leverage the nose of the lever i
Figure 5 which locks or retains the nose at the periphery of the alarm apparatus C
may by way of example be disengaged by the action of a weak electro-magnet
only.
Another arrangement for maintaining and releasing the door T is shown in
Figure 12. In this arrangement the stud Z is not fixed directly to the door T but
to the end of a levert fulcrummed at Z' on the door T; the stud Z rests in the
fork shaped end of a lever t¹ fulcrummed on the wall of the bulkhead at X.
From the fork shaped end of the lever t¹ an arm protrudes laterally carrying the
double levert the upper arm of which is held by the nose on the lever t³
while its lower arm is held or locked by a bolt D' exposed to the pressure of a
spring.
When the lever t¹ which has an oblique position, is released by a pull on the
rope L or by withdrawing the nose of the lever t such lever t will immediately
oscillate to the left and fall downwards, in consequence of which the stud Z will be
freed and the door T may now fall down by its own weight.
Figures 13 to 21 show details of bulkhead doors which are adapted to fall down
(Figure 13) or to be pushed aside (Figure 16) by the operation of the above
described disengaging apparatus.
0
The door provided with the stud Z is guided by means of guiding rollers F (as
indicated in Figure 14) along the vertical bars G and is held fast by means of
spring noses or catches. Efficient tightness of the upper and side edges of the
door is effected by means of elastic fillets which are fixed either on the open side
of the casing that encloses the door when drawn up, or on the descending door
itself (Figure 15), and which bears against the opposite surfaces. The lower edge
of the door is provided with a bulge or packing piece w which takes up the shock
When the door falls,
of the falling door by impinging upon a horizontal ledge w¹.
the rollers Fact to guide the same. In order to protect the door when closed,
from being distorted, and in order to relieve the guide rollers F from pressure the
bars G may be made narrower at the place where the rollers F are located when
the door is closed, so that the door will be forced by the rising water towards one
side or the other, until it bears with its packing strips against the bars G and the
door sill, or against one wall of the casing.
The movement of the strips v does not affect the tightness of the joint made by
them. In cases where, as in war ships below the armour deck, vertically shutting

page_text: doors are not suitable, horizontally moving doors may be employed (Figures 16
to 18) and the power of closing said doors may be provided by means of a spring
box P around the surrounding casing of which there may be wound two ropes or
chains y fastened to the door:
When the jointing strips are arranged on the door T in the manner shown in
Figures 19 and 20, the casing K for receiving the door as in Figures 13 and 14
may be dispensed with. The strips may also be arranged on hinged doors and
flaps (Figure 21) which are closed, it may be for instance by means of a spring-
actuated carrier Z, and kept closed by means of catches. A sudden closing of
the doors may be prevented by means of directly or indirectly acting hydraulic
brakes, the arrangement being such that the brakes are connected to the door by
meaus of cudless ropes or toothed rods or racks.
Instead of the spring boxes P that serve to close the door, it is obvious that
cylinders may also be employed the pistons in which are operated by compressed
air or compressed gas, and which may if necessary be connected to the hydraulic
brakes in such a manner that the brake fluid shall also serve as a means of effecting
a tight joint.
Instead of making the joiuting strips a wholly of rubber, they may also be made
of suitably bent steel strips the sliding end of which is covered with a coating of
leather.
In order to indicate or to give notification at any desired part of the ship on
deck, and especially at those places where are the officers or other responsible
persons, of all the operations which take place in respect of the automatic or
intentional closing of the doors in single or in all the compartments of the ship;
there are provided indicating apparatus with indicator boards, which indicate
by means of electric leads the closure of the bulkhead doors in a visual and
audible manner.
Figure 22 illustrates in a diagrammatic manner by way of example an arrange-
ment of apparatus of this kind for indicating the operations that take place on the
closing of the doors. E M' f M is a constant current circuit passing around the
electro-magnet M¹ and serving to indicate by means of a shutter s¹ in field I that
the corresponding compartment of the ship is free from water. The shutter may
be provided with a number and be painted of a particular color in order to indicate
visually the absence of water in the compartment.
If now one of these floats f (Figures 1, 2 and 3) rise in consequence of the inrush
of water into one of the compartments of the ship or as a result of the arbitrary
closing of the bulkhead door, then the main circuit E M'E will be broken, and
the shunt circuit E R'n' E will be closed by the released armature n'. The
bell R¹ included in this shunt circuit is sounded, whilst a shutter also provided with
a number and painted of a different color arranged to indicate a leak, will appear
in field I. The switch plug 1 is now rotated to break the shunt circuit and the
bell R' is included in the main circuit which may now be considered to be the
working current (see the position of plug 2). The bell R' does not ring any
more until after the water has been removed from the compartment and the main
circuit is again closed by the falling floats f, and the shutter indicating absence of
water again appears in field I.
Another rotation of the switch plug 1 acts to terminate the ringing and re-
establishes the condition of the circuits (position of the plug 1) as at the com-
mencement. Exactly the same arrangement obtains with the circuit E R M TE
passing through the doors T.
When all the doors in the compartments are closed, the bell R' rings and the
shutter shows "closed" in field II.
bell R is stopped, whilst the shutter
doors be opened, the bell R2 will sound
will show "open."
By moving the plug 2 the ringing of the
remains in field II. If one of the closed
again, and the field is now unoccupied and
The third circuit E ME' by closing which the lever i is disengaged is provided
with an additional repeating indicator circuit E R' M'i E, which is interrupted

page_text: at each lever i but is closed when the respective levers are disengaged. Further-
more, both circuits are broken at plug 3, but are both closed simultaneously by one
and the same rotary movement of the said plug. Therefore, if after the plug 3
has been rotated, the bell R³ sounds, and the shutter appears in field III, then
the desired result has been effected namely the closing of the corresponding
bulkhead door.
By multiplying the fields (I, II and III) and the plugs 1, 2 and 3 as required
the indicator boards may be grouped together in a clear and comprehensive
manner. All the indications in respect of the operations or conditions of the doors
in the ship's compartments are indicated or notified by means of the same corre-
sponding bells (R' R' R³) which may however be increased in number as desired;
or even limited to one bell only. Also any desired number of ship's com-
partments may be connected together to form a group whereby clearuess and
comprehensiveness is gained and the amount of electric conductors required is
reduced.
But in warships it will be advisable to provide the conductors in duplicate at
least and to lead the same in entirely opposite paths to the indicator boards. At
night time the visual signals may be given by means of incandescent lamps which
are inserted in the electric conductors leading to the indicating apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion as communicated to me and in what manner the same is to be performed I
declare that what I claim in respect of bulkhead doors and of means for operating
the same automatically or by hand, is :-
1. An arrangement such that the doors are adapted to be operated by gravity,
the force of springs, or the pressure of compressed air, and are kept open by means of
retaining mechanism, a lever of which is adapted to be disengaged by the rise of a
float (which is actuated by the water flowing in through a leak), or directly or
indirectly by hand from any desired part of the ship, with or without an alarm
apparatus which acts immediately the said lever is disengaged, substantially as
herein before described.
2. The combination of parts substantially as hereinbefore described and repre-
sented in the accompanying drawings constituting improved apparatus for closing
the doors of the bulkheads of ships.
Dated this 27th day of September 1895.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
05 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.