IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-TIGHT DOORS AND SLUICES
Year: 1884

page_text: We, THOMAS MCCULLOCH and DAVID MCCULLOCH, both of Kilmarnock, in the
County of Ayr, Engineers, and THOMAS WHITE, of Govan in the County of
Renfrew, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-TIGHT DOORS AND SLUICES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements applied to doors such as are employed
in connection with water-tight bulk-heads and water ballast tanks of ships, and
the object of the improvements is to render such doors perfectly water-tight when
closed.
.
The improvements are equally applicable to sluices employed in connection with
water pipes or channels on land.
The improved water-tight door or sluice is formed in two main parts, the one
part corresponding generally to the ordinary door or sluice, and the other part
being made in the form of an open frame fitted on the one side close to the edges
of the door or sluice where it fits within the grooves or seat. The vertical joint
between the door proper and the open frame is inclined or made in the form of a
series of wedges, so that when the frame is moved vertically on the back of the door
it presses the face of the door tightly against its seat. The entire door or sluice is
raised and lowered by a screw spindle which passes freely through an eye in the
door and is secured in the frame, and when the door is lowered into its seat, the
continued turning of the screw spindle presses down the frame over the back of the
door, and by acting through the wedge surfaces formed between the door and
frame, presses the door close to its seat and makes it water-tight. To make a good
water-tight joint a strip of rubber or similar elastic material is fitted on the face of
the door or sluice near the edge. The strip of rubber is kept off the seat while the
door is raised and lowered, by means of a metal strip, which when the door is
closed drops into a groove and allows the rubber to bear on the seat. To prevent
the door proper and the open frame moving on each other excepting when the door
is closed, the open frame is connected to the door by books or catches pivotted near
the top. These catches are released at the moment the door closes in its seat, by
coming in contact with inclined surfaces on the framing in which the door is fitted;
and on the door being raised, these catches again engage with the open frame.

page_text: We, THOMAS MCCULLOCH and DAVID MCCULLOCH, both of Kilmarnock, in the
County of Ayr, Engineers, and THOMAS WHITE of Govan, in the County of
Renfrew, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-TIGHT DOORS AND SLUICES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained, in and
by the following statement :-
"
This Invention consists of improvements applied to doors such as are employed
in connection-with-water-tight_bulkheads and water ballast tanks of ships, and
the object of the improvements is to render such doors perfectly water-tight-when-
closed.
The improvements are equally applicable to sluices employed in connection with
water pipes or channels on land.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a modification of our improved
water-tight door, Figures 1 and 2 are front and back elevations, Figure 3 is a
transverse vertical section showing the door partially closed, Figure 4 is a similar
view showing the door fully closed, Figure 5 is a plan, and Figure 6 a horizontal
section of the same.
The
The improved watertight door or sluice is formed in two main parts, the one
part A corresponding generally to the ordinary door or sluice, and the other part B
being made in the form of an open frame, fitted on the one side close to the edges
or frame C of the door or sluice where it fits within the usual grooves or seat.
vertical joint between the door proper A and the open frame B is inclined or made
in the form of a series of wedges a, so that when the frame B is moved vertically
on the back of the door, it presses the face of the door A tightly against its sent C.
The entire door or sluice A B is raised and lowered by a screw spindle D which
passes freely through an eye E in the door and is secured in the framework of the
vessel, and when the door is lowered into its seat, as in the position shown in
Figure 3, the continued turning of the screw spindle D presses down the frame B
over the back of the door A, and by acting through the wedge surfaces a formed
between the door and frame, presses the door A. close to its seat C and makes it
water-tight, as is indicated in Figure 4 To make a good water-tight joint a strip f
of rubber or similar elastic material is fitted on the face of the door or sluice A
near the edges. The strip ƒ of rubber is kept off the seat C while the door is
raised and lowered, by means of a metal strips g, gl, on each side, when the door is
closed lower slips a' drop into a groove g³ and allow the rubber f to bear on the
seat C. To prevent the door proper A and the open frame B moving on each other
excepting when the door is closed, the open frame B is connected to the door A by
hooks or catches H pivotted near the top. These catches H are released at the
moment the door closes in its seat, by coming in contact with inclined surfaces I
formed on the framing C in which the door is fitted; and on the door being raised
by the turning of the screw spindle these catches again engage with the open
frame.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
First. That improvement in the construction of water-tight doors and sluices,
which consists in forming the same with a movable frame having on it inclined
surfaces by means of which the door may be tightly pressed against its seat after
being closed, substantially as herein set forth.
Second. The combination of parts forming the improved water-tight door or
sluice herein described and illustrated.