IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS PORTS OR SCUTTLES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Brougham Hopwood, of 184, St.
George St. East, Wellclose Square, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS PORTS OR SCUTTLES."
Sealed the 22nd September 1858, and dated the 11th July 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Brougham
Hopwood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 11th July 1858.
I, HENRY BROUGHAM HOPWOOD, of 184, St. George St. East, Well-
close Square, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS PORTS OR SCUTTLES
to be as follows:-
⚫ This Invention consists in the application of apparatus to ships ports
or scuttles, whereby they may be firmly secured and readily opened.
The port or scuttle is supported on axes and collars which are carried
by and move on horizontal screws which project out from each side of
the framing of the port hole; each of the collars carries a pinion,
having a female screw formed through its axis, and through these the
horizontal screws pass, and the pinions and collars which support the

page_text: port or scuttle are caused to move to and from the port hole by means
of a toothed wheel turning freely on the outer circumference of the port
or scuttle; this toothed wheel takes into the teeth of the pinions on the
screw axes, and receives motion from a pinion on an axis turning in
bearings on the frame of the port; this pinion takes into teeth formed
on the inner circumference of the toothed wheel on the circumference
of the port, and the axis of the pinion is jointed to a bar which slides in
a fixed support, the other end of the bar having a handle to give motion
to the pinion which drives the toothed wheel (revolving on the circum-
ference of the port), and when the port or scuttle-is-withdrawn to its
farthest extremity a projection on the face of the toothed wheel comes
in contact with a fixed stop on the port or scuttle, and it may then be
moved on its axes to any desired angle, and the handle on the sliding
bar is so constructed that it can be readily detached when the port
or scuttle has been closed or opened in order to prevent its being
disturbed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Brougham Hopwood in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 10th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY BROUGHAM HOPWOOD, of 184, Saint George Street East, Well-
close Square, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Brougham Hopwood, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Brougham Hopwood, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Brougham
Hopwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS PORTS OR SCUTTLES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Brougham Hopwood, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Brougham Hopwood, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists in the application of apparatus to ships ports
or scuttles, whereby they may be firmly secured and readily opened.
The port or scuttle is supported on axes and collars which are carried
by and move on horizontal screws which project out from each side of
the framing of the port hole; each of the collars carries a pinion having
a female screw formed through its axis, and through these the hori-
zontal screws pass, and the pinions and collars which support the port
or scuttle are caused to move to and from the port hole by means of a
toothed wheel' turning freely on the outer circumference of the port or
scuttle; this toothed' wheel takes into the teeth of the pinions on the.
screw axis, and receives motion from a pinion on an axis turning in
bearings on the frame of the port; this pinion takes into teeth formed
on the inner circumference of the toothed wheel on the circumference.
of the port, and the axis of the pinion is jointed to a bar which slides in.
a fixed support, the other end of the bar having a handle to give motion
to the pinion which drives the toothed wheel (revolving on the circum-
ference of the port), and when the port or scuttle is .withdrawn to its
farthest extremity a projection on the face of the toothed wheel comes
in contact with a fixed stop on the port or scuttle, and it may then be
moved on its axes to any desired angle, and the handle on the sliding
bar is so constructed that it can readily be detached when the port
or scuttle has been closed or opened in order to prevent its being
disturbed..

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the means of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
one on each of
Figure 1, shows an inside view of the apparatus. Figure 2, is a
vertical section thereof. a, is a plate which is to be fixed water-tight
on the inside of a ship. b, b, are two male screws fixed to the plate a,
as shown. The opening through the plate a, has projecting ribs or
rings a', on the interior, the object of which is to aid in keeping the
port water-tight when closed. These ribs or rings enter a ring or
surface of vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable material fixed to
the scuttle c, which is glazed with strong glass d. The scuttle is
supported and moved by means of axes or collars e, e,
the screws b, b. On the interior of each of the collars or axes é, e, is a
female screw which fits the male screw b, and on the outside of cach
collar is a pinion f, which takes into a toothed rack 9, which turns
freely on the fixed bevilled ring h, fixed near the outer periphery of the
scuttle c.
The scuttle c, has two lugs or cars thereon, which embrace
the collars or axes e, e, and they admit of the scuttle being inclined when
opened; on the inner side of the scuttle an inner toothed wheel is
fixed to the ring or racks g, g, and it is by means of the toothed wheel
h, receiving motion from the pinion i, on the axis j, that motion is
communicated to the racks g, g, which in their turn give motion to the
pinions on the axes or collars on the screws b, and those collars are by
their rotation, and by reason of their being formed with internal screws,
caused to move along the screws b, and thus is the port or scuttle
opened or closed according as the handles k, are turned in one direction
or the other. I would remark that it will be evident that the wheel h,
the pinion i, and the axis j, may be dispensed with, and a handle applied
to the racks g, g, and a like result will be obtained. 1, is a stop fixed
to the port or scuttle, and m, is a projection fixed to the toothed wheel
h, by which the further movement of the parts above described is
stopped when the port is open.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it
understood that I do not claim any of the parts separately, nor do I

page_text: confine myself to the details herein shewn and described. But what I
claim is, the combination of parts as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Brougham Hopwood, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
HENRY BROUGHAM HOPWOOD. (L.s.)
Witness,
H. J. ARMSTRONG.