Improved Method of and Means for Protecting Steam-ships' Water- ballast Tanks below and in proximity to the Boilers, and Ventilating Stoke-hole Bulkheads.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Means for Protecting Steam-ships' Water-
ballast Tanks below and in proximity to the Boilers, and
Ventilating Stoke-hole Bulkheads.
I, ABRAHAM KENDRICK, of 39 Penarth Road, Cardiff, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its objects, firstly, to protect those parts of steam ships'
water-ballast tanks which are below and in proximity to the boilers and are,
consequently, exposed to the heat from the shell of the boiler or builers and,
secondly, to ventilate stoke-hole bulkheads intervening between the stoke-hole and
the ship's hold.
As is well known, the top plates, girders and floors of the water-ballast tank
below the boilers are, when the tank is not charged with water, subjected to the
injurious effects of heat which tend to destroy them.
Now this invention consists in the application of air for the purposes of ventilating
the tank and mitigating the destructive action of the heat.. According to this
invention, a current of air is induced by a suitable blast-creating appliance or
blower situated in the screw-shaft tunnel and driven by a pulley actuated from the
screw-shaft through the medium of a belt, or by gearing. The air supply to the
tunnel is derived from the usual ventilating pipe communicating above deck with
the atmosphere and opening below into the tunnel.
From the blower, which thus, ventilates the screw-shaft tunnel and keeps it free
from foul air and explosive gases, the air current is led away by a pipe to the
water-ballast tank situated below the engine room and stoke-hole flooring and is
delivered into the said tank at the after end thereof. The air after circulating
in the tank issues therefrom by a series of outlets provided on the top of the tank
and situated below the boilers. The outlets are fitted with india-rubber ball
valves which normally rest on grated or open seats through which the air has
free play.
On issuing at the outlets the air is deflected, by hoods or deflectors surmounting
the outlets, on to the upper surface of the plates of which the tank top is
composed.
In proximity to the stoke-hole bulkhead is a pipe communicating at one end with
the tank and at the other with the air space between the bulkhead and the lining
situated on the hold side of the bulkhead. The said pipe is fitted with a stop-cock
and with a ball valve similar to those with which the outlets below the boilers are
provided.
When it is desired to cool the stoke-hole bulkhead, the outlets aforesaid are
plugged and the air passes out of the tank to the bulkhead.
When the tanks are filled with water for ballast, the blowing appliance is put
out of action, and the air valves close by the action of the water which lifts the
india-rubber balls from their seats and causes them to block the outlets.
Dated this 25th day of May 1892.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol Bank Buildings, Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Means for Protecting Steam-ships' Water-
ballast Tanks below and in proximity to the Boilers, and
Ventilating Stoke-hole Bulkheads.
I, ABRAHAM KENDRICK, of 39 Penarth Road, Cardiff, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this 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 has for its objects, firstly, to protect those parts of steam-ships'
water-ballast tanks, namely, the top plates, girders and floors, which are below and
in proximity to the boilers and are, consequently, exposed to the heat from the shell
of the boiler or boilers; and, secondly, to ventilate stoke-hole bulkheads intervening
between the stoke-hole and the ship's hold. As is well known, the top plates,
girders and floors of the water-ballast tank below the boilers are, when the tank is
not charged with water, subjected to the injurious effects of heat which tend to
destroy them.
Now this invention consists in the application of air for the purposes of
ventilating the tank and mitigating the destructive action of the heat.
According to this invention, a current of air is induced by a suitable blast-
creating appliance or blower situated in the screw-shaft tunnel and driven by a
pulley actuated from the screw-shaft through the medium of a belt, or by gearing.
The air supply to the tunnel is derived from the usual ventilating pipe com-
municating above deck with the atmosphere and opening below into the tunnel.
From the blower, which thus ventilates the screw-shaft tunnel and keeps it free
from foul air and explosive gases, the air current is led away by a pipe to the
water-ballast tank situated below the engine room and stoke-hole flooring and is
delivered into the said tank at the after end thereof. The air after circulating in
the tank issues therefrom by a series of outlets provided on the top of the tank
and situated below the boilers. The outlets are fitted with india-rubber ball
valves which normally rest on grated or open seats through which the air has
free play.
In proximity to the stoke-hole bulkhead is a pipe communicating at one end with
the tank and at the other end with the air space between the bulkhead and the
lining situated on the hold side of the bulkhead. The said pipe is fitted with a
stop cock and with a ball valve similar to those with which the outlets below the
boilers are provided.
When it is desired to cool the stoke-hole bulkhead, the outlets below the boilers
are closed and the air passes out of the tank to the bulkhead.
When the tanks are filled with water for ballast, the blowing appliance is put out
of action, and the air valves close by the action of the water which lifts the india-
rubber balls from their seats and causes them to block the outlets.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 illustrates in a longitudinal diagrammatic section a part of a ship having
my improved ballast-tank protecting and ventilating system and appliances fitted
therein. Fig. 2 is a part plan, and Fig. 3 a part transverse section.
In the screw shaft tunnel a, Figs. 1 and 2, is a blower or blast-creating
appliance arranged to be driven from the shaft c by a belt d passed around the
pulley of the blower.
The air supply to the tunnel a is derived through the usual ventilating pipe
communicating above the deck with the atmosphere and opening below into the
tunnel.
The current of air induced by the blower bis led away by the pipe d¹ and
delivered into the water-ballast tank e at the after end thereof, it being understood
that the tank is not charged with water. The air after circulating in the tank e

page_text: passes out therefrom through outlet nozzles f provided on the top of the tank and
situated below the boilers g the position of which is indicated at Fig. 2 in dotted
lines g. The course taken by the air is indicated by the arrows shown at Figs. 1
and 2 of the drawings. A sectional view of one of the nozzles f is shown at Fig. 4,
and an underside view at Fig. 5. The outlets fare fitted with hollow balls f¹, of
india-rubber, normally resting on open or grated seats through which the air passes
without raising the balls. On issuing at the outlets the air is diffused over the top
of the tank and by tending to keep the plates thereof cool increases their durability
and otherwise protects them from the injurious effects of the heat from the
boilers. Also, the girders and floors of the tank are protected by the same agency.
Each outlet nozzle has apertures f³, Fig. 4 made towards the top, and over this
part fits a cap f³ similarly pierced. This cap may be screwed or otherwise secured
in place but is free to be turned. It will be obvious that by turning the cap f³ to
the required degree the apertures f³ in the nozzle f may be blocked at will.
k
From towards the forward end of the ballast tank e a pipe i leads to the space
between the stoke-hole bulkhead and the lining k². At the point of connection
of the pipe i with the tank e is an outlet nozzle 7 of similar construction to the
outlets before described. When it is desired to cool the stoke-hole bulkhead, at
such time as the ballast tank e is devoid of water, the caps of the outlet nozzles f
are turned so as to prevent the air supplied from the blower 6 from escaping
thercat. The outlet nozzle 1, previously closed, is opened and the air passes through
the pipe i to the space k, thus cooling the stoke-hole bulkhead.
When water is admitted to the tank e the blowing appliance is first put out of
action and the water floats the balls of the outlet nozzles off their open seats and
forces them up to block the air passages as indicated in dotted lines at Fig. 4, thus
preventing escape of water from the tank.
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. A method of protecting the top plates girders, and floors of a steam-ship's
water-ballast tank, when not charged with water, from the injurious effects of the
heat to which they are, below the boilers, exposed; the said method consisting in
delivering to the tank, a current of cool air under pressure, and discharging the
same below the boilers, as hereinbefore set forth.
2. A method of ventilating and cooling the stoke-hole bulkheads of steam-ships
by introducing a current of air under pressure into the space between the bulkhead
and the lining thereof; such current of air being arranged to be first delivered to
and to pass through the water-ballast tank, as hereinbefore described.
3. The outlet nozzles and containing india-rubber balls and fitted with
movable caps having apertures to correspond with apertures provided in the nozzles,
as hereinabove described; the balls not preventing passage of air to the nozzles,
but designed to float and prevent water from escaping through the nozzles when the
ballast tanks are charged with water.
4. The method of and means for obtaining a current or blast of cool air to be
transmitted to the ballast tank; consisting of a blower, fan or the like, situated in
the screw shaft tunnel and driven therefrom; the air to feed the blower or fan being
drawn through the usual screw-shaft tunnel ventilating pipe.
Dated this 24th day of February 1893.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Chartered Patent Agent.