Improved Means for Preventing Ships and other Vessels Sinking.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1899
Improved Means for Preventing Ships and other Vessels Sinking.
I, FRED GRANTHAM BROUGHTON, of 29, Laurel Grove, Anerley, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to improved means for preventing ships and other
vessels sinking.
In carrying out my invention I provide the vessel with a number of upright
air-pipes or vessels extending from the deck down through the bottom of the
vessel, the said air-pipes or vessels being closed at their upper ends and open
at their lower ends, so that should the vessel, by reason of a leak, collision or
from any other cause, begin to settle in the water, the air enclosed in the said
upright pipes is gradually compressed by the water entering them, the contained
air being ultimately compressed to such an extent that the pressure thereof
counterbalances the tendency of the vessel to settle, thereby preventing its
sinking.
My air-vessels can be arranged so that they can be supplied with compressed
air in order that the air they contain can be maintained at any desired pressure,
in case of leakage for example. The air-pipes or vessels may be provided with
pressure gauges if desired and also with valves so that in case of a vessel listing
to one side from any cause, the air can be allowed to escape on the opposite side.
It will be obvious that the air-vessels can be built in the hull of the vessel.
I also advantageously line the inside of the vessel with cork, the quantity of
cork being preferably so calculated that it counterbalances the tendency of the
iron or other skin or shell of the vessel to sink.
I may also employ in combination with one or both of the above described
devices for keeping a vessel afloat one or more flexible air-chambers running
around the whole of the upper part of the hull and provided with means such as
an air pump whereby it or they can be filled with compressed air.
Dated the 19th dox of Ton 1800
Improved Means for Preventing Ships and other Vessels Sinking.
I, FRED GRANTHAM BROUGHTON, of 29, Laurel Grove, Anerley, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
Price 8d.]

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to improved means for preventing ships and other
vessels sinking.
In carrying out my invention I provide the vessel with a number of upright
air-pipes or vessels extending from the deck down through the bottom of the
vessel, the said air-pipes or vessels being closed at their upper ends and open
at their lower ends, so that should the vessel, by reason of a leak, collision or
from any other cause, begin to settle in the water, the air enclosed in the said
upright pipes is gradually compressed by the water entering them, the contained
air being ultimately compressed to such an extent that the pressure thereof
counterbalances the tendency of the vessel to settle, thereby preventing its
sinking.
My air-vessels can be arranged so that they can be supplied with compressed
air or other suitable gas in order that the air or gas they contain can be main-
tained at any desired pressure, in case of leakage for example. The air-pipes
or vessels may be provided with pressure gauges if desired and also with valves
so that in case of a vessel listing to one side from any cause, the air can be
allowed to escape on the opposite side.
It will be obvious that the air-vessels can be built in the hull of the vessel.
In the accompanying drawing,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steamship having my improvements applied
thereto :
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the hull:
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the hull:
Figure 4 is a view of a detail:
Figures 2 and 3 are drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1 and Figure 4 to a
larger scale that Figures
and 3.
a is the hull of the vessel and b, b are the upright air-pipes, vessels or cham-
bers which extend from the deck a¹ of the vessel to the bottom of the hull the
upper ends being closed and the lower ends opening under the water level.
These air vessels may be entirely closed at their upper ends as indicated in Figure 1
but I prefer to provide them with an opening at their upper ends normally closed
by a valve, as shewn in Figures 2 and 3, and as hereinafter described.
In the drawing I have shewn the upright air-vessels with an enlarged upper
part although the said vessels may be of the same cross sectional area through-
out.
In the arrangement illustrated, the air vessels b, b are designed to be supplied
with compressed air or other suitable gas; to this end they are provided with
inlet pipes c, e which may all, as shewn, branch from an air or gas supply pipe d
,e are the valves with which the upper ends of the air pipes b, b are provided
for enabling the air in any one vessel to be allowed to escape, for example when
the vessel lists to one side, in which case the valves e, e on the opposite side of
the vessel are opened so as to allow the vessel to sink on that side.
ff are the valves or cocks which are provided at the lower ends of the air
vessels or pipes b, b for the purpose of cutting off the water inlet in case the said
air pipes should become leaky; these cocks or valves can advantageously be
operated from the deck through the medium of the upright rods g, g having
handles g, g and the upper ends of which are provided with two teeth or
shoulders g, adapted to bear upon the upper part of an undercut recessed
socket or catch h, as clearly shewn in Figure 4. The lower end of each rod
pivoted to a lever i forming the handle of each cock or valve so that by raising
the rod g from the position shewn in Figure 4 to that in which the lower tooth 92
is caused to rest upon the socket the cocks are closed. h¹ is a spring pin or the
like which is mounted in the socket h and is caused to hear against the back
of each rod g so as to hold it in the position to which it is moved.
is

page_text: With vessels constructed as above described should leakage supervene from
any cause, for example as the result of a collision, the tendency of the vessel to
sink is counterbalanced by the pressure of the air contained in the air vessels
or pipes bb upon the surface of the water which tends to enter the lower open
ends of the said vessels or pipes b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination with a ship or like vessel of upright air pipes or chambers,
the upper ends of which are closed and the lower ends of which open below the
water line, substantially as, and for the purpose, herein before described.
2. The combination with a ship or like vessel of a number of upright air pipes
or chambers the upper ends of which are closed and the lower ends of which
open below the water line, of means for opening the said upper ends and of
means for closing the said lower open ends, substantially as herein before described.
3. The combination with a ship or like vessel of a number of upright air
pipes or chambers the upper ends of which are closed and the lower ends of which
are open below the water line and of means for supplying compressed air or other
suitable gas to the air pipes or chambers, substantially as described.
4. Ships or like vessels having the means for preventing their sinking, con-
structed substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.
1
1011
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.