Improvements in Doors for Bulkheads and other Parts of Ships.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Doors for Bulkheads and other Parts of Ships.
I, THOMAS DON, Junior, of 35 Meeching Road, Newhaven, in the County of
Sussex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to a new method of constructing the doors in bulkheads and
other parts of ships and has for its object the providing of a door, which, while
readily allowing the passage of any person when desired from one side of the
bulkhead, or other part, to the other side, yet shall at no time either when in use
or when not in use whether at rest or in motion, present a through or clear passage
from one side of the bulkhead, or other part, to the other side.
It is well known that bulkhead doors as commonly constructed are liable to be
left open for lengthy periods and it not unfrequently happens that upon attempting
to close such a door, it is found impossible to do so, owing to some loose object
fouling the doorway. Should this occur at a critical time, as for instance when
the ship may have been in collision and making water, the open doorway would
allow contiguous compartments to be flooded and the probable result would be the
loss of the ship.
By constructing bulkhead doors according to my method, this danger is avoided,
the door never presenting any open passage and therefore never requiring closing
even when disaster overtakes the ship.
I attain this end by constructing the door of a novel form, it having or consisting
of three or more leaves or wings radiating from a common centre, the whole
rigidly bound together and capable of revolving or moving as one piece about a
central and preferably vertical axis. I enclose the door within a well fitting
cylindrical casing or shell, which casing has two openings which may be but
preferably are not opposite each other. The spindle or other device about which
the door revolves or moves is attached to the top and bottom or ends of the
cylindrical casing and this casing remains stationery while the door within it is
being.revolved or moved. In the bulkhead or other part of the ship I make an
opening of sufficient size to insert the casing and I fix the casing to the bulkhead
in such a manner that one of the openings to the casing is on each side of the
bulkhead. To pass through the bulkhead by means of the door it is necessary to
enter one of the openings of the casing and to push one of the radiating leaves or
wings of the door which bar the passage, this will cause the door to revolve or
move about its axis and hy moving round with the door egress from the casing on
the opposite side of the bulkhead can be obtained.
I make a watertight joint between the door and its casing by means of carefully
fitted metallic surfaces which may be loose or fixed, or by means of rubber or any
other suitable material, or I insert a strip of wood or other suitable material
around the edge of each leaf or wing of the door so that it is an easy working fit
when in ordinary use, but should water at any time get to it then the wood or
other material will swell and hold the door watertight and immovable.
I provide bearings for the central spindle of the door that allow of the door
being easily moved, also when the door is large and heavy or when otherwise

page_text: necessary provide special mechanical means for easily moving the same. I also
make the door revolvable in either direction or in one direction only and I fix
when necessary in each or any of the leaves or wings of the door a strong glass
window.
I make the door of any suitable material and with any number of leaves or wings
above three, I make the casing also of any suitable material and with more than
two openings if necessary so that the door can be placed at the junction of two or
more bulkheads or other parts and would afford a means of access from any one to
any other of the two, three, or more contiguous compartments.
Dated this 30th day of July 1896
THOMAS DON, JUNIOR.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Doors for Bulkheads and other Parts of Ships.
I, THOMAS DON Junior of 35 Moeching Road, Newhaven, in the County of
Sussex, Mechanical 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 :-
My invention relates to a new method of constructing the doors in bulkheads and
other parts of ships and has for its object the providing of a door which while
readily allowing the passage of any person when desired from one side of the
bulkhead or other part to the other side, yet shall at no time either when in use or
when not in use, whether at rest or in motion present a through or clear passage
from one side of the bulkhead or other part to the other side.
It is well known that bulkhead doors as commonly constructed are liable to be
left open or are purposely left open for considerable periods and it not unfrequently
happens that upon attempting to close such a door it is found impossible to do so
owing to some loose object fouling the door way.
By constructing bulkhead doors according to my method this danger is avoided,
my door never presenting any open passage through the bulkhead and therefore
never requiring "closing," even when disaster overtakes the ship.
The words "open" and "closed" as applied to ordinary bulkhead doors are in
fact hardly applicable to my door at all. With regard to the passage of water my
door may be said to be constantly "closed," there being no position in which it can
be left in which any opening through the bulkhead is left uncovered.
I attain this end by constructing the door of a novel form it having or consisting
of three or more leaves or wings, radiating from a common centre, the whole
rigidly bound together and capable of revolving or moving as one piece about a
central and preferably vertical axis. I enclose the door within a well fitting
cylindrical casing or shell which casing has two or more openings, which openings,
where two in number, may be opposite each other and are large enough for the
admission of ordinary persons.
The door is suitably supported and guided within the casing and revolves within
it, while the casing itself remains stationery.
I make a watertight joint between the leaves and other parts of the door and its
casing, by means of specially prepared packing pieces.
According to the manner in which I fit and adjust these packing pieces, the
door is more or less difficult to move about its axis. In cases where the "packing"
is given considerable initial compression and the door consequently stiff to move,
I provide special mechanical contrivances for revolving the door. With less tight
fitting "packing" a simpler mechanical means of moving the door may be used or

page_text: I may so adjust the packing and design the door that 10 18 VOLVONT
pushing or pulling one of the radiating leaves.
I have shewn in the accompanying drawings doors designed to be moved by such
various methods.
I will now fully describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a tight-fitting door and its casing.
Figure 2 is a vertical section ou line X-Y Fig. 1.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are details of the revolving mechanism shewn in Figs. 1 and 2
but drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 7 is a vertical section through a door and its casing, the door revolvable
by direct push or pull.
Figure 8 is a horizontal section on line Z-Z Fig. 7.
Figure 9 is a vertical section through a door and its casing somewhat similar to
that in Figs. 7 and 8, but revolved by a rope or chain pull.
Figure 10 is a horizontal section on line Z-Z2, Fig. 9.
Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are drawn to a smaller scale than Figs. 1 & 2.
In Figs. 1 and 2 B B represent portions of a bulkhead or other part of a ship
through which it is desired to have access. Having cut a hole of suitable size
in BB, the casing CCP P which contains the revolvable door is securely
attached to BB as shewn. CC are the sides of the casing, P P are the top and
bottom plates of the casing, these latter I call the roof plate P and floor plate P
respectively, they are circular in shape as seen in plan.
In Fig. 1 it is seen that the casing plates CC do not form a complete circle but
starting from the bulkhead are stopped at O, in order to form the openings O' which
admit into the casing from either side of B B.
The casing CCPP is made watertight where attached to B B and at the
jointing of all its parts, the only passage of any kind through the bulkhead, being
by way of the openings O. These openings extend nearly the full length between
roof and floor plates PP, being bounded by the angle pieces A A which are attached
directly to plates P, P. These angle pieces are carefully fitted above and below the
openings O and serve to complete the circular form of the casing.
To the roof plate P Fig. 2 is attached at its centre the flanged coupling G by
the screws T.
To the coupling G is fixed the centre shaft or spindle S, this shaft is prevented
from turning round by means of a key or other device in G.
LLL Fig. 1 are the three radiating leaves or wings of the revolvable door,
they start as shewn from the central portion H and extend outward to the
casing C C. H is a
portion of the revolvable door, it is built up in a tube like form
surrounding the shaft S.
QQ Fig. 2 are the roof and floor plates of the revolvable door. Seen in
plan they are circular in shape, roof plate Q having a central hole equal in
diameter to H.
The leaves L LL, the central portion H and the roof and floor plates QQ
together make up the body of the revolvable door, they are all firmly attached
to each other in a watertight manner and capable of moving together as one
piece.
To the door floor plate Q is firmly attached the footstep F, F carries the
weight of the door and is itself supported by the lower footstep F¹. F' is securely
attached to the casing floor plate P by means of screws T¹. F revolves with
the door its upper portion merely forming a shoe or socket to support end of
shaft S.
Inside H is fixed the bearing M embracing the shaft S and revolving about it
with the door.
To the outer extremities of the leaves L L L and running the full length between
roof and floor plates QQ are attached the metallic bars D D D.
These bars form a recess with the leaf of the door inte which is inserted a

page_text: strip of india rubber or other suitable material, in such a way that it projects
slightly beyond the leaf of the door and forms when in position a watertight joint
between the leaf L and casing C.
!
On the upper side of roof plate Qand under side of floor plate Qare
attached bars D' D' bent or shaped to the form of a circle. These bars D¹ D'
have similar functions to those D D D and contain the "packing" for making
a watertight joint between roof and floor plates QQ and casing CC and angle
pieces A A.
W W Fig. 2 are strong plate glass windows. These are inserted in each leaf of
the door at convenient height so that two persons entering the door from opposite
sides at the same time may see each other.
I will now describe the mechanism for revolving or moving the door as shewn in
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
"
There are three sets of this mechanism as seen in Fig. 1, identical with each
other, one set placed within each "bay or space between each pair of leaves
of the door. To avoid confusion I have put letters of reference to one set only as
seen in Fig. 1.
K is a hand wheel fixed upon the short spindle a', which spindle also carries the
toothed pinion p', g is a larger wheel having teeth on its inner circumference,
g is firmly attached to a which also carries the toothed bevel pinion e. The boss
of
g has formed upon it ratchet teeth into which the pawl p engages. Spindles a
and a' are supported by the bracket & which is firmly bolted to a leaf L, b also carries
at its extremity the bolt carrying the pawl p. The purpose of this pawl is to allow
the door to be revolved in one direction only.
n is a cover plate and stuffing box encircling a, it is secured to H and covers a
hole in H which admits the bevel pinion e.
The revolving mechanism thus described consists of a hand wheel K adapted to
give motion to the bevel pinion e through the medium of p¹ and 9.
E is a toothed bevel wheel firmly mounted on shaft S, J is a loose collar on S,
it is perforated to receive and support end of spindle a. J is a fixed collar on S,
e the bevel pinion gears into bevel wheel E. By turning K, e is revolved and
moves round E, thus moving or revolving the door. The act of turning one set of
the mechanism will simultaneously set in motion the two other sets. By varying the
diameters of the wheels employed a greater or lesser force can be exerted to move
the door.
To pass through a bulkhead by means of the door shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, any
person must needs therefore eater the casing opening O' and standing upon the
Hoor plate Q turn the hand wheel K until the door is revolved or moved sufficiently
to allow of egress by the opening O¹ on the opposite side.
The footstep F, the loose collar J and other rubbing surfaces within H can be
lubricated by means of pipe connections from properly fitted oil or grease boxes
fixed to leaves L, F' can be lubricated in a similar manner from a box fixed outside
the casing C.
To protect floor plate Q, and give a good foothold, it may be covered with
boards or rough plates.
The casing roof and floor plates P P may be either cast or wrought metal.
They are preferably turned in the lathe or otherwise machined to ensure accurate
work. The casing plates C C are preferably of wrought metal. They may be
bent out of flat plates either in rolls or by a press, being afterwards dressed and
shaped by hammering and grinding to accurate gauges. When erected in the ship,
and before the insertion of the door, with roof and floor plates P P and shaft S in
position they may be finally dressed into exact shape to ensure an accurate and
tight working fit of the door by means of a portable emery wheel, operated by
suitable meaus and radiating round shaft S.
The rubber or other packing used for making the door watertight is made of
deep section and moveable to compensate for wear. It is moved either by means

page_text: of screws or springs acting on bearing plates to force it out, or by removing the
covering bars and then adjusting.
In Figs. 7 and 8 the revolvable door consists of the three radiating leaves LLL,
and the central portion H and the castings C'C'. There are no roof or floor plates
to this door. The casing C C P P is almost identical with that shewn in Figs. 1
and 2.
The bars D D D containing the packing strips run down the outer edge of each
leaf L, as in Figs. 1 and 2 but also, further, along the top and bottom edges of L
and round the extremities of H.
Inside H at cach end are fixed the castings C' C'. C₁ C³ contain the pivots p³
which engage the plates P P and form the centres about which the door revolves.
are screws for adjusting p. The packing used to keep this door watertight
may be rubber or wood, or a combination of both, or any other suitable material.
It is so adjusted that it bears lightly. against the casing C CP P when in use so
that the effort required to move the door (it being revolved by direct push) is not
great. With wood or other packing similarly acted upon by moisture, the door
would be held fast in the event of water reaching it owing to the swelling of the
packing.
The door shewn in Figures 9 and 10 is adapted to be packed in a similar manner
to that just described. Figures 9 and 10 illustrate a special means of revolving
such a door, other details being omitted. The revolving mechanism consists of
three sets of endless chains or ropes C passing round fixed pulleys p³ on central
axis 61, and over guide pulleys p and idle pulley p. The whole so arranged that
a person standing upon the floor f and pulling one side of chain C³ may thereby
revolve the door in the required direction. H has an opening cut in it in each bay
of the door where C passes in to pulley p, the plates i separate the pulleys p³ and
would prevent water getting from one bay to another, fis a light floor carried by
the leaves L.
The casing CC PP Figs. 9 and 10 projects unequally on the sides of B B.
This is so made merely to allow of the bolt 6' being withdrawn if required. If
necessary from any cause the casing of my bulkhead doors may be made to project
upon one side of the bulkhead only.
In addition to the particular doors illustrated and described, doors on my system
may be made with more than three radiating leaves, and, with suitable casings,
placed so as to give access to more than two compartments of a ship, as for instance
connecting four compartments at the junction of a longitudinal with a transverse
bulkhead. My doors can also be adapted and made for the sole passage of specific
articles, as for instance; food and liquors from steward's or cook's rooms into
saloons, stores of various kinds throughout the ship, ammunition from the magazine
on war ships, and coal from the bunkers into the stokehold. In such cases the axis
of the door may be vertical or inclined or horizontal and the door adapted to be
revolved or moved by mechanism outside the casing, which mechanism might in
some cases be automatic and adapted to revolve or move the door when the load or
object to be moved is placed within it.
I may substitute properly prepared metallic packing in place of that described
for keeping the door watertight.
My doors may be revolved or moved by any suitable mechanism. I may
simplify that shewn in Figures 1 and 2 by applying the hand wheel K directly
to the spindle a.
My doors can be readily adapted to be moved or revolved by hydraulic, steam,
compressed air, electric, or other power.
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. In bulkheads and other parts of ships a revolvable door containing or having

page_text: three or more radiating leaves or wings, the door. revolving in.a casing having,two
or more openings, and the whole so constructed that at no period during the
revolving or moving of the door or when the door is at rest, shall there be a
clear or through passage or opening from one side of the bulkhead or other part to.
the other side.
2. In bulkheads and other parts of ships a casing containing a revolvable door,
the casing attached about an opening in the bulkhead or other part, and the whole
so constructed that at no period during the revolving or moving of the door, or
when the door is at rest, shall there be a clear or through passage or opening from.
one side of the bulkhead or other part to the other side.
3. In bulkheads and other parts of ships a revolvable door, having and working.
in a suitable casing, the whole so constructed that the opening through the
bulkhead or other part can never be left unclosed, the door requiring to be moved
about its axis every time it is used.
4. In bulkheads and other parts of ships a revolvable door or doors with casing
or casings substantially as described in the foregoing specification and illustrated
in the drawings accompanying the same..
Dated this 14th dor of Annil 1007
THOMAS DON, JUNIOR.