An Apparatus for Stopping the Flow of Water into a Vessel when the Hull is Perforated.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Stopping the Flow of Water into a Vessel when
the Hull is Perforated.
I, ANTOINE COLONIES of Clermont-Ferrand, in the Republic of France, Judge,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My apparatus consists of five parts of which the first is the most important.
No. 1, is a strong metal bar one end of which is heavier than the other. It has
near its centre a projecting eye or perforated lug, by which it can be pivotted, to
the end of a bolt, or can be suspended by a rope. In either case the heavy end
falls downwards so that it assumes automatically a vertical position. It carries
No. 2 a disk of wood or inctal at its centre to check the flow of the water. The
inner face of the bar which bears against the side of the ship is roughed or
dentated to prevent slipping. This bar is intended to lie across the aperture on
the outside, and it can be let down over the ship's side by a rope, or when pivotted
to the end of a screwed bolt, can be thrust through the aperture from the inside.
No. 3 is a screwed bolt which engages with the dentated bar. Upon this bolt
there slides No. 4 which is a strong pad of vegetable fibre or other suitable
substance, faced or coated with guttapercha or stout india-rubber. It has a hole
through the centre through which the bolt No. 3 passes, and is screwed tightly
against the inside of the aperture by means of a broad winged or armed nut.
No. 5 is a rectangular box-shaped enclosure with expanding sides like the
bellows of an organ, and its lower surface or bottom open.
It is attached to ropes
and fitted with weights to drag it down, and is slid over the ship's side to cover the
hole from the outside. This article is required only when the aperture is too
large or ragged at its edges to be dealt with by parts 1. 2 and 3. In such cases
No. 5 being placed on the outside the bar No. 1 can be thrust out into the hollow
box No. 5 as before described and the pad screwed up as before stated. In rough
weather or when the expanding box is not available, a flat frame on which is
stretched strong canvas or matting can be substituted as an exterior covering,
while the operation of seating the bar and disk are carried out either from within
or without.
It will be seen that this bar and disk constitute the essential part of the
apparatus. When they are in place over the aperture, the attachment of the bolt,
pad and nut, or equivalent mechanical devices, soon effect the closure of the
aperture.
The edges of the disk can be furnished with a flange of tow felt sponge india-
rubber or other suitable substance to assist in obstructing the water, or it may
carry a pad of such substances. It may be fixed or removable from the bar.
Instead of being pivotted to the bolt the bar may if preferred be fitted to wedge
into an eye at the end thereof.
If my apparatus is kept ready in the various compartments of a ship it can be
applied; and a leak caused by a missile or collision, can be stopped in a few
moments.
Dated this 19th day of July 1892
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97, Newgate Street, London, Agent for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Stopping the Flow of Water into a Vessel when
the Hull is Perforated.
I, ANTOINE COLONIES of Clermont-Ferrand, in the Republic of France, Judge
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 an apparatus for preventing the flow of water into a
vessel when the hull is perforated. I will proceed to describe it with: reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which, Fig. 1 is an elevation of the bar a which
is placed across the hole, and upon which depends the success of the operation. It
has near its centre a projecting eye or perforated lug, by which it can be pivotted,
to the end of a bolt, or can be suspended by a rope. In either case the heavy end
falls downwards, so that it assumes automatically a vertical position.
Fig. 2 is a view of the underside of the bar a shewing a disk a¹ of wood or
metal at its centre to check the flow of water. This disk a' can be made to open
or close like an umbrella, so as to be able to pass through the hole in the side of
a ship from the inside, or may be fixed immovably to the bar a and lowered over
the side of the ship. Or again this disc a' can be divided in two parts which parts
can be fixed one on each side of the bar a in such manner that they will easily be
able to pass through the hole or breach, and will open on contact with the water
directly the bar a is placed in position across the hole. The inner face of the bar a
which bears against the side of the ship is roughed or dentated to prevent slipping
as shewn. This combination allows a disk of larger size than the hole to be
placed behind same.
Upon
C
Fig. 2 shews a screwed bolt c which engages with the dentated bar a.
this bolt slides a strong pad of cellulose or other suitable substance faced or
coated with indiarubber or gutta-percha which will be described further on. The
bar a is placed in the end c of the bolt where it is held by a gudgeon and can be
placed in position or taken away at will and where it can move freely.
C
"Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 shewing a pad or flange of tow, felt, sponge,
india-rubber or other suitable material e, which is placed over the disc a' (Fig. 2)
and is employed when the disc a' is fixed to the bar a.
Fig. 4 shews a view of the bolt (Fig. 24) with the bar a attached to the
end, e¹..
.*5
Fig. 5 shews a view of the bolte which can for convenience be made in two
parts as shewn, and also shewing a different form of end and the manner in
which a can be curved if desired.
Fig. 6 is a winged or armed nut c² which is placed on the screw. bolt c as will be
shewn further on.
Fig. 7 shews a side view of the same nut adapted to be turned by a key or
wrench when it is impossible to turn it further by hand.
Fig. 8 shews a key which may be employed for turning the nut c².
Fig. 9 shews a small nut which is used to fix the pad of cellulose
indiarubber caps or pockets which will be described further on.
and the
Fig. 10' is a view of the pad made of cellulose or other suitable material and so
formed as to penetrate as deeply as possible in the breach in the ships side. It will
project out far enough to press against the disc of the bar a, and will make the hole
absolutely water-tight. This cellulose can be covered over with one or more caps
or pockets described in the next figure of indiarubber or other suitable material
to fit the size of the breach and can be held in position by one or more nuts.
As
the cellulose is readily compressible; this pad will adapt itself to any irregular or
angular surface.
Fig. 1 shews an indiarubber cap or pocket
which fits over the cellulose

page_text: pad shewn in Fig. 10; the edges of these caps or pockets are concave so
that when pressure is exercised upon them they form a pneumatic cushion which
prevents any water coming through. A plain band of indiarubber could be
substituted for this cap or pocket if desired.
Fig. 12 shews a rectangular form of these caps or pockets which could be
placed on a flat surface, or any other shape could be employed as desired
according to the shape of the cellulose pad.
Fig. 13 is a washer of indiarubber, metal or other suitable material placed
over the cap or pocket of indiarubber e, to hold the pad of cellulose and to
allow the nut to slide on a smooth or plane surface.
Fig. 14 shews the cellulose c' covered over by the cap e, the washer being
seen in the position it would occupy.
Fig. 15 shews the apparatus in the position it would be, when about to be
used to stop a small leak. In case the hole and water pressure were very great,
the screw bolt c, would be first passed through the hole, to put, first, the bar a
in place and secondly the cellulose pad. To facilitate the sliding of this pad
along the screw, it could be furnished with an iron case, which could be with-
drawn, before screwing up the nut.
Fig. 16 shews the position of the apparatus during the passage of the bar
through the hole in the ship's side.
Fig. 17 shews the position of the apparatus when working, the dotted lines
defining the position of the first pocket.
Fig. 18 is an indiarubber covering for a square of cellulose as shewn in Fig. 12,
the edges of which are concave and when applied outside the ship by means of
ropes which hold it in the sense of the arrows 1 the pressure on parts 2 will
form a pneumatic pad or covering over the square of cellulose and protect
it against the entry of water. The sides 2. 2. are slightly arched so as to exercise
a strong pressure on the concave edges against the outside of the ship.
Fig. 19 is a rectangular box-shaped enclosure with expanding sides like the
bellows of an organ, having its lower surface open.
It is attached to ropes
and fitted with weights to drag it down, and is slid over the ship's side to cover
the hole from the outside.
Fig. 20 shews a rectangular indiarubber covering with concave edges which
can be employed when a pad of cellulose as shewn in Fig. 12 is employed on
the screwed bolt c and an additional piece as shewn in Fig. 21 can be inserted
which allows them to be placed side by side when the hole is large.
Fig. 22 shews a whole view of the apparatus with the arrangement shewn in
Fig. 19 applied to the outside of a ship.
Fig. 22 shews the arrangement by which the outside apparatus as shewn in
Fig. 19 can be placed on the side of a ship by means of ropes and weights.
The cords A, B, C, D, and A, B, C, D should be at a distance equal to half
the length of the edge of the square I, J, K, L, so that if the ship has an
arrangement of cords as shewn, the pneumatic square can be placed on any part
between the cords A, C, or otherwise. The square can be lowered by means of
knots or other impediments placed in the cords in any suitable way,
It will be understood from the above that it is not always necessary to use
the expanding box shewn in Fig. 19, together with the arrangement shewn in
Figs. 15, 16 and 17, but both may be employed if desired. The expanding box
may be employed when the hole is too large or ragged at its edges and the
pressure of water too great to he dealt with by the other apparatus at once.
Thus, when a large hole is made in the shell of a ship below the water line,
the first proceeding would be to lower the expanding box over the hole in the
shell of the ship by means of ropes as shewn in Fig. 224. This partly if not
quite prevents the rush of water into the ship and enables a person to apply
the apparatus shewn in Figs. 15, 16 and 17 from the inside, when the arrangement
of the apparatus would be as shewn in Fig. 22. In rough weather or when the
expanding box is not available, a flat frame on which is stretched strong canvas,

page_text: can be substituted or the apparatus described in Fig. 18 can be employed as an
exterior covering, while the operation of seating the bar and disk are carried out
from within or without.
Instead of being pivotted to the bolt
wedge in an eye at the end thereof.
the bar a may if preferred be fitted to
If my apparatus is kept ready in the various compartments of a ship it can be
applied and a leak caused by a missile or a collision can be stopped in a few
moments.
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. The apparatus for stopping leaks in ships, consisting of a bar and disk pivotted
or fixed to the end of a screwed bolt, with a pad of cellulose or similar material
covered by one or more pockets or caps of indiarubber or other suitable material,
the whole secured and tightened by nuts and washers to the ship's hull, as herein
described and set forth.
2. The apparatus for stopping leaks in ships consisting of a box-shaped enclosure,
with expanding sides, or a pneumatic pad, of cellulose or other suitable material,
or a frame on which is stretched strong canvas or other waterproof material, let
down over the perforation in the ship's hull by ropes and weights, as herein
described and set forth.
3. In an apparatus for stopping leaks in ships the combination of a bar and disc,
a screwed bolt, and pad covered by pockets or caps, secured and tightened as above
described, with the box shaped enclosure having expanding sides, or a pneumatic
pad, or a frame over which, is stretched some waterproof material, as herein
described and set forth.
Dated this 19th day of April 1893
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97, Newgate Street, E.C., Agent for Applicant.