AN IMPROVED BOAT PLUG
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
BOAT PLUG." A communication from abroad by Lewis Henry Raymond, of
the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED BOAT PLUG." [A communication
from abroad by Lewis Henry Raymond, of the City, County, and State of New
York, United States of America.]
The object of the Invention is to provide a new and improved boat plug which
is simple in construction, self acting, safe, and reliable, and which cannot get lost
or out of order.
The Invention consists of a metal plate provided with a bevelled neck threaded
at its upper part, and having a central aperture, and a ring of like apertures in its
top. This plate is attached to the underside of the boat bottom in such a manner
that it will be flush with the underside of the boat bottom, and the threaded neck
will project through an aperture from the upper surface of the boat bottom. The
inner sides of the neck are bevelled so as to form a true valve seat for a valve
which may be made of cork, wood, rubber, metal, or any other suitable material,
and is held by a ring which passes around it, and is hinged to the innerside of a cage
in such a manner that it can drop down or can be pressed against the bevelled seat
formed by the inner side of the neck.
The cage is attached to the underside of the plate for the purpose of protecting
the valve from injury, the part of the cage under the hinge of the valve being made
solid. A cap is threaded internally so that it can be screwed upon the neck from
the inside of the boat.
The boat plug is used as follows:-If the boat is hanging on its davits and is
not in use, the cap is removed and the valve drops open so as to permit the rain

page_text: and other water that may collect in the boat to flow off. As soon as the boat is to
go into service the cap is screwed upon the neck, thereby effectually closing the
apertures. When the boat is taken out of the water the cap is removed, the valve
is open, and the water that may have collected, or will collect, flows off; but it
may happen that the cap becomes lost in the excitement that follows an accident,
and if the boat were to be lowered into the water it would fill if the valve were
not provided, the valve being closed by the pressure of the water as soon as the
bottom of the boat touches the water, but drops as soon as the boat is raised out
of the water.
The valve may easily be replaced by another in case it becomes worn out or
broken, for the valve is held entirely by the hinged ring and is prevented from
swelling by this ring. There is also a decided advantage in having a series of
small apertures in the top plate of the neck, for if the cap should become lost and
the valve should break, these small apertures can be closed much more easily and
effectually than one large opening. The perforated top plate acts as a strainer,
and prevents small pieces of wood or other articles that may clog the valve from
coming in contact with the same.
The special advantages of this plug are, that the valve is protected as the cage
containing it is entirely within the bottom of the boat, and cannot be damaged by
floating logs, or in case it runs ashore, as the cage projects but a short distance
from the bottom of the boat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th October 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED BOAT PLUG." A communication
from abroad by Lewis Henry Raymond, of the City, County, and State of New
York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to a new or improved boat plug, which is simple in
construction, self acting, safe, and not liable to get loose or out of order.
The Invention consists of a valve seating attached to the bottom of the boat in
an aperture therein, and provided with a perforated neck having an external
thread to receive a cap on the upper side, and with a hinged valve on the lower
side, this valve being protected by a suitable cage to which it is pivoted.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved boat
plug, showing the cap screwed down upon the same; Figure 2 is a cross sectional
elevation of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the
underside of the valve and the cage protecting it. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts.
The valve seat consists of a metal flange or plate A provided with a bevelled or
conical neck B threaded at its upper part and having a central aperture C, and a
ring of like apertures C¹ in its top D. The flange A is attached to the underside
of the boat bottom E, and is countersunk so as to be flush therewith, and the
threaded part of the neck projects through the aperture from the upper surface of
the boat bottom. The neck B is so shaped as to form a true valve seat for a
valve F which may be made of cork, wood, rubber, metal, or any other suitable
material, and is held by a ring G which passes around it, and is hinged to the
inner side of a cage H in such a manner that it can drop down, or can be pressed
against the bevelled seat formed by the inner side of the neck B. The cage H is
attached to the under side of the flange A for the purpose of protecting the valve F
from injury, the part of the cage under the hinge of the valve being made solid.
A
cap I threaded internally is screwed upon the neck B.
The boat plug is used as follows:-If the boat is hanging on its davits and is
not in use, the cap I is removed and the valve F drops open, as shown in Figure 2,
so as to permit the rain and other water that may collect in the boat to flow off,
but as soon as the boat is to go into service the cap I is screwed upon the neck B,
thereby effectually closing the apertures C, C¹. When the boat is taken out of
the water the cap is removed, the valve opens of itself, and the water that may
have collected or will collect flows off; but it may happen that the cap I becomes
lost in the excitement that follows an accident, and if the boat were to be lowered
into the water it would fill, but for the valve which is closed by the pressure of
the water as soon as it is immersed, but drops as soon as the boat is raised out
of the water.
The valve F may easily be replaced by another should it become worn out or
broken, as it is held entirely by the hinged ring G by which it is prevented from
swelling. There is also a decided advantage in having a series of small apertures
in the top plate D of the neck B, for if the cap I should become lost and the
valve G should break, these small apertures can be closed much more easily and
effectually than one large opening. The perforated top plate D acts as a strainer,
and prevents the valve being clogged by small pieces of wood, &c.
The special advantage of this plug is that the valve is protected, as it is entirely
within the bottom of the boat, and cannot be damaged by floating logs, or in case

page_text: the boat runs ashore, as the cage H projects but a short distance from the bottom
of the boat.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. In a boat plug, the valve F constructed substantially as herein shown and
described with a binding ring G hinged to the cage H, as and for the purpose set
forth.
2nd. The combination with the perforated boat bottom E of the hinged valve F
and the cage H, substantially as herein shown and described.
3rd. In a boat plug, the combination with the perforated boat bottom E of the
valve seat, of the hinged valve F, and of the cage H, substantially as shown and
described, and for the purpose set forth.
4th. The combination with the boat bottom E, of the hinged valve F, the cage H,
the threaded neck B with a perforated top D, and of the screw cap I, substantially
as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, A.D. 1881.