Improvements in the Sluice Ports of Ships' Bulwarks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left. 24th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 19th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Sluice Ports of Ships' Bulwarks.
I, WILLIAM BALLS, of 9 Park Crescent, North Shields, Master Mariner,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to sluice ports of ships' bulwarks. According to this
invention the hinges by which the flap or door is suspended are situated at such
points between the top and bottom of the port that the flap or door remains closed
until either forcibly opened, or until the ship in rolling inclines at or beyond a given
angle of inclination. An angle of from 45° to 50° may be adopted as a suitable
inclination at which the flap may be set to swing open. The hinges are situated on
the inside of the bulwarks and flap. The port is fitted on the inside with a
strengthening strip or frame extending below the hinges and along the lower edge.
The flap is similarly fitted on the inside above the hinges and along the top, and the
flap when closed lies flush with the exterior of the ship's side.
Above the hinges the flap is furnished with shoulders which, if the hinges
be broken off, are brought to bear upon supports upon which the flap is then free
to swing. The flap is readily unshipped from the hinges and taken inboard to
facilitate loading, or for other purposes. In event of dislodgement by the force of
the waves, the flap is thrown on the ship's deck.
Dated this 24th day of May 1893.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Sluice Ports of Ships' Bulwarks.
I, WILLIAM BALLS, of 9, Park Crescent, North Shields, Master Mariner,
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 relates to sluice ports of ships' bulwarks. According to this
invention the hinges by which the flap or door is suspended are situated at such
points between the top and bottom of the port that the flap or door remains closed
until either forcibly opened, or until the ship in rolling inclines at or beyond a given
angle of inclination. An angle of from 45° to 50° may be adopted as a suitable
inclination at which the flap may be set to swing open. The hinges are situated on
the inside of the bulwarks and flap. The port is fitted on the inside with a
strengthening strip or frame extending below the hinges and along the lower edge.
The Hap is similarly fitted on the inside above the hinges and along the top, and the
flap when closed lies flush with the exterior of the ship's side.
Above the hinges the flap is furnished with shoulders which, if the hinges be
broken off, are brought to bear upon ledges upon which the flap is then free to swing.
The flap is readily unshipped from the hinges and taken inboard to facilitate
loading, or for other purposes. In event of dislodgement by the force of the waves,
the flap is thrown on the ship's deck.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings
Fig. 1 represents a view of my improvel sluice port closed and seen from the

page_text: Fig. 2 is a vertical section, showing the port closed.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the port open.
The flap or door a of the port is suspended at each side by hinges b, the position
of which between the top and bottom of the flap is such that the flap remains closed
until either forcibly opened or until the ship, in rolling, inclines to a given angle
which may be varied according to the position of the hinges and the relative
weight of the parts above and below the hinges. That is to say, the flap will not
open until the ship inclines to such an angle that, the inertia and friction of the flap
having been overcome, the resultant of the parallel forces represented by the
respective weights above and below the axis of the hinges falls without the lower
edge of the flap aperture which the flap normally covers. An angle of 45° to 50°
may be adopted as a suitable inclination at which the flap may be set to
swing open.
The aperture of the port is fitted with a strengthening piece c fixed to the
bulwarks and extending around the aperture. The flap a is also fitted with a
strengthening piece e. When closed, the outside of the flap a lies flush with the
exterior of the bulwarks d as seen at Fig. 2.
Above the hinges b the flap furnished with shoulders f as seen in Figs. 4 and 5.
Fig. 4 represents a face view of one of the hinges with part of the hinge removed.
The hinges at each end of the flaps are similarly made and the flap and frame
shaped alike. Fig. 5 represents in section the flap a as taken out of the frame in
the bulwarks b, but elevated to the position occupied by the flap when in place in
the frame with the hinge pins inserted. The sections are taken on the line a, a,
Fig. 4. It will be seen, as indicated by dotted lines extended from Fig. 4 to Fig. 5,
that when the flap is in its normal position, the shoulder stands above the ledge g
to the extent of about one-sixteenth of an inch. The distance may be more or less
than this.
If, now,
the hinge pins be dislodged the shoulder descends on to the ledge g
and, the latter becomes a bearing surface for the Hap to swing upon.
In this position the flap works as if still on hinge pins, but is, of course, not so
secure.
The flap a is readily unshipped by removing the hinge pins h. As the flap is
broader at the top than the aperture of the port, it cannot, if dislodged, be carried
outwards through the port, but falls on the ship's deck. The form of hinge on
which the flap or door a swings may vary.
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 |
claim is :-
A ship's sluice port having the flap or door suspended from inboard hinges; the
said flap or door being so hung that it remains closed until forcibly opened, or until
the ship rolls to a sufficiently great angle, depending on the position of the hinges
and the relative weight of the parts of the flap above and below the hinges,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying sheet of
illustrative drawings.
Dated this 1st day of February 1894.
3
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.