An Improved Speedy and Effectual Means for Temporarily Stopping Leaks in Boats or Ships.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept.,
1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st May, 1895-Accented, 13th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Speedy and Effectual Means for Temporarily Stopping
Leaks in Boats or Ships.
I, GEORGE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK WILSON, of Bay Street, Brighton in the
Colony of Victoria, formerly of the Royal Navy, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention embraces an almost instantaneous means for minimizing and
preventing the danger to boats or ships foundering through leakages from collisions
or otherwise; by the application of a leak-stopper or collision apron.
Now according to this invention I first secure two pulleys, cu each side of the
boat or ship, and about two feet from her keel, one at a short distance from the
stern, and the other at a short distance from the bow or cutwater, and through these
pullies I reeve a wire line passing, say, from aft, through a hole in the gunwale at
or near the bottom of the bulwarks, down the ship's sides, through the stern pulley
or pulleys and thence upwards through a notch or way in the upper part of the
bulwarks, and along the inside thereof to another notch or way on the corresponding
forward part of the ship, then passing downwards through the pulley or pullies near
the bow or cutwater and thence again upwards through a hole in the gunwale at or
near the bottom of the bulwarks forward.
The leak stopper consists of an apron which when intended for large ships I
prefer to make of half inch vulcanized rubber and of amply sufficient width and
depth, to cover all fractures in the ship's sides and bow, made by collisions or
otherwise. When not in use it is rolled up and placed in a water-tight receptacle
or tank just inside the top of the bulwarks. The bottom of the apron is to be
weighted with iron and at its lower corners is provided with spring hooks for the
purpose of connecting it to the wire line herein before referred to, whenever it is
required to be used.
The leak stopper is supported by a horizontal wire cable passing round the ship
and both ends secured inboard after passing through holes in the stern.
When desired to be brought into use, the leak stopper or apron rolled up, is
swung out of its receptacle inside the bulwarks by means of lavits, and moved
along to the seat of injury, where it is attached to the wire line above described.
An iron bar of suitable length and preferably slightly curved is then lowered over
the centre part of the fracture causing the leak, and secured by a lanyard, inboard,
after which the leak stopper or apron is unrolled, and the wire line to which it has
been attached is hauled taut from both fore and aft, and so prevents the influx of
water to the ship.
In the event of the bows being stove in, a studding sail boom or other small spar
is placed over the fractured cut-water, and the bights of the running wire line are
made the hauling parts, and the ends provided with rings and attached to the lower
corners of the leak-stopper or apron, and the bights being hauled upon effectually
will closely secure the lower part of the stopper.
Dated this Twenty-first day of August 1894.
G. A. F. WILSON,
By Day, Davies & Hunt,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Speedy and Effectual Means for Temporarily Stopping
Leaks in Boats or Ships.
1. GEORGE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK WILSON, of Bay Street Brighton, in the
Colony of Victoria, formerly of the Royal Navy, 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 embraces an almost instantaneous means for minimising and
preventing the danger to ships foundering through leakages from collisions or other-
wise, by the application of a leak stopper or collision apron arranged to be
operated, and placed in position over the fracture, securely and expeditiously as
hereinafter set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of one side of a ship showing my apparatus
when not in use.
Figure 2, is a similar view shewing the leak stopper or apron lifted out of its
tank or water tight receptacle on board and in dotted lines when run down over the
fracture of seat of injury, whilst,
Figures 3 and 4, are similar views shewing the leak stopper run down over the
fracture or seat of injury in different parts of the hull.
According to my invention I provide a suspending cable of wire line or chain A
passing from inboard aft round a roller a at the bottom of the bulwarks along the
ship's side and around the cutwater or bow and back in like manner, to a similar
roller aft, on the other side of the vessel. This suspending cable or chain is for
the purpose of suspending the leak stopper B (Figure 2) which is adapted to run
on rollers and may consist of as many simply contrived connecting lengths as
necessary, and when not in use, as shewn in Figure 1, said cable is for the greater
part of its length, that is to say, excepting a short length aft and forward, taken
inboard through notches a¹, and is always attached to the leak stopper which
when not in use is stowed away and protected in its iron tank inboard as aforesaid,
as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1.
I also provide a sheet line C, one on each side of the ship, by means of which
the leak stopper is hauled down over the fracture. This sheet line passes from
inboard over a roller c in the bulwarks, diagonally downwards through an eyebolt
to a pulley c, thence, when not in use, upwards to the notch a', aft and along the
inside of the bulwarks to a similar notch a¹ forward, thence outboard down to a
similar pulley el and diagonally up to a similar roller c.
A runner line is also provided for running the leak stopper along to the fracture
or seat of injury as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2.
When desired to be brought into use, the leak stopper B having been lifted by
davit tackles from its tank B', inboard, is (whilst rolled up), moved outboard and
lowered until it hangs dependent from the suspending cable A which has been
previously cast outboard and made taut. The stopper is then by means of the
runner line b, run along the cable A, into position above the fracture or seat of
injury as indicated in Figure 2. Whilst the above operations are going on an iron
bar X of suitable length and slightly curved is lowered outboard over the fracture
to support the apron or stopper (when dropped as hereinafter shown) in its
resistance to the external pressure of the water.
The bight of the sheet line C inside the bulwarks, on the side of the ship where
the fracture has occurred, is then lifted out of the notches a', and attached to the
bottom of the leak stopper by spring hooks at the corners, and the stops around
the rolled up leak stopper or apron having been cut or slipped, the ends of the
sheet line Care hauled on, and aided by the weight of the leak stopper itself, and
}

page_text: guided by the iron bar to keep it clear, so as to draw the apron or leak stopper
into a position covering the fracture the apron being then made taut from above by
drawing on the cable A, and being fitted into brackets in the ship's side or
otherwise, the leak is hermetically covered and effectually stopped.
The apron or leak stopper for ordinary ships of large size should consist of
vulcanized rubber of say half an inch in thickness, twenty feet in width and thirty
feet in depth and be weighted at bottom by link irons but for men of war and
other ships where expense is not an object the thickness of rubber might be
increased.
In the event of the bows being stove in, a studding sail boom or other small spar
or the iron bar aforesaid is placed over the fractured cutwater and the bights of
the sheet line C, on either side are made the hauling parts, their ends being
attached to the lower corners of the leak stopper, so that when hauled taut the
bottom of the leak stopper will closely and immovably fit the bottom of the bow
below the injury as will be well understood by seamen-vide Figure 4.
It will be evident that with this invention any leaks in a vessel whether caused
by collision or otherwise can be temporarily stopped in an efficient and expeditious
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
First. The herein described means for temporarily stopping leaks in ships of
every description consisting of the various parts constructed arranged and operating
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In means for temporarily stopping leaks in ships of every description, a
rubber or other leak stopper or apron (such as B) in combination with a
suspending cable (such as A) passing from inboard aft, round a roller at the bottom
of the bulwarks along the vessel's side around the bow and back in like manner to
a similar roller aft on the other side and adapted to be taken inboard when not in
use substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In means for temporarily stopping leaks in ships of every description a
leak stopper or collision apron adapted to slide along a suspending cable (such
as A) in combination with a sheet line (such as C) passed round pullies near the
keel of the vessel at each end and attached to the bottom of said apron substantially
as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this Eleventh day of April One thousand eight hundred and