Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1898-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
I, CARL FRIEDRICH SULTEMEYER, of 1448, North Halsted Street, Chicago, in the
County of Cook and State of Illinois, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 consists of a flexible cloth structure designed to blanket or
bandage a leak in the hull of a vessel so as to keep the water from entering the
same; the bandage being provided on one side with over-lapping flaps which,
when the bandage is rolled, project out tangentially from the roll so that the
pressure of the incoming water acting on the flaps will unwind the roll and spread
the bandage over the surface of the vessel.
This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, while the claims
define the actual scope of the invention.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the views.
Figure 1 is an outer face view of the bandage;
Figure 2 is an inner face view thereof;
Figure 3 is a section taken longitudinally through the bandage;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary section showing the ship and the action of the bandage
when being applied thereto;
Figure 5 is an enlarged section of the bandage showing the unfolding operation;
Figure 6 is an enlarged section showing the construction of the flaps; and
Figure 7 is an enlarged plan also showing such construction.
The mat or bandage is constructed of a continuous outer layer 8 of cloth and an
inner layer 9 of cloth, having a series of parallel folds forming the flaps 10. Each
flap 10 has a wire frame 11 secured therein, so as to give the flap the necessary
weight and stiffness. The canvas layer 8 is stiffened by parallel ribs 12 stitched or
otherwise secured to the canvas layer 8. The inner layer 9 is securely joined to the
layer 8 throughout the greater portion of the cloth of the bandage but for a short
distance at the upper end the layer 8 is separated from the layer 9 and removably
connected therewith by fastening devices 13. Lines 14 are attached to the upper-
most rib 12 and run down between the layers 8 and 9 for a short distance and
thence through the layer 9, whereby to manage this loose portion of the layer 9, the
purpose of which will be explained hereinafter. Those frames 11 which are
adjacent to the respective ribs 12 are connected thereto by means of suitable
lashings 15, as shown best in Figure 7. Each end of the bandage is connected
with lines 16 by which the bandage may be handled. The flaps 10 are held so as
to swing in a uniform manner by means of stays 17 which respectively run from
the outer portions of the flaps inward to the body of the bandage, as shown best in
Figures 5 and 6.
In applying the bandage it is rolled, as shown in Figure 4, so that the flaps 10
will be on the outer side of the roll and will project outward like the blades of a

page_text: water wheel. The roll is then lowered transversely, as shown in the view referred
to, and upon entering the water the force of the water rushing into the breach in
the vessel will act on the flaps 10 and press the lowermost flaps toward the hull of
the vessel in a manner to close the breach therein. The pressure of water will
generally act quickly on the bandage to place the bandage and to hold the bandage
in position. Should the headway of the vessel, however, tend to carry away the
roll the loose upper portion of the layer 9 should be released from the fastening
devices 13 and permit it to drop downward from behind the roll. As this loose
portion of the layer 9 hangs beneath the roll and over the break in the vessel the
pressure of the water will immediately carry the loose portion into the hull of the
vessel or bind it firmly against the projecting edges of the hull, so that the bandage
will be fixed to the hull and the unrolling of the bandage will then go on without
interruption. The loose portion of the layer 9 may be handled by the lines 14, for
which purpose such lines are provided. By rigging lines beneath the hull of the
vessel the bandage may be drawn on at each end and lashed firmly in place. It is
generally unnecessary, however, to resort to this e
s'expedient.
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. A ship's bandage having a series of flaps, the bandage being capable of being
rolled with the flaps outward so that the action of the water bearing against the
flaps will unroll the bandage to place it against the hull of the vessel.
2. A ship's bandage capable of being rolled and having projecting portions
receiving the action of the water to unroll the bandage in the act of placing the
bandage against the hull of the vessel.
3. A ship's bandage formed of a layer of flexible cloth, and a series of ribs
running transversely of and secured to said cloth so as to permit the bandage to be
rolled.
4. A ship's bandage having two layers of cloth joined to each other for a
portion of their lengths and having the remaining portions independently
movable.
:
5. A ship's bandage having a loose portion capable of hanging down from the
bandage when the bandage is rolled so as to engage with the side of the vessel.
6. A ship's bandage having a layer of cloth disposed with parallel folds which
form flaps, and a series of ribs secured to the bandage parallel with the flaps.
7. A ship's bandage having a series of parallel flaps, and a frame of stiff material
secured in each flap.
· Dated this lot dow of February 1808