Improvements in and connected with Water Tight Doors for Ships.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Water Tight Doors for Ships.
I, WILLIAM HAMILTON GOWDY, of 58, Bright Street, Monkwearmouth, Sunder-
land, in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
-:
My invention relates to watertight doors for ships and has for its object to
provide means whereby the access of water, owing to collision or other cause,
to the chamber or division of the ship to which the door is fitted shall cause the
door to automatically close itself and prevent it being opened until the water
has been removed.
According to my invention the door which is adapted for operation from the
upper part of the vessel in the usual manner by a hand wheel or otherwise
conveniently, is provided at the part where the operating screw engages the door,
with a pair of levers, or jaws or clutches provided each with a part of a thread
for receiving the screw and kept in normal position of engagement with the
screw by a stop upon the door engaging and resting upon a movable stop upon
or carried by the said levers jaws or clutches and the stops are so arranged
that the weight of the door shall keep the jaws in engagement with the operating
screw until the stop or stops carried by the jaws is or are moved by the action
of a float or similar means operating same through a system of levers; when
this occurs, the weight of the door comes upon and acts in such a manner as to
cause the jaws or clutches to move apart and release themselves from the operat-
ing screw when the door immediately falls in its guides and shuts itself.
In one such arrangement the door frame is provided with a suitable casting
or has a part attached thereto adapted to enclose, and in which are mounted
the two levers, jaws or clutches upon a common centre pin at their lower part,
their upper parts are suitably threaded and formed to receive and engage between
them the screwed shaft, which is arranged for operation in the usual manner.
The upper part of each lever is connected by a link to the enclosing casing
or casting upon the door and are so arranged as to be in a horizontal position
when the jaws are in engagement with the screw, and when in such position
the jaws are supported by a projection or projections upon the door frame, their
central part being cut away to allow of the passage of another stop or projection
upon the door frame which latter is adapted to normally rest upon a stop piece
carried by and moving upon the common hinge pin of the jaws or clutch levers
which pin is carried in a slot or guide in or upon the door frame or the enclosing
casing thereon; this stop carried and moving upon the hinge pin is connected
by a suitable arrangement of levers or rods mounted upon the adjacent framework
of the ship, to a float of suitable dimensions arranged to rest upon or in the
lower part of the chamber to which the door is fitted, or a chamber beneath same.
A suitable weight moving with and counterbalancing a part of the weight of
the door may be provided and arranged in any suitable position.

page_text: The
In operation should the door be partially or wholly open when a collision
or accident occurs, which would allow of the flooding of the chamber or division
to which the door is fitted: As soon as the water rises to a predetermined height,
which may be calculated to allow of the escape of any persons through the door,
the rising of the float operates the levers and thereby turns the movable stop
upon its centre pin, the projecting stop upon the door up to now supported by
it, falls and the weight of the door bears upon the outer ends of the links and
through them upon each of the jaws of the clutch engaging the operating screw
and under the weight the links turn upon their outer joints and the slotted
part moves down upon the common centre pin of the two jaws which at the
same time move apart and release themselves from the operating screw.
door then falls by its own weight and closes and can be screwed down tighter
if necessary but cannot be again raised until all the water in the chamber or
compartment is pumped out as the weight of the door is still upon the jaw
links and operation of the screw to lift the door simply raises the clutch or
jaws out of gear. As soon however as the water is pumped out the float returns
to its position and turns the jaw supporting stop (which is free to move when
the door is in a closed position) back upon its centre so that on operation of the
screw the weight of the door is again supported upon the lower part of the jaws
which grip the screw and the door can be raised and lowered in the ordinary
and usual manner.
Dated this 12th day of October 1897.
Improvements in and connected with Water Tight Doors for Ships.
I, WILLIAM HAMILTON GOWDY, of 58, Bright Street, Monkwearmouth, Sunder-
land, in the County of Durham, Engineer, 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 water tight doors for ships and has for its object to
provide means whereby the access of water, owing to collision or other cause,
to the chamber or division of the ship to which the door is fitted shall cause the
door to automatically close itself and prevent it being opened until the water
has been removed.
According to my invention the door which is adapted for operation from the
upper part of the vessel in the usual manner by a hand wheel or otherwise
conveniently, is provided at the part where the operating screw engages the door,
with a pair of levers, jaws or clutches provided each with a part of a thread
for receiving the screw and kept in normal position of engagement with the
screw by a stop upon the door engaging and resting upon a movable stop upon
or carried by the said levers jaws or clutches and the stops are so arranged
that the weight of the door shall keep the jaws in engagement with the operating
screw until the stop or stops carried by the jaws is or are moved by the action
of a float or similar means operating same through a system of levers; when
this occurs, the weight of the door comes upon and acts in such a manner as to
cause the jaws or clutches to move apart and release themselves from the operat-
ing screw when the door immediately falls in its guides and shuts itself.

page_text: I will further describe such an arrangement in reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the door and operating parts
complete. Fig. 2 is a detail of the door, Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are respectively elevation,
plan, sectional side view and part sectional elevation of the releasing device
and Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 3 showing the position of the parts on release
of the door.
The door D is of the usual wedge shaped form in longitudinal section and is
mounted in a frame D¹ in the bulk-head of the ship in the usual manner so as
to be water tight when closed. The door D is provided with a part cast thereon
or has a separate casting d attached thereto as at d said part being adapted to
enclose the two levers, jaws or clutches CC which are mounted upon a common
centre pin P at their lower part, their upper parts c¹, c are suitably threaded
and formed to receive and engage between them the screwed shaft S, which is
arranged for operation in the usual manner from a hand-wheel H in the upper
part of the vessel. The upper parts of the levers C are connected by links E E
to the enclosing casing. or casting d upon the door and they are so arranged as
to be in a horizontal position when the jaws CC are in engagement with the
screw as in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 the jaws CC being normally kept in such position
by a stop or projection V formed upon the inner front part of the enclosing
frame d, and resting upon a stop piece T carried by the common hinge pin P
of the jaws or clutch levers CC which pin P is carried in a slot or guide G in
or upon the part d. This stop T which has a projection t on one side limiting
its movement is carried upon and moves with the hinge pin P which is con-
nected by a suitable arrangement of levers or rods such as 1, 1, 2 and 3 mounted
upon the adjacent framework of the ship as at r, to a float F of suitable dimensions
arranged to rest upon or be suspended by the rod or lever 13 in the lower part
of the chamber O to which the door is fitted, or a chamber 01 beneath same as
shown. A suitable weight W moving with and counterbalancing a part of the
weight of the door D is or may be provided and arranged in any suitable position
for instance as in Fig. 1 the weight. W sliding upon a guide w and connected
to the door by a chain or rope w passing over pulleys w².
The clutch levers CC may be strengthened by ribs such as C² and projec-
tions jj may be formed upon the door and arranged to come beneath the jaws
or inwardly extended part C¹ thereof (Fig. 5) so as to support the levers and
take the strain off them and their pin when the door is being screwed down
tight and a plain unthreaded guide M may also be provided for the shaft S.
In operation, assuming the door to be partially or wholly open, should a
collision occur which would allow of or cause the flooding of the chamber 0¹
or division O to which the door is fitted the water rises in the said chamber or
division until it reaches the float F (which may be arranged at such a height
as would be calculated to allow of the escape of any persons through the door)
when the rising of the float F operates the levers 1, 2 and 3 and turns the
lever and the movable stop T upon the centre pin P until the stop T assumes
the position shown in Fig. 7 the projecting stop V upon the door up to now
supported by the stop T, falls and the weight of the door D bears upon the
outer ends ee of the links EE and through them upon each of the jaws of the
clutch engaging the operating screw S and under the weight the links EE turn
upon their outer joints or centres e and the slotted part G moves down upon the
common centre pin P of the two jaws CC which latter at the same time move
apart as shown in Fig. 7 and release themselves from the operating screw S.
The door D then falls by its own weight and closes and can be screwed down
tighter if necessary by means of the screwed shaft S and hand-wheel H but it
cannot be again raised until all the water in the chamber or compartment 0¹
is pumped out as the weight of the door is still upon the outer ends ee of the
jaw links EE and operation of the screw to lift the door simply raises the clutch
or jaws CC out of gear. As soon however as the water in the chamber or be-
tween the bulkheade is pumped out the float F returns to its lower position and

page_text: through the connecting levers turns the jaw supporting stop T (which is free
to move when the door is in a closed position the pin P being at the bottom
of the slot G) back upon its centre to its original position beneath the stop V
so that on operation of the screw the weight of the door is again supported upon
the lower part of the jaws CC which grip the screw S and the door D can be
raised and lowered in the ordinary and usual manner.
It will thus be seen that the action of the door is perfectly automatic on the
flooding of the chamber to which it is fitted although normally the door can
be readily raised or lowered by the operating screw, and there will be no difficulty
in raising the door after the water has been removed the parts then being in
such a position that the screw can be engaged by the clutches and the door raised
or lowered as desired. The working parts may be readily enclosed to prevent
their being tampered with and a tank or enclosed part having suitable apertures
may be arranged to receive the float.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The improvements in and connected with water tight doors for ships com-
prising a door having jaws or clutches hinged together and linked to the door
or a part thereon and carrying a movable stop adapted to engage a stop upon
the door and keep the jaws or clutches normally in engagement with the operating
screw said stop when moved releasing the weight of the door to act upon and
withdraw the jaws or clutches from engagement with the operating screw sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
2. The use in the automatic operation of water tight doors for ships of a
releasing device consisting of a pair of hinged jaws or clutches adapted to nor-
mally engage and hold the operating screw said clutches being connected at
their upper part to the door by links and hinged together at their lower part the
hinge or pin thereat sliding in a guide and carrying a movable stop adapted
to support a stop upon the door and keep the parts in normal position and to
release same and the door when operated by a float or similar means substantially
in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
3. In watertight doors for ships the combination of parts consisting of the
door D with part & enclosing and connected to the hinged jaws or clutches CC
by links EE at their upper part the stop V upon the door or part d supported
by movable stop T upon the jaws CC said stop T being adapted for operation
by a float through connecting levers such as 7, 112 and 13 with or without
counterweight W all arranged and operating substantially in the manner and
for the purposes set forth.
4. The improved watertight doors for ships constructed arranged and adapted
to operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 12th day of July 1898.