US564474A - Hydraulic system for closing water-tight bulkheads on board ships - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. B. GOWLES. HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR CLOSING WATER TIGHTBULKHEADS ON BOARD SHIPS. No. 564,474. Patented July 21 I" It i. V

2 t e e h S S t e e h S 3 QM E L 0 O B d 0 M 0 m.

HYDRAULIC SYS TEMYFOR CLOSING WATER TIGHT BULKHEADS ON BOARD SHIPS.

.No. 56 4,47 4. Patented July 21,1896.

Hulk

(No Model.) ,3 Sheets-Sheet W. B.. GOWLBS. HYDRAULIU SYSTEM FOR CLOSING WATER TIGHT BULKHEADS ON 4 BOARD SHIPS.

No. 564,474. Patented Ju1y 21, 1896 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BARNUM COWLES, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR CLOSING WATER-TIGHT BULKHEADS ON BOARD SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,474, dated July 21, 1896.

Application filed April 15, 1896. Serial No. 587,660. (No model.)

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BARNUM COWLES, a, citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Hydraulic Systems for Closing WVaterTTight Bulkheads on Board Ships and for other Purposes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates especially to improvements in apparatus for opening and closing doors, hatches, ports, valves, cocks, gates, operating semaphores,tri'pping anch0rs,dr0pping life-buoys, and indicating and automatically registering the movements of mechan ical devices aboard ship or elsewhere, but it is especially intended for use on board ship.

The objects of my invention are, first, to construct an apparatus which shall be simple, durable, positive in its action, reliable, and not likely to get out of order, by means of which a mechanical device situated at a distance from the operatingpoint maybe moved with a continuously-registered and perfectly-controlled motion, and by methods which enable said motion to be reversed or locked in any part of its travel; second, to construct a combination of such apparatus whereby two or more independent mechanical devices, which may be widely separated and of varying types, may be independently and systematically operated, controlled, continuously registered, and looked, all from the same point, central station, or operatingboard, and by one operator; third, to construct a combination of such apparatus where.

by in cases of emergency any number or the devices so connected to an operating-board may be simultaneously operated, controlled, registered, and locked from a point at a distance from said board by'a second operator and by means entirely independent of the first operator; fourth, to construct a combination of such apparatus with mechanism for swinging a door through a half-circle and clamping it on a water-tight on fireproof seat, so that the combination thereby obtained may be used by the first operator at the operatrow in Fig. 1.

ing-board for the ordinary working of the water-tight doors, &c., on a ship, or in other places, and may be used by a second operator, in cases of emergency, to simultaneously close all of said doors, &c.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic view of a primary system connected to a swinging door for a water-tight compartment, showing in full lines thedoor in its closed position and in dotted lines the door in its open position. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the swingingdoor'and the mechanism for operating the same, looking in the direction of the ar- Fig. 3 represents a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 represents a similar sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 represents a sectional view of the six-way controlling-valve,

taken on the line 5 5 of'Fig. 6; and Fig. 6

represents a vertical sectional view of the same on the line 6 6 ofl ig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

system, showing three operating and three indicating cylinders connected, up in pairs, with a controlling-valve between each operating-cylinder and the corresponding indicating-cylinder, and a separate pair of cylinders connected by an emergency or controlling valve, whereby all 01": the cylinders may be simultaneously operated.

My invention in its most simple form consists of two cylinders A and B, both filled with fluid under pressure, and of equal piston displacement, the piston of the cylinder A being connected with a door,"valve, signal, or other device to be operated, and the other cylinder B being connected to the cylinderA by pipes C c and O c, which are also filled with fluid under pressure, and the fluid forced out of one end of the cylinder Aby the motion of its piston will cause a corresponding travel of the piston in the cylinder B, which travel may be indicated by a pointer 12, attached to the piston-rod b and moving over the scale X.

The pipes C c and O 0 connect with asix- Fig. 7 represents a diagrammatic view of the complete way valve D, placedbetween the cylinders A" and B, to which valve are also connected the supply-pipe C and the exhaust-pipe C so that fluid passing into or from the system, or from one cylinder to the other, must pass through the six-way valve D.

The six-way valve D consists of a cylindrical or conical casing D',having the six equidistant vents 1, 2, 3, 4-, 5,and 6,each adapted to receive one of the pipes G, c, C, c, or C and a cylindrical valve-plug D adapted to fit snugly and turn inthe valve-casing D. This valve-plug has three curvedpassages d,d,and (1 each adapted to connect two adjacent vents in the casing D, as shown in Fig. 5. A smaller passage 61 through the center of the plug connects the two passages (Z and d, butis normally closedby the screw-plug D which passes down through the valve-stem D across the passage 61 The valve-plug D is heldin position in the casing by the cap D which is screwed down or suitably adjusted inside of the upper end ofthe casing D. This cap is provided with a friction packing-rim g d which'bearsupon a similar packing-ring d onthe topof the valve plug D and the said valve-plug may be journaled in the base of thecasing D, as at d. The stem D of the valve-plug D passes through the cap D and has secured to its upper end ahandle D, by means of which the valve-plug may be turned.

In Figs. land 2 l have shown the operatingcylinder A connected'to'the door of awatertight compartment, such as are usedon modern ships, but it will beevident that such a cylinder might be employed to operate various kinds of devices, such as valves, signals, or the'like.

Referring'to Figs. 1 to 4:, E indicates the door of the water-tight compartment, which isprovided with the locking-bolts F F, arranged to slide insuitable guide-brackets e on the inside of the door near its edges. The bolts F F are beveled, as at f, at their outer ends to press on the beveled edges g of the door-frame G, when the boltsare forced outwardly from the middle of the door, and thus to draw the edges 6 of the door closely againstthe gaskets g in the frame. Near the middle of thedoor is-journaled in suitable bearings, as e avertical shaft 11-, having crank-arms h, which are connected by links 72. with theinner ends of the bolts F at the edge of the door nearest the hinges E. The bolts F at the outer or opening edge of the door are connected to the levers f pivoted to the door, as at f by connecting-rodsf, which box G, secured to the inside of the frame of the door a little back of' and oirtlle opposite side from the hinges E. The short arm of the T-lever I is connected by a rod or with the end of the piston-rod a of the cylinder A.

To prevent the possibility of the bolts F F being thrown out when the door is open, a locking device is provided which will lock the shaft H when .the said bolts are Withdrawn. This locking device consists of a rod K, having at its outer end a head K, beveled, as at 7c,and having its inner end enlarged andprovided with a short slot 7c,through which passes the vertical shaft H, This shaft is provided with a keyway its, and the rod K is provided with a lug or key projecting into the slot 70 at its end farthest from the head jK. The rod K is supportedin guide-brackets c and is provided withaspring k interposed between one of the guide-brackets-and:

the headK, whichserves to keep the key 70 gin engagement! with the keyw-ay 7L3 in: the

ishaft H, thus locking the same and prevent- Eing it from turning while the door is open. {When the door is closed, the bevel 7r, 0f the ,head K rides upon the edge of 'thedoorframe-Gr and forces the rod K back against ithe tension of the spring Wand pushes the ikey k out of the keyway 71, in the Vertical shaft I-I, lcavin g the latter free-to turn in its bearings, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3.

The operation of the foregoing part of my jinvention is as follows: The parts being gfilled with fluid under pressure and in the iclosed position, as shown-in Figs. 1 to G, sup ;pose additional fluid-pressure to be admitted .through the pipe G and thence through the E passage d of the valve D to the pipe 0,

then to the end A of the cylinder A, forcing or holding the end a of the piston-rod to the left within the cylinder A. The pressure from the opposite side of the piston will be ftransmitted through the pipe 0, as indicatedby the-arrows, and passage d of the valve D- to the pipe 0, then to theend B of the illdicating or telltale cylinder B, forcing or holding the end I) of the piston-rod down within the cylinder B. @the other end of the cylinderB will be transmitted through the pipe 0 and the passage d of the valve D to the exhaust-pipe 0. Thus the pressure in the cylinder A will hold the piston in its rearward position, tendiing topull upon the rod a the T-lever I, the 'rod I, and the vertical shaft I-I, holding the :door closed and'locked, while the pressure in ithe cylinder B will hold the piston in its inner position, causing the pointer b on the endof the piston-rod to indicate theclosed position, (marked 0 on thescale X.) Should ithe handle D of the valve D be turned to the central position shown in heavy dotted lines, it would turn the valve-plug D to close all the openings and passages in the valve D and no movement of the fluid or pistons could take place. This would practically lock the system in either an open or closed The pressure fronr position, or in any intermediate position. Should the handle D be turned to the position shown in fine dotted lines, the valveplug D would be turned so that its passage 61 would connect the vents 2 and 3, its passage d would connect the vents l and 6, and its passage d would connect the vents 4E and 5. The fluid from the pressure-pipe 0 would then pass through the passage 01 to the pipe 0, as indicated by the dotted arrows, and en ter the end A of the cylinder A, forcing the piston toward the end A, and forcing the fluid from that end of the cylinder through the pipe 0 and the passage cl of the valve, as indicated by the dotted arrows, through the pipe 0 tothe end 13 0f the indicating or telltale cylinder B, forcing its piston toward the end B, and forcing the fluid from that end of the cylinder through the pipe 0 and passage d of the valve D to the exhaust-pipe 0 This will cause the pistons in the two cylinders A and B to move in unison and the pointer b on the end I) of the piston-rod to indicate on the scale X the position of both pistons, whether they are in the open or closed position'oi any intermediate position. The pressure-pipe O is provided with a checkvalve 0 which is arranged to prevent the fluid from passing backward through the said pipe, and the exhaust-pipe C is provided with a relief-valve 0 arranged to exert a slight back pressure upon the fluid to prevent its escape from the system except when forced out by the movement of the pistons. This pressure-pipe C is connected to any suitable source of fluid pressure, .(not shown,) while the exhaust-pipe is connected to any suitable receptacle adapted to permit the discharge of fluid thereinto. The outward movement of the end a of the piston-rod of the cylinderA will move the rod (1, T-lever I, rod I, and turn the shaft H to the first position. (Shown in dotted lines.) This will slide the bolts F and F inwardly and unlock the door. Further pressure upon the rod a will swing the door open and move the several parts to the open position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. As the door swings open the head K of the rod K moves off from the edge of the frame, and the spring will throw the said rod outwardly, causing the keyk to engage the keyway h in the shaft H, which is then in position to receive it. Thus the said shaft H is locked from turning until released when the door is closed, as will now be described.

When the handle D is thrown to the position shown in Fig. 1, the fluid is admitted to the end A of the cylinder A, drawing the end a of the piston-rod in and pulling on the rod 6:, which in turn pulls on the T-lever I and by means of the rod I swings the door closed. As the door closes the bevel edge of the head K rides up on the edge'of the door-frame and forces the rod K inward, releasing the key 10 from the keyway 7L3 and allowing the last part of the pull on the crank 77, to turn the shaft H and slide the locking-bolts over the beveled edge of the door-frame, thus locking the door tightly upon the gaskets My invention also contemplates placing a number of six-Way valves D in a group, as shown in Fig. 7, which may be termed a switchboard, in some convenient place for handling the same, and-connecting each one by the pipes C O with an operating-cylinder A, placed at a distant point where it may be desirable to operate a door, valve, signal, or other device, so that one operator at the group of valves D will be able to control a large number of doors or other devices. Each valve is provided with an indicating-cylinder B, so connected as to indicate the position of the piston in the corresponding cylinder A, so that the operator can see if each of the cylinders A is doing its work properly. In this instance all the valves D are connected with a common pressure-main 0 leading from a suitable supply-tank, (not shown in the drawings,) and they all discharge into a common exhaust-main 0 as will be seen by reference toFig.'7. v

e I also contemplate placing a primary or emergency system with its valve D and indicating-cylinder B at some point, as, for instance, on the bridge or in theconning-tower of a man-of-war, or several such emergency attachments may be each connected to the main system and each independently operated to control the entire system. This emergency system may be caused to simultaneously operate all the various units or part of such units in the main system in a great variety of Ways, one of which I have shown in Fig. 7, where the piston-rod of the emergency operating-cylinder A of such primary system is connected with a bar M, to which are pivoted auxiliary levers m on the stems of all the valves D of the group of valves and indicators constituting the switchboard just described. By this means the operator, on the discovery of impending danger, can, by turning the handle D of the emergency system, throw all of the valves of the group into the safety position, which in case of collision or the like would be to close all the compartment-doors. In this latter instance, the stems D of the valves D are made long enough to receive the two levers D 'and m, and the key 01 is long enough to extend through both levers. The lever D is keyed on the stem in the usual manner to turn the valve in either direction by hand, but the lever 'm is slotted, as at m, to receive the key 61 so as to have a limited movement on the valve stem before communicating motion thereto. The levers m are so arrangedthat when in the open position, as shown in Fig. 7, the slots m will be so placed that the valvestems may be turned as far as necessary to operate the devices either way without moving the levers m, but when the levers m are moved in the direction of the arrow the end ICC m of the slot m will strike the key 61 and carry the valve-stem around with it to the closing position, no matter in what position the valve may be at the time. The return movement of the levers on will not affect the valves, as the slot m will move over the key (1 without moving the latter. A signal-bell N may be placedso as to be rung by teeth m on the bar M when the latter is moved, or other means for noting the movement of the bar M may be used in addition to the telltale-cylinder of the emergency system. Thus when the emergency system is operated, the operator at the group of valves or switchboard will be warned of the danger, so that he may observe, by the indicating-cylinders, if all of the operating-cylinders are doing their work properly and take such steps as may be necessary for safety.

It will be obvious that registering-meters or other like indicators may be adopted in place of the telltale-cylinders, the function of said cylinders bein merely to indicate the position of the pistons in the cylinders A, as

determined by the flow of fluid therefrom or thereto. Moreover, it will be evident that the mechanism operated by the pistons in the various cylinders A may be varied at will without departing from the general idea of my improved hydraulic operating and indicating system. Again, one emergency system may operate one set of valves, doors, or other de vices located in, say, one part of the ship; another emergency system may operate a similar set of devices located elsewhere, &c. I

' cued and the fluid introduced through the pressure-pipe C from whence, if the handle D is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the fluid will pass through the passage d, through the pipeO to the end A of the cylinder A, and also through the passage (Z to the passage (1, from whence it will pass through the pipe C to the endA of the cylinder A, and through the pipe 0 to the end B of the cylinder B, thus filling both ends of the cylinder A and the end B of the cylinder B. The handle D is then turned to the position shown in fine dotted lines, and the fluid will pass through the passage cl, the passage ah, the passage d, and the pipe 0 to the end B of the cylinder B, thus filling the whole system.

To set the pistons in the two cylinders so that they will move in unison after the system has been filled, or after they have become disarranged from any cause whatever, the handle D is turned to the position shown in full lines in Fig: 1, when, the screw-plug D being loosened to allow the fluid to pass through the passage d the piston in the cylinder A maybe moved to correspond with the position of the piston in the cylinder 13, the

fluid passing freelyfrom one end of cylinder A to the other through the pipes O O, the passages d d, and the passage d but not affooting the cylinder B. WVhen the two cylinders are in the proper relative positions, the screw-plug D is screwed down to close the passage (i which places the system in operative condition.

In order that the doors, signals, and other devices may be operated by hand as well as by the cylinders A, the connecting-rods a are preferably detachably connected either to the piston-rods or to the T-lever or other device to be operated, and thus the said devices may be uncoupled from the operating-cylinders when desired.

lVhile I have described my invention particularly with reference to its use aboard ship, it will be evident that it may be used on shore, as in factories, or in other relations needless to bespecifically enumerated.

Having thus described my invention, what .I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a hydraulic system of the character described, the combination with a plurality of fiuid-circuits, of an operating-cylinder in each of said circuits, a piston in each of said cylinders,valves for controlling the admission of fluid-pressure to said cylinders, with mechanism operated by one of said pistons for controlling the valves of a plurality of the other cylinders, substantially as described.

2. In a hydraulic system of the character described, the combination with a plurality of fluid-circuits, of an operating-cylinder and an indicating device in each of said circuits, a piston in each of said cylinders, a valve in each circuit for controlling the admission of fluid-pressure to the cylinder in that circuit, with mechanism operated by one of said pistons for controlling the valves of a plurality of the other cylinders, substantially as described.

a swinging door and mechanism for swinging the same operated by said cylinders, a valve in each circuit for controlling the admission of fluid-pressure to the cylinder in that circuit, with mechanism operated by one of said cylinders for controlling the valves of a plurality of the other cylinders, substantially as described.

5. .In a hydraulic system of the character described, the combination with a plurality of fluid-circuits, of an operating-cylinderin each pressure to said cylinders, with mechanism operated by one of said cylinders for simultaneously controlling the valves of a plurality of the other cylinders, substantially as described.

6. In a hydraulic system of the character described, the combination with a plurality of fluid-circuits, of an operating-cylinder and an indicating device in each of said circuits, a valve in each circuit independently controlled for regulating the admission of fluidpressure to the cylinder in that circuit, with mechanism operated by one of said cylinders for simultaneously controlling the valves of a plurality of the other cylinders substantially as described.

7. In a hydraulic system of the character described, the combination with a plurality of fluid-circuits, of an operating-cylinder in each of said circuits, a door and mechanism for moving the same operated by said cylinder, valves independently controlled for regulating the admission of fluid-pressure to said cylinders, with mechanism operated by one of said cylinders for simultaneously controlling the valves of a plurality of the other cylinders, substantially as described.

8. The mechanism for swinging a hinged door through approximately one hundred and eighty degrees about its hinges, comprising a T-lever pivoted on the opposite side of the door-frame from said hinges, a reciprocating rod pivotally connected to one arm of said T- lever, a crank and crank-shaft journaled on said door, and a connecting-rod between the other arm of said T-lever and the said crank, substantially as described.

9. The mechanism for swinging a hinged door through approximately one hundred and eighty degrees about its hinges and for automatically .locking and unlocking said door comprising a reciprocating part, a T-lever pivoted on the opposite side of the door-frame from said hinges and connected to said reciprocating part, a crank and crank-shaft jonrnaled on said door, means for automatically locking said crank-shaft against revolution and for releasing the same when the door is in approximately the closed position, bolts carried by said door, and mechanism operated by said crank-shaft when released for reciprocating said bolts, substantially as described.

10. The mechanism for swinging a hinged door through approximately one hundred and eighty degrees about its hinges and for automatically locking and unlocking said door, comprising a. reciprocating part, a T-lever pivoted 011 the opposite side of the door-frame from said hinges and connected to said reciprocating part, a crank and crank-shaft j ournaled on said door, a spring-operated-rod normally locking said crank-shaft and provided With a Wedge-shaped head adapted to engage the door-frame when the door is in the closed position and to release said crankshaft, bolts carried by said door, and mechanism operated by said crank-shaft when released for reciprocating said bolts, substantially as described.

11. The mechanism-for swinging a hinged door through approximately one hundred and eighty degrees about its hinges and for automaticall y locking and unlocking said door comprising a reciprocating part, a T-lever pivoted on the opposite side of the door-frame from said hinges and connect-ed to said reciprocating part, a crank and crank-shaft journaled on said door, means for automatically locking said crank-shaft against revolution and for releasing the same when the door is in approximately the closed position, Wedgeshaped bolts sliding in guides carried by the door, crank-arms on said crank-shaft, and links connecting said bolts with said crankarms, substantially as described.

12. The mechanism for swinging a hinged door through approximately one hundred and eighty degrees about its hinges and for auto matically locking and unlocking said door, comprising a reciprocating part, a T-lever pivoted on the opposite side of the door-frame from said hinges and connected to said reciprocating part, a crank and crank-shaft journaled on said door, a spring-operated rod normally locking said crank-shaft and provided with a wedge-shaped head adapted to engage the door-frame when the door 'isin the closed position and to release said crank shaft, wedge-shaped bolts sliding in guides carried by the door, crank-arms on said crank-shaft, and links connecting said bolts with said crank-arms, substantially as described.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a rotary valve and valve-stem of a hand-crank rigidly connected to said valve-stem, and an auxiliary crank loose on said valve-stem and provided with a curved slot, a lug or key on said valvestem engaging in said slot and allowing the valve-stem a limited rotary motion independent of said auxiliary crank, with means for turning said auxiliary crank through the desired angle in either direction, substantially as described.

14. In a hydraulic system of the character described, the combination with a cylinder and an operating-piston of a door, and mechanism operated by said piston for moving said door, an indicating-cylinder, a double system of pipes connected thereto, a pipe for supplying fluid-pressure an d an exhaust-pipe, and a six-way valve located between said cylinders and adapted to connect said supplypipe with either end of said operating-cylinder, to connect the opposite end of the operating-cylinder with one endof the indicatingcylinder, and to connect the opposite end of the indicating-cylinder with the exhaust-pipe, substantially as described.

15. In a hydraulic system of the character described, the combination with an operatingcylinder and mechanism operated thereby, and a reciprocating indicating device, of a double system of pipes connecting the two, a pipe for supplying fluid-pressure and an exhaust-pipe, and a six-way valve placedbetween said cylinder and said device adapted to connect said supply-pipe with either end of said operating-cylinder, to connect the opposite end of the operating-cylinder with one end of the indicating device, and to connect 15 the opposite end of the indicating device with the exhaust-pipe, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BARNUM OOWLESQ lVitnesses:

CHARLES H. GAWOOD, EMILIE H. BELSHAN.

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