US3141438A - Water tight and air tight rooms for ships - Google Patents

Description

July 21, 1964 R. D. SMITH WATER TIGHT AND AIR TIGHT ROOMS FOR SHIPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 24, 1963 2 s p H s w z July 21, 1964 R. D. SMITH 3,141,438

WATER TIGHT AND AIR TIGHT ROOMS FOR SHIPS Filed June 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,141,438 WATER TIGHT AND AIR TIGHT ROOMS FOR SIHPS Robert D. Smith, 2742 E. Tremont Ave., Bronx, N.Y. Filed June 24, 1963, Ser. No. 289,850 3 Claims. (ill. 114-68) This invention relates generally to ships and vessels. More specificially it relates to water and air tight compartments on ships and vessels, and is an improvement on applicants patent application Serial No. 231,140.

One object of the present invention is to provide a ship having all the outside rooms on all decks incorporating means whereby the rooms may be made air and water tight in time of emergency thus permitting the sealing of air therein and providing a relatively thick layer of air around the outer portion of the hull, whereby the ship will be secure against possible sinking at sea.

Another object is to provide a novel means whereby doors to a room may be made water and air tight in time of emergency, and wherein such is accomplished by use of an auxiliary door.

Still another object is to provide a novel means whereby portholes or other openings in the hull may be quickly and efliciently sealed in time of emergency.

Other objects are to provide a water and air tight construction for rooms on a ship which will not interfere with the normal use of the room when there is no danger at hand.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view of a ship incorporating the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of certain elements used in the construction of one of the rooms.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view through 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a hole or porthole sealing device.

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view through 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of hole sealing device.

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view through 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view in cross section of a doorway incorporating the present invention.

FIGURE 9 is a similar view in an alternate position.

FIGURE 10 is a cross sectional View through 1010 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 11 is a cross sectional view through 1111 of FIGURE 9, and

FIGURE 12 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG- URE 11 showing a modified construction.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral 19 represents a ship according to the present invention wherein there is a hull 11 having a plurality of decks 12 on each of which there are outside cabins or rooms 13 formed by means of walls 14. Each of the outside rooms is formed having an integral casing 15 surrounding the room, the casing being built into the walls, decks and hull which surround the room as shown in FIGURE 1. This casing is made of waterproof rubber 16 having several ply of canvas cord 17, the rubber being encased on both sides by rubber adhesive 18 which preserves the rubber and cord of the casing from deteriorating and drying out. Openings 19 extend through the rubber and canvas cords and allow the adhesives on opposite sides to communicate. Canvasses 20 on the outer sides of the adhesives encased this structure as shown in FIGURE 3. A conventional wall structure 21 is built on the in- 3,141,438 Fatentecl July 21, 1964 ner side of the casing to make a typical room and conventional structure 22 is built on the outer side to enclose the casing. Pipes 23 extend from an air compressor 24 on the top deck to the lower part of each room. Valves 25 are provided for selectively admitting air.

A sealing unit 26 serves to seal any porthole, window or hole torn into the hull and thus stop shipping of sea water into the ship. The unit includes a pair of air sacks 27 having central air compartments 28 connected together by a tube 29. A tension coil spring 30A on the outer side of the tube normally urges the tube to compress in length thus drawing the sacks together. An air hose 3%) from the compressor delivers air into the sealing unit. Windows are first removed before installation of this de vice in window openings.

In FIGURES 6 and 7 a modified sealing unit 31 is shown wherein there is only one air sack 32; an air hose 33, a rod 34 connected at one end to the sack and at the other end being slidable on an arcuate bar 35. A similar tension coil spring 36 merges the sack and bar together.

It is to be noted that air pressure gauges can be placed in the pipes 23 so that increased amounts of air can be forced into the rooms for greater buoyancy.

As shown in FIGURES 8 to 12, the doors leading into the rooms have means for being sealed air and water tight. Doorway openings 37 are made in the walls 38 of the casing and doors 39 are mounted upon hinges 40 secured to the casing or adjacent wall structure. An area of the casing which surrounds the doorway opening is made hollow, having a sealed air chamber 41 enclosed within a rubber shell 42. A groove 43 is provided on three sides within the opening into which a security door 44 may slide. The fourth side of the opening has an open slot 45 through which the security door can move from a position from within the air chamber (as shown in FIGURE 8) to a position within the doorway (as shown in FIGURE 9). Thus the security door being larger than door 39, slides in grooves 43. A head 46 on three sides of the security door fits within narrower groove 47 at bottom of grooves 43 for additional tight fit.

An expandable air sack 48 is located within air chamber 41 and an air hose communicates therewith. This air sack is positioned so that when the security door is within opening 37, the air sack is at the rear edge 49 of the security door. When the air sack is inflated with air as shown in FIGURE 11, it will seal the rear edge of the door preventing air escape from the room. As shown in FIGURE 10, the air sack in collapsed position is of bellows like configuration, the front face 50 of which may contain sealing compound for tighter security if preferred.

In a modified construction shown in FIGURE 12, the security door 51 is of wedged configuration so that when it closes opening 52, the wide rear portion of the door fits tightly between walls 53 and 54 of the shell. These walls are of laminated construction having a conventional outer panel 55, a yieldable rubber panel 56 on the inner side and the portion adjacent the slidable security door has a metal lining 57 for improved slidability.

In operative use the security doors are first moved into the doorway openings to seal the rooms after which valves 25 are opened to force air in the rooms. If the hull has a hole torn therein, a sealing unit is installed in the hole to stop leaking of water therethrough.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a ship the combination of a hull having a plurality of decks, a plurality of adjacent rooms on each deck, said rooms being formed by walls within said hull, one wall of which is adjacent the outer periphery of said hull, said rooms being completely enclosed within a yieldable rubber casing formed within said walls and decks, means for piping air into said rooms, said rooms including access doorways for entry thereinto, said doorways each comprising an opening through said casing, a recess within said casing adjacent to said opening for receiving a security door slidable ,from within said recess to within said opening for closing said opening, said casing having a hollow chamber surrounding said opening and said recess, means for supplying air into said hollow chamber for increasing the air pressure within said hollow chamber so that said casing exerts pressure against the top, bottom and front edges of said security door to form an air-tight, watertight seal, and a bellows shaped air sack within said re- 15 cess, means for supplying air to said air sack, said air sack in an inflated condition being in a position adjacent the rear edge of said door and exerting pressure thereagainst to form an air-tight, water-tight seal.

2. In a ship the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a sealing unit is provided to close openings in said hull, said unit comprising a pair of inflatable air sacks, a tube between said air sacks, a tension coil spring around said tube for longitudinal compression of said tube, and air supply means for inflating said air sacks.

3. In a ship the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a sealing unit is provided to close openings in said hull, said unit comprising an inflatable air sack, a rod aflixed at one end to said air sack, the other end of said rod being slidably aflixed to an arcuate bar, a tension coil spring around said rod normally urging said bar toward said air sack and air supply means for inflating said air sack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 512,866 Colomes Ian. 16, 1894 1,022,688 Mazzolini Apr. 9, 1912 1,240,414 Brooke Sept. 18, 1917 1,243,427 Knox Oct. 16, 1917 2,127,871 Kozlofi Aug. 23, 1938 3,019,754 Welshausen Feb. 6, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 576,690 Italy Mar. 10, 1958

Claims (1)

1. IN A SHIP THE COMBINATION OF A HULL HAVING A PLURALITY OF DECKS, A PLURALITY OF ADJACENT ROOMS ON EACH DECK, SAID ROOMS BEING FORMED BY WALLS WITHIN SAID HULL, ONE WALL OF WHICH IS ADJACENT THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID HULL, SAID ROOMS BEING COMPLETELY ENCLOSED WITHIN A YIELDABLE RUBBER CASING FORMED WITHIN SAID WALLS AND DECKS, MEANS FOR PIPING AIR INTO SAID ROOMS, SAID ROOMS INCLUDING ACCESS DOORWAYS FOR ENTRY THEREINTO, SAID DOORWAYS EACH COMPRISING AN OPENING THROUGH SAID CASING, A RECESS WITHIN SAID CASING ADJACENT TO SAID OPENING FOR RECEIVING A SECURITY DOOR SLIDABLE FROM WITHIN SAID RECESS TO WITHIN SAID OPENING FOR CLOSING SAID OPENING, SAID CASING HAVING A HOLLOW CHAMBER SURROUNDING SAID OPENING AND SAID RECESS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR INTO SAID HOLLOW CHAMBER FOR INCREASING THE AIR PRESSURE WITHIN SAID HOLLOW CHAMBER SO THAT SAID CASING EXERTS PRESSURE AGAINST THE TOP, BOTTOM AND FRONT EDGES OF SAID SECURITY DOOR TO FORM AN AIR-TIGHT, WATERTIGHT SEAL, AND A BELLOWS SHAPED AIR SACK WITHIN SAID RECESS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO SAID AIR SACK, SAID AIR SACK IN AN INFLATED CONDITION BEING IN A POSITION ADJACENT THE REAR EDGE OF SAID DOOR AND EXERTING PRESSURE THEREAGAINST TO FORM AN AIR-TIGHT, WATER-TIGHT SEAL.

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