US3329121A - Closure assembly for sea chests - Google Patents

Description

July 4, 1967 J. ULRICH ETAL 3,329,121

CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR SEA CHESTS Filed March 30, 1966 I2 I6 30 IO g 34 22 42 4 C 0 32 28 s INVENTORS JOHN L. ULRICH CARRELL 8. MC NULTY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,329,121 CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR SEA CHESTS John L. Ulrich, Somerdale, N.J., and Carrell S. McNulty, New Britain, Pa., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Mar. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 538,934 5 Claims. (Cl. 114-227) This invention relates to apparatus for closing openings and is concerned particularly with closing such openings which exist in water-borne vessels.

Numerous procedures are known in the prior art for closing openings in the hulls of water-borne vessels but in general these procedures are for the purpose of temporarily repairing openings caused by damage to the vessel and to provide a greater degree of sea worthiness. Usually the procedures employed to close the openings and limit the entry of sea water are concerned with the use of matting or fibrous material of suflicient size to fill the opening or utilize a flexible balloon-like structure which when inflated will close an opening.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of cooperating or complemental structural elements which are fixedly secured to the hull of a vessel in a manner to embrace an opening and provide a seal tight closure therefor.

Another object is to provide an inner sealing frame which is arranged for securement to the hull of a vessel in a manner to embrace an opening in the vessel hull and a complemental outer cover which is secured to the frame and closes the frame opening.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation showing a portion of the closure assembly applied to the hull of a waterborne vessel.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section of the complete closure assembly applied to the hull of a water-borne vessel.

In FIGURE 1, the hull is indicated at 10, and the opening therein is indicated at 12, and represents a sea chest opening for the purpose of this description, although any opening in the hull of a vessel may be closed by the assembly of this invention as will be apparent as the description proceeds.

In FIGURE 2, the sea chest opening 12 will be understood to be located below the water line and communicates with a conduit 14 which extends to the interior of the hull 12 and, although not shown, will contain pumping and other equipment for the distribution of sea water to the interior of the vessel. A sea chest opening of a vessel is usually equipped with barrier elements in the form of strips to prevent the admission of debris and these are indicated at 16 and are shown fixedly mounted to the hull to extend across the sea chest opening 12. The elements 16 are used as attachment means to secure the closure assembly of the invention to the hull structure in position about the opt ning 12 and in the event that an opening which is to be closed is not provided with such securing means, it will be necessary to attach metal strips or other metal elements to the hull in order to utilize the invention.

The closure assembly has an open frame 18 formed of a continuous peripheral edge and providing an enclosed space. As shown in FIGURE 1 the frame is rectangular and formed of opposed top and botom walls 20 and 22, respectively, and opposed side walls 24 and 26. Braces 28 are provided between opposed walls and as shown are fixed to the upper and lower walls and extend verticall in order to permit ready securement to the barrier elements 16 which are shown horizontally. To this end the braces are provided with spaced apertures through which extend connectors or clamps in the form of J-bolts 30, as shown in FIGURE 2. The J-bolts 30 have a rear adjusting end carried by the braces 28 and a front clamping end which function to receive the attachment elements 16, and the adjusting end of the J-bolts is provided with nuts 32. During assembly of the frame 18 with the hull 10, continuous sealing means, which is preferably in the form of an inflatable endless ring 34, may be manipulated between the hull 10 and the peripheral wall of frame 18 or the inner face of the peripheral wall may have an endless sealing means affixed thereto. In either case the sealing means will be clamped in position against the hull 10 when the connectors or J-bolts are tightened between the barrier strips 16 and the braces 28.

After the frame 18 is assembled with the hull 10, a cover 36 is then secured to the frame. The cover 36 is formed of a solid imperforate rear wall 38 having an inwardly extending continuous side wall portion 40 which provides a continuous flange 42. The rear wall 38 of cover 36 will be of sufiicient dimensions to embrace the enclosed space formed by the frame peripheral walls and the flange 42 of the cover is secured to the peripheral walls of the frame by bolts and nut assemblies 44. For the purpose of securing the flange 42 to the frame structure drills 46 are provided in the frame peripheral walls and mating drills will be provided in the flange 42. In order to complete the seal, a gasket 46 is located between the peripheral walls of frame 18 and the continuous flange 42.

When the closure assembly is used to temporarily close an opening in the hull of a vessel, it is contemplated that the frame and cover elements will be formed of a light weight metal, such as, aluminum.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim:

1. A closure assembly for sealing an opening in the hull of a vessel having metal attachment means secured to the hull and extending across the opening which comprises,

(a) a frame having continuous peripheral wall structure forming an inner space,

(b) said inner space being of a size and shape sufiicient to enclose the opening in the hull,

(c) brace structure secured to the peripheral wall structure of the frame and extending across the inner space,

(d) connector means having an adjusting end carried by said brace structure and an attaching end for receiving said metal attachment means,

(e) a cover having a continuous peripheral outer flange and an inner imperforate section,

(f) said outer flange of the cover generally mating the continuous peripheral flange of the frame and said inner imperforate section of the cover generally mating the inner space of the frame,

(g) means for securing the peripheral flange of the cover to the peripheral wall of said frame and (h) said adjusting end of the connector means being manipulable to clamp the metal attachment means and the brace means whereby the peripheral wall of the frame is secured in contact with the hull.

2. A closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, further enaracterized by, s

(a) a continuous sealing means positioned between the hull of the vessel and the peripheral wall of the frame.

3. A closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by,

(a) an endless infi atable sealing means positioned between the hull of the vessel and the peripheral wall of the frame.

4. A closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by,

(a) the connector means consisting of bolt means having a clamping end for receiving the metal attachment means with a cooperating nut at the adjusting end and being located within said inner space.

5. A closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by,

(a) said cover having its outer continuous peripheral flange and inner imperforate section disposed in dififerent arallel planes and interconnected by a continuous side wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,220,085 1/1940 Dirschel 114-227 3,094,964 6/1963 Witten et a1. 114-227 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

A. H. FARRELL, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR SEALING AN OPENING IN THE HULL OF A VESSEL HAVING METAL ATTACHMENT MEANS SECURED TO THE HULL AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE OPENING WHICH COMPRISES, (A) A FRAME HAVING CONTINUOUS PERIPHERAL WALL STRUCTURE FORMING AN INNER SPACE, (B) SAID INNER SPACE BEING OF A SIZE AND SHAPE SUFFICIENT TO ENCLOSE THE OPENING IN THE HULL, (C) BRACE STRUCTURE SECURED TO THE PERIPHERAL WALL STRUCTURE OF THE FRAME AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE INNER SPACE, (D) CONNECTOR MEANS HAVING AN ADJUSTING END CARRIED BY SAID BRACE STRUCTURE AND AN ATTACHING END FOR RECEIVING SAID METAL ATTACHMENT MEANS, (E) A COVER HAVING A CONTINUOUS PERIPHERIAL OUTER FLANGE AND AN INNER IMPERFORATE SECTION, (F) SAID OUTER FLANGE OF THE COVER GENERALLY MATING THE CONTINUOUS PERIPHERAL FLANGE OF THE FRAME AND SAID INNER IMPERFORATE SECTION OF THE COVER GENERALLY MATING THE INNER SPACE OF THE FRAME, (G) MEANS FOR SECURING THE PERIPHERAL FLANGE OF THE COVER TO THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID FRAME AND (H) SAID ADJUSTING END OF THE CONNECTOR MEANS BEING MANIPULABLE TO CLAMP THE METAL ATTACHMENT MEANS AND THE BRACE MEANS WHEREBY THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF THE FRAME IS SECURED IN CONTACT WITH THE HULL.

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