US1796200A - Emergency fuel-tank sea valve - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 1931. H. E. GRIESHABER 1,796,200

EMERGENCY FUEL TANK SEA VALVE Filed June 17, 1929 Patented Mar. 1.0, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUGO n. GRTESHABER, or NEW LONDON, CONNECTTCUT, AssrGNOR To ELECTRICv BOAT COMPANY, OF GROTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY i EMERGENCY FUEL-TANK SEA VALVE Application ined June 17,

This invention relates to submarine boats, and more particularly to valves used in case of emergency for blowing water or oil 'trom 4the fuel tanks.

. use the ballast tanks for water to give the boat l()V the maximum amount Of buoyancy on the surface. The oil adheres to the sides of the tank and when the tank is filled with water, which is required to submerge lthe vessel, the Oil leaks out past the valves provided for blowing out the compartment, if large valves are used, and causes a slick on the surface which is easily picked up bythe enemy and, for this reason, is a source of greatdanger in time of war.

-Due to the impossibility of preventing this leakage of Oil referred to, when using large Kingston valves of present type, the present practice is to use small valves for blowing out the fuel tanksl since the small valves are more easily controlled to prevent leakage of oil. The use of small valves is, however, highly objectionable in some respects. In case of rise to the objectionable slick on the surface y above referred to. One of the main objects of my invention is to provide simple and effiy cient means for effectively sealing'a valve of the character referred to, so as to eliminate possibility of lleakage about the same from within the tanks of the submarine boat. A

further object is to provide sealing means which can be readily applied to a Kingston valve of known construction'Wi-thout neces- I sitatlng any changes in construction thereof.

.-Further. objects and advantages of my in- 1929. Serial No. 371,440.

vention will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

' Figure 1 is a side view of a submarine boat illustrating diagrammatically my invention as applied thereto; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the hull and valve ring and associated parts, on an enlarged scale, showing my invention as applied, parts being shown in elevation and the Operating cylinder for the valve being shown in section.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to a submarine boat B of known type provided with a plurality of ballast tanks 1 used for storing fuel. Eachv of these' tanks is provided with an Opening 3 through the hull 2 to the sea. A valve ring 4 is disposed in this opening and is providedy at its outer end with an outer peripheral fiange 5 suitably secured to a base ring 6 which is suitably secured to the Outer face of hull 2 about opening 3. Ringe is provided, in its outer end, with a valve seat 7 in which seats a Kingstonl'valve 8. This valve opens out! wardly. of hull 2 and is provided with an inwardly extending stem 9 slidable through a, ffuide collar 10 supported by armsy 11 carried y. ring 4f.

Valve stem 9 extends into a cylinder 1() disposed within tank 1, through a suitable stuffing box 13. A piston 14 is suitably secured to the inner end of valve stem 9, as yby being integral therewith. and operates in cylinder 12. A pressure inlet pipe 15 Opens into cylinder 12 beyond the inner side of piston 14 and is provided with a check valve 16 which opens toward the cylinder. An out let pipe 17 opens into the cylinder 12 in the plane `of piston 14: when valve 8 is closed, and is provided with a check valve 18 which opens outwardly away from the cylinder. An expansion coil spring 19 is confined between piston 14: and the outer head of the cylinder, being disposed about valveV stem 9, this spring acting normally to hold valve 8 seated. Compressed air may be supplied to pipe 15 in a suitable manner, as by means of ay manifold 2O controlled by a valve 21, this manifold being connected to air flasks or when piston 14 moves beyond pipe 17 com- Vpressed air passes throughthis pipe and is discharged therefrom into the upper portion of tank 1 so as to blow the oil or water *there-v from..

The valves 8 are emergency valves and are to be used only in time of emergency when it is necessary to blow the oil or water out of the ballast tank 1. Asa general rule, when such an emergency arises, it is of vital importance that the ballast tank be emptied with the least possible delay. By using relatively large valves 8 the ballast tank can be emptied quicklybut, underpresent practice, these valves are open to lobjection ofoil leakage above noted. In order to overcome this objection I provide asealing rdisc`24:

which extends over the outer -face of valve 8 in contact therewith, and secure the peripheral portion ofthis disc to flange 5 of ring 4,

,by means of a Vclamping ring 25 which seats upon thev outer face of the disc', and securing screws 26 which pass throughr ring 25 anc screw into flange 5. Ring 25 cooperates with flange 5 to securely clamp the disc 24 so as to provide a fluid tight closure aboutthe valve 8. Since this disc extends outwardly beyond the valve it provides an eective seal' which renders impossible oil leakage-fromwithin tank 1. The disc 24 is formed of lead,"copper or any other suitable material which will Y serve to effectively seal the valvein the inanyner stated and yetv which is adaptedvto lbe' Y' ruptured when subjected to appreciable'pressure, so as to permit of thecontents of the tank lbeing blown out through opening 3.

y Referring more particularly to Figure 2, it will be notedV that the outer face of valve 8 is flat and substantially flush with the outer face of flange 5 so that the sealing disc 24 seats upon the outer face of the valve so as to be held thereby against the external water pressure. In the particular'embodiment of `my invention illustrated by way'of example,

the valve 8 opens outwardly and, during 'its' outward opening movement serves to rupture the disc 24: so as to remove all thereof but the yperipheral portion clamped between `ring 25 vand ange 5,7thus`vleaving an'unobstructed opening through which the'contentsof tankk 1 `can quickly be blown out.l I do not, -howf Vever, limit my invention to use with an outwardlyV opening valve since, 'by suitable' modifications, it'can Vreadily be adaptedfor broader aspects, my invention coinprehends a suitable sealing device used in conjunction with a Kingston valve or other valve of like nature, such sealing device being rendered ineffective by opening of thevalve.

WhatI claim is:

1. In combinationina submarine boat coinprising a hull structure having ak fuel receiving tank provided with an opening through the hull to the seat, avalve controls ling said opening, anda sealing member in contact with the outer face of the valve and providing a Huid tight closure about the same, said member being. rupturable by pressure applied thereto.

2. In combination in asubmarine boat comprising a hull structure Yhaving a fuel receiving tank provided with an opening through the hull to the seat, an outwardly opening valve controlling said opening, and va sealing disc extending beyond the periphery of the valve and `forming a fluid tight closure about the saine, said disc contacting the outer face of the valve aiid'being adaptJ ed to be ruptured by the valve in the outward opening movement thereof.

8,'In combination in a submarine boat comprising a hull structure having a yfuel receivingy tank provided with an opening. through the vhull to the sea, a valve ring se-Y cured in' said opening, a valve seating in and normally closing'said ring, and av sealing disc having its peripheral portion secured to the hull about the valve and forming a fluid ltight sealftherefor, the disc-contacting the'y outer face of the valve and being adapted to be readily ruptured by appreciable pressure applied upon opening of the valve.

4f. In Vcombination inv a submarine boat comprising a hull stiucture having a fuel re-` ceiving tank provided with an opening through the hull tothe sea, avalve ring se/ cured in said opening, an outwardly 'opening valve seating in andnormally closing said ring, and a sealing disc having its peripheral portion secured to the hullabout the valve and forming a fluid tight seal therefor,l ythe disc contacting the outer face of the valve and being adapted to be ruptured by the valve in the outward opening movement thereof.

5. In combination in a submarinev boat comprising a hull structure having a fuel re ceiviiig tank provided with an opening through the hull to the sea, a valve ring dis-I lposed in said opening and having an outer peripheral flange secured to the hull about the opening, a valve seatingV in the 'outer end 'l of the ring,`a sealing'disc extending'overl the outer face of the valve in Contact therewith, and means cooperating with'said flange for clamping the disc about 'the valve to provide fa fluid tight closure therefor, 'said rdisc being adapted to be ruptured by pressure ap- `plied thereto incident to opening of the valve. "use -with valves' of various types. Inv its comprising a hull structure having a fuel receiving tank provided with an opening through the hull to the sea, a valve ring disposed in said opening and having an outer peripheral flange secured to the hull about the opening, an outwardly opening valve seating in the outer end of the ring, a sealing disc extending over the outer face of the valve in contacttherewith, and means cooperating with the flange for clamping the disc about the valve to provide a fluid tight seal therefor, said disc being adapted to be ruptured by the valve in the outward opening movement thereof.

7. In combination in a submarine boat comprising a hull structure having a fuel receiving tank provided with an opening through the hull to the sea, a valve ring disposed in said opening and having an outer peripheral flange secured to the hull about the opening, an outwardly opening' valve seating in the outer end of the ring with its outer face substantially flush with the outer face of the flange, a sealing disc extending over the outer face of the valve in contact therewith, and means securing the peripheral portion of the disc to said flange and providing a fluid tight closure therebetween, said disc being rendered ineffective by pressure applied thereto incident to opening of the valve.

8. In combin'ation in a submarine boat comprising a hull structure having a fuel receiving tank provided with an opening through the hull to the sea, a valve ring disposed in said opening and having an outer peripheral flangel secured to the hull about the opening, an outwardly opening valve seat-ing in the outer end of the ring, a sealing disc extending over the outer face of the valve in contact therewith, a clamping ring seating ou the outer face of the peripheral portion of the disc, and means for securing the clamping ring to and forcing it toward said flange to effect a fluid tight closure between the flange and the disc, said disc being adapted to be ruptured by the valve during outward opening movement thereof..

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this l() day of June 1929.

HUGO E. GRIESHABER.

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