Show Automatic Mattress for Closing Holes Hoie in T Torpedo Rent Rent Hulls I A Is N ingenious and simple device to tor 10 A closing the hole In the hull of ot a ship that has been torpedoed or otherwise otherwise otherwise other other- wise smashed at at sea has bas recently been patented by C. C Stewart Henslee of ot Chattanooga Tenn It consists o of ofa a d large flexible mat to the centre of or which on the Inside Is attached a chain of shaped cone-shaped buckets The instant the hull is pierced the I A tilt I t 0 t sailors lower the shaped cone-shaped bucket I Ia a attached to the end of the chain for tor forthe forthe the purpose of locating the hole This is lowered to an any depth desired and pulled through the water along alonS' the outside of the hull until It reaches the vicinity of the opening where it Is caught by the current and carried through the opening into the tho vessels vessel's hull causing a pull or jerk on the chain which notifies the sailors that the opening has been found They immediately immediate lower the closing disc att attached attached at at- t to the other end of ot the chain I simultaneously lowering the string of or shaped cone-shaped buckets which are also caught by the current and carried into the hull one one after another until the thelast thelast thelast last one which is attached to tho the closing clos cbs closIng ing disc stops In the opening the disc having haying caught on tho the outside of the hull over the opening automatically and effective effectively closing the same where here hereIt it is securely held by the pressure of ot the water against the hull JI- JI q I f The Tho shaped cone-shaped buckets are made of rubberized canvas which are automatically automatically auto auto- adjusted by the force of the theater water ater to the tho shape of any opening through which they pass as they thoy will collapse and pass bass through openings of ot ofa ota a smaller diameter The closing disc Is made of superposed superposed superposed super super- posed circular steel plates Immensely strong in the centre with the necessary necessary necessary sary flexibility at the edge The Tho Inner or contact side is covered with a thick layer of compressible material which is pressed into and over the uneven n surfaces of ot the tho hull such Buch as bolt heads c The outer side is overlaid with a rubberized canvas covering of or much l larger circumference than tho the steel The he edgo edge of this is very flexible flexible flex flex- ible and when sucked or pressed very Diagrams of 01 the the- the apparatus tua for lor closing leaks in ships hip In Figs FiD 1 l and t Z t. t A A. 4 is b th the hull huH 17 n the thc flexible mattress mattress mat mat- tress to ZO the chain bv which it t Is ta a let ld down from the tM deck t t tand and 26 6 6 the string of 01 buck- buck eta dB that arc are driven drien into the leak b by bV the rush t h of 01 water El fl 1 the lout last bucket which is u s attached to the thc centre of 01 th the mattress Fig Fg 3 is a sec tion Uon through the mattress mattres tightly against the hull huH by the suction or pressure of the water adjusts itself to tho the uneven surfaces that may surround surround surround sur sur- round the opening I Each vessel Is supposed to carry allI all I sizes of these discs on deck and to employ two or more discs in closing oblong or long IonS narrow openings In Incase Incase Incase case of too small a disc being applied this would be sucked through the opening and It would be necessary to apply another of or greater diameter |