Read Ebook: Engineer Port Repair Ship by United States War Department

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Ebook has 169 lines and 12751 words, and 4 pages

The engine has an air starting system; pressure lubrication for all running parts except the pistons, which are lubricated by oil thrown into the cylinder walls by the cranks; and an indirect cooling system in which clean soft water is circulated in a closed circuit and cooled by sea water in the heat exchangers. The fuel system uses a manifold in which fuel is maintained at constant pressure but in which there is no pressure on the injection valves except during the actual time of injection.

The two life rafts are mounted on skids at an angle of about 45?. Each skid has a releasing device that permits quick release of the raft into the water or will let it float free if the ship sinks.

Installed on the main deck at the ship's stern is a combination towing machine and anchor windlass. It hoists and lowers the two 3,000-pound Danforth anchors.

When used for towing, it carries the towline on a reel and pays it out and hauls it in automatically to keep towing tension constant.

For handling the two bow anchors, a windlass is installed on the forecastle deck.

The principal fire-fighting equipment consists of four motor-driven pumps, each with a capacity of 3,000 gallons per minute and capable of 125 pounds pressure. They are connected to an 8-inch fire main arranged on a loop circuit around the main deck. Spaced equally along this circuit are eight 2-1/2-inch hydrants equipped with fog or spray nozzles. Throughout the ship are twenty-eight 1-1/2-inch connections.

There are two 1,000-gpm fire monitors. One is located forward on the forecastle head and the other is abaft the stack.

A fixed carbon-dioxide smothering system is used in engine and tank compartments, bilges, and galley. Hand-operated extinguishers are located in all parts of the vessel.

Quarters for most of the enlisted members of the crew are located on the first platform deck. Also on this deck are the laundry room, linen lockers, and the ship's post exchange.

On the main deck, the rest of the enlisted men and the Navy gun crew are quartered. Also on this deck are the ship's galley and pantry, mess rooms , shower rooms, and diving-gear compartment.

On the boat deck are officers' quarters, the ship's company office, dispensary and a four-bed hospital.

On the bridge deck are the staterooms and offices of the ship's master, salvage officer, chief engineer, and the naval gunnery officer.

Here are brief descriptions of the more important items of the machine-shop's equipment.

This 20-by 40-inch gap lathe has a 14-foot bed and a special, large face plate. With the gap closed, it is used as a regular engine lathe.

The tools and accessories for the lathe include telescoping taper attachment, boring and cutting bars, end caps, bits, chucks, and centers. Also, there is a set of metric thread-cutting gears for use where the metric system is standard. The lathe is driven by a 7-1/2 hp, 3-phase, 60-cycle motor.

This 24-inch universal shaper is used for facing surfaces, notching, keyseating, and the production of flat surfaces on small parts.

The shaper is equipped with bits, holders, table, vise, and wrench set, and is driven by a 208-volt, 3-phase, 60-cycle motor.

The radial drill has a 4-foot arm, 11-inch column, and 12 spindle speeds. It has a range of 15 to 1,200 rpm and is driven by a 5-hp, 208-volt, 3-phase motor.

The drilling capacity of this machine is approximately 2-inches diameter in cast iron and 1-1/2-inches diameter in steel. Its tapping capacity is a 2-inch tap in cast iron and 1-1/2-inch tap in steel.

Its accessories include a coolant attachment, universal drill table, drill vise, chuck, and taper shank.

This combination punch and shear machine has a punch capacity 1-by 1/2-inch or 7/8-by 5/8-inch. Its shear capacity is 1/2-inch plates, 6-by 5/8-inch flats, 1-5/8-inch rounds, and 1-1/2-inch squares.

It is driven by a 3-hp, 3-phase, 60-cycle, 208-volt motor, and its accessories include punches, dies, shear blades for plates and flats, and bar-cutter blades for rounds, squares, angles, and tees.

This grinder has a 10-inch-diameter swing and 24 inches between head and footstock. It is driven by a 3/4-hp, 3-phase, 60-cycle, 208-volt motor and has attachments for all forms of milling cutters, taps, and reamers.

For grinding, this machine is run by a 1/8-hp, 1-phase, 60-cycle, 110-volt motor, and has 3-inch to 8-inch wheels for dressing and grinding.

The blacksmith shop is adjacent to the machine shop and is equipped to handle all smithing operations. These operations include heating for forging, annealing, hardening, and tempering metals.

The forge has an electric blower, and the hood mounted over it has an exhaust fan to expel fumes and smoke from the forge.

For working metal, there is a pneumatic, 200-pound forging hammer. This hammer is of the self-contained type and the blacksmith can operate it and manipulate the work between the dies at the same time.

Other blacksmith equipment in the shop include engineer blacksmith equipment set No. 1, sledges, tongs, and swages.

The carpenter shop is on the first platform deck on the starboard side of number 2 hatch. The main equipment of this shop consists of a universal woodworking machine, a 32-inch band saw, and a portable electric saw.

The universal woodworking machine , is powered by a 5-hp, 3-phase, 60-cycle, 208-volt motor, developing 3,425 rpm and is equipped with 14-and 16-inch blades.

The 32-inch band saw is powered by a 3-hp, 3-phase, 60-cycle, 208-volt motor, developing 600 rpm. It is supplied with general-purpose blades, a ripping fence, and a resaw guide.

The portable circular saw is run by a 110-volt universal motor. It is equipped with two combination blades for sawing wood; when abrasive discs are used, it will cut brick, stone, concrete, steel, and cast iron.

The pipe shop adjoins the machine shop and its main equipment consists of a portable pipe bender and a pipe and bolt threading machine.

The hydraulic portable pipe bender has a maximum piston pressure of 50,000 pounds and will bend up to 3-inch pipe.

The pipe-and bolt-threading machine will handle 1/8-to 2-inch pipe and 3/8-to 1-1/2-inch bolts.

The welding shop is on the first platform deck on the port side of number 2 hatch. The welding shop contains equipment for electric-arc and oxyacetylene welding and cutting.

For electric-arc welding there are two stationary and four portable sets. All of the sets are driven by gasoline engines and have complete sets of accessories.

The portable sets are mounted on four-wheel dollies and have a welding range of 50 to 400 amperes and a generator rating of 300 amperes at 40 volts. The accessories include a welding-rod assortment, 50-foot electrode and ground cables, gloves, helmets, lenses, and mittens.

For oxyacetylene work, there are three oxyacetylene welding and cutting sets and three portable acetylene generators. The sets include cutting and welding torches and tips, 50-foot lengths of hose, tip cleaners, oxygen and acetylene regulators, spark lighters, gloves, and goggles.

There is also a portable, preheating torch of the atomizing type operated by compressed air.

Miscellaneous equipment in the welding shop includes a brazing and soldering set, ten 225-cubic-foot acetylene cylinders, and fifty 220-cubic-foot oxygen cylinders.

The diving equipment room is located on the main deck just aft the number 3 hatch. In this room are lockers for diving gear, the recompression chamber, hangers for holding the diving suits, and a work table for repairing suits.

The recompression chamber is used for testing divers' ability to withstand pressure before diving and to decompress divers if they develop compressed-air illness .

For deep-sea diving, there are two No. 1 diving outfit sets.

Other equipment in the No. 1 set includes an air compressor, descending and stage lines, decompression stage, telephone, diving lamp, air and telephone hose, and diving weights.

For shallow-water diving in depths up to 36 feet, there are four No. 2 diving outfit sets.

The rest of the diving equipment includes a canvas workers set No. 1, carpenter equipment set No. 2, gasoline-engine-driven, skid-mounted air compressor with a capacity of 60 cubic feet of air per minute, electrodes for underwater cutting, a pneumatic tugger hoist for the diving stage, and a portable air lock.

An assortment of compressed-air equipment is carried for doing jobs both on and off the ship. This equipment includes rock drills for drilling in rock or concrete; paving breakers used in breaking out concrete, breaking up rock, and in general demolition work; rivet busters for cutting out rivets; woodboring drills for boring various-sized holes in timbers; rotary drills for drilling holes in steel plates and beams; grinders for general grinding; pneumatic hammers for cleaning castings, beveling seams on ships, and chipping holes in concrete; riveting hammers for driving rivets; pneumatic wrenches for tightening and loosening nuts and bolts; nail drivers; chain saws adapted for cutting pilings underwater; and circular saws.

For operating this equipment, there is a 315 cfm, Diesel-driven, skid-mounted air compressor and a 280 cfm, electric-driven air compressor.

The beach gear carried on the ship is used primarily to salvage stranded vessels. This type of salvage differs from raising sunken wrecks, where all the work in preparing the vessel for raising is done by divers. For beach salvage work, divers ordinarily are needed only for examining the stranded vessel's hull and the nature of the underwater terrain, and beach gear and the towing power of other craft are used to refloat the ship.

The main items of the beach gear are two 8,000-pound anchors, blocks of various types, hooks, clips, chains, manila and wire rope, shackles, cable stoppers, and rope thimbles.

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