Sacrificial anode holder and related anodes

Abstract

A sacrificial anode holder for use by a water borne vessel, the holder comprising a first member comprising at least one of (i) a cartridge to hold an elongate anode and (ii) an elongate anode, and a housing forming part of or being adapted to fit to the vessel to house the first member, the housing including a first aperture to expose the anode through the hull of the vessel to the water and a closable second aperture via which the first member can be removed from the housing and inserted into the housing, from the interior of the vessel.

1 . A sacrificial anode holder for use by a water borne vessel, said holder comprising 
 a first member comprising at least one of (i) a cartridge to hold an elongate anode and (ii) an elongate anode, and    a housing forming part of or being adapted to fit to the vessel to house said first member, said housing including a first aperture to expose said anode through the hull of said vessel to said water and a closable second aperture via which said first member can be removed from said housing and inserted into said housing, from the interior of the vessel.    
   
   
       2 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein intermediate of said first aperture and second aperture, said housing carries a moveable valve to close passage of water through said housing from said first aperture to said second aperture.  
   
   
       3 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the valve includes a one way valve flap movable between a closed position to extend across the passage between the first and second aperture and an open position and that is held in the open position by said first member when housed by said housing and can move to the closed position when the anode has been removed from housing.  
   
   
       4 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  3  wherein the valve includes a valve seat defined by a lip contiguous part of an inner wall surface of the housing and projecting and presented therefrom to receive an edge of the valve flap when in the closed position.  
   
   
       5 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 3  wherein when in the open position the valve flap in contiguous part of the inner wall surface of the housing.  
   
   
       6 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  further including; 
 a thin walled rigid valve seat defined at an inner wall of said housing between said first and second apertures said valve seat being a ledge,    a valve flap hingeably mounted at the inner wall to move between an open condition and a closed condition,    wherein said valve flap has a first major side that is of a shape commensurate the shape of part of the inner wall so that in the open condition it sits flush against said the inner wall, and    wherein said valve flap has a perimeter of a shape in part complimentary the valve seat so that when in said closed condition said flap valve extends across the passage between said first and second aperture and places its perimeter contiguous that of the valve seat.    
   
   
       7 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the valve flap is of a constant wall thickness.  
   
   
       8 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the perimeter of said valve seat presents two planar edge surfaces with which two corresponding planar surfaces of the perimeter of said valve flap can seat.  
   
   
       9 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 8  wherein each of the planar surfaces of said valve seat and valve flap are non parallel when in the open position and are parallel when in the closed position.  
   
   
       10 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the housing holds said first member in close proximity at least at longitudinally extending contiguous regions.  
   
   
       11 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said housing includes an elongate sleeve section into an out of which said first member can slidingly move through said second aperture.  
   
   
       12 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said housing has an inboard more end and outboard more end and defines said first aperture at said outboard more end of said sleeve and said second aperture at said inboard more end of said sleeve.  
   
   
       13 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 11  wherein a flange extends radially outwardly from said sleeve at said outboard more end to sit outboard and against the hull of said vessel, and wherein said sleeve includes a threaded outer surface to receive a nut to clamp said housing to said hull between said nut and said flange.  
   
   
       14 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first member is a cartridge holding said anode.  
   
   
       15 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  14  wherein said cartridge includes a sleeve (herein after “second sleeve”) provided about the elongate direction extending surfaces of the anode and includes an opening through which said anode is exposed, said opening positioned in use, proximate said first aperture.  
   
   
       16 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the second sleeve is insertable into the first mentioned sleeve from the inboard more end of the first mentioned sleeve.  
   
   
       17 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said anode is held in use to be movable relative said housing in its elongate direction and is biased in an outboard direction of said vessel from said holder.  
   
   
       18 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 17  wherein said bias is affected by gravity by mounting of said holder to said vessel in an orientation such that said elongate direction of said anode is vertically extending.  
   
   
       19 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 17  wherein said bias is affected by a spring acting between said anode and the inboard end of said housing.  
   
   
       20 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein at least one anode stopper is presented against which an outboard most end of said anode is biased in use, said stopper preventing the anode from passing entirely out of said housing through said first aperture.  
   
   
       21 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said at least one stopper extends partially across the first aperture.  
   
   
       22 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the at least one stopper is provided by at least one of the first member and housing.  
   
   
       23 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the at least one stopper comprises of a washer presented at the outboard end of the anode and held by a connection rod extending through a bore of said anode from the inboard more end thereof, said bore being of a size smaller than said washer and said connection rod coupled to said housing to hold said anode.  
   
   
       24 . A The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the stopper is provide outboard of the hull of said vessel allowing said anode to extend proud of the hull.  
   
   
       25 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said stopper includes a bar that extends across said first aperture and against which said anode is pressed by a biasing means.  
   
   
       26 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said anode has a plurality of parallel slots that extend in the longitudinal direction from the outboard most end of said anode.  
   
   
       27 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 26  wherein said stopper is at least one bar that extends parallel to said slots and is positioned for an outboard most portion of said anode to press against.  
   
   
       28 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 26  wherein one of said housing and cartridge includes a grill extending across said first aperture, said grill positioned in the slots of said anode.  
   
   
       29 . A The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the first member and the housing are generally tubular in cross section and when assembled, are concentric each other.  
   
   
       30 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the first mentioned sleeve defines said second aperture as an inboard more opening of a size and shape through which said second sleeve of said first member can pass.  
   
   
       31 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the cartridge includes a biasing means acting between the anode and the cartridge to bias the anode toward the outboard more end of the cartridge.  
   
   
       32 . A The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the cartridge includes a flange to seat onto the second aperture of said housing members and thereby close said second aperture and locate the cartridge with said housing.  
   
   
       33 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the cartridge includes a plug to push into the second aperture of said housing members and thereby close said second aperture and locate the cartridge with said housing.  
   
   
       34 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 32  wherein said housing includes an external thread at the inboard more end thereof to receive a threaded clamp to secure and press said flange against said seat.  
   
   
       35 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 32  wherein said clamp is an overcap to close said second aperture.  
   
   
       36 . The sacrificial anode as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the anode includes a longitudinal key way located in a longitudinally sliding manner with a key of one of said housing and cartridge.  
   
   
       37 . The sacrificial anode as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the anode is engaged by an electrical connector passing through said housing and into said vessel.  
   
   
       38 . The water submerged or partially submerged vessel or structure that has affixed to its hull, a sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the first aperture is positioned below the waterline to present the outboard more end of the anode to the surrounding water and wherein the second aperture is positioned inboard of the hull to allow the removal of the anode from the housing via the second aperture from within the vessel or structure.  
   
   
       39 . The waterborne vessel as claimed in  claim 38  wherein the sacrificial anode holder holds an anode within its housing.  
   
   
       40 . A The waterborne vessel as claimed in  claim 38  wherein the sacrificial anode holder holds an anode within its housing said anode sitting proud of the exterior surface of the hull of said vessel.  
   
   
       41 . A The waterborne vessel as claimed in  claim 38  wherein said anode is slidingly housed within said housing and a spring is located to act between said housing and anode to press the outboard most end of said anode in an outboard direction against at least one anode stopper fixed relative said housing.  
   
   
       42 . The waterborne vessel that has affixed to its hull a sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the first aperture is positioned below the waterline of the vessel, said housing and first member are positioned to the interior of the hull of the vessel and wherein said stopper is affixed on the exterior to the hull of said vessel.  
   
   
       43 . A sacrificial anode holder for a water submerged or partially submerged vessel or structure, said holder comprising: 
 a housing to hold an elongate sacrificial anode that includes an inboard and outboard distal end, said housing including a sleeve section into which said sacrificial anode can be inserted through a closeable opening of said housing that is positioned inboard of said vessel, said housing including an outboard opening to expose said anode to the surrounding water, and wherein the holder includes an anode stopper acting on the outboard end of said anode at where, in use, galvanic erosion reducing the end to end length of said anode predominantly occurs, wherein in use said anode is biased for movement within the housing to be pressed against the stopper to ensure a constant positioning of the eroding end of the anode relative said housing.    
   
   
       44 . A sacrificial anode holder for a water submerged or partially submerged vessel or structure comprising: 
 a housing to retain a straight elongate anode, that includes an inboard and outboard distal end, in an elongate direction sliding manner, said housing engaged inboard of said vessel and including an outboard proximal opening to allow exposure of the anode to the surrounding water,    wherein said anode is of a non-circular cross sectional perimeter and said housing and said anode are in a close fitting relationship to thereby prevent relative rotation in a direction parallel to the elongate direction.    
   
   
       45 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 44  wherein said housing includes a stopper to capture said anode from sliding out of said outboard opening and against which, in use, said anode is pressed.  
   
   
       46 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 44  wherein the housing includes a key to locate into a keyway extending in the elongate direction at the non-circular cross sectional perimeter of said anode.  
   
   
       47 . An elongate sacrificial anode that includes a keyway formed at an elongate direction extending surface of said anode.  
   
   
       48 . An elongate and straight sacrificial anode that has a first and second distal end and that includes a keyway extending from said first distal end at an elongate direction extending surface of said anode.  
   
   
       49 . An elongate and straight sacrificial anode that has a first and second distal end and that is of a non circular cross sectional perimeter.  
   
   
       50 . The sacrificial anode holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the first aperture is positioned below the waterline of the vessel to present the outboard more end of the anode to the surrounding water and wherein the second aperture is positioned inboard of the hull of the vessel to allow the removal of the anode from the housing via the second aperture from within the vessel.  
   
   
       51 . The water submerged or partially submerged vessel or structure as claimed in  claim 38  wherein the sacrificial anode holder holds an anode within its housing.  
   
   
       52 . The water submerged or partially submerged vessel or structure as claimed in  claim 51  wherein the sacrificial anode holder holds an anode within its housing said anode sitting proud of the exterior surface of the hull of said vessel.  
   
   
       53 . The water submerged or partially submerged vessel or structure as claimed in  claim 38  wherein said anode is slidingly housed within said housing and a spring is located to act between said housing and anode to press the outboard most end of said anode in an outboard direction against at least one anode stopper fixed relative said housing.