GB191511261A - Improvements in or relating to the Raising of Sunken Vessels. - Google Patents

Abstract

11,261. Bitancourt, L. B. Aug. 4. Sunken ships and objects, raising.-A sunken ship or other vessel is raised by first trenching under the hull with one or more reciprocating dredges, and then passing under it lifting- bands secured to pontoons at the sides of the vessel. In the arrangement shown, two pontoons A, Fig. 4, held apart by transverse connecting-beams &c., are arranged above the stem and also above the stern of the sunken vessel B, each pontoon carrying a jib d for the bucket chain, which is guided on the sea or river bottom by heavy anchor posts D. The buckets, when full, are emptied at the sides of the excavation by allowing the vertical part of the bucket chain to sag outwards, as shown in Fig. 8. The dredge comprises buckets working in opposite directions, and is provided with several independently-working series of buckets; an outside series may be given a continuous, instead of a reciprocating, motion, in order to show the nature of the bed excavated. A continuously-working dredge may be employed to free the sides of the vessel if it is deeply sunk in sand. As the pontoons fore and aft of the vessel are drawn together, the trench extends beneath the vessel, and hawsers a, b, a<1>, b<1>, Fig. 5, are placed beneath it. In moving these along the vessel, alternate ones b, b<1> are slackened and then, after the pontoon is moved, retightened in the position shown in Fig. 6, after which the bands a, a<1> may be loosened and similarly advanced.