US1278215A - Method of and apparatus for raising sunken ships. - Google Patents

Description

H. E. RAWLINS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3. 1918.

1,278,215. I PatenfedSe 0,1918

2 SHEET [ET I.

H. E. RAWLINS. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR RMSING SUNKE-N SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED .l UNE l3. IQIB.

Patent-edSpt. 10,1918

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. dragging HORACE EDMUND RAWLINS, 0F HARRISBURG," rumors;

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORFRAI SING'SUNKEN SHIPSK Application filed June 13, 191a Serial No. 239,845.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE E. RlHVLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Saline and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Method of and Apparatus for Raising Sunken ,Ships, .of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto a method of and apparatus for raising sunken ships, one of its objects being to provide simple and eflicient apparatus whereby the hull of the sunken vessel can be properly located and subsequently raised, a novel method of draggingbeingemployed for determining the location of the hull and for positioning the elevating cables in engagement with the bow and stern.

Another object isto provide novel means for fastening the lifting cables to the hull.

A still further object is to provide apparatus for lifting hulls and a method for loeating them, which do not require the serv ices of a diver.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will. appear .as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings 7 Figure 1 is a. perspective view showing, in diagram, the apparatus used for raising hulls.

Fig. 2 is a View showing, in diagram, how the hull of a vessel can be located prior to the lifting cables into engagement therewith.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through one of the clamps of the fastening means.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4l-, Fig. 3.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates floats or barges of sufficient size and buoyancy to support the hull to be raised and these structures are placed parallel with each other and are spaced apart a distance greater than the beam of said hull. Mounted on the floats or where they pull along Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented Sepia-10, 1918. I

barges 1 is a superstructure 2 which bridges the space between sa1d floats and carries hoisting mechanism including hoisting "ca-' bles 3 mounted on suitable guide sheaves 4. and extending to winding to be actuated by engines parts above" mentioned have diagram'and it is to be under desired construction and arrangement of partscan be employed, it merely being'essen 3 tial that the lifting or hoisting cables be pro-" vided with intermediate depending'or looped portions adapted to be'lowered or raised between the floats -l by'paying out or taking'up the cables at the drums 5 orin any other suitable manner.

In locating asunken hull'and attaching the following hoisting cables 3 thereto method is followed r I The ends of a cable 3 OfsuHicient strength and length are attached to two'boats B. These boats are propelled along parallel paths withthe cable draggingbetween them,"

When thdcable comes against the hull the drumsb adapted" 6. The various been shown in' stood that any" boats will be "caused to swingtoward each other and by bringing the boats to positions parallel lines one of the dimensions of the hull is obtained and the cable can then be drawn at right angles to the direction in which the boats were pulling, thus to give the other dimension of the hull. For example, assuming that the boats B are traveling as shown at a in Fig. :2, the cable 3 will come against the hull H and as the boats continue forward they will swing toward each other to the positions 5 The distance between these two positions 6 will be the approximate length of the hull and the ends of the hull can be thus indicated by placing buoys. The boats B are then caused to travel through arcs of and to the positions 0 and the distance between the lines along which the boats pull while thus located will be equal to the width of the hull. By causing the boats B to pull on the cable 3 while they are located as at 0 they will drag the cable under one endof the hull and buoys may be attached to the cable to locate it. The cable is then left and the large cables 3 are attached to the boats and dragged under the respective ends of the located hull after which buoys are attached thereto. The floating structure is then brought to position over the hull and the cables 3 are attached thereto. Previous to this, however, a sleeve 7 is placed on each upwardly extending portion of the cables 8. Each sleeve is adapted to straddle the cable therein and has a block or shoe 8 to which a hoisting rope 9 is attached. A cam is mounted :tor rotation in each sleeve 7, as shown at 10 and has a depending lever 11 revoluble therewith. A cable 12 connects the lever ll 01' the sleeve on one side of the depending loop of one cable 3 with the lever of the sleeve on the same side of the other depending loop and thus the sleeves on the cables are connected by two cables extending longitudinally of and above the hull. When the connected sleeves are released, they will slide downwardly along the sides of the loops 0]": cables 3, being lowered by letting out the ropes 9. The cables 12 are somewhat shorter than the hull and, consequently, when the cables 3 are hoisted they will pull the cables 12 taut and cause the levers 11 to swing and the cams 10 to press the blocks or shoes 8 against the cables 3, thus holding the sleeves against sliding movement on the cables. Therefore, as the hoisting of cables 3 continues, the portions thereof under the bow and stern of the hull will be held in engagement therewith and the hull will gradually be raised to the surface in position between the floats.

What is claimed is l. T he hereindescribed method oi locating and raising hulls which consists in dragging a cable into engagement with the hull and pulling the end portions into parallel posi- Cc-pies of this patent tions to determine one approximate dimeh sion of the hull swinging said end portions through 90 degrees to determine another dimension oi the hull, dragging a cable under one end of the hull, dragging another cable under the other end of the hull, lowering tie devices along said cables to hold them against movement oil of the engaged portions of the hull, and then hoisting the cables and hull.

2, Apparatus for use in raising sunken hulls, including spaced connected floats having a hull receiving space therebetween hoisting mechanism mounted on. said floats and including cables having depending in termediate or loop portions, sleeves mounted to slide on the side portions of the depending loops, a rope connected to each sleeve, cable gripping means within each sleeve, and cable connections between the gripping means in the sleeves on the corresponding sides of the respective loops, said comieclions constituting means for actuatin the gripping means to fasten the sleeves to the hoisting cables when said cables are drawn taut.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, i ha re hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HORACE EDMUND RANLINS.

lVi tnesses Ln ROY REEsE, MIRIAM V. BERRY.

may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, Di G.

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