US1404921A

US1404921A - Ship-salvaging apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1404921A
Application number: US474814A
Authority: US
Inventors: James M Adams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-06-03
Filing date: 1921-06-03
Publication date: 1922-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 1939-01-31

Description

J. M. ADAMS SH|P SALVAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1921.

1 ,404,921 Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

F l INVENTEIR Ag AM /v55 M fiDfi/VE HIE HTTURNEY J. M. ADAMS.

SHIP SALVAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1921.

I Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

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J. M. ADAMS.

SHIP SALVAGING APPARATUS.-

AFPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1921- 1,404,921 Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

HIE FITT'URNEIY STATES JAMES M. ADAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHIP-SALVAGING APPARATUS.

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Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented J an. 31, 1922.

Application filed June 3, 1921. Serial No. 474,814.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. ADAMS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ship-Salvaging Apparatus,

and attaching themselves to suitable 00-.

operating members of the ship, for raising the ship to the surface.

To this end my invention consistsin the various combinations and in the several important features hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the appended drawingsof which:

Fig. 1 is an illustration of a sunken ship equipped with the devices of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a vessels hull, showing how my invention is applied to the vessel,

I Fig. 3shows, on a larger scale, portions of the device disclosed in Fig. 2,

7 Figs. 1 and 5 illustrate the operation of making connection with elements of the in vention, i 7

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a certain'cab'le structure necessary for the proper operation of the device, and r Fig. 7 is a complete view disclosing every important element of the structure.

Reference is, in the first instance, invited to Fig; 1, which shows the hull of a vessel resting on the bottom of a body of" water, and all of the main features of the invention are embodied in this view. The nu-' meral 1 indicates the hull of a vessel and along the sides of the vessel are provided two series of devices, 2' and 3. The devices on one side being marked 2 to 2, inclusive,

and those of the other side 3 to 3 inclusive.

salvaging vessel, 8, and it is noticed that the crew of this vessel has succeeded in making connections with the device, 2, for the purpose of raising the sunken ship, as will hereinafter be fully explained.

No attempt is made to describe the type of salvage vessel used, or the number of such vessels required for raising a particular ship, and theoutline of the vessel, 8, is only intro-- duced in orderto demonstrate the operation of the structures of my invention. The lines 4 and 5 are substantially of even length and this is of importance, because, due to this fact, it is possible to determinewhether the ship is resting in its natural position or whether it has turnedover on its side in foundering. If the vessel is still in its natural position it is evident that when the lines, 4 and 5, are hauled in by the salvaging ves sels, the crews of said vessels can measure the length of the rope ends above the water and, finding them of the same length, cart be certain that the ship ison her keel. If the ship has turned in foundering, however, as indicated in Fig. 1, itis noticed that the rope ends extending from one side of the ship will be much longer'than those from the other side of the ship and the salvaging crews will then commence to haul in on the short lines until all lines become of even length, whereupon they will know that the ship is now in the proper position to be of these devices but wish it understood that I all of the devices are substantially alike. Fig.

2 is a cross sectional view'of one side of the vessel, taken amidship, showing one of the ribs, 10, extending from abovethe deck 1*, downward to the keel 1". One of the devices, 2 is shownresting on the deck adjacent to said rib, 10, and it'comprises a cylindrical hook, .or spear, 11, through which the line i is threaded. The top of the line is clamped to the floating member, 6 and the bottom of said line is broken off in Fig. 3, but as in Fig. 2 shown to extend through the rib 10, and into a compartment 10 at the bottom of which it isfastened. At a certain distance from the bottom the line is made withan enlargement, or core 12, the importance of which will appear presently.

Strongly secured to thev noel L is one or

more cables

13, 14, which also extend through the rib 10 and to the'spear 11, the bottom of which is shaped to receive said cables and retain them securely fastened. The lower end of the spear is surrounded by a suitable floating member 15, and this float is provided for the purpose of placing and maintaining the structure in a vertical position in the water the moment the ship sinks below the surface. I

The operation of my device, so far as it has hereinbefore described, is as follows:

The moment the vessel sinks below thc surface it is found that the buoys 6 and 7 will remain on the surface and that the floats 15 will operate to swing the spears 11 into a vertical position. In the drawings these spears are shown freely resting on the top of the deck of a ship and it is required. that they be allowed suflicient freedom to function properly, but it is, of course, necessary to confine them within some kind of a frame in order to maintain them in this position when the vessel rolls in a heavy sea. The ship continues to sink and the buoys tend to remain afloat, and the result is that the lines 4 and 5 commence to slide through the spears 11, through which they will continue to pass until the vessel reaches the bottom. How much rope is required is of course a question that will have to be determined in each individual case, but I have found through investigation, that most ships founder in less than 500 feet of water and for this reason I am of the opinion that about 500 feet of line is suflicient for each buoy. If 500 foot lines are used and the ship settles at a depth of less than 500 feet and, if the water is in motion, as it usually is, due to tides or river currents, it is most likely that the buoys will be carried along by the current as indicated in Fig. 1 until all of the line is played out. This condition is illustrated in Fig. 3 and it is noticed that the core 12, has entered the passage through the spear11, and has come to a stop of this passage.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a method of weaving the solid body or core'12 into the line 4. But I wish it understood that it may be embodied in the line in any other suitable manner, so long as it performs its function properly.

I am well aware that the lines in the be very difiicult to separate the various lines.

at a shoulder portion 11 The salvage vessels are required to carry suitable devices for engagement with the spears 11, and such devices may take the shape indicated in Fig. 4., When a buoy is hauled in by the crew, it is detached from its line, and the end of the line is inserted through a cylindrical body 18, which latter in turn is attached to the ends of a plurality of strong cables 20 and 9.1. The lower extremity of the body 18 .isprovided with a pair of spring-held

jaws

17 and 18. which take a position facing each other. The end of the buoy line is now securely fastened on the salvaging vessel, and the body 18 is then permitted to slide downward along said lines until the aws 17 and 18 slide over the head portion 11 of the spear 11, and engage a shoulder 11 directly below this head portion. The sunken ship is now, at least so far as these particular cable and gripping devices is concerned, ready to be raised, and this position is indicated atQ" and 1 in Fig. 1.

The cables. 20 and 21.

are here shown 'bent over a boom 23, such 7 as usually employed in apparatus of this kind, but it may of course be operated upon in any other suitable manner.

It is my plan to confine myself, if possible, to one standard size of apparatus, having the cables, the spears and gripper jaws of one uniform size. Ships that ply the rivers and seas of the world, vary, of course, a

18 by

suitable studs

24 and 25 and they are Y urged together by

resilient members

26 and 27. It is noticed that the body 18 is made with a plurality of

passages

18 and 18 in which the

hauling cables

20 and 21 are seated. I prefer, however, to employ only one cable and-to thread the end of this cable through the passage 18 whereupon the cable is caused to make severalturns along the reduced portion or neck 18 of the body, and it is then returned through the second passage 18". This I have found to be a very substantial way of attaching the cable where the two

strands

20 and 21 are used. It is of course necessary where 'more than two strands are employed to fasten the ends ofthe cables to the gripper body in some other suitable manner. The means of fastening the anchor cable in the spear 11' mayconveniently be substantially thesame as just described in connection with the grippers. Such construction is indicated in Fig. 3.

The ribslO, through which the-buoy line extended through the rib and to the keel of the vessel. I may, however, secure these cables to the top of the ribs, in any suitable manner, and then depend upon the ribs alone to carry the weight of the vessel, in which case the ribs might have to be made stronger, but perhaps not so expensive.

In Fig. l I showed the spears 11 mounted close to the top. of the said ribs, and the spears did, a will be remembered, form part of the devices 2 to 2 and 3 to 3, but it may be of advantage to carry these structurcs .I'urther away from the ribs, as indicated in Fig. 7. In this view the sunken vessel is shown on its keel, and the devices 30 to 30 inclusive, are placed far enough from the ribs, by using longer cables 31, 32, to clear the vessel, even when the vessel has turned on its side, as shown in Fig. 1. The moment the vessel settles on the bottom it is found that sand commences to gather around the hull, and such gatheringsand may soon cover the (levices3 8 of Fig. 1.. But when the longer cablesSl, 32 are emploved it is found that all the said devices will rise clear of the hull. if the cables are longer than the Width of the vessel.

Further modifications may suggest themselves, and I reserve the privilege to embody such modifications so long as they come within the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a series of members anchored in the hull of a vessel, means urging said members'into a vertical position when the vessel is submerged, a corresponding series of buoys, and buoy line extending from the hull and through said members to said buoys.

2. In a ship salvaging device, a )lurality of clutch members anchored to the hull of a ship by flexible cables and capable of seek ing a vertical position when the vessel sinks below the surface, buoy lines extending from the vessel and through said members, and a buoy attached to the end of each line, and means provided with jaws and mountable. and slidable on said lines for engagement with said members, for the purpose specified.

8. In a ship salvaging device, a plurality of spear shaped members anchored to the vessel by flexible cables longer than the width of the vessel, lines extending from the vessel and passing through said members, floats to which the ends of said lines are attached, and an enlarged portion on each line and shaped to engage a shoulder portion in the passage through said members, for the purpose of anchoring the lines in the members, when said lines are fully played out.

4:. In a device of the character described, a plurality of clutch members anchored to a vessel by flexible devices, floats attached to said members for the purpose of turning said members into av vertical position the moment the vessel sinks below the surface, means extending from said members for indicating the location of said vessel and members, and means applicable to said locating means for engagement with said members for the purpose of raising the vessel.

In a salvaging device, clutch members anchored in a ship, means urging said memhers into a vertical position when the ship is submerged, buoy carrying lines passing through said members, and means applicable to said linesand slidable on the lines for engaging said members to raise the vessel.

6. In a salvaging device, the combination with a vessel having channeled ribsextending from railing to keel, of anchoring cables secured to said keel. and extending through said channels, clutch members attached to the free end of said cables, locating means extending from said members, and salvaging devices applicable to said locating means for engaging said members.

7. In a salvaging apparatus, the combination with a vessel having a plurality of channeled ribs extending from railing to keel,of a. plurality of clutch members, flexible elements extending from the keel through'said channeled ribs for anchoring said membersto the vessel, means urging said members into a vertical position in the water, buoy lines coiled at the bottom of said ribs and extending through the members, buoys attachable to the ends of the lines, and means applicable to and slidable on said lines for engaging said members to raise the vessel.

8. In a ship salvaging device. a plurality of spear-shaped members, each having a central passage and made with an enlarged lower portion having two additional p assages, a cable extending from the ship and through one oi? the latter passages, thence wound around the spear above said enlarged portion and returned through the other passage to the keel, a buoy line extending from the ship and through said central passage, and means slidable on said line for engaging said spear to raise the vessel.

9. In a salvaging apparatus, a plurality of clutch members anchored in a vessel by means of flexible cables longer than the width of the vesseland extending a uniform distance above the deck of the vessel, buoy lines extending from the vessel and through said members, buoys attached to the ends of said lines and causing the lines to slide through the members as the ship sinks, and

enlargements on said lines and engaging a shoulder portion in the passage through said members, whereby said buoys are held anchored a uniform distance from said mem bers. o

10. In a salvaging apparatus, a plurality of clutch members anchored in a vessel by flexible devices and capable of seeking an upright position when the vessel is submerged, buoy lines of uniform length extending from said members, buoys attached to the ends of said lines, said buoys being marked or numbered relative to their position on the vessel, and means applicable to said lines for engaging said members.

11. In a salvaging device, a plurality of clutch members anchored in a vessel by means of flexible cables, means on said members seeking to maintain the members in'a vertical position When the vessel is sub merged, lines coiled at the bottom of the vessel and passing through ribs oi the vessel and then through said members, said lines having enlargements for engagement With a shoulder portion in the passage through said members, and marked floats attached to the ends of said lines a uniform distance from said enlargements.

12. In a device of the character described, clutch members anchored in'a Vessel, buoy lines extending through said members to the surface, clutch members anchored in salvaging vessels for engagement with the first named members and slidable on said lines, all of said members having head portions shaped for interengagement, provided with a contracted intermediate portion and an enlarged tail-portion, said tail providedthroughwhich the anchoring cables pass, said cables- With longitudinal perforations being Wound around the said intermediate portion.

13. A aship by cables longer than the Width of the ship, a buoy line extending from the ship through said spear and havingyan enlargement intermediate its ends, said .en-

by cables extendable from the ship further than the width of the ship, a buoy line anchored in the ship for each spear and extending through each spear, said line having an enlargement intermediate its ends, which enlargement is of a size to enter the passage through the spear but arrested by a shoulder portion of the passage, for the reason of which the spear may be drawn free and clear of the sunken vessel from above, a buoy on the end of said line for locating the line, and clutching means slidable down said line for engagement with said spear.

In testimony whereof I. have hereunto affixed my signature.

JAMES M. ADAMS.

buoyant tubular spear anchored in