US142577A

US142577A - Improvement

Info

Publication number: US142577A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1873-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 1890-09-09

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIoE JOHN F. MORSE, oF OSHKOSH, WIsoONsIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN DREDGERS;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l42,577, dated September 9, 1873; application filed February 24, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. MORSE, of the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful apparatus for the removal of sand-bars or alluvial deposits on the bottom of rivers; and I hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan view, showing the forward part of the boat or vessel and the wheels used for the removal of sand-bars. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a more efficient apparatus for the removal of sand-bars than those heretofore used; and. to this end the invention consists in the construction of a boat and the arrangement of the wheels, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, A is the vessel, to which the wheels for the removal of obstructions (of the nature heretofore men: tioned) are attached, and in which is to be located the machinery for driving the same.

' The bow of the boat is the reverse of those by either stern or side wheels in addition to the wheels at the bow; B B are shafts, which may be driven by engines (located crosswise of the vessel) connecting with cranks on the shafts or by gear in any of the methods of producing rotary motion. Two other shafts are represented, but are not considered indispensable. Shafts B B, instead of being parallel, as represented, might diverge from the bow, and thus produce the same effect as the four will as now arranged. O G 0 0 are wheels of the style 'known asi l propeller-wheels, and may (for the purposes" of this vessel) be constructed by attaching flukes to a hub, as represented, or in one piece, as is common with wheels used for propulsion only. 7

I do not wish to confine myself to the use of four wheels, as shown in the drawings, for the reason that a vessel with the wheels located at the bow, as shown, is sufficient to make a channel wide enough for the passage of vessels of medium size, while in order to make a channel sufficient for the larger class of vessels navigating rivers the other additional wheels will be necessary.

The operation of effecting a channel through sand-bars will be as follows: As the vessel approaches a sand-bar the wheels will be put in rapid motion, revolving so as to produce a current toward the vessel, the e'ifect of which will be to loosen the sand in front of the wheels and carry it back with the current of water outside of the vessel. As the sand is removed the vessel moves forward until a passage through the sand-bar is effected.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The dred gin g-vessel A, formed with upward receding concave bows, in combination with two or more propeller-blade wheels adapted to be mechanically rotated, as described, for the purpose of removing sand-bars, substantially a's'specified.

. JOHN F. MORSE.

Witnesses:

R. H. BoYNToN, WM. H. JARVIS.