US1767672A - Device for raising and for buoying up ships - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1930. J. C. HILLS 1,767,672

DEVICE FOR RAISING AND FOR BUOYING UP SHIPS Filed April 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ma r/(w 636710 7 Ways.

Julie 24, 1930. I J. c. Hl LLS 1,767,672

DEVICE FOR RAISING AND'FOR BUOYING UP SHIPS Filed April 3, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 di'to 1: 11 3s Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES FATE OFFHIE JOHN C. HILLS, 0F MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS:

Application filed April 3,

This invention relates to'improvements in devices for raising and for buoying up ships. More particularly it relates to a caisson which is primarily adapted for salvaging sunken ships, but which is capable of serving in the nature of a floating dry-dock should it be de sired to over-haul or repair a salvaged ship or any ship without the necessity of placing it in the usual dry-dock.

The salvaging of sunken ships is diflicult and hazardous. The weighty materials and equipment used in present day ship construc tion, and the gigantic dimensions, make the raising of an ocean liner an undertaking of great magnitude, such that known methods have seldom, if ever, resulted in raising one of the larger of such; and they frequently fail in the case of the smaller ships, especially when lying at a great depth. The huge floating derricks and the chains or cables employed for this purpose fail under the strain; assuming that divers prove able to master the preliminary difficulties of getting under the hull in order to put chains around theship.

r The limited depth to which divers may safely go and the limited time they can remain at sea bottom makes it impracticable to even attempt the raising in some cases, and in others makes the attempt extremely hazardous. And even in shallower waters the necessary size and stiffness of the lifting chains and cables, and the conditions encountered at a sea bottom, make their task very laborious. Attempts to raise sunken ships by the use of buoyancy elements may fail because of inability to get the buoyancy elements strongly attached to the sunken ship.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which can be lowered in a non-buoyant state andcaused to grip the ship, and then be rendered buoyant so that it raises the ship. An important detail resides in the means whereby the hull of the ship is gripped as by tongs which engage under it from both r sides at various points along its length.

Other important features are to operate this device so as to effect the grip by power of the salvage vessels at the surface; to eliminate the necessity for divers to work chains around the ship or even to go down to it; to reduce 1926. Serial No. 99,471.

the corps of divers requisite by present methods to a very small number, or even to a single diver for doing the necessary under-water work; to eliminate the supporting chains and cables heretofore used; to effect the raising by holding the hull in a cradle; and to apply any desired degree of buoyancy by adding buoyant units easily. Another object is to provide so that a ship may be raised com pletely out of the water, to the end that under water repairs may be made without going to port or into ordinary dry-dock.

These objects are attained with apparatus embodying in substance a huge pair of tongs, capable of closing together so as to constitute a cradle about a hull lying on the bottom of the sea, each jaw being equip ed with chambers which can hold water or sinking and can receive air from the surface for elevating the ship. The said apparatus comprises two pivotally connected frame units, the lower ends of which constitute jaws which are adapted to be spread apart for descending to embrace the ships hull and then to be moved toward each other and to be latched at any degree of closure. Integral with each jaw is a large air tight buoyancy element with flexible air filling tubes reaching to the surface to render the device buoyant, and preferably they are also equipped with flexible water tubes or other device to admit water for displacing air in the tanks to assist in making the device non-buoyant. Having been floated in a buoyant state to a desired place, the device may be there submerged with the jaws latched open and as it sinks be guided from above so that it settles astride the sunken ship. The jaws may thenbe closed together to engage under the hull of the ship, and be latched in their closed position, after which the device is made buoyant, whereupon it rises and carries the ship up with it. Should a ship be sunk in mud to such an extent that the jaws cannot take hold of its hull, or if the ship is lyin upon its side, cables may be attached from t e upper body of the ship to the respective frame sections of the device while it rests on sea bottom, spread openabove and straddling the ship. T en, by c a nsbu ya cy, hes p y be 9. rlk

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lifted, with the cables rather than the aws carrying the load. Until buoyancy 1s established the jaws may act as legs to hold up the points from which the cables are suspended; and the jaws may be called into sc ryice to engage underneath as scenes the ship has been righted or has gotten high enough so that the bottom does not prevent t rem; or the ship, slung in this tem orary way may be moved to a fresh place near by on the bot-- tom and then be engaged under its Jody by the jaws in th r gular way. 1

When a floating dry-dock 1 desired, the buoyancy elements may be arranged so that, as the apparatus is closed, they assume a position rather below the lifting aws. n every case the latter are designed of a size capable of supporting the weight to held. Attachment of auxiliary elements easily pro vides a satisfactory way for effecting this change, and for adding to buoyancy when needed for any purpose. I

The invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications, one only of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawi s. It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novmty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a front elevation of apparatus embodying the invention, it being in its buoyant state with the jaws latched in a closed position;

Figure 2 is alike view illustrating tl jaws latched open, it being in its non-buoyant state, submerged, and an auxiliary buoyancy unit being shown attached;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus;

Figure a is an elevation in section through one of the buoyancy tanks;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the frame illustrating the ratchet latch; and

Figure 6is a diagrammatic front elevation showing all of the control cables extent ing to a tug directly above from which the various operations may be performed.

Referring to the drawings, two similarly constructed air tight containers, caissons or tanks are seen at 10 and 12 r spectively, one of which is to be on each side f the sunke hull, each carrying two uprig...t huge levers 1e, 16, which may preferably be made of structural steel and which are illustrated as being connectedtogether through the 10 or 12 and by ties 18, and which shaped in their lower parts so as to the sides and bottom of a ships hull, each con )1 ising one section of a buoyant pair of to The size and buoyant force of the contanier and the dimensions and number of lever structures comprising the section at each side of the device may vary according to the lifting ca pacity desired, and they may be constructed and tied or braced together in any suitable way whereby the necessary strength and clearances may be gained. The structural steel bridgework type of construction has the merit that a maximum of strength is provided with a minimum of weight.

In Figures 1 and 2 the sections constituting the tongs are seen maintained spaced apart by horizontal fulcrum beams 20, there being one of these fulcrum beams at each pair of upright lever units. The points of connection to the respective beams constitute pivots about which the buoyant lever sections may turn, and the spaces thus provided between successive uprights direction lengthwise of the hull, and between sections for engaging opposite sides of the hull may be made ample to receive the upper works of the ship which is to be raised. portion of each lever is so shaped as approximately to fit the hull of a ship so as to engage under it and let the ship rest in it to be lifted,

these lower extremities constituting opposed hull engaging and lifting aws 22, 24, adapt ed to be closed or opened by the turning; of the lovers 14, 16 on their respective pivots at the ends of the fulcrum beams 20.

The containers or tanks 10, 12, constitute the buoyancy elements of the device. They may be constructed of sheet metal, or any sufficiently strong air and water proof material. They are intimately associated structurally with the jaws, so that their buoyancy is applied directly to the jaws, and through them directly to the hull of the ship, thus dispensing with lifting cables, chains, etc, and the problems of passing them under the hull, making them fast, and making them of sufiicient strength. These tanks may be made cylindrical, if preferred, or in any other shape, but are illustrated as being in a special shape that occupies all conveniently available space. If preferred these may be made in two parts, a metal casing for strength and an interior air tight flexible lining supported by the casing on the principle of the casing and inner tube of automobile tires. It is an important feature of the invention to provide so that the tanks may be rendered buoyant or non-buoyant at will. This is illustrated as accomplished by providing each with one or more flexible water tubes 26 and one or more flexible air tubes 28. The water tubes are preferably arranged so as to commimicate with the bottom portion of the tanks while it is desirable that the air tubes enter the upper portion of the tanks. As illustrated both water and air tubes lead through the top of the tank. They must have sufficient external length to permit of attachment to pumps carried by a vessel at the surface when the jaws are on sea bottom. Air. is pumped in, to force water out, when it is desired to make the device buoyant; and water is pumped in to force the air out when Th e lower device non-buoyant. arrangement of the interior of one tank is shown, the other being identical. The perforated plates 10 are set in angular relation to one another to prevent any great swishing of water when the tanks are but partially filled. While water tubes are shown for filling the tanks with water when a non-buoyant state is desired, the weight of the device alone may be depended upon to cause its sinking when the air is pumped out, in which case the water tubes may be dispensed with. If preferred, check valves (not shown) may be installed, opening outward but not inward, in which case water can be forced out by pumping air in; or, if there be an outer stiff and an inner flexible skin the same effect can be gained by letting the flexible interior skin hold air only, and letting it collapse when it is to become non-buoyant.

In order that the jaws may be maintained closed or open, gravity locking latches 30 are provided. These latches are pivoted to one section and extend across to the other, each having notches either of which can engage a lug on the latter section. A cable 32 is attached to each latch and extends to any convenient point of control above on the structure, or at the surface of the sea if the latches are submerged. As illustrated the locking latches 30 are arranged below the pivot points of the frame sections. Above the pivot points are additional latches 34 in the nature of ratchets, each pivoted on one section, and extending to the other section. These each are adapted to ride freely over their lugs to permit closing of the jaws, but to engage those lugs to lock the jaws in any of successive intermediate positions to prevent their opening. A. cable 36 leads up from each, for control to unlatch them.

The opening and closing operations of the jaws may be controlled by cables. For this purpose the upper end of each pivoted frame section may be provided with a beam 38 ex tending laterally across the hull, to whose end is attached a jaw-closing cable 40, 42; or these cables may be attached. directly to the eyes 38 on the top of each frame. Jawopening cables 44 and 46 are attached to each pivoted section at a point below its pivot. The closing and opening cables 40 and 44 for one of the jaws may extend to one point of control which may be presumed to be a tug 43 located at one side, and the cables 42, 46 may extend to another point on the other side, likewise presumed to be a tug 45. The latch cables will also extend to one .or the other of the tugs. However, as illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 6 all controls may be at a single float 47 stationed above the submerged device.

In operation, the buoyancy tanks 10 and 12 having been filled with air the device as a lifting of the locking latches 30 the whole becomes buoyant and may be towed to position over: the sunken hull, the jaws being locked either closed or open. Upon the buoyancy of the tanks coupled with weight at the middle spreads the jaws to open position, and there they can be held by lowering the locking latches 30. The ratchet latches 84, which have meanwhile been held up and inoperative, may then be released. :Submerging of the device is accomplished by pumping water into the tanks, thus forcing the air out; and by causing the device to sink slowly, in a nearly buoyant state, guided from above under directions furnished by a diver stationed at a convenient point, so that the jaws come to rest on sea bottom, one on each side of the sunken hull. As sunken ships usually are found substantially upright, or only slightly tilted, possibly owing to entrapped air, the spread of jaws needed in a device embodying the invention in most cases does not much exceed the beam of the vessel that is to be raised. lVhen the position has been gained the locking latches 30 are raised and the jaws can then be closed so as to grip the sunken hull by pulling on the jaw closing cables 40, 42. Whatever force is needed can be applied for this purpose through these cables by tugs at the surface pulling in opposite directions. Or the jaws can be closed by :(llIGCt vertical pull on the ends of the beams 38 extending laterally from the tops of the jaw frames, which ends are depressed when the jaws are open. Or, they can be closed by a single tug or windlasspulling on tackle that might be arranged (not shown) between the outboard ends ofeach pair of said beams. In order to prevent the jaws from digging into the sea bottom as they come together, suitable skids, or preferably, and as illustrated, large wheels or rollers 48 may be provided. The ratchet latches hold the sections against spreading while permitting them to come together.' The cables'44, 46 are provided to permit reopening in case the first attempt does not gain a proper grip upon the ship, or in case a different adjustment iswanted. In such event the ratchet latches must be lifted rom above to permit spreading of the sec- 1 tions. The jaws can also be opened by pumping air into the side tanks'while the latches are all disengaged. 1

The jaws having been closed upon the hull of the ship and latched by the ratchet latches 34, the hull is enclosed as in a cradle. It will be understood that the device may be designed in such proportions and dimensions and with such architecture and such clearances as will adapt it either to any particular task, or for general uses, the construction shown being merely illustrative of one form for thus engaging a ships body. To raise the hull the pumps force air into the tanks 10, 12 and thus force the water out so that the tanks become buoyantand the device rises with the ship firmly in its grasp. Two or more of these devices may be employed on a long ship. Extra'buoyancy may be provided by attachment of auxiliary tanks, one being illustrated at 50 in Figure 2, having flexible tubes for air and water. The ship is supported underneath in a very direct manner, and may be floated or towed to wherever it maybe desired to take it. By attaching the auxiliary tanks so that they will come substantially beneath the aws when closed the device may be made to raise a ship clear of the water.

In unusual cases, as where the ship is embedded in mud to an extent preventing the lifting jaws from gripping underneath its hull, or when the ship lies on its side, cables may be attached to its upper parts and then by tackle, attached either at the surface of the water or to an upper part of the jaw structure when sunk to the bottom, as if attached to holes 52, the ship can be righted, or even raised a little and floated to a nearby location where it can rest on the bottom of the sea in better position to be gripped. During this operation the frame sections may be latched apart and as soon as advisable may be released and the jaws closed upon the ship, in order to raise it as above described. Moreover, in a suitable case, the ship may be raised to the surface by cables alone, the ship being gripped by the device as described, and the latter being operated and lifted by cables;

or cables and floats at the surface may be used to supplement the lifting power of the submersible buoyant elements provided.

I claim as my invention:

1. A caisson for raising ships comprising a pair of upright levers; jaws thereon for engaging a hull; a fulcrum beam pivotally connecting the levers and spacing them apart,

to operate on opposite sides of the hull;

beams extending laterally from the levers, across the hull above the fulcrum beam and adapted to transmit force applied to said lateral beams for effecting closing of the jaws and means attached to said jaws adapted to render them buoyant or not at will.

2. A caisson for raising ships comprising a pair of upright levers fulcrumed together, with jaws thereon for engaging a hull on opposite sides of the hull; beams extending laterally from the levers, across the hull above the fulcrum and adapted to transmit force applied to said lateral beams for effecting closing of the jaws; and means attached to said jaws adapted to render them buoyant or not at will.

3. A caisson for raising ships comprising submersiblejaws, levers carrying the jaws; a fulcrum beam spacing and pivotally connecting the levers, whereby they may turn to close said jaws upon a sunken hull; cables attached to the levers for moving the jaws to hull-engaging positions, a locking latch for holding the jaws in particular position, and a control cable therefor; a ratchet latch for opposing the opening of the jaws from successive intermediate positions, and a control cable therefor; and containers attached to said jaws, and air and water control connections therefore whereby to render the caisson buoyant or not.

4-. A caisson for raising ships comprising submersible jaws; spaced levers carrying the jaws; a fulcrum beam pivotally connecting the levers whereby they may turn to close said jaws upon a sunken hull; means attached to the jaws or not at will; the said levers having places for connection of ties from their upper parts to the sunken ship; whereby an embedded ship may be initially lifted to a position where the said jaws can engage underneath it.

5. A device for raising ships comprising levers fulcrumed together jaws carried thereby adapted to engage beneath a sunken hull; means extending below said jaws, adapted to rest on sea bottom and support the jaws thereabove; and means connected to said levers above the fulcrum for moving the jaws to hull engaging position.

6. A device for raising ships comprising levers fulcrumed together jaws carried thereby adapted to embrace a sunken hull; means extending below said jaws adapted to restand to move-on sea bottom for supportingthe jaws'above the sea bottom.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this thirty-first day of March, 1926;

' JOHN C. HILLS.

adapted to render them buoyant-

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