US184121A - Improvement in dredging apparatus - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE JAN JACOB VAN RIETSOHOTEN AND WILLEM HOUWENS, OF ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

IMPRVEMENT IN DREDGING APPARATUS.

Speeifieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 184,121, datecl November 7, 1876; applioatou filed June 26, 1876.

T0 all whom z't may concern Be it known that we, JAN JACOB VAN RITSCHOTEN and WILLEM HQUWENS, of Rotterdam, N etherlands, have uvented a new and. Improred Apparatus for Removing Saud Banks, Bars, &o., of whieh the followiug is a specifioation In the acoompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved apparatus for removing saud banks, bars, &o., in rivers; and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Similar letters of referenoe inclieate correspondiug parts.

The invention has for its object to provide improved mechanica] applianees for removing sand. banks and bars, aud deepening wateroourses, rivers, canals, &o.; and L consists of an mprwement; in propellers driven by suit able motive power, and working partially in the material or sandbank to be removed, so oausing whirlpools, and. bringiug t;l1e mud or sand. into a state of suspension in tlie water,

and employing the eurrent to oarry awa y tl1e material thus brought into suspension into deep water. '1 he propellers are oarried at; the

ends of beams, whiol1, at tl1eir opposite euds, are hun g to a lateral frame of a barge or vessel. 'll1e euds of the beams carry back of the propellers rollers to run upon the mud or sanrl and prevent: tl1e propellers aud beams 'rom entering too deeply iuto it.

'll1e propellers anrl beams may be lifted by ohains or otherwisis, po be tl1eu used simply 'or propelling the vessel, whieh may tl1us be used in broken water, where the use of an ordiuary dredgiug-maehiue is impossible.

In the drawiug, A A are the beams, of snit able ooustruotiou and lengtl1, tlrat are hang al;

the upper euds to a shaft, A that is supported in bearings of a lateral frame, A of a suitable barge or vessel, aml lrlveu by a steam-engine on board of the same. The

drivingshaft A revolves, by beveled gearwheels, the shafts B, that; turn in bearngs of IJhe beams, aud are provided al: their lower ends with a propeller or propellers, B. Eaeh propeller or stirrer B consists of a four-bladed. sorew of unusual streugtlx, wibh two blades set in advanoe of, and being somewhat longer than, the other two. Tl1e propellers are lowered to the bottom of the rver, oanal, or other water-courses, and then remlved to work on the sand-bank or materlal to be removed, so to stir up the same and brng it; uto a suffioient; state of suspension in the water to admt; of its beng oarred away by tlxe ourrent. A roller or rollers, O, are arranged back of the propellers, turning in suitable bearings of the beams A, to prevent the propellers from entering too deeply into the mud so as to break or g'et stook.

Tl1e propellers and beams are lifted by means of cl1aius D and orane D into position alongside of the vessels, when the work of removing the sand is to be interrupted, tl1e propellers servng t;l1en to move tlxe vessel.

Tl1e lifting-ehain is taken in by a steamwineh, tl1e propellers and beams beiug in tllis marmer readily raised for movlug aud lowered for work. Guard pieees or bands at tl1e sirles of the vessel serve to guide tl1e beams as they are raised or lowered.

Having thus desoribed our invention, what we claim as uew, aud desire to secure by Letters Patenn, is-

JAN JACOB VAN RIETSCHOTEN.

WILLEM HOUWENS. Witnesses: A. SCHOUPT,

A. F. G. HEUFTMAN.

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