US3143096A

US3143096A - Device for raising sunken ships

Info

Publication number: US3143096A
Application number: US211653A
Authority: US
Inventors: Warren H Meyer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-07-23
Filing date: 1962-07-23
Publication date: 1964-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 1981-08-04

Description

g- 4, 1964 w. H. MEYER DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS Filed July 23, 1962 INVENTOR. WARREN MEYER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,143,096 DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS Warren H. Meyer, Rte. 2, Atlanta, Mich. Filed July 23, 1962, Ser. No. 211,653 5 Claims. (Cl. 114-52) This invention relates to a. device for raising sunken ships and more particularly to a device which may be collapsed and moved to a position over a sunken ship, extended to operative position and engaged on the sunken ship and floated to the surface carrying the sunken ship.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device for forming a supporting frame about a sunken ship so that the same may be raised thereby.

A still further object of the invention is the pro vision of a device for raising sunken ships which device includes a rectangular frame and a plurality of extensible members extending inwardly therefrom and arranged to engage and support said ship.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a frame device for engaging a sunken ship and provided with buoyant means for floating the same.

The device for raising sunken ships disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to such devices and more particularly in that a rectangular adjustable frame construction is disclosed which includes elongated frame members with end frame members at their opposite ends interconnecting the same in spaced parallel relation. The elongated frame members are provided with oppositely disposed inwardly extending extensible arms which may be readily engaged against the sunken vessel so as to cradle the same between the elongated frame members. Buoyant floats attached to the several frame members may then lift the frame and the ship as a unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top elevational view of the device for raising sunken ships with broken lines indicating a sunken ship.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross section on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, with broken lines indicating the buoyant members used for floatation.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that the device for raising sunken ships comprises a pair of elongated frame members and 11 which are of a greater length than the length of a ship S to be raised. The opposite ends of the elongated frame members 10 and 11 are provided with

offset pivot strucures

12 and 13 respectively. Each of the elongated frame members 10 and 11 is preferably formed of a pair of spaced parallel oppositely disposed

channels

14 and 15 respectively with a plurality of

crossed subframe members

16 and 17 interconnecting the same.

Eyelets

18 and 19 are disposed at spaced intervals longitudinally of the elongated frame members 10 and 11. Each of the

channels

14 and 15 defining the inner sides of the elongated frame members 10 and 11 are provided with longitudinally spaced inwardly extending apertured brackets 20 and 21 respectively as best seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

Telescopic arms

22 and 23 having

extensible members

24 and 25 respectively located therein are pivotally mounted on the apertured brackets 20 and 21 by

pivot pins

26, 26. The

extensible portions

24 and 25 of the

arms

22 and 23 are apertured at their outermost ends and carry universally

adjustable brackets

27 and 28 which in turn carry

plates

29 and 30 respectively adapted to be engaged against the sunken ship.

It will be observed by referring again to FIGURE 1 of the drawings that there are a plurality of oppositely disposed pairs of

arms

22 and 23 and that the

arms

22, 22 as seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings are positioned at an upwardly and inwardly extending angle relative to the frames 10 and 11 while the arms 23, 23are positioned at a downwardly and inwardly extending angle relative thereto. The effect of the arrangement just described is to position the

plates

29 and 30 in vertically spaced relation so that the weight of the ship carried on the

arms

22, and 23 will be supported at widely spaced points on the ships hull.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that the

plates

29 and 30 may be and preferably are attached to the ship temporarily as by welding or bolting so that the device disclosed herein becomes in effect a rectangular frame positioned around the sunken ship and secured thereto. The elongated frame members 10 and 11 are secured to one another in spaced parallel relation by

end frame members

31 and 32 which are detachably connected to the

pivot structures

12 and 13. The device therefore takes the form of a rectangular frame comprising the elongated frame members 10 and 11 and the

end frame members

31 and 32 positioned about the ship to be raised and having the plurality of inwardly extending angularly disposed

arms

22 and 23 with their inner ends comprising the

plates

29 and 30 engaged on and preferably attached to the ship. Inflatable means such as buoyant cylinders or collapsible floats are then attached to the device by means of the

eyelets

18 and 19 on the elongated frames 10 and 11 and by means of eyelets 33 and 34 on the

arms

22 and 23 and as illustrated in broken lines in FIGURE 2 of the drawings so that sufflcient buoyancy is obtained to float the frame, the arms and the ship. Sever-a1 alternate positions of the buoyant floats will occur to those skilled in the art, the most obvious comprising the use of the floats F attached by cables C to the

eyelets

18, 19, 33 and 34 respectively. Alternately, floats F1, F2 and F3 may be positioned beneath the respective arms and frame members and inflated to provide buoyancy. Elongated inflatable bags F4 may be positioned within the frame members 10 and 11 when they are hollow as in the preferred form of the invention. Regardless of the type, size or positions of the floats F they are sufficient to lend buoyancy to the device and Will When inflated, serve to float the sunken ship. It will occur to those skilled in the art that overhead cranes may also be used to lift the frame and the sunken ship. It will thus be seen that the device disclosed herein comprises essentially a rectangular framework, having inwardly extending arms and means for engagement with the ship to be raised so that a structural framework is in effect formed about the ship and which framework provides convenient and readily accessible means for lifting the ship.

By referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that means is provided and shown in connection with the

arms

22, 22 and 23, 23 for moving the same relative to the frame 11. Such means comprise hydraulic piston and

cylinder assemblies

35, 35 and 36, 36, the piston rods of which are pivotally engaged on the

arms

22 and 23 respectively with the opposite ends of the cylinders pivotally engaged on the frame 11. Actuation of these piston and

cylinder assemblies

35, 35 and 36, 36 will move the

arms

22, 22 and 23, 23 relative to the frames 10 and 11 and thereby facilitate the positioning of the same relative to the sunken ship. Similar piston and cylinder assemblies may be provided for moving each of the

arms

22, 22 and 23, 23, vertically, if desired, so as to cause a clamping action on the ship.

It will thus be seen that a device for raising sunken ships has been disclosed which meets the several objects of my invention, and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device for raising sunken ships comprising a pair of elongated frame members and a pair of end frame members interconnecting said elongated frame members and positioning them in spaced parallel relation, a plurality of movable extensible arms on each of said frame members extending inwardly relative thereto, a plurality of plates adapted to be attached to said sunken ship and means on each of said arms for pivotal attachment to a corresponding one of said plates, respectively, means on said frame members for moving said arms relative thereto, and buoyant means for floating said frame and said ship.

2. The device for raising sunken ships set forth in claim 1 and wherein said plurality of movable arms are ararnged in superimposed rows with the uppermost rows extending inwardly and upwardly from said frames and the lowermost rows extending downwardly and inwardly from said frames.

3. The device for raising sunken ships set forth in claim 1 and wherein the means on said frame members for moving said arms comprise piston and cylinder assemblies.

4. The device for raising sunken ships set forth in claim 1 and wherein each of said arms is telescopically extensible and pivotally mounted relative to said frame.

5. The device for raising sunken ships set forth in claim 1 and wherein said elongated frame members are hollow and floats are disposed within the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 963,168 Nelson July 5, 1910 1,851,892 Bontempi Mar. 29, 1932 1,912,428 Bontempi June 6, 1933 20 2,905,127 Ohlson Sept. 22, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 378,166 Great Britain Aug. 11, 1932