US334563A

US334563A - Adam bulman

Info

Publication number: US334563A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1886-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1903-01-19

Description

ATTORNEYS. r

A. BULMAN. y

DEVIGE FOR GENTERING VBSSELS IN DRY BOOKS.

Patented Jan. 19,' 1333.

(No Modell.)

@Nima STATES Ainsi* firmen.,

ADAM BULMAN, OFJERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOEL W. BROWN, .OF SAME PLAGE.

DEVICE FOR CENTERING VESSELS IN DRY-BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,563, dated January 19,1886.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern..-

Beit known that I, ADAM BULMAN, of Jersey Oity, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Im proved Device for Centering Vessels in Dry- Docks, of which t-he following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a practical device by which a vessel floating in a dry-dock may be quickly and easily moved to the center of the dock, so that when the water is pumped out of the dock the vessel will settle properly'upon the keel-blocks.

The invention consists, principally, of anattachment constructed with two sliding` blocks adapted to engage with the opposite sides of the keel of a vessel and to be moved to the center of the dock by drawing upon a rope or ropes attached to the sliding blocks.

The invention also consists of the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the gures.

Figure 1 shows my invention applied to a dry-dock and vessel tloating in the dock, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of a dry-dock and the centering device.

A represents the main cross piece or bar of the centering device placed across the drydock B, between two of the keel-blocks C of the dock. The bar A is made of wood, so it will oat in wat-er, and it is held in place in the dock by the studs or short posts D D, secured to the bottom of the dock. The ends of the bar A are slotted, as shown at a a, to embrace the posts D D, and pins el d are secured in the posts D, to limit the upward movement of the bar A when water is admitted to the dock. For lowering the bar A toa point below the upper surfaces ofthe keelblock C, which is necessary at the time a vessel is iioated into the dock, I attach the ropes E E to the ends of the bar A and pass them under the pulleys d d', Vfitted in the lower ends of the posts D. From the pulleys the ropes E pass to the top of the dock, so that by pulling upon the ropes and securing them the bar A may be lowered toand held at the bottom of the dock, so it will not interfere with the entrance of thevessel to the dock.

Upon the bar A are placed the sliding blocks F F. These are secured to the bar by the U-irons ff, or by other means that will permit the blocks to slide freely upon the bar A. The upper edges of the blocks FF standV above the upper edge of the bar A, so that they may engage with the keel of a vessel, as shown in Fig. l, while the bar A rests in contact with the lower surface ofthe keel.

The sliding of the blocks F F on the bar A may be done by means of suitable ropes from the sides of the dry-dock. In this instance, for drawing the blocks outward toward the ends of the bar A, I use the ropes G G, attached to the outer ends of the blocks and passed through pulley-blocks H H at the sides of the dock and thence up to the top of the dock.

For drawing the blocks F F toward the center of thebar A, I prefer to use a single rope, I, attached to the inner end of the block F, passed thence over pulley j in block F', thence over the pulley j in block F, thence through pulley J to the top or" the dock, so that by drawing upon this single rope both blocks may be moved simultaneously toward each other. The pulley J may be omitted, if desired, and the rope I carried directly from the pulley j to the top of the dock. A central stop or projection, a, is formed upon or secured to the bar A, so that the blocks F F cannot be moved upon the bar past the center of the dock or past the center of the bar A.

In operation the har A will be lowered to the bottom of the dock and made fast by the ropes E. The blocks F F will then be drawn toward the studs D by the ropes G, and the vessel floated into the dock. This done, the ropes E E will be released, which will permit the buoyant action of the water to lift the bar A up into contact with the keel of the vessel, so the keel will stand between the blocks F F whether the Vessel be at the center of the dock or not. Now, the rope I will be drawn in upon either by hand or by a windlass, which will cause the blocks F F to simultaneously approach each other and cause one or the other of them to move the vessel to the center of the dock. If the vessel be at the left of the IOO LIO

center of the dock, (see Fig. 1,) block F will reach the keel and remain at rest in contact with the keel until block F reaches the central Stop, a", and is prevented from further move- 5 ment. The block F will now move forward, carrying the vessel with it, until the keel strikes the block F, when the vessel will be exactly in the center of the dock. If the veS- sel enter the dock to the right of the center, the action of the blocks will be reversedthat is, block Fwill act to move the vessel, While block F will abut against the central stop, ct.'

In most cases I shall use two of the center- :5 ing devices in eac-l1 dryedock, one located near each end ofthe dock, so that by operating them the vessel may be centered in the dock fore and aft, and held until the Water is pumped ont, so that the vessel will settle properly upon the keel-blocks C.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as neuT and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The centering device for dry-docks, here in shown and described, consisting of a bar adapted to be moved vertically at the bottom of the doek, combined Wit-l1 sliding blocks, and attached ropes for sliding the blocks toward the center of the dock, substantially as 3o and for the purposes set forth.

2. The bar A, adapted to be held loosely at the bottom of the dock, and provided with the central stop, a', in combination with the sliding blocks F F', placed loosely upon the bar A, and provided with ropes for sliding them upon the bar, substantially as described.

3. The blocks F F', provided with pulleysj j, respectively, in combination with bar A and rope I, attached to block F, and passed over both pulleys, and thence to the top of the 4o dock, substantially as described.

et. The studs D D, secured to the bottom of the dock, in combination with the bar A and sliding blocks F F,thebar Abeing held loosely by the studs, substantially as described.

5. The studs D D, secured at the bottom of the dock, and provided with the pulleys d. d', in combination with the bar A, sliding blocks F F', and the ropes E, for lowering the bar A, substantially as described.

6. The bar A, provided with the central stop, a', and held loosely in the dry-dock by studs D, in combination with the sliding blocks F F, ropes G and E, and the rope I for moving the blocks, substantially as and for the 55 purposes set forth.

ADAM. BULMAN. Vitnesscs:

JOEL W. BROWN, R. L. BOWNE.