US35172A - Improvement in gr - Google Patents

Description

In ven Zar wim/Wag To vall whom it may concern..- Be itknown that I, SAMUEL RA1NBiRn,of -Norwich, in the county of Norfolk, in that'` part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain Vand Ireland-called England,builder, have invented new and useful Improvements in shown at E F and G H. fixed by shackles at different distances apart. .These chains are to grapple the sunken ves- UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

SAMUEL RAINBIRD, or NoRwI'cIL COUNTY or NORFOLK, ENGLAND.

.'IMPROVEMENT IN GRAPPLlNG AND RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS, ic.

ySpecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,l "72, dated May (i, i862.

Grapplingand Raising Sunken Vessels and other submerged Bodies, and in Apparatus for that Purpose; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference .marked thereon.

This'invention consists of improvements in grappling sunken vessels and other sub- Amerge`-dbodies by .means 'of chains and raising'thein bymeans of air-vessels in connectioufwith other apparat-us, anda-lso of imj'provem'cnts in such apparatus.

I' shall first proceed to describe the drawings'fand afterwardV the mode of grappling .andfraising the sunken vessel .or other body. B and C D in Figure 1 are two graduated chains by which vthe sunken vesselor other body-is to be raised. Each ot thesev two chains 'has two rings' or similar guides,as f These rings can be selfandto forma cradle inwhich it is to be raised, as hereinafter described.

Fig; .2 is a plan showingthe sunken vessel' Dand two steam-vessels or other vessels, A

A', anchored one at each side of the sunken vessel. Two smaller vessels, B B', are anchored at the head and stern ot the sunken vessel and serve to support the chains, which are shown extended and 'readyto' be lowered to grapple the sunken vessel.

Fig.. 3 is a side View ot an airfcyl'inder or cylindrical air-vessel iade of wrought iron plates riveted together and .-stfreiigthened by ribs and braces. In eitremely `long vessels two or more of these air-cylinders are eniployed, one or more being placedion each side of the su nken vessel, as hereinafter described. Each air-cylinder is proi-'idefd with a keel and rudder and a ballastvhamber to facilitate the steering of it to the required position before itis' lowered down, as hereinafter 'described' Fig. 4 is a plan of a stopper by means of!l which the chains which are to raise the sunken' vessels are fixed in their proper places. This stopper slides between two rabhel'ed rails, B B, which are fixed onthe top of the air-cylinder. A is the stopper, which is a plate of metal perforated by a .round hole a'ud a straightslit eonnnunicating together. The

round holel is large enough to 'allow of the `free )assawe ol' the gra i )ling-chain r. while c, which is thus stopped and fixed, while bypulling the rope or chaii'rb it is aga-in released.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the air- 'cylindeig showing thel internal arrangements. A A is an air-tight fioor, the spacchelow which is filled with water to serve as ballast for keeping the cylinder in one constantposition.

The aircylinder is divided into two compartments or more by a partit-ion or bulkhead, E, so that either compartment may be'iilledwith air or discharged independently of the other.

Au'umber of cylindrical tubes, l 2 3 4 5 6, open at both ends, are carried through the air-cylinder and serve for the reception of the grappling-chains. .(Shown in Fig. l.) hh` are valves for the entrance and escape of the air from each eoxnl'lartment. lhey are opened and closed by means of ropes in a similar manner to that in which the stopper (shown in Fig. l) is. worked. These valves communicate with il'enible tubes which are carried up above the surface of the water.

A tube, d, passes through the air-cylinder near to each end and contains avalve,e,co1'n municating with the interior of the aircyline der. This valve is opened and closed by au iron rod the end'of which ascendsv t0 the top of the air-cylinder and is worked by `a'lever or Winch at the top. \Vhen the air-cylinder is rather more than halfiilled with water, the

valve e., Fig. 5, is closed. This part ofthe apparatus is shown on a larger scale Ain Fig.

9; which is a section, and'FigsylO and ll,

Awhich are front and back views, of the same.

E isfthe valve. A Bin these-lgures is a bent pipe or radial tube Working in a stuingbox airis forced into the air-eylimler.

orwindlasses on each steamer.

at the point il, which is in the axis ot' the' aireylinder or ponton and furnished with :t

closed and by pulling the other chain the'` valve is uuserewed and opened. A li'serres tor the escape ot' the water when As this pipeis free to turn in the stuffing-box at the point marked l) in Figs. ,l and ttl and I in Fig. 5, its own weight keeps it in :t vertical position, so that it is always suitably ptaeed .for thedisehm'ge ot' the wat-er, although the air-c vliiuler-may roll over on one side.'

Fig. t; is an end View, and Fig. t4 is a Iside View, showing the mode ot" applying the im proved apparatus t'or raising a sunken vessel or other sulnuerged body. Fig. l is a plan ol' the same. l) isthe-suuken vessel. AAare two steanurrs which l employ to tow the aircylinders or pont'ons to the spot. A man. is sent down in a diving-dress to ascertain the position ot the sunken vessel, and a rope with a buoyis attached to each (11d ot it. 'I`h'e two Steamers are moored in the position shown in the figures, and two siualler vessels (marked ly B iu Fig. 2) are moored in the 4positions there shown. One ot the chains A l and D, Fig. l, is placed ou hoard eaeh steamer, and the rings E and F and (l and Il are placed ata distance. apart somewhatless than the length ot the sunken vessel, or about tive leettmorc or less) from each end of it. rlhe end A ot' one chain, Fig. l, is then passed through the ring (t, and the end l-i is then passed through the ring ll. 'lheend t* ol' the other chain is passed through the ring E, and the end l) is passed through the ring F. lhe ends of the chains are attached to (.'apstans 'of the chain which extend from one Vsteamer to the other are extended by means ot the smaller vessels, l l},in Fig. 2, and the chains are then lowered down to the bottom, so as to surround and inelose the sunken vessel or other body. All lou r windlasses or eapstans arethen worked, by whieh means the chains irc drawn together unt-il the)` embrace and ograpple the sunken vessel, as shownin Fig, S. The air-eylin `lers or pontons are now brought alongside ot' the Steamers. A short' piece ot' air-cylii'u'ler, and a similar .piece is passed through the corresponding tube in the other compartment, t-he distance between the two tubesI being the same as that between the rings .E anu F or (t an`d'll',' Fig. l. lheends ot' these shortJ chains are hooked on the side ot' the air-cylinders, as at Il I), Fig. il, until they are vrequired to be used. They are then unhooked and connected to the ends of the grappli11g-chains, while the other ends et? the ',lhe portions vThis pipe `are not shown in the drawings.

chain, Fig. 7, is passed through one 'ot' the l vertical tubes of.' one compartanent ot' each short Chains are connect-ed to the windlasses or other lifting-power on board the Steamers.

'lhe next operation is to prepare for sinking the air-cylinders. then eonneeted tothe various short rropes or chains u, rlfg g, Fig. .3, t'or the inupose ot wrnkiug the valves, and also to the ropes or i eha'ins (t l, Fig. t, for working the stoppers.

'lhe airtubes are also attached. A valve at top and bottom oteaeh ballast-tank A, Fig. 5, is opened, so asto place it in communieation withtherestottheair-cylimler.

` ',lhey are opened by means otl rods ascending through the top olf the air-eyliiuler and worked by means ot a lever or winch. 'lwo chains or ropes are att-ached to the side ot' the air-cylihder, as at rl lr, Figs. Ii anti ti, t'or the purpose ot' hovering the air-cylimter. ropes are attached to eapstans or windlasses ou thesteamersfaud are graduated or marked at intervals ot.' a l'athom or other measure similarto the grappling-chaius, so as to serve asa guide in lowering the airberlinder in a horizontal position. IC\(e1 \'thingbeing thus arranged, thema-tres 7l and e e, Fig. 5,- are opened, and the wat er tiows in, driving outthe air at. the valves it 7:,and theair-cylimlerthen begins to subside. \\'hen the air-cylinder is rather more than half-immersed in the water, the valves e e are elosed and the screw-valves at d d are opened. The water continues to enter at d I until the cylinder or ponton sinks.' It is lowered down gradually 'by means ot' the graduated ropes or chains, as4

shown in Fig. S, being guided in its descent by the.grappling-eliains. ll'hen it has reached the bottom, as shown at C in Fie'. ti, the ropes ol' the stoppers (marked (l. iu'Fig. -t) arefnilled, and the grappling-chains are thus secured to the air-c vliluler or ponton. The other air cylinder or cylinders are lowered and tixed in a similar manner. A diver may now be sent down to aseertain that everything is properly arranged. 'lhe valves-:y z, Fig. 5,arelopened by pulling the ropes attached to them, and air is then forced down the tiexihletubes into t-he air-Cylinders by means of air-pumps placed on board the steamers and worked by hand or bythe engines ol.x the steaniers or otherwise.v 'lhe water is thus gradually displaced from the air-cylinders, which are thus rendered buoyant.. lt', however, the air were to y be lforced in until the air-cylinders acquired sut'tieient buoyancy to raise the sunken Vessel, `the consequence would be that it would rise to the sui-tace without any control, and might, iu tact, rise head or stern first, or even fall out ot the grappling-chainsaltogether.

To avoid such accidents, 1 proceed in the following manner: I haul up the graduated chains by means of the windlasses or any other power until the)Y are stretched tight, and I hang a weight onone of the levers ot' eachA eapst'an or windlass, so as to keep a certain amount. of tension on the graduated chains.

Air is then forced into the air-cylinders uu Ropes or chains are 'these valves.

'lhese chains orv til their buoyancy, together with the weights on the windlasses, is sulicient to raise the vessel. The weights then descend upon the decks ot' the Steamers. The screw-valves at d d in Fig. 5 are now closed, and the windlasses are then worked and the sunken vessel is drawn gradually up to the surface. The graduations or marks on the ropes or chains show at once the position of the vessel and enable the workmen to raise it in a horizontal position. At the same time the labor o'traising the vessel is not very great, because the greater part ot' its weight is balanced by the air-cylinders. It the buoyancy should be found too great, it may be reduced by opening the valves at d d in Fig. 5, so as to allow a portion of water to enter and displace a portion ol the air, which is allowed to escape by a stop-valve at the upper end of each iiexible tube. \Vhen the sunken vessel has thus been raised to the surface, it may be towed away into shallow water while still supported by the air-cylinders, or it may be previously lightened by pumping out the water and removing the cargo.

It is not necessary that t-he grapplingchains should be made ot' the same strength throughout, as the part above the air-cylind ers does not require to be so strong as the lower part. The part above the air-cylinders may be detached by tlie diver and removed after the air-cylinders have been secured in their proper positions and before beginning to raise the vessel. A safety-valve opening outward and lightly loaded with a spring or weight may be attached to the upper part of the air-cylinder, and it may be protected by vbeing inclosed in a tube like the valves at l and c in Fig.`

In raising a sunken vessel in the manner above described the valves at 1) in Figs. 9, l0, and ll, or at d in Fig. 5, are closed when a sulticient amount of buoyancy has been obtained, and the same or nearly the same amount of buoyancy 'will thus be preserved during the raising of the sunken vessel, for the compressed air will expand and escape at the safety-valve as the vessel rises without affecting' the quantity ol water contained in the air-cylinders. It the valves at (l (il in Fig. 5 were left open, on the contrary, the compressed air would expand as the vessel rose and would displace a portion of water, and thus increase the amount of buoyancy. This increase of buoyancy must be checked by allowing a port-ion of air to escape, so as always to leave a part of the weight to be raised by the windlasses or other lifting power.

are

In lieu of hanging a weight on the lever of the windlass, the workmen may be employed to press upon the lever, so as to keep up a tension upon the lifting chains or ropes.

I have described the air-vessels as being ot a cylindrical form and constructed ot' wrought-iron plates, which I prefer; but other forms and materials maybe employed provided that they are made suliicieutly strong and airtight.

I have described the operations as applied to the grappling and raising ot' sunken vessels; but they maybe applied in a similar manner to other submerged bodies-as, for instance, for raising' large detached masses of rock when ot' suitable form to be held by the grappling-chains.

Having now described the natureol1 my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim, generally, the raising ot sunken vessels by means of air-vessels; but

That I claim isf l. The mode or modes ol' grappling sunken vessels and other submerged bodies by the peculiar arrangement of chains hereinbefore described.

2. rlhe mode or modes hereinbel'ore described ol' raising sunken vessels and other submerged bodies by balancing' a portion only of the weight by air-vessels and then raising the sunken vessel or other submerged body by means ot windlasses or similar machinery.

3.-'lhe apparatus hereinbefore described, consisting of air cylinders or vessels divided into compartments traversed by tubes with stoppers for securing the grappling-chains, and movable escape-pipes or radial tubes for the escape of the water, together with valves capable ot being worked by chains or ropes and other appurtenances, as hereinbet'ore described.

4. The combination of air vessels and chains or ropes with windlasses or other lifting machinery, in manner hereinbefore described, for the purpose of grappling and raising sunken vessels or other submerged bodies by such combined apparatus, as hereinbet'ore described.

Done at Manchester this 16th day of May, 1861.

SAMUEL RAINBIRD.

Witnesses:

EDWARD J osEPH HUGHES, JOHN BLooDwoRTH,

Patent Agents, both of 17 Cross Street, llfaw chester.

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