US526531A - Steam-dredge - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) -3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. HUSSEY. STEAM DREDGB ,531. Patented Sept. 25, 1894.

IN VEN TOR WITNESSES: M a/lflw z .4 TTOHNE) 3 Sheets-8heet 2.

(No Model.)

L. HUSSBY. STEAM DREDGE.

No. 526,531. Patented Sept. 25,1894.

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WITNESSES.

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' 3 Sheets-Sheet 8. L. HUSSEY. STEAM DREDGB.

(No Model.)

No. 526,531. Patented Sept. 25, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI HUSSEY, OF NEW YORK, N. 'Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE MINING AND DBEDGING POWER COMPANY, OF WEST VIRGINIA.

STEAM-DREDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters am. 526,531, dated September 25, 1894.

Application filed April 5, 1892. Renewed Jul 15, 1893. Again renewed January 29, 1894,9116 again renewed August 17, 1894.

' Serial No. e2o,e1e.[ (No model.)

1'0. aZZ whom itJm/(ty concern.- Be it known'that I, LEVI HUssEY, a citizen of the United States, and a residentlof New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Steam-Drodges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved steam-dredge of that class, in which the suction-pipe is arranged in a central opening of the barge and raised or lowered by hoisting devices on a suitable derrick independently of the steam-pump to which the same is connected; and the invention consists of the combination, of a centrifugal pump supported on a barge, a suction-pipe connected with said pump and extending through a longitudinal center-opening of the same in downward direction, the vertical end-section being connected by a flexible joint with the inclined section of the suction -pipe, and

means for hoisting or lowering the suction pipe.

The invention consists, secondly, of the combination, with the lower end of the suc: tion-pipe, of a grappling fork or bucket,

guided on the lower end of the suction-pipe and composed of oscillatingjaws having teeth, said bucket being operated bytwo sets of chains, one set of chains serving to open the jaws by raising the guide-collar from which the actuating levers of the jaws are suspended while the other set of chains serves to close the jaws, by lowering the guide-collar and pulling up the pivots of the jaws. Both sets of chains pass in opposite direction around a suitable drum on the Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 1; and Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively an end-elevation and a side-elevation of a grappling hook or bucket arranged at the end of the suction-pipe, showing the same drawn on alarger scale. I j

.. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A representsa barge or other vessel,which is moored in a suitable manner to the place where the dredging operation is to be performed.

Acentrifugalpump B is arranged on the barge and operated by belt and pulley-transmission from a suitable steam-engineC, which receives its steam from the boilers D that are arranged at one end of the barge. At the other endof the barge is arranged a derrick E with its hoisting-device e for the suctionpipe B which is connected by a pivot joint at its upper end with the centrifugal pump B and adapted to swing in a vertical plane independently of the pump B, said suctionpipe being applied for this purpose by suitable stuffingboxes to the casing and shaft of the pump.

The suction-pipe B extends through a 1ongitudinal central opening a of the barge A in downward direction, it being supported by a chain 19 that is attached to a ring I) on the curved lower end of the suction pipe B, said chain being guided over a pulley b at the top of the derrick, on tothe winding-drum of the hoisting device that issupported in bearings of the derrick, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The lower vertical section B of the suction-pipe B is connected. by a flexible joint 13 with the curved end of the suction pipe, said section being provided with a fixed collar f at its lower end, and with a grappling fork or bucketF that is formed of two jaws F each of which is armed with a row of sharp teeth, said jaws being suspended by two pairs of lever arms, F from pivot links f, of a guide-collar G on the lower section B of the suction-pipe B. The pivot links f are again pivoted to lugs f of the guide-collar G, While that are also attached tothe lugs f of the guide-collar G; passed through they pulley blocks f and then in upward direction over guide-pulleys f f, on the derrick E, to a winding-drum H, which is located at the base of the derrick in close proximity to the hoisting.

device of the suction-pipe B, as shownin Fig; 2. The chains 9 g, are also conducted over guide-pulleys on the derrick to the windiugdrum H, and are wound in opposite direction to the chains 9 9' around the winding-drum H; so that when the same is turned in onedirection, the grappling fork F is raised along the lower end B of the suction pipe B, and

opened; while, when; the winding-drurn is turned in opposite direction, the grappling fork is lowered and closed, asshown in Fig. 4, in which the dotted lines show the lowered and the full lines the raised positionof the grappling fork F. The simultaneous winch ing and unwinding of the chains g g and g g s on and from the drum H produces the raising of the guide collar G and'the lowering of the pulley-blocks f from which'the pivots of the jaws are suspended, so that the jaws of the grappling fork orabucket Fare opened, while the simultaneous unwinding of the chains 9 and winding up of the chains g on the drum H, produces the lowering of the guide-collar and the lifting of i the pulley: blocks and thereby the closingof the jaws as) shown in dotted linesin Fig. 4. :By the closing of the jaws, the teeth thereof enter into the ground and loosen'the same-sufli-s ciently so that it can be drawn by the pump into thesuction-pipe, on theopeningof'the jaws. The quick closingand opening of the jaws by the quick turning of thewiniding drum H first in one then in the opposite direction keeps up the loosening of-the ground and feeding of the same to the suction-pipe,

The hoisting-device e of thesuction-pipe B" raises or lowers the same so as toadapt its mouth and the grappling fork on the lower section of the same to the uneven surfaceiof' the ground to be dredged, while the winding drum H serves for the purpose of raising or lowering the guide-collar on the end of the suction pipesso asto open or close the grap pling fork and loosen the ground sufiiciently for thesuction action of 'the puinp.

Whenever the grappling fork has a quain tity of groundloosened sufficiently it is sucked in by the pump B and conducted through onset the branches ofthedisohargeipe vP to one side 'or' theother of the barge 1 into a scow, that is placed alongside of ,the

barge, said dischargapipe being; provided with gate-valves,soas to permit the'flowof' the liquid mass raisedthroughthe suction pipe to the scow at either side of the, barge. p

The operation of m improved steam-dredge is as'followsz" One attendant is stationed at the hoisting-drum for the suctionpipe and the winding-drum for the, grappling fork and lowers the suction pipe intothe proper posi tion for the action of-the grappling fork. By

Patent, iss p 1; The combination, with a barge having a t i turningthe winding-drum-alternately in oppositedirections, the ground is loosened bythe grappling forkand supplied to the mouth of the suction pipe and conveyed with a certain quantity of water through thecentrifu: I gal pump and the dischargerpipeiinto the S scow, The winding drum of the grappling fork may be operated by handor steam, while thecentrifugal pump has a continuous 1110-.

tion, so asto take up any loose matter, such as sand and similar substances from the bot tom of the river or other water course during the time the grappling fork is in raised and open position and while the suction-end of 1 the suction pipe is closeto the ground, while by the closing of the grappling fork theinore rigid and solidportions of thebottoin are 7 taken up and sucked in with asufficient quantity of water that serves for the 1ubri cation of the same in the suctiompump and Y thence through the discharge-pipe into the By the arrangement of the grappling fork in connection with the lower end of the sue-I of the channel to the required depth produced.

tion pipe a very effective loosening of the ground on the bottom of a channel, river canal or other water course is obtained and a thereby the very quickand efiective dredging 9 5' Having thus described'iny invention, what i I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters longitudinal center-opening passing vertically through the same, of a pump on said barge nearone end of said opening a suction-i pipe jointed to the casing of the-pump and barge, a lower end section connected by a flexible joint with the lower endof the mainsection of the suction-pipe, a derrick at the opposite .end of the center-opening of the extended through; the center-opening of the I barge, a hoisting-device connected with the main-section'of the suction pipeandsun ported on the derrick, a valved discharge-pipe connected with the dischargeopening of the: pump, a grappling-fork applied to the lower {end of the suction-pipe and means for open--- ing or closing the grappling-fork, substan tially as set forth. i I 2. The combination, with a barge having a longitudinal centersopeningapump onsaid I I barge, a vertically' -swingingi suction-pip passing through saidopeningalower vertical; section connected b'ya flexible joint with the inain section! of" the suctionpipe, a collar f guidedon the lowersection, a grappling fork suspended from saidjcollar, chains applied to i the guide-collar and fork respeetivelma der 7 I rick on the barge provided'with guide-pulleys l f Y for said chainsanda winding-drum on whic said chains are wound in opposite direction,

so that b'ythealternate turning of the drum in tone or opposite direction the raisingor loweringoftheguidecollarand theopening or closing of the grappling-fork is produce substantiallyasset forthi as set forth.

4. The combination of the lower end section of a suction-pipe, having a fixed collar at its lower end, of a guide collar on said end section, a grappling-fork, the jaws of which are suspended by lever-arms from said guidecollar, a set of chains attached to said guidecollar, a second set of chains also attached to said collar and passed through pulley blocks connected to the pivots of the jaws and a winding drum on which both sets of chains are wound in opposite direction so as to produce by the alternate turning of said drum the alternate raising or lowering of the guidecollar and opening and closing of the fork substantiall y as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEVI HUSSEY. Witnesses:

PAULGOEPEL, OSCAR F. GUNZ.

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