US718276A - Dredger. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 13, 1908.

R A. PERRY.

DREDGER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

RAYMOND A. PERRY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

DREDG ER.

SPEQIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,276, dated January 13, 1903. Application filed August 29, 1902. Serial No. 121,479. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND A. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Dredgers; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in dredging apparatus.

It consists in a novel means for the construction and mounting of the apparatus for excavating and raising the material and in its attachment to the vessel.

It also comprises a means for applying power to drive the apparatus and in conj unction therewith of detachable connections with the main engine whereby the power of the engine may be utilized to operate the dredging mechanism or utilized to propel the vessel from place to place.

My invention also comprises details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the vessel, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

In the ordinary construction of dredgers, such as are floated upon the water and are adapted to dig material from beneath its surface, it is customary to build a scow or float of sufficient dimensions to support the machinery, and this scow or float is especially constructed with an open channel at the front end within which the ladder or support for the excavating device and its driving-shaft and for the suction-pipe is so disposed as to be raised and lowered. The construction of such a vessel is very expensive, and tugs or other supplemental vessels must be employed to tow the structure from place to place, thus adding very materially to the cost of dredging-work.

It is the object of my invention to so construct the dredging apparatus, and especially thesupporting-ladder, that it may be attached to the hull of an ordinary vessel without material change therein, said apparatus project ing so far from the front of the vessel that it can cut a channel through which the vessel may float. The main engines of the vessel may have the shaft provided with couplings and located in line between a propeller-shaft and the shaft of the suction-pump, so that by disconnecting one set of couplings and connecting the other the suction apparatus may be operated while the dredge is at work and the propeller may be operated when it is desired to move the vessel from place to place. In conjunction with these devices I have shown a crane and mechanism by which the ladder and dredging mechanism may be lifted and sustained in such position as not to interfere with the movements of the vessel when traveling.

As here shown, A is a vessel of any suitable construction,having a complete bow and stern of the usual shape and without any opening or channel made at the front.

2 is a stout framework, known as the ladder, and the front portion of this ladder extends approximately in line with the bow of the vessel and to a considerable distance in front thereof. This ladder is connected at its rear end with two branches 3, diverging from the point of connection, so as to extend upon each side of the bow B of the vessel. At the rear ends of these forks they are journaled or connected to the vessel, so that the whole structure comprising the ladder may be raised or depressed about these journals.

I have not especially illustrated these connections, as they may be formed in any suitable or well-known manner. The front portion 2 of the ladder has journaled upon it a shaft 4, to the front end of which is secured an excavating or digging device 5 of any suitable or well-known description. Beneath the shaft and supported upon the ladder is a suction-pipe 6, the mouth of which is so disposed with relation to the digger or excavator that the material loosened by the excavator will be drawn into the suction-pipe by apparatus hereinafter described. The suction-pipe extends along one of the branches-3 of theladder, and at the point where the ladder is hinged to the vessel the .pipe is bent, and by means of a suitable turnable coupling, as 7,

it connects with the inboard portion 8 of the suction-pipe. This portion of the pipe extends rearwardly along the vessel to a suction-pump 9 of sufficient capacity to withdraw the excavated material as fast as may be found desirable. It is expelled from the pump and carried through a pipe 10, extend.- ing from the discharge of the pump to the rear of. the vessel, at which point it may be connected in any suitable manner with conducting-pipe sections exterior to the vessel and leading to a distant point of deposit. Such conducting-sections are common and well-known in dredges and are not here illustrated.

The main engines 11 of the vessel are here shown as located in line between the pumpshaft 9 and the propeller-shaft 12, and by means of couplings, as at 13, the engine-shaft may be connected with the propeller-shaft when it is desired to move the vessel from place to place. By disconnecting these couplings and connecting up couplings, as at 14, the power of the engine may be utilized to drive the pump mechanism at 9.

Returning to the ladder, the shaft 4, by which the excavator 5 is driven, has a coupling 15, located at the junction of the outer portion 2 of the ladder with the second forked portion 3 of the ladder, and which portion extends upon the opposite side of the bow of the vessel from that carrying the suction-pipe 6. This portion 3 has journaled upon it a shaft 16, which is connected by the coupling 15 with the shaft 4: of the excavator. By means of bevel-gears (shown at 17) connection is made between this shaft and the shaft of a propelling-engine, as 18. I have here shown such an engine mounted in near relation with the inner end of the shaft 16 and having its crankshaft or a counter-shaft suitably connected therewith extending outboard, so as to carry one memberof the bevel-gearl7. This power may be transmitted to drive the excavating device '5 independent of the power which is applied to the suction-pump, and the relative speed of operation of the two may be varied to suit the class of material being excavated and the rapidity with which it can be delivered to the suction-pipe. The pivots or fulcrums of the ladder I3 3 are necessarily in line with the driving-shaft of the engine 18 and with the joint 7 of the suction-pipe upon the opposite side, so that any vertical movements of the latter may be effected without deranging the action of these parts.

19 represents a boom or crane fixed to the bow of the vessel and extending forwardly, and this boom, in conjunction with a mast, as at 20, serves to support suitable chains, ropes, or other devices by which the ladder and its attachments may be supported or raised or lowered to suit the work to be done.

When the vessel is to be moved from place to place, the ladder is raised to a sufficient angle above the surface of the water, turning about its journaled connection, and when thus raised it projects forward of the vessel, but offers no obstruction to the movement of the latter. The main engine being then disconnected from the suction-pump and connected with the propeller-shaft, the vessel may be moved to any new point where work is to be done. When such point has been reached, the engine 11 can be disconnected from the propeller-shaft and connected with the shaft of the suction-pump, the latter, carrying the excavator and suction-pipe,may be lowered, and the apparatus will be at once in condition for Work.

In order to advance the apparatus while work is progressing, I have adopteda device well known upon ordinary dredgers, consisting of two vertically-movable timbers 21, called spuds. These timbers pass through suitable sockets extending down through the hull of the vessel at points su fficiently removed from each other transversely of the vessel. By means of engines and winding drums, as at 22, one of these spuds can be raised and the other depressed, so as to extend into the mud below the vessel and serve as a temporary pivot, about which the vessel is caused to swing from one side to the other while the excavator 5 is at work. When the vessel has swung as far as desired and the out has been completed, the other spud 21, which is now in advance of the one previously serving as a pivot, is dropped into the mud and the first one is raised. The second one then serves as a pivot, about which the vessel turns and is correspondingly advanced while a new cut is being made. Thus the vessel may be advanced at each swing from side to side or after the whole of one out has been completed, and when not in use the spuds or timbers can both be raised into the wells in which they are movable, so as to present no obstruction to the movement of the vessel when traveling from place to place. By this construction I am enabled to save the expense of building a special float or vessel to carry the machinery, as ordinary vessels suitable for the purpose can often be purchased for a low figure. It is then only necessary to construct the peculiarly-shaped ladder and the necessary joint connections between it and the main part of the vessel and to provide the necessary engines, suction-pump, and connecting-pipes, when the apparatus will be in readiness for use. Being self-propelled, it is independent of all tugs or means usually employed for towing dredges from place to place, and this expense is avoided. Insurance can also be effected, which is impossible with hulls or scows which must be moved outside of a harbor by the aid of tugs.

The front portion of the ladder 2, with its appurtenances, is jointed and separable from the forked rear portion, so that when not in use and when the vessel is going to sea to reach another station this front part may be detached from the rear part and placed inboard upon the vessel, leaving only a short portion extending outboard, which can be easily lifted by the boom or derrick, so as to be entirely out of the way and safe from the sea.

The apparatus has been heretofore described as being carried upon the bow of the vessel; but it will be manifest that it can be equally well connected with the stern if such an arrangement should be desirable, and I desire it to be understood that either arrangement is within the scope'of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a dredge of a hull, a ladder consisting of forked sides extending upon opposite sides of the vessels end, means for pivoting these sides to the vessel, an extension outward from the junction of these sides and excavating and suction mechanism carried upon said ladder.

2. The combination in a dredge of'a vessel having a closed bow or stem, at Y-shaped ladder, the body of which extends forwardly approximately in line with the stem and the forks of which extend upon each side of the vessels bow, means pivotally connecting the inner ends of these forks with opposite sides of the vessel, an excavating device carried at the front of the ladder, a propelling-shaft journaled upon the body of the ladder, a second shaft journaled upon one of the branches of the ladder, a joint connecting the two shafts at their junction, a propelling-engine carried upon the vessel and connections whereby motion is transmitted therefrom to the excavator-shaft.

3. The combination in a dredge of a vessel having the closed stemor bow, a Y-shaped ladder, the branches of which extend upon opposite sides of the vessels bow and are pivoted thereto, a body portion extending forward from the junction of said branches, a shaft journaled longitudinally upon said body portion,an excavator actuated by the front end of the shaft, a second shaft journaled upon one of the branches of theY having a pivotal connection with the main portion of the shaft, an engine located upon the vessel and connections between said engine and the excavator-shaft, a suction-pipe extending along the body and upon the other branch of the Y having its forward end so located with relation to the excavator as to form an intake for the material and a suctionpump located upon the vessel, a pipe connected therewith, and a turnable joint between the front end of said pipe and the part mounted upon the ladder.

4-. The combination in a dredge of a vessel having a closed bow or stern, a Y-shaped ladder, the forked ends of which extend upon opposite sides of the end and are pivoted thereto in a line transverse to the length of the vessel, an excavator the shaft of which is journaled upon the body portion of the ladder, a suction-pipe carried thereby'with its mouth located at the rear of the excavator, said pipe being extended along one of the branches of the Y-shaped ladder and having a pivotal connection witha suction-pipe located upon the vessel, a branch shaft carried upon the other member of the Y-shapedladder having a pivotal connection with the main excavator-shaft,anda propelling-engine located upon the vessel and connected with the excavator-shaft.

5. The combination in a dredge of a vessel having a closed bow or stern, a Y-shaped ladder, the open ends of the branches of which embrace the end and are pivoted thereto, an excavator and driving shaft and suction-pipe carried respectively upon the main portion and forked members ofthe ladder whereby the excavator is projected out from the vessels hull and adapted to cut a channel for its progression.

i 6. The combination in a dredger of a vessel having a closed bow or stern, a Y-shaped ladder, the forks of which are pivoted upon each side of the vessel, an excavator driving-shaft and suction-pipe carried upon the ladder and its branches, a crane or boom mounted upon the Vessel projecting outwardly therefrom and connections between said boom and the ladder whereby said ladder may be raised or depressed.

7. The combination in a dredger of a vessel having a closed bow or stern, a Y-shaped ladder embracing and pivoted thereto projecting outwardly therefrom, an excavator, a propelling-shaft. and a suction-pipe carried upon the ladder and a suction-pump and main engine located upon the vessel, a propeller, the shaft thereof journaled in line with the engine and suction-pump shaft and couplings by which either of said shafts may be connected with the engine. I

8. The combination in a dredge of an excavating and suction mechanism and a ladder upon which they are carried at the front of the vessel, a propeller located at the rear of the vessel, a suction-pump, the shaft of which is in line with and separated from the inner end of the propeller-shaft, a main engine located with its shaft in line between the propeller and pu mp-shaf t and couplings whereby said engines may be connected with either the pump or propeller.

9. A sea-going vessel, in combination with a projecting hydraulic dredging apparatus by which a channel may be cut for the advance of the vessel, said apparatus having a forked end extending upon each side of the bow of the vessel.

v 10. A sea-going and self-propelling vessel, in combination with a hydraulic dredging apparatus, having one portion forked to extend IIO upon each side of the bow of the vessel and and having a separable extension adapted to having another portion projecting beyond the be disengaged from the rear portion. 10

vessel and adapted to cut a channel therefor. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 11. A sea-going vessel, in combination with hand.

5 a hydraulic dredging apparatus mounted RAYMOND A. PERRY.

thereon, having a portion forked to straddle WVitnesses:

the bow of the vessel and having another porl S. H. NOURSE, tion to project beyond the end of the vessel,

JESSIE (J. BBODIE.

Images