US81076A - Improved dredging-machine - Google Patents

Description

,PATENT @trium JOHN DU sois, or wiLLiiiiisronr, PENNSYLVANIA.

uvisnoven Datanews@nmol-HNE.v

Speeileation forming part of Letters Patent N0. SL076, dated august 1B, i864.

Plate I, Figure l, represents a side elevation 'of the hull of a. dredging-secu' with the iin-v proved machinery for dredging, connected also to the niud-scow, and the feedchain way with all of the attaclinieiitsready for use. Fig. 2 shows a front end 4View of the scow and the adjustable verticalfranie von which the endless chain is worked to dig-"and elevate the mud vand gravel. Fig.` 3 is an end view of the track-frame with the apparatus for raising-or forcing down the props. attached to the railroad on the deck ofthe niud-scow, to sustain the weight 'running over; the same.

with the apparatus for loosening the'liinged sides to let the in ud out. Figs. Sand G show endviews ofthe grouser-boats,with a broken L section in Fig.` 5, showing the apparatus for raising or forcing down the gronsers; also their connecting-frame timbers in broken-off sections. Plate IIrepresents the plan or top view ot' the 4dredging-scow-with vits machinery complete as .attached tothe mud-scow, the feedehain guides, and the grouserLboats with their connectingltimbers.

The object of my invention is to furnish a dredging-machine that will do the labor at less --cost and at much greater speed, and with pei-, feet uniformity to any desired depth, which cannot be done conveniently or with any certainty by the machines nowin use, which'requireto be held securely in one position,with its grousers at the place Vwhere it is used, and 'while .in use, it being operated with a long swinging arm, on the end of which is attached the scoop for taking out the mud' and earth and depositing it onv a scow or ,l any desired place within its reach, rendering it slow and difficult in its operation, andnot well calculated for dredging to a uniform depth, while, on the contrary, my machine is not anchored tovany given spot, but when adjusted to dredge Fi g. 4 shows an en d sectional view of the inud-scow N to a given depth it moves at a regular speed,

according to the depth it is cutting, the whole length of the feed-chain and the platform by Which it is guided,wvhicli may be made to any length desired. At each end of the platform is attached a-grouser-boat with a feed-chain attached, land extending from boat to boat, the grouser-boats being of sufficient length to make any given number of changes before drawing the grousers;

To enable others to construct 'my new apparatus and machine, and to readily understand iny new process of operationfor dredging -witlil it, I will describe it more in detail, referring to the drawings, and to tlie letters marked thereon. l

rlfhe same' letters indicate the like parts in all of the figures.`

` I make the hull or scow A. in the usual forni lfor such purposes and of the required diinen- -sions for erecting and supporting the neces` sary mechanism for digging, raising, and depositing the n iud or earth on a 1nud-scow,B,

the essential parts of my apparatus'ior dredg ing. i

The boilers, steam-engine, and other niachinery for working vthe whole apparatus (whicli'i's not necessary to be shown inthe drawings) I place in the bottom of the boat or .SGOW A in such a position as to balance the and raising mechanism, which is constructed 1D down through the opening F, and is pro' vided with one or more vertical rack-bars,

c c, on each side, with ratchets f j, connected to 'rock-shafts e e, which are coupled together'by a connecting-rod, g, so as tobe .operated bycne lever, h,. for lowering the frame Eand'gaging the digging apparatus io any desired depth.

preparedfor the purpose, which makes one oi' machinery for digging, raising, and removing" The frame E is fitted to slide in theA frames D The digging and lelevating apparatus con` sists of two endless chains, C C, 'passing over and under pulleys H H, on which chains() C are secured a series of two or 'more scoops or buckets, G, and also hooked. prongs lii, placed in advance of each bucket, so as to break. or loosen up the mnd or earth before the scoop takes hold of it to lift it out of the water. y

The motion and power 'for working the dredging apparatus above described is communicated by lan endless chain-belt, I, fitted to and working upon notched pulleys K K on the shaft .land the driving-shaft L, to which the power is communicated from the engine underneath, the shaft L being supported in a frame, M, on the deck of the boat A.

On the'front face side of the vertical frametimber D are two substantial timbers, N N, framed in so as to extend out horizontally over the whole length of themud-scow B, they beingsupported by long braces lm., extending from the farther portion of the horizontal timbers N to the top of the vertical post of the frame D and brace-timbers n to the foot of the frame 'M on both sides.

On the outsidel of the braces m n are stayrods oi' iron lr, passing through the loops or staplesl l at vor near the top of the frames l), they being firmlysecnrcd by bolts o o in the loops at their ends. are iron raiis l l?, which form the track for the mud-car O to rnn onV to 'convey the contents from the dredging apparatus to the -various apartments of the mud-scow B after it is depositedin the car 0 from the scoops G, which are providedwith hinged bottoms y', so that when the scoop or buckets G are elevated above the' track p, and the car O is run back under thebncket, the cam q trips thehooksb Z and lets the bottom f/ fall down and depositits contents in the ear 0, which is also provided Y with a hinged bottom, P, and hook-catches b bf, on one of which is anfarm, s, and roller t,

so that. when the caris moved ont on the track 'by the action ot' the chain or rope q, yconnected kwith it, to 'an y desired compartment of the mud-seow,wlien a movable cam, u, on the tim- 4ber 1U trips the cate-hes Zi b and drops the contents into the mud-scow B.

rlhe rope or chain .11 passes around the rollers r1" on the ear-frame N, and back bythe side of thcy elevator-'frame D to the drivingpulleys in', which are so arranged on the frame M vlil as to be thrown into gear or be driven by friction from a wheel on the driving-shaft L,

so that by the holding up of ihe.-hand-levern the ear 01s moved in one direction, and reversed by holding the lever down, andwhen midway the our is stopped in such apost-ion as to receivel another load 'from thel scoop G. When the car Oretnrns, the bottom l1 closed npby the action ol' the roller` Q, on the frame N. As the mnd-soon li isbeing depressed by thc weight of the substance deposited on it, the trucktrame N is provided at the corners with four upright posts er timbers, it houthe tops On the long timbers Nv of whichvarc racks r r' and pinions o o, with ratchet-wheels and pawl-levers w w, which op` erate both ways, so as to either raise the tinibers R or force them down on the-top or crosstimbers of the mud-scow B, by which means the rail and car-frame are supported firmly and the dredging-machine and the mud-scow are ing-machine', itl can' be'floated away for .disposing of its contents and another mud-scow put in its place, so that the work of dredging need not bes'uspended any longer than the time of vchanging the loaded scow for an empty one.

rlhe mud-scows are constructed in such a manner as to be easily unloaded or discharged of their contents, they being made with a water-tight hull, S, for buoyancy, and two Linclined decks, T T, which form the bottom of the boxes 7 to receive the mud from the car, as shown in the sectional end view of Fig. 4, each compartment being provided on both sides with hinged doors 'W W and sliding bolts V'V, which are so arranged and connected together by arms ir x on rock-shafts X X above the top edgesA of the seow that the bolts are all drawn at once and the doors opened by the action of a single lever, Y,and connecting-rods y 1/ at one end of the scow, and by the reverse motion ofthe lever Y the doors W are all closed and thc bolts 'V shoved into the staples e z z, 'whereby `they are all. at once firmly secured.

Vhen the mud-scow l 3 is placed in the proper position and secured to the dredgiiig-machine A, all ready for operation, the grouser-boats A and A, as seen in Figs. 5 and (i, are connected together by a frame-work of timbers, 3', they being made firm and stiit'by any desired number otbraees and co1u1terbraces,l) l),as shown on the plan or top view of the ligure on plate ll. The string-pieces or parallel longitudinal timbers B B may be spliced together, so as to g'et any desired length and distance for-the dredging-machine to perform a section of its work, the grouser-boats A A being made with two or more water-tight compartments, with a longitudinalvertical space lil E eentrally from one end to the other, it having a series-oi' double grooves, e c', at intervals corresponding with the width ot' the channels to be cutby the scoops@` ot' the dredging-naachine. 1 In the grooves c c e pieces of plank ff are fitted, so that they can be easily put in or taken out. The spaces between the sides ofthe opening F and the two planksj" j. i'orm asquare box or mortise, in which the grouscrs H lil are held and forced downinto the earth or drawn np again by the application ot' mechanical power constructed andarranged as shown in the broken-ont section-of Fig. 5, .o rits equivalent. XYhen the grenswboats and'irame are floated to the place and aregot .into aproper iestion, and thegrousers H' H er@ firmly-'driven br set-,pso that the frame-work is anchored fast,-the dredging#- machine is then placed at one end,.the .chain orcable Gf putin qennectionwith'one of the' gang' of 'pulleysontheend of lthe 'main driving-shaft K on the outside of the boat A, and the required amount of power is applied to meve'it bythe action vof the friction-roller L on the fulcrum end of the lever I and re tained by the rack J so that y the dredging-'1: machineis moved along bythe side of the frame* B Bl in a direct lineas fast as the substance is removed to allow it to progress. Vhen one channel has been cut at any required or the proper depth, it is only-necessary .to drawthe planks ff, leaving the 'grouse-rs H H stand* ing irmly iu their fixed position, and iioatth grouser-boats and frame-work back one seotion, and put inthe-planks f j to another set of the grooves e e', and then bring the dredging-.machine back to the :(irst starting-point@ Again connect the Vfeeding chain or cable G and proceed to cut, elevate, and earry oii an-` otherv course of mud or earth, and so continue" to work them, so thatdouble ,erv treble the' .Width may be dredged at one and 'the same time. I Vhcn a section has been dredged the length .of the grouser-boats andthe framework which connects them together, and the work oompletedihe required depth and width, thel grousersgire raised and thevhoats and frame; are moved another section, where they arev secured in the same'. mannen, and soon for or 'any required distance, so that a 'perfectly clean. and uniform depth and Width 0f chaunei ist. made. in much less tinfrel and expense: than it can be done by anylother mode or proeessiknownor'used. l

Having thus fully' described my improveinent in dredging-machines, mud-scows, and grei'iserehoats',y andA themode of connecting .the

same, andthe process of' operation., what I claim as my. invention, anddesire to secu-re by Lettersy Patentxis 1. The arrangement of the sliding frame E,

withgits elevators G G and hook-prongs i' 'i fi, substantially as herein described. i

'2. The adjustable; sliding fra-me E, in combieilatiou with the rail-track frame N, for the raising and disposingof the mud, earth, or gravel, as herein speciiiedj 3. Thec'onstruction andarrangement of the grouser-boats A A', ,with their-platiorm-connections, in' combination;with a dredge-boat orfsoow, substantially asset forth.' I, 4. Thel inode, by which the dredgiug-sow A is moved forward and,l guided while in 'the act of operation, substantially as set forth.

-5, ,The construction and arrangement ofthe car-track P P, .with its adjustable supportinglegs R R, in combination' with the mud or eartlrreiro-ving vessel B, as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

JOHN DU BOIS. Witnesses:

.T1 B. WOODRUFF,I Gao.- Q. GREEN;

In testimony whereof -I hereuutosubscribe my name In the presence of witnesses.'

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