US988977A

US988977A - Wrecking apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US988977A
Application number: US47186909A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph J Cousins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-01-12
Filing date: 1909-01-12
Publication date: 1911-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 1928-04-11

Description

J. J. GOUSINS. WBEUKING APPARATUS.

urmouxou mam 1111.12. 1909.

988,977, 1 Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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J. J. GOUSINS.

WBEOKING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION rum) .mmz. 1909.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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J. J. GOUSINS.

WRBCKING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED nut. 12. 1900.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. COUSINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WRECKING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn J. COUSINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrecking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wrecking apparatus for the raising of sunken vessels and my objects are the production of apparatus that can be fully controlled as to lifting power, that can be laid alongside of beached vessels, that is selfcontained in the sense of containing its own motive and pumping powers, that can be operated without the aid of divers and that can lift vessels under which chains cannot be passed.

I attain my objects in the manner shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of my wrecking apparatus or tug; Fig. 2 a sectional plan view on the line w-w of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 a sectional plan view on the line y-y of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a plan view of the upper deck; Fig. 5 a sectional view of two tugs working on a vessel sunk in deep water; Fig. 6 a view of two tugs working with chains under a sunken vessel; Fig. 7 a view of two tugs working on a listed, sunken vessel under which chains cannot be passed; and Fig. 8 a side view of my wrecking apparatus.

The apparatus comprises a double hulled tug about 153 feet long, 10 feet wide and 10 feet deep, of about 429 tons burden and a nominal draft of 3 feet. These dimensions give a maximum lifting power of about 5,292 tons.

An upper deck 1 carries the usual deck equipment of winches, capstans, bitts, cleats, superstructures, etc. A watertight deck 2 above the flat flooring prevents water entering the hull if a hole is stove in the outer hull and is carried up the sides forming a full double hull. A main deck 3, together with the bulkheads and the deck 3 divide the tug into a series of

watertight compartments

4, 5, etc., used to contain water ballast.

A working shaft or passage 6 provides a place for workmen to go down and attach chains to the sunken vessel. These shafts or passages are duplicated along the side of the tug. A telescope extension 7 of iron and canvas provided at the outer end with means for attaching it to the sides of a sunken ves- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 12, 1909.

Patented Apr. 11 1911.

Serial No. 471,869.

sel is located at the under water end of each passage 6 and enables the men to workwithout diving suits. The outer end of the tele scope may be attached by means of bolts in holes tapped into the sunken hull, packing or a gasket being placed between the hull and te escope end to make a tight joint.

A chain 8 leads through chain tube 9 to a winch on deck and the rods 10 and 11 in the shaft (5 and red tube 12 are attached to the chains and serve to carry part of the lifting strain and distribute it over the wrecking apparatus. One set of stay rods and tube is provided for each shaft (5. One end of the chain 8 is attached to the sunken vessel and the other to a winch 13 on deck. The chains are pulled taut by the winches and the stay rods are then shackled to the chains. Upon pumping out the compartments to utilize the buoyancy of the vessel to lift the wreck the rods take the strain off the chains and distribute it over the frame of the vessel, the lifting being effected by the buoyancy of the vessel and not by pulling in the chains which serve merely to fasten the vessel to the wreck.

A pump well 14 connects by a system of piping 14 with all the compartments and an engine compartment 15 contains the necessary engines, boilers, etc., to operate the apparatus and propel the tug. This compartment being watertight is not flooded when the tug is sunk by water ballast. A pipe 16 with valves affords means for filling or emptying the passages 6 and tubes 9 and 12. Each compartment has its own flood gate or

sea cock

17, 17, etc., adapted to be opened to the water of flotation for filling and its appropriate pipe for emptying leading to the pump well 14.

On deck the usual cabins, pilot house, etc., form a superstructiu'e.

In use two or more of these tugs are fastened together side by side and towed to a wreck. If the wreck lies in more than 40 feet of water the tugs are placed over it as shown in Fig. 5 with fenders between and filled with water ballast until they are awash. Chains are made fast to the sunken vessel, shackled to the tug chains 8, 8, etc., and all set up to an even strain by the winches when, on pumping out the compartments, the wreck is lifted and can be carried inshore and grounded, the slack in the chains taken up and the operation repeated until the wreck can be carried beder which chains cannot be passed and, upon using the telescopes, holes can be broken in the wreck and chains attached without the aid of divers when on pumping out the tugs the vessel can be raised. It may be necessary to use compressed air in the tubes and shafts tokeep water out while the men are working therein.

By compartmenting the tug absolute control is exercised over its sinking and lifting. It can be pumped out a compartment at a time if necessary and the bow or stern sunk .or raised as may be necessary, or it may be sunk or raised with a list corresponding to that of the wreck. It is this feature of absolute control that diiferentiates my wrecking apparatus from others. It may rest on the bottom alongside the wreck and is then as immovable as the wreck itself and work is not affected by the tides and the telescopes will not pull loose. As the tug can be pumped out and will then draw but three feet of water it can be laid alongside a wreck that is practically beached.

In beach work it may be necessary to pump water into the upper compartments to working shafts, 6, etc, with the manholes at the deck end by means of which compressed air may be used to keep water out, the working opening under water, the telescope extension from said opening, the diagonal chain tubes 9, the stay rods 11 and 12 distributing the strain over the frame instead of concentrating it on the winches.

I am aware that compartmented water ballast has been used to trim ordinary vessels but so far as I am aware this principle has never been applied to a wrecking vessel or tug for the purpose of controlling its sinking and lifting powers, nor has an entire vessel been compartmented for this purpose.

I claim 1. Wrecking apparatus comprising a decked, submersible vessel provided with chain tubes extending diagonally from a point below the water line on one side to the upper deck on the opposite side, rod tubes intersecting the chain tubes at or near their lower ends and rods in said rod tubes for ends, rods in said tubes, and means for injecting and ejecting water ballast to and from each of said compartments.

3. Wrecking apparatus comprising a decked vessel provided with a working passage extending downward from the deck, an opening in the side of the vessel below the water line in the passage and a telescoping device extending outwardly from said opening adapted to engage and be secured to the side of a vessel for the purpose set forth.

4. Wrecking apparatus comprising a decked vessel provided with water ballast compartments and with a chain tub-e extending from a point below the water line on one side to the deck on the other, a working passage extending downward from the deck to the lower end of the chain tube; a rod tube extending from the bottom of the chain tube to the opposite side of the vessel; a chain in the chain tube adapted to have one end secured to a wreck and the other to' means on deck for taking up slack therein, rods in the rod tube and working passage engaging with the lower end of the chain whereby the strains on the chain are dis tributed over the vessel.

5. Wrecking apparatus comprising a submersible, decked vessel containing a plurality of water ballast compartments; a working passage extending downward from the deck means for admitting to and ejecting from each of said compartments and working passage, an opening at the lower end of said passage and means for joining said opening to a wrecked vessel for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH J. OOUSINS.

Witnesses:

Rona. B. KILLGORE, CONRAD DIEHL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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