IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SHIPS ON INCLINED DIANE0 IND гор MARINA TUTA 44 תמתחת POSITION THAT הsd niro INCD PLANES, AND FOR MOVING THEM INTO ANY DESIRED POSITION WHEN SO RAISED, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Grothe and Charles James Appleby both of
Cannon Street in the City of London for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SHIPS ON INCLINED
DIANE0 IND гор MARINA
TUTA 44
תמתחת
POSITION THAT
הsd niroP
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Grothe and Charles
James Appleby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
12th September 1883.
ALBERT GROTHE, and CHARLES JAMES APPLEBY, both of Cannon Street in the
City of London "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND
LOWERING SHIPS ON INCLINED PLANES, AND FOR MOVING THEM INTO ANY DESIRED
POSITION WHEN SO RAISED, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE APPLICABLE TO
OTHER PURPOSES,"
Our invention relates to inclined planes or slipways used for the purpose of
hauling up ships in order to repair them or for other purposes, and it has for its
object novel methods of constructing, arranging, and using such slipways and the
machinery or apparatus connected with them, so that vessels may be readily hauled
up or lowered without injurious strain upon any part, and can be readily
transferred from the cradle on which they have been so hauled up, to another
cradle at right angles or at other convenient angle with the slipway, in such
manner that it can be traversed sideways leaving the slipway or inclined plane
ready for the reception of another vessel, and risk of damage from breakage of the
hauling gear is prevented.
Our invention is more especially applicable to slips or inclined planes on which
ships are hauled up sideways, but it may also be modified so as to be readily
applied to slipways on which ships are hauled up endways.
In order to put our invention in operation, supposing it is to be applied to an
inclined plane up which ships are to be bauled sideways, we make a sufficient
number of parallel inclined lines of rails supported by beams extending from above
high water to a sufficient depth under water, and upon these rails we arrange a

page_text: sufficient number of carriages provided with wheels or rollers running upon the
rails. These carriages are composed of beams or bearers and are sufficiently strong
to carry the ship which is to be hauled up. Between each two of the carriages
space is left for a carriage of similar strength and size but supported upon wheels
which run upon rails laid horizontally at a sufficient height above high water and
at right angles or other convenient angle with the rails first described.
Where the second set of rails crosses the first or inclined sets of rails, parts of
the rails are made moveable, so that the parts so removed can be fitted into and
supported in corresponding gaps left in the other set of rails, and in this way either
the sets of inclined rails or the horizontal rails can be made continuous as may be
required.
Each of the carriages running upon the inclined rails is provided with a chain,
rope, or links, of sufficient strength and actuated by bydraulic or other convenient
power so that the carriages can be raised or lowered up or down the inclined sets
of rails. The entire set, or a sufficient number, of these carriages form the cradle
upon which the ship is placed.
When the carriages thus forming the hauling cradle have been lowered to the
bottom of the slipway, the vessel to be raised is floated sideways above them and
is then supported upon them by keelblocks and steadied by bilge blocks in the
usual manner.
The Hydraulic or other power is then applied to all or to a sufficient number of
them, and the vessel is thus raised to the desired point above high water.
The carriages which run upon the horizontal rails and which serve to form the
relieving cradle to which the vessel is to be transferred are placed in their proper
position before the vessel is hauled up and they are of such dimensions that whilst
the carriages on the inclined rails pass between them as already described, the
vessel passes over them; and in this position she will stand above both cradles but
be supported by those upon the inclined rails only.
Suitable blockings are now inserted between the vessel and the carriages forming
the relieving cradle upon the horizontal rails, and the bilge blocks on the shore side
are then tightened up sufficiently for those on the same side upon the hauling
cradle to be slackened and removed.
The hauling gear by which the ship was drawn up is now slackened so that the
cradle moves backward and downward on the inclined rails and the ship remains
safely deposited upon the relieving cradle on the horizontal rails. The pieces of
moveable rail which have been removed are then restored to the horizontal line of
rails, and the carriages which form the cradle upon which the vessel is now
supported can be connected by means of chains or rods, and the entire cradle
together with the vessel may be drawn along the rails to any desired position by
hydraulic or other convenient power applied to the carriages or to the ship itself,
and the slipway or inclined plane is left free.
When it is desired to lower the vessel into the water again, the carriages forming
its cradle and carrying it are first brought back on the horizontal rails to their
position above the inclined rails, and the gaps in the latter are filled up so as to
make them continuous.
The cradle is then hauled up these inclined rails until under the ship and the
blockings are put in, those on the shore side being tightened until the bilge blocks
in the horizontal cradle can be removed. The hauling cradle is then hauled
somewhat higher up the slipway and carries the ship with it, while the blockings
upon the other cradle become loose and are removed, clearance being thus given
for the ship to be lowered into the water.
Instead of a moveable relieving cradle as described upon horizontal rails, a
permanent fixed one of the ordinary gridiron construction may be used upon which
the ship can be left from the hauling cradle. Or both may be used together, or
several sets of transverse horizontal rails may be arranged one above the other and
extending upon one or both sides of the slipway or inclined sets of rails, and the
capacity of the slip may thus be increased indefinitely. Every vessel is readily

page_text: accessible, and each can be removed when desired without having to wait its turn
with others.
In order to prevent the risk of accident from the breaking of the hauling
apparatus or other causes when the ship is being moved upon the inclined sets of
rails, we prefer to use a novel arrangement of apparatus by which the downward
movement of the carriages in such case is checked, without interfering with their
ordinary movement up and down the rails.
In cases where the angle of the incline is less than the frictional angle of the
materials employed, we provide the carriage with a sufficient number of brake
wheels in addition to the ordinary running wheels or rollers already described.
These brake wheels are arranged on transverse shafts or axles above the rails and
they are fixed upon the shafts excentrically their longest radius being directed.
downward toward the lower end of the incline. Upon the same side as this
longest radius the brake wheels or their axles are also weighted and the height of
the bearings is so adjusted in relation to the degree of excentricity and to this
radius that whilst retained in the position described the brake wheels are free from
contact with the rails or other running surface.
Upon the brake wheel axles are formed or fixed levers of suitable length, these
levers being connected together by rods or chains, and they are also connected with.
the links or chains by which the carriages are hauled up and lowered down the.
incline as already described.
If no strain is exerted through the drawbar, the effect of the weights will be
to turn the excentric brake wheels round until their circumference at the longest
radius comes in contact with the rails or other running surface and any downward
movement of the carriage will then, by the friction between the brake wheels and
the rails or running surface, further turn the excentric brake wheels, lifting the
weight from the running wheels and causing the carriage to skid so that it must be
completely brought up and stopped if the angle of the incline and the friction
between the wheels and the rails or running surface are properly proportioned.
The apparatus described will therefore act instantly and automatically so soon as
the strain upon the drawbar is withdrawn.
If such withdrawal of strain arises from breakage of the hauling chain or rope
or other gear, so soon as such damage has been repaired and the strain is again
applied to the chain or rope (either for hauling up or lowering the carriages) the
levers on the brakewheel shafts will turn the brakewheels until their longest
radius is withdrawn from the rails or running surface which they then cease to
touch and they will be retained in this position by the tension of the hauling chain
or rope without offering any obstacle to either the upward or the downward
movement of the carriages.
In cases where the incline is so steep that the friction between the brakewheels
and the rails or running surface would not be sufficient to arrest the movement of
the carriages we use racks and palls instead of the rails and excentric wheels. In
this case the palls instead of the excentric brake wheels are formed or fixed upon
the axles which are provided with levers connected together and to the hauling
gear as in the arrangement first described, weights being also provided so that in
the event of tension upon the hauling gear ceasing the palls fall into the toothed
racks which are laid and fixed longitudinally under them, and downward
movement of the carriages is thus arrested, whilst when tension upon the hauling
gear again takes place the palls are raised and retained clear of the racks.
The novel methods of arrangement herein described for arresting the downward
movement in cases where tension upon the hauling gear ceases from breakage or
other causes, are applicable to other purposes as well as to the hauling up and
lowering of ships; as for instance to raising and lowering weights in mining or
other operations, transferring railway trucks, and other purposes of the like kind,
the apparatus being modified where necessary to suit such purposes.
1

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Albert Grothe and Charles James Appleby in the Patent Office on
the 12th March 1884.
ALBERT GROTHE and CHARLES JAMES APPLEBY, both of Cannon Street in the
City of London "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND
LOWERING SHIPS ON INCLINED PLANES AND FOR MOVING THEM INTO ANY DESIRED
POSITION WHEN SO RAISED, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE APPLICABLE TO
OTHER PURPOSES
"
Our invention relates to inclined planes or slipways used for the purpose of
hauling up ships in order to repair them or for other purposes, and it has for its
object novel methods of constructing, arranging, and using such slipways and the
machinery or apparatus connected with them, so that vessels may be readily hauled
up or lowered without injurious strain upon any part, and can be readily transferred
from the cradle on which they have been so hauled up, to another cradle at right
angles or at other convenient angle with the slipway, in such manner that it can
be traversed sideways leaving the slipway or inclined plane ready for the reception
of another vessel, and the risk of damage from breakage of the hauling gear is
prevented.
Our invention is more especially applicable to slips or inclined planes on which
ships are hauled up sideways, but it may also be modified so as to be readily
applied to slipways on which ships are hauled up end ways.
The accompanying drawings are in illustration of our invention. Figure 1 is
a plan of a slipway, and figure 2 is a side view of the same.
In order to put our invention in operation, supposing it to be applied to an
inclined plane up which ships are to be hauled endways as shewn in the drawing
we make a sufficient number of parallel inclined lines of rails a, a, a, supported
by beams and piles b, b, b, extending from above high water to a sufficient depth
under water and upon these rails we arrange a sufficient number of carriages c, c, c,
provided with wheels or rollers running upon the rails a. These carriages are
composed of beams or bearers and are sufficiently strong to carry the ship which
is to be hauled up. Between each two of the carriages space is left for a carriage
d, d, d, of s'milar strength and size but supported upon wheels which run upon
rails e, e, e, e, laid horizontally at a sufficient height above high water and at right
angles or other convenient angle with the rails a first described.
Where the second set of rails e crosses the first or inclined sets of rails a, parts
of the rails are made moveable, so that the parts so removed can be fitted into
and supported in corresponding gaps left in the other set of rails, and in this way
either the sets of inclined rails a or the horizontal rails e can be made continuous
as may be required.
Some or all of the carriages c running upon the inclined rails are provided with
one or more chains, ropes, or links f of sufficient strength and actuated by hydraulic
or other convenient power at g so that the carriages c can be raised or lowered
up or down the inclined sets of rails a.
The entire set, or a sufficient number, of these carriages e form the cradle upon
which the ship is placed.
When the carriages c thus forming the hauling cradle have been lowered to the
bottom of the slipway, the vessel to be raised is floated sideways above thein and
is then supported upon them by keelblocks and steadied by bilge blocks in the
usual manner.

page_text: The hydraulic or other power at is then applied to all or to a sufficient
number of them, and the vessel is thus raised to the desired point above high
water.
We arrange the hydraulic cylinders, where more than one is used, so that water
is supplied to all simultaneously in order that all the rams and hauling chains
may move at the same speed when in operation.
The carriages d which run upon the horizontal rails e and which serve to forin
the relieving cradle to which the vessel is to be transferred are placed in their
proper position before the vessel is hauled up and they are of such dimensions
that whilst the carriages c on the inclined rails a pass between them as already
described, the vessel passes over them; and in this position she will stand
above both the cradles c and d but be supported by those c upon the inclined rails
only.
Suitable blockings are now inserted between the vessel and the carriages d
forming the relieving cradle upon the horizontal rails e, and the bilgeblocks on
the shore side are then tightened up sufficiently for those on the same side
upon the hauling cradle c to be slackened and removed.
The hauling chains f by which the ship was drawn up are now slackened
so that the cradle c moves backward and downward on the inclined rails a and
the ship remains safely deposited upon the relieving cradle d on the horizontal
rails e.
The pieces of moveable rail which have been removed are then restored
to the horizontal lines of rails e, and the carriages d which form the cradle upon
which the vessel is now supported can be connected by means of chains or rods,
and the entire cradle together with the vessel may be drawn along the rails'e to
any desired position by hydraulic or other convenient power applied to the
carriages or to the ship itself, and the slipway or inclined plane a is left free.
When it is desired to lower the vessel into the water again the carriages d
forming its cradle and carrying it are first brought back on the horizontal rails e
to their position above the inclined rails a, and the gaps in the latter are filled
up so as to make them continuous. The cradle c is then hauled up these inclined
rails a until under the ship and the blockings are then put in, those on the shore
side being tightened until the bilge blocks in the horizontal cradle d can be removed.
The hauling cradle c is then hauled somewhat higher up the slipway a and carries
the ship with it, while the blockings upon the other cradle d become loose
and are removed, clearance being thus given for the ship to be lowered into the
water.
Instead of or in addition to a moveable relieving cradle d as described upon
horizontal rails e, a permanent fixed one h of the ordinary gridiron construction
may be used upon which the ship can be left from the hauling cradle cor both
may be used together, or several sets of the transverse horizontal rails e may be
arranged one above the other and extending upon one or both sides of the slipway
or inclined sets of rails a, and the capacity of the slip may thus be increased
indefinitely. Every vessel is readily accessible, and each can be removed when
desired without having to wait its turn with others.
In order to prevent the risk of accident from the breaking of the bauling
apparatus or other cause when the ship is being moved upon the inclined sets of
rails a, we prefer to use a novel arrangement of apparatus by which the downward
of the carriages in such case is checked, without interfering with their ordinary
movement up and down the rails.
In cases where the angle of the incline is less than the frictional angle of the
materials employed, we use the arrangement shewn in figures 3 and 4 in which
the carriage is provided with a sufficient number of brake wheels A in addition
to the ordinary running wheels or rollers B already described.
These brake wheels A are arranged on transverse shafts or axles C above the
rails a and they are fixed upon the shaft C excentrically their longest radius being
directed downward toward the lower end of the incline.

page_text: Upon the same side as their longest radius the brake wheels or their axles are
also weighted as shewn at E and the height of the bearings is so adjusted in
relation to the degree of excentricity and to this radius that whilst retained in the
position described the brake wheels are free from contact with the rails a or other
running surface. Upon the brakewheel axles are formed or fixed levers F of
suitable length, these levers being connected together by rods or chains G, and
they are also connected at H with the links or chains by which the carriages are
hauled up and lowered down the inclined rails a as already described.
If no strain is exerted through the drawbar, the effect of the weights E will be
to turn the excentric brake wheels A round until their circumference at the longest
radius comes in contact with the rails a or other running surface and any downward
movement of the carriage will then, by the friction between the brake wheels A
and the rails or running surface, further turn the excentric brake-wheels, lifting
the weight from the running wheels B and causing the carriage to skid so that it
must be completely brought up and stopped if the angle of the incline and the
friction between the wheels A and the rails or running surface are properly propor-
tioned, The apparatus described will therefore act instantly and automatically so
soon as the strain upon the drawbar is withdrawn,
If such withdrawal of strain arises from breakage of the hauling chain or rope or
other gear, so soon as such damage has been repaired and the strain is again
applied to the chain or rope (either for hauling up or lowering the carriages) the
levers F on the brake wheel shafts C will turn the brake wheels A until their
longest radius is withdrawn from the rails or running surface which they then
cease to touch and they will be retained in this position as shewn in the drawing
by the tension of the hauling chain or rope without offering any obstacle to either
the upward or the downward movement of the carriages.
In cases where the incline is so steep that the friction between the brakewheels
and the rails or running surface would not be sufficient to arrest the movement of
the carriages we use racks and palls instead of the rails and excentric wheels. In
this case the palls instead of the excentric brake wheels are formed or fixed upon
the axles which are provided with levers connected together and to the hauling
gear as in the arrangement first described, weights being also provided so that in
the event of tension upon the hauling gear ceasing the palls fall into the toothed
racks which are laid and fixed longitudinally under them, and downward movement
of the carriages is thus arrested, whilst when tension upon the hauling gear again
takes place the palls are raised and retained clear of the racks.
The novel methods of arrangement herein described for arresting the downward
movement in cases where tension upon the hauling gear ceases from breakage or
other causes, are applicable to other purposes as well as to the hauling up and
lowering of ships, as for instance the raising and lowering of weights in mining or
other operations, transferring railway trucks, and other purposes of the like kind,
the apparatus being modified where necessary to suit such purposes,
We do not confine ourselves to the precise form, proportions, and arrangement,
of the novel slipway as herein before described and shewn, which may be modified
and varied to suit varying circumstances, but having now described our invention
and the manner in which it is to be performed, we claim :-
The combination of the inclined sets of rails, the horizontal sets of rails crossing
them, the carriage or carriages forming a cradle and running upon the inclined sets
of rails, and the carriage or carriages forming the relieving cradle and running upon
the horizontal sets of rails, all arranged and operating substantially in the manner
and for the purpose hereinhefore described and shewn in the drawing.
Also, in combination with the inclined sets of rails and the carriage or carriages
running upon them and forming a cradle, the fixed supports to or from which the
ship can be transferred, substantially as described and shewn in the drawing. Also,
the combination of the excentric brakewheels or racks and palls, levers, and tension

page_text: bars, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and shewn.
Also, the general arrangement of apparatus substantially as herein described and
shewn in the drawings.
In witness whereof, I the said Charles James Appleby on behalf of myself and
the said Albert Grothe have hereunto set my hand and seal this 12th day of March
in the year of our Lord 1884.
C. J. APPLEBY (L.S.)