Improved Means for Water Conveyance suitable for Rivers, Canals, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Water Conveyance suitable for Rivers, Canals,
and the like.
We, JOHN DIXON and THOMAS OLIVER DIXON both of 68 Walter Road
Swansea in the County of Glamorgan Civil Engineers do hereby declare the nature
of our invention to be as follows:-
Our said invention is intented to provide a means for guiding boats barges and
the like on canals or rivers or on narrow waterways in such a manner that their
course is controlled by an arrangement similar to a tramway and so that such boats
may pass each other safely in a waterway little wider than the width of two boats
or the like or by which a narrow waterway capable of receiving the width of one
boat only and provided with convenient passing places of greater width may safely
be used.
In carrying out our invention we lay along the bed of the waterway such as a
canal a metal or other channel groove or rail in or on which wheels or the like may
run so forming a kind of tramway with up and down lines or a single line with
widened out places having double lines.
We provide a cradle mounted on a frame having beneath it suitable wheels
to run in or on the tramway described and of such a nature that it may be
depressed to allow of a boat or barge being floated into it and provided with
springs or other means for so adjusting itself to the boat or barge floating into
it that when the depressing apparatus is released the main weight of the cargo
or otherwise is borne by the water and only sufficient pressure is thrown upon
the wheels as to keep them in or upon the groove channel or rail; or we may
attach a light adjustable frame to boats or barges for a like purpose and so as
to allow of the flotation of the boat or barge whether loaded or otherwise whilst
the wheels on which the frame is mounted remain in or on the groove or rail.
We may if desired simply attach the wheels to one or more vertical rods or
standards secured to each end of a boat or barge either permanently or otherwise
or on a specially constructed boat or barge vertical channels may be formed through
the whole depth of the boat and adjustable standards on which wheels are mounted
be arranged to be housed therein and secured at any desirable point in accordance
with the weight of the boat and so as to ensure her being waterborne.
If found necessary two or more rails or channels may be used for each up or down
line and a corresponding arrangement of wheels.
It will be seen that motive power of any suitable kind may be employed to
propel the boats without the necessity of steering the same and consequently either
a narrow waterway may be used or several lines may be laid in a wide one.
Dated this 8th day of February 1892.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Water Conveyance suitable for Rivers, Canals,
and the like.
We JOHN DIXON and THOMAS OLIVER DIXON both late of 68 Walter Road
Swansea in the County of Glamorgan and now of Adelaide Street in the said
Town and County, Civil Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our said invention is intended to provide means whereby boats barges or like
vessels or other floating structures may be guided, or their course directed, whilst
traversing narrow and other canals and waterways without the direct operation of
a rudder or like steering apparatus so. that canals or waterways little wider than
the width of two boats or barges passing cach other or canals or waterways little
wider than the width of one boat or barge but having at intervals passing places
may be used by means of our invention, in carrying out which we lay along the bed
of or in the canal or waterway a metal or other groove channel or rail in or on
which wheels or their equivalent may run or slide so forming a kind of tramway
with up and down lines or having a single line provided with passing places where
double lines are laid the waterway being widened at intervals if necessary for the
purpose.
To run on these lines we may provide cradles having beneath them suitable
wheels or their equivalent and so constructed that they may be depressed to allow
of boats or barges or other floating structures being floated into or upon them and
capable of adjustment to the said boats or barges or other floating structures so
that the main weight thereof and their cargoes shall be water-borne sufficient
weight only being transferred to the cradles to ensure their wheels or like devices
being retained in the guide grooves or on the rails.
We prefer however the method of attaching or connecting the wheels or guides
directly to the boat or barge as shown by the drawings accompanying this Speci-
fication to which and to the figures and letters thereon we shall refer in our further
description.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a sectional elevation of a canal boat fitted with our
apparatus and showing the bed of the waterway with groove or channel laid
therein.
Figures 2, 3, and 4, Sheet 2, are longitudinal views on a smaller scale showing
several different methods of fitting and adjusting apparatus.
Figures 5, 6, and 7, Sheet 2, are details of parts of the apparatus that may be
suitably employed.
The bed of the waterway may first be prepared or formed in any suitable manner
such as of concrete, so as to be hard and capable of being readily cleansed and the
guiding grooves or ways built up such as shown by E, Figure 1, or an inverted
"Barlow" rail, or like metallic device as shown by E, Figure 7 may be used and
firmly embedded therein.
We provide vertical rods or shatts B Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the lower
extremities of which are pivoted wheels, pulleys, or revolving blocks D to run in
the grooves E (or these wheels may be grooved or flanged and travel on rails
bedded in the bottom of the waterway instead of a groove) or simple slides or
points may be attached to the ends of the shafts so as to direct the course of the
boat by passing along the groove or channel.
The vertical rods or shafts B carrying the wheels D are arranged to pass
through or be housed in sockets or housings C permanently fixed or built into the
boats or barges, Figures 2 and 4, or straps or the like H, Figure 3, may be attached
to the ends of the vessels for this purpose.
The vertical rods or shafts B may be raised and lowered or adjusted according

page_text: to the weight of boat or boat and cargo, or to pass clear of the groove, channel, or
rail, either by a rack and pinion F and G, Figures 1 and 5, or by a cable J,
Figures 2 and 6, which may pass by means of pulleys along several boats or barges
in line attached to each other and which by a windlass or other suitable device
may raise or lower the whole of the vertical rods or shafts simultaneously.
It will be seen that by our invention a vessel or a string of vessels may be navigated
along a waterway without the aid of steersmen and that the said waterway may be
of much less width than is now usual in proportion to the width of the boat, barge,
or other floating structure employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The means for and method of controlling the courses of vessels on narrow
waterways substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The means for guiding vessels or controlling their courses on waterways
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
3. For guiding vessels or controlling their courses on narrow or other water-
ways the combination of a groove, channel, or rail on the bed of or in a
waterway with wheels or other devices running therein or thereon mounted on
one of the ends of vertical rods or shafts passing through and adjustable in
trunks or housings at or near the ends or other convenient parts of the vessel or
vessels substantially as hereinbetore described and as illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of November 1892.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.