AN IMPROVED METHOD OF RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Digory Warne Sargent at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd July 1880.
DIGORY WARNE SARGENT, of No. 364, Brixton Road, in the County of Surrey,
Surgeon. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS."
My Invention is for raising sunken vessels by leverage.
The levers rest upon and are fixed to a fulcrum made fast across the deck before
or behind the foremast of a steamer, herein after called "the lever steamor," and
reaching far enough over the bulwarks to work freely, and from the bow to the
stern, and either bent or straight, as required, for more complete lifting purposes.
When in work the stern end is raised as high as required, the bow ends nearly
dipping in the water.
The levers consist of from twenty feet to forty feet beams, or longer or shorter
lengths, spliced, wedged, and bolted together securely. Three or more of such
beams are required, one on each side of the lever steamer and a short one at the
bow, consisting of a strong beam standing about twelve feet, more or less, over the
bow obliquely and resting on a lever prop fixed before the capstan, and a windlass
fastened on the bow lever with ropes and trucks at the bow end, and one or more
levers at other parts of the lever steamer if necessary.
All these levers are for lifting and holding up when the wreck is lifted by means
of the windlasses, capstans, or steam engines. The length and strength of each
lever determines the lifting power.
The mediums of attachment of the lever ends to the wreck or other submerged
bodies being chains, or wire, or other ropes, the size and number of such chains,
or ropes depending on the depth and tonnage of wreck. These chains or ropes to
work through blocks by capstans, windlasses, or a small steam engine. The ropes
or chains to be attached to the wreck by divers, who would first fix a strong lever
to bow and bow-sprit and other cross ship or stern levers if necessary, also hook on
anchors or forceps to ports and hatchways or other openings or attachments for
fastenings for lever ropes or chains. The long beams would be worked on the
lever steamer by ropes, chains, and trucks by means of capstan, windlass, or small
steam engine.
Their leverage increased by bolting more lengths, and thickness by means of
bolts, wedges, and ropes and splices.
They might also be worked astern of steam lever ship by the steam tug capstans
if required.

page_text: "
The lever lifting power would be all on the sea level. The wreck, ordinarily,
would be tilted first by lever lifts, by ropes, or chains let down to the diver and
made fast to wreck bow sprit or other wreck levers by means of looper ropes or
chains and hitch blocks. This being done the leverage would raise wreck bow up at
an oblique angle, forwards and upwards, to be taken in charge by the steam tug and
floated by barrels, rafts, or other floats lashed together and lashed also to the bow
or stern or cross ship levers. All the ropes from the lever steamer would pay out to
make way for the wreck to rise.
With a big lever steamer worked by big and long levers, by ropes, or chains, as
described, the biggest and most battered wreck must rise, because lever power
can be made irresistable if levers, chains, and ropes be made of sufficient strength.
The depression of foreship would be compensated by the lever shifting astern by
capstan, windlass, or steam engine.
And the weight of wreck would be thrown very near to midships and could be
quite midships by fixing the fulcrum more astern.
The fulcrum could work across any part of the deck, either on it or over the
bulwarks, fixed on lever trestles.
The trestles would be constructed of timber, on lever principles, by spreading
legs and tops, three or four legs spreading out upon the deck of the lever steamer
on each side. The tops of the trestles would be made high enough to receive the
fulcrum and to reach two feet or more above it; these trestles would be bound
together by ropes running through blocks and also to the lengthways and cross
pieces, which would haul together so compactly as to form a strong and firm support
for the heaviest weighted fulcrum.
These levers would work by side hitch blocks and back hitch blocks and ropes
twisted in coils to hitch blocks for complete security. The fulcrum ends thus
secured would extend over deck or bulwarks of lover steamer far enough for
working the levers, which would be provided with windlasses bolted on to wind up™
and let out the wreck ropes rapidly, as required, and to prevent any slack ropes in
lever working.
The side levers would be tied together at the stern ends by a cross beam to give
steadiness and security in a rolling sea, and to give firm attachment to the working
ropes or chains from capstan, windlass, or steam, engine, and to the behind
mainmast lovers used for raising the side levers for another lift.
Besides these levers, with their blocks and hitch blocks and stay pieces and
windlasses, I should uso forceps consisting of metal or wooden long lover shanks,
bolted and blocked by hitch lever blocks with short shanks for grasping and long
shanks for leverage, either for grasping ship or cross levers or bow levers or other
wreck hold fasts. These long shanks would be provided with blocks and ropes
which would draw a fast grip and lift or lever up as required.
Also my Invention includes reversible forceps with prongs and hooks to thrust
into hatchways, ports, or other openings for lifting or lever action; also of stern
wreck levers to lift by or with instead of bow levers in case wreck bow levers
cannot be got at from position of wreck.
If the wreck be too large or too heavy to be raised from one lever steamer I
should brace two or more steamers together by cross beams tied or braced across
their decks to their hatches, ports, or other fastenings, but the levers would be the
same in construction and action in any caso.
As soon as the wreck reaches the surface of the water it would be roped to a
steam tug which would then tow her into the nearest or most convenient harbour
or shallow water, where she might be surveyed and repaired.