proved Apparatus for Cleaning the Immersed Surfaces of Ships During their Voyage.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improved Apparatus for Cleaning the Immersed Surfaces of Ships
During their Voyage.
We CHRISTIAN BORM and LUDWIG BORM, both of 1 and 2 Kaffamacherreihe,
Hamburg in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers, 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:-
In this apparatus for cleaning the bottom or immersed surface of ships, the
passage of the water by the ship, which is caused by the locomotion of the ship, is
utilized for actuating this improved-apparatus so as to facilitate and cause the
movement of the cleaning devices over the surface of the ships.
The invention is shown in the annexed drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 an end elevation from the
bow of the vessel illustrating the apparatus applied in position for use on the hull
of a ship.
Figs. 4 to 9 show the apparatus on a larger scale, Fig. 4 being an exterior view,
Fig. 5 a plan view of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 represents the apparatus seen from the opposite
side with regard to Fig. 4.
Fig. 7 is an end view partly in section, and Figs. 8 and 9 show a secondary
apparatus for handling the cleaner.
This improved cleaner substantially consists of a screw propeller 6 pivoted on a
framing a and of a brush or scrubbing device c, for scrubbing off any foreign
matter, shells, impurities etc., this latter device being actuated by means of bevelled
wheel-gearing from the propeller; moreover on the framing a, a device is arranged
which serves to facilitate a steering or holding of the apparatus and which is more
fully described hereinafter.
The framing a is shaped or provided either one for each side of the ship, that is
to say in duplicate, or some single constituent parts of the frame a are to be
removed according to which side of the ship is to be cleansed at the time being.
The framing as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is slung from a rope or wire n along the
side of the ship after the secondary holder illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 has been
previously fitted on the stem of the ship. This secondary holder consists of a
sliding block d' provided with wings d which block is lowered by a rope m and is
passed over the stem whereupon the wings are adjusted to a suitable height by the
ropes m', when owing to the pressure of the water exerted upon the wings, which
latter take the position shown in the full lines, Fig. 9, the block is held fast in its
position against the stem of the ship.
When this block is afterwards to be again removed from the stem and lifted,
the wings d are first brought, by means of the ropes m¹, into the position shown
in dotted lines, in which the backward pressure of the water upon said wings
ceases, and the block tends to be forced up by the flow of the water as the ship
passes through the latter. Through an ear d' of the block d' a rope o is passed
which is secured at one end to the front end of the framing a, and at the other end
to the other side of the ship and is released as the hull of the ship is cleaned.
The streaming past of the water owing to the motion of the ship, acts upon the
screw (see Figs. 1 and 5) in direction of the arrow, and causes its rapid rotation,
this rotary motion being transferred to the brushes c by the gearing e, e¹.

page_text: These brushes, are by springs f connected to their shaft e² so as to be able to
give way where uneven surfaces occur on the body of the ship.
The front end of the framing a is furnished with an inclined sheet metal plate g
which has an orifice g¹ cut in it, through which the water, after passing the screw
propeller, enters behind the sheet metal plate g and there meets a deflecting plate h
which either occupies the position shown in full lines (see Figs. 4 and 6) or that in
dotted lines.
By means of the rope p the deflecting plate h is brought into one of these
positions, whereby the water current, meeting the plate will either force down the
frame a or will arrive beneath the plate and thus facilitate the lifting of the
frame a according to the position of the said plate.
When the cleaning of the bottom or hull of the ship is to be done, the block d as
described before is first of all fixed on to the stem s of the ship (Figs. 1 to 3 and 9)
and then the apparatus, held by the ropes m and n is lowered down the fore end of
the ship into the water. As soon as the screw propeller b is below the water level,
the brushes begin working. The water which presses upon the outside of the sheet
metal plate 9 causes the front part of the frame to place itself closely on the
surface of the hull so that a large body of water is compelled to enter through the
opening g and arrive behind the plate g. The rear end of the framing is guided
over the surface of the ship, by means of running wheels u. On the lower ledge of
the framing a knife blade is attached to remove the coarsest of the impurities
from the surface of the ship.
The end of the rope o is first held fast whilst the rope n is released so that the
frame is enabled to yield to the pressure of the water upon the plate h and is thus
forced down; during which action the apparatus is continually and forcibly pressed
against the surface of the ship.
The apparatus during this manipulation describes a curve around the point d² (the
ear of the block d¹) having as its radius that part of the rope c which lies between
said point d and the frame a.
When the apparatus has arrived at the line of the keel, the plate / by means of
the rope p is brought into the position shown in dotted lines (Fig. 4). The water
then passes beneath the same, thus facilitating the raising of the apparatus. When
arrived at the top, the rope o is released to a certain extent (about as much as the
diameter of the combination of brushes) and then the apparatus after the plate h
has been turned into the position shown in full lines (Fig. 4) is again lowered.
After one side of the ship has been thus treated and cleansed, the other side is done
in the same manner, and for this purpose either a second apparatus is provided, or
else the knife the plate h and the attachment of the rope n are to be exchanged
to the other corresponding edges of the frame. The apparatus is distinguished by
the utilization of the current produced by the motion of the ship in the water, by
the easy method of handling. The raising as well as the lateral movement of the
apparatus is essentially supported and caused by the current of water, whilst the
actuation of the cleansing arrangement itself (of the brushes c) requires no
application of power other than that derived from said current..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An improved apparatus for cleaning the bottom of ships during their passage
and adapted to utilize the counter current of the water due to the motion of the
ship the said apparatus having a screw propeller (6) arranged on a framing (a) and
actuating a cleaning device such as brushes (c) whilst the guiding of the apparatus
over the ship's bottom surface is effected by means of ropes or chains or the
like (o and n).
2. The combination with said frame a of the laterally inclined plate g and the
movable deflecting plate h for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 3. The combination of said apparatus of a rope guide attached upon the stem s
of the ship said rope guide consisting of a block ď¹ with wings d adapted to pass
over the stem of the ship.
Dated this 10th dow of Mo- 1001
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agent to Applicant.