IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH DREDGING BUCKETS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark of the firm of A M and W. Clark of
53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agents for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH DREDGING BUCKETS
Communicated to him from abroad by William Henry Wood, of the City
County and State of New York, United States of America
。
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th September 1882.
.
WILLIAM CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED
WITH DREDGING BUCKETS." [Communicated to him from abroad by William
Henry Wood, of the City County and State of New York, United States of
America]
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the entrance of dredging buckets into
sand, clay, and other hard and resisting bottoms.
The Invention consists in a dredging bucket having double sides and ends
forming water spaces in the ends and sides, into which spaces water is forced by
a suitable pump when the bucket cuts into the bottom, which water issues from
the openings of the water spaces and loosens the bottom into which the bucket
enters.
The Invention also consists in a pulley, chain, and balancing weight for auto-
matically raising and lowering with the bucket the hose conducting the water into
in the bucket.
the spaces
The dredging bucket which is of the clam shell pattern, is suspended by means
of chains from a derrick arm or beam in the usual manner and is also operated in
the usual manner. The ends and the curved side of each section of the bucket are
made double so that a water jacket will be formed on the curved sides and the
ends of the sections. The water spaces thus formed are open at the lower edges of
the ends and the curved sides of the sections and the width of these spaces
increases toward the upper parts of the bucket sections. A flexible tube or hose
is attached to each bucket section at the wider end of one of the water spaces in

page_text: the sides and these tubes both lead to a flexible tube or hose connected with a
pump on the scow. The hose passes over a pulley suspended from a chain or rope
passing over rollers or pulleys on the beam or arm, and which rope or chain has
a balance weight suspended from its other end. The open ends or parts of the
water spaces are along the cutting edges of the bucket. The bucket is lowered in
the usual manner and when its edges begin to cut into the bottom, water is forced
into the water spaces in the bucket, and this water in issuing from the openings
along the cutting edges, loosens the bottom into which the bucket sections cut, and
thereby greatly facilitates the entrance of the bucket into the bottom, especially
if the dredger is operating in sand, clay, or other bottom that offers considerable
resistance. It frequently happens that clay, &c, clings to the sides of the bucket
and will not drop out of it. If parts of the openings in the longitudinal edges are
slightly raised, the water issuing from these edges washes into the bucket and
loosens the contents. The pump is only to be operated when the bucket is
'cutting into the bottom, or when the bucket is raised and the contents are to be
loosened.
The balance weight holds the hose taut and permits the hose to rise and descend
with the bucket.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th March
1883.
"
WILLIAM CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED
WITH DREDGING BUCKETS. A communication to me from abroad by William
Henry Wood of the City, County and State of New York, United States of
America.
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the entrance of dredging buckets into
sand, clay, and other hard and resisting bottoms.
The Invention consists in a dredging bucket having double sides and ends
forming water spaces in the ends and sides into which spaces water is forced by
a suitable pump when the bucket cuts into the bottom, which water issues from
the openings of the water spaces and loosens the bottom into which the bucket
enters.
The Invention also consists in a pulley, chain, and balancing weight for auto-
matically raising and lowering with the bucket the hose conducting the water into
the spaces in the bucket.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of part of a dredging scow provided
with the improved bucket. Figure 2 is an end elevation of the bucket,. parts being
broken out and the bucket shown partly open. Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of
one of the sections of the bucket.
The dredging bucket A which is of the clam shell pattern, is suspended by means
of chains from a derrick arm or beam B in the usual manner and is also operated
in the usual manner.
The ends C and the curved side D of each section of the
bucket are made double so that a water jacket will be formed on the curved sides
and the ends of the sections. The water spaces thus formed are open at the lower
edges of the ends and the curved sides of the sections and the width of these spaces
increases toward the upper parts of the bucket sections. A flexible tube or hose E
is attached to each bucket section at the wider end of one of the water spaces in
the sides, and these tubes E both lead to a flexible tube or hose F connected with
a pump G on the scow H. The hose F passes over a pulley J suspended from a
chain or rope K. passing over rollers or pulleys L on the beam or arm B, and which
rope or chain has a balance weight M suspended from its other end. The open
ends or parts of the water spaces are along the cutting edges of the bucket. The
bucket is lowered in the usual manner and when its edges begin to cut into the
bottom, water is forced into the water spaces in the bucket and this water in
issuing from the openings along the cutting edges loosens the bottom into which
the bucket sections cut, and thereby greatly facilitates the entrance of the bucket
into the bottom, especially if the dredger is operating in sand, clay, or other bottom
that offers considerable resistance. It frequently happens that clay &c, clings to
the sides of the bucket and will not drop out of it, and to obviate this, parts of the
openings in the longitudinal edges are slightly raised so that the water issuing
from these edges washes into the bucket and loosens the contents. The pump G
is only to be operated when the bucket is cutting into the bottom, or when the
bucket is raised and the contents are to be loosened. The balance weight M holds
the hose taut and permits the hose to rise and descend with the bucket.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is.
1 A dredging bucket constructed substantially as herein shown and described,
with devices for forcing jets of water from the cutting edges of the bucket, as set
forth.
:
I
2nd A dredging bucket of the character herein set forth constructed with double
walls forming water spaces in the sides and ends of the bucket, substantially as
herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
3rd The combination with a dredging bucket constructed as herein shown, having
water spaces formed in the sides and ends, of a pump and a tube for conducting
water from the pump into the water spaces in the bucket, substantially as herein
shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
4th The combination with the beam B and the clam shell dredging bucket A
having water spaces in the sides and ends, of the bose E and F, and the pump G,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
5th The combination with the beam B and the dredging bucket
having water
spaces in the sides and ends of the hose F, the pulley J, the rope or chain K, the
balancing weight M, and the pump G substantially as herein shown and described,
and for the purpose set forth.
6th The combination with a clam shell dredging bucket having water spaces
formed in the sides and ends, of a pump, a tube for conducting water from the
pump into the spaces in the bucket, and devices for closing this bucket, substantially
as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
In Witness whereof I the said William Clark have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty second day of March, A.D. 1883.
11
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