IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING, BUILDING, AND WORKING FLOATING DOCKS AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Lungley, of Deptford, in the County of
Kent, Shipbuilder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING,
BUILDING, AND WORKING FLOATING DOCKS AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES, AND
Sealed the 30th December 1862, and dated the 1st July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Lungley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st July 1862.
I, CHARLES LUNGLEY, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Shipbuilder,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTING, BUILDING, AND WORKING FLOATING DOCKS AND OTHER FLOATING
BODIES, AND IN PUMPING APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to a new mode of constructing and
building floating docks and other floating bodies of either iron or wood,. in
such manner that a great advantage may be obtained in building and repairing
the same, while a great advantage may also be obtained in using the same as
regards economy both of expense and time.
in
The second part of my Invention relates to a method of fitting the pumps
or pumping apparatus in floating bodies, in such manner that economy
the power required to work them, and facilities for repairing them, may be
obtained.

page_text: The first part of my Invention consists in constructing and in building th
docks and other floating bodies in several distinct parts or sections, which
may be connected afloat, whereby only room enough on shore or in anothe
floating dock is required for building one part at a time, which can then be
launched or floated with safety in a complete state. Each part or section
of the dock is composed of three parts in the shape of parallelopipedons
or in other convenient shapes, so as to form when combined a pontoon
with side piers. Such pontoon or: hollow: dock bottom can be built and
launched or floated before the hollow side piers are built, and such piers can
then be built on the pontoon or hollow dock bottom without inconvenience,
where required, even in a foreign country or distant place, as the pontoon can
be made sea-worthy and propelled by steam or sails to any place required,
carrying the material or piers for building the side piers and other dock
sections. When one or more such pontoons with side piers are completed they
will form an efficient dock for building other sections upon without any other
accommodation, such sections being undocked and placed on end of those on
which they were built, until enough parts are together to form the dock of the
dimensions required. One advantage in repairing such dock is, that any com-
plete part can be docked by the other parts and repaired in an efficient..
manner. The advantage arising from my Invention in economy of expense
and time is that only so many parts of the dock need be used as may be
required for the size or weight of the ship to be docked, and in some cases two
or more small ships may be docked separately by using only as many parts for
each as are required, according to their size and weight.
In repairing ships with a dock built in this manner to facilitate the removal
of a keel block or blocks, a great advantage may be obtained by, the use of
blocks on screw jacks, folding wedges, or hydraulic rams, which can be fixed;
and worked on either side of the place required to be repaired, by which means)
the ship can still be supported by the section or part of the dock which is
merely forced down by such means, the tie bars, chains, or other securities
being allowed freedom, or being disconnected for the purpose. Great economy in
the time required for lifting a ship is obtained by means of a water-tight deck,:
which I use in the side piers, whereby the pumps can be worked for raising:
part of the water within the dock some time before the dock or parts of the
dock are lifted with the ship. The water so lifted can be run out of the dock
when everything is ready and the dock is required; to, lift the ship out of the
water, during which time the punip, or pumps can be efficiently at work to..
assist to complete the floatation required:
In the second part of my Invention, relating to the method of fitting the..

page_text: pumps or pumping apparatus in a floating body, the pumps are so placed
within efficient water-tight trunks that at no time is the water lifted higher
than is necessary (as it is with pumps fitted in the ordinary manner), and
should the pumps foul at any time, the pump trunk being fitted with inlet and
outlet sluice valves or penstocks, which can be closed when required, the trunk
may be cleared of water by the opposite pump, or a small auxiliary pump on the
same side, by which means the main pump can be readily cleared or repaired
in an efficient manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Lungley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st January 1863. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
LUNGLEY, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Shipbuilder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year
of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Lungley, Her special licence that 1, the said Charles
Lungley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles Lungley, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING, BUILDING, AND WORKING FLOATING DOCKS
AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES, AND IN PUMPING APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Lungley, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Lungley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: :
statement thereof, reference being nad to the Drawings hereunto, an
that is to say:
The first part of my Invention relates to a new mode of constructing and
building floating docks and other floating bodies of either iron or wood, or
artly of iron and partly of wood, in such manner that great advantages may
be obtained in building and repairing the same, while a great advantage
may also be obtained in using such docks as regards economy both of expense
and time.
The second part of my Invention relates to a method of fitting the pumps
or pumping apparatus in floating bodies in such manner that economy in the
power required to work them, and facilities for repairing them, may be obtained.
The first part of my Invention consists in constructing and in building the
docks and other floating bodies in several distinct parts or sections, which
may be connected afloat, whereby only room enough on shore, or in another
floating dock, is required for building one part at a time, which can then be
launched or floated with safety in a complete state. Each part or section of
the dock is composed of three parts in the shape of parallelopipedons, or in
other convenient shapes, so as to form when combined a pontoon with side
piers. Such pontoon or hollow dock, bottom can be built and launched or
floated before the hollow side piers are built, and such piers can then be
built on the pontoon or hollow dock bottom without inconvenience, where
required, even in a foreign country or distant place, as the pontoon can be
made sea-worthy, and may be propelled by steam or sails to any place
required, carrying the material or piers for building the side piers and other
dock sections. When one or more such pontoons with side piers are
completed they will form an efficient dock for building other sections upon
without any other accommodation, such sections being undocked and placed
on end of those on which they were built until enough parts are together to
form the dock of the dimensions required.
One advantage in repairing such dock is that any complete part can be
docked by the other parts, and repaired in an efficient manner.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2
is a vertical section, of a floating dock constructed according to my Invention,
with a "first-rate" supported therein. a, a, are the parts or sections com-
posing the dock, one section being secured to the other by shackle bolts, ring
bolts, or bars, with chains or with nut and screw bolts passing through the
flanges of angle irons on the ends of the longitudinal plating. The ends of the
sections a, a, are recessed as shewn at b, b; in the horizontal section, Figure, 3,
and as described with reference to the securing of plates with flanges or angle
I

page_text: iron in the Specification of a Patent granted to me 23rd April 1858, No. 903.
In building the sections I prefer to construct the lower portion c thereof in
one part, and of any approved form, as, for example, of those forms shown at
Figures 2, 4, and 5, sufficient to afford a safe flotation. The side piers d, d,
are then built up to any required height and secured to the lower portion;
Figure 6 shows in sectional perspective one section or portion of the pontoon
built complete in one part. e, e, are water-tight decks for retaining water
when required in the upper portion of the pontoon. Sections constructed
according to my Invention are applicable to the purpose of lifting sunken
sbips and other bodies under water.
The advantage arising from my Invention in economy of expense and time
is that only so many parts of the dock need be used as may be required for
the size or weight of the ship to be docked; and in some cases two or more
small ships may be docked separately by using only as many parts for each as
are required according to their size and weight.
::
In repairing ships with a dock built in manner herein-before described, to
facilitate the removal of a keel block or blocks, a great advantage may be
obtained by the use of blocks on screw-jacks, folding wedges, or hydraulic
rams, which can be fixed and worked on either side of the place required to
be repaired, by which means the ship can still be supported by the section or
part of the dock which is merely forced down by such means, the tie bars,
chains, or other securities being allowed freedom or being disconnected for the
purpose. Great economy in the time required for lifting a ship is obtained by
means of the water-tight deck which I use in the side piers, whereby the
pumps can be worked for raising part of the water within the dock some time
before the dock or parts of the dock are, lifted with the ship; the water so
lifted can bé run out of the dock when everything is ready, and the dock is
required to lift the ship out of the water, during which time the pump or
pumps can be efficiently at work to assist to complete the flotation required.
In the second part of my Invention, relating to the method of fitting the
pumps or pumping apparatus in a floating body, the pumps are so placed
within efficient water-tight trunks that at no time is the water lifted higher
than is necessary (as it is with pumps fitted in the ordinary manner) and
should the pumps foul at any time, the pump trunk being fitted with inlet and
outlet sluice valves or penstocks, which can be closed when required, the
trunk may be cleared of water by the opposite pump or a small auxiliary pump
on the same side, by which means the main pump can be readily cleared or
repaired in an efficient manner.
Figure 7 is a horizontal section of a portion of one pontoon or section fitted

page_text: with a pump trunk; f is the trunk which is carried upwards to or near to the
top of the pontoon, and is made water-tight; g is the well trunk; ordinary lift
pumps are fitted in the trunk f, by preference below the light flotation line.
Water is admitted to the well trunk g from the different sections of the pontoon
by pipes, trunks, penstocks, or valves, as found most convenient, and the water is
raised by the pump, and discharged through.the.delivery valve h; to lift water
into the upper water-tight compartment the valve h is closed, and another
valve opened which admits the water thereto. The water is discharged
from this compartment by another valve k.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, constructing and building floating docks, and other floating bodies of
iron or wood, or both iron and wood in distinct parts or sections, substantially
in manner and for the purposes herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings..
Second, fitting the pumps or pumping apparatus in floating bodies within
water-tight trunks and admitting the water through water-tight wells sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Lungley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
CHARLES LUNGLEY. (L.S.)