Improvements in Suction Pipes for Dredging or other similar purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th Apr.. 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Suction Pipes for Dredging or other similar
purposes.
I, GEORGE FOUNTAINE WEARE HOPE, of 39 Coleman Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to those suction pipes which are used chiefly in connection
with barges for sucking up sand and the like from the beds of seas or rivers,
usually in connection with centrifugal pumps situated upon the barge or vessel.
In use the suction nozzle or open end of the pipe becomes drawn into the sand or
silt at the bottom of the water and securely fixed or anchored, and the consequence
is that although provision in the form of joints or a flexible length of piping at or
near the nozzle, have been used, the pipes constantly break at or near their con-
nection with the vessel. Thus a joint has hitherto been provided which has
allowed of the vessel rising and falling in a vertical plane or to accommodate fore
and aft pitching, but when, as frequently happens, in a rough sea, or the crossing of
wind and tide the vessel sheers round, the pipes were liable to break off or become
too much damaged for use, and frequently did so, thus causing the stoppage of the
machine until a new pipe was fixed; besides the expense of repairing the old one.
A ball or universal joint against the side of a vessel has also been employed but.
although this was an improvement upon the plain vertical joint, the pipes were
liable to be wrenched off in consequence of the accommodation not being of the
right nature and upon the sinking of the vessel, and the rigid pipe not giving way,
something was bound to go.
By my invention I am able to overcome the drawbacks above enumerated by the
simple expedient of inserting in the pipe a length of flexible tubing the best results
1. find being obtained by placing this from a quarter to one third of the distance
down the length of the pipe. I also prefer to employ the vertical or universal
joint at the ship.
To prevent the flexible portion of the pipe from enduring excessive strain, I con-
nect with the ends of the rigid portions of the pipe a chain, rod or other suitable
stay or tie which relieves the flexible portion of all undue strain.
Dated this 30th day of January 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Suction Pipes for Dredging or other similar
purposes.
2
I, GEORGE FOUNTAINE WEARE HOPE of 39 Coleman Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, 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:―
This invention relates to those suction pipes which are used chiefly in connection
with dredgers for sucking up sand and the like from the beds of seas or rivers,
usually in connection with centrifugal pumps situated upon the barge or vessel.
In use the suction nozzle or open end of the pipe becomes drawn into the sand or
silt at the bottom of the water and securely fixed or anchored, and the consequence
D

page_text: s that although provision in the form of joints or a flexible length of piping at or
near the nozzle, have been used, the pipes constantly break at or near their con-
nection with the vessel. Thus a joint has hitherto been provided which has
allowed of the vessel rising and falling in a vertical plane or to accommodate fore
and aft pitching, but when, as frequently happens, in a rough sea or the crossing of
wind and tide, the vessel sheers round, the pipes were liable to break off or become
oo much damaged for use, and frequently did so, thus causing the stoppage of
he machine until new pipes or new flanges were obtained, besides the expense of
repairing the old ones. A ball or universal joint against the side of a vessel has
also been employed but although this was an improvement upon the plain vertical
oint, the pipes were liable to be wrenched off in consequence of the accommodation
not being of the right nature and upon the dropping of the vessel, and the rigid
pipe not giving way, something was bound to go.
By my invention I am able to overcome the drawbacks above enumerated by
he simple expedient of inserting in the pipe a length of flexible tubing the best
results I find being obtained by placing this from a quarter to one third of the
distance down the length of the pipe. I also prefer to employ the vertical or
universal joint at the ship.
To prevent the flexible portion of the pipe from enduring excessive strain, I
connect the ends of the rigid portions of the pipe by a chain, rod or other suitable
stay or tic which relieves the flexible portion of all undue strain.
The accompanying drawing which represents an elevation of a dredger fitted
with this improved suction pipe will best explain its construction and operation.
In this view A represents the barge or dredger, B the river bed, and C the
suction pipe, D being the suction nozzle and E rigid portions or lengths of the
pipe. F is a plain gland or universal joint capable of accommodating the suction
pipe in its different positions as when raised up alongside the dredger as shown in
full lines in the figure or lowered and in operation as indicated in dotted lines in
the figure suitable tackles generally chains or ropes are employed for raising and
lowering the pipe, one being at the suction end and the other at or near the point
where the flexible length of piping H is introduced. This length is an ordinary
piece of rubber, leather or other flexible hose piping of suitable size and strength
which may be supported by coiled wire or otherwise if required. This flexible
section may be placed at any suitable portion of the pipe, but preferably at or
about the position indicated in the drawing, so that when the pipe is lowered into
the water the flexible section is at or near the surface of the water. Hitherto
when a piece of flexible piping has been employed in the suction pipe at all it has
been a short length close by the suction nozzle and partly owing to the excessive
movement and strain to which it was subjected and partly to the fact of its not
having been protected in any way, it has soon become useless.
The flanges I at the end of the flexible piping H are provided with lugs J to
which. is secured a chain K the object of which is to prevent any excessive strain
being placed upon the flexible pipe H. Thus, in the drawing, the chain K is shown
rather shorter than the pipe H the result of which is that any rending strain which
would naturally fall upon the pipe H is taken up by the chain K whereby the pipe
is saved. Lugs I are also provided upon the flanges or contiguous portions of the
rigid pipes E and to these are connected by links M a wood or iron spar R with
the centre of which the tackle G is connected. The object of the spar is merely to
raise and lower the pipe C without strain upon the flexible portion H and for this
purpose the spar is as above explained connected with the rigid sections at each
end of the flexible section so that both these rigid portious are raised simul-
taneously. By this arrangement it would be readily appreciated that when the
pipe is in use as in dotted lines in the figure, the dredger may swing freely or rise
or fall with the waves, without any injurious effect upon the flexible pipe, and I
find in actual practice that this is the case. The chief use of the joint F is for the
raising or lowering of the pipe as were the joint F not employed the change of
position in the pipe would have to be entirely accommodated by the flexible

page_text: portion H and although this might be accomplished, it is desirable to save the
Hexible section as much as possible and the joint F is accordingly introduced.
N is a stay or tie-rod for the purpose of generally supporting the pipe C; it is
preferably secured at the two ends O and P of the rigid portion of the pipe and
passes through intermediate guides Q so as to afford as much support as possible to
the pipe C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. A suction pipe for dredgers and the like constructed and operating
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. The combination with the flexible section such as H of a suction pipe of a
chain rod or other stay or support such as K substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
3. The combination with the flexible section H of a suction pipe of a spar such
as R spanning the flexible section and connected with the contiguous rigid sections
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
4. In a suction pipe the combination with a gland or universal joint F of a
flexible section such as H substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dat
this Third day of April 1891.
ICOL Udy to kon
G. F. W. HOPE.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.