IMPROVEMENTS IN THE Mode of anD APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGED. BODIES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Atkinson, Naval Engineer, of No. 93, South
Lambeth Road, London, Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
Mode of anD APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGED.
BODIES."
ealed the 26th March 1878, and dated the 1st October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Atkinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st October 1877.
$6
WILLIAM ATKINSON, Naval Engineer," of No. 93, South Lambeth Road,
London, Surry. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING
SUNKEN SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGED BODIES.".
(Figure 1.) "A" is an iron oval or ovoid-shaped apparatus or buoy; "B" is a
false bottom inside the apparatus, making two chambers, "C" & "D"; "E" is a valve
for the passage of water from the upper chamber "C" into the lower chamber "D,"
thence through the pipes "F, F," discharging at "G, G"; "H" is a lever connected
to the rod "K" passing through the pipe "L" and attached to the spindle "O" of
the valve "E"; "N, N," are two levers with sliding weights acting under the head
of the spindle "O" for keeping the valve closed; "M" is a cock with a flexible tube
attached for the passage of air into the buoy.
"
Figure 2 shews the valve and the levers with their sliding weights.
Fig. 3" shews the number and position of the levers.
Fig. 4" shews the boring of the seat of the valve.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of an
Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said William Atkinson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 29th April 1878.
"
WILLIAM ATKINSON, Naval Engineer, late of No. 93, South Lambeth Road, London,
Surrey, and now of No. 7, Peveril Street, Battersea, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS
AND OTHER SUBMERGED BODIES."
My Invention consists in certain improvements in the mode of and apparatus for
raising sunken ships and other submerged bodies.
I will now describe my Invention.
Fig. 1 is an oval or ovoid-shaped apparatus or buoy, the letters a, a, a, a, showing
the outline of the same. Inside and at the bottom of the buoy is a false bottom B,
having an equal and centrally-inclined dip, the lowest part of the dip being in the
centre of the bottom. This bottom or partition makes two chambers, the upper
chamber D, E, and the lower one C, both being perfectly water-tight, & having
communication with each other through a valve E which is let into the partition B,
exactly in the centre, in manner as Fig. 2. The seat of the valve E (see Fig. 2) is of
solid brass, being bored through in manner as Fig. 4. The dotted line C, K, in Fig.
2, show where the valve E fits into its seat. D, D, D, is the spindle of the valve
passing upwards through the centre F of the seat (see also Fig. 4). This spindle has
a circular cap or head, in shape like G; under this head the ends of three levers K
pass (two only are shewn in Fig. 2, see also Fig. 3), each lever being placed 120°
apart from the other, as in Fig. 3, and supported by brackets L. Upon each of the
levers is a sliding weight M, J, the position of the weights being regulated according
to the amount of leverage required for keeping the valve closed, the weights being
fixed at pleasure by the screw bolt N. Over the slots of the brackets L through
which the levers pass are bars M, S, to prevent the levers being lifted too high, thus
limiting the opening of the valve to a certain width. To the top G of the spindle D
a rod Ŏ is attached. This rod passes upwards through a tube P in the centre of the
buoy (see Fig. 1), and also through a stuffing box R, to which the tube is connected.
The rod then passes through the top of the buoy, & is attached to a lever S. T, T,
are pipes passing from the lower chamber C through the bottom B and upper chamber
D, E, out at the sides of the buoy at W. (There are three pipes, but two only are
shewn, each pipe being placed 120° apart from the other, as Q, Q, Q, in Fig. 3. U
is a cock (see Fig. 1) with flexible tube for the passage of air either into or out of
the buoy. V shows part of the chain arrangement for connecting the apparatus to
the object to be raised. When the buoy is required to be operated with, the line Z
attached to the lever S is pulled, thereby depressing the rod O & opening the valve
E, to which it is connected, which also raises the levers K. The cock U is then
turned on. The instant this is done water rushes through the pipes T, T, into the
lower chamber C, & thence through the valve E into the upper chamber D, E, until
the buoy is in a sinking condition. It is then lowered and attached to the object to
be operated upon. Air is then pumped into the apparatus, which forces the water
from the upper chamber D, E, through the valve E, into the lower chamber C, &
thence through the pipes T, out at the sides X. When all the water has been ejected
from the buoy, the line Z attached to the lever S is then loosened, when instantly the
weighted levers fall back to their original position, & thereby close the valve.
cock U is then turned off, which done, the buoy has attained its former buoyancy,
& is pulling with its whole power at the object to which it is attached. Others
are then attached, until the weight of the object operated upon is counterbalanced by
the pulling power of the buoys; that result having been obtained, the object rises
to the surface.
The
Now be it known that I claim as my Patent right the shape of my apparatus
when used for the purpose & in the manner as before demonstrated.

page_text: I also claim the mode of the valve, together with the general arrangement of its
accessories.
As witness my hand and goal this First day of Annil in the wear of our Lord
I also claim the mode of the valve, together with the general arrangement of its
accessories.
A a witness my hand and seal, this First day of April, in the year of our Lord
Eighteen hundred and eighty-eight.
WITT TTAM
ATIZATSON
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