Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Machinery for Dry Docking Ships and other Vessels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Machinery for
Dry Docking Ships and other Vessels.
I, SAMUEL DURE of 233 Holton Road. Barry Dock, in the County of
Glamorgan, South Wales. Foreman Shipwright, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention for improvements in or connected with apparatus or machinery
for dry docking ships, and other vessels, particularly refers to the hydraulic rams
used in such apparatus, as is described in the Specification of my Patent Appli-
cation, dated 27th July 1895 No. 14324 and whereby locking means are provided,
so that the rams, having been run out into the desired position, may then he
secured, and I further provide an auxiliary hydraulic ram, or rams, to control the
return of the aforesaid main ram, or rams.
According to my present invention I arrange along the dock or quay wall, a
number of hydraulic rams, for example as described in the Specification and shown
in the drawings accompanying my Patent Application No 14324 of 1895 afore-
said, wherein hydraulic rams are free to be raised vertically by the outward
movement of the plunger to any desired position, and there retained, and when in
such position the plunger is run out against the side of a ship or vessel in order
to support same in a nearly vertical position.
When the plunger is thus in working position it is desirable to lock same in a
positive manner, and thereby to prevent the ram from shifting, without being
dependent on the water pressure. With this object in view I provide upon the
ram cylinder a guide, formed of two vertically projecting walls, having opposite
boles therein, formed at suitable distances apart; the forward end of the guide is
made in a piece, or connected with, the flange of the cylinder, which bridges the
groove. Upon or near the rear end of the ram cylinder are mounted two guides,
distanced apart, and in line with the vertical walls, these guides converge towards
one another at their upper edges.
Working within the ram cylinder is a ram of ordinary construction, to the head
of which I mount a guide rod, located above, and parallel to, the plunger, formed
with a thin central web and say of railway rail section or the like. This guide
rod takes into and is free to slide in the guides before mentioned, passing in under
the bridge piece, and then between the vertical walls and through the rear guides
which embrace the wider base part.
Hules are made in the web of the guide rod which coincide and are adapted to
receive a pin or pins passing through the guide walls and through the web, in this
manner locking the ram in position.
I employ two chains or equivalents fastened to each side of the ram arranged to
pass under suitable friction wheels, the chains being fastened to the upper frame-
work of the recess, whereby the ram nay be lifted vertically.
I also provide au auxiliary hydraulic ram operating a multiplying device, which
is situated within the dock or quay wall; the chain or equivalent from the multi-
rlying device is connected with the plunger of one of the main cylinders, whereby,
by operating the auxiliary ram, the plunger of the main cylinder may be drawn in
when desired.
Dated Lin Och
A 1006
BREWER & SON,
Loudon and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Machinery for
Dry Docking Ships and other Vessels.
I, SAMUEL DURE of 233 Holton Road, Barry Dock, in the County of
Glamorgan, South Wales, Foreman Shipwright, 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:-
My invention for "Improvements in or connected with, apparatus or machinery
for dry docking ships and other vessels," particularly refers to the hydraulic rams
used in such apparatus, (as is described in the Specification of iny Patent, dated
27th July 1895 No. 14324), and whereby locking means are now provided, so that
the rams, having been run out into the desired position, may then be secured, and
I further provide an auxiliary hydraulic ram, or rams, to control the return of the
aforesaid main ram or rams.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will describe same with
reference to the accompanying drawings, on which similar letters indicate like parts
in all the figures.
Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section of so much of a dock as will be necessary
to describe my improved hydraulic apparatus applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the forward end of one of the ram cylinders, drawn to
a larger scale than the previous figure.
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the cylinder on the line X Y of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a similar cross section on the line X' Y' of Fig. 1, but drawn to the
same scale as is the plan view Fig. 2, and
Fig. 5 is a plan view of certain bilge blocks hereafter described such plan
being of parts below the line X2 Y2 of Fig. 1.
According to my present invention I arrange along the dock or quay wall A,
a number of hydraulic rams B, for example, as described in the Specification and
shewn in the drawings accompanying my Patent No. 14324 of 1895 aforesaid,
wherein hydraulic rams B are free to be raised vertically by the outward move-
ment of the plunger C to any desired position, and for this purpose I employ
two chains or equivalents D D' fastened to each side of the ram head D³ the
chains D D being arranged to pass under suitable friction wheels E E' and being
fastened say at F F to the framework of the recess G whereby the ram B may
be lifted vertically as aforesaid.
When the ram B is thus raised it is retained in position say by such means as
are described in the specification of my prior patent aforesaid, the chains D D₁
are unloosed, and the ram being thus properly placed, the plunger C is run out
against the side of a ship or vessel H in order to support same in a nearly vertical
position.
When the plunger C is thus in working position, it is desirable to lock same in
a positive manner, and thereby to prevent the said plunger C from shifting, without
being dependent on the water pressure. With this object in view I provide upon
the cylinder B a guide, formed of two vertically projecting walls J J Figs. 2
and 3, having opposite holes J' therein, formed at suitable distances apart; the
forward end of the guide is made in a piece, or connected with, the flange B¹ of
the cylinder B Fig. 2, which bridges the groove. Upon or near the rear end of
the cylinder B are mounted two guides K K Figs. 1 and 4, distanced apart, and
in line with the vertical walls JJ; these guides K K converge towards one
another at their upper edges.
Working within the cylinder B is the ram C before mentioned, of ordinary
construction, to the head of which I mount a guide rod L located above and
parallel to the plunger C. This guide rod L is formed preferably with a central

page_text: web, see sectional views Figs. 3 and 4, and say of railway rail section or the like,
and the said rod L takes into and is free to slide in, the guides J J and K K
before mentioned, passing in under the bridge piece B', and then through the rear
guides K K which embrace the wider base part.
Holes L' Figs. 1, 3, and 4, are made in the web of the guide rod L, which
coincide with and are adapted to receive, a suitable pin or pins which should be
passed through the guide walls J J, and through the web of the bar or rail L,
and in this manner the ram C is locked in position. I also provide an auxiliary
hydraulic ram M operating a suitable form of multiplying device N, which is
situated within the dock or quay wall, a chain or equivalent N¹ from the multi-
plying device N, is connected with the plunger C of one of the main cylinders B,
whereby, by operating the auxiliary ram M the plunger C, of the main cylinder B,
may be drawn in when desired.
In some cases I employ with the herein described apparatus, hydraulically
operated bilge blocks, such as are shewn in Figs. 1 and 5; the lower blocks P
are mounted to slide in bases P¹, and are each in connection with the plunger rods
at P2 of a hydraulic ram or rams P³. Above the blocks P upon inclined surfaces
thereon are blocks Q, these latter carrying upon horizontal rockers, blocks Q
By the action of the hydraulic rams, the blocks P are drawn together and the
supported blocks raised to proper position to maintain the vessel; I then insert a
tapered key or wedge R by which the position of the blocks is maintained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In apparatus or machinery for dry docking ships and other vessels, hydraulic
rams arranged on or in the dock wall, and having plungers adapted to be run out
to support the side of a ship or vessel, in combination with a bar or rail attached
to or formed with, each plunger head, and means whereby the rear parts of the
bar may be fixed to the cylinder, and thereby lock the plunger in its working
position in a positive manner when required, and means, such as a chain, attached
to a multiplying device, operated by an auxiliary hydraulic ram for withdrawing
the plunger when desired, substantially as set forth.
2. In hydraulic rams for use in dry docking ships, and as described in the
Specification of Patent No. 14324, 27th July 1895, the combination therewith of
the means for locking the plunger in its working position in a positive manner, and
withdrawing same when required, substantially as described and illustrated with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with apparatus or machinery for dry docking ships and
other vessels and as claimed by Claims 1 and 2; of the hydraulically operated
bilge blocks, substantially as described and shewn with reference to Figs. 1 and 5
of the accompanying drawings.
4. The general combination and arrangement of parts substantially as and for
the purposes described and illustrated with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.