IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING, EXCAVATING, SINKING, DREDGING, AND CLEANING WATERCOURSES, BASINS, CHANNELS, FOUNDATIONS, AND ROADWAYS, SUCH IM
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Robertson, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING, EXCAVATING, SINKING, DREDGING, AND CLEANING
WATERCOURSES, BASINS, CHANNELS, FOUNDATIONS, AND ROADWAYS, SUCH IM-
Sealed the 27th July 1866, and dated the 29th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Robertson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th January 1866.
I, JAMES ROBERTSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING, EXCAVATING, SINKING, DREDGING, AND CLEANING
WATERCOURSES, BASINS, CHANNELS, FOUNDATIONS, AND ROADWAYS, SUCH IMPROVE-
MENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as follows,
that is to say:-
This said Invention relates to and consists principally in new or improved
arrangements of machinery or apparatus for cutting, excavating, sinking,
dredging, and cleaning watercourses, channels, canals, docks, foundations,
roadways, and also applicable for other similar excavating and cleaning pur-

page_text: poses, and for the raising and recovering of valuable material from under
water by means of currents of water or air propelled at high speeds; and in
the construction, arrangement, and use of rotating wedge-formed cutters or
rollers for the sinking of channels; and also for the construction and use of
large hollow rollers or cylinders for carrying off excavated material after being
raised. The currents of water or air employed are, by preference, produced.
by centrifugal pumps or fans, but other forms of exhausting and forcing
apparatus or pumps may also be employed.
Under one modification or arrangement these currents are guided in an
endless or returning stream in returning or endless conduits or pipes placed,
by preference, in a slanting position, having a suitable nozzle or opening
formed at or near to the lower end of the return or descending pipe or duct,
and this opening is dipped into or placed upon the material to be raised, so
that the descending current of water or air from or at this opening strikes,
disintegrates, and forces forward the substances to be raised into or in the
direction of the orifice of the exbausting conduit also at this part; the
upward currents of the water or air in the exhausting conduit at the same
time draws up the substances suspended in them, thus the water or air both
forces and draws the fluid and weighty matter contained therein up the
exhaust conduit, and deposits them in a trap, chamber, or other receiver at or
near the top, to be drawn off as it gets filled, or continuously as may be
arranged. The heavy matters fall to the bottom of the receiver, and the fluid
being thus freed from the substances suspended in it, or the greater part thereof,
is again diverted or forced down to the bottom by the force pump or pumps to
raise and carry upwards a fresh load of the material to be raised. Air used
in this way as a lifting media is suitable chiefly for raising dry sand, dust, or
grit, and may be used with advantage in some cases with simple suction
currents without the return conduits when great cleanliness is the object
sought, and used in the open surrounding air in this way or for this purpose
in either simple suction or forced currents. By the combined action of forced
and suction currents of water great speed and force is attainable, and with the
appliances herein-after described (part of which are, however, also applicable to
simple suction currents) any sufficient force can be obtained necessary to
disintegrate and force up the inclined channel shingle, clay, sand, or mud
such as generally form the beds of rivers and canals. A forcing column or
current of water may be used to disintegrate and force without using the same
water that is carried up in the lifting column, but this can only be done at
the expense or loss of power. The lifting or forcing currents of water or air
may also be obtained or produced by a distinct or separate pump or pumps

page_text: and fans for each, instead of both being produced by the same pumping mecha-
nism, as herein-before described.
Various arrangements may be adopted to carry out these improvements in
dredgers; and under one modification the dredger boat is constructed with a
well and gauntrees for placing and supporting the top end of the inclined
suction and forcing pipes or ducts hinged at the top, and raised and lowered
in the well by similar lifting gear to that used for the ordinary dredger bucket
ladders. These ducts may be variously formed and constructed to suit the
different materials to be acted upon, but it is important to have the lifting
channel somewhat narrower at the inlet than at any other point throughout
its length; or otherwise to have a grating the openings of which, as well as
those of the ducts, should be of as small an area as to maintain the velocity
of the ascending water and material suspended in it at as high a speed as the
suction and forcing action of the pump or pumps can produce. The form of
the descending or forcing duct or pipe for the water is of little importance,
except at the bottom or return part or orifice, which requires to be the same
or nearly the same length as the inlet of the suction duct, and as small in
area as the forcing power of the pump will judiciously admit, and, by prefer-
ence, having the space between the jet and suction openings closed at the sides
in the form of an inverted box, and open only on the under side opposite the
inlet opening, so that the jet from the forcing stream or current will play in
the direction of or into the inlet opening of the ascending duct, so as to dis-
integrate and force forward the shingle or other material intervening between
the jet and inlet; the forward motion of the dredger, produced as at present
by the windlasses in the usual manner, keeps the two orifices constantly up
against the shingle, sand, or mud to be acted upon and raised, and thus made
to intervene in order to be forced and drawn up the suction conduit by the
strong force of the current as the dredger moves along.
In one arrangement the trap box before named, into which the ascending
water is drawn and made to deposit the heavy matters carried up in it, is
placed under the suction channel and before or it may be beyond the lifting
pump, and the duct leading from the trap is provided with a grating to prevent
any large article being drawn into the pump. The lower part of the depo-
siting box has
trap door constructed to be opened at intervals, so as to
discharge the dredged matters through a shoot into a barge at the side of the
dredger in the usual way. The dredged matter may also be discharged by a
continuous flow through an opening in the trap box allowing a quantity of
water to flow through the shoot by a jet or jets of water from the pump led
near to the opening from which the dredged matters issue, the trap box being
O

page_text: made as large as conveniently possible to allow the dredged matters to sedi-
ment or settle down. A valve may in some cases be made to open inwards
into the suction duct or pump itself, loaded to a moderate pressure for the
admission of water, so as to fill the channels and make up for the quantity
lost by the escape of material and water at the dredger trap and spout, if
this was not sufficiently made up by inward leakage from the surrounding
water past the sides of the jet box. The ascending duct or ducts may be
annular or otherwise formed in cross section, and may be made spiral, curved,
or of a zig-zag form in the direction of their length, compactly arranged in a
case to give a less gradient of ascent in as small space as possible, instead of
being round or rectangular in cross section and straight in length as preferred
for the descending or return duct. The lower ends of these ducts are raised
and lowered vertically, and traversed across the inclined side of the sand or
inud to be raised by manoeuvring the boat much in the same way as an
ordinary dredger is at present wrought; or otherwise the boat or other
support, such as an overhead traveller may simply have only a forward motion
and the lifting channels traversed from a swivel centre, or traversed laterally
in a parallel way; or two or more lifting ducts or pipes may be used, so as to
take in a greater breadth of the material being acted upon at a time. The
nozzle jet and jet box where used is made of considerable breadth, so as to
take up the material in a straightforward manner, and the disintegrating effect
of the water jet may in some cases be assisted by a mechanical grubber worked
at the nozzle, or by the jet pipe being made to revolve. The steam engine
and boiler for driving the pumps and windlasses may be of any suitable form
and placed in the hull of the vessel; and when rotary pumps are, as by pre-
ference, used they are fixed at the upper end of the lifting ducts or pipes and
driven by a strap; the axis of the driving pulley and pump or pumps being
made to coincide or nearly so with the axis of the trunnion on which the
lifting ducts are hinged or suspended, so as to maintain the driving pulley in
the same or nearly the same position at whatever inclination or posture the
lifting ducts may be placed. When a swivelling traversing motion is given.to
the nozzle end of the lifting duct, and the pumps are mounted on the trunnion
of the lifting duct, it is preferred to employ a bevil wheel radial motion, and
make both driving and driven pullies or wheels radiate along with the lifting
duct. In some cases the engine and pumps may be fixed on the ducts them-
selves, or in any convenient part of the dredger desired, and the water and
material drawn or forced through one of the trunnions to the trap box, and
the forced or downward returned current passed through the other, both
trunnions being made hollow for that purpose, or otherwise by the contrivance

page_text: of flexible or jointed pipes. Simple suction without the forcing current may
with light material be sufficient by the use of the jet and jet box with a fixed
pipe inlet leading forward the supply of water, so as to be in motion in the
right direction with considerable force to loosen the materials to be raised in
the suction pipe.
In one modification of these improved dredging vessels the pumping.
apparatus is placed in what is now known as a steam hopper barge. A vessel
with a hopper-shaped hold for receiving the dredged matters from the ordinary
diedgers, and which when filled is sailed out to deep water and the matter
contained in the hopper deposited through trap openings in the bottom of
the hopper hold. In a vessel similarly fitted, and where steam power is
provided for driving the screw propeller, it is intended to fix tho pumps and
ducts and use the steam power for driving the pumps. The lifting duct may
be placed at one side of the vessel, and the forcing one at the other, united
in a jet box beyond the stem, and hinged at or near the fore part of the
hopper bold and formed to clear the sides and stem of the vessel when
being raised and lowered. The ducts are to be united in a hollow cross hinge
piece, through which the lifting current enters on the one side, and the
descending current is forced out through the other. The pumping apparatus
could thus be connected to the ducts, and the hopper if closed in when filled
with water would force it through the descending duct, and allow the heavy
matters dredged to subside or settle down in the hopper until it was filled,
when the ducts could then be raised and the vessel sailed out to deep water,
discharged, and returned for a fresh load. In a dredger thus formed, where.
all the apparatus is light, the engine power and propeller could be used for
traversing when lifting alone was required without the use of windlasses and
traversing gear. The same pumping and lifting apparatus can be mounted.
on traverses for excavating and dredging coffer dams and similar purposes, or
employed for lifting sand and grit under water from a lower level to a higher in
any position for the search for minerals, or the raising of shell fish under
water and similar purposes, the apparatus being fastened and carried to suit
circumstances.
By another modification in place of the enclosed jet box with the orifices.
of the suction and forcing currents formed or attached thereto a diving bell
may be used, so as to be capable of being raised or lowered along with the
orifices, or over them, so that persons could go down in it and see and assist
the disintegrating or excavating of the materials being acted upon by the jet
of water at the two orifices.
The petitioner is aware that simple suction water currents have been pro-

page_text: duced by pumps for the purpose of dredging, but from the slowness of the
current producible in this way they could only lift light materials or mud, but
by these new improvements so far specified, consisting mainly in the second or
impinging, forced or drawn current guided by a fixed nozzle towards the
opening of the suction current, it will be possible to raise considerably harder
and heavier matters, these forming the most essential new features in the new
excavating mechanism of this Invention. For cleaning roads or streets,
particularly in dry weather, a similar contrivance could be used with much
advantage, and air currents produced by fans circulating across a jet and
suction box in the same way, and as the edges of the box would not require
to be tight with air as a lifting media the box could be suitably placed under-
neath a carriage, and the lower edges kept sufficiently tight by folding pieces
of iron, elastic or other rollers, or other sides and edges which would rise and
fall so as to adapt themselves to the inequalities of the road or street. The
waggon itself is to be composed mainly of a large trap box, in which a
quantity of water could in some cases be used to assist in sedimenting the
dust and grit forced or drawn up into it. A fan is to be fixed in a convenient
position on the carriage and suction and forcing ducts, or suction ducts or
pipes only, attached to produce suction and air jets in the nozzle box, forcing
the dust up an inclined channel, and depositing it by a pipe and grating,
much in the same way as before described by dredging with water. Motion
to be given to the fan by suitable gear connected to the traction waggon
wheels and the animal power used to draw the vehicle, one or two horses
being computed to work efficiently one of those street-cleaning machines.
For lifting heavy matter or dust in large quantities steam power would be
required, and motion could be given to the machine in a similar manner to
that employed in traction steam engines now in use, suitable arrangements to
be made for emptying out the grit thus collected in the receiving box. Water
could also be used in a similar cleaning machine where the surface acted upon
is comparatively smooth by employing elastic stuffing around the jet box to
prevent the escape of the water.
Another part of this Invention consists in a new and convenient arrange-
ment of carrying and traversing excavating machinery or apparatus, par-
ticularly suitable in marshy ground, or where there is not water to float a
boat, or sufficiently hard solid bearing for the wheels of carriages, and is
formed or constructed of a hollow cylinder or tube of large diameter formed,
by preference, of boiler plate iron open at the ends, and having a number of
openings at or near the centre all round the periphery of sufficient length to
embrace the width of the channel to be dug out, the openings may either- be

page_text: permanent or the intervening. bars or plates removable, so as to accomodate
a passage from the inside of the tube or cylinder to the ground underneath.
By this contrivance stable footing is obtained over the part where the channel
is to be dug, and an excellent roadway is provided for discharging the material
excavated out at the ends of the tube, and an easy means of carrying and
transporting the excavating mechanism along the surface of the ground above
the channel by simply rolling the cylinder along, which being made of light
iron plate very little power will be required for that purpose on level ground,
and the cylinder may be made water-tight and buoyant in water when
required. In using this apparatus, say, for example, in cutting a main drain
or canal about thirty feet wide, and in soft level ground, it should be about
eighteen or twenty feet in diameter, and about one hundred feet long as a
medium, the nature of the ground and width of the channel to be dug
determining the dimensions. This apparatus in this simple state may be
used with advantage in excavations carried on by the spade and wheelbarrow
as ordinarily done, the planks or gangways for the barrows being laid from the
channel into the openings of the cylinder, and the barrows on reaching the
cylinder can be wheeled along to either end of the tube, and discharged thus
out of the way, and when the cutting is done at the point underneath the
tube it can be easily rolled along by means of a rope passed over the cylinder
and extended forward to a windlass or other means of rolling it along for a
fresh portion to be dug out. It is, however, chiefly for a means of using
dredging machinery that this cylinder conveyance is designed to be employed
or used for dredging or excavating by currents of water, as herein-before
described, or by the bucket ladder, excavating machinery, and windlass
lifting or other excavating and lifting machinery now in use driven by steam
or other motive power mechanism, which motive power may also be used
both for the purpose of excavating and for working the cylinder along over
the channel and ground.
Another part of this Invention consists in the construction and use of
wedge-shaped "rolls" or rolling cutters for the purpose of forming channels
or drains in the ground, either made to roll on an axis and guided by broad
carriage wheels, or formed simply to roll along the ground without any axis,
similar to the cylinder just described for carrying off excavated material. A
wedge-shaped disc or concentric wedge ring piece made to the depth and
width of the channel required is fitted on to the periphery of the cylin ler, so
as. to cut or sink down by its own gravity when rolled forward to the depth
and breadth of the circumferential wedge, wedging or sinking a channel out
in the ground to the size required as the cylinder is rolled along over the

page_text: ground. The Inventor is aware that this principle of rolling cutters has been
applied for producing small furrows for depositing plants or seeds, but this is
an application of the principle to a new and heavier purpose, requiring new
and different appliances and apparatus suited to these new purposes. In a
well constructed machine of this kind for deep drain cutting it is necessary
that the machine have very considerable weight for hard ground, and be
capable of being lightened at pleasure to suit comparatively soft ground. In
some cases the rolling wedge-shaped cutter should be adjustable to any required
depth, and be readily capable of being drawn out of the ground altogether
when being rolled along a road, or in a park or common where there is no
drain wanted, and as considerable power is required a steam engine and
traction gear is necessary for the heavier kinds of work to carry out this
principle to advantage.
In one arrangement for accomplishing these ends an axle is used, cranked
or excentric in the centre, on the cranked or excentric axle piece of which the
revolving cutter is placed so as to revolve, and on the ends of the shaft hollow
drums or hollow broad carriage wheels of about the same diameter as the
cutter, and to the extreme ends of this shaft is fixed a carriage frame, in
which is placed at the front or other end a guiding wheel, and on the frame a
pair of coupled or other steam engines and gearing for driving the large
rollers or wheels consisting of trains of cog or other gear. In order to
obtain any required weight in the carriage the hollow "rolls" are adapted to
fill with water when required, and to regulate the depth of the channel to be
cut the main or cranked shaft is turned round by means of worm wheels and
worms or other means to the full length of the crank in depth when required
down below the lower surface, or the rolling and guiding drums or wheels
making the rotating cutters (while the wheels roll on the surface of the
ground) roll and cut down to any depth required to the length or limits of
the lever of the crank, or any intermediate depth as may be adjusted by
turning round the worm wheels and shaft. Other means can also be used for
Jowering or depressing the cutter, and the appliances for driving modified, but
the general arrangement and principle of rolling circular wedge cutters as
above stated for the purposes of forming water channels generally are the
objects of this part of this Invention, which can be carried out by other
modifications and in other ways.
In one modification for horse or animal power it is intended to use a circuit
"tread course" and lever similar to that used for horse-power threshing
machines, the lever to which one or more horses or other animals are yoked
being pivoted at or near the centre of the machine, and while the horses go

page_text: round in a circle and draw round the lever motion is given to a train of
wheels from the lever axis that communicates the motion to the rollers, and
while the horses go round in a circuit course at the ordinary walking speed
passing over the drain at the back end of the machine where it has been cut
on a light bridge piece dragged along with the machine, the machine is made
to move along slowly in a straight course at a sufficiently reduced speed to
enable one or a few horses working this machine to cut, sink, or wedge out
any ordinary drains required in the soil or land.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ROBERTSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Robertson, Her special licence, that I, the said James Robert-
son, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Robertson, 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 "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING, EXCAVATING, SINKING, DREDGING, AND
CLEANING WATERCOURSES, BASINS, CHANNELS, FOUNDATIONS, AND ROADWAYS, SUCH
IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said James Robertson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under his, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 James Robertson, do hereby declare tho
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
Under the first head or part my said Invention relates to and consists
principally in new or improved arrangements of machinery or apparatus for
cutting, excavating, sinking, dredging, and cleaning watercourses, channels,
canals, docks, foundations, roadways, and also applicable for other similar
excavating and cleaning purposes, and for raising and recovering of valuable
materials from under water by means of currents of water or air propelled at
high speeds; under the second head or part it consists in the construction and
use of large hollow rollers or cylinders for carrying off excavated material
after being raised; and also, under the third and last head or part, it consists
in the construction and use of rotating wedge-formed cutters or rollers for the
sinking of channels.
In particularly describing and practically carrying out the first part of my
said Invention I may premise that the currents of water or air to be used for
acting upon and raising or elevating the materials desired to be raised may be
produced by almost any of the forcing and lifting pumps and machines or
apparatus at present in use for the raising of water or for the producing of
forced currents of fluids generally, but I prefer to employ those mechanical
arrangements which produce forced and constant currents of fluids acting on
the "injection" or "induction" principle (which shall be herein-after more
fully explained in particularly describing the several modifications and
adaptations shown in the accompanying Drawings), such as centrifugal pumps,
fans, or by the gravitation of collected water at a higher level than that to
which the currents and substances to be acted upon have to be raised, or by
small jets or streams of high pressed steam, or forced streams of water or air
inducted into the conduits or pipes containing or conducting the column of
water or air raising or conveying the heavy matters and dust along with it,
and so as to give it either the initial force or motion or an induced supple-
mentary force. These fluid currents so forced at a high speed are conducted
in an endless or returning stream down or along a descending or induction
close pipe or conduit, and through past an open part or channel forming a
continuation of the conducting pipe or pipes, at the lowest part or level from
which the material to be acted upon has to be raised or conducted and finally
forced or drawn up or along the eduction or outlet close pipe or pipes and out
at an open free end formed at the highest level to which the materials have to
be raised, and are there delivered or discharged along with the currents. The
materials to be raised are brought in contact with these forced or forced and
drawn continuous: currents of water or air through the open uozle piece, jet

page_text: box, or "mouth-piece" formed at or near the lowest part or level of the
conducting pipes in such a manner as to be carried forward by and discharged
along with the currents, and these mouth-pieces have to be variously formed
or adapted to suit the nature and position of the material to be acted upon or
raised by the currents of water or air. The materials to be acted upon entered
at these "mouth-pieces" are acted upon and raised or lowered by a forced
descending and ascending current of the water or air on each side of the
mouth-piece respectively, or by a forced descending current on the one side,
and by a drawn or exhaust current on the other side of the mouth-piece, but
it is not proposed or intended to use or employ these mouth-pieces with drawn
or exhaust currents only, with a few exceptions in the application and use of
air currents, in which case I use exhaust currents induced by steam only.
And in order that my said Invention, and the best manner of performing
the same which I am at present aware of, may be properly understood,
I shall now proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures upon the nine
Sheets of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose, premising
that the same reference letters and numerals indicate the same or corresponding
parts in all the Figures where ever such parts are shown..
Figures 1 to 29, inclusive, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings are drawings or
views shown detached to large scales or sizes of various forms of "mouth-pieces"
constructed for acting upon and raising or conveying various matters and
substances by currents of water in accordance with and for the purposes
included under the first head or part of my said Invention.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 is a sectional plan of one
form of mouth-piece adapted for excavating and raising materials such as sand
and shingle from a sloping embankment, such as is usually presented at the
part being cut in forming or excavating a wide channel or canal. In this
arrangement it is preferred to conduct the current of water down the induction
pipe A to the mouth-piece B, and up from it through the eduction or discharge
pipe C at a very considerable elevational angle, as seen in Figure 1. The
conduit of the mouth-piece. B is made of a semicircular or segmental form in
plan (Figure 2), the two ends of the segment being bolted by flanges to the
induction and eduction pipes A and C respectively, and for a considerable
portion near the centre of the segment the conduit is made in the form of a
semicircular or U-shaped channel in cross or elevational section (Figure 1),
opening on the inner side of the arc at 6 into a concentric large crescent-
formed mouth or opening D on the upper side (Figure 2) formed or furnished
with a grating d to prevent an object entering the open mouth Dor channel b,
which would not pass out with the current of water up the discharge pipe C.

page_text: A broad wedged-shaped projection E, which is cast upon the lowest part of
the mouth-piece B, is forced forward in the direction of the red arrows into
the sand or other material F of the excavation or cutting to be raised, so as to
loosen it and cause it to fall through the grating d into the segment U-shaped
open channel b, where the strong current of injected water issuing from the
slightly contracted nozle a of the continuation of the induction pipe A in
sweeping round, the channel 6 acts upon and carries the materials F round
with the current which enters the wide bell mouth c of the end of the eduction.
or discharge pipe C, up and through which both the current and suspended
matters are forced and discharged, as will be herein-after more fully described
in showing particular adaptations of the several mouth-pieces as applied to the
complete machines or apparatus for carrying out the first part of my said
Invention in practice. The forward motion of the mouth-piece B is regulated
so as to deliver a proper quantity of the material F into the channel b pro-
portionally to the strength and velocity of the current of water passing round
it, twelve feet per second being usually sufficient to carry off sand, mud, or
gravel with this apparatus. The nozle at a is contracted somewhat smaller
than the size of the forcing pipe A, so as to give greater impact to the material
to be raised made to intervene between it and the exhaust or eduction
opening c, and the segmental form of the channel b causes the current of water
to keep or pass round the channel with considerable force, due somewhat
proportionally to the velocity of the current and the curve of the segmental
channel through which it is made to descend or pass. The tendency to
induct the materials F into the opening. D of the mouth-piece B, herein
described, through more or less efficient with many descriptions of materials
required to be raised, will nevertheless be only of small advantage unless with
close ground or plastic substances, such as mud or fine sand. In acting on a
sloping embankment, as herein shown at F, Figures 1 and 2, the operation of
entering the materials F into the mouth D may with advantage be assisted by
hand labour with a spade, this form of mouth-piece A being adapted to work
in the open air or under water as may be required.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, Figure 4 is a sectional plan, and Figure 5
an end elevation of a somewhat similar mouth-piece to that shown and described
in connection with Figures 1 and 2. The water channel 6 being also semi-
circular both in vertical section and plan, Figures 3 and 4, and the inlet and
outlet orifices a and c are also similarly formed and disposed in the mouth-
piece A. The current of water entering by the pipe A passes through the jet
orifice a, round the open channel b, and off through the exhaust pipe C.
The wedge-shaped grubber is, however, in this modification (Figures 3, 4,

page_text: and 5), is turned inwards or formed on the concave side of the mouth-piece B,
which is moved forward and made to act on the materials to be raised some-
what similar to the motion of a rake in the direction of the red arrows, and
as the mouth-piece is so drawn or pushed the materials F pass over the wedge-
shaped rubbing piece E and fall through the grating d into the channel 6, and
are carried round and off through the discharge pipe C. The rake-shaped
form of this mouth-piece B makes it particularly suitable for dredging and
cutting purposes in a variety of ways. The semicircular form of the channel b
causes the water when being forced through or round it at a high speed to
keep within the channel and pass out at the orifice c of the pipe C without
escaping at the grating D. Figure 6 is a sectional side elevation, and
Figure 7 is a plan of a mouth-piece B adapted to be used in confined positions
and for raising lighter materials than either of the mouth-pieces herein-before
described. The water channel 6 in this modification is circular in plan,
Figure 7, at the ends where the mouth-piece is coupled to the inlet and outlet
pipes A and C respectively, but contracted gradually in a segmental direction
(Figure 6), to a broad tapered or shallow orifice or jet opening at a, and con-
tinues this shape round past the lowest point, when it gradually contracts into
circular form, where it joins the outlet pipe C. The lowest part of this
mouth-piece B is formed with a flat-soled scoop or spade-shaped projection E
for entering and receiving the mud or other substance F to be raised, which
substance as it comes forward enters the broad shallow tangential orifice 6¹
below the induction jet opening a, the stream of water from which by its
force causes a partial vacuum at the orifice b', and draws in the substance F
which is then acted upon and carried up the channel b along with the current
of water, and discharged through the outlet pipe C. The direction of the
forward motion of the mouth-piece B is indicated by the red arrows, this
motion is effected by the two side draw bars or rods B¹ secured and
made to oscillate on the studs B which are keyed in bosses cast on the
sides of the mouth-piece. The pipes A and C are made of flexible hose and
secured by screw couplings and flange joints to the mouth-piece, and they are
made flexible to enable this arrangement of mouth-piece to be used in more
confined and inaccessible places than either of the former modifications described,
and though it may be used in dry places in the open air it is more particularly
adapted for being worked in water and watery places.
:
Figure 8 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Figure 9 is a transverse
vertical section, and Figure 10 is a plan of a mouth-piece which can with
advantage be used where the materials to be raised or conveyed can be filled
into it by hand labour with a spade or otherwise at the top of the mouth-

page_text: piece B. The channel 6 through which the current of water is made to flow
is straight in this modification, but is contracted slightly at the jet opening a
(Figure 8), and flanged at the ends. to which the forcing or inlet pipe A and
exhaust or outlet pipe C is attached. The direction of the current of water
through the pipes A and C and channel 6 is indicated by the black arrows
in the several Figures, as well as that of the entrance of the materials F to be
raised or conveyed, which in this mouth-piece. are fed in at the top of the
hopper-shaped orifice or receiver D cast on the top of the U-shaped straight
water channel b opening into it (Figure 9) immediately before the jet opening a,
so that the materials F fall or enter the current of water and are conveyed
forward along with it through the discharge pipe C.
Figure 11 is a sectional side elevation, Figure 12 an end elevation, and
Figure 13 a plan of another modification of hopper mouth-piece, is also
adapted to have the materials F to be lifted or transmitted to be filled in at
the open top, which may be done by hand labour and the spade or otherwise
at the conically-shaped hopper D, which has formed on it at the top a curved
jet pipe a projecting downwards in the direction and concentric over the
exhaust or outlet orifice c of the outlet bent pipe C. The current of water
forced through the inlet pipe A passes through the injection pipe or orifice a
and down through the conical hopper D, and acts on the materials F which had
been previously filled in, and which by their gravitation and the suction of the jet
of water so as to carry them along with it out at the eduction orifice c of the
discharge pipe C, all in the direction of the black-lined arrows in the Figures.
Figure 14 is a sectional side elevation, Figure 15 is a sectional end eleva-
tion, and Figure 16 is a plan of another hopper-shaped mouth-piece well-
adapted for discharging ballast from ships and similar purposes; the water
channel in this modification is of a segmental form in side elevation
(Figure 14), and also of the U-shape in transverse section (Figure 15), and
having a flat sole or box plate suitable for fastening it down to a floor. A
wide hopper-shaped opening D is formed over the channel b, into which the
material to be raised is thrown as indicated at F, and which as it descends
into the current of water issuing from the segmental and contracted injection
orifice a is carried round the segmental U-shaped channel. b out at the wide
open exit orifice c along with the current up through the discharge pipe C,
the direction of the current of water and the insertion of the material F to
be raised being indicated by arrows in the Figures; and to prevent too large
an object passing into the orifice c of the exhaust pipe C it is fitted with. a
central grate bar d, by preference of a wedge-shape, which would tend to
divide soft subjects passing in by the force of the current.

page_text: Figure 17 is a side elevation, and Figure 18 is a sectional plan of a mouth-
piece B formed to give an eddying motion to the current of water so as to
have a disintegrating effect upon the materials while acting on them in the
mouth-piece so as to raise or convey them to a distance as required. The
channels in this modification are semicircular or of a U-shaped in vertical cross
section, and of a descending spiral or helical form from the top inlet pipe A
to the bottom outlet pipe C, and twisting all round the outer circumference of
the open receptacle D surmounted by a conical hopper D' for the reception of
the materials, the whole by preference being cast in one piece with a sole or
base plate closing in the lower end of the chamber D. The forced current
of water entering from the inlet pipe A passes in at the orifice a, and spirally
down, through; or round the open channel b, and out at the exhaust orifice c,
off through the outlet pipe C; and as the materials indicated at F are thrown
or fed in at the top of the chamber D they are carried round and down the
vessel D with considerable centrifugal force, which increased motion of the
particles disentegrates them and allows them to pass off freely along with the
current of water by the orifice c and pipe C, and this mouth-piece is more
particularly adapted for working in the open air.
Figure 19 is a side elevation of another modification of spiral mouth-
piece B constructed much in the same manner as that described in reference
to Figures 17 and 18, and is more particularly adapted for working in watery
places and for the raising and transmitting of such matter as sand and mud, the
receptacle D for receiving the material indicated at F to be raised is in this
case closed in by a cover on the top side and is formed with an open mouth
at the under side, which is drawn with this mouth-piece B over the substance
to be carried off by the exhaust pipe C, by preference laying in an angular
direction, as shown in the Drawing. The current of water enters at the top
pipe A, which by its centrifugal or eddying action caused by descending the
open U-shaped spiral channel b, and by the motion of drawing the lower open
mouth D close to and over the substance (as at F) to be raised, causes them
to be drawn into the chamber D and to be forced, carried up, and discharged
along with the water out through the orifice c, and the outlet pipe C.
Figure 20 is a side elevation, Figure 21 is a plan, and Figure 22 an end
elevation of a mouth-piece for acting under water on a clay or shale bottom,
and for materials too hard or solidified for the action of the wedge-shaped
grubber E, herein-before described, or of that of the water alone to disentegrate.
The form of the mouth-piece itself in this modification is the same as that
described in reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5, having a segmental water
channel b, and the water entering by the pipe A and exhausting by the pipe C,.

page_text: all in the same manner. The opening D into the mouth-piece B for receiving
the materials to be raised or transmitted has placed in it a revolving cylinder
E having strong pikes fixed in it, as shown, which as the cylinder revolves
net upon the materials F required to be raised as the mouth-piece B is
traversed forward in the direction of the red arrows, so as to throw the
materials F upon the top of the wedge-shaped grubber E through the opening
D and grating d into the water chamber b. Motion is given to the spiked
cylinder E¹ by a turbine placed in the box G driven by a stream of water
conveyed to it in the small pipe G' from the lower part of the injection pipe A
of the mouth-piece B, and the spindle of the turbine, which extends across the
top of the mouth-piece B, has a grooved frictional pinion G2 keyed on its other
free end geared into a large corresponding friction wheel E keyed on the
spindle of the cylinder E', so as to actuate it.
Figure 23 is a sectional side elevation, and Figure 24 is a plan of a mouth-
piece B adapted for acting under the water, the channel 6 of which is cylin-
drical where it is jointed to the forcing pipe A, and gradually assumes an
oblong or broad flattened form in plan, Figure 23, and a narrow scrole or
curved form in Figure 24, as it approaches to the jet opening a, where it is
contracted in order to give the full force of the jet or current, and bent round
so that the jet plays across the opening or mouth D, where the materials F
required to be raised are made to enter the exhaust opening c, while the
motion of the mouth-piece B is being traversed close to and over the mate-
rials F to be raised in the direction of the red arrows, so that they may get
mixed and suspended in the current of water, and are carried forward through
the exhaust aperture c and up through the discharge pipe C.
Figure 25 is a side elevation, and Figure 26 is a plan of a mouth-piece B
adapted for acting under water of the same form and construction as that
shown and described in connection with Figures 3, 4, and 5, but in this
modification the forcing pipe A draws its supply of water from the surrounding
water by gravitation, which enters in by the bell mouth or opening A¹ and
passes down and round the channel 6 of the mouth-piece, and is exhausted
by the pipe C. In this way the forcing jet is obtained from the surrounding
water, and though less effective than where greater power can be had will,
joined with the effect of the grubber E and mouth-piece B, be sufficient to lift.
light materials, such as mud, by or in combination with exhaust currents of
water drawn up through the pipe C.
Figure 27 is a sectional elevation, Figure 28 is a plan, and Figure 29 is
an end elevation of a mouth-piece adapted for lifting bodies floating in the
water, shell fish, or other valuable materials. The form and construction of

page_text: the mouth-piece is very much similar to that described in connection with
Figures 3, 4, and 5, but is provided with a netting or grating of wire gauze d¹
stretched across the top of the mouth-piece or casting close to the upper side
of the channel so as to lead or guide the floating matters very direct into the
water channel b, and the grubber or skimmer E is made rather longer than
that shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, so as to have a greater guiding and
retaining effect on the ground and the materials entering the opening D.
Arranged in this manner the water forced down through the pipe A passing
round the channel 6, communicates to the surrounding water an eddying
action or effect, which causes the heavy or suspended matters contained in it
to be thrown or drawn within the strong centrifugal action of the current
within the channel b, so as to be discharged with it up through the outlet
pipe C.
Figure 30 on Sheet 2 of my Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 31
on Sheet 3 is a plan of a dredger or dredger boat constructed to raise sand,
mud, shingle, and other matters, such as usually forms the beds of rivers and
docks, by a current of water impelled at high velocities or speeds; the form
of the mouth-piece B applied to this dredger is that described in relation to
Figures 3, 4, and 5, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings. The hull H is constructed
to give sufficient space and buoyancy for the machinery to be carried high,
being light compared with that required for an ordina
boat, requires a comparatively small bull, which is co
ucket ladder dredger
ucted of irou much
in the ordinary way. The machinery, however, is by prence all placed on
deck, and consists of an ordinary vertical steam boiler I and mountings
placed near the centre of the dredger which supplies the engine with steam.
The engine J is also of an ordinary construction, but having its framing so
constructed as to support the windlass gearing or mechanism for feeding or
drawing forward the dredger and wedged mouth-piece B against the materials
indicated at F to be raised or dredged, and also for carrying the gearing for
raising and lowering the mouth-piece and its conducting pipes. The engine
crank shaft J has keyed on it the wedge and grooved frictional pinion e,..
gearing into the corresponding friction wheel e' keyed on the spindle K of the
winding barrel K. A brake block f is placed opposite the wheel e', upon
which the wheel e¹ is pressed while the chain barrel K is in the act of
lowering through or by the barrel spindle K, which is carried in an excentric
bush in one of the side standards, worked or turned round by the hand leverf, the
whole forming what is known as one of my frictional gearing hoists. The lifting
chain L applied to the barrel K' is passed under and over the pulleys M and M
respectively, carried in the strong supporting bracket N and is extended dow!!

page_text: wards and passed round the pulley O-fixed to the central part of the mouth-piece B
and finally carried upwards and fixed by a shackle to the bracket N, the whole
thereby forming a convenient lifting and lowering gear for the mouth-piece B, and.
conducting pipes A, C. A belt cone P keyed on the crank shaft J gives motion
to a corresponding cone pulley P¹, keyed on the shaft Q, by means of a short
belt having my excentric means of tightening a short belt placed in the cone P¹,
and the shaft Q communicates a slow motion to the windlass barrel R, through the
train of wheels S, S, T, T, and U, U. The belt cones P, P¹, to the barrel R,
and the frictional wheels S, S, and excentric motion hand lever V, furnish a-most
convenient means of throwing the barrel and toothed wheels out of action or
gear for lowering or slacking out the chain R', which is wound several times
round the winding barrel R to give it a firm frictional hold, and the extreme
end of the chain R' is extended out and fixed to an anchor a considerable
distance in front of the bows of the dredger in the usual manner, and a well
or receiver is formed in the hull H at W below the winding barrel R for
taking in and stowing away the surplus or over-wound chain, the whole of this
windlass arrangement forming a convenient feed motion for drawing forward
the dredger H and the mouth-piece B. A turned fly wheel J2 is keyed. on
the engine crank shaft J', over which a belt is passed and carried forward and
passed also over the pulley X, keyed on the spindle X' of the impeller of the
rotatory pump 6; although in this way a very compact and convenient arrange-
ment of winding and drawing gearing is obtained, still it will be obvious that
many other good driving and winding arrangements may be adopted, such as
are now in use for similar purposes varied to suit circumstances and the essen-
tially new features of this first part of my Invention as applied to dredging.
A strong cast-iron axle or cross piece g extends across the hull of the vessel
or dredger, having a flange formed at one end, to which the exhaust or outlet
pipe C, leading up from the mouth-piece B is bolted by a corresponding
"blind" flange formed on the one side of the pipe C, the other end of the
cross piece g; which is forked, is bolted by a stuffing box flange formed
on the inner end of the long neck h¹ of the rotatory pump h; this long
neck being turned forms a bearing journal, which works in the bush
bearing block or bracket.j, placed at one side of the hull H, while a turned
journal is formed at the opposite end or neck g¹ of the cross piece g, which
works in a corresponding bushed bracket placed on the other side of the
deck of the hull H. The exhaust pipe C being thus firmly secured to the cross
piece g at one side or end, and the rotatory pump hat the other, and the
pump bolted by flanges at its eduction. tangential conduit to the forcing
pipe A, and the two pipes A and C being firmly secured at their lower ends

page_text: :
to the ends of the segmental mouth-piece B, and further stayed by the malleable
iron tie rods 1, 1, the whole forms one strong structure oscillating on the
bearings of the standards j and j³, when raised and lowered by the chain L.
and winding barrel K¹ and capable of withstanding the necessary strain of the:
direct and traversing action of the mouth-piece B against the earths and sub-
stances to be dredged as indicated at F. The pump spindle X is mounted
in bearings formed in the cross piece g, coinciding with the axial line of the
journals j,j, so that the raising and lowering of the conducting pipes A and C,.
and mouth-piece B does not alter the position of the pulley X so as to tighten
or slacken the belt leading from the fly wheel J of the engine J, for driving.
the impeller of the rotatory pump h, and a clutch and clutch handle Y and Y¹
is fitted close to the pulley X for disengaging it when the pump h is not.
required to work, or when the windlass barrels K¹ and R are required to be
worked without the rotatory pump h. The rotatory pump h has bolted to its.
suction orifice leading to its eye or centre the suction pipe i, furnished with a
foot valve and rose entrance nozle i¹, the pipe i being so placed that the
rose is always immersed in the water while the mouth-pieco and conducting
pipe to which it is attaclied is raised or lowered to various heights. A portion
of the forced current of water from the main forcing pipe A is conducted by
a small eduction bent branch pipe.k, and cross pipe k to an induction curved
branch pipe K, led tangentially into the main outlet pipe C of the mouth-piece B,
so as by its injective force on the raising column of water and material being
raised in the pipe C induces a lifting or exhausting effect or action upon it,
and so assists the direct force of the main current of water passing from the,
pump h, round the open U-shaped channel of the mouth-piece B, and the
pipe k is furnished with a cock k³, for regulating or putting off or on this
injected or inducted current into the pipe C. Thus arranged and the mout
piece B lowered down to the requisite depth in the materials or shingle F
be raised or dredged and the forward feeding motion of the dredger and mouth-
piece set in action by the hand lever V of the windlass mechanism and winding
barrel R, and the pump h put in motion by the clutch lever Y', the water is
drawn up through the suction or inlet pipe by the pump h, which impels
the water down the pipe A with great force, and round the curved open
channel 6 of the mouth-piece B, of a slightly different construction to any of
those shown detached on Sheet 1 of my Drawings, and which difference will
herein-after be described; where the mud, shingle, or other material F, to be
raised are pressed through the grating & into the mouth D, leading to the
channel b, by the forward feed motion of the mouth-piece B, in the direction
of the red lined arrows, so as to be caught by or drawn into and, suspended, by
.
B2

page_text: the strong current of water passing round the channel 6, and forced into and
up through the close exhaust or discharge pipe C to the top open mouth at C',.
where it is discharged into a punt Z or other vessel provided for its reception,
the course of the current of water and materials being dredged along with it
are indicated by the black lined arrows. The mouth-piece B of this dredger
is formed with a deep wedge-shaped grubber E, having its upper surface
ascending at an angle tangentially to the top of the channel b, formed with a
grating d, over the mouth D, leading to the open part of the channel 5, and
into which the shingle or substances to be dredged are pressed and led by the
forward motion of the mouth-piece which also forces all larger objects, such as
stones which cannot pass through the grating d, over the top of the channel b,
into the open cup-shaped or hollow fender Z', formed or cast on the back of the
mouth-piece B, to receive or trap them, and from which they are removed.
when lifted above the water along with the mouth-piece by the chain L and
winding or windlass barrel K¹.
Figure 32 is a side elevation, and Figure 33 is a plan, both on Sheet 2 of my
Drawings, of a portion of the cross piece 9 (shown in Figure 37) nearest the:
exhaust or discharge pipe C, which is shown as fitted with a suction rotatory
pump m to assist in exhausting or drawing up the current of water and
matters being dredged or raised along with it in the discharge pipe C by the
action of and in connection with forced currents descending the pipe A from
the pump h, (or it may be other forcing mechanism,) or as a substitute for the..
induced suction currents caused in the pipe C by the injection of direct jets of
forced water, as described, passing through the pipes k, k, k³, in Figures 30
and 31; or in place of using forced currents of water only as described in
relation to these Figures, and which arrangement might be judiciously applied
to the dredger arrangements therein shown, where light material, such as
sand or mud, is to be dredged, and this arrangement of using both forced and
drawn currents of water in the descending and ascending pipes for dredging
and reclaiming or rasing small objects from under water may be used with
any of the mouth-pieces, and for any of the purposes described in reference to
Figures 1 to 29 inclusive on Sheet 1 of my Drawing, or for obvious modifi-
cations or adaptations of the same for the like purposes, herein-before stated
under the first head or part of my said Invention of which this forcing and
drawing the currents of water at the same time forms an important new part
or feature. When this suction rotatory pump m is used in connection with
the pump h, it may be driven by the same connecting spindle X', and it is
preferred to have a check valve n fitted to the pipe C close to the pump m,
so as to retain the water in the pump. In this arrangement the dredged sand

page_text: or mud is passed through the pump m, and discharged through the open
mouth at Z³ from the discharge pipe leading from the pump m.
Figure 34 is a sectional side elevation, and Figure 35 is a plan of a dredger-
boat, also adapted to dredge by currents of water forced or propelled at high
speeds. The mouth-piece B in this arrangement is nearly the same as that
shown and described in connection with Figures 19. and 20 on Sheet 1 of my
Drawings. The hull H is constructed of iron in the usual manner, but the
weight of the dredging apparatus and the machinery for actuating it and the
windlasses being light, is not required to be nearly so deep or to draw so
much water as other dredgers now in use or even as the modification shown
in Figures 30 and 31. A long narrow well is formed right up through the
centre of the hull H of sufficient width to admit of the mouth-piece B passing
up through it, and of sufficient length to allow of the raising and lowering of
the pipes A and C down through it, and extending from "bulksheads "o and o
at the forward or after part or ends of the hull respectively. The machinery
is all fixed on deck, a vertical steam boiler I is placed near the centre of the
deck of sufficient capacity to supply steam to both the engines for driving the
pump and windlasses. A small engine is used for driving the pump by itself,
as also another for driving the windlasses, and as the work to be done by
the windlasses is in every respect similar to that described in reference to
Figures 30 and 31 I have not shown them in detail in this modification, but only
indicated their position and arrangement in relation to new parts or features
of this modification of my improvements sufficient to make their action under-
stood in relation thereto. The pipes A, C, and mouth-piece B are raised and
lowered by the winding barrel K' and chain L, and the traversing feed
motion of the dredger H and mouth-piece B. is obtained through from the
windlass barrel R and chain R'. A centrifugal pump h formed with a long
hollow projection i and i at each side of the centre of the case are turned so
as to work in bush bearings formed at the top of the strong frames or
standards j and j', secured to and standing up from the deck on each side of the
well near the "bulkshead" o. As the centres of the hollow journals i and i¹
coincide with the axis of the spindle X' of the pump impeller, the pump and
all its pipes and attachments for conducting the currents can turn or oscillate
on its journal and in the bush bearings of the standards J and J', without
cbanging or affecting the position or action of the pump impeller or its spindle
X¹. On the extreme end of the pump impeller spindle X'a crank J' is keyed,
to which is coupled the connecting rod of the steam engine cylinder J, which
together with the sole plate and side frame J from the engine for driving the
pump; the steam is conveyed to the cylinder J from the boiler 1 by the steain

page_text: pipe I, and a pipe 12 conveys steam to the engine of the windlasses at I³.
The water is drawn into the pump h through its induction branch i through
the supply pipe furnished with a rose end and inlet foot valve at its lower
end from the well below, into which it descends, and the branch and pipe
are placed a little to one side of the pump, so as to allow of the discharge
pipe C passing in a straight line below the centre of the pump h. The first
length of the forcing pipe A bolted to the flange of the discharge conduit of
the pump has cast on it a slanting inducting pipe a, cast with. a. valve
chest p having a flanged jointed cover, and fitted with a hinged valve p¹ capable
of being opened and shut at pleasure by the hand lever på outside the pipe.
The forcing pipe A is continued through the five lengths A1, A2, A3, A4, A³,
coupled to the mouth-piece B, the three lengths nearest which are each, by
preference, cast in one piece with the corresponding lengths of the exhaust or
lischarge pipe C, as also shown in the large detached view of the cor-
responding mouth-piece, Figures 23 and 24, on Sheet 1. A short length of
the exhaust pipe C¹ placed below the pump h.has formed in it a branch
pipe a, and chest fitted with a flanged joint attached by screw bolts; on the
inside of the chest 9 or cover are cast a series of prongs or guards q¹ pro-
jecting downwards and forming a grating to prevent any large objects from
being drawn into the pipe a¹. The next length of this induced water pipe a³ is
cast in one piece with the corresponding length C of the discharge pipe, and
the bent length of the induced water pipe a³ connects the latter to the branch a
of the chest p and forcing pipe A¹; the outlet end or mouth of the discharge
pipe C there is a hinged valvez, at which opens outwards according to the
quantity of dredged materials being delivered, and falls down close when there
is no water or dredged materials pressing it open. The pump and pipes thus
secured and bolted to the mouth-piece, and further secured by the cross-tie
piece c', the whole forms a strong rigid structure, is made to oscillate on the
hollow neck journals i and as the mouth-piece B is raised or lowered. The
mouth-piece B being let down into the material to be dredged by the barrel
K' and chain L, as shown in this position in Figure 34, and the engine J and
pump h started, and the feed traverse of the windlass R put into operation so
as to feed forward the mouth-piece in the direction of the red lined arrow, the
action of the dredger would be as follows, and the course or direction of the
currents in the pipe would be as indicated by the black lined arrows:-The
water is drawn up by the impeller into the pumps h through the suction or
supply pipe from the well, and forced out from it down through the forcing
pipe A, round and through the mouth-piece B, across the open mouth, so as
to raise, suspend, and force forward a portion of the mud or other materials F

page_text: upon which the mouth-piece B is being traversed into and up through the
exhaust or discharge pipe C; the upward current in the exhaust pipe C being
assisted by the partial vacuum in it at 9 by the forced stream from the
pump down the pipe A, which opens the valve p¹ and draws a portion of the
water from the discharge or exhaust pipe C at the chest q, through the curved
pipe a', which materially assists the rising of the water and separation of
materials being dredged and forced up the discharge pipe C, further assisted
by the gravitating of the heavy matters downwards, and the centrifugal action
induced at the part C¹ below the box q, where the pipe is curved downwards
and the partial vacuum formed, finally discharges them through the valve z
at the upper end of the discharge pipe C into the punt Z, or other vessel pro-
vided to receive them. In this way a portion of the ascending water is
diverted back to the mouth-piece B to lift a fresh load or portion of the
materials being dredged and. merely the heavy materials discharged, and a
consequent saving of power is effected by this arrangement over that described
in reference to. Figures 30 and 31.
Figure 36 is a side elevation, Figure 37 is a transverse section, and
Figure 38 is a partial plan, all on Sheet 4 of my Drawings, of another form of
a dredge boat constructed in accordance with and embodying one modification
and arrangement of my Invention as applied to dredging under the first head
or part of my Invention.. In this construction or arrangement the dredge
boat is designed to serve the.double purpose of raising up the materials to be
dredged, and of carrying it away and depositing it out in deep water. The
form of the hopper shaped "hould" for receiving the dredged matter pro-
pelling machinery, all being similar to what is at present known as a "steam
hopper barge," a description of vessel used as an adjunct to ordinary dredgers
for carrying out and depositing through trap doors the dredged matter in deep
water out of the way. Dredgers have also been constructed of other forms for
the purposes both of raising and transporting dredged matter, and therefore I
only improve upon these by combining my new and improved dredging appa-
ratus with this construction of vessel; the dredger represented in this modi-
fication is calculated to carry about 300 tons of dredged matter, and this
together with the boilers and engines of about 40 nominal horse-power,
together with the screw propeller and connections necessitate considerable
carrying capacity. The hull H.is of the ordinary form as described, and the
mouth-piece B is of the same form as that described in connection with
Figures 3, 4, and 5, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings, but in this case on account
of its size it is cast in three pieces and jointed together, otherwise however it
is of the same construction. The lifting and lowering gear for the mouth-

page_text: piece is also similar in its action to that described in connection with
Figures 30 and 31; the forward feed motion may either be effected by similar
windlass gear to that explained in connection with Figures 30 and 31, or
effected by the screw propeller worked at a slow motion, which in soft mud.
would be manageable and save the trouble of securing the feed chain to an
anchor "forward of the bows" of the vessel; r is the hopper shaped "hould"
for receiving the dredged matter, having the trap doors a, s', and trap chains t,
for depositing the dredged materials, all very much of the ordinary con-
struction. A strong hollow cross piece g, seen in Figures 37 and 38, having
turned necks at 9, 9', which are placed in the bush brackets j and j', and
these secured at their respective sides of the vessel by bolts to the deck, thus.
placed the cross piece is free to oscillate in its bearings in the same way as
that described in connection with Figures 30 and 31. The suction or exhaust
pipe C leads into the chest piece C* formed or attached on its upper end
where it is bolted by side flanges to the overhanging end of the cross piece
at g', so that this chest piece is open from the exhaust pipe C into the open or
hollow end g of the cross piece g up to the cross end or vane u, at which part
an open branch u¹ projecting downwards provides an unobstructed passage for
the ascending water and dredged matter to fall or be delivered into the hopper
shaped "hould" r. The outer end g² of the cross piece 9 has bolted to it by
a large flange the sluice valve w fixed and opening into the centrifugal
pumps h, the central induction eye or port of the cross piece g at the end g
from the sluice valve w up to the cross end or vane vis cast hollow at this
part where the branch v¹ is made to descend downwards, and fitted at its
lower end with a rose or grating. When the valve w is open a free passage
is formed from the exhaust or suction passages of the pump h to the hopper
receiver r. A closed air-tight case x, x, x, x, x, x, x and x (Figure 37),
of boiler plate wholly covers in the mouth or top of the hopper r, and the
portions g¹ and gå of the cross piece g, and where the casing a comes over the
cross. piece g, stuffing boxes and stuffers y, z, and y', 21, are fitted to the corre-
sponding parts g¹ and g of the cross piece g, which being turned the case is
thereby made air-tight. To the pump h is attached the forcing pipe A which.
is extended down and connected to the mouth-piece B; this arrangement, as.
also that of the suction pipe i connected to the induction port of the pump h,
being all the same as that described in reference to Figures 30 and 31 on
Sheets 2 and 3, need not be here further described. A throttle valve ¹ is
fitted in the supply suction pipe i for closing or partially closing the supply of
water to the pump through this pipe, as when the dredger is in action a very
limited quantity of water only through this pipe is required to make up for
g

page_text: loss at the mouth-piece. Two escape valves I, I, are fitted at the top of the
casing opening outwards for taking off the air from the hopper r and its
casings, and two manhole doors t¹ are formed in the casing x above the
hopper traps, s, for access to the trap chains t, the eyes of the trap chains t
being held up by bows stretched across the manhole doors t¹ for easy access and
convenience in lifting the trap doors 8, s¹. The pump spindle x' is set in
bearings on the cross piece g, having a stuffing box at x3; its centre coincides
with the axis of the journals g' and g³ of the cross piece g, retains the same
position in whatever posture the mouth-piece B is held, as explained in
connection the corresponding parts in Figures 30 and 31. A belt
pulley X is keyed on the pump spindle X', and a belt is passed over it and
the fly wheel of its separate driving steam engine, the crank shaft of which
is only shown in Figures 36 and 38 to show its position. On setting this
form of my dredging apparatus in action, the mouth-piece B being placed the
requisite depth in the materials F to be lifted, and the forward feed motion
being given to the dredger, and circular motion given to the centrifugal
pump h, the throttle valve ¹ is kept full open and the sluice valve w closed,'
so as to force the water down the pipe A and up the suction pipe C until the
bopper r is filled up to the top of the casing, where the air escaping from the
hopper by the valves I, 1, until the hopper is entirely filled with wate
(Figure 37), (it may also in part be filled by a separate pipe passed throug
the "skin" of the vessel), the valve w is then opened and the throttle valve
in the pipe i partially or wholly closed. The water is then drawn from the
hopper r up through the branch pipe v' and opening g of the hollow cross
piece g', and through the valve chest w into the pump h, which also forces it'
down through the forcing pipe A and down through the mouth-piece B, thus
forcing and lifting the same water with a constant supply of fresh materials F
pressed into and suspended in it at the mouth-piece up the pipe C, and
depositing the heavy matter in the hopper r. As the hopper r is air-tight an
effective vacuum is formed in it as the water is drawn off by the centrifugal
pump h, and as the motion of the water between the openings u¹ and v² of the
cross piece inside the hopper is slow; the heavy matter brought up the
ascending current readily settles down or subsides until the hopper is filled,
and little of the matter is taken back with the descending water drawn
through the rose or grating of the branch pipe v¹. By this modification of
my dredging apparatus the loss of power by the escape of water along with.
the dredged matter at the top of the discharge pipe C of the former
modifications shown on Sheets 2 and 3 of my Drawings is saved, and very
little loss of power is sustained beyond the friction of the water in the pipes..

page_text: Figure 39 is a side elevation partially in section, and Figure 40 is a plan
on Sheet 5 of my Drawings of a centrifugal pump h, and a mouth-piece B,
the mouth-piece being similar to that described in connection and Figures
11, 12, and 13, on Sheet 1 of my, Drawing, this arrangement and its connec-
tions being chiefly designed to form a compact apparatus for the discharge
of ashes, grit, or ballast materials from ships. The outlet pipe C and supply
or inlet pipe are here shown as fixed to a plate; H representing the bottom
"skin" plate of a ship, and having the cock placed between the pump and the
water on the inlet side, and the cock c on the outlet side, and further secured
from inward leakage on the exhaust side when the apparatus is not being
used by the india-rubber valve c¹. On motion being given to the impeller
of the rotatory pump h, and the cocks and c opened, a stream of water
will be sent down through the mouth-piece B and valve c¹ into the water
underneath the vessel, and on any material sufficiently small to pass down
through the pipe C being thrown in at the mouth D it will be carried down
and discharged along with the current into the open water beneath, the course
of the steam being as indicated by the arrows.
Figure 41 is a sectional side elevation, and Figure 42 is a plan of a mouth-
piece B, and the steam forcing and exhausting apparatus connected to its
forcing and exhausting pipes A and C, the mouth-piece B itself being
entirely similar to that described in connection with Figures 14, 15, and 16,
on Sheet 1 of my Drawings. At A¹ I place a hollow spherical vessel 1
having a branch pipe 2 connected to the jet pipe a of the mouth-piece B, and
On the top
another branch pipe 3 connected to the water suction pipe i.
or opposite side of the vessel 1 to that of the branch pipe 2 is fitted the brass
conical valve seat or chest 4, the conical stopper 5 of which opening inwards
with the screw spindle 6 and hand wheel, the stuffer of the stuffing box 7
acting as both nut for the screw spindle and stuffer for keeping it steam-tight.
The seat of the valve 4 or conical stopper 5 is bored out correspondingly to
the stopper or regulator 5, and the flanged branch 8 formed for leading in
steam into the chest 4 surrounding the valve or regulator 5, thus formed it
is secured and jointed to the spherical vessel 1, and a steam pipe 9 coupled to
the branch pipe 8. A similar constructed vessel is also connected at C¹ to
the exhaust passage c, but having the brass valve chest 4, valve spindle 6,
and outlet branch 2 disposed horizontally in place of vertically, as over the
inlet passage a at A¹ just described, and having also a steam pipe 9 coupled
to its valve inlet, the same as on the valve chest. On the conical stoppers 5
of the valve at A' and C' being opened the steam rushes through and forms a
partial vacuum in the vessel 1, causing the water to flow in through the branch

page_text: 3 coupled to the water supply or exhaust pipe i, aud forces it out at the branch
2, opposite the steam jet in a continuous stream through the spherical chest
1, and its ejecting apparatus at A' throwing or forcing the water into the
mouth-piece B, and the vessel at C' and its ejecting apparatus exhausting out
the water (and ashes or other material thrown by hand into the open mouth
D) from the mouth-piece B, and discharging or forcing it or them out
at the branch pipe 2 at C. In this way the water is made to enter in at
the pipe D, flow through the mouth-pieces B, and be discharged by the branch
pipe C, which branch pipe may be connected by any convenient lengths
of pipes, so as to convey the water and materials to where it is desired. This
mouth-piece may also be used with only one set of ejecting or forcing
apparatus placed in the forcing side A¹, as also with ouo set only on the
exhausting side C¹ if provision is made for the water to flow into the mouth-
piece B.
;
Figure 43 is a side elevation, and Figure 44 is an end elevation, partially in
section, of a modification of the apparatus just described in reference to Figures
41 and 42 for throwing ballast ashes or grit out of ships and the inlet
branch pipe i, and the outlet pipe C being shown jointed to the "skin".plate
H of the vessel, the mouth-piece B being also the same as that described in
connection with Figures 14, 15, and 16. In this example a forcing spherical
chamber A¹ only is shown applied, and a steam jet pipe 5; the steam regulator
described in connection with Figures 41 and 42 not necessarily requiring
to be of the same construction or fixed to the forcing chamber A¹ are not
shown in this case. The forcing pipe A has fixed in it a stop-cock i¹, and on
its being opened and steam admitted through the jet pipe 5, the water is
drawn into the spherical vessel A', through the skin plate II, and forced down
through the pipe A and mouth-piece B, and up through the exhaust pipe C;
and on any material sufficiently small being put in at the opening D. of the
mouth-piece B it will be discharged from the exhaust pipe C; the course of
the current being as indicated by the arrows shown on the pipes. It is also
intended to use this apparatus for the same purposes with a forcing spherical
channel or other form of steam ejecting or forcing apparatus connected to.
the exhaust pipe C only, and allow the water to flow into the mouth-piece B
through the pipe A by the overhead pressure of the water from the outside of
the vessel..
:
Figure 45 is a vertical section, Figure 46 is a transverse vertical-section at
right angles to Figure 45, and Figure 47 is a plan of a diving bell for. raising
materials from under water, having the forcing channel' A, the mouth-piece B,
and the exhausting channel C-cast in one piece with the bell, the form of the

page_text: mouth-piece B being similar to that described in connection with Figures 14;
15, and 16 on Sheet 1 of my Drawings. The diving bell itself is otherwise of
the ordinary construction, having a lifting shackle and chain E as attached, and
the pipo socket F for coupling on the hose pipe for the air being forced in for
the respiration of the workman, and also the two panes of glass G for admitting
light into the bell as indicated in Figure 47. The forcing branch pipe A¹ and
the exhausting branch pipe C¹ are adapted for fixing the hose pipe to, thus
arranged, and the water being made to flow through the forcing pipe A', A,
and mouth-piece B, and up through the exhausting pipe C, a continuous
stream is thereby made to pass through the bell and form a convenient con-
veyance for any material small enough in size to pass up through the pipe C
to the diving bell barge. The workman entering in the materials at the
opening D of the mouth-piece B, the course of current being as indicated by
the arrows.
Figure 48 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 49 is a plan of a trap box
for trapping the materials exhausted from any of the forms of mouth-pieces is
a modification shown on Sheet 1 of my Drawings, designed to retain as much
of the materials suspended or carried up by the water current as possible, and
for diverting the water thus raised back to the mouth-piece or its forcing
apparatus. 10 is a box fitted with a cover, and closed in and jointed up
water-tight. Figure 49 being shown with the cover off to show the form of
the bottom which is hopper shaped; u¹ is an exhausting pipe led from a
mouth-piece, and is a pipe leading back to the forcing side or forcing
apparatus connected with a mouth-piece. At the side and close to the bottom
of the box is a pipe 12, to which is inserted into the box, having the hinged
valve 13 fitted on its inner end, and opening outwards, the pipe being covered
in on the top by the slanting piece or side of the hopper 14. On the opposite
side of the box 10, a branch pipe 15 is coupled to the jet channel 16, cast in
the bottom of the box, and carried downwards until its orifice 17 is opposite
to the hinged valve 13. On the hinged valve 13 being closed, and water and
materials, such as sand and shingle, being thrown into the box 10, it subsides
as indicated in the Drawing, the water rising up and flowing off through the
outlet pipe, freed from most of the materials lifted or forced from a mouth-
piece B through the pipe u', caused by the reduced speed of the current in the
box 10. On the box 10 becoming filled with the subsided matter the hinged
valve 13 is opened, and a jet of water or steam forced in through the jet 15,
pipe 16, and jet channel 17, which together with the pressure on the top
of the subsided materials exerted by the water forces out the contents of
the box quickly through the pipe 12, and which when emptied is again closed,

page_text: and the box is then in a state to be refilled. This contrivance saves the draw-
back of having to use trap doors in the trapping apparatus which in many
positions is inconvenient.
Figure 50 is a cross section of the hull of a ship and elevation of a mouth-
piece and pipes, and portion of a lighter or barge, showing a method of using
this apparatus in a portable form for the discharge of ballast from ships. A
forcing pipe A is led over the side of the vessel down to a mouth-piece B
placed in the bottom of the "hould," having the exhaust or discharge pipe C.
led up over the opposite side of the ship so as to discharge the ballast thrown
into the mouth-piece B along with the strong current of water forced through
the pipe A, box B, and discharge pipe C, as indicated by the arrows into the
lighter or barge. The form of the mouth-piece B shown applied in this
arrangement is that described in connection with Figures 14, 15, and 16 on
Sheet 1.
Figure 51 is a part of the cross section of a ship, and elevation of a mouth-
piece and pipe for discharging ballast, ashes, or other materials through the.
bottom of the ship, the forcing pipe A and mouth-piece B being. in this.
example fixed in the vessel. The mouth-piece B shown applied is somewhat.
similar to that described in reference to Figures 8, 9, and 10 on Sheet 1 of.
my Drawings, but slightly modified, the outlet pipe C being fitted with a.
valve cand stop-cock c for securing the vessel against inward leakage.
when the apparatus is not being used, somewhat similar to that sho.. in
connection with Figures 39 and 40. A hose pipe 18 joined to the pipe A by:
the coupling 19 conveys the forced water from any convenient forcing appa-:
ratus on the harbour, and discharges the water and materials raised into a.
barge or a hopper barge for carrying the dredged matter lifted, also carry the
forcing apparatus adapted for this purpose, and to be coupled on in this way
by the flexible hose would be a convenient arrangement. Mouth-pieces
similarly placed to this in the bottom of vessels, and wrought by a steam jet:
in the way described in connection with Figures 41 and 42 would also be a
convenient arrangement.
Figure 52 is a cross section of part of the hull of a ship with a mouth-piece
and pump for the discharge of ballast through the bottom of the ship. The
mouth-piece and pump being as described in connection with Figures 39:
and 40.
Figure 53 is a sectional end elevation, and Figure 54 is a plan of a mouth-
piece and pipes shown applied for raising and discharging excavated matter
from a channel or canal being cut, the material cut by hand by the spade or
otherwise as at 20, and thrown into the mouth-piece B, to. be carried away

page_text: up and over the sloping bank 21 by the water current. In starting all
operation of this kind one way of doing it would be to provide a stationary
steam engine and forcing pumps, rotatory pumps being the least expensive, and
having the advantage of giving in a simple way a continuous current, aro the
best known to me. The forcing pipe A leading forward the water to the mouth-
piece should be made as large in diameter as to maintain the current at not
more than three feet per second in order to avoid loss from friction in the pipe,
the discharge pipe ought to be of a diameter to give a speed of about 12 feet por
second to give sufficient force for carrying up matter such as sand and shingle.
The Drawings show the apparatus as applied to a dry channel 20, 21, and 22.
A forcing pipe A, A, coupled to a forcing apparatus as described is led down
to the bottom of the channel to be cut and connected to a mouth-piece B;
the description of mouth-piece shown applied being that described in connection
with Figures 14, 15, and 16 of my Drawings in Sheet 1, which is shown
placed with the mouth or inlet for the material sunk flush with the bed of the
channel so as the jet may carry off any water that may collect in the channel
or bed of the canal being cut, as well as the materials thrown into it, and
force all up through the exhaust or discharge pipe C into a trap box D, or
out upon the open ground as might be found convenient. In this way when
such a distance forward of the channel has been cut as becomes inconvenient
to convey the materials to the mouth-piece B, it is shifted correspondingly
forward, and one or more lengths of forcing pipe A added to keep the mouth-
piece near to the part 20 being cut. The trap-box D for the excavated
materials is shown open at the top and bottom, and is simply designed to keep
the dredged or excavated matter together until it subsides. For conserving
the water to be used over again an arrangement of a portable trap box similar
to that described in connection with Figures 48 and 49 could be used.
Another simple mode of working this excavating apparatus for this purpose
is to have a portable engine and pumps, and have the forcing pipe A led
down to the mouth-piece B, and a return or exhaust pipe H led back from the
trap box D, thus using the water over and over again.
Figure 55 is a side sectional elevation, and Figure 56 is a plan of a mouth-
piece B, adapted for cleaning flat surfaces by a water current made to flow
across the surface at the forcing channel A, and jet a leading forward the
current and bending it round at a, as indicated by the arrows, and thence
flowing across the surface of the object or surface being washed or cleaned,
the surface line of which is indicated by the line 1, 1, is exhausted up the
pipe C as indicated by the arrows. In order to keep the water from flowing
past the sides of the opening b, where the water acts on the surface to be

page_text: cleaned, a round india-rubber ring e is fitted into a corresponding groove all
round the edge of the mouth 6, and projecting slightly outwards presents a
pliant surface; and which adapts itself to the irregularities of the surface being
acted on, and which with due pressure exerted to keep the mouth-piece B on
the surface will prevent on smooth surfaces any injurious escape of the water.
round the edges of the open mouth b. It is important that the jet openings.
of these mouth-picces be kept proportional to the pressure and quantity of
water made to flow through them, and in some cases these parts of the mouth-
pieces may with advantage be made adjustable, and can be made self-adjusting.
to the pressure of the water.
'
Figure 57 is a side elevation, and Figure 58 a plan of a machine for
cleaning and sweeping roads or streets, by means of a current of air propelled;
at a high speed, being mounted on four-wheels and adapted to be drawn along;
the road or street by animal power. A, A, is a box formed of light plate iron
close at the bottom, sides, top, and at the forward end A', the inside being
accessible only by opening the hinged doors at the after end, shown open by:
the dotted lines A2 and A³, but on these doors being closed their joints aro so
secured as to be air-tight, and in which condition they remain while the
machine is in operation, and forms the receptacle for collecting and, carrying!
the dust and grit taken from the roadway by the machine. The box A, A,
also forms the framing of the machine, and to it are riveted the brackets B, B,
which form the swivelling centre for the foro wheels C, C, of the carriage,
and support for the box and connections at the fore part; the fore wheels
themselves being an ordinary pair of light road carriage wheels, and having
the sockets D and D for inserting trams suitable for horse traction, for which
this machine is adapted. The axle of the after supporting wheels of the
carriage is also of the ordinary road carriage form being fixed to the box A,
and each wheel revolving loosely on its own axis or gudgeon, and held into-
position by a nut and washer in the ordinary road carriage wheel way. The
after wheel F is also an ordinary wood carriage wheel hooped with iron, but
the wheel F¹ is of cast iron with malleable iron spokes, the rim being made of.
a considerable weight to give adhesive driving action between the rim and
roadway, as from the revolutions of this wheel the air-blast apparatus is driven.-
A cog wheel F, cast on the back or inside of the carriage wheel F¹ is geared
into a pinion G, which is keyed on a shaft H, and which shaft as it passes'
across and through the box receiver A for the swept or blown up matter is
protected by a hollow bush piece I, I, flanged at the ends, and secured to the
sides of the box A. On the opposite end of the shaft H from that on which
the pinion G is secured, is keyed the cog wheel J, which gears with a corre-

page_text: sponding pinion keyed on the end of the upper cross shaft L, and on the
opposite end of the shaft L from that in which the pinion K is secured is
keyed the light belt pulley M, over which a belt is passed, and passed likewise
over the pulley N, keyed on the spindle O on the fan P, communicating
thereby the forward motion of the carriage motion to the fan P, and as in this
train of wheels and pullies the drivers are large, and the driven pinions and
pulley N of small-diameter, a high speed is given thus to the fan P. The
inlet or suction port p¹ of the fan has jointed to it a light malleable iron pipe,
Q, which extending backwards is bent down and connected to the top plate
of the box A and Q', thereby forming a communication between the inside of
the box A and the exhaust passage of the fan. At the opposite and outlet
part of the fan P is jointed the pipe R, which divides into two branches R³
and R', which bend round the end of the box A, a portion of the bottom of
which being raised higher for these pipes, and slanting through between the
box are jointed by flexible leather joints S to the forcing or jet passages of
the mouth-piece a, and these bending round at a¹ broadening out to the breadth
of the carriage, passing over the open space on the roadway b, and thence
ascending up through the central exhaust or suction passage of the mouth-
piece c is jointed by the flexible leather joint T to the exhaust pipe U; forming
thereby a communication between the forcing or lifting side of the mouth-
piece and the box A, through which communication the dust and grit is lifted
into the box. The form of this mouth-piece is somewhat similar to that.
described in connection with Figures 55 and 56 on Sheet 5 of my Drawings.
To take the strain of the leather flexible joints of the dragging action off the
mouth-piece and pipes a pair of stays one to each side of the mouth-piece is
hinged to the brackets W, forced to the under side of the box A, and to the
mouth-piece at a*, thus arranged, on the machine being drawn forward, and
motion communicated to the fan, the action and direction of the current is as
indicated by the arrows, the fan drawing the air out of the box A by the pipe
Q, and at the same time forcing it through the pipes R, R1, R2, and R³, and
across the mouth-piece b, up through c and U, and back again into the box,
a continuous or endless current is obtained and raises up the grit from the.
roadway by the air sweeping across the mouth-piece as the carriage is travelled
along in the direction of the red arrows and settle down the grit in the box,
which when filled is drawn off by the hinged doors A² and A³.
Figure 59 is a side elevation, and Figure 60 is a plan of another road
cleaning or sweeping machine, the currents being produced by the combined
action of steam and air, the steam being entered into amongst the air by a jet
at a high pressure, and thereby giving out its power and motion direct to the

page_text: air. The form of this machine is similar to that just described in connection.
with Figures 57 and 58, with the exception of the arrangement of the steam
jet, which serves in lieu of the fan and its gear, and some other small details,
being much more simple than the forms shown by Figures 57 and 58,.and
5. more easily drawn along the road. A steam boiler in this example giving out
the power for producing the sweeping current; a box. A forming the framing'
of the machine, and the receiver of the swept-up matter is secured by stays to
the boiler B, and under which the swiveling centre C. of the "fore" wheels D
is placed, connected to an ordinary road carriage yoke or tram bar E; the
"after" wheels F being placed on an axle G, bent down in the centre part of'
its length to admit of the box A getting lower down than the centre of the
wheels. All the wheels are ordinary wood carriage wheels and fitted on upon
their axles in the usual way, and the box A is, also fitted with the hinged doors:
A and As for getting out the collected matter, as in the foregoing example of
this description of machine. The box A, mouth-piece b, and air pipes all
being made of thin malleable iron plate give lightness, and at the same
time sufficient strength to the machine. The boiler Bis. of the ordinary
vertical tubular form, and fitted with the common, mountings of a steam
boiler. A stop-cock H is fitted to the top of the boiler, to which is connected.
the jet pipe I; the jet end being inserted into the spherical hollow vessel -J.;.
which is supported from the box A by a neck J¹ cast on it, and has the three
branch pipe connections J, J, J, also cast upon it for coupling on the air
pipes. The branch A opposite the steam jet has fixed to it by the flexible:
joint K the forcing pipe L, which is coupled to the mouth-piece jet pipe d,
and supported a small distance from the road surface to be cleaned by the
two small road wheels M and N, the mouth-piece here being extended -in
breadth a little beyond the breadth of the box A on both sides;.
the space:
intervening between 61 and 6 being open to the ground surface to allow the jetį
to play upon it, a small hinged door 63 being lifted up to show the space b. The
ascending or suction. pipe connection of the mouth-piece c is connected to the
curved channel c¹ by the flexible joint P, and the channel.c¹ passing upwards
inside the box A discharges the raised matter into it at Q. Coupled to the
side branches Js and J of the hollow spherical vessel J, are the pipes Q and.
Q, and having their other ends connected to the box A at R and R', and
thereby establishing a continuous open current for the,air and steam to pass
through the box A; suction pipes Qand Q, spherical vessel J, forcing pipe:
L, and mouth-piece b.opening into box A at Q. The two jointed tension rods
Vand. V connected to the box A at e, and at f and h the axle of the small
wheels M.and. N prevent any injurious strain-getting exerted on the flexible

page_text: parts of the pipes. Thus arranged, and the steam cock H opened, the current:
is sent round the pipes in an endless stream as indicated by the arrows, the steam
and air being forced by the jet through the pipe L and induced up through
the pipes Q and Q³, causing the current to lift up loose matter from the
roadway at the mouth-piece c as it is passed or drawn along it; and deposit.
the matter in the box A. The steam from condensation by damping dry;
dust will assist in subsiding it in the box. Various modifications can be made,
in this apparatus, and might be improved by having a rotatory brush in the jet.
box or mouth-piece. The operation could also be effected by separate forcing.
or suction currents only, but the arrangement to obtain an endless or returning
current is the most economical method of securing intensity of current.
Figure 61 is a side sectional elevation, and Figure 62 is an end elevation of
an apparatus for raising or conveying sand, grit, ashes, and similar light sub-.
stances by the combined agency of currents of steam and air, the power and.
motion being transmitted to the air directly by jets of steam, and passed along
the pipes or conduits intermixed with the air, in this example in a returning
or endless current, as explained in connection with Figures 59 and 60. A.
trap box A with a forcing pipe A' is connected to the spherical inducing vessel J ;,
the mouth-piece B, the spherical vessel J', and pipe C, which is also connected
to the trap box A, the pipes being broken short, as substances can be raised.
to a great height in this way. On steam being admitted by the jet steam
pipes I and I', and substances entered at the mouth-piece B, they will be raised
and deposited in the trap box A, the course of the current being as indicated
by the arrows, a trap door K being provided for emptying the box A when it
becomes full. .
Figure 63 is a side sectional elevation; Figure 64 is an end elevation of
a similar apparatus to that just described, having a trap box A and a mouth-
piece B and spherical inducing vessel J cast in one piece and connected.
together by the pipes A¹ and C. On ateam being admitted by the jet pipe I
the motion of the current induced is as indicated by the arrows.
Figure 65 is a side sectional elevation, and Figure 66 an end elevation,
partly in section, of an endless or returning current elevating apparatus,
having the connecting pipes A and C joined at the top without a trap box,
and a mouth-piece B with the steam jet channel I cast into it. The cross
pipe D has an opening E formed into it, and a series of tapering pipes F.
secured in the top side of the casting in a slanting position, these pikes being
placed closely together and used in preference to a grating, from their affording
a less entangling surface for the substances coming in contact with it. On
steam being admitted through the jet channel I and pipe, and substances

page_text: being entered at the mouth-piece B, the current will be as indicated by the
arrows, the large particles glancing off the pikes are diverted down through
the opening E, and the air and steam or portion thereof passing with con-
siderable force through between the pikes, passes down through the pipe A
into the mouth-piece to assist in raising a fresh load of the material acted
upon.
Figure 67 is a side sectional elevation, and Figure 68 is an end elevation of
a mouth-piece B and exhaust pipe C for raising materials without the return-
ing action, which on steam being introduced by the jet pipe I, and material at
the mouth-piece B, the current will be as indicated by the arrows, and the
materials forced through the pipe C.
Figure 69 is a side sectional elevation, and Figure 70 is a plan of a mouth-
piece B, with a spherical exhausting vessel C¹ on the exhaust side pipe c, and
a similar vessel A' and steam jet valve 5 on the forcing side, to be used for
raising materials by steam and air. As this mouth-piece and connections
are similar to that described in connection with Figures 41 and 42 to be used
for lifting by water, on Sheet 5 of my Drawings, it will be understood by
referring to it.
Figure 71 is a side elevation, and Figure 72 is an end elevation of an
exhausting steam jet vessel connected to a mouth-piece B by the exhaust
pipe C, steam being admitted by the jet pipe I; the direction of the current
produced is as indicated by the arrows. The steam jet pipe I of this inducing
vessel J has fitted on its mouth a thick verule or short taper tube of india-
rubber S, better seen in connection with the enlarged Drawing of it, Figure 73..
The jet pipe provided with this description of jet opening enlarges with the
increased supply of steam, and contracts correspondingly as the quantity' or
pressure is diminished until it becomes closed or nearly so, and thereby
retains the velocity of the issuing jet at or near the velocity that is due to the
pressure, whatever the quantity may be. The india-rubber hose mouth-piece S
is shown fixed on with cord wound over it to secure it to the pipe piece I ;
this plan of making the jet pipes adjust themselves to the pressure and
quantity of the fluid forced through them is alike serviceable for water as for
air and steam.
Figure 74 is a side elevation, partly in section, and Figure 75 is an end
elevation, partly in section, of a mouth-piece B with a steam jet pipe I' inserted
into it for forcing, and a spherical inducing vessel J having a steam jet pipe I'
inserted into it connected by the pipe C. The apparatus in this form is here
shown fixed to the "skin" plates H of a ship, and is adapted for raising ashes
from steamers; the direction of the current is as indicated by the arrows.

page_text: I am aware that air alone in currents has been used as a lifting medium in
certain forms of grain-cleaning machines, and for the transmission of grain,
from one position to another. I do not purpose to use air alone in currents,
as an excavating and cleaning medium, except as shown in connection with.
the street-cleaning machine described in connection with Figures 57 and 58:
of this Sheet. In all the other modifications the currents are produced by the
combined action of steam and air, and possess a simplicity for producing
the currents for these purposes unattainable by other means.
On Sheet 7 of my Drawings Figure 76 is a plan, and Figure 77 is a side.
elevation of one application of my improved method of supporting and trans-
porting excavating machinery, as also for means of conveying the excavated.
materials out of the way, in accordance with or under the second head of my
Invention, and consisting mainly of the application and use of large hollow
cylinders formed, by preference, of boiler plates, and made closed at the ends
or hollow throughout the whole length for the conveyance of the excavated
materials either along the top and outside, in which case the cylinder can be.
readily made water-tight and buoyant in water if required, or otherwise
carried out at the ends along the inside of the cylinder. In the example
here shown and referred to the materials are discharged over the ends on to
the side of the channel being cut by being carried along the top on the out-
side of the cylinder. The rollers may not necessarily be cylindrical, and may
be smaller in diameter at one part than at another; any round form would be
more or less suitable which would admit of being easily rolled along, but I
prefer straight cylindrical hollow rollers, as shown in the Drawings, as they:
are easily formed of boiler plate and strengthened where necessary by stays
and by angle or T-iron, and may for the sake of shipment or transportation be
U is a
made in short lengths and bolted together where they are to be used.
large cylinder or roller formed of boiler plate rivetted together, closed at the
ends and similar in appearance to an ordinary cylindrical steam boiler; this
cylinder is laid across over the course of the channel V to be cut, having the
centre of its length placed about the centre line of the channel, the depth of
the channel V being cut extends from V to V. Two semicircular iron frame
plates W and W₁ are placed in the form of a saddle Cover the centre of the
roller U, and stayed together by the cross stays a, the distance of the plates B
and B¹ being the width or guage suitable for the wheels of the waggon a
travelling along. Four pairs of wheels and axles b, c, d, and are set in
bearings in the saddle frame C, plates W and W', the wheels as shown being
made to roll on the surface of the large cylinder U, and thereby supporting
and keeping the saddle frame in its position. Coupled to the saddle frame W

page_text: are the two rails E and E' secured by the joint pins f and f, and secured
further in the position, shown by the bolts J and J', these rails being held
together by the cross stays j, and forming with the plates W and W2 of the
saddle frame a continuous tramway for the truck X being drawn along the
rails E and E', being either terminated at the bottom of the incline, as shown,
or continued along the bottom of the channel V2 by ordinary tram rails laid
to correspond as may be found suitable for the work in hand. A platform F
secured to the saddle frame C at the opposite side of the cylinder U from the
train rails E, E', carries a small hoisting engine and vertical boiler G, to the
hoisting barrel H of which the lifting chain I is connected and passed over
the chain guide rollers J. and K, which revolve loosely on the axles of the
saddle wheels c and d. The chain I is passed down to the bottom of the
inclined rails and fastened to the truck X. As the hoisting engine is of an
ordinary construction a detailed description is not required. On the end of
the spindle of the winding barrel H at La pinion M is keyed gearing into
the wheel which works loosely on the end of the shaft L of the saddle wheels e,
which on the clutch L' being connected and the engine put in motion drives
the cylinder U along the surface of the ground by the frictional bite of the
wheels e acting on the drum. Where from the nature of the ground the
frictional bite of these wheels would not be sufficient for this purpose,
the chain I from the winding barrel His passed round the large drum or
cylinder U and hooked or otherwise fastened into the surface of the cylinder U,
as shown at o, and thereby the reduced tractive power of the engine through
the winding chains made available for a difficult or rising surface for the
cylinder being passed along. On the truck ✗ being filled by hand with the
spade the engine G is set in motion and the truck drawn up to and upon
the "slewing" plate P, and thereafter rolled along to either end, and the
contents tipped over and emptyed out, as at Q, and thereafter rolled back to
the plate P and lowered down the tram rails for a fresh load. One or more
trucks can be used to one set of rails, and one or more set of tram rails can
be placed on the cylinder U at a time. In drawing forward the cylinder
and its connections the inclined surface R at the end of the channel V being
cut it must be kept clear of the tram rails E and E at the surface by the
spade, and instead of emptying out the materials raised at the ends, this may
be done close to the sides of the channel V, being cut on the receding side of
the cylinder at the spaces S. and T. When the cylinder U is being rolled
over level ground with the saddle C and connections on it, the tram rails E
and E¹ are raised up on the pins f and f', and secured in the position shown
by the dotted lines E2 by the bolts g and gl.

page_text: Figure 78 is a plan, and 79 is an elevation, of a hollow roller U adapted for
carrying the upper end of a bucket ladder and steam engine and driving gear
for the same; this arrangement of my delivery mechanism being adapted for and
shown applied to the excavation of a channel or canal. The bucket ladder,
cheeks, and saddle piece W and W', are all made in one piece of plates of iron
with angle iron stiffening bars on the inside, and held together with cross stays
forming a rigid structure for the top and bottom tumblers and intermediate
supporting rollers, over which the chain and buckets J travel, which details
being similar to those commonly used in bucket ladder dredge boats need not
here be described. The saddle part of the upper and of the cheeks of the
bucket ladder W are made of a semicircular form on the under side to embrace
the cylinder U, and have the two pairs of guide wheels or rollers 6 and 6', and
e and e¹, keyed on shafts which revolve on bushes formed in the saddle part of
the ladder cheeks W and W'; the peripheries of these wheels acting or rolling
on the surface of the roller or cylinder U. A similar pair of wheels c and c¹
work loosely on a shaft L extending through below the platform K, and which
can be connected to be driven by the shaft by the clutches N and O at pleasure.
The shaft L has also keyed upon it the cog wheel P, which being connected
to the train of wheels Q connected by a pinion on the end of the bucket ladder
tumbler shaft Q¹ gives to the shaft L, when the latter is in motion, a slow
motion forward by the friction bite of the wheels when the clutches N and O
are in gear, and thereby a slow forward feed motion is given to the lifting
buckets J, J. A winding barrel S is also keyed on the cross shaft L, to which
a chain I is attached and hook O', which on the clutches N and O being
taken out of gear, and the hook o' fixed in the cylinder U as shown, can be
made to move forward the cylinder at a still slower motion and greater force.
The steam engine and boiler G of an ordinary construction has coupled to its
crank shaft fa train of wheels h, h¹, and i, i. The wheel i being keyed on
the top tumbler shaft K, giving the motion to the tumbler of the chain and its
buckets J. The cylinders U in this example has an inner "skin" plate
indicated by the dotted lines u and u and u¹ and w¹, having double or Z-formed
rings intervening, to which the outer shell and inner shell or casing are rivetted,
making the cylinder U thereby very strong and smooth in the inside for the
wheels of the trucks X rolling upon. Through the periphery or shell of the
cylinder, under the space where the saddle of the bucket ladder works a series
of openings q are formed at equal distances all round the periphery, the parts
r of the cylinder between the openings 9 being strengthened on the inside,
through which the matter raised by the buckets J, J, falls when emptied over
the top tumbler. Underneath the saddle end of the bucket ladder, and

page_text: opposite the openings q, through which the raised materials fall, is a shifting
hopper t, which rolls on the wheels u, u, and adjusts itself opposite the
openings q, as the cylinder turns round and guides the raised materials into
the truck X, and which when filled is rolled out at the ends of the cylinder.
The lower end of the bucket ladder is shown in this example supported on the
two wheels Y and Y'. The depth of the channel being cut being as indicated
by V and V¹.
:
Figure 80 is a plan, and Figure 81 is an elevation of a "skotch-piece" for
making these cylinders roll in a curved line, or to change the direction of their
course. It is shown as applied in dotted lines to the periphery of the cylinder U,
in Figure 79, and consists of a casting A, with a series of small rollers B placed
in it, which when placed as shown in Figure 79, obstructs the progress of the
cylinder U, while it is being rolled forward at the opposite end. The periphery
of the cylinder at the one end rolling on the small rollers in the "skotch-
piece" obstructs that end of the cylinder as it is being rolled along, and
thereby made to change its course when desired.
Figure 82 is a side elevation, and Figure 83 is a plan on Sheet 8 of my
Drawings, showing a modification of these large carrying and transmitting
cylinders, under the second head of my Invention, as applied to the supporting
and conveying of one of my excavating apparatus under the first head of my
Invention, by the action of a current of water propelled at a high speed. The
cylinder U is of the same construction as described in connection with
Figures 76 and 77 on Sheet 7 of my Drawings, and the saddle piece W similar
to that described in connection with Figures 78 and 79 on the same Sheet,
and the gearing for moving the cylinder along the ground attached to the
saddle piece W is also the same as that described in connection with the same
Figures 78 and 79 for the like purpose, but in this example adapted to be
moved by the winch gearing m and handles n, n. The bottom ends of the
saddle piece are also supported on wheels Y and Y', similar to that described in
connection with Figures 78 and 79, and secured to the extreme points of the
saddle plate W is the mouth-piece B, having a flexible inlet pipe A extending
upward for being connected to forcing apparatus. The lengths of exhaust
pipe C are connected to the mouth-piece B, and led up the centre and along
the top side of the saddle piece W, and bent round to the end of the cylinder,
where it is supported and carried on a small truck H, which is connected to
the saddle piece W by the angularly placed stays H'. At the bend of the
pipe A connected to the mouth-piece B, a branch pipe K is cast, to which is
connected the lengths of inducing pipe L, which ascends up the saddle piece W
side by side with the exhaust or discharge pipe C to which it is joined in a

page_text: .tangential direction to lead a jet or stream of the forced water into the ex-
haust pipe. C to induce or assist the rising and exhausting current. The form
of the mouth-piece used in this arrangement is that described in reference to
Figures 8, 9, and 10, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings. The materials to be
raised are intended to be entered into the mouth-piece B at D by the hand
and spade and forced up the pipe C along with the strong current of water
passing through the pipes, and discharged at C¹ over the end of the
.cylinder U.
+
For cutting or forming narrow channels or drains into the surface of the
earth. or ground, such as are used for the purpose of irregation or the
drainage of the soil leading to the main channels or drains under the third and
last head or part of my Invention, I. employ a wedge-shaped wheel or wheels,
and when one wheel only is employed it is made of a large diameter, and
arranged to be rolled along the course on which the drain is desired to be
formed, and to sink or wedge itself down by its own gravitation or that of the.
weight of the machine or framing fitted to it, which presses the wedge wheel
down to the depth required. Suitable mechanical arrangements being fitted
to the wheel or its carriage to regulate the depth to which it shall descend
into the ground according to the depth the drain is required to be cut. The
different descriptions of soil and waste land require considerable variation in
proportions and accessary details, but the leading feature of the contrivance is
simply a large wheel so formed on the rim and parts to guide it in its course,
as will on being rolled along roll or indent out a track or channel suitable for
the
purposes herein-before stated. Rolling out channels or drains of large
size possesses many advantages over the process of cutting or excavating
hitherto acted upon; as a rolling indenting cutter of this shape does not
necessarily require to be so sharp as to materially injure itself on hard objects,
and will rise over them when they come in its way. In this case there is little
rubbing action, and consequently small loss of power by friction. The loss of
power by friction is very great in such implements as the plough in passing.
through the soil. The ease with which a drain may be indented or wedged
out by my wedge wheel is about as marked as the ease with which a plate-
shearing machine will cut through an iron plate compared to any system of
applying sharp scraping tools to cut it. I am aware that rolling cutters have
been used for the production of furrows for the depositing of plants and seeds,
but this is an application of. them. requiring a different system of management
and construction in the parts.
.
Figure 84 is a side elevation, and Figure 85 is an edge elevation, partly in.
section, of a wheel A, the wedge-form of the rim being partly shown in section in:

page_text: Figure 85, and shown sunk down to the depth of the drain b, c, in the ground
to the proportion of the wheel's diameter, which will be found manageable to
most advantage; the rolling cutter in this example being provided with arms
and centre boss, as shown cast in one piece, provided with an axle a on which
it may be keyed, or revolve on it loosely.
Figure 86 is a side elevation, and Figure 87 is a transverse vertical section
corresponding to it of another form of rolling cutter, the cutter wheel A con-
sisting of a ring without any centre boss, its periphery being wedge-shaped for
the purpose of cutting or sinking down in the ground, and its inner surface
also wedge-shaped for the purpose of the guiding V-shaped rollers I and I¹
acting on it. A similar V-shaped rolling pulley K shown applied to the outer
periphery and keyed on the main axle a, which is the main axis of this form
of cutter; the V-shaped pulley K being made to act and transmit the moving
power to the ring A on the principle of my wedge and grooved frictional
gearing. The chief object of this modification of cutter is to obtain a greater
depth of drain in proportion to its diameter, as indicated by the depth it is
shown sunk in the ground at b, c, than is obtainable by other forms which
have a centre axis. The facilities for securing this result, will be more fully
explained in reference to the Figures on Sheet 9 of my Drawings, herein-after,
where I show these cutters as fitted with their complete mechanical driving
and guiding details.
:
Figure 88 is an end elevation, and Figure 89 is a plan, of one these rolling
wedge cutters, with complete working details in its simplest form, consisting
of a series of segmental wedge-shaped pieces A; bolted on to a large drum B,
forming thereby on the periphery and central part of the drum B a circular
cutter concentric with the drum, and as shown descending down to the full
depth b, c, of the concentric cutter ring A into the ground; the surface of the
drum B rolling upon the surface of the ground, and thereby regulating the
depth of the channel to be cut. One mode of drawing or rolling this form of
drain cutting machine along the surface of the ground and cutting the drain,
is to pass a rope or two ropes I and I¹ over its periphery, one at each side of
the wedge ring A, and to extend both ends of each rope forward such a
distance as may be found convenient in the direction the drain is desired to be
cut; the ropes leading on in advance upon the under side of the drum are
fixed; by preference, to the ground at their extreme forward end, and their
other ends passed forward over the top are, by preference, joined into one rope
a short distance in advance of the drum, and either drawn by animal or other
tractive force or extended forward to a windlass, and the rope wound up until
the machine is drawn close up to the windlass, at which point the position of

page_text: the windlass would have to be changed in order to start the machine afresh.
As by this arrangement the tractive end of the rope moves at double the speed
of the machine, and the tractive force is proportionally increased, it will
generally be practable to draw it along with animal power. In working the
machine in this way the centre studs a and a¹ are not required, and is simply
a large drum, by preference inade of malleable plates of iron rivetted together,
and in this state is in its most simple form. Dispensing with the traction
ropes I and I', another mode of rolling this cylinder along its course is effected
by fixing the centre studs a and a¹ in its respective ends K and K', placing
upon them the shackles M and M', which work upon the stud centres a and a¹
loosely. By attaching to these the ropes O and O¹, tractive force can be applied
as explained, done by the ropes I and I
Figure 90 is a plan of portion of the cylinders B (of Figures 88 and 89)
shown broken off, and Figure 91 is an end view of the centre piece K of the
same, shown as broken through the arms, which illustrates another mode of
traction for this description of machine by placing windlass gear in its internal
space, having the centre stud a in this case made hollow, fixed in its respective
ends; the winding rope Q or chains are passed through these and extended
out in the direction in which the drain is desired to be cut and there fixed to
any object that will give sufficient hold; a shackle R is placed on the centre
stud a of the drum B, which works on it loosely, and placed in this shackle is
the rope pulley S for guiding the rope into the centre of the stud a, and thereby
tractive communication is established between the fixed end of the rope Q and
the windlass gear inside the drum. This modification of my drain-cutting
improvements is chiefly designed for soft waste land where more perfect and
less buoyant machinery cannot well be used. The segmental wedges A are
bolted on and adapted to take off readily where the cylinder is required to be
turned end for end or rolled along where there is no drain wanted. The
drum B may also be bolted together in rings, as shown by the plan, Figure 89,
at L, L, L, L³, and L, and where great weight is required may be partially
or wholly filled with water and drawn off again when not required.
Figure 92 is a side elevation, and Figure 98 is an edge elevation of another
form of rolling cutter wheel applicable to the foregoing description of drain-
cutting machine in a modified form, as also other forms of these machines to
be described. This description of cutter is designed for very soft or wet soil,
such as bog land, where from the prevalence of water the channel formed by
the cutter closes up behind it so quickly as to prevent tiles, stones, or other
means of conveying away the water being placed in the channel formed. The
cutter wheel A has a series of notches f placed at equal distances apart all

page_text: round its periphery, and also at the rings or edges of its rim a series of notches
e and e¹, are formed all round it. As the cutter is being rolled along at a slow
motion in the soft watery soil a series of short and strong wedge-shaped hollow
channel pieces g, made of fire-clay, cast iron, or other materials, having pro-
jections.h and j; are placed on its periphery into, the notches f, e, and e', and
as the wheel A rolls forward or advances depresses or rolls them: down to the
depth in the ground that the wheel is adapted to go and leaves them behind it
at the bottom' c of the channel, thus providing without further trouble'a con-
tinuous waterway for carrying off the water, the interstices j formed by the
radial ends of the segmental pieces 9 providing sufficient outlet for the water,
but which may be increased by having the channel. pieces cast with small
holes in them.
Figure 94 is a side elevation, and Figure 95 is an end elevation of a com-
plete machine constructed with improvements 'under the third head or part of
my Invention for cutting drains in arable or other land having the wedge
wheels fitted to it so as to be properly driven and guided along the true course
of the drain' desired to be cut, and adapted to be wrought by animal power.
Oue of the main supporting wheels B in front of Figure 94 is removed to
show the working parts. The wedge wheel or revolving cutter A is shown in
section in Figure 95, and is somewhat similar to that described in connection
with Figures 86 and 87 of my Drawings on Sheet 8. . In this example, how-
ever, the driving frictional wedge wheel as well as the guiding wheels are all
placed in and act on the internal. 'surface of the wedge-formed ring cutter A:
The hollow drums or rolling wheels B and B have the main shaft à passed
through the drum wheels which work loosely on the shaft and are held in
their places by the cutters and washers b, b', in the same manner as an ordinary
carriage wheel. The shaft a is straight throughout and parallel in the central
part between the main bearing wheels B and B¹, as indicated by the dotted
lines in Figure 95, and passes through the bearing boss D¹ of the main frame D;
and the boss of the worm wheel H, and the boss of the frictional single wedge
wheel I, bevel wheel K, as also the bearing boss D³, of, the main frame D and
footstep piece d, all loosely and free to oscillate or revolve upon it except the
worm wheel H, which is keyed fast upon the shaft a. The bosses D¹ and D³
are joined to the main frames or beams D of the carriage, and the wheel. H
oscillates or revolves with the main shaft a in these bearings D' and D. The
swivelling and guiding mechanical motion F, F', and G, of the fore wheels C
and C is fitted to the front end of the carriage frame D, being of an ordinary
description for guiding the carriage, need not be further particularly described.
Affixed to the frame bosses D1 and D2 are the frame standards E and E

page_text: which carry the cross piece L, having formed in it the bush bearing c in which
the upright shaft M revolves, the lower end being set in the step. bearing d
formed on the boss D of the carriage frame. The upright shaft M has
formed on it at its upper end a forked joint-pièce e, in which is placed the
horse circuit duplex lever N, N¹, stayed by the tension stay rods f; f¹ and 'g, g',
in the usual manner of these structures, and hinged so that it can oscillate
and suit itself to the irregualities or heights of the ground by the strong cross
-pin in' the joint piece e. At the ends of the duplex lever N, N', the ordinary
horse-saddle bows O are formed, in which the horses are placed and draught
thongs attached'; one end of the lever, at N¹, is here shown as being broken
away. At the foot of the upright shaft M, thus shown connected to the horse
lever N, N¹, is keyed a bevel pinion P which gears into the wheel K which
has cast on it the 'long boss i extending up to the boss of the worm wheel H,
and is bored out to work loosely on the main shaft a, as previously described.
This boss i, i; is turned and has keyed upon it the single-wedge frictional wheel I
over and upon which the wedge wheel ring A is placed. The internal surface
of the ring A, being formed as shown in section in Figure 95, is turned out
V-shaped and fits the surface of the wedge pinion' accurately, and fitted into
the centre of the ring A are also the other two single wedge wheels Qand R,
which are of the same diameter and of the same form of periphery or rim as
the frictional pinion I. The positions of these frictional wheels or pinions
Qand R will be better seen in Figure 96, which represents a portion of the
worm wheel Hin side elevation to show the connection of these frictional
wheels in relation to it. The stud pins or axles j and 1 of the respective fric-
tional pinions or wheels Q and R are keyed into the bosses cast upon the web
of the worm wheel H, and upon the stud j is placed the eccentric bush m,
which is the same length as the eye of the wheel Q, and the wheel and this
eccentric bush are placed 'loosely on the stud j, and thereafter the frictional
wheel Qis placed upon and works loosely on the stud j, which is fixed in
position on the worm wheel H so that the wheel Q gears with the internal
surface of the ring A. This eccentric bush arrangement provides accom-
modation for keeping up the contact of the ring A and wheel Qin effective
contact, being an arrangement which I use extensively in my system of fric-
tional gearing! The eccentric bush k in the wheel R provides accommodation
for biting contact in the same way. "An intermediate duplex frictional wheel S,
also working loosely on a stud pin Z, keyed in a boss formed in the web of
the worm wheel H, two halves of the wheel S being held hard up together in
contact with the three wheels I, Q, and R, by the pressing and jam screw
nuts m', and these wheels' in turn held in gear with the internal V-shaped

page_text: surface. of the wedge..wheel or ring A communicate motion to the. ring. A
through the frictional pinion or wheel I keyed or the boss i of.the..bevel:
wheel K., The hand wheel T has keyed on its spindle the pinion U which
gears into the bevel wheel V which is keyed on the angularly-placed..shaft W
set in the bearings o, o, which latter is formed in the standard. bracket. E.
On the shaft W. is keyed a screw worm X which gears into the worm wheel:
H, so that by the turning of the hand wheel T motion is communicated to the.
worm X through the wheels. U and V, and the wheel H is turned round, with.
its axle, which is the main shaft a, and from the studs of the frictional wheels
Q, R, and. S. being keyed in its web.the hand wheel T, on being turned in one,
direction, raises up the wedge-shaped ring A out of the ground to any required.
height, as indicated, in the position above the ground, by the dotted line at As..
On turning the hand wheel T in a reverse direction the ring A depresses to
any required depth in the ground to suit the depth of. drain. required, the
position of the wedge wheel A, shown in Figures 94 and 95, being that of.the.
full depth to which this machine is capable of cutting or forming a drain, as.
indicated at b, c. On motion being given to the circuit lever N, N', and,
circular motion communicated to the wedge-shaped ring wheel A, as explained,
the carriage advances forward in the direction of the red arrow at a slow.
motion as the horse or horses travel at their ordinary pace around the machine,
so as to cut out a channel or drain to the shape of the rim of the wedge-
shaped wheel A. The horses, in passing round the machine to drive it, and.
the cutter wheel A, pass over the cut drain or, channel at the back upon a.
light flat head plate or bridge attached to the machine and dragged along by
it over the ground and drain below. the horse bows, as at o³, for that purpose...
Figure 97. is a side elevation, and Figure 98 is a plan, partially in section, of.
another form of my improved drain-cutting machine, in this example to be
driven by a steam engine and boiler U instead of being adapted for animal-
power. The framing D and steering gear F, F, and G for, the guiding/
wheel C of this machine is of the same construction as that described in con--
nection with Figures 94 and 95, and is coupled to the main shaft a by the loose.
bosses D¹ and D, and which constitute a portion of the framing D all in the
same manner as described in reference to the said Figures 94 and 95. The
carrying and supporting drums B and B are also placed on their duplex
shafts a and a' in the same manner, the drum B being shown with the ends.
or sides as removed in Figure 97, and partially in section in Figure .98,
having a hose water-pipe coupling I shown as connected to it, for filling it
with water to. give additional weight should the density or hardness of the
ground to be acted upon require it. A method of giving weight which I use

page_text: in all forms of these machines should the state of the ground to be acted
upon require it. The main shaft a bas keyed upon it the crank H, and
on the opposite corresponding end of this shaft a¹ is keyed the crank H,
which is also cast in one piece with the segmental wheel H³. These cranks
Hand H are also bored out for the strong intermediate pin Y¹ which is keyed
into it, and the wedge wheel A works on it loosely, the central boss of the
wedge wheel A extending between the bosses of the cranks H' and H. An
internal cog wheel J is shown cast in one piece with the wedge wheel A, part
of which is in section showing the internal arrangement, which cog wheel J
gears into a corresponding pinion J', which is cast in one piece with a bevel
wheel K, and both work loosely on the projecting stud end a³ of the main
shaft a, which is here shown projecting into the inside of the crank H'. The
pinion K' gears into the bevel wheel K working loosely on the shaft M, this
pinion having a clutch N for throwing it in and out of gear. The shaft M is
carried in the bearings d' and c¹ formed in brackets fixed on one of the
frames D, has keyed on its opposite end the cog wheel O gearing into the spur
pinion O¹ which is keyed on the shaft Q, having on its opposite end the
wheel R which gears with the pinion S, which is keyed on the crank shaft T
of the engine from which motion is communicated to the wedge wheel A, the
engine U being a reversing engine of an ordinary form.
shown in dotted lines in Figure 97, and keyed upon the
the worm wheel V', working loosely on the shaft W is connected or discon-
nected by the clutch or coupling W¹, the shaft W having keyed on it a
pinion X, gearing into the wheel X' keyed on the shaft Y, having the pinion Y'
keyed on its opposite end, which gearing into the teeth of the segmental
raising and lowering wheel H³ so that when the clutch W is thrown into
gearing turns round the main shaft a, a, in either direction by reversing the
engine U, and thereby raises and lowers the crank pin Z and the wedge
wheel A to any height required. The cutter wheel A being shown in the
Figures 97 and 98 are raised out of the ground, but on turning round the
segmental wheel H³ until the crank pin Z is nearly at the bottom centre,
and the periphery of the wedge wheel A down, as indicated by the dotted
line A¹, and circular motion given to it by the engine in the direction of the
black-lined arrow, the machine advances in the direction of the red arrow
and cuts or indents a channel or drain the form of the cross section of the
wedge wheel A. Although in the modifications of my drain-cutting machine
described in connection with Figures 94 to 98 inclusive, I have shown and
described the large hollow drums or wheels B as rolling and carrying wheels
only, yet in some modifications of the same machines I purpose to use these.
A screw or worm V
shaft M, gears into

page_text: both as carrying wheels and traction wheels to be driven by animal or motive
power, either instead of driving the rolling wedge cutters A, which in this
case would simply run loosely on their eccentric axis and along their course in
the ground, or in connection with the wedge wheels A when driven also. It:
is obvious that though I have shown my cutting heels wedge formed in their
peripheries, still a square form may in soft ground beitable, any form of
wheel that will indent itself down by being rolled along and maka a suitable
channel being held as the substantial object of this part of my Invention.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I may state that I do not restrict:
or confine myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had :
occasion to describe and delineate, as many variations may be made therefrom
without departing from the main or essential features of my said Invention ;:
neither do I claim to have invented the construction or arrangements of many
of the working and other parts of the machinery or apparatus by themselves,
which I have thought it necessary to describe and delineate for the purpose of
making my said Invention properly understood, except in combination with:
the new or improved parts and arrangements of the said machinery or
apparatus, and their uses or purposes herein stated, all as forming my said.
Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters:
Patent is,
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or appa:
ratus for cutting, excavating, sinking, dredging, and cleaning watercourses,
channels, docks, foundations, roadway, and for other similar excavating and
cleaning purposes, and for raising and recovering valuable materials from
under water, by means of currents of water or air propelled at high speeds,
and the construction and use of large hollow rollers or cylinders for carrying
off excavated materials after being raised; and also the construction, arrange-
ment, and use of rotatory wedge-formed cutters or rollers for the sinking of
channels, all substantially in the new or improved manner herein described in
and shown in the several Figures 1 to 98, inclusive of the accompanying
nine Sheets of Drawings under the three several heads or parts of my said
Invention, or any mere modification thereof.
Second, the arrangement and construction and use of open "mouth-pieces"
or conduits open on one side to receive or have the materials to be acted upon
inducted, and having forced currents of water or air passed into and through
them in close induction pipes at their one end, and out from or through them
at their other end through close eduction pipes by the same initial forced

page_text: currents, or by these assisted, or principally carried up or through the
eduction pipe by, supplementary inducted; currents or jets of water, or whether
these currents are propelled by centrifugal pump and fans, or other water or
air-forcing apparatus, or by jets of steam inducted into the pipes, substantially;
for the purposes and in the improved manner herein described and shown in
Figures 1 to 75, inclusive of the accompanying Drawings under the first head;
or part of maid Invention, or any mere modification thereof.
Th, the arrangement and construction of large hollow rollers or cylinders,
for supporting and transporting excavating machinery, whether of the class
now in use for that purpose, or of my new or improved forms and con-
structions of this class of machinery under the first head or part of my said,
Invention, and also for or as a means of conveying the excavated materials to
a considerable distance out of the way of the channel or other excavation
being cut, all substantially in the new or improved manner herein described
in Figures 76 to 83 inclusive, and shown therein of the accompanying.
Drawings under the second head or part of my said Invention, or any mere
modification thereof.
Fourth, the arrangement and construction of rotating wedge-formed cutters;
or rollers for the sinking, rolling, or forming narrow channels or drains in the.
ground, such as are used for the purposes of irrigation and drainage, sub-
stantially in the new or improved manner herein described and shown in
Figures 84 to 98 inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings under the third
and last head of my said Invention, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Robertson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
20, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
JAMES ROBERTSON. (L.s.)