IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SUBMARINE EXCAVATIONS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SUBMARINE EXCAVATIONS."
-A communication from abroad by Claudius Edward Habicht, of the
City and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 29th January 1867, and dated the 17th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th November 1866.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SUBMARINE EXCAVATIONS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to effect the excavation of mud, sand, loose
stones, and similar substances below the water, and to pull up old piles, and
break to pieces any crib-work or old vessels, and remove the same.
This Invention consists in the combination of a friction hoisting apparatus
with a grasping bucket that is raised, lowered, closed, or opened by the friction

page_text: "
hoisting apparatus acting through ropes or chains.
A barge or vessel is
provided containing an engine that actuates two toothed wheels mounted on
the same shaft as two drums which are loose on the shaft that carries the
wheels, but are revolved by the wheels when the drums are slidden endwise
on the shaft so as to bring V-shaped circular grooves and ribs on the drums
and wheels respectively into frictional contact; the shaft is formed with a
hole at each end, in which is a loose pin acted upon by a lever outside the
journal box of the shaft, and this pin presses against a cross key in a mortice
in the shaft; the key takes the end of the drum, and gives the endwise move-
ment to the drum, so that the friction with the revolving-wheel-shall turn the
drum; the grasping bucket-is formed of two-quarter cylinder buckets, attached
each by separate joints to a metallic shoe piece at the lower ends of a pair of
vertical guide. poles; these guide poles slide as the bucket is raised or lowered
through eyes on a boom projecting from the barge or vessel. Chains pass from
each of aforesaid drums through sheaves on the boom. One chain goes
down to a drum or wheel on a shaft between the lower ends of the guide
poles, and acts by side chains and drums to close-the buckets by drawing down
toggle arms jointed near the ends of the quarter cylinder buckets; this chain
is the closing and hoisting chain; the other chain is connected to the toggle
arms so as to open the buckets. By this chain the bucket is lowered in an
open position, the movement being controlled by the friction applied to the
drum. When the bucket reaches the bottom the hoisting chain is drawn
upon, which first closes the bucket, and gathers within it any mud, dirt, or
loose stones, and the edges of the bucket are armed with teeth so that they
may tear up and break to pieces any woodwork with which the bucket may
come in contact, and these teeth also aid in excavating hard gravel, and
picking up loose stones. After the bucket is closed by continuing the pull
on the chain the bucket and guide poles will be drawn up vertically, and
then the boom is swung around, and the contents discharged into a barge or
receptacle by causing the friction drum to pull upon the other chain and open
the bucket. The vessel containing the machinery is to be steadied while in
use by a vertical stake or pole reaching to the bottom of the water,, and guy
ropes may also be employed for the purpose of aiding in steadying the
vessel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed'
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD, NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
'
WHEREAS Her, most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her, Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, A.D. One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, 'the said William Edward
Newton, Her special license that I, the said William Edward Newton, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edward Newton, my exécutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed; should: and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY. FOR
SUBMARINE EXCAVATIONS," a communication' to him from abroad by Claudius
Edward; Habicht, of the City and State of New York, United State of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward:
Newton, by, an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date.
of the said. Letters Patent..
'
.
NOW KNOW YE,. that. I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature, of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to effect the excavation of mud, sand, loose.
stones, and similar substances below the water, and to pull up old piles and
break to pieces, any crib work or old vessels, and remove the same.
This Invention consists in the combination of a friction hoisting apparatus.
with a grasping bucket that is raised, lowered, closed, or opened by the friction.
hoisting apparatus acting through ropes or chains.>
In the Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is -

page_text: a side view of the same, the scow or boat being in section, and Fig. 3 is an
elevation in larger size of the grasping bucket.
A scow or vessel a is provided containing an engine 6 that rotates two
gear wheels c, c, contiguous to two drums d, d; the drums are loose on the
shaft e that carries said wheels c, c, but are revolved by the wheels c, c, when
the drums d, d, are slidden endwise on the shaft to bring V-shaped circular
grooves and ribs on the drums and wheels respectively into frictional contact.
The said shafte is formed with a hole at each end, in which is a loose pin
acted upon by a lever foutside the journal box of the shaft, and said pin
presses against a cross. key in a mortice in the shaft e, and said key takes
against the end of the drum & and gives the end wise movement to the drum,
so that the friction with the revolving wheel c shall turn said drum. The
grasping bucket is formed of two quarter cylinder buckets 9, 9, attached each
by separate joints i to a metallic shoe piece k at the lower ends of a pair of
vertical guide poles 7, 7; these guide poles slide as the bucket is raised or
lowered through eyes m on a boom n projecting from the scow or vessel.
Chains p and q pass from each of aforesaid drums through sheaves on. the
boom; one chain p goes down to a drum or wheel r on a shafts between the
lower ends of the guide poles, and acts by side chains t, t, and drums u, u, to close
the buckets g, g, by drawing down toggle arms v, v, jointed near the ends of
the quarter cylinder buckets, and said toggle arms v, v, are connected at their
upper ends with a cross bar w that slides at its ends in guides at the lower
end of the guide poles 1, 1. The chain p is the closing and hoisting chain; the
other chain 9 connects with the said toggle arms and cross bar w to open the
buckets; by this chain the bucket is lowered in an open position, the move-
ment being controlled by the aforesaid friction applied to the drum d. When
the bucket reaches the bottom the hoisting chain p is drawn upon, which first
closes the buckets 9, 9, gathering within it any mud, dirt, or loose stones, and
the edges of the bucket are armed with teeth x that they may act to tear up
and break to pieres any woodwork with which the bucket may come into
contact, and these teeth a also aid in excavating hard gravel and picking up
loose. stones. After the bucket is closed the pull on the same chain (p) con-
tinuing draws the bucket and. guide poles up vertically and then swings the
boom around for the contents of the bucket to be dumped into a scow or
receptacle by causing the friction drum to pull upon the other. chain (9) and
open the bucket. The vessel containing the machinery is to be steadied while
in use by a vertical stake or spud y reaching to the bottom of the water, and
guy ropes may also be employed; this spud y is to be raised or lowered by the
small engine z

page_text: The boiler is not shown in the Drawing; it may be of any desired con-
struction to supply steam to the engines, and a house or shed may be provided
over the machinery, as at 2³, to protect the same from the weather. The
boom carrying the bucket is stopped as it swings around by the changable
pole w³ hung at its upper end from the frame that supports the boom, and at
its lower end resting against blocking pieces a³. By changing the position of
this pole w the bucket can be arrested as the boom swings, and lowered in a
different position so as to excavate with regularity in one place and then dig
down immediately adjoining the same to the required depth..
What is claimed, and to be secured by Letters Patent is, the bucket formed
substantially as specified in combination with the friction hoisting mechanism,
as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)