AN IMPROVED AIR CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CAISSONS USED
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Mitrofane Sergievitch Masourine, Civil Engineer,
of Moscow, in the Empire of Russia, now of Paris, France, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED AIR CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CAISSONS USED IN
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Mitrofane Sergievitch
Masourine at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition and Declaration, on the 18th January 1873, pursuant to
the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MITROFANE
SERGIEVITCH MASOURINE, Civil Engineer, of Moscow, in the Empire
of Russia, now of Paris, France, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED. AIR
CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CAISSONS USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PIERS OF
BRIDGES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the true and first
Inventor thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Mitrofane Sergievitch Masourine,
do hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed in and by
the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
The air chamber forming the subject of the present Invention consists
of a sheet-iron cylinder attached to the top of the caisson by a circular
jointure, the upper part of the chamber being above that of the caisson.
This cylinder is divided into two compartments by means of sheet-
iron partitions, and each compartment is provided with two lids or covers,
being upper and lower ones, in the case of one compartment the object
is that when the lower lid is closed the upper one may be opened for the
exit of the excavations and for the descent of empty skips, whilst in
the case of the other compartment they serve for the passage of the
workmen and the descent of building material, this latter compartment
is provided with an air conduit. The excavations when withdrawn are
deposited in a rocking waggon which discharges them in any suitable
position.
•
Fig. 1 is a plan and horizontal section of the air chamber below the
top of the caisson; Fig. 2 is a plan of part of the caisson showing the
position of the air chamber; Fig. 3 is a section at A-B, of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a section at C-D, of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a plan of the rocking
waggon; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 7 is a back elevation
of the same.
The cylinders or skips E, F, are united by sheets of iron a, a, as
shown Figs. 1 and 3, and move together round the vertical axis b,
which passes through bearings c, Fig. 3, fixed to the partition of the
compartments or chambers; the lower end of this shaft b rests in a
socket e supported by the transverse piece f, Figs. 1 and 3, bolted to the
partitions of the caisson or to the interior counterforts. This shaft
also bears the circular flat band h, on which by means of the rollers g, g,
Figs. 3 and 4, the cylinders make a horizontal and circular movement
for raising the excavations in the following manner :-The lower lid i,
Figs. 1, 3, and 4, being closed, the men fill the empty skip F and then
raising it in the circular and horizontal manner described, outside this
lid i as shown, Fig. 4, by means of a ratchet wheel j, see Fig. 1, they
turn a nut k at the top of the vertical axis b, which latter being screw-
cut at the top 1, scc Fig. 3, rises and locks the skip against the opening

page_text: closed by the lid i, Figs. 1, 3, and 4. This aperture is bordered by a
circular india-rubber band which closes it hermetically; the lid is then
opened as shown, Fig. 4, and the skip F removed outside by means of
a rope and hook m and hoist or windlass, and deposited in a rocking
waggon, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, which transports it to the place of discharge,
on a line of rail arranged as low as possible so that the excavations may
not be deposited at a useless elevation. During this time the workmen
in the chamber or compartment n, Figs. 2 and 4, have replaced the
skip F, just removed from its case o, Fig. 4, by an empty one stored at r,
Fig. 1, and closed the lower door p, Fig. 4, and the men in the caisson
fill the empty one, it having descended the vertical axis 6 and the work
is thus continued. The space between the revolving skips and the top
of the caisson should be sufficient to allow when necessary of the skips
being removed from their cases whilst inside the caisson for repairs or
cleansing.
The air cylinder, as before described, is divided into two compart.
ments n and q, Figs. 2 and 4, by a sheet-iron partition, one of these q
serves for the passage of the excavations and for the deposit at r, see
Fig. 1, of an empty skip; the upper door of this compartment is only
closed when repairs are necessary at the base of this compartment.
The other compartment n serves for the passage of the men and the
descent of building material. The lower door p, Fig. 4, of this com-
partment is made in the vertical partition to facilitate the passage of the
material; this door opens horizontally so that the pressure of the com-
pressed air in the caisson assists its closing. In the Drawing however
it is shown as moving in vertical slides inside the chamber. When the
door is opened the upper one n is closed, and vice versa. The air
conduit 8, Fig. 4, traverses the compartment n and extends beneath
the top of the caisson, and the chamber is surmounted by sheet-iron
chimnies open to the free air.
P

page_text: 2nd. The circular and horizontal moving. skips E, F, the said move-
ment being imparted to them by a ratchet wheel j turning a nut k at
the top of a vertical shaft b, screw cut at the upper end for locking
the skip hermetically against the aperture, whilst the lid i is opened for
its exit.
3rd. The combination with the shaft of the circular flat band h on
which by means of the rollers g, g, the cylinders E, F, make the circular
and horizontal movement for raising and lowering them, substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Mitrofane Sergievitch Masourine,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-two.
ALP. GÏUS,
E. HÉBRÉ.
M. S. MASOURINE. (L.S.)