IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATING COFFER-DAMS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR FACILITATING THE REPAIRING OF SHIPS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATING COFFER-DAMS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR
FACILITATING THE REPAIRING OF SHIPS." A communication from abroad by
Henry P. Kirkham, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America Master Ship Carpenter.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th February 1882.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine Lake and Co., Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATING COFFER-DAMS
CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR FACILITATING THE REPAIRING OF SHIPS." [A commu-
nication from abroad by Henry P. Kirkhamn, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, Master Ship Carpenter.].
This Invention relates to floating coffer-dams or apparatus to be used in
repairing ships and other sea-going vessels, and the said Invention consists in a
floating coffer-dam with balancing or sinking water tanks constructed therein, in
combination with swinging gates and a sliding gate at one end, and suitable inlet
valves, and pump-holes, all constructed arranged and combined in the manner
hereinafter described.
The said Invention relates more particularly to that class of apparatus or coffer-
dams, that are employed to surround certain parts of a vessel's hull, that are
below the surface of the water, whereby the water may be excluded and necessary
repairs made; heretofore the apparatus or coffer-dams of this description have
been complicated and costly in their construction and troublesome in their
application.
One of the chief difficulties encountered in the use of coffer-dams of ordinary
construction, has arisen from the fact that it was necessary to wholly, or almost
wholly, submerge the dam, in order to permit the propeller to pass into it when

page_text: the stern, stern-frame or propeller of a steam vessel needed repairing; in this way
much time, both in the submerging and the subsequent pumping out of the dam
was lost. To obviate this difficulty, and to construct a coffer-dam in other respects
better adapted to the purposes for which it is designed I construct my dam which
may be of either iron or wood, and of any convenient length, breadth, and depth,
with its bottom, two sides and one end tightly united and closed so as to be water
tight, their construction being at the same time strong and compact; within the
dam on each side of the same and sloping inwards from, about half the height of
the sides thereof are constructed compartments or water tanks; these tanks extend
the entire length of the dam, and midway of their length they are each divided by
a water-tight partition, the tanks themselves being also water tight in every parti-
cular. Through the outer side of each of the said sides are openings covered by inlet-
valves which may slide or otherwise be made to operate, in any convenient manner;
similar openings and valves are placed on the outer side of the end; all of these
valves are manipulated by means of a wheel or a lever. In the water-tight partitions
are also openings, which openings are also closed by a valve, similar in construction
and operation to the valves herein before described. One end of the dam is pro-
vided with an opening having conical sides which are packed with canvas and
felt. The upper portion of these sides at the same end, is divided into hinged doors
which open outward. Also to this end and to the doors and on the outer surface
of the same are fixed rabbetted battens, into which fits a sliding gate, to completely
close, when in place, the opening and to retain the doors in a closed position.
To the coffer-dam at convenient locations are secured eye-straps by means of
which and suitable rods and turn buckles, the dam may be secured closely in
position against the vessel needing repairs.
Now my coffer-dam when constructed substantially as above described, is
---operated-by-towing-it to-the-vessel, and when-in-position-the-gate, is-removed, and
if the stern of the vessel is to be repaired, the doors are swung open, and the first
named valves are opened permitting the water to freely enter within the dam until
it sinks sufficiently to be hauled under the keel of the vessel, the open doors
allowing the propeller to enter freely and thereby avoid the almost complete sub-
mersion of the dam. To ensure the level sinking of the dam either one of the other
valves may be opened, which will admit, through the water-tight compartments,
more or less water in such compartments as the position of the dam may require,
in this way balancing the dam and keeping it in perfect trim and preventing its
listing from one side or the other or from its ends; when in this way the damn has
been properly submerged the valves are closed and one or more hose inserted through
the hose holes, when by means of a pump on a tug alongside, or otherwise, the
water is removed from the interior of the dam and from the tanks, causing the dam
to rise under the vessel to which it is tightly drawn and held in place by means of
rods booked into the eye straps, and turnbuckles fixed thereon, by means of which
the dam is drawn tightly and is rigidly held to the bottom of the vessel, the packing
in the sides or edges of the opening effectually keeping out the water; access is then
safely and conveniently had to the vessel's bottom and the necessary repairs made;
when the work is done or when the vessel is repaired the guy rods are loosened
and removed and the dam is again submerged as before and drawn from beneath
the vessel, the door closed and the gate put in position to close the opening, the
water again pumped out to a certain extent and the dain safely towed away.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th August 1882.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATING COFFER-DAMS,
CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR FACILITATING THE REPAIRING OF SHIPS.' A communi-
cation from abroad by Henry P. Kirkham, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, Master Ship Carpenter.
This Invention relates to floating coffer-dams or apparatus to be used in
repairing ships and other sea-going vessels, it consists essentially in a floating
coffer-dam with balancing or sinking water-tanks constructed therein, in
combination with swinging gates, and a sliding gate at one end, and suitable
inlet valves and pump holes, all constructed, arranged and combined in the manner
hereinafter described.
The said Invention relates more particularly to that class of coffer-dams or
apparatus which are employed to surround certain parts of a vessel's hull that are
below the water-line, whereby the water may be excluded and necessary repairs
made; heretofore coffer-dams or apparatus of this description have been
complicated and costly in their construction and troublesome in their application.
One of the chief difficulties encountered in the use of coffer-dams of ordinary
construction, has arisen from the fact that it was necessary, to wholly or almost
wholly submerge the dam, in order to permit the propeller of a steam ship to pass
into it, when the stern, stern-frame or propeller needed repairing, consequently
much time both in the submerging, and the subsequent pumping out of the dam
was lost. I obviate this difficulty, and construct a coffer-dam in other respects
better adapted to the purposes for which it is designed.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a plan of a coffer-dam embodying my Invention ;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same partly in section.
Figure 3 is a transverse section.
Figure 4 is a front elevation showing sliding gate in position.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the sliding gate.
According to this Invention I construct a, dam, which may be of either iron or
wood, and of any convenient length, breadth and depth, with its bottom, two sides
and one end tightly united and closed so as to be water tight, the construction
being at the same time strong and compact; within the dam and on each side of
the same sloping inwards from about the centre of the height of the sides A, are
constructed compartments or water tanks B, these tanks extend through the entire
length of the dam; and in the middle of their length they are each divided by a
water tight partition C the tanks themselves being also water tight in every
particular. Through the outer sides A, are openings provided with inlet valves D,
similar
which may slide or be made to operate in any convenient manner;
openings and valves are placed on the end E; all these valves are manipulated by
means of wheels a or by levers suitably arranged. In the water tight partitions C
are also openings, which openings are closed by valves F similar in construction and
operation to the valves D herein before described. One end G of the dam is provided
with an angular opening H, having inclined sides b, b, Figure 3 which are packed
with canvas and felt. The upper portion of these sides at the end G are divided
into hinged doors J which open outwardly, to these doors and on the outer surface
of the same are fixed rabbetted battens c, into which fits a sliding gate K to
completely close when in place the opening H, and to retain the doors J, in a closed
position.

page_text: To the coffer-dam at convenient locations are secured eye-bolts d by means of
which and suitable rods and screw nuts, the dam may be secured closely in position
against the vessel needing repairs. A coffer-dam when constructed substantially
as above described, is operated by towing it to the vessel, and when in position
removing the gate K, if the stern of the vessel is to be repaired, the doors J are
opened and the valves D are also opened, permitting the water to freely enter the
tanks of the dam until it sinks sufficiently to be hauled under the keel of the
vessel, the open doors J allowing the propeller to enter freely, thereby avoiding the
almost complete submersion of the dam. To ensure the level sinking of the dam
the valves F may be opened which will admit through the water tight partitions,
more or less water into the compartments, as the position of the dam may require,
in this way balancing the said dam and keeping it in perfect trim. When in this
way the dam has been properly submerged, the valves D and F are closed and one
or more hose inserted through the holes e when by means of a pump on a tug
alongside, or in any other suitable manner, the water is removed from the interior
of the dam, and from the tanks B, causing the dam to rise under the vessel, to
which it is tightly drawn and held in place by means of the aforesaid rods hooked
into the eye-bolts & and the screw-nuts fixed thereon, by means of which the dam is
tightly drawn and rigidly held to the bottom of the vessel; the packing on the
sides or edges b, b, of the opening H effectually keeping out the water. Access is
then safely and conveniently had to the vessel's bottom, and the necessary repairs.
or examination can be made. When the work or examination is completed the
rods and eye bolt are loosened, and removed, the dam is then again submerged as
before and drawn from beneath the vessel. The doors J are now closed, the gate K
is put into position to close the opening H the water pumped out to a certain
extent, and the dam safely towed away.
-I-am-aware-that-coffer-dams have heretofore been constructed with water tight_
compartments for the purpose of balancing and submerging the dam, I do not
therefore, broadly claim, the combination of such water tanks with a coffer-dam.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. A floating coffer-dam provided with balancing water-tanks, with water-
tight partitions dividing each tank, and inlet valves and openings whereby the
water-tanks, or either of them, may be filled with, or freed from, water, in combina-
tion with an angular opening at one end of the dam, having hinged doors fixed to
the sides of the same, substantially as shown and described.
Second. A floating coffer-dam with water-tanks fitted within the same, and with
hinged doors fixed to one end of the dam, substantially as shown and described.
Third. In a floating coffer-dain with interior balancing water-tanks, the
combination of an angular opening at one end of the dain, with a sliding gate
whereby the said angular opening may be closed and the hinged doors secured,
substantially as shown and described.
Fourth. In a floating coffer-dam with interior balancing water-tanks, the eye-
bolts whereby the damn may be secured to the vessel in the manner shown and
described.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my