AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONSTRUCTING DRY DOCKS AND BASINS FOR THE STOWAGE OF SHIPS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Lungley, of Deptford Green Dockyard,
Ship-builder, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONSTRUCTING
DRY DOCKS AND BASINS FOR THE STOWAGE OF SHIPS."
Sealed the 22nd May 1857, and dated the 7th March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Lungley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
March 1857.
I, CHARLES LUNGLEY, of Deptford Green Dockyard, Ship-builder, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED. MODE OF CON-
STRUCTING DRY DOCKS AND BASINS FOR THE STOWAGE OF SHIPS," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is so to construct dry docks and basins for
stowing away vessels that such vessels may enter therein at all states of the
tido, and be left high and dry above the level of the sea or river from which
they were floated. To this end, I make use of the natural level of the land
(when that is suitablo), and build up the dry docks or basin thereon in any
suitable manner. When I construct a series of dry docks I connect them
all with a common reservoir or basin, constructed on the same level, arranging
them by preference in groups, the docks composing which lie parallel with
each other. These docks I cut off from the reservoir by means of gates, and
I maintain the water in the reservoir at a spring tide or an artificial height.
The reservoir I prefer to connect with the river or sea by means of an outer

page_text: dock or channel provided with double-gates; so as to allow of an artificial
height of water being made therein. The vessel or vessels to be docked
I first run into this outer dock or channel, and having closed the gates I
pump in water until the level in this dock is raised to the level of the water
in the reservoir. I then by opening the inner gates of this outer dock pass
the vessels into the reservoir, and from this I pass them to their respective
destinations in the dry docks. When they have been floated into their place
I close the gates of the dry docks and run off the water therefrom, and the
vessels will then be in a position for inspection and for undergoing repairs.
This arrangement it will be seen will enable me to build dry docks without
sinking them in the ground, and thus the disadvantages of striking upon
springs of water and also of water accumulating in such sinkings or pits will
be avoided. In places also where little or no tide is experienced dry docks
may be constructed on this principle with advantage, as the bottom of the
dock may lie at a higher level than the sea.
In some cases instead of cutting a channel to form the outer dock I propose
to form it of iron, in such a manner that it may be floated to its place of
destination; it is then to bo secured to the shore, and the dry docks built up
upon the shore level, as above explained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by tho said Charles Lungley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
LUNGLEY, of Deptford Green Dockyard, Ship-builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Lungley, Her special license that I, the said Charles
Lungley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Lungley, 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE OF
CONSTRUCTING DRY DOCKS AND BASINS FOR THE STOWAGE OF SHIPS," upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Lungley, 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 Charles Lungley, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is so to construct, dry docks and basins for
receiving vessels that are to be stowed away or to be unladen or repaired,
that such vessels may enter therein at all states of the tide, and be left high
and dry above the level of the sea or river from which they were floated.
To this end, I make use of the natural level of the land (when that is, suitable),
and build up the dry docks or basins thereon in any suitable manner. When
I construct a series of dry docks I connect them all with a common reservoir
or basin, arranging them by.preference in groups, the docks composing which
will lie parallel with each other. These docks I cut off severally from tho
reservoir by means of gates or caissons, and I maintain the water in the
reservoir at a spring tide or an artificial height by suitable pumping engines.
The reservoir I connect with the river or sea by means of an.outer dock or
channel provided with double gates or caissons, so as to allow of an artificial
height of water being made therein.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 shews, in plan view, an arrangement
of docks constructed according to my Invention for lifting vessels to high
levels and stowing them away above high-water mark; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal
section of the same, shewing the relative levels of the docks; and Fig. 3 is
a modification of the arrangement shewn at Fig. 2, the object being to permit
of the docking of very long ships. In these views, A, A, represent the outer
dock, which may be formed by excavating the shore and then lining it with
stone or concrete. Or, in place of excavating to form the dock, it may be
constructed with plates of iron rivetted together, after the manner. of making
iron ships, and strengthened by metal ribs, bracings, and trusses, as shewn
at Fig. 4. Or the dock may be made of wood and lined with stone,..and
when sunk it may be imbedden in concrete, rubble, or other suitable material.
A dock thus formed is to be floated to the spot prepared for its reception,
and then sunk, and connected by means of gates with an inner dock or channel.

page_text: In Figs. 1, 2, and 3; the inner dock is shewn at B connected with a basin
or reservoir C. The bottom of this dock B may be on a level with the outer
dock or raised above it, and on a level with the bottom of the reservoir C,
as thought most convenient. Connected with the reservoir or basin C arc
the dry docks D, D, which are to receive the vessels to be repaired or unladen.
They may be arranged in any convenient manner to suit the form of the
ground they are destined to occupy; but I prefer to arrange them in groups,
as shewn in the Drawing, the docks of each group lying all parallel with
each other, and at such distance apart (say, twenty feet, more or less,) as may
be thought desirable. The bottom of theso'docks may be above or on a
level with the reservoir C. The exact level of the docks will depend entirely
on the lift required to be given to the vessels to raise them above the reach
of ordinary or spring tides. The mouths of the docks D are fitted with gates,
which open outwards, and are intended to admit water from the reservoir to
the docks, for the purpose of floating in the vessels to be docked, and then
of shutting in the vessels. The docks D, I severally provide with sluice gates,
which may connect the docks D together, and allow of the discharge of water
from one dock to another, or may run off the water from any dock required
to be drained by a common channel into the sea. Those sluice gates of the
respective docks which communicate with a channel, as indicated in Fig. 1,
may with advantage' be left open (except at the period when it is required
to dock a ship), as any water leaking or falling into the docks will thus bo
free to run off.
I have stated that the outer dock (or that into which a ship to be docked
is first floated from the sea or river upon the shore of which the docks are
located) may be built of plates of iron rivetted together, and strengthened
by ribs and trusses, as shown in the perspective view, Fig. 4, but in many
instances it may be also desirable to form the dry docks in the like manner,
and to economize the space between the several dry docks by converting the
necessary divisions between these docks into workshops or warehouses. Or,
instead of employing iron in the construction of these docks, they may be
built up of wood or masonry, or rubble faced with masonry or concrete. It
should be understood that in general these dry docks and also the reservoir
or basin are intended to be made on the natural or mean level of the land,
and thus all necessity for expensive excavations and also the risk of coming
upon land springs will be avoided. Provision will also exist, as above indicated,
for draining the docks by a natural fall, which is also a matter of considerable
importance.
Having now described in general terms the construction of my improved

page_text: -
docks, I will proceed to explain the mode of raising ships by this means from
one level to another.
Fig. 5. shews, in section, the outer dock, into which a ship has entered at
low water, or at such time as the depth of water sufficed to admit her; Fig. 6
shews the same dock, with the water raised to float the ship into the inner
dock or the reservoir; Fig. 7 shews a portion of a range of dry docks, one
of which has been filled with water from the reservoir in order to float the
vessel in, while the other contains a vessel shored up and ready for the
operations of the shipwright. The plan view, Fig. 1, shews the course which
the vessels take in passing from the sea or river to the range of dry docks.
The vessel or vessels to be docked I first run into the outer dock or channel
A, the outer gates of which are opened for the purpose, the inner gates being
closed. When the vessel has entered this dock, I close the outer gates and
pump in water until the water level has risen to the height of the water in
the reservoir; I then by opening the inner gates of this outer dock pass
the vessel into the reservoir. The dry dock which is to receive the ship that
has been raised to a higher level, as explained, I next bring into connection
with the reservoir by opening the dry dock gates, and I then pass the ship
from the reservoir to its destination in the dry docks. When a vessel has
been thus floated into its place, I close the gates of the dry dock containing
it and run off the water therefrom, and the vessel will then be in a position
for inspection and for undergoing repairs.
I should remark, that by the aid of a steam engine or other efficient means
I maintain the requisite height of water in the reservoir C, and that the
water for filling the outer dock to the proper level for lifting tho vessel may
be admitted thereto direct from the reservoir instead of its coming direct
from the engine. It will be also understood that the high level or dry docks
are to be built up to any height required (the walls of the dock which
intervene between the dry docks and the sea being raised in the same relative
proportion) to suit the draught of the largest vessels intended to be docked.
The building of dry docks upon or above the ground level, in contradistinction
to sinking them far below the surface of the ground, enables me to introduce
a novel and easy way of unloading vessels, whereby a large amount of labor
is saved in discharging certain kinds of cargoes.
Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of two dry docks, which will serve to explain
the nature of this improvement. Those vessels which are intended to carry
coals, and other substances capable of being discharged in a similar manner,
I propose to provide with holes or ports in the bottom, as shewn at a, a,
which holes are to be securely closed (except when required to discharge
1

page_text: goods), after the manner of fastening down the man-holes of steam boilers.
In the bottom of the dry dock corresponding holes b,.b, aro made, which
are likewise to be closed water-tight when not required to be used. Below
the range of dry docks I form a tunnel, the crown of which is pierced by
the holes in the bottom of the docks. In the tunnel I lay down a railway
to receive a series of trucks, which, when a vessel is to be discharged of its
cargo, are brought under the discharging ports in succession and filled directly
from the ship, the coals running down any suitable shute from the hold of
the vessel to the trucks below.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew another modification of my improved dry docks. In
these Figures (which shew two docks in cross section) the docks are so con-
structed as to allow a ship to come alongside of a set of blocks or a raised
bottom, and then be lifted on to the raised blocks or bottom provided for its
reception. Fig. 9 shews the water at the proper height for floating in the
vessel. When it has entered the dock, the gates are closed and the water
level is raised by means of pumps to the height shewn at Fig. 10. The
vessel is then floated over the raised blocks and shored up, and when properly
secured the water is run off and the vessel is left high and dry.
From the above explanation it will be understood that my Invention admits
of a variety of modifications, the details of which will depend in great
measure upon local circumstances, I do not, therefore, confine myself to the
precise means described for carrying out the object of my improvements;
but what I claim under the above in part recited Letters Patent is, con-
structing dry docks at a high level, and affording the access of ships thereto
at all times of the tide by means of an outer dock and an inner dock or
basin, the water level in which is to be artificially raised in the manner and
for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Lungley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
CHARLES LUNGLEY. (L.S.)