Year: 1885

page_text: I CHARLES JULIUS BALL of 9 Bush Lane, Cannon Street, London, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct or arrange series of pick or other tools
to a shaped plate or crosshead on the lower end of a shaft fitted to rotate within a
casing which is so shaped as to descend by its own weight with the tools as the
cutting or rasping action by rotation of the tools is proceeding or by percussive
action which the shaft and tools can also perform such as when the striking a
hard substance, the shaft being provided with suitable gear so arranged that the
percussion appliances can be thrown into action automatically.
The casing is provided with a self acting valve which yields should the main or
other passage become choked so that the debris or material to be raised shall be
Bucked up with the water under the action of the pumps which are fitted for that
purpose.
Instead of all the tools being on the same shaft they may be on separate rods or
shafts working from a main shaft driven in any suitable manner and the tools
instead of being of pick or spike form may be provided with cutting edges and the
inner surface or surfaces may be serrated or formed with annular rings of angle
shape so that supposing the material to be of a soft clammy character it becomes
pocketed and at each depression or movement of the tools they become charged
with fresh material, the previously shifted mass being lifted to a higher level.
These cutters or tools may have a rotative or a percussive action the tools as
well as the combination or arrangement of the machinery being capable of modi-
fication to suit the material having to be dredged or lifted.

page_text: Improvements Connected with Dredging Apparatus.
I, CHARLES JULIUS BALL of 9 Bush Lane, Cannon Street, London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
The object of this invention, is to construct or arrange a series of picks or other
tools to cut and break material which has to be dredged by dredging pumps or
otherwise. These, tools can be attached to the extremity of the suction pipe or
nozzle, or they may be used separately to prepare the ground' which the nozzle will
have to take up later on.
I shall now describe. the arrangements connected immediately with the nozzle.
Figure 1, shows a small steam, hammer A, attached to, the top of the nozzle B. The
rod of the steam hammer piston is keyed to a steel mining chisel or jumper C.
The whole is lifted by a ring D and the steam hammer being under water is
supplied preferably from an air compressor on dredger, but steam may be used if
the steam pipe of steam hammer cylinder can be efficiently protected from con-
densation. The nozzle is fitted with steel teeth or rim E and the arrangement
bas the effect that the nozzle is partially lifted when the piston strikes, thereby
delivering a second peripheric blow during the up stroke of piston rod..
Figure 3 represents same seen on end.
Figures 3 and 4 represent an arrangement used for cutting, soft mud or clay or
generally for cases where rotatory is more important than striking action.
In Figure 3 F is a small rotary engine with shafting chain or other gearing
which drives round and round the cutters G and H that may be made like cutting
blades or rakes, the pressure of which is regulated by the spring L J is a prolonged
shaft of the rotary engine F a small fly wheel K at top, which may not be keyed
but only to exert a certain friction on conical end of shaft J so that should any
insurmountable resistance be met with by the scraper the fly wheel would, slip
without causing any breakage
Figures 8, 9, 10 show another and favourable method of dealing with clay on
other material of a similar clammy nature. A shaft L is caused to rotate in the
centre of nozzle B by any convenient means either by gearing from dredger or by
means of a rotary or other engine driven by compressed air or steam as the case
may be. This shaft presses down and lifts alternately by means of the four
eccentrics or cranks M. M. M. M the four cutting pots N N N N. Springs PP.P. P.
are interposed to regulate the efforts on the pots in case they meet with stones or
insurmountable resistance.
Figure 9. shows the various simultaneous positions of the eccentrics and the
second part of Figure & ahoma the guides which keep the pots in a perpendicular
position.
Figure 5 shows the details of these cutting pots which are made preferably of
thin steel of the quality used for shovels and of any shape which may be most
convenient; the essential peculiarity in their construction is that they are slightly

page_text: narrowed in the cutting part which is slightly toothed, grooved, or roughened so as
to retain the piece which the cutting pot has enclosed and tear it from its basis in
the up stroke. In this way one lump of clay pushes the other out and are taken
by the current of the suction pipe B.
Figures 6 and 7 represent balf sides of pots of a rectangular form; in Figure 6
the form of the shovel side Q causes it to close when forced in the ground and
thereby to cut partially or totally the root of the lump. In Figure 7 the shovel
side is in the opposite position being therefore parted as it is forced in the ground
and close by natural elasticity on the lump during the up stroke.
Figure 12 shows a similar arrangement by means of hinges.
For the use of these cutting pots it has been found expedient to simplify the
arrangements of Figure 10 as follows, the cutting pots are attached to a perforated
plate which is attached to the bottom of the nozzle, some of the perforations are
left free to admit water, the nozzle then being lifted and let fall alternately by the
action of its suspending rope and hook D or by means of the little stean hammer
arrangement described in Figure 1, the cutter C of Figure 1 being replaced by a
proper cutting pot or blunt end according to the nature of ground. The second
class of apparatus are identical to those already described but worked especially
in shallow water from the dredger itself instead of being attached and part of the
nozzle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved tools to be affixed to the
extremity or nozzle of the suction pipe or pipes of dredging apparatus or to be
used separately for the purpose of loosening and preparing the ground to be drawn
up by the suction pipe as set forth and shown in the drawings.
2. The construction of suction pipe nozzles (for dredging apparatus) in which
picks or other tools are arranged with means of relief in case of meeting with
insurmountable resistance substantially as herein before described and shown on the
annexed drawings.
The 1OLL
1000