IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR LIFTING AND LOWERING SHIPS AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES, EITHER SUBMERGED OR OTHERWISE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Alexander Halkett, of the Albany, in
the County of Middlesex, Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR LIFTING AND
LOWERING SHIPS AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES, EITHER SUBMERGED OR
OTHERWISE."
"
Sealed the 3rd February 1854, and dated the 16th November 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Alexander
Halkett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 16th November 1853.
I, PETER ALEXANDER HALKETT, of the Albany, Middlesex, Lieut. R.N.,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AND LOWERING SHIPS AND OTHER HEAVY
BODIES, EITHER SUBMERGED OR OTHERWISE," to be as follows:-
My improvements in apparatus for lifting ships and other heavy
bodies when submerged consists of a belt applicable for the purpose of
grasping or taking hold of such bodies with sufficient tenacity to lift
them, the raising power being applied to such belt. This belt is formed

page_text: of a series of warps or chain cables, with which a number of flexible air
or water tight bags or cases are interwoven transversely to the warps.
The belt may be in one piece to encircle a ship, or for convenience may
consist of several pieces, which can be united to form the length required
for any given purpose. In applying this belt to grasping any heavy
body the water-tight cases are collapsed, when the warps may be dis-
tended to their full length, in which state the belt is applied to encircle
the ship or other heavy body. The two ends of the encircling belt are
united to render it endless, and so as to fit as near as may be the sides
of the ship. Water is now forced into the cases through suitable pipes
carried up to the surface for that purpose, with which the whole of the
cases are in connection. The water-tight cases being in position similar
to the weft or shoot of a woven fabric, in swelling or distending they
alternately deflect the warps or chains at suitable intervals in opposite
directions. By this means the belt shortens up so that anything before
encircled loosely will now be firmly grasped by the collapse; accord-
ing to the pressure of the water so will be the power of contraction.
The contraction of the belt causes it to grasp firmly the body to be
lifted; pennant ropes or chains and other appliances are connected with
the belt to which the power to lift the weight is applied. This
contracting belt is also applicable for exerting lifting power. For
this purpose it is placed vertically and secured to suitable supports
above. The body to be lifted is attached while the flexible cases
are collapsed, and with just sufficient length to reach the weight.
Forcing water or air into the several cases causes them to expand,
and so contract the length of belt that the body will be lifted as
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Alexander Halkett in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
PETER ALEXANDER HALKETT, of the Albany, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Peter Alexander Halkett, Her
special licence that I, the said Peter Alexander Halkett, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Alex-
ander Halkett, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AND LOWERING
SHIPS AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES, EITHER SUBMERGED OR OTHERWISE," upon the
condition (aniongst others) that I, the said Peter Alexander Halkett,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Peter Alexander Halkett, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):
•
My improvements in apparatus for lifting or moving ships and other
heavy bodies when submerged consists of a belt applicable for the pur-
pose of grasping or taking hold of such bodies with sufficient tenacity
to lift them, the raising power being applied to such belt. This
belt is formed of a series of warps or chain cables, with which a
number of flexible air or waterproof bags or cases are interwoven
transversely to the warps. The belt may be in one piece to encircle
a ship, or for convenience may consist of several pieces, which
can be united to form the length required for any given purpose.

page_text: In applying this belt to grasping any heavy body the water-tight
cases are collapsed, when the warps may be distended to their full
length, in which state the belt is applied to encircle the ship or other
heavy body. The two ends of the encircling belt are united to render it
endless, and so as to fit as near as may be the sides of the ship. Water is
now forced into the cases through suitable pipes carried up to the surface
for that purpose, with which the whole of the cases are in connection.
The water-tight cases being in position similar to. the weft or shoot of
a woven fabric, in swelling or distending they alternately deflect the
warps or chains at suitable intervals in opposite directions. By this
means the belt shortens up so that anything before encircled loosely
will be firmly grasped by the collapse; according to the pressure of
the water so will be the power of contraction. The contraction of the
belt causes it to grasp firmly the body to be lifted; pennant ropes or
chains and other appliances are connected with the belt to which the
power to lift the weight is applied. This contracting. belt is also appli-
cable for exerting lifting power. For this purpose it is placed vertically
and secured to suitable supports above. The body to be lifted is
attached while the flexible cases are collapsed, and with just sufficient
length to reach the weight. Forcing water or air into the several
cases causes them to expand, and so contract the length of belt
that the body will be lifted as required.
Fig. 1, in the Sheet of Drawings annexed represents this belt applied
to gripe a ship for the purpose of lifting or moving her. A, A, is the
belt, which is partially represented at Figs. 2, 3, & 4, on an enlarged
scale; I construct it in sections or short lengths to render it more port-
able, and also for the purpose of increasing or decreasing its length.
Fig. 2, represents part of the belt, consisting of six flexible water-
proof cases C, C, suitably connected by the chain work B, B. The
water-proof cases are formed of several thicknesses of canvas and india-
rubber of considerable strength, being subject to great internal pressure.
The water-proof case is confined within a strong mat casing, formed of
"ten or twelve yarn spun yarn," or of small rope so woven as to form
a close thick mat-like fabric of great strength. The inner case is
formed somewhat larger than the outer case, in order that the internal

page_text: pressure may be sustained almost entirely by the outer mat case. In-
stead of using an outer matting case the water-proof vessel or chamber
may be made up with a sufficient number of thicknesses of canvas to
render it strong enough for the purpose without the addition of the
outer mat case. The ends of cases C, C, are rendered hemispherical as
being better calculated to sustain pressure. Supposing the cases C, C,
to be about three feet diameter, a seven or eight inch hawser is entwined
with the cases in the manner represented in Figs. 2, 3, & 4; the bights
at a, a, having thimbles turned into them, and at b, b, which forms the
terminal of the belt, the hawser B is passed round a balk of timber D,
the several seizings holding it firmly in its place. To maintain the
several crossings E, E, E, and to protect the cases from the nip of rope
B, I place ropes c, c, c, in the angles; these ropes are all seized toge-
ther between every fifth or sixth horizontal row of the chain B. These
ropes c, c, c, have also thimbles F, F, worked into them at top and
bottom, for attaching the pennant ropes or chains for lifting. The
chain rope B is wound as close as possible to obtain the greatest
amount of strength in a limited space. The ropes c, c, c, c, with their
several seizings keep the chain ropes B, B, evenly distributed, and form
an attachment for applying the lifting power; beckets d, d, which em-
brace the seperate coils of B, also keep the cases C, C, in their proper
position. Fig. 3, represents this portion of the belt in horizontal sec-
tion and contracted, as at Fig. 2, with the cases C, C, full and distended.
Fig. 4, shows the same section but with the cases C, C, collapsed, and
the belt consequently extended in length. The difference in length is
nearly one third between the contracted and extended state of the
belt. Instead of using only one case C in each crossing of the chain
work B, two or more cases may be so enclosed. The belt A, A, is
composed of a number of such parts, as represented in Fig. 2, which are
lashed together by the thimbles a, a, as represented in Figs. 1 & 5,
the immediate sections of the belt having thimbles a, a, at either end.;
The terminals D, D', of the belt, seen seperate at Fig. 7, are furnished
with coupling chains H, H.. the shorter parts having shackles or
rings i, i, through which the long ends of I, I, of chains pass; these ends,

page_text: are carried up to the working ship, where all the slack is hauled in and
the belt hove close round the submerged ship or body to be lifted; stop-
pers K, K, are run down the chains I, I, which stoppers consist simply
of a pall carried by a frame or socket suitable to encircle the chain,
it permits the chain to pass in one direction, but does not permit of its
returning unless the pall is lifted; the ends of the belt are by this
means securely held together when drawn close. Fig. 8, represents
another arrangement of chain coupling. The short pieces L, L, sustain
the running rings or shackles, while the long chains M, M, which are
fixed at m, m, run through the sockets 1, 1, and are hauled up through
the rings i, i, as before explained. M, M, represent the long chains
in Fig. 1, as carried up to the working ship from the belt A, A, as
applied to a submerged vessel. The belt having been laid round
the object to be lifted, and drawn close round, it becomes securely
fixed by the stopper K, as described. The cases C, C, arc then
to be distended by forcing water into them by suitable pumps for
the purpose; each case C has a seperate small pipe g, which are
all carried up together and enclosed within a suitable covering G, G,
care being taken to apportion the length to suit the contracted as
well as the extended form of the belt. These pipes are carried
up to the working ship and united with the force pumps used for
for forcing the water; h, h, are nozzels, opened when the belt is hauled
out of the water to permit the water to run out. The external pressure
of water in the cases produces great power of contraction in the belt.
The contracting power accommodates itself to the form of the body so
griped, and will bear equally upon an irregular figure and with nearly
uniform tension on the ropes B, B. Fig. 5, represents an elevation of
the belt A, A, attached, showing it in two parts, and having two sets of
coupling chains at H, H, better seen in the plan Fig. 6. In this form
it will be more easily laid round a submerged body, the shackles i, i,
being dropped on chains I, I, which are long enough to permit the
necessary sweep round the object to be lifted in laying down the belt
The dotted lines in Fig. 6, show the belt in its contracted form. In
order to facilitate laying the belt round a submerged body it is weighted.

page_text: at its lower edge at the thimbles F, F, and buoyed up by small air
cases or corks attached to upper thimbles F, F, in the manner of a
fishing net. The power I purpose applying to lift a submerged body is
that of air cases, which are scen dotted in Fig. 1. The attachments to
Fare concentrated at N, to which chains S, S, are applied to attach
the cases as at R, R; inflating air cases for this purpose being well
known, it will be unnecessary to describe it here. The cases R, R, are
stoppered to S, S, by stoppers such as at K, K, Fig. 8.
For lifting stranded ships I apply long horizontal air cases, shown
dotted at P, P, these cases being lashed close down to the thimbles
F, F. These cases may be placed still lower by lashing to the lower
thimbles F, F. By the great holding power of this belt I am enabled
to gripe or bind the ship or object to be lifted round the entire surface
of the belt, which enables me to keep the air cases well down in the
water during the removal of stranded ships or ships very near the sur-
face of the water.
This apparatus is also applicable for lifting, lowering, or hauling
heavy bodies by its contracting power. For this purpose the belt is
suspended from a suitable support, and the object attached to it while
in its extended state. If water or air is forced into the cases C, C, the
belt will contract and shrink up, lifting the body attached. By a com-
bination of two of these belts, the one higher than the other, a second
lift may be obtained, and by alternately raising the belts to higher points
of support a succession of lifts may be obtained.
ment will of course lower a heavy body, that
attached while the cases are distended and the fluid allowed to pass out
of those cases. I prefer to use air instead of water, when so applied
(making the cases C air-proof for the purpose), as the weight of water
in the belt would be considerable when the belt is suspended in the
atmosphere. This belt may be similarly applied for heaving a ship off
shore by placing it horizontal or at a suitable incline for the purpose,
and also to a similar movement of other heavy bodies.
The opposite move-
to say, the weight is
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,

page_text: the application of the contracting belt described to the purposes and in
the manner herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Alexander Halkett, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
-
P. A. HALKETT. (L.S.)