IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE BLOCKS FOR SUPPORTING THE KEEL AND BILGE OF VESSELS IN DOCK
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Thomas Parlour, of Brooklyn, New York,
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE BLOCKS FOR SUPPORTING THE KEEL AND
BILGE OF VESSELS IN DOCK."
Sealed the 8th June 1869, and dated the 9th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Thomas Parlour
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th December 1868.
I, JOSEPH THOMAS PARLOUR, of Brooklyn, New York, United States
of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE BLOCKS FOR SUPPORTING THE KEEL AND
BILGE OF VESSELS IN DOCK," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to keel and bilge blocks which are more
especially designed for supporting a ship or other vessel laid up in dock
for repairs. The said blocks are made in several parts or sections, and
my Invention consists chiefly in the peculiar construction and arrange-

page_text: ment of the said parts or sections, and in the novel means for adjusting
and securing the same in any desired position under the vessel to adapt
the blocks to vessels of various dimensions without removing the water
from the dock. The blocks for supporting the keel are preferably made
in three parts arranged one below the other. Two of these parts are
wedge-shaped, and the lower one rests on metal tracks or ways on the
bottom of the dock. The wedge-shaped pieces are preferably made of
cast iron, the weight being diminished by leaving open spaces between
the sides, but if made of wood faced with iron they are left solid. The
third part or cap on which the keel rests, and which lies on the
upper wedge-shaped piece is made of wood parallel on its top and
bottom surfaces. The top piece is provided with guides, which extend
downwards at the sides of the wedges. I prefer that these guides
should-be-iron-bars, each of which is secured to the cap block, and fitted
to slide in a knee piece arranged in the centre of the bottom of the dock.
In adjusting the blocks under the keel the said wedges are drawn in or
out under the top piece, which by micans of the lateral guides is kept in
a vertical plane as it is raised or lowered. At the ends of these ways
I-arrange guide pulleys, over which are passed chains or ropes, preferably
leading to a windlass, whereby the adjustment-of the wedges is effected.
The said windlass is arranged in any suitable manner at the top or other
convenient part of the dock. I prefer to use an endless chain whose
ends are attached to the wedges, and arranged over the guide pulleys
and windlass in such a manner that the wedges will be drawn in or out
together under the keel. A toothed rack or ratchet bar is arranged
upon the inclined face of the lower block, and a pawl is pivotted to the
upper block; this pawl is made to engage in the teeth of the ratchet
bar, and hold the parts of the block in any required position. The
pawl is made double-jointed, or with an intermediate joint between its
pivot and extremity, so that it may be conveniently released when the
weight is on the block. The pawl is kept rigid by a strong taper bolt,
which may be readily withdrawn when it is desired to remove the block.
The pawl will then bend at the intermediate joint, and can be readily
'disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet bar. If desired the pawl or
pawls may be connected to levers operated by chains or ropes from the

page_text: jointed together at the thin end of the wedge, and are made to open or
close by means of keys, screws, or other suitable devices, and serve to
slacken the block when it is desired to remove the same from the bilge.
This double or hinged wedge is fitted to slide upon another wedge which
rests on ways or tracks at the bottom of the dock as already described.
The top part or cap of the block on which the bilge rests is fitted upon
the upper surface of the jointed or double wedge, and is raised or
lowered by adjusting the latter upon the lower wedge. The said top
part is provided with lateral guides, which pass downward at the sides
of the wedges. The said guides preferably consist of a straight bar fitted
between guide bars attached to the lower wedge, which guide bars are
removed to allow the upper wedge to be adjusted. I prefer to provide
the double or jointed wedge with two keys, which are fitted into keyways
formed across the two parts of the wedge. These keys are driven out
when it is desired to release the block, and I prefer to arrange them to
be driven from opposite sides of the same. The wedge may be opened
or closed by one or more vertical screws, which are turned by means of
a lever or bar. Or a taper key inserted between the two parts of the
wedge at the rear of the same may be arranged in combination with a
screw to move the said key in or out between the two parts. The hinged
or double wedge and the lower wedge are preferably made of cast iron,
and are adjusted together and upon the ways by means of the wind-
lass and the chains or cords passing over guide pulleys as already
described. The said wedges are also in like manner secured when
properly adjusted by means of a double-jointed pawl or pawls, which
engage with a rack or ratchet bar. The lower wedge is provided with
pulleys at the sides over which the chain or rope passes from the upper
wedge to the windlass, the said chain or rope and also that for
operating the pawl being conducted over suitable guide pulleys at the
side of the dock. The wedges of the keel and bilge blocks are pro-
vided at the ends with pulleys, which support the chains or cords, and
allow the same to run freely when the blocks are adjusted. If desired
the bilge block may be constructed without the jointed wedge. In this
case the rack or ratchet bar is made loose, and is supported upon a key
(or keys), screws, or other devices, whereby it may be slackened when it
is desired to remove the block from the bilge.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Thomas Parlour in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
THOMAS PARLOUR, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America,
now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, Her special
licence that I, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Thomas
Parlour, 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE BLOCKS FOR SUPPORTING THE KEEL AND BILGE
OF VESSELS IN DOCK," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Joseph Thomas Parlour, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, 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 accompanying
Drawings forming part of this Specification.
more
My Invention relates to keel and bilge blocks, which are
especially designed for supporting a ship or other vessel laid up in dock

page_text: for repairs. The said blocks are made in several parts or sections, and
my Invention consists chiefly in the peculiar construction and arrange-
ment of the said parts or sections, and in the novel means for adjusting
and securing the same in any desired position under the vessel to adapt
the blocks to vessels of various dimensions without removing the water
from the dock.
Figure 1 is a plan of part of a dock, shewing the arrangement of my
improved blocks therein, and Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section on
the line x, x, Figure 1, the blocks being adjusted for supporting a
vessel; Figure 3 is a transverse section of the dock with the blocks
adjusted for a vessel of smaller size, and shewing the vessel supported
thercon; Figure 4 is a side clevation of one of my improved kcel
blocks; Figure 4 is a similar clevation, illustrating various modi-
fications in the said block; Figure 5 is a plan of one of my improved
bilge blocks; Figure 6 is a side clevation of the same; Figures 7 and 8
arc side elevations of bilgo blocks with certain modifications in their
construction and means of adjustment; Figures 4 to 8 aro drawn to an
enlarged scale. Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the
Drawings.
The blocks a for supporting the keel are preferably made in three parts,
a, a, a, as shown in Figure 4, arranged one below the other. Two of
these parts a, a, are wedge-shaped, and the lower one a¹ rests on metal
tracks or ways on the bottom of the dock A. The wedge-shaped
picces a, a, are preferably made of cast iron, the weight being
diminished by leaving open spaces between the sides, but if desired they
may be made of wood faced with iron, and then they are left solid.
The third part or cap a on which the keel of the vessel rests, and which
lics on the upper wedge-shaped piece a² is made of wood, and its top and
bottom surfaces are parallel with each other. The said top picce is
provided with guides c, which extend downward at the sides of the.
wedges a', a. I prefer that these guides c should be iron bars, cach of
which is secured to the cap block a³, and fitted to slide in a knee piece e
arranged in the centre of the bottom of the, dock. In adjusting the
blocks a under the keel of a vessel the wedges a', a, are drawn in or
out under the top piece a³, which by means of the lateral guides c is

page_text: kept in a vertical plane as it is raised or lowered. At the ends of the
ways I arrange guide pulleys, over which are passed chains or ropes g,
preferably leading to a windlass B, whereby the adjustment of the
wedges a, a, is effected. The said windlass is arranged in any
suitable manner at the top or other convenient part of the dock. The
windlass may be advantageously placed in the position shewn in
Figures 2 and 3 above a platform C, which affords a convenient support
for the mon employed to operate the windlass. I prefer to use an endless
chain whose ends are attached to the wedges, a², and arranged over
the guide pulleys and windlass in such a manner that in adjusting the
blocks both of the said wedges will be drawn in or out equally and
together under the keel of the vessel. A toothed rack or ratchet bar h
is arranged upon the inclined face of the lower block a', and a pawl i is
pivotted to the upper block a²; this pawl is made to engage in the teeth
of the ratchet bar h, so that when the parts of the block are adjusted in
any position the said pawl will retain them in such position as long as
it is desirable or necessary to do so. The pawl is preferably made
double-jointed, or with an intermediate joint * between its pivot and
extremity as shewn, so that it may be conveniently drawn out of the
ratchet teeth, and release the wedges a', a', so that they may be adjusted
when the weight of the vessel is on the blocks. The pawl i is kept rigid
while in gear with the rack by a strong taper bolt 3, which may be
readily driven back or withdrawn from its socket when it is desired to
adjust the block. The pawl i will then bend at the intermediate joint i*,
and can be readily disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet bar h. If
desired the pawls i may be connected to levers so that they may be
operated by chains or ropes attached to the said levers and extended to
the windlass. This arrangement is illustrated in Figure 4 where the
pawl is shown fixed on the end of a shaft which is fitted to
turn in the sides of the block and is provided between the sides with a
double-armed lever, i, connected to the cords which are passed
over the guide pulleys 7. When the block is to be secured the said
pawl is locked by means of the catch. The ratchet bar is in this
case arranged outside the block.
The blocks k, Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, for supporting the bilge of the vessel
annaforably constminted with. aseadas nancistince of twen monts W 7.3

page_text: ways
b.
means of the pins or bolts so that they can be made to open or close
by means of keys, screws, or other suitable devices herein-after described.:
and thereby slacken the block when it is desired to adjust the block or
remove the same from the bilge of the vessel. This double or hinged
wedge ',, is fitted to slide upon another wedge which rests on the
ways or tracks 6 at the bottom of the dock A, as already described. The
top part or cap of the block on which the bilge of the vessel rests is
fitted upon the upper surface of the jointed or double wedge , k², and
is raised or lowered by adjusting the lower wedge k³ upon the
The said top part k' is provided with lateral guides which pass downward.
at the sides of the wedges. The said guides preferably consist of a
straight bar m fitted between guide bars m³ attached to the lower
wedge. One of these guide bars is fitted on a hinge or joint * so.
that it can be turned back to liberate the bar m, if it should be desired.
to remove the upper wedge k'. I prefer to provide the double or jointed.
wedge ',, with two keys n, n', which, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6,
are fitted into keyways formed across the two parts of the said wedge.
These keys are driven out when it is desired to release the blocks, and I.
prefer to form and arrange them to be driven from opposite sides of the
same. The wedge k, k, may also be opened or closed by one or more
vertical screws o, as shewn in Figure 7, the said screws being turned by:
means of a lever or bar inserted into the hole o¹. Or a taper key p.
inserted between the two parts of the wedge k', k, at the rear of the
same may be arranged in combination with a screw q, as shewn in.
Figure 8, to move the said key in or out between the two parts k¹, k³,
and thereby open or close the wedge. The hinged or double
wedges, k, and the lower wedges are preferably made of cast
iron, and are adjusted together and upon the ways to raise or lower the
cap k by means of the windlasses B' and the chains or cords g¹ passing
over guide pulleys f', as already described. The said wedges are also in.
like manner secured when properly adjusted by means of a double-.
jointed pawl or pawls r, which engage with a rack or ratchet bar
same manner as those of the blocks a. The lower wedge
with pulleys & at the sides over which a chain or rope
the upper wedge to the windlass, the said chain or rope and also
that for operating the pawl being conducted over suitable guide.
pulleys at the side of the dock. The wedges of both the keel and.
bilge blocks may be provided at the end with pulleys which support..
8
in the
is provided.
passes from

page_text: arc adjusted.
If desired the bilge block may be constructed without the jointed
wedge. In this case the rack or ratchet bar is made loose, and is
supported upon a key (or keys), screws, or other devices, whereby it may
be slackened when it is desired to remove the block from the bilge.
b
When the vessel is admitted into the dock she is brought with her
kcel fairly over the kecl blocks a, which are arranged about six feet
apart along the centre of the dock with the wedges drawn back, and the
blocks adjusted to their lowest position, as shewn in Figure 2, the
two locks at the stem and stern of the vessel arc then raised by means
of the windlass B, which forces the wedges a, a, inward, and raises the
cap blocks as herein-before described till the said blocks touch the keel
of the vessel. The bilge blocks which previously to the cutrance of the
vessel have been drawn back to the sides of the dock, as shewn in
Figure 2, are now adjusted to the bilge as shewn in Figure 3, the blocks
and ways 6 being moved inward together by means of the windlasses B
till the blocks are nearly in contact with the vessel, and then more
accurately adjusted by forcing in the wedge k upon the said ways by the-
cord or rope s¹. The intermediate keel blocks are then raised as herein-
before described. The chains i are provided with a scale of divisions to
facilitate the adjustment of the blocks to any desired height under the
vessel. The water being then removed, the vessel will settle fairly down
upon the blocks, and the support will be evenly distributed throughout
the entire surface of the bilge and keel in such a manner as to permit
the repairing, caulking, cleaning, and other operations to be conveniently
performed. When it is necessary to remove either of the bilge blocks k,
the double wedge is lowered. by means of the keys or other devices
described, and relieves the block. of the weight of the vessel which may
be supported near that point, while the block is removed by temporary
shores.

page_text: securing the same in any desired position under a vessel to adapt the
blocks to vessels of various dimensions, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, havo hero-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
JOSEPH T. PARLOUR. (L.S.)