AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SHIPS' BOTTOMS AT SEA
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis William Phillips, Mate, Mercantile Marine, of 5,
Grand Parade, St. Leonards-on-Sea, in the County of Sussex, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SHIPS' BOTTOMS AT SEA."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis William Phillips at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th September 1877.
FRANCIS WILLIAM PHILLIPS, Mate, Mercantile Marine, of 5, Grand Parade, St.
Leonards-on-Sea, in the County of Sussex.
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
CLEANSING SHIPS' BOTTOMS AT SEA."
My Invention refers to apparatus for cleaning the bottom of a ship by brushing
or scraping from grass, weeds, or barnacles which may have accumulated thereon.
And it is an essential feature in my Invention that this scouring or scraping may be
effected whilst at sea, and that the motive power of the ship's way or motion be
utilized for driving my scraping or brushing apparatus.
And, further, although my scrapers can be used for effectually cleaning off any
thick or stiff accumulation of weeds and barnacles, it is intended by the frequent
use of my apparatus when at sea that the brushes should be sufficient to continually
remove any grass that may attach itself to the hull, and thus keep iron or other
vessels always clean and in the best condition for sailing at speed.
My apparatus consists of a revolving brush or scraper drum, upon which the brushes
or scrapers, as desired, may be fixed, with alternate spaces between each longitudinal
brush or scraper. This revolving drum is connected by a swivel joint at the forward
end to a short stationary drum, which is guyed into any required position along the
ship's bottom by suitable ropes from the deck, one being under the keel and from
the martingale through a pulley block, which latter ropes allows the drum to be
dragged forward and allowed to drop towards the stern, as desired.
The revolving motion of the brushing drum is obtained from a second long drum
towed astern, and which has a series of screw blades twisted round its circumference

page_text: at a suitable pitch, so that the speed of the vessel may cause this drum to revolve
at a suitable speed by the pressure of the water upon the spiral blades.
It will be convenient to guy the driving revolving rope under the stern in a line
with the wake of the ship through a suitable suspended pulley, from the stern, so
that the drag of the revolving lines at the stern will give the requisite pressure to
the brushing drums upon the ship's sides and bottom.
An inclined guy rope may also be used to the taffrail of the ship, so that the
brushing druin may be made to lie close along the under lines of the stern.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Francis William Phillips in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th March 1878.
FRANCIS WILLIAM PHILLIPS, of Grand Parade, St. Leonards-on-Sea, in the County
of Sussex, Mate of Mercantile Marine. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING
SHIPS BOTTOMS AT SEA."
My Invention refers to apparatus for cleaning the bottom of a ship by brushing
or scraping from grass, weeds, or barnacles which may have accumulated thereon.
And it is an essential feature in my Invention that this scouring or scraping may be
effected whilst at sea, and that the motive power of the ship's way or motion be
utilized for drawing any scraping or brushing apparatus.
And, further, although any scraper can be used for effectually clearing off any
thick or stiff accumulation of weeds and barnacles, it is intended by the frequent
use of my apparatus when at sea that the brushes should be sufficient to continually
remove any grass that may attach itself to the hull, and thus keep iron or other
vessels always clean and in the best condition for sailing at speed.
My apparatus consists of a revolving brush or scraper drum, upon which the
brushes or scrapers, as desired, may be fixed with alternative spaces between each
longitudinal brush or scraper. This revolving drum is connected by a swivel joint
at the forward end to a short stationary drum, which is guyed into any required
position along the ship's bottom by suitable ropes from the deck, one being under
the keel and from the martingale through a pulley block, which latter ropes allows the
drum to be dragged forward and allowed to drop towards the stern, as desired.
The revolving motion of the brushing drum is obtained from a second long drum
towed astern and which has a series of screw blades twisted round its circumference
at a suitable pitch, so that the speed of the vessel may cause this drum to revolve
at a suitable speed by the pressure of the water upon the spiral blades.
It will be convenient to guy the driving revolving rope under the stern in a line
with the wake of the ship, through a suitable suspended pulley from the stern, so
that the drag of the revolving links at the stern will give the requisite pressure to the
brushing drums upon the ship's sides and bottom.
An inclined guy rope may also be used to the taffrail of the ship, so that the
brushing drum may be made to lie close along the under of the stern.
And in order that my Invention may be more clearly understood, I now proceed
to describe the Sheet of Drawings annexed hereto, reference being made to the
Jetters and figures marked thereon, that is to say,―

page_text: Figs. 1 and 2 represent a sectional end view and longitudinal section respectively
of the spiral vaned driving log, which is also shown in position towing behind the
ship at P, in Fig. 5.
This revolving log is made of metal, and is of a cylindrical shape, coved towards
the end that meets the flow of the water. At this end is an eye K to which is
attached the towing rope. Upon the circumference of the log three or more spiral
vanes are securely fixed, so that when this log is towed behind a vessel travelling at
from 4 or 5 knots and upwards, it revolves with considerable rapidity by reason of
the action of the water upon the vanes. This rotation is communicated through a
hawser or wire rope to the eye of the brush or scraper, shown in detail in Fig. 3.
This brushing cylinder C is composed of timber of a suitable quality, so as to float
by its own displacement. This hollow wooden cylinder is closed by two metal or
other caps D, D, which are held securely in their place by a through bolt G.
the circumference of the wooden drum spiral brushes E are fixed, which thus rub
against the ship's side when the drum revolves.
On
Instead of brushes steel scrapers may be used with another drum should the
barnacles be too securely fixed to move with the use of the brush.
In the ends or covers D are fixed two circular rings of metal F, F, which can
move independently to the brush. These rings take a bearing against the ship
side, together with the brushes, and remain stationary whilst the brush is
revolving.
The through bolt G of the brushing drum terminates with an eye and shackle
in the swival piece H, so that the rotary motion need not be communicated any
further, and the last drum M does not revolve at all. To the eye of this drum is
fixed the traling or towing rope which is reeved through a block on the martingale
or other convenient part of the vessel, and then carried on board, so that this tow
rope can be slacked out or hauled in, as desired.
The drum M, as shown in Fig. 4, which is an end view, has two shackles of eyes
at the top and bottom, to which the said guys or chains are attached. One of these
is carried over the bulwarks in board, and the other round the keel to the other
side of the ship and inboard on that side, so that these two guys enable the drum
M and with it the brushing drum C to be raised and lowered, is desired, up and
down the ship's side from the deck.
The towing or driving line between P and Q is carried through a hanging eye
which is slung by a rope from the deck over the taffrail, and guyed in such a
position that the log tows in the line of the wake of the ship and the brushing drum
can be made to follow the run of the ship aft under the counter.
Having now described my said Invention, I wish it to be understood that what
I claim is,
The combination of a towing revolving log rotating a brushing drum or a
scraping drum by the motion of the ship, so that the operation may be effected
whilst the ship is moving at sea.
2nd. And also the method of constructing and attaching the said drum, as herein
described, so that the guys and towing rope may be arranged and used, as herein
described.
3rd. Also the arrangement of the brushes or scrapers in spiral lines upon the
circumference of the drum, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis William Phillips, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-eight.
F. W. PHILLIPS. (L.B.)