Improved Means for Raising Sunken Vessels.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Raising Sunken Vessels.
We, JOHN TONNER KELLY, of 40 Queen's Parade, North Fitzroy, near
Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, Blacksmith, and JOHN PERRY, of
150 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne aforesaid, Timber Merchant do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
We lower into the various compartments of the vessel, cases, one end of which
is left wholly or partially open, but is lined with some material which is in itself
air-tight, such as zinc or tin. The cases may be of any size or shape. The kind
we propose to use are those that are generally used for importing and exporting
perishable goods such as drapery, pianos, etc., or well-made casks or iron tanks will
answer all purposes.
When lowered into the compartment they are brought directly underneath the
place they are meant to occupy. The open end of the case, cask, or tank is then
inverted with the open part downwards, the end of a hose (which is attached to
some suitable means of air supply) is then pointed into the case, cask or tank, when
the air will displace the water and cause the case to become buoyant, when it may
be directed into its proper position underneath the top of the compartment. The
hose or pipe may then be temporarily fastened into the lower end of the case,
cask or tank, and air forced into it by means of a pump or air compressor until
all the water in the case, tank or cask is displaced, when another may be operated
on in the same manner.
Where the cases have to be placed in the compartment more than one tier deep,.
care must be taken that the top of the lower one does not entirely close the open
end of the one immediately above it. This may be easily attained by placing
distance pieces between the cases.
The reason for keeping the lower end of the cases open is to allow the compressed.
air to escape rapidly as the vessel rises to the surface.
In some cases it may be found necessary to line underneath the deck beams with
strong planks, say, Oregon, of sufficient strength to stand the strain from beam
to beam; these planks of course should be placed in position prior to the lowering
of the cases into the compartment. The upper deck of the vessel may also be
strengthened from the outside in the following manner :-Let a cable or wire rope
be passed round the ship from stem to stern and made fast at the ends; let it be
kept well below her bilge and quarters. Strong beams are then laid across the
ship's deck; the beams must be long enough to project beyond the ship's sides,
say, 12 inches. A block and tackle rove with chain or wire rope is then attached
to both ends of the beam and connected with the cable, which has already been
passed round the ship, and drawn as tight as practicable; blocks and wedges may
now be driven between the beams and the deck, which will be found to strengthen
the deck just in proportion to the number of beams that are laid across in this
manner described.
In some instances it may be desirable to substitute one or more empty flexible
bags for the empty cases before described. These bags-which may be made of
canvas-must be capable of accommodating itself or themselves to the exact shape
of the interior of the compartment in which it or they are placed, so that when the
air is forced into it or them they will be supported on the outside by the rigid top-
and sides of such compartment, the lower end of such bags being by preference left.
open and weighted. When more than one bag is used in a compartment they will.

page_text: form a mutual support for each other, except on the outside, where they are
supported by the compartment itself. Each bag must be connected to some
suitable source of supply from whence air can be pumped into it at any pressure
and to any desired extent. Where only one bag is used it must be of a greater
holding capacity than the compartment in which it is placed and where more than
one such bag is used the collective holding capacity must be greater than that of
the compartment in which they are placed.
These bags are filled with air by means of a pump or other suitable apparatus,
the pressure being sufficient to inflate them and to expel the water from the
compartment in which they are placed.
As the supply continues the buoyancy of the vessel will increase, and in due
time will cause it to rise to the surface, when the object and purpose of our
invention will have been completed.
The machinery for supplying the necessary air forms no part of our invention
and may be of any ordinary construction.
The air supply pipes and the empty flexible bags into which they lead, may be
made of any material commonly used for this purpose, but it is essential that the
bags be made of flexible material capable of accommodating themselves to the
shape of the compartment in which they are placed, and able also to prevent
the escape of the air forced into them in the manner and for the purposes described,
it being distinctly understood that it is preferable to leave the lower end of the
bag open to admit of the escape of the air when its pressure becomes too great,
and also to admit of the entrance of a diver to examine their condition and the
operation of the air with which they are filled or being filled.
Dated this Sixth day of January One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-three
Improved Means for Raising Sunken Vessels.
We, JOHN TONNER KELLY, of 40 Queen's Parade, North Fitzroy, near
Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, Blacksmith, and JOHN PERRY, of
150 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne aforesaid, Timber Merchant, 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:-
We lower into the various compartments of the vessel, cases, one end of which is
left wholly or partially open, but is lined with some material which is in itself air-
tight, such as zinc or tin. The cases may be of any size or shape. The kind. we
propose to use are those that are generally used for importing and exporting
perishable goods, such as drapery, pianos etc., or well-made casks, or iron tanks will
answer all purposes.
When lowered into the compartment they are brought directly underneath the
place they are meant to occupy. The open end of the case, cask or tank is then
inverted with the open part downwards, the end of a hose (which is attached to
some suitable means of air supply) is then pointed into the case, cask or tank, when
the air will displace the water and cause the case to become buoyant, when it may
be directed into its proper position underneath the top of the compartment. The
hose or pipe may then be temporarily fastened into the lower end of the case, cask
or tank, and air forced into it by means of a pump or air compressor until all the

page_text: water in the case tank or cask is displaced, when another may be operated on in
the same manner.
Where the cases have to be placed in the compartment more than one tier deep,.
care must be taken that the top of the lower one does not entirely close the open
end of the one immediately above it. This may be easily attained by placing
distance pieces between the cases.
The reason for keeping the lower end of the cases open is to allow the compressed
air to escape rapidly as the vessel rises to the surface."
In some cases it may be found necessary to line underneath the deck beams with
strong planks, say, Oregon, of sufficient strength to stand the strain from beam to
beam; these planks of course should be placed in position prior to the lowering of
the cases into the compartment. The upper deck of the vessel may also be
strengthened from the outside in the following manner :-Let a cable or wire rope
be passed round the ship from stem to stern and made fast at the ends; let
it be kept well below her bilge and quarters. Strong beams are then laid across.
the ship's deck; the beams should be long enough to project beyond the ship's
sides, say, five feet. A block and tackle rove with chain or wire rope is then
attached to both ends of the beam and connected with the cable, which has already
been passed round the ship, and drawn as tightly as practicable; blocks and wedges.
may now be driven between the beams and the deck, which will be found to
strengthen the deck just in proportion to the number of beams that are laid across.
in the manner described.
Additional lifting power may be obtained from the outside of the vessel by
lining underneath the portion of the strengthening beams already described that.
project outside of the ship's sides, with Oregon planks when tanks or cases may be
placed under them in the same manner as they are placed under the deck.
In some instances it may be desirable to substitute one or more empty flexible
bags for the empty cases before described. These bags, which may be made of
canvas, must be capable of accommodating itself or themselves to the exact shape
of the interior of the compartment in which it or they are placed, so that when
the air is forced into it or them they will be supported on the outside by the rigid
top and sides of such compartment, the lower end of such bags being by preference
left open and weighted. When more than one bag is used in a compartment, they
will form a mutual support for each other except on the outside, where they are
supported by the compartment itself. Each bag must be connected to some suitable
source of supply from whence air can be pumped into it at any pressure and to any
desired extent. Where only one bag is used, it must be of a greater holding capacity
than the compartment in which it is placed, and where more than one such bag is.
used, the collective holding capacity must be greater than that of the compartment in
which they are placed.
These bags are filled with air by means of a pump or other suitable apparatus, .
the pressure being sufficient to inflate them and to expel the water from the
compartment in which they are placed.
As the supply continues the buoyancy of the vessel will increase, and in due
time will cause it to rise to the surface, when the object and purpose of our invention
will have been completed.
The machinery for supplying the necessary air forms no part of our invention.
and may be of any ordinary construction.
The air supply pipes and the empty flexible bags into which they lead, may be
of any material commonly used for this purpose, but it is essential that the bags.
be made of flexible material capable of accommodating themselves to the shape
of the compartment in which they are placed, and able also to prevent the escape
of the air forced into them in the manner and for the purposes described, it being
distinctly understood that it is preferable to leave the lower end of the bag open
to admit of the escape of the air when its pressure becomes too great, and also to
adinit of the entrance of a diver to examine their condition and the operation of
the air with which they are filled or being filled.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The herein described method of raising sunken vessels by means of cases,
casks, tanks or other similar rigid receptacles, the lower end of each of which is
open, and which said cases, casks, tanks or other similar rigid receptacles are
lowered into position, either within the vessels or else under beams projecting
beyond the sides of said vessels, the open ends of said cases, casks Janks or other
similar rigid receptacles being downward, substantially as and
or the purposes
herein described and explained.
Second. In the raising of sunken vessels, the use of flexible bags, capable of
accommodating themselves to the interior of the compartment in which they are
placed, the lower ends of said bags being by preference left open and weighted,
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained.
Third. In the raising of sunken vessels, the employment of beams laid across
the deck and secured at their ends to a cable passed around the vessel, blocks or
wedges, being driven in between said beams and said deck, substantially as and for
the purposes herein described and explained.
Dated this Fourth day of September One thousand eight hundred and
JOHN TONNER KELLY.
JOHN PERRY.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.