Improved Device for Raising Ships.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Device for Raising Ships.
I JOHN DAVID COOPER, of Cheboygan, in the County of Cheboygan and State
of Michigan, U.S. America, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improvement in devices for raising vessels; and it has
for its object to provide a means whereby pontons may be employed for attachment to
a sunken hull, the pontons lowered to the vessel emptied of the contents employed in
lowering them, and utilized for floating or raising the hull to the surface, the
mechanism on the ponton employed for emptying its contents and likewise for
lowering it and for filling it being electrically controlled from any suitable vessel on
the surface of the water.
Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a number of floats
may be located upon the surface, each float being connected with a ponton, and
whereby all of the floats may be connected with a dynamo or other source of electric
supply located upon said vessel.
In carrying out the invention the ponton may be constructed of any desired
material and may be of any desired shape. The ponton is provided with an interior
chamber and with one or more passage-ways extending through it from top to bottom,
and preferably one wall of these passage-ways is straight, while the opposing wall is
more or less inclined. In fact the passage-ways are made wider at the bottom than
at the top. Each passage-way is provided with an opening located, preferably, at or
near the bottom of the ponton, being in communication with the interior chamber.
Each of these openings is normally closed by a gate-valve or the equivalent thereof,
the said valves being electrically controlled.
Within the chamber of the ponton a pump is located at any desired point, the
outlet-pipe whereof extends through the outer wall of the ponton and is provided with
a suitable check-valve. This pump is adapted to expel the water from the chamber,
which water is employed to add weight to the ponton in order that it may the more
readily be sunken below the surface of the water. The piston of the pump-cylinder is
provided with a gear, which is made to mesh with another gear, secured upon a
vertical shaft, which is carried upward through the top of the ponton and through a
suitable gland at the top to prevent water other than that entering through the ports
or openings, gaining access to the said chamber, and the said shaft is provided with a
beveled gear at its upper end.
Over the top of each channel in the ponton a drum-shaft is journaled in any
suitable or approved bearings, a drum being secured upon each of the said shafts, and
each drum-shaft is provided with a gear and the teeth of the gear of each drum-shaft
are engaged by a pawl, so that the gears act also in the capacity of ratchets, and each
pawl may be carried out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel to which it belongs
by means of a shifting-rod attached to it, or by equivalent mechanism. The
drum-shafts are all driven from a single line shaft, and to that end the line-shaft is
provided with pinions, meshing with the drum shaft gears and the line-shaft is further
provided with a beveled gear at or near the centre. The line-shaft is preferably driven
through the medium of an electric motor, and the driving-shaft of this motor is
provided with a double faced gear, having sliding movement thereon, yet held to turn

page_text: therewith. The double-faced gear which may be termed a "shifting gear," is pivotally
connected with an arm, and this arm is fulerumined upon a bracket projected usually
from a casing, which is made to surround the motor in order to preserve it from the
action of the weather and from the water, since the ponton, as heretofore stated, is to
be sunken below the surface of the water.
At the upper end of the shifting arm a rod is pivotally attached, which is held to
slide through a suitably packed opening in the casing, and the said rod carries at its
inner end and within the casing, an armature, adapted to be attracted by a magnet.
likewise located in the said casing, the armature being normally held out of engagement
with the magnet through the medium of a spring or its equivalent and when the
armature is in this position the shifting gear will be in mesh with the gear of the
line-shaft. Consequently when the motor is started the drums will be actuated.
Each drum has normally coiled upon it a chain or cable, and these chains or cables
extend through the channels in the pontons and havo suitable grapplings secured upon
their lower ends.
The wire from the magnets located in the casing likewise the wire from the motor
and the wire from the solenoid magnet in the ponton, are suitably protected and are
carried upward in a group in the shape of a cable to, for instance a Hoat containing a
suitable switch and these floats are in circuit connection with a dynamo or other
source of electrical supply upon a vessel accompanying the pontons.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1896.
HUGHES, SON, & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, JOHN DAVID COOPER, of Cheboygan, in the County of Cheboygan and State
of Michigan United States of America, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to he performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improvement in devices for raising vessels; and it has
for its object to provide a means whereby pontons may be employed for attachment to
a sunken hull, the pontons lowered to the vessel, emptied of the contents employed in
lowering them, and utilized for floating or raising the hull to the surface, the
mechanism on the ponton employed for emptying its contents and likewise for
lowering it and for filling it being electrically controlled from any suitable vessel on
the surface of the water.
Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a number of floats
may be located upon the surface, each float being connected with a ponton, and
whereby all the floats may be connected with a dynamo or other source of electric
supply located upon said vessel.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this
specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of the pontons located on the surface of the water
and connected with a sunken hull.
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the ponton being illustrated as being sunken and
approaching the vessel's hull.
Fig. 3 is a like illustration, in which the ponton is illustrated as alongside of the
hull and in position to assist in raising the same.

page_text: Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the ponton, said section being taken
substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 5; and
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the ponton partially in section.
In carrying out the invention the ponton A may be constructed of any desired
material and may be of any desired shape. In the drawings it is illustrated as being
constructed with inclined sides, being larger at the hase than at the top. The ponton
is provided with an interior chamber A' and with one or more, preferably two,
passage-ways A2 extending through it from top to bottom, as shown in Figs. 4, and 5,
and preferably one wall of these passage-ways is straight, while the opposing wall is
more or less inclined.
In fact the passage-ways are made wider at the bottom than at the top. Each
passage-way is provided with an opening, 10, located, preferably, at or near the
bottom of the ponton, being in communication with the interior chamber A'. Each
of these openings 10 is normally closed by a gate-valve 11 or the equivalent thereof,
the said valves being electrically controlled, and in the drawings ench valve is shown
as being operated through the medium of a solenoid-nagnet 12.
Within the chamber A' of the ponton a pump B is locatel at any desired point, the
outlet-pipe 13 whereof extends through the outer wall of the ponton and is provided
with a suitable check-valve 14. This pump is adapted to expel the water from the
chamber A', which water is employed to add weight to the ponton in order that it
may the more readily be sunken below the surface of the water. The piston of the
pump-cylinder is provided with a gear 15, which is made to mesh with a gear 16,
secured upon a vertical shaft 17 which is carried upward through the top of the
ponton and through a suitable gland 18 at the top to prevent water other than that
entering through the ports or openings 10 gaining access to the said chamber, and
the said shaft 17 is provided with a beveled gear 19 at its upper end, as shown in
Figs. 4 and 5.
Over the top of each channel A³ in the ponton a drum-shaft 20 is journaled in any
suitable or approved bearings, a drum 21 being secured upon each of the said shafts,
and each drum-shaft is provided with a gear 22 and the teeth of the gear of each
drum-shaft are engaged by a pawl 23, so that the gears 22 act also in the capacity of
ratchets, and each pawl inay be carried out of engagement with the teeth of the
wheel 22 to which it belongs by means of a shifting-rod 24 (see Fig. 4) attached to
it, or by equivalent mechanism. The drum-shafts are all driven from a single line-
shaft 25, and to that end the line-shaft is provided with pinions 26, mesbing with the
gears 22, and the line-shaft is further provided with a beveled gear 27 at or near its
centre. The line-shaft is preferably driven through the medium of an electric
motor C, and the driving-shaft 28 of this motor is provided with a double-faced
gear 29, having sliding movement thereon, yet held to turn therewith. The double-
faced gear 29, which may be termed a "shifting gear" is pivotally connected with an
arm 30 projected usually from a casing 32, which is made to surround the motor in
order to preserve it from the action of the weather and from the water, since the
ponton as heretofore stated, is to be sunken below the surface of the water.
At the upper end of the shifting-arm 30 a rod 33 is pivotally attached, which is
held to slide through a suitably-packed opening in the casing, and the said rod 33
carries at its inner end and within the casing, an armature 34, adapted to be attracted
by a magnet 35, likewise located in the said casing, as shown in Fig. 4, the armature
being normally held out of engagement with the magnet through the melium of a
spring 36 or its equivalent and when the armature is in this position the shifting gear
will be in mesh with the gear 27 of the line-shaft. Consequently when the motor is
started the drums will be actuated. Each drum has norinally coiled upon it a chain
or cable 37, and these chains or cables extend through the channels A' in the pontons
and have suitable grapplings 38 secured upon their lower ends.
The wire 39 from the magnet 35, likewise the wire from the motor and the wire 40
from the solenoid magnet 12 in the ponton, are suitably protected and are carried
upward in a group in the shape of a cable 41, to for instance, a float 42, containing a

page_text: suitable switch 43, and these floats are in circuit connection with a dynamo or other
source of electrical supply upon a vessel accompanying the pontons.
In the operation of this device any desired number of pontons are employed.
When floating upon the surface of the water, the gates 11 are raised by turning the
current on to the solenoid magnets, and the compartments A' in the pontons are
immediately filled with water, and even when the pontons are so filled they will he
buoyant and will float in a measure. The various cables 37 are previously carried
downward by the diver or other person employed for that purpose and are fastened to
the vessel's hull, as shown in Fig. 1, the cables being left free to unwind from their
drums 21. The current is then turned onto the motors C, and said motors being
normally in gear with the line-shaft 29 of the pontons will cause the drums to turn in
such a manner as to wind the cables 37 thereon, and consequently the pontons will be
drawn down below the surface of the water, as shown in Fig. 2, until they have been
brought alongside the hull, as shown in Fig. 3, the floats 42 remaining on the surface
of the water, and the pawls 23 will so lock the drums as to prevent the pontons from
shifting or leaving their positions. It will be observed that the ponton is lowered by
exerting from it an upward drag on the cable, which is secured to the sunken hull.
The current is then taken off the electric apparatus controlling the gates 11, and the
gates will be closed through the medium of a spring or other means brought under
tension when they are raised. Consequently the ports 10 will then be closed. The
current is now turned on to the magnets in the casing 32 at the top of the pontons,
and said magnets by attracting the armatures 34 will cause the shifting double
gear 29 to he carried from engagement with the driving-gear of the line-shaft 25
and to an engagement with the driving-gear 19 of the vertical or pump shaft 17,
and said shaft upon being revolved, will start the pumps B in operation, which
pumps will empty the chambers A of the pontons, removing whatever water they
may contain, and the pontons being thus lightened will float the hull to the surface of
the water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a device for raising vessels, a submersible ponton, a cable extending there-
from and adapted for connection with the vessel to be raised, means for filling the
ponton with water and for expelling the water therefrom, and a lowering device
located on the ponton and engaging the cable to exert an upward drag thereon and
thereby sink the ponton, substantially as described.
2. In a device for raising vessels, a submersible ponton, a cable extending there-
from and adapted for connection with the vessel to be raised, means for filling the
ponton with water and for expelling the water therefrom and a windlass carried by
the ponton and on which is adapted to wind the said cable to sink the ponton by an
upward drag on the cable, substantially as described.
3. In a device for raising sunken vessels or objects, a ponton provided with means
for filling the same with water and a pump for expelling the water therefrom, a
windlass carried by the ponton, cables attached to the windlass and extending
through the ponton adapted for attachment to the latter, detent mechanisms connected
with the windlass, a motor, means, substantially as shown and described, for driving
the windlass or the drive shaft of the pump from said motor, and a mechanism for
controlling the ports through which the ponton is supplied with water, as and for the
purpose specified.
4. In a device for raising sunken vessels or objects, a ponton having walled
openings extending through it, windlasses located above said openings, provided with
detent mechanism and cables extending from the windlasses through the openings
in the ponton, being adapted for engagement with the object to be raised, said ponton
being also provided with inlet openings adapted to admit water, gates electrically
controlled normally, closing said openings or ports, a shifting gear, a pump located

page_text: within the ponton and adapted to expel water therefrom, a motor, a shifting
mechanism carried by the said motor, adapted for driving connection with the
windlasses and the drive shaft of the pump, and means, substantially as shown and
described, for electrically controlling the said shifting mechanism, as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. In a device for raising sunken vessels or objects, a ponton having walled
openings extending through it, windlasses located above said openings, provided with
detent mechanisms and cables extending from the windlasses through the openings in
the ponton, being adapted for attachment to the object to be raised, the said ponton
being also provided with inlet openings adapted to admit water, gates electrically-
controlled normally closing said openings or ports, a shifting gear, a pump located
within the ponton and adapted to expel water therefrom, a motor, a shifting
mechanism carried by said motor, adapted for driving connection with the windlasses
and the drive shaft of the pump, means, substantially as shown and described, for
electrically controlling the said shifting mechanism, a float provided with an electric
switch and adapted for connection with the source of electrical supply, and wires
connected with the shifting mechanism and operative mechanisms of the gates, carried
by the float and the switch thereof, as and for the purpose specified.
6. In a device for raising sunken vessels and objects, the combination with a ponton
provided with an interior chamber and walled channels extending through the same
from top to bottom, ports leading from the walled channels into the said chamber,
gates normally closing the said ports and electrically operated, and a pump located
within the ponton chamber, adapted to force water therefrom, the said pump being
provided with a drive shaft extending through the upper portion of the ponton, of a
windlass provided with a detent mechanism, located over each channel in the ponton,
a cable attached to each windlass and extending downward through the channels,
being adapted for engagement with the vessel to be raised, an electric motor, a line
shaft in communication with the windlasses, an electrically operated shifting gear
adapted for driving connection either with the line shaft or the pump shaft, the wires
from the mechanism controlling the shifting gear, the motor and the mechanism
controlling the gates being connected with an object adapted to float on the surface
of the water as and for the purpose set forth.
DL: 5th of October 1806
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.