ally Deepening the Waters therein.
Year: 1886

page_text: ally Deepening the Waters therein.
I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middle-
sex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Lewis Muhlenberg Haupt Professor of
Civil Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia State of
Pennsylvania United States of America and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention consists in improving the channels of rivers and harbours or in
preparing the bed of foundations for certain main structures or light houses moles,
breakwaters etcètera.
The practice has been and is to remove the shoals or bars or the alluvium of the
bottom either by dredging by buckets or by water jets, or otherwise or by con-
structing temporary or permanent jetties, wing-dams; submerged dams or dikes, by
means of which the area of the water way is contracted and thus the velocity and
consequent scour of the water is increased by the small amount due to additional
head and velocity given by such lateral contractions.
و"
It is generally accepted as true, that in large streams where the depth exceeds
one fourth the width, the filament of maximum velocity, called here "the axis
will be found at about one-fifth the depth below the surface, and that the least
velocity will be along the line of the "wetted perimeter" or on the bed of the
stream. It is also true that the scouring capacity of a stream is greatest, ceteris
paribus, where the velocity is greatest. It follows from these principles, whenever
it is desired to deepen a channel or remove an obstruction by undermining it, that
if "the axis" of the current be turned directly upon the part to be removed by
deflecting it upon' the bottom, instead of merely as formerly, contracting the
channel or deflecting laterally by wing-dams etcetera, the effect will be much
greater, as in addition to the contraction due to the space occupied by the shield
and it's supports, there is also the momentum due to the "head" caused by the
difference of level between the high and low edges of the shield, at whatever anglé
it may be set.
i

page_text: The object of this Invention is therefore to create any desired head of water
which the locality will permit, and to utilize it immediately by projecting it
directly, either obliquely or vertically, upon the obstruction to be removed, thus
greatly increasing the scouring capacity of the current by changing the position of
the thread, of maximum velocity, and to maintain the channels so opened by
placing the floating deflector in such a position as to direct the current into such
channel.
The invention consists of an adjustable deflecting shield suitable to the locality
and amount of work to be done, so suspended that its upstream edge shall have an
axis of rotation at or near the surface of the water, while the lower or down stream
edge may be dropped and held by any suitable mechanism at any desired depth
below the surface. The axis of rotation is at the upper edge of the shield or
deflector. The shield or deflector may be composed of any number of articulations
arranged at any angle, making trailing pieces, connected to one another entrain for
the purpose of preventing back lash continuing the direction of the deflected
current or of increasing the carrying capacity of the bottom filament after the
material has been loosened by the descending chuts of water under the deflector.
These trailing pieces may be loaded so as to hold them in the most effective
position. In tidal waters one or more such pieces will be found serviceable in
preventing the flood tide from carrying the sand or mud under the shield, and so
filling up again parts which have been scoured by the ebb. The shields are
intended to be arranged in one or more rows transversely to the current, and of
sufficient length to cover either in whole or part the swath or path of the channel
to be created. These will then be made up in sections of suitable lengths to be
readily handled, and when not in use may be unshipped and stowed in the hold of
the barges,
When in broad bays or estuaries it may be desired to prevent the current from
spreading out laterally, other shields may be hung vertically from the outside of
the end boats as curtains, and by attaching their upstream ends to horizontal
beams on deck they may be made to flare outwards, and so produce a further.
concentration of the forces available for scouring, or the flexible curtains may be
anchored to buoys or floats set at distant points upstream in such a position as to
deflect the current into the channel to be maintained. Such deflectors should fulfil
the following requirements.. They should not rest upon the bottom thus producing
pressure and undermining where it would be injurious, nor project above the
surface to be subject to the direct action of the winds waves and ice. They should
be flexible and adjustable so as to be readily moved and set at the proper angle to
produce the desired effect should consist of a repetition of units or parts by which
the system may be indefinitely and cheaply extended, yet be sufficiently strong
and rigid to resist the subsurface action of waves, and should be made of materials
not attacked by the Toredo. All of these conditions are fulfilled by the devices
shown herein.
I am aware that a netting and a device known as Brownlow weeds, consisting of
brush wood tied to ropes and suspended from buoys have been extensively and
successfully used in river improvements, but they are designed to break or check
the velocity of the current by interference and so cause deposits of silt or other
material in the rear of such barriers, whereas in the deflectors herein described the
object is not to deposit but to remove material by utilizing the force of the current
in the manner described.
In certain places with hard bottoms it may be found advantageous to attach long
prods or cutters to the lower edges of the trails of the deflectors to loosen the
material by the agitation caused by the currents.
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this Specification Figure 1
is a view in vertical section partly in elevation of the deflecting shield; Figure 2 a
plan view thereof; Figure 3 a view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating different
supporting and adjusting means; Figure 4 a plan view showing the deflecting

page_text: shield combined with lateral deflecting devices and Figure 5 a perspective view
illustrating devices for deflecting the current laterally to the points where the
deflecting shields are located.
In the drawings A represents a series of articulated or flexible adjusting shields
having their axes of rotation a at or near the surface of the water, and provided
with suitable adjusting and supporting means.
The devices for holding the deflectors in place may consist of a row of piles P.
as shown, in Figures 1 and 2 driven across the current at suitable intervals and
having sheaves S near the bottom of each, under which may be passed a flexible
tension member fastened at the lower end to the down-stream edge of the
shield A, and at the upper end to a winch W or other device for winding. By
this mechanism the lower edge of the deflector may be drawn under the surface
and be held at any desired inclination to the axis of the stream, thus deflecting the
current downward and causing it to flow out under the lower edge producing a
more or less violent scour depending upon the size of the shield and depth and
velocity of the stream or current. In this case the piles must be removed as the
work advances. Or where a lateral contraction may be necessary to maintain the
channel, screw piles may be used in connection with permanent curtains, bung
vertically upon stretchers or booms. A serviceable device consists of bateaux,
pontons canal boats, scows, buoys or barges represented by the letter B in
Figures 3 and 4 anchored over or above the obstruction to be removed and
having between them and attached to their sides similar shields A, which may
be depressed by movable spuds S, guided vertically upon the ponton barge or
support B, and bearing at their lower ends against the shields, so as to adjust
the same to any height and maintain it thereat. The upper end of the spud is
represented as provided with a rack bar engaged by a pinion on the support B.
whereby the spud may be moved up or down as desired.
.
In Figures 4 and 5 A¹ represents the lateral deflecting means. In Figure 4 it
consists of vertical wings one on each side of the shield A. inclined towards said
shield so as to concentrate the current at that point by diverting it laterally.
In Figure 5 the deflector A¹ is a curtain in separate panels, supported by
stretchers a which are sustained by buoys or floats, and by vertical chains or
flexible members p¹ which are secured at their lower ends by anchors B¹.
It is obvious that modifications other than those shown and already described
may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. Thus, the
position of the deflecting shield A may be regulated by any suitable means, as by
chains anchored to the bed of the stream, by weights applied in any manner, or by
adjustable beams extending under the boats or supports B.
Again the boats themselves may be made with false bottoms so hinged that one
or more parts may be lowered at any desired angle; or boats of ordinary con-
struction having flat bottoms may themselves be placed at a sufficient angle in
shallow streams with soft bottoms, by simply shifting their ballast to the stern,
and so obtain sufficient amount of inclination to produce the necessary scour.
To manoeuvre boats a capstan may be placed in the bow and stern of each to
which the anchor chains or hawsers may be attached, and by winding on which
the entire rank or ranks of barges may be advanced as the desired depths are
obtained. The systems may be arranged in rows at right angles to the current or
in eschelon or otherwise, as may be found most effective.
Similar deflecting shields attached to boats plying on certain rivers would
greatly expedite their removal from the bars on which they so frequently run
aground.
•
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
First The system herein described for removing obstructions, alluvium, silt or
other matter from the channels of rivers and harbors said system comprising
.

page_text: floating, flexible and adjustable deflectors having their axes of rotation supported
at their ends at or near the surface of the water substantially as set forth.
Second-The flexible adjustable deflectors having their axes of rotation attached
to points of support at or near the surface of the water, in combination with
operating mechanism, substantially as described.
Third: The combination with the support of the deflecting articulated shield
having its axis of rotation at its upper edge at or near the surface of the water and
means for adjusting the lower part or member to different heights, substantially as
described.
Fourth-The combination of the flexible articulated and adjustable deflectors,
the supporting piles sheaves or pulleys attached thereto flexible tension members
and operating mechanism substantially as set forth.
Fifth-The combination of vertical wings or curtains for deflecting the current
laterally with inclined deflectors for producing vertical deflection of the current
substantially as described.
Sixth In a system for improving the channels of rivers and. harbors, the
combination with the adjustable deflector for directing the current downwardly
against the bed of the stream, of means substantially as described for concentrating.
the current at the point or points where said adjustable deflector is located.
Seventh-The combination with the adjustable flaring wings or curtains and
means for supporting the same, of the articulated inclined and adjustable deflector
and its supporting means substantially as and for the purposes described.
Eighth In a system for improving rivers and harbors the means for producing
lateral deflection of the current, said means comprising in combination the flexible
adjusting curtains, the floating supports and the flexible vertical members attached
to the said supports at the upper ends and anchored at the other in the bed of the
stream substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 6th day of Al 1000