IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGED BODIES
Year: 1884

page_text: I GEORGE SUTHERLAND DODMAN, of 6 Clarendon Terrace, Beaumont Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
my said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS
AND OTHER SUBMERGED BODIES, to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the construction of a convenient form of
apparatus to be applied as a means for raising sunken ships and other submerged
objects and consists of a certain construction of inflatable vessel, or buoy and its
accessary appliances and connections, which are used in requisite numbers for
raising the sunken structure, or body, being applied in the manner hereafter set
forth.
The
The vessel, or buoy according to my Invention is of a collapsable form and has
flat ends parallel to each other. The ends of the vessel are of well seasoned timbor
and each end is received into an angle iron frame. The wooden end is rabbetted
to hold the sides and top and bottom of the vessel, which sides and top and bottom
are composed of a continuous collapsable fabric, such as waterproof canvas.
end edges of the canvas come between the wooden ends and the angle iron frame,
the joint being made with india rubber, or other suitable packing strip on each
side of the canvas, so as to make a perfect joint between the wooden end, the
canvas, and the angle iron frame, the wooden ends being fastened to the angle iron
frame by through bolts and so securing the joint. Both ends of the vessel are of
the same construction and they are held apart by distance bars, or stays constructed
on the elbow, or rule joint principle, so as to allow the vessel to collapse when the
two ends are brought together, the canvas, or waterproof fabric folding up between
the ends when the vessel is in a collapsed state.
The top and bottom of the vessel are provided with chains extending from each
corner and in the middle. These chains are used to attach the vessel to the
submerged object to be raised and are provided with suitable books for that
purpose. Chains are also used in lowering and working the apparatus.
Attached to one end of the apparatus there is a special arrangement of valve
through which the air for inflating the apparatus is forced. This valve is fixed in
(Doi arr

page_text: a box in the end of the vessel and working in a suitable seat and held up to its
seat by the pressure of air inside the buoy. The air valve seat is provided with a
recessed locking bar which, when the air pipe mouth is in position, is forced into a
recess in such air pipe mouth by the action of a spring. In the valve case there is
a lever, one end of which is attached to the valve and the other end is provided
with a chain which is led and attached to the other end of the vessel. The function
of this chain and lever is that when the vessel is inflated to its fullest limit, the
chain works the lever and closes the inlet valve, which in the act of closing forces
back the locking bar of the air supply pipe and thus disconnects such pipe from
the vessel.
The vessel is provided with suitable relief, or air escape valves which it is not
necessary to describe as such valves are in common use in connection with helmets
and dresses for divers and are also being used with inflatable bags for submarine
purposes, their action being to regulate the pressure of air inside the vessel'in
accordance with the depth and head of water.
In the application of my Invention to, say the raising of a sunken ship, a
number of vessels constructed as herein described are used. These vessels from
their collapsable nature are easily transported to the scene of action. A flexible
air pipe is attached as herein described to the vessel. The vessel is then lowered
by means of its chains and attached by a diver to any convenient part of the
sunken ship, namely by inserting the hooks through the side-lights, or attaching
to any
convenient part of the ships side, deck, or hold. The other end of the air
pipe is connected to any suitable air compressing machinery on the salvage vessel
and by these means the submerged vessel is inflated and when inflated the air pipe
is automatically released, is drawn up to the salvage vessel and attached to
another collapsable vessel. which in its turn is in like manner attached to the
sunken ship. When a sufficient number of these vessels have been attached to the
sunken ship she will come up. The relief valves in the vessels prevent such vessels
from bursting as the head of water is lessened.
The collapsable vessels according to my Invention may be of any convenient
portable size, for example each vessel may have when inflated a displacement of
from six to ten tons.

page_text: I GEORGE SUTHERLAND DODMAN, of 6 Clarendon Terrace, Beaumont Street,
Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
my said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS
AND OTHER SUBMERGED BODIES and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object the. construction of a convenient form of
apparatus to be applied as a means for raising sunken ships and other submerged
objects, and consists of a certain construction of inflatable vessel, or buoy and its
accessory appliances and connections which are used in requisite numbers for
raising the sunken structure or body, the vessels, or buoys being constructed and
applied in the manner hereafter set forth.
The following is a description of my Invention in such full, clear and distinct
language as to enable any one skilled in the art to which it belongs to put the
same into practice reference being had to the annexed sheet of Drawings making a
part of this Specification and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon,
which letters and figures of reference correspond with those used in the following
description, like letters and figures being used to denote the same parts throughout
the various views.
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of an apparatus being a vessel or buoy
according to my Invention."
Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the top of the apparatus shown in section
through one of the relief valves.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the air admission valve.
Figure 5 is a plan of Figure 4.
A vessel, or buoy according to my Invention is of a collapsable form and has a
top end A and a bottom end B parallel with each other. The ends A and B of the
vessel are of well seasoned timber and each end is provided with an angle iron
frame a. b. The four sides of the vessel are composed of a continuous collapsable
fabric C such as waterproof canvas, the end edges of the canvas come between the
ends A and B and an angle iron frame & which is provided on the inside of each of
the ends A and B for that purpose, the angle irons d being made with a well
rounded bull nose and the joint between the angle iron d the canvas O and the
end A or B being made with an india rubber, or other suitable packing strip c on
each side of the canvas, so as to make a perfect joint between the wooden end A
or B the canvas C and the angle iron d, the wooden ends A and B being fastened
to their respective angle iron frames & by through bolts e which secure the joint
and the canvas. Both top and bottom ends of the vessel are of the same construction
and they are held apart by four distance bars, or stays placed one at each corner

page_text: of the vessel, and constructed in two pieces on the elbow or rule joint principle so
as to allow the vessel to collapse when the ends A and B are brought together,
the canvas, or water proof fabric folding up like an accordian when the vessel is in
a collapsed state, the bending edges of the canvas being provided with india rubber
strengthening pieces f. The top A and the bottom B of the vessel are provided
with chains F extending from each corner. The bottom chains F are used to
attach the vessel to the submerged object to be raised and are provided with hooks
for that purpose.
The top chains F are used to connect the vessels together when
more than one is used, and also for lowering and working the apparatus. Chains G
are also provided inside the apparatus for connecting the top and bottom together
and taking the strain off the canvas. The top and bottom of the apparatus are
provided with rollers h to keep the apparatus from chafing against any object.
Attached to the top end of the apparatus there is a special arrangement of valve
(See Figures 4 and 5) through which the air for inflating the apparatus is forced.
i is the valve. It is of duplex construction and is fixed to swing radially in the
valve box k being carried from the spindle ¹ by the arms . The seat of the
valve is formed by the projecting ring m on the underside of the the top of the
box k and the valve i is kept up to its seat by the pressure of air from the inside of
the buoy through the hole n. The air valve seat m is provided with a recessed locking
bar o which when the air pipe nozzle mouth p is in position is forced into a recess
in each side of such air pipe nozzle mouth p by the action of a spring o¹. In the
valve case k there is a lever, or wheel q over which passes a wire or cord q¹ one
end of which is attached to the valve i and the other end of which passes through
the buoy and is attached by an adjustable stud q³ to a man hole P at the bottom
of the buoy. The function of this wire or cord q' is that when the vessel is inflated
to its fullest limit the wire, or cord q₁ is so tightened that it causes the valve i to
close over its seat m. As the valve i closes over its seat m the projection is on the
top of the valve i comes against the end of the locking bar o and forces back the
locking bar and thus disconnects the air supply pipe nozzle p from the vessel.
Over the mouth m² of the inlet for the air supply pipe there is a cap m' which
closes over the mouth m¹ by means of a spring m³ when the nozzle p is withdrawn.
It will thus be seen that an automatic means is provided for closing the air inlet
valve and disconnecting the supply pipe
The vessel is also provided with suitable relief, or escape valves which it is not
necessary to describe in detail as such valves are in common use in connection
with helmets and dresses for divers and are also being used with inflatable bags
for submarine purposes; their action being to regulate the pressure of air inside
the vessel in accordance with the depth and head of water in which the vessel is
working.
In the application of my Invention to, say, the raising of a sunken ship, a
number of vessels constructed as herein described are used. These vessels from
their collapsable nature are easily transported to the scene of action. A flexible
air pipe is attached as herein described to the vessel. The vessel is then lowered
by means of its chains and attached by a diver to any convenient part of the
sunken ship, namely by inserting the hooks through the side lights, or attaching to
any convenient part of the ships side, deck, or hold. The other end of the air pipe
is connected to any suitable air compressing machinery on the salvage vessel and
by these means the submerged vessel is inflated and when inflated the air pipe is
automatically released, is drawn up to the salvage vessel and attached to another
collapasable vessel, which in its turn is in like manner attached to the sunken ship.
When a sufficient number of these vessels have been attached to the sunken ship,
she will come up. The relief valves in the vessels prevent such vessels from
bursting as the head of water is lessened.
The collapsable vessels according to my Invention may be of any convenient
portable size, for example each vessel may have, when inflated, a displacement of
Foix to tan tora

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First The particular form and construction of apparatus herein described and
illustrated for raising sunken ships and other submerged bodies.
Second In apparatus of the type herein described the use of an air valve such
as i and its accessory parts, which valve is operated automatically so as to close the
air inlet and disconnect the air supply pipe substantially as herein described and
shown in the Drawings hereto annexed.
Third In apparatus of the type herein described the combination of a top piece A
and bottom piece B and flexible sides C, jointed stays E relief valves r supply
valve chains F G rollers substantially as set forth and shown in the Drawings
hereto annexed.