IMPROVEMENTS IN DREDGING MACHINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Taylor, of Birkenhead, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DREDGING MACHINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 11th May 1858, and dated the 16th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
November 1857.
I, JAMES TAYLOR, of Birkenhead, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DREDGING MACHINES, WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
Heretofore the apparatus used for dredging rivers or submerged ground has
been worked by means of shafting and bevil and other wheel gearing, com-
municating motion from the steam engine placed in or about the centre of a
vessel to the head of the dredging ladder, whereto is connected a series of
scoops employed for the purpose of bringing up the earthy matter which it is
desired to remove or clear away. Now, such arrangement of machinery is
expensive, heavy, and complicated, and is liable to become deranged, more
particularly in those parts which lie between the motive power and the
dredging apparatus.
Now, this Invention relates to a novel arrangement of machinery for the
purpose of working dredging apparatus and other machinery for clearing
channel ways, and also apparatus for examining, surveying, and operating

page_text: upon submerged surfaces and objects, and consists in applying an arrangement
of direct-acting double cylinder steam engines, (with or without intermediate
gearing suitable for regulating the power or speed) to the drum placed at the
head or top end of the dredging ladder, by which the dredger may be caused
to rotate, or revolve at pleasure, and thus supersede the use of intermediate
sbafting and gearing.
A distinct but similar arrangement of apparatus may be employed for
working the ladder raising and lowering apparatus, and performing other
work in and about the dredging vessel.
For working submarine apparatus as for supplying air to a diving bell, and
for raising and lowering the same, I employ direct-acting engines combined
with crab gearing and pumps.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TAYLOR, of Birkenhead, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Ifer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the 21st year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said James Taylor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Taylor, executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within tho United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DREDGING
MACHINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Taylor, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
القيم

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Taylor, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawing:-
:-
Heretofore the apparatus used for dredging rivers or submerged ground has
been worked by means of shafting and bevil and other wheel gearing, com-
municating motion from a slow moving steam engine, placed in or about the
centre of a vessel, to the head of the dredging ladder; thereto is connected a
series of scoops employed for the purpose of bringing up the earthy matter
which it is desired to remove or clear away. Now, such an arrangement of
machinery is expensive, heavy, and complicated, and is liable to becomo
deranged, more particularly in those parts which lie between the motive power
and the dredging apparatus.
Now, this Invention relates to a novel arrangement of machinery for the
purpose of working dredging apparatus and other machinery for clearing
channel ways, and also apparatus for examining, surveying, and operat
upon submerged surfaces and objects, and consists in applying an arrangement
of direct-acting double cylinder steam engines to the roller or drum placed
at the head or top end of the dredging ladder, by which the dredger may be
caused to rotate or revolve at pleasure, and thus supersede the use of inter-
mediate shafting and gearing.
A distinct, but similar arrangement of apparatus may be employed for
working the ladder raising and lowering apparatus, and performing other
work in and about the dredging vessel.
For working submarine apparatus as for supplying air to a diving bell, and
for raising and lowering the same, I employ direct-acting engines combined
with crabbed gearing and pumps.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 exhibits a transverse section of a
dredging machine, with two dredging ladders and bucket apparatus over-
hanging the sides of the vessel, and which are worked by the direct action of
independent steam power according to this Invention. Fig. 2 is a side
elevation of a dredging machine, shewing one of the ladder franes and its set
of buckets or scoops drawn up and out of work. In Fig. 1 the buckets for
the sake of clearness are not shewn, being removed from the ladder.
In Figs. 1 & 2, a, a, represent vessel; b, b, the framework from which
the ladders and dredging apparatus are suspended; this frame is trussed
and tied in manner shewn, although any other suitable mode of framing
together and strengthening may be adopted if preferred; c, c, are the
ladder frames, which are trussed to give them rigidity; d, d, being the chain

page_text: i
with its buckets; e, e, the rollers around which the endless chains pass,
and which chains have attached thereto the buckets, which buckets or
scoops upon coming in contact with the submerged surface to be acted upon
or dredged out, each take up and remove sono portion thereof, and after
travelling up the ladder and passing round the roller at the head thereof,
empty their contents into the shoot f. f, the ladder frame c, c, having at its lower
end a roller or drum e, e, similar to those at the head of each ladder, and
having also a bridle frame, by which the lifting tacklo g, g, supports it, and
raises or lowers the buckets out of or into work; h, h, are two tangent wheels,
one of which is keyed on the shaft of the roller or drum e; a worm or
screw supported in suitable bearings gears into the tangent wheel h, and by
means of a stud wheel or disc, placed on each end of the worm or worm shaft,
a connecting rod k communicates motion from the steam engine 7, there being
two steam cylinders 1, one acting at each end each of the worms i, i, tho
studs in tho stud wheels or discs being placed at right angles to each other.
Steam for working these ongines may be furnished by a boiler or boilers.
placed in any convenient position within the vessel, and the hauling up or
lowering of the ladder may either be effected by means of small steam
cylinders similarly applied, and supplied with steam from the same boiler, or
the tackle or hauling apparatus g. 9, may be worked by hand. A wooden
fender frame m is placed at each side of the vessel to keep off the mud barges.
In dredging machines where a single ladder is employed erected in the
centre of the vessel, and working through a well or longitudinal opening in
the bottom thereof, I apply two or more small engines direct to the barrel or
drum, in manner similar to that just described, or by means of a pinion and
spur wheel, as shown in Figs. 3 & 4, instead of through the agency of a worm
and wheel, as before described; and I prefer to employ in such a case four
small cylinders, two acting upon each end of the ladder, drum, or roller.
By bolting or otherwise fastening to the side of the tangent wheel h a drum
or spur wheel, or both, and disconnecting the drum c by means of a clutch or
coupling peice, the engines 1, 1, may be employed for puinping or hauling,
and performing any other work in or about the vessel whenever the dredging
apparatus is thrown out of gear.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of part of the top framing of dredging apparatus,
and exhibits another plan of working dredging apparatus according to this
Invention, by the employment of a spur wheel and pinion, instead of the
tangent wheel and scrow; a, a, is the frame; b, the drum or roller, round
which the endless chain passes; c, spur wheel keyed on to the shaft of the
drum or roller; d, a pinion gearing into the spur wheel c; upon the over

page_text: hanging end of the shaft of pinion c is a crank, to the stud or pin of which
the piston rod ends of two oscillating engines are connected, the one piston rod
terminating with a fork joint, the other terminating with a single joint working
between the forked ends of the double joint.
For working other submarine or subaqueous apparatus for performing
surveying, the blasting of rocks, or the removal of submerged bodies, and
clearing out of channels, &c.; or for effecting the building up of foundations
and other structures under water, I employ similar arrangements of steam
machinery, that is to say, two or more steam cylinders being applied direct to
the respective parts of such apparatus as may require to be rotated, or other-
wise moved or put in motion or acted upon.
Having described my Invention, and illustrated its application to double
ladder dredging machines, I wish it to be understood that I claim the novel
construction and method of working dredging machines, and other machinery
and apparatus employed for performing subaqueous or submarine operations,
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
WILLIAM SMITH, C.E.,
10, Salisbury St., Adelphi.
JAMES TAYLOR. (L.S.)