An Improved Apparatus for Cleaning Ships' Bottoms, also applicable for Disturbing Mud in the Bed of Rivers and Streams.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1891-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Cleaning Ships' Bottoms, also applicable
for Disturbing Mud in the Bed of Rivers and Streams.
I HENRY CHAPMAN BAGOT of Glyn near Conway in the County of Carnarvon
Mechanician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This my invention relates to an improved apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms
and the object of my invention is to devise an automatic rotating appliance by
means of which fouling and accumulations upon ships bottoms may be readily
removed when the ship is at sea or when moored in a stream or tidal way.
My invention consists of two hollow cylinders open at their ends, preferably of
galvanized iron or steel which may be corrugated and perforated the said cylinders
having a screw propellor fixed at each end.
The said cylinders are mounted upon a hollow or other shaft which passes
through the hubs or bosses of the before mentioned propellors so as to allow the
cylinders to freely rotate upon the said shaft.
Upon the outer surface of the said cylinders are secured brushes of wire or other
material the said brushes being made in sections or in one piece as may be found
desirable.
My improved apparatus is used in the following manner-A saddle is fitted or
adjusted upon the stem of the vessel at any desired height and a snatch or other
block is attached to either side thereof.
A wire rope or chain is attached to one end of the shaft of each of the cylinders
before described the said rope or chain being passed through the said blocks upon
the saddle and the bight of the said rope between the said blocks is taken on deck
where it may be passed through or connected to other snatch blocks or tackle as
may be found requisite.
When in use the cylinders are placed one upon either side of the vessel
preferably at amidships and tail and guide ropes are attached to the said cylinders
to indicate their position and to facilitate the handling of the same: the vertical
position of the cylinders may also be regulated by means of a suitable tackle from
the deck of the vessel to the saddle on the stem.
The cylinders being placed in position the passage of the ship through the
water will cause the cylinders to be rotated by the action of the screw propellors
therein and the brushes upon the cylinders will remove any foulness or growth
which may be adhering to the bottom of the ship. The same result will of course
be attained when the ship is moored in a stream or tidal way.
The position of the cylinders may be readily changed as required from the deck
of the vessel by means of the bight of the rope passed through the blocks upon
the saddle as the cylinders being attached to the ends of said rope a forward
movement of one of the said cylinders will cause a reverse movement on the part
of the other. Thus it will be readily understood that the whole of the hull may
be effectually cleaned without interfering with the working of the ship.
If desired tools may be employed in place of the brushes upon the said cylinders
and my apparatus may also be utilized for the disturbance of silt or mud deposited
at the bottom of streams and other similar places.
Dated this 1st day of May 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Cleaning Ships' Bottoms, also applicable
for Disturbing Mud in the Bed of Rivers and Streams.
I HENRY CHAPMAN BAGOT of Glyn near Conway in the County of Carnarvon
Mechanician 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 :-
This my invention relates to an improved apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms
and the object of my said invention is to devise an automatic rotating appliance by
means of which fouling and accumulations upon ships bottoms may be readily
removed when the ship is at sea or when moored in a stream or tidal way.
My invention consists of two cylinders open at their ends preferably of galvanized
iron or steel which may be perforated or corrugated the said cylinders having a
propellor fixed at each end.
-
Each of the said cylinders is mounted upon a hollow or other shaft which passes
through the bosses of the before mentioned propellors so as to allow the cylinders
to freely rotate upon their respective shafts. Upon the outer surface of the said
cylinders are secured brushes of wire or other material the said brushes being made
in sections or in one piece as may be found desirable.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood reference should be:
made to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1. shews my improved apparatus when in use; the cylinder being shewn to
an enlarged scale to facilitate the illustration and its application.
Fig. 2. is a perspective view of one of the cylinders showing a portion of the
cylinder the brush being partially removed.
In the accompanying drawings wherein like letters indicate corresponding parts
in both of the figures A. is the metallic cylinder open at both ends the said cylinder
being mounted upon a shaft B in the manner hereinafter specified. Upon the outer
surface of the said cylinder is a brush C of wire or other material secured in
position in any convenient manner.
The metallic cylinders A have a propellor D fixed within each of the open ends
of the cylinders the said propellors having a perforation formed in their respective
hubs through which the shaft B passes.
My improved apparatus is used in the following manner :-A saddle a Fig. 1.
which may be formed in two portions hinged or otherwise connected together is
fitted or adjusted upon the stem of the vessel at any desired height and a snatch or
other block is attached to each of the outer sides thereof. A. wire rope or
chaine is attached to one end of the shaft B of each of the cylinders A before
described the said rope or chain c being passed through the said blocks b upon the
saddle and the bight of the said rope c between the blocks is taken on deck where
it may be passed through or connected to other snatch blocks requisite for the
convenient handling of the apparatus or a round turn of the bight of the rope a
chain may be thrown over a capstan winch end.
The cylinders A are placed when in use one upon either side of the vessel
preferably at amidships and tail and guide ropes d are attached to the said
cylinders A to indicate their position and facilitate the vertical adjustment of the
same to the required position the said vertical adjustment of the cylinders being
also regulated by means of a tackle e from the deck of the vessel to the saddle a
on the stem. Suitable guys may be attached to the saddle a to prevent any
accidental displacement when the apparatus is in use.
The bight of the rope or chain having first been made secure and the cylinders A
having been placed in position simultaneously in the manner before described the
passage of the vessel through the water will cause the cylinders to be rotated by
the action of the propellors D therein and by the rotation of the cylinders the

page_text: brushes thereon will remove any foulness or growth which may be adhering to the
bottom of the ship. The same result will of course be attained when the ship is
moored in a stream or tidal way.
The position of the cylinders may be readily changed as required from the deck
of the vessel by means of the bight of the rope passed through the blocks upon
the saddle as the cylinders being attached to each end of the said rope a forward
movement of one of the said cylinders will cause a reverse movement on the part
of the other. Thus it will be readily understood that the whole of the hull of the
vessel may be effectually cleaned without interfering with the action or working of
the ship.
If desired tools or scrapers may be attached to or upon the cylinders in place of
the brushes herein before described without departing from the spirit of my
invention.
My apparatus may be employed for the disturbance of silt or mud deposited at
the bottom of streams, rivers and other similar places for which purpose the
apparatus would be lowered to the bed of the stream and towed by means of a
suitable line from a vessel proceeding up or down the river thereby causing the
mud to be disturbed and carried down stream with the tide.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A. rotating device for the purposes specified consisting of a hollow cylinder
having propellors secured in the ends thereof and mounted upon a longitudinal
shaft in combination with brushes or tools secured in or upon the said cylinder and
means for the suspension and control of the apparatus substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of October 1891.
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.