Improved Means of Transferring Barges and other Vessels from One Level to Another.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Transferring Barges and other Vessels from One
Level to Another.
We, BARNABAS JAMES THOMAS and JOSEPH JRX TAYLOв both of 1, Victoria
Street, Westminster, Civil Engineers, and GORDON CALE THOMAS of Marsworth,
in the County of Bucks, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relatos to lifts for transferring barges and other vessels from one
level to another on canals and other waterways in lieu of an ordinary lock or flight
of locks, the object of the invention being to obviate the loss of water from the
higher to the lower level by lockage inseparable from the ordinary system and to
provide for the passage of vessels simultaneously in both directions and at a single
lift and between levels of widely different altitude whereby the loss of time incidental
to the passage through a flight of locks is in great measure avoided.
The invention consists essentially of a system of lifts each formed by a wet dock
wherein the vessel to be transported is waterborne, the dock being mounted on a
wheeled carriage adapted to support the dock horizontally and to run on inclined.
railways extending between the higher and lower water levels, the ways being
trausverse to the length of the dock which travels broadside on so as to admit of a
short length of wheel base and a steep grade. The dock is provided with end gates
which may be opened and closed for admission and egress of the vessel by a rising
and falling sliding or pivotal motion in a vertical plane or swung on hinges as
ordinary lock gates, suitable grooves. or chambers being provided for the gates to
work in and suitable means of making a water-tight closure being provided. The end
of the dock when at the upper part of its inclined railway makes a practically water-
tight joint with the standing work at the extremity of what may be termed the head
bay or pond of which the dock then forms a continuation, there being also a gate or
gates, at, the end of the bay to retain the water when the dock is absent. The
joint between the end of the dock and the standing work of the bay end is preferably
a direct butt joint between.suitable packed or faced surfaces at the leading following
and bottom sides of the dock which close simultaneously by a direct butting, as
distinguished from a sliding, motion against corresponding surfaces on the standing
work. The foot of the inclined way descends below the level of what may bo
termed the tail bay which is open at the end so that the dock and carriago run down
into the water in order to bring the dock into alignment with the tail bay to allow
of the vessel being hauled in or out of the lock.
Where one such lift is used the dock and load would be balanced by a suspended
weight but two such lifts would generally be arrauged to work simultaneously in
opposite directions so as to balance oach other. For economy of space occupied by
the site of the lift the two inclined ways would generally be side by side and although
at the same inclination and extending hetween the same levels they would not be
in the same plane but echeloned so that the oue extends, so to speak, from the right
side of the head bay to the right side of the tail bay whilst the other extends from

page_text: the left side of the head bay to the left side of the tail bay. But they may be otherwise
arranged as for instance the two ways whether end to end in line, at an angle to one
another or otherwise may be oppositely inclined from opposite sides of the head bay
and terminate at foot each in its own tail bay connected with the lower pond. In
either case the two lift carriages would be connected by balance rope or other gear
and would be actunted by winding or other engines or by rack screw worn or other
mechanical means of transmitting motion.
The quantity of water raised from the lower to the higher level will on the average
equal that lowered from the higher to the lower level so that there will be practically
no loss of water by lockage and as the vessels transported by the lifts are waterborne
the weight of the load carried by the dock is always the same whether the vessel bo
loaded or not and whether the dock contain a vessel or not. The disturbance of the
balance which would occur by the immersion of the lift in the water at the foot of
its inclined way may be automatically compensated by varying the effective diameters
of the winding drums of the balance ropes, or by bringing auxiliary power into
operation at the required moment.
Data shod of 1 1902
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improved Means of Transferring Barges and other Vessels from One
Level to Another.
Wo BARNABAS JAMES THOMAS and JOSEPH JEX TAYLOR, both of 1 Victoria Street
Westminster, Civil Engineers and GORDON CALE THOMAS, of Marsworth, in the
County of Bucks Civil Engineer do hereby declare the naturo of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
uscertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to lifts for transferring barges and other vessels from one
level to another on canals and other waterways in lieu of an ordinary lock or flight
of locks, the object of the invention being to obviate the loss of water by lookage
incidental to the ordinary system and to provide for the simultaneous passage of
vessels in opposite directions and at a single lift and between levels of widely different
altitudes whereby the loss of time incidental to the passage through a flight of locks
is in great measure avoided.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification wherein Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a cross-sectional elevation
shewing the general arrangement of a pair of lifts. Figures 3 and 4 are a part
sectional elevation and plan of one of the docks shewn in position against the standing
part of the head bay or pond. Figure 5 is an end elevation of the dock shewing a
face view of the lip which makes joint with the corresponding lip on the standing
work at the end of the head bay or pond. Figure 6 is a side elevation and Figure 7 is a
face view of the lip on the dock as closed against the lip on the standing work which
is shewn in section. Figure 8 is a plan view of a modified genoral arrangement.
The invention consists. essentially of a system of lifts formed of a pair of wet
docks A A' wherein the vessels to be transferred are waterborne, each dock being
mounted on a wheeled carriage adapted to support the dock horizontally and to run
on inclined railways B B' extending between the higher and lower water levels, the
dock travelling broadside on so as to admit of a short length of wheel base and a

page_text: steep grade. Each dock is provided with end gates CC which may be opened and
closed by sliding in a vertical plane, suitable grooves being provided for the gates
to work in and suitable means of making a water-tight closure being provided, the
gates being suspended and operated by counterweighted chains passing over cupped
wheels worked by worin or other gear by handing mechanism or other means.
The one end of the dock when at the upper level makes a practically water-tight
joint with the standing work D at the oxtronity of the head hay or pond E of which
the dock then forms a continuation, there being also gates For pairs of gates to
close the head bay E when the dock is absent, the gates FF being provided with
usual valves for adınitting water to the space between the gate For F and the
gate C. The joint between the end of the dock and the standing work D of the head
bay is a direct butt joint between suitably packed surfaces formed by lips on the
dock and standing work. These surfaces are all parallel to the longitudinal axis of the
dock the surfaces a a' at the bottom and following side of the dock projecting beyond
the surface a' at the leading side of the dock so that the inside L-shaped surfaces a² a
close against the corresponding outside L-shaped surfaces d d of the lip on the
standing work whilst the outside leading surface a' of the lip on the dock closes
against the inside surface of the lip on the standing work which part of the
lip projects beyond the other two sides of the lip on the standing work so that
all three sides are closed simultaneously by a direct butting of surfaces parallel
to the longitudinal axis of the dock.
The foot of the inclined railway descends so far that the dock and carriage may
run down into the water in order to bring the dock into alignment with the tail
bay G, and the water surfaces inside of the dock and of the tail bay to the same
lovel, so as to allow of the vessel being hauled in or out of the dock, when the
dock gate C is oponed.
Two such lifts would generally be arranged to work simultaneously in opposite.
directions so as to balance each other, as shewn, but one such lift may be used
the dock and load being balanced by a weight running on the same or another
incline. For economy of space occupied by the site of the lift the two inclined
ways required for a pair of lifts would preferably be side by side as shewn in
Figures 1 and 2 and although at the same inclination and extending between the
same levels they would not be in the same plane but in echelon so that the one
extends, so to speak, from the right side of the head bay to the right side of the
tail bay whilst the other extends from the left side of the head buy to the left side
of the tail bay. But they may be otherwise arranged as shewn in Figure 8 for
instance the two ways being end to end and in plan at any angle to one another aud
in any relative position, each incline terminating at foot in its own tail bay. In either
case the two lift-carriages would be connected by ropes or chains H or by other
snitablo gear so us to balance each othor and would be actuated by winding ongines
through ropes I or by any other suitable moans.
The quantity of water raised will on the average equal that lowered between the
two levels so that there will be practically no loss of wator by lockage and as the
vessels transported by the lifts are waterborne the weight of tho load carried by
the dock is always the same whether the vessel be loaded or not and whether the
dock contain a vessel or not. The disturbance of the balance which would occur by
the immersion of the lift in the water at the foot of its inclined way may be
automatically compensated by varying the offective diameters of the winding drums
of the balance ropes, or by bringing nuxiliary power into operation at the required
moment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
The herein described system of balanced wet dock lifts for transferring barges and
other vessels from one level to another, the wet dock lifts wherein the vessols to be
transferred are waterborne moving broadside on, upon inclined ways the docks.

page_text: being adapted to make joint with the head bay and to descend into the water at
the tail bay, all substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1897.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.