Improvements in Diving Bells.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1899
Improvements in Diving Bells.
I, SIMON LAKE, of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, in the United States of
America, Engineer, 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 invention has for its object to provide a diving bell which may be readily
operated by means of contained apparatus so as to dispense with the employment
of an attendant vessel upon the surface for rendering such assistance as has
been heretofore commonly required in the performance of submarine work; and
to provide a structure of this class of such character as to be easily movable
upon the water bed while operatively engaged.
The present improvement is designed especially for use in laying submarine
foundations, and in pearl, coral, and sponge fishing and other operations wherein
it is important that the apparatus for lifting and transferring the objects to be
operated upon be movable during the working of the same.
The invention consists primarily in the application to the diving bell of
depending wheels for supporting it while resting upon the water bed, whereby
it may be moved, not only for the purpose of shifting its position intermediate
to series of operations in a given locality, but during its actual working as in
lifting and transferring blocks of stone in laying submarine foundations.
The invention consists also in the application to the exterior of such structure
of a winch and boom for use in lifting heavy objects from the water bed, and
placing them in some predetermined relation."
The present improvement further includes means for adjusting the height of
the structure above the water bed upon its supporting wheels, means for effecting
its submergence, means for supplying the same with atmospheric air and carrying
away the spent air, a special arrangement of working compartments, and various
other specific details of construction to be described hereafter.
In the drawings annexed, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a diving bell
embodying my present improvements; Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the base
of the boom and the mechanism within the bell for turning the same into
different axial relations; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the structure floating upon
the surface of the water, in the operation of inloading a cargo upon a scow
alongside; and Fig. 4 is a similar view of the apparatus employed, while
resting upon the water bed, in the building of a submarine foundation.
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the diving bell with the top of the operating or
motor chamber removed to expose the contained apparatus. Fig. 6 is a similar
view, taken on the line in Fig. 1, showing the lower compartments of the
bell in plan view. Fig. 7 is a representation of the upper side of one of the
bottom doors of the diver's compartment, and Fig. 8 a vertical section illustrating
the mode of application of such doors to their respective doorways and within
the supporting guideway therefor.
The diving bell is shown constructed of a cylindrical shell 1 closed at the
top and bottom and divided into an upper operating or motor compartment 2,
a lower central compartment or chamber 3 surrounded by a concentric diver

page_text: compartment 4 and an air-lock compartment 6 above the latter and communicating
therewith and with the operating compartment by means of doors 7 and 8,
respectively. The lower central compartment 3, which is designed to afford
space for both cargo and water ballast, is provided with a bottom door 9 for
access thereto from below, in addition to its lateral doors 5 and upper door 8*.
The operating compartiment is preferably furnished with a motor, such as the
gas engine 10, whose shaft is projected through the shell and provided external
thereto with a propeller wheel 11. The rudder 12, carried by suitable bearings 13
adjacent to the propeller screw, is provided with a vertical pivot having a worm
wheel 14 meshing with a worm 15 whose shaft 16 carries upon its inner end a
drum 17 from which are led the lines 18 for connecting the same with the
steering wheel commonly provided for actuating the rudder.
To effect the submergence of the bell, the external weights 19, which are
suspended by cords 19¹ from suitable hoisting drums 20 mounted upon shafts
extended through the shell into the compartment 2 to receive the actuating
érank gearing 20¹, are first lowered to the water bed, and water is then admitted
to the water ballast chamber 3 through the inlet pipe 21 having a valve 22
whose stem 22 projects upwardly through the top of the said chamber to receive
the hand wheel 221. In case the external water pressure is not such as to effect
the compression of the contained air sufficiently to admit the required volume
of water to nearly destroy the buoyancy of the structure, the doors 5 may be
opened for the reception of such confined air into the diver's compartment, or
the entire expulsion of such air may be effected through a suitable air exit pipe
provided for the purpose leading outward from the top of the chamber. The
buoyancy of the diving bell having been nearly destroyed by the admission of
water ballast, and the water inlet pipe closed, the hoisting drums 20 may now
be actuated to wind in their lines, which operate to draw the structure down
to the water bed, the slight buoyancy of the same remaining being insufficient
to support the weights.
In order to maintain the shell movably upon the bottom, so that the weights
may be drawn upwardly off the water bed to insure the stability of the structure
in its operative position beneath the surface, the upright bars or standards 23
are provided, each having at its lower end a caster wheel 24 and formed at its
upper end with a cylindrical head 23¹ fitted closely to the bore of a hydraulic
cylinder 25 having its closed upper end connected with a water supply pipe by
means of a three-way valve 26" and with a pressure gage 27" for indicating the
water pressure therein. The several pressure gages not only serve to show the
weight of the cargo with which the structure is being loaded or that of the
objects being lifted by its hoisting apparatus, but they together serve to indicate
whether the load is uniformly distributed so as to adapt the bell to float with
the floors of its compartments level when caused to rise to the surface.
The hydraulic cylinders 25 are secured to the exterior of the shell by straps 251
or other suitable means. It is obvious that the admission and expulsion of
water to and from these cylinders serves to vary the adjustment of the shell 1
above the water bed, and that by their independent connection with the water
supply pipe they may be made to compensate for any unevenness in the water
bed and to maintain the floors of the several compartments in a level position.
To enable the diving bell to handle heavy objects in its operations beneath
the surface, the shell is provided externally with a winch 26 the shaft 26¹ of
which is journaled at its outer end in a suitable bearing in the bracket 261
and the inner end is projected through the shell and coupled to an electric
motor 27 for actuating the same. A swivel head 28 is applied to the top of the
bell near the edge with its pintle 28¹ projected through the same and provided
with a gear 28 meshing with a similar gear upon the crank shaft 29 with
orank 30 for actuating the same; and to this swivel head is pivoted the base of
the swinging boom 31 carrying at its outer end the pulley block 32 over which
the hoisting line 33 from the winch 26 is passed to the object to be lifted,

page_text: An upright frame is provided upon the top of the shell 1 by the erection
thereon of a series of two or more pipes 34 from points near the edge and con-
verging at the upper ends which are secured together by a union piece or yoke 35
from which depends a pulley block 36 for use in removing the cargo as hereinafter
explained. A suitable stay line 311 connects the top of this frame with the
outer end of the boom for sustaining the latter at the desired angle of elevation
in the performance of its function. This stay line may obviously be provided
with the usual means for varying its effective length for changing the angle
of elevation of the boom when desired.
Each of the upright pipes 34 is shown in communication with the interior
of the bell at its lower end and provided at the opposite end (which is reflexly
bent as indicated in the drawing) with a valve 37 whose stem 371 is connected
to and actuated by a lever 38 pivoted at one end to the union piece 35 and
carrying at its opposite end a float 39 of spherical form. The exhaust pipe 40
from the gas engine 10 is connected with the inner end of one of the upright
pipes 34 through which the products of combustion are led to the surface, above
which latter the frame is designed to project for the purpose. Fresh air is
supplied to the interior of the bell through one or more of the pipes 34. In
case the upper extremities of those supply and exhaust pipes are temporarily
submerged by waves upon the surface or other causes, the floats 39 are raised
and their respective valves thus automatically closed until the surface of the
water drops below the mouths of the said pipes, when they serve to open the
valves in a similar manner.
The operating or motor compartment is furnished with a hydraulic pump 41
driven from the gas engine shaft by a belt and pulley connection, for supplying
power to actuate the hydraulic cylinders 25; a dynamo 42 similarly driven for
supplying current for the motor actuating the winch 26; and an air com-
pressor 43; also similarly connected with the gas motor engine shaft, for storing
compressed air in the reservoir 44 from which pipes 441 are led to the cargo
compartment 3 and the air lock compartment 6. Each of these members of
the apparatus, as well as the motor, may obviously be of any suitable type and
construction.
To provide for the egress and ingress of the occupants of the structure when
the latter is resting upon the water bed, the bottom of the annular driver's
compartment is formed with a series of doorways each adapted to be closed by
a door 45 having a recess or depression 45' in its upper side. Each of these
doors is fitted movably within a guideway extending along the opposite sides
of said doorways upon the under side of the shell and formed of angle irons 46
whose depending webk have the inwardly projecting flanges 46¹ overhanging
the edges of the doors 45 so as to support them close to the bottom of the shell
when not secured in their normal positions. Each door is fastened in position
for closing its respective doorway by means of bolts 47 hinged at one end to
suitable lugs 45" in the recess or depression 451 in the door and provided at
the other end with clamp nuts 471; notches 48 being formed in the edges of the
doorway to receive the shanks of said bolts, as shown in Figs. 1, 6 and 8.
The diving bell having been propelled upon the surface to the vicinity in
which it is to be operated and its submergence having been effected to enable
it to rest upon its supporting wheels upon the water bed, as already described,
the divers or other operators enter the compartment 4 and, the doors having
been closed, compressed air is admitted from the reservoir 44. By opening a
pet cock 49 in a pipe 50 projected from the bottom and communicating with
the exterior of the compartment, it may be readily ascertained when the pressure
of the pressure of the air within is equal to that of the surrounding water, as
the water will cease to flow in through the cock as soon as such equilibrium
between the internal and external pressures is reached. When the inner and
outer pressures have become equalized as described, each door may be opened
by first loosening the clamp nuts 471 and turning their respective fastening

page_text: bolts upon their pivots into the recess 45'; thereby releasing the door and
permitting it to drop down upon the supporting flanges 46 of the guide way,
upon which it may be slid laterally to expose the doorway normally closed by
it, the bolts 47 lying within the recess being obviously retained out of interference
with the under side of the bell at such time.
When the apparatus is employed in pearl, coral or sponge fishing and other
operations of like character, a diver may stand upon the water bed beneath
each doorway with the upper portion of his body within the compartment 4
and reach down with his hands to the bottom for the objects for which he is
in search, placing them upon the section of the floor intermediate to the doorways,
and slowly pushing the diving bell along in a given course upon its supporting
wheels as the area of the water bed beneath becomes cleared.
As the cargo accumulates in the outer compartment 4 it may be transferred
from time to time through the lateral doors 5 into the cargo and water ballast
compartment 3 where it may be retained for delivery after the structure ascends
to the surface.
In cases wherein the employment of the winch and boom are required, these
may both be actuated from the interior by an occupant of the operating or
motor compartment, suitable dead lights 51 being provided at convenient points
in the shell for inspection of the work as it progresses.
It often happens that the materials to be handled in the building of submarine
foundations are not deposited sufficiently near the site of the foundation for
being placed in position by hoisting apparatus in a stationary position. The
present improvement provides for such an emergency in its adaptability for
being moved while sustaining the object to be so placed, its supporting wheels
enabling it to traverse the water bed to compensate for the necessarily limited
length of the boom. The hydraulic cylinders for governing the height of the
shell upon its supporting standards also provides means for conveniently elevating
a foundation stone or other heavy object without the necessity of shortening
the effective lateral reach of the boom by the common expedient of changing
its angle of elevation for such purpose. This feature is obviously of importance
in the construction of piers in which the base is of greater area than the upper
portion, as in Fig. 4 of the drawings. When it is desired to cause the diving
bell to rise to the surface, the doors 45 are slid back in the guide way under
their respective doorways and their fastening bolts secured in place, when the
water contained in the compartment 3 may be expelled through the pipe 21 by
the admission of compressed air at a sufficient pressure, so as to partially restore
the buoyancy of the structure. The hoisting lines 191 are then unwound to
enable the bell to rise to the surface, the remaining water ballast expelled from
the compartment 3, and the weights 19 wound up to their normal positions
adjacent to the shell, when the structure is ready for propulsion to a place for
the transfer of its cargo. The latter operation is effected by removing the
doors or hatches 8 and 52 in the tops of the cargo and operating compartments, re-
spectively, and raising the cargo by means of a bucket 53 or other receptacle fixed
to a hoisting line 54 passing over the pulley block 36 suspended from the upright
frame 34, 35, as indicated in Fig. 3.
From the foregoing description it will be observed that the frame 34, 35
serves a three-fold purpose; that of affording an abutment for the stay line
attached to the head of the boom 31, of providing inlet and exhaust passages
or conduits for the air employed within the diving bell, and of supporting the
pulley block 36 used in unloading the cargo from the compartment 3. By
suitably staying the boom 31, the winch 26 and line 33 may be used in connection
with the pulley block 36 in the operation of transferring the cargo.
While the frame 34, 35 is shown herein as constructed of two upright pipes
only, which are all that are required for conducting the air and gases to and
from the interior of the structure, it is preferable in practice to add at least

page_text: one more so as to form a tripod for conferring the requisite stiffness to withstand
the lateral strain to which it is subjected by the stay line 311.
Each of the rotating shafts piercing the outer shell would in practice obviously
surrounded with a suitable stuffing box to prevent leakage around the same
during the submergence of the diving bell; and such stuffing boxes are shown
at certain points upon the annexed drawings but omitted at others as immaterial
to the present improvements. Numerous other details of construction have also
been omitted from the accompanying drawings, as they form no part of the
present invention and their illustration in connection herewith would serve no
useful purpose.
While the several operative members of the apparatus contained within the
compartment 2 have been described at some length herein, it is to be understood
that they are not essential to the present invention, which consists primarily in
a diving bell mounted upon supporting wheels so that it may be readily pusked
from place to place by the applicants while resting upon the water bed.
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 :—
1. A diving bell mounted upon supporting wheels revoluble independently of
mechanism contained within said bell, and adapted to be moved freely from
place to place while resting upon the water bed.
2. A diving bell mounted upon supporting wheels each of which is revoluble
independently of the others and of mechanism contained within said bell, and
adapted to be moved freely from place to place while resting upon the water bed.
3. A diving bell mounted upon caster wheels and adapted to be moved freely
in any direction by the occupants walking upon the water bed while resting
thereupon.
4. A diving bell provided with a series of upright supporting bars secured
adjustably thereto as described and provided each with a caster wheel upon its
lower end whereby said diving bell is adapted to be moved freely in any direction
while upon the water bed and in any of the adjustments of its supporting bars.
5. A diving bell provided with a series of upright hydraulic cylinders, a
corresponding series of supporting bars provided each with a caster wheel upon
its lower end and having its upper end fitted in one of said hydraulic cylinders
to serve as a plunger therefor, and means for supplying water to said cylinders
and maintaining said bars at the required height therein.
6. A diving bell provided externally with a series of upright hydraulic
cylinders, a corresponding series of supporting bars provided each with a caster
wheel upon its lower end and having its upper end fitted in one of said hydraulic
cylinders to serve as a plunger therefor, and means for independently supplying
said cylinders with water for maintaining each of said bars at the required
height in its respective cylinder.
7. A diving bell provided externally with a series of upright hydraulic
cylinders, a corresponding series of supporting bars provided each with a caster
wheel upon its lower end and having its upper end fitted closely within one of
said hydraulic cylinders to serve as a plunger therefor, a system of pipe con-
nections and valves for manipulating said cylinders individually, and a water
gage connected with each of said cylinders to indicate the pressure therein.
8. A diving bell provided with depending wheels for supporting the same
movably upon the water bed, valves for the admission and expulsion of water
ballast, hoisting drums mounted exterior to said diving bell and means for
actuating the same, and weights suspended by suitable cables from said hoisting
drums, as and for the purpose set forth.
9. A diving bell provided with depending wheels for supporting the same
movably upon the water bed, valves for the admission and expulsion of water

page_text: :
"
ballast, hoisting drums mounted upon shafts journaled in brackets secured to
the exterior of said diving bell and projected through stuffing boxes within the
same, weights suspended by suitable cables from said hoisting drums, and crank
gearing within the diving bell for actuating said drums as and for the purpose
set forth.
10. A diving bell provided with a winch mounted externally to and actuated
by means within the diving bell, a boom swiveled in the top of said bell and
provided with a pulley block, and a line leading from said winch over said
pulley blook.
11. A diving bell provided with a winch mounted externally to and actuated
by a motor within the said diving bell, a boom having its base pivoted to a
swivel bearing whose pintle is projected through the wall of the bell,
mechanism within the latter and applied to said pintle for turning the
same, a pulley block applied to the outer end of said boom, and a line
leading from said winch over said pulley block.
12. A diving bell provided with a winch mounted externally to and actuated
by a motor within said diving bell, a boom having its base pivoted to a swivel
bearing whose pintle is, projected through the wall of said bell and actuated by
mechanism within the latter, a pulley block at the outer end of said boom,
an upright frame projected from the top of the bell, a stay line connecting the
top of said frame with the outer end of said boom, and a line running from
said winch over said pulley block.
13. A diving bell provided with a winch mounted externally to and actuated
by a motor within said diving bell, a boom mounted externally upon said bell
and carrying a pulley block, a frame projected upwardly from the top of said
bell and formed of pipes open at their upper ends and communicating at their
lower ends with the interior of said bell, a stay line connecting the top of said
frame with the outer end of said boom, and a line running from said winch
over said pulley block.
14. A diving bell constructed with an upwardly projecting pipe in com-
munication at the lower end with the interior of the bell and provided at the
upper end with a valve having a suitable stem, an actuating lever for said valve
pivoted at one end upon said pipe and carrying at the other end a suitable
Hoat, and a connection between said valve stem and its actuating lever.
15. A diving bell constructed with upwardly projecting pipes extending from
the outer edges of the top and secured together at their upper ends to form a
rigid frame, said pipes communicating at their lower ends with the interior
of the bell and having their upper extremities reflexly bent and provided with
valves having suitable stems, actuating levers for said valves each pivoted at
one end to a suitable fulcrum and carrying at the opposite end a float, and
connections between said valve stems and their respective actuating levers.
16. A diving bell constructed with two upwardly projecting pipes each
provided at its upper end with an automatically closing valve actuated by means
of a suitable float and having its lower end in communication with the interior
of said bell, and a gas engine within said bell drawing its air supply directly
from the interior of the same and arranged to exhaust through one of said valved
pipes.
17. A diving bell provided with means for effecting its submergence and with
independently revoluble wheels for supporting it upon the water bed, a doorway
in its bottom, and a door for maintaining the same normally closed and provided
with means for fastening the same detachably to enable it to be wholly removed
from said doorway.
18.. A diving bell provided with means for effecting its submergence and with
depending wheels for supporting it upon the water bed, doorways in the bottom.
of the same, and doors fitted movably to suitable guideways and adapted to
maintain said doorways normally closed.
19. A diving bell provided with means for effecting its submergence and with

page_text: depending wheels for supporting it upon the water bed, a circular series of
doorways in the bottom, concentric guides adjacent to and enclosing said door-
ways, and a series of sliding doors fitted movably between said guides and
adapted to maintain said doorways normally closed.
20. A diving bell provided with means for effecting its submergence, and with
depending wheels for supporting it upon the water bed, doorways in the
bottom, guides applied to the under side of the bell upon opposite sides of said
doorways and extending beyond the same, said guides being formed of angle
bars with overhanging flanges as described, and doors fitted movably between
said guides and supported adjacent to the bottom of the bell by said overhanging
flanges, as and for the purpose set forth.
21. A diving bell provided with means for effecting its submergence and with
wheels for supporting it upon the water bed, doorways in the bottom, guides
upon the under side of the bell extending along the opposite sides of said
doorways and beyond the same, said guides being formed of angle bars with
overhanging flanges as described, doors each having one side recessed fitted
movably between said guides and supported by said overhanging flanges with
their recessed sides adjacent to the under side of the bell, and fastening bolts
provided with suitable clamp nuts hinged within the recessed sides of said doors
and adapted to engage notches therefor in the edges of the doorways, as and for
the purpose set forth.
22. A diving bell provided with an upper operating compartment, & lower
central cargo compartment and surrounding diver's compartment provided with
a series of bottom doors, doors establishing communication between said cargo
and diver's compartments, and doors in the tops of said cargo and operating
compartments for use in removing the cargo.
23. A diving bell provided with an upper operating compartment, a lower
central cargo compartment, and a surrounding diver's compartment provided
with bottom doors, doors establishing communication between said cargo and
diver's compartments, central doors in the tops of said cargo and operating
compartments, a frame projected upwardly from the top of the bell, and a pulley
block suspended from said frame over said central doors of the operating and
cargo compartments, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 30th day of December 1898.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant,
17, St Ann's Square, Manchester.