Im- PROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF GETTING AT THE EXTERNAL BOTTOM OF SHIPS'AND VESSELS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CLEANING, REPAIRING, AND OVERHAULING THEM
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Campbell, of 4, Founders' Court, in
the City of London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF GETTING AT THE EXTERNAL BOTTOM OF SHIPS'AND
VESSELS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CLEANING, REPAIRING, AND OVERHAULING THEM.”
"
Scaled the 25th June 1872, and dated the 19th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Campbell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th April 1872.
I, JAMES CAMPBELL, of 4, Founders' Court, in the City of London,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF GETTING AT THE EXTERNAL BOTTOM OF SHIPS AND
VESSELS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CLEANING, REPAIRING, AND OVERHAULING THEM,”
be as follows :—
"to

page_text: My Invention has reference to the combined operations of heeling
over vessels, and raising them from the water sufficiently to get their
keels out of the water, and thereby to afford access to the whole of the
raised side.
I effect the mode of heeling over and raising as follows:-I prefer to ♬
use a very short floating dock with both ends open, and therein to float
the vessel. The vessel being in the dock I then weight it on one side in
order to heel it over on that side, the vessel remaining afloat on the
other side. When the vessel is thus heeled over its keel and lower side
are respectively caused to rest against blocks suitably wedged or adapted 1
to receive and support the said keel and side of the vessel. :
It is preferred that the heeling over should be effected partly by
ballast in the lower bilge and partly by kentledge on deck. The mode
of heeling over may be varied.
In some cases only a partial heeling over and raising may be required 1
when it is not necessary to reach the keel of the vessel. In other cases
the vessel will be raised until the keel is entirely out of the water.
The stability lengthwise is secured by the vessel itself being left in the
water for a considerable portion of its length; the lateral stability is
secured by the dock. The vessel may have a bearing piece or pieces on 2
each side which may either be part of the vessel or be put in for the
occasion, and it is preferred that the outer edges of the said bearing
pieces should be in planes parallel to the straight keel, so that they may
be made to rest the more accurately on the blocks.

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Campbell, Her special licence that
I, the said James Campbell, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Campbell, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel·
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE
OF GETTING AT THE EXTERNAL BOTTOM OF SHIPS AND VESSELS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
CLEANING AND OVERHAULING THEM,” upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Campbell, 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.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that Ì, the said James Campbell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say) :—
My Invention of "Improvements in the Mode of Getting at the
External Bottom of Ships and Vessels for the Purpose of Cleaning,
Repairing, and Overhauling them," consists in the mode or modes of
operation herein-after described.
When a ship is heeled over it often occurs that very little more than
the bilge is exposed.
My Invention has reference to the combined operations of heeling
over vessels and raising them from the water sufficiently to get their
keels out of the water, and thereby to afford access to the whole of the
raised side.
I effect the mode of heeling over and raising as follows:-I prefer to
use a very short floating dock with both ends open, and therein to float
the vessel. The vessel being in the dock I then weight it on one side
in order to heel it over on that side. When the vessel is thus heeled

page_text: over its keel and lower side are respectively caused to rest against
blocks suitably wedged or adapted to receive and support the said keel
and side of the vessel.
It is preferred that the heeling over should be effected partly by
ballast in the lower bilge and partly by kentledge on deck. The mode
of heeling over may be varied.
In some cases only a partial heeling over and raising may be required
when it is not necessary to reach the keel of the vessel. In other cases
the vessel will be raised until the keel is entirely out of the water.
The stability lengthwise is secured by the vessel itself being left in
the water for a considerable portion of its length; the lateral stability
is secured by the dock.
The vessel may have a bearing piece or pieces on each side, which
may either be part of the vessel or be put on for the occasion, and it is
preferred that the outer edges of the said bearing picces should be in:
planes parallel to the straight keel, so that they may be made to rest the
more accurately on the blocks. The short dock should be kept parallel
to the bottom of the keel during the heeling over, and as close up to
the vessel us may be convenient so as to receivo it in the desired
relative position.
In the case of ships which are very crank, the heeling over may be
completed after the keel and bearing pieces have landed on the blocks,
in which case the dock is made to go round with the ship for the
remainder of the heeling over required. If the vessel is too stiff and the
weights required on deck are considerable, I prefer to extend these
across the deck instead of placing them on one side only.
Heaving down tackle might then be used to assist in the heeling over,
as also keel hauling tackle if convenient, taking care that the tackle is
applied in varied directions so as to control the relative position of the
vessel and dock; and then again the heeling over may be completed
after the keel and bearing pieces have landed on the blocks.
I prefer the kentledge on deck to be enclosed in iron girders, say,
about three feet apart, with stiffeners so as to divide the weights in
small independent lots, the iron girders to be bolted or screwed down to
the deck where most convenient.

page_text: I prefer to effect the raising from the water by pumping out the water
from between the outer and inner skins of the short dock, which would.
be divided in transverse compartments on each side of its central
diaphragm or internal keel.
The cradle or staging carrying the blocks should extend beyond the
short dock at each end to spread the strains.
Any of the known means of raising vessels may be employed for the
purpose.
If the vessels are not strong enough the combined operations of
heeling over and raising should be only partially carried out, but when
required vessels can be sufficiently strengthened for the purpose at a
small cost, as is well known.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim
as of my Invention is, the mode or modes of effecting the combined
operations of heeling over vessels and raising one side of them out of the
water as and for the purpose or purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Campbell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JAMES CAMPBELL. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered in the
presence of
CHA'. 'ROBBINS,
Clerk to Combe & Wainwright,
Staple Inn,
Sol™.