IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SINKING OF CYLINDERS FOR FOUNDATIONS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS THEREFor
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Allan Munn, of the City of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Commission Agent, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SINKING OF CYLINDERS FOR FOUNDATIONS,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS THEREFor.
Scaled the 1st February 1876, and dated the 4th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Allan Munn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th August 1875.
I, ALLAN MUNN, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SINKING OF CYLINDERS FOR
FOUNDATIONS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as
follows:-
This said Invention consists in the sinking of cylinders of iron, stone,
brick, concrete, or other equivalent foundations (for the piers of bridges
or the walls of harbours, docks, or other structures) by the use of an
excavating or boring and raising screw or screws carried on the lower

page_text: end of and turned by an upright revolving shaft or shafts within the
cylinder to be sunk, and driven or actuated at the top by hand with
ratchet lever or by toothed or friction gearing, or bands, chains, or wire
ropes from any adjacent prime motive engine for the purpose, which
might also be made to lift the material excavated, and having an outside
case, pipe, or vessel round the said screw or boring excavator for receiving
and containing the material excavated, and lifting it up through either a
body of water or otherwise, which vessel or pipe might be carried up to
the top to conduct the material thereto. Or otherwise in some kinds of
earth the screw might cut, loosen, excavate, and raise the sand or earth
without a casing when the material is of a hard and tough nature, such
as clay, and liable to fill and stick in the groove of the screw, in which
circumstances the screw might have a lip or edge to adapt it for this
purpose; and these excavating and clevating screws or cutters for
sinking cylinders might be made very large, with one, two, or more fine
pitched threads with cutting points, so as to be driven slowly and with
greater power in proportion to their size, or the screw or cutter might be
made smaller in diameter, and be driven at a consequently proportional
increased speed on its own spindle from the central shaft while it
revolves on a radial frame round that shaft close to the inner circum-
ference of the cylinder to be sunk, while an agitator or other equivalent
on the lower end of the central spindle may be made to break up the
mass of earth left in the centre of the annular recess excavated by the
screw on the lower end of the circumferentially revolving or travelling
shaft or shafts. These shafts with their screws descend as they borc or
excavate the carth and hole or groove below them (either by their
own weight or a weight upon them for that purpose) by sliding or
passing through the eye of their driving gear, which is carried on a cast-
iron or other strong or portable frame on the top of the cylinders being
sunk, the first motion driving band or shaft admitting of this. The
cylinder to be sunk is made high enough at first, or the frame or staging
is removed and replaced each time a new block or part of the cylinder is
added, and fixed on the top of the cylinder being sunk.
The advantages of this new mode and means of sinking cylinders for
foundations are, greater efficiency and regularity of action, with less
expenditure of power than with the machinery or apparatus heretofore
employed for the purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Allan Munn in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALLAN
MUNN, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Commission Agent, send groeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Allan Munn, Her special
licence that I, the said Allan Munn, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Allan Munu, my 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 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE SINKING OF CYLINDERS FOR FOUNDATIONS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS THEREFOB," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Allan Munn, my exccutors 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 I, the said Allan Munn, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
My said Invention consists in the sinking of cylinders of iron, stone,
brick, concrete, or other equivalent foundations (for the piers of bridges
or the walls of harbours, docks, or other structures) by the use of an

page_text: excavating or boring and raising screw or screws carried on the lower
end of and turned by an upright revolving shaft or shafts within the
cylinder to be sunk, and driven or actuated at the top by hand with
ratchet lever or by toothed or friction gearing or bands, chains, or wire
ropes from any adjacent prime motive engine for the purpose, which
motive engine might also be made to lift the material excavated. An
outside case, pipe, or vessel is mounted above and round the said screw
or boring excavator for receiving and containing the material excavated
into it, both the case and material in it being then lifted through either
a body of water or otherwise within and to the top of the caisson or
cylinder being sunk, which vessel or pipe might be made long and
carried up to the top to conduct the material thereto direct without
lifting the vessel itself. Or otherwise in some kinds of earth the screw
might cut, loosen, excavate, and raise the sand or earth without a casing
when the material is of a hard and tough nature, such as clay, which
would fill and stick within the grooves of the screw, in which case the
screw might have a lip or edge to adapt it for this purpose; and these
excavating and elevating screws or cutters for sinking cylinders might
be made very large, with one, two, or more fine pitched threads, with
cutting edges or points, so as to be driven slowly and with greater
power in proportion to their size; or the screw or cutter might be
made smaller in diameter, and be driven at a consequently proportional
increased speed on its own spindle from the central shaft while it
revolves on a radial frame round that shaft close to the inner circum-
ference of the cylinder to be sunk, while an agitator or other equivalent
on the lower end of the central spindle may be made to break up the
mass of earth left in the centre of the annular recess excavated by the
screw on the lower end of the circumferentially revolving or transmitting
shaft or shafts. These shafts with their screws descend as they bore or
excavate the earth and hole or groove below them (either by their own
weight or a weight placed upon them for that purpose) by sliding or
passing through the eye of their driving gear, which is carried on a
cast-iron or other stong or portable frame above or on the top of the
cylinders being sunk, the first motion band or shaft admitting of this.
The cylinder to be sunk is made the full height at first, or the frame or
staging may be removed and replaced each time a new block or part of
the cylinder is added and fixed on the top of the cylinder being sunk.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my
said Invention may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to

page_text: describe the several Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing the best
modes and means I am at present aware of for practically carrying the
same into effect or practice, the same reference letters and numerals
indicating the same or like parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation partly in section,
and a plan, corresponding to each other, of one modification of my said.
improvements and mechanism for sinking cylinders, shown as applied to
and in the act of sinking three hollow cylinders A, combined and
formed or built up of horizontal blocks or layers of concrete A', as
shown, particularly in Figure 1 in section on the irregular line 11,
in Figure 2; and Figures 3 to 6 are detached views to illustrate details
of construction and other modifications.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2; A, A, A, represent a combined set of
three hollow cylinders built up of concrete blocks A' on the top of a
shoe or supporting and cutting iron ring A", and surmounted with
heavy segmental weights A", all so far in a usual manner, and placed
ready for being sunk under water to form the foundations of a dock or
quay wall.
Within each cylinder A I work a short two-threaded
conoidal screw B, B', of large diameter, nearly corresponding to or
within a few inches of the inside diameter of the cylinder, made pre-
ferably in this case in two parts, the lower or point part B' being fixed
to the lower end of the driving shaft C, feeds the screw into the carth
or soil to be excavated and cuts the part out to clear the boss of the
upper large parallel part B of the screw, which performs the actual
excavating and raising of the material. The upper part B of the screw
is surmounted by a close cylindrical box D, the same or nearly the
same diameter as the screw on which it rests, and is fitted so that the
material excavated and forced into the box by the screw cannot escape
at the lower edges. The eye in the lid D¹ or top of this box D, as
well as the screw part B, fits loosely and slides on the driving shaft C,
which is shown parallel solid, and square in section, and jointed in
lengths, as shown at C¹, by a deep square steel thimble or coupling, or
it might be by other equivalent means, so as to add an additional
length to the shafting as the sinking operation proceeds. The upper
part of each shaft slides and passes through the eyes of their large
driving bevil wheels E, each carried by long journal bearings in a

page_text: strong supporting cast-iron bracket frame Ex secured to the upper side
of a horizontal frame or platform F carried (over the cylinders to be
sunk) upon the strong laterally projecting or overhanging annular
framing secured to and carried by the travelling carriage G, which
is supported and rolls or travels on wheels G₁ and rails G¹¹ secured to
longitudinal beams on the top of a stationary angled framing G₁ tem-
porarily erected along the front of the embankment G2 where the row
of cylinders have to be sunk. The platform of the carriage G carries
the motive-power engines I, I', for driving the excavating screws and
shafts B, B, and C, C¹, preferably one engine to each set of gearing and
cylinders being sunk, and which is made to drive the winding gear or
barrels I, I¹¹¹, used for raising the vessel D, D', with the excavated
material within it, and also the part B of the screw fitted at its lower
edge upon the crank shaft. The two cylinders I, indicated in dotted
lincs in each motive engine, actuates the crank shaft I¹ with the pitch
chain wheel or pulley I on it, fitted with an engaging coupling
which through the endless chain Is passed over it and the pulley I*,
actuates the short horizontal shaft I by the pitch chain. wheel I* keyed
or otherwise secured on its one end. The shaft I³ actuates the shaft J
through the pinion and bevel wheel J¹, J", keyed respectively on the
shafts; and the shaft J by a pinion E¹ keyed on its opposite end gives
motion to the bevel wheel E actuating each screw shaft C. The
shafts I and J for actuating each excavating screw B, B', are carried in
bearing brackets J and J%, respectively, secured to the upper framing
or platform F, and as each engine I, I', and chain I³ and their con-
necting shafts I and J arc actuated in the direction indicated by the
arrows, they turn their respective screw shafts C and screws B, B¹, so
as to screw the latter into the soil at the bottom of cach hollow
cylinder A and screw the material up into the vessel D, which when
sufficiently full the excavating is stopped by disengaging the chain
wheel I and clutch, and the vessel raised by the two lifting
chains K, K, passing down through holes in the cover or lid D' on each
side of the shaft C and attached to the excavating part B of the
screw B, B', at their lower ends b, while the upper part of the chains is
carried over the two pulleys L, L, carried on studs or spindles on the
swivel brackets L₁ secured in two parts to the lower driving stem or eye
of the wheel E, so that these pulleys and chains may revolve with
the driving shaft C when the lifting chains and gear are not in
action.

page_text: The two chains after passing over the pulleys L, L, are linked or
joined together by a wide shackle or cross head at K' so that onc
winding chain K" attached to it and passed over the winding barrel I",
as indicated in blue lines in Figures 1, 2, raises the vessel D until it
and the screw are brought up through and above the platform M and
removing trucks N running on rails upon it, so that one of the trucks
may be brought under the vessel to receive the excavated material,
which is discharged into it by carrying the vessel by another chain k
passed from the winding barrel I³ over pulleys at and hooked to eyes
at d on the cover D', as indicated in red lines in Figure 1, when the
chains K, K, and screw B are then lowered so as to allow the material
to fall into the receiving truck, which is then removed, and the exca-
vating screw B and vessel D are again lowered to the bottom of the
cylinder by the chains K and winding barrel I", when the winding
barrel I is disengaged by a clutch at its actuating pinion i, and the
chain, K uncoupled from the chain K and K¹, when the excavating is
then continued by driving the screw B, B¹, and screw shaft C on
coupling the clutch into the chain I, all as before described. In this
way as the material is excavated from within the cylinders A, A', they
sink into the earth by their own weight, assisted by their cutting shoc A"
below and the heavy weights A¹ above, as before stated.
The framing M carrying the rails and trucks may either be carried by
iron rods m or otherwise from the carriage G and its framing F and F',
or on a stationary frame of its own, supported from the ground or from
the stationary framing G, and the material may be tilted into a shoot
at one end of the frame M outside the cylinders A, A¹, being sunk, or
the rails might be led on to the platform of the carriage G or the
stationary framing Gu, so as to tilt or remove the excavated earth to
any part of the work or place desired.
To allow the trucks to come under the screw and vessel B, D, a slot
would require to be formed from one end to its centre to admit the screw
shaft C; or otherwise two trucks might be brought under the vessel, one
from each side, closing against each other in the centre with a small
recess in each for the shaft C.
The hook end of the chain would require to be hooked to the
vessel D by hand after it was raised by the chains K, and unhooked in
the same manner and left hanging slack and ready for use, as indicated

page_text: in red lines on the left and right sides or excavators respectively in
Figure 1; and as the cylinders A, A', are gradually being sunk a new
bit of the lifting chains K, K, would require to be linked at K' to the
large shackle or cross head to which the single lifting or winding
chain K" is attached, and when very deep cylinders are to be sunk this
chain K might be carried forward to a reversing pulley K* and brought
back to their winding barrel I, as indicated in blue lines and letters
at K™ in Figure 1.
Although the shaft C for driving the screw has been described as
solid and square, it might be made hollow, with strong flanges bolted
together as couplings, and with two, three, or four feathers C" projecting
from end to end beyond these flanges, which would slide through the
cye of the wheels and screw as indicated in the detached vertical and
horizontal sections in Figure 3. This, besides being a strong form of
shaft, would allow of air or water being admitted to the lower central
part of the screw c to facilitate the easier lifting of the screw B and
vessel D when deeply immersed in clayey soil.
When sand or fine material is to be excavated and lifted with the
.vessel D within water a hinged flap or valve is fitted on the top of
each thread 6 of the screw B, as shown in the side elevation and plan
detached in Figure 4, which would lift to admit of the sand being
screwed up into the vessel D, but when the vessel has to be lifted full
would close and prevent the escape of the sand with the water through
the spaces between the threads of the screw.
Figure 5 shows a sectional elevation of a screw with a lip or ledge bu
for retaining and lifting the material when of a clayey or dry carthy
nature without the use of a lifting case or vessel D, in which case the
screw might be made longer and deeper than shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4,
and the material might be discharged from the screw at top by the
insertion of one, two, or more lateral prongs between the threads of the
screw, and then turn the screw in the reverse or backward direction,
which would screw the material out into the trucks.
Although the threads of the screw have been shown as completo
threads, it is to be understood that they may be made in the form of
cutting screw blades such as are used in pug mills, or for the screw
blades of propellers; or these blades might be formed or fixed on the
bottom of the vessel D with apertures above them, either with or

page_text: without valves ', and when the material excavated is fine earth or sand
with water it could be discharged into the trucks by simply raising the
valves.
Instead of the expensive gearing and machinery shown carried on the
platform F and F and carriage G for actuating the screw shaft C this
might be done by having a large ratchet wheel and lever carried on a
simple platform and journal bracket on the top of. the weights on the
cylinders, and either working the levers of the ratchets by hand or by a
small engine carried on the platform, and when the cylinders to be sunk
are not very deep, instead of having a short lifting vessel D, a long pipe
might be erected over the screw to carry the material right up to the
top, and discharge it into a shoot at one side to the outside of the
cylinder, and in this case the screw may if desired be continued to the
top of the pipe; and two such pipes D of small diameter could be
employed with screws d* at their lower ends for raising the material
into them, these revolving in brackets on the central shaft close to the
internal periphery of the cylinders A, as indicated in horizontal and
vertical section in Figure 6, thus cutting a narrow annular channel, and
the lower end of the central shaft may be made with a screw B¹, and
blades to cut and displace the central part into the annular track of the
said side lifting screws d*, and pipes D.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner of performing the same, I would observe
in conclusion that I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein
described or delineated; neither on the other hand do I desire to claim
as new the mere principle of sinking hollow cylinders or caissons for
foundations by excavating the earth from their interior, nor the use of
fixed or travelling framings as F, F, G, G, and M, above or at the
side of the cylinders with winding or pumping engines I, I', for sinking
the same; but what I consider novel and original and therefore claim as
the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
First. The general construction or arrangement of machinery with
screw excavator for the sinking of hollow cylinders or caissons for
foundations, substantially in the new or improved manner herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or
any merc modification thereof.

page_text: Second. The construction and use of an excavating screw (either with
or without a retaining or lifting box or tube D) working within, and for
sinking hollow cylinders or caissons for foundations, substantially as
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Allan Munn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ALLAN MUNN. (L.S.)