Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Shipbuilding Berths, and of the Machinery and Appliances to be Used therewith.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Shipbuilding
Berths, and of the Machinery and Appliances to be Used
therewith.
I, GEORGE BURTON HUNTER, of Wallsend, in the County of Northumberland,
Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the construction and arrangement of shipbuilding
berths and of the machinery and appliances to be used therewith and its chief
objects are to construct in an economical manner a berth of sufficient strength to
give support at various heights to the shores used for shoring up the ship in course
of construction and also to support cranes, drilling machines, rivetting machines,
rivet heating furnaces and various other machines and appliances; to provide
means whereby the cranes and other machines can be readily moved from one part
of the berth to another; to provide a roadway for bogies and the like so that they
may run clear of the ship and the staging and shores; and to provide gangways to
enable rivet boys and others to readily get from one part of the berth to another.
The invention also comprises a special construction of crane for use with berths
built according to this invention.
According to my invention I construct the sides of the berth of hollow columns
or uprights formed of angle iron with diagonal struts and I connect and bind
together the columns at each side of the berth longitudinally by means of
horizontal stringers. The columns at the one side of the berth are connected to
those at the other side by transverse girders or beams at top. The horizontal
stringers are situated at various heights and constitute the supports for the lower
ends of the shores the length and weight of which can therefore be considerably
reduced as compared with that of the shores hitherto employed which have been
supported from the ground. I form a roadway through and between the columns
at each side of the berth, along which bogies and the like can be run; these can
therefore be run along the berth sides, clear of the ship and the shores.
To the underside of the transverse girders I fix rails preferably one pair near
each side of the berth, and from these rails I suspend cranes which can travel from
point to point along the rails and be switched or transferred by means of connecting
rails from one pair of rails to another. The cranes are constructed with a horizontal
or nearly horizontal jib having a platform or cage near the outer end for the crane-
man and they can be swung round to the required position; they are supported by
rollers or wheels at top which run on the rails fixed to the underside of the
transverse beams. From the same rails or from other rails on the underside of the
transverse girders I suspend or hang drilling machines, rivetting machines,
caulking machines, cutting machines or other machines required in building the
ship. These machines can be run along the rails to the required position and
lowered or raised to the height at which they have to work. To the columns and
girders or beams I attach shafting and rope or other gearing for working the drilling
or other machines.
To the transverse girders and the columns I fix platforms on which I support
rivet heating furnaces; I also fix gangways to these girders for the rivet boys or
others and I fix similar gangways at various heights within and between the
columns.
When two or more berths are constructed alongside each other one row of
columns can serve for two adjoining berths; that is to say, three rows of columns
will suffice for two berths or four rows for three.

page_text: The top of the berth is preferably covered in with glass and the sides more or
less enclosed with glass, lattice work or other material so as to protect the interior
from the weather.
Dated this 15th day of March 1893.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Shipbuilding
Berths, and of the Machinery and Appliances to be Used
therewith.
I, GEORGE BURTON HUNTER of Wallsend, in the County of Northumberland,
Shipbuilder, 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 reference to the construction and arrangement of shipbuilding
berths, sometimes called slips, and of the machinery and appliances to be used
therewith, and its chief objects are to construct, in an economical manner, an erection
of sufficient strength to support cranes, drilling machines, rivetting machines, rivet
heating furnaces, and various other machines and appliances; and also to give support
at various heights to the shores used for shoring up the ship in course of construction;
to provide means whereby the cranes and other machines can be readily moved from
one part of the berth to another; to provide a roadway for bogies and the like so
that they may run clear of the ship and the staging and shores; and to provide
gangways to enable fixed furnaces to be used above the level of the ground for
heating rivets and to enable rivet boys and others to readily get from one part of
the berth to another. The invention also comprises a special construction of crane
for use with berths built according to this invention.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 (part of which is on Sheet 1 and the remainder on Sheet 2) is a longi-
tudinal section and Figure 2 (part of which is on Sheet 3 and the remainder on
Sheet 4) a diagrammatic plan representing two shipbuilding berths or slips
constructed according to my invention, the two berths being alongside each other.
Figure 3 (Sheet 5) is a transverse section of one of the berths on a larger scale.
Figures 4, and 6 (Sheets 6 and 7) are respectively a side elevation, an end
elevation and a plan, of a specially constructed crane hereinafter described.
According to my invention I construct the sides of the berth of hollow columns
or upright a a formed preferably of angle iron or steel with diagonal struts bb and
I connect and bind together the columns at each side of the berth longitudinally
by means of horizontal stringers c c. The columns at the one side of the berth are
connected at top to those at the other side preferably by transverse girders or
beams d d. The horizontal stringers c c are situated at various heights and
constitute the supports or shelves for the lower ends of the shores which are indicated
at ee Figure 3, the length and weight of which can therefore be cousiderably
reduced as compared with that of the shores hitherto employed which have been
supported from the ground. I form a roadway at through and between the
columns at each side of the berth along which bogies and the like can be run; these
can therefore be run along the berth sides clear of the ship and the shores, and
the weights be lifted by the cranes clear of the shores or other obstructions.
To the underside of the transverse girders d d I fix rails 9 g, preferably one pair
near each side of the berth as seen in Figure 3, and from these rails I suspend
cranes h h which can travel from point to point along the rails, and there may if
desired be connecting rails as indicated at gl g', Figure 2, from one pair of rails g g
to the other to enable the cranes to be switched or transferred if required. The

page_text: cranes, which are hereinafter more particularly described, are constructed with a
horizontal or nearly horizontal jib i, having a platform or cage ke for the crane man,
and they can be swung round to the required position; they are supported by
rollers or wheels 11 at top which run on the rails g g fixed to the underside of the
transverse girders d d. From, or to the same rails 9 g, or from other rails or
supports such as m m Figure 3 on the underside of the transverse girders, or on
the uprights a a, I suspend or fix drilling machines, rivetting machines, caulking
machines, cutting machines or other machines required in building the ship. These
machines, some of which are indicated by way of example at n n, can be run along
the rails to the required position and lowered or raised to the height at which they
have to work and be steadied or secured by guy ropes or the like such as p p. To
the columns and girders or beams I attach at suitable points shafting, or rope or
other gearing, or electro motors, for working the drilling or other machines.
Figure 3 represents a shaft or small motor with belt, driving a drilling, riming or
other like machine indicated at r.
To the transverse girders and columns I fix platforms ss on which I support
rivet heating furnaces indicated at tt; I also fix gangways such as u Figure 3 to
these girders for the rivet boys or others and I fix similar gangways such as v v
Figure 1 at various heights within and between the columns.
When two or more berths are constructed alongside each other one row of columns
can serve for two adjoining berths; that is to say, three rows of columns will
suffice for two berths as will be understood on reference to Figure 2.
The top of the berth is preferably covered in with glass and the sides more or
less enclosed with glass, lattice work or other material so as to protect the interior
from the weather.
Referring now to Figures 4, 5 and 6 which represent one of the suspended
cranes hereinbefore in part described, it will be seen that the crane is supported
by rollers or wheels at top which run on rails g g fixed to the under part of the
transverse girders d. The crane shown is intended to be worked by electric
power but steam or other power may be employed and the belts, shafts, toothed
gearing and other devices by which the power is applied can of course be varied.
A is the driving pulley transmitting motion by abelt B to a pulley C on
the transverse shaft D; on this shaft are two bevel pinions E E with
the one or the other of which the pinion F is put into gear by the clutch
rod G according as it is desired to lower or raise the chain from the drum H;
the shaft of the pinion F is formed with a worm I gearing with a worm
wheel K which according to the position of the pinion F gears either directly with
the shaft of the drum H through the intermediation of the pinion L or indirectly
through the pinion M and wheel N. is the jib of the crane, horizontal or nearly
so, and is the platform or cage already described for the crane man; this platform
is secured to the underside of the jib and extends nearly to its outer end. The jib
and the platform can be swung round to any required position and in either direction
and this is effected as follows:-On the shaft D are two pulleys PP either of
which can by means of one of the clutch levers indicated at Q be made fast on the
said shaft so as to rotate therewith. These pulleys are respectively connected by
belts R R one of which is crossed with a pulley S the shaft of which carries a bevel
pinion T gearing with a pinion U on a vertical shaft V; this shaft carries a
pinion W gearing with a wheel X around the turntable Y of the crane.
turntable is therefore caused to revolve, together with the jib i and cage k, and the
direction of the rotation will depend upon which of the two pulleys P P is for the
time being made fast on the shaft D. When it is required to move the crane along
the rails 9 g, one or other of two pulleys Z Z on the shaft D is made fast on this
shaft by one of the clutch levers at Q and it then drives by means of the
corresponding belt w (the belt w of one of the pulleys Z being crossed) a pulley x,
the shaft of which, through the intermediation of bevel pinions 22, imparts motion
to a vertical shaft z' which in its turn by bevel pinions z² 23, shaft and bevel
pinions drives a shaft 20, and this shaft by bevel pinions z z drives the axles
g
This

page_text: of the crane-supporting wheels 11. The direction of the rotation of these axles
will depend upon which of the two pulleys Z Z is for the time being made fast on
the shaft D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The general construction and arrangement of shipbuilding berths, sub-
stantially as herein before described and represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of shipbuilding berths, with the sides composed of hollow
columns of angle iron or other material, the columns at each side of the berth
being bound together at various heights by means of horizontal stringers which
may constitute supports or shelves for the lower ends of the shores used for shoring
up a ship in course of construction, all substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawings.
3. The construction of shipbuilding berths, with the sides composed of hollow
columns of angle iron or other suitable material and with transverse girders
connecting the columns at top, the said girders having rails fixed to their under-
side longitudinally of the berth for the support and suspension of travelling cranes
or other machines employed in building a ship, substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawings.
4. The construction of shipbuilding berths with the sides composed of hollow
columns of angle iron or other suitable material, with transverse girders connecting
the columns at top and with platforms for furnaces above the ship or above the
rivetters working thereon, and with gangways above the ship or above the rivetters
for the rivet boys, substantially as herein before described and represented in the
accompanying drawings.
5. The construction of cranes, substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawings, for use with shipbuilding berths, the
said cranes having a horizontal or nearly horizontal jib, a platform or cage for the
craneman extending nearly to the end of the jib, the said jib and platform being
capable of being swung round as required, and means whereby the whole structure
can be suspended on and be moved as required along rails on the underside of the
top or roof of a shipbuilding berth, as set forth.
Dated this 14th day of December 1893.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.