A New and Improved Device for Cleaning Ships' Hulls either at Sea, in Port, or in Dock.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Device for Cleaning Ships' Hulls either at Sea,
in Port, or in Dock.
I, THOMAS CHILD, of Chang-an-Tang Chelsfield in the County of Kent, no
occupation, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in an endless band with scrapers or brushes fixed across it
kept taut by two drums or wheels on suitable spindles with suitable devices for
keeping sufficient pressure on the scrapers and helping them over the laps of the
joints of the plates or other obstacles.
A continuous motion is imparted.to the bands by two endless chains fixed on the
outside edges of the band and gearing into wheels fixed on the ends of the drums or
other devices.
Other wheels gear into chains leading from the deck or other convenient place on
both sides of the ship down to the keel and by suitable devices gear into wheels that
are fixed on the drum spindle that cause the Scrapers to move either in an opposite
or the same direction as the wheels that gear into the chains as required.
These chains are fattened on both sides of the ship to a suitable shoe which fits
loosely on the keel underneath the shoe à roller or other device is fixed which helps
a rope that pulls the scrapers up and down to run easily and also keeps the shoe tight
up to the ship's bottom.
The other drum hangs loosely from the spindle of the top drum and is capable of
being pulled up by a suitable device till the band containing the scrapers may be
drawn at right angles with the side of the ship enabling the scrapers to reach the
hollow parts in the ships' contour.
The frame containing the drums and other wheels is kept in position on the chains
that pass under the ship by friction rollers or other suitable device.
In working this invention sets of scrapers can be used on both sides of the ship
fastened together by a rope that passes under the keel and continued up on both sides
to the deck or other convenient place so that by pulling up one of the sets of scrapers
the other set is made to descend the whole gearing into the chains that pass under the
ship.and imparting a rotary motion to the top drum which is continued by the band
to the other drum thus causing the scrapers to move with a scraping motion over the
surface of the ship.
D JAL: 001 dow of Iul 1806

page_text: in Port, or in Dock.
I THOMAS CHILD of Chang-an-T'ang, Chelsfield, in the County of Kent, 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 consists of a cleaning apparatus constructed substantially as
follows:-
The same letters denoting the same parts in all the views.
a and b shew sprocket wheels or drums keyed on to a spindle, c, the latter turning
in the frame d. e is another sprocket wheel mounted on the spindle c¹ which latter
is supported by the lower portion of the frame d.
Round the sprocket wheels or drums a and e I pass an endless chain f which may
be similar to a bicycle chain. There is a similar arrangement of sprocket wheels or
drums and chains at each side of the apparatus, when the scrapers h are fixed across
from one chain f to the opposite one, an endless band of scrapers will be formed.
h are narrow inclined planes (or rollers as shewn at h may be employed) for
facilitating the passing of the brushes or scrapers over the laps or the like.
The apparatus as above described may be used in duplicate, as hereafter set forth
and shewn at Fig. 4.
g shews the chain, which may be similar in construction to that shewn at f,
fastened at both sides of the ship. One end of each of the chains g is attached to a
shoe k fitting loosely on the keel of the vessel.
Underneath the shoe k, I mount a small roller i.
To each side of the ship, supposing the apparatus to be in duplicate, (see Fig. 4) I
fit a windlass, such as that shewn detached at Fig. 5, in which view A shews a
spindle on which is mounted a drum B and CC shew two sprocket wheels mounted
on another spindle. The whole of this device is mounted on a rack D into which
gears a pinion E so that the said device may be caused to travel, in order that the
whole of the side of the vessel may be cleaned.
The action is as follows:-
The whole invention being fitted to the vessel, either at one or both sides as shewn
at Fig. 4, and one windlass, say that marked z being turned will have the effect of
drawing up the scraping apparatus attached to the rope y, in consequence of the said
rope being wound round the drum B.
At the same time the other scraping apparatus will be pulled down by means of
the rope y', attached to the arms xx¹ the rope y' passing under the roller l, the rope W
being at the same time paid out, it will be easily seen that upon turning the windlass
in the opposite direction the action of the scrapers will be reversed.
As the scraping apparatus is brought either up or down, the endless band formed
by the scrapers h rotates, on account of the sprocket wheels or drums b engaging with
the fixed chains g.
The chains g are prevented from disengaging from the sprocket wheels or drums b
by means of the rollers carried by the arms 88 mounted on the spindle c.
The whole scraping device being pivoted at c, the lower scrapers h are always kept
in forced contact with the side of the ship, on account of the arm a' being pulled by
the rope y¹..
The endless band of scrapers is kept from sagging by the supporting guide
pieces jj.
The apparatus may be fixed on the deck of vessel if desired.

page_text: 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. The new and improved device for cleaning ship's hulls either at sea, in port, or in
dock, substantially as set forth.
2. In an improved device for cleaning ship's hulls, the method of imparting motion
to the bands of scrapers or brushes by means of wheels gearing into stationary chains,
substantially as set forth.
8. The employment of a number of scrapers or brushes on moving bands or chains
for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination of a movable band of scrapers or brushes and of a fixed chain for
the purpose set forth.
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn. London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn. London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.