Improvements in Dumping Punts or Vessels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dumping Punts or Vessels.
I, JOHN JAMES HASLAM, of Avondale, near the City of Auckland, in the Pro-
vincial District of Auckland and Colony of New Zealand, Builder, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
This self discharging punt is made in two water tight structures in what may
be termed right and left hand parts so that when fastened together as hereafter
described they form one punt with a hopper in the centre which can be used to
carry silt, stones, earth or any other form of load desired. When loaded the punt
can be floated to any desired position and the fastenings being released the two
parts will open out and the load will of its own momentum and gravitation empty
into the water in which the punt floats. The parts or structures being refastened
the punt will again be ready for loading.
The accompanying drawing discloses four figures and the letters shown thereon
indicate the same parts in each figure.
Figure is a cross section of the punt when closed showing the parts or struc-
tures A and B, the hopper CD, the shaft with hook attachments E, the roller F
for said hooks to fasten on to, the rod G for working the shaft E and raising the
hooks off the roller F, and the water tight tube H for the rod G to work in.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the punt when open showing A, B, C, D, E, F, G,
and H, as above described, the gates or girders J, and the cross beams K.
Figure 3 is a plan of the punt closed showing A, B, C, D, J, and K, before
described, the winches L, and the warping bits M.
Figure 4 is a plan of the punt opened showing A, B, C, D, J, K, L, and M, and
stops N.
This invention consists of two structures A and B each water tight and a
floating vessel, so held together, as shown in the four figures, that when closed
they form one punt having a hopper CD in its_centre.
When closed the structures A and B are held together at the bottom beneath
the hopper CD by a series of hooks attached to a shaft E which shaft is held or
bolted to the structure A by any convenient method, the hooks grip a roller F
attached to the structure B by suitable frames. On the deck of the punt the
structures are held together by cross beams K as shown on Figures 3 and 4, locked
if desired at the four ends by screwed dowels pins, flanges, or other suitable means
(two on each structure).
To allow the punt to open so as to discharge its load the hooks attached to the
shaft E are lifted off the roller F by two rods & passing up water tight tubes H
which rods can be worked by any of the mechanical methods or gearing now in
use suitable. The roller F is held loosely to the structure B by frames so that
when the hooks are lifted it will rise with them until the hooks are released when
it will fall back into its original position ready for being gripped when the punt
is again closed. When the hooks are thus lifted the weight of the contents of the
hopper C D acting on the inclined surfaces causes the structures A and B to open
out from each other and assume the position shown in Figures 2 and 4 and the
gates or girders J having hinges attached at their opposite ends to the two struc-

page_text: tures hold the structures A and B rigid and upright and parallel to each other.
Rigidity is further secured by the cross beams K which are pivoted at their
centres K to the gates or girders J, and which move on wheels attached to their
ends respectively said wheels running on curved rails plates or races secured to
the decks as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The cross beams K may be locked if
desired by screwed dowels, pins, flanges or any other means found to be suitable:
and are preferably fitted diagonally and may be used without the gates or girders J
which may be dispensed with, in which case the ends of said cross beams K will
be pinned or pivotted to the deck; two on each structure and the wheels and
curved rails will not be wanted as the beams K being pivotted will move or rotate
with the two structures as they open out. Stops with spring or other attachments
may be set at N so that when the punt is open, fixed chains or ropes may be
connected thereto if desired to hold the structures A and B at any required
distance apart.
A winch marked L is fixed to each structure having a chain or rope attach-
ment fastened on the drum thereof, the chain or rope passes through a block or
pulley L² known as a leading block which is suitably fastened to the deck of the
same structure, a hook is attached to the free end of the chain or rope which is secured
by hooking to a ring bolt fastened to the deck of the other and opposite structure
so that when it is desired to close the punt the chains or ropes are hauled tight
and the two structures A and B close on each other and the gates or girders shown
on Figure 3 or where no gates or girders are used the beams move on their pivots
with the closing structures, and the hooks attached to the shaft E are dropped over
the roller F when the punt assumes the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, the
winches are then released and the hooks attached to the other or opposite structure
are unfastened and left free until again required.
The structures A and B and all the parts before described may be built of iron,
wood, or other materials as found most suitable.
No measurements are given, as the dimensions of the two structures and of all
materials and parts can be altered to suit requirements and the whole design can
be enlarged or reduced as circumstances render desirable or necessary.
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:-
First. The gates or girders J fitted to the structures A and B, the beams K
connected with the gates or girders J running on wheels on swept or curved rails,
plates, or races fastened to the decks of the structures A and B, the beams K
without gates or girders and pivotted as described herein for the purposes set
forth and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
Second. The shaft with hook attachment E worked by rods G, the roller F held
in suitable frames for the hooks to fasten on to as described herein for the pur-
poses set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
Third. The combination of the structures A and B with the hopper C D in their
centre the shaft with hook attachment E and roller F, the rods G, the water tight
tubes H, the gates or girders J, the beams K, and the winches L, all connected as
described herein for the purposes set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawing.
T
1000