IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER OBJECTS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO SUBMERGING HEAVY OBJECTS IN DETERMINED POSITIONS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of
Harris and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of.
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER OBJECTS,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO SUBMERGING HEAVY OBJECTS
IN DETERMINED POSITIONS." -A communication from abroad by
Giovanni Rocco, Mechanic, and Fortunato Pautrier, Engineer, both
of Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy.
-
Sealed the 16th June 1874 and dated the 22nd April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph
Barnard Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 22nd April 1874.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and
Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS AND
OTHER OBJECTS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO SUBMERGING

page_text: о
HEAVY OBJECTS IN DETERMINED POSITIONS," a communication to me from
abroad by Giovanni Rocco, Mechanic, and Fortunato Pautrier, Engineer,
both of Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy, to be as follows:-
:-
The Invention consists in a peculiar arrangement of apparatus for
raising sunken vessels and other objects, which Invention is also
applicable to submerging heavy objects in determined positions. For
this purpose are employed cylinders (preferably of wrought iron)
hermetically closed at each end, and having a shaft or axis passing
therethrough, which projects at cach end sufficiently far to answer the
purposes herein-after explained. These cylinders are each provided with
a man-hole to facilitate repairs, and to enable the shaft or axis to be
fixed by means of keys or nuts from the inside. The projecting ends of
the shafts or axes of these cylinders are to enable loose weights to be
placed thereon, as required to load the cylinders and make them sink,
keys being employed in connection with the shafts or axes to hold the
weights in position, and prevent their becoming accidentally detached
and lost, at the same time enabling the weights to be readily removed
and raised, as may be required to be afterwards employed for the
immersion of other cylinders. Each cylinder is also provided with eyes
or rings at the top and bottom thereof to facilitate the lowering and
fastening of them in position on the vessel or other sunken object to be
raised.
The weights are circular in shape, except where a lug is formed at the
periphery with a hole in it to enable the weight to be raised after the
cylinder is fixed in position. Each of these weights has also a hole in
the centre thereof to enable it readily to be placed on a projecting end
of the shaft or axis of one of the cylinders.
In proceeding to raise a sunken vessel by the aid of this Invention
the first thing required is to place the vessel in a vertical position. To.
effect this one of the cylinders before described is lowered into the water
by loading it with the weights before referred to. The cylinder is then
by the diver fastened to the top of the mast, or if the vessel has more
than one mast then a cylinder may be fastened to the top of each, or to
as many as may be required for the purpose. Then, when the fastening
of the cylinder or cylinders to the mast or masts is effected, the weights
are removed therefrom and raised so as to enable the cylinder or
cylinders to exert their floating power on the vessel, and thereby raise

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 21st October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
Her special license that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
my executors, administrátors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, 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 MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER OBJECTS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO SUBMERGING HEAVY OBJECTS IN DETERMINED POSITIONS," a
communication to me from abroad by Giovanni Rocco, Mechanic,
and Fortunato Pautrier, Engineer, both of Turin, in the Kingdom
of Italy, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, 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
Patont.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the

page_text: Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
For the purposes of the said Invention cylinders constructed as shown
at Figures 1 are employed. These cylinders, which are preferably formed
of wrought iron, are hermetically closed at each end, and are provided
with a shaft or axis C passing therethrough, which axis projects at each
end, as shown at D, sufficiently far to answer the purposes herein-after
explained. These cylinders are each provided with a man-hole E to
facilitate repairs, and to enable the shaft or axis C to be fixed in
position by means of nuts C¹. as shown from the inside, or by means of
keys, as will be well understood. The projecting ends D of the shafts
or axes C of these cylinders are to enable loose weights G, such as those
shown at Figures 2, to be placed thercon, as required, to load the
cylinders and make them sink, keys F, shown separately at Figures 3,
being employed in connection with the projecting ends D of the shafts
or axes to hold the weights G in position, and prevent their becoming
accidentally detached and lost, at the same time enabling the weights G
to be readily removed and raised, as may be required, to be afterwards
employed for the immersion of other cylinders. Each cylinder is also
provided with eyes or rings A at the top, and with other eyes or rings B
at the bottom thereof to facilitate the lowering and fastening of them in
position on the vessel or other sunken object to be raised.
The weights G are circular in shape, except whero a lug or ear G' is.
formed at the periphery, with a hole in it to enable the weights to be
raised after the cylinder is fixed in position. Each of these weights has.
also a hole in the centro thereof to enable it readily to be placed on a
projecting end D of the shaft or axis of one of the cylinders.
At Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, I have shown the parts necessary for the
completion of the system.
Figure 9 represents a group of three cylinders fastened together by
means of straps or links, such as those shown at Figures 4 passed over
the projecting ends D of the axles of the cylinders.
Figure 10 represents the first operation to be executed for the
of raising a sunken vessel.
purpose
Figure 11 represents an arrangement of cylinders fixed in position on
a vessel; and Figure 12 represents one mode of checking the ascending:

page_text: speed of the vessel when the necessary number of cylinders are attached
to it.
It is well known that sunken vessels lying at the bottom of the sea
always lie on one side.
In proceeding therefore to raise a sunken vessel by the aid of this
Invention the first thing required is to place the vessel in a vertical
position. To effect this one of the cylinders before described is lowered
into the water by loading it with the weights G. The cylinder is then
by the diver fastened to the top of the mast, as shown at Figure A, or
if the vessel has more than one mast then a cylinder may be fastened to
the top of each, or to as many as may be required; or more than one
cylinder may be fixed to each mast. Then when the fastening of the
cylinder or cylinders to the mast or masts is effected the weights G are
removed therefrom and raised, so as to enable the cylinder or cylinders
to exert their floating or buoyant power on the vessel, and thereby raise
the mast or masts to a vertical position, as shown by the full lines in
Figure A. When this is effected the diver goes on board the sunken
vessel and fixes thereto at intervals around the vessel a number of
ropes o hanging over or down the sides thereof in vertical lines. These
ropes c are each provided with a hook c¹ at their lower ends for the
purpose herein-after described. These hooks c' are shown in position on
the ropes c at Figure 10, and separately at Figures 5. When a sufficient
number of these ropes c with hooks c¹ are arranged and fixed around the
vessel to be raised a bearing or support will be furnished, upon which the
series of ropes & can be fixed to form a belt around the vessel, to which
belt the various cylinders can be fixed. The number of these cylinders
required will vary according to the weight to be raised, as will be well.
understood, it being readily determined as soon as the tonnage of the
vessel and the nature of the cargo and the weight to be raised are known.
The divers will arrange upon the hooks c¹ the series of cords or ropes d¹³,
according to the method which the inventors have devised for dispensing
with all kinds of knots for connecting the ends of the ropes together, as
shown at Figures 6 and 7, which method consists in fixing at the ends
of the ropes d' metal connecting pieces d², d³, provided with dovetailed
or undercut parts, as shown, to enable them to be readily slidden
together or away from each other sideways for connecting or discon-
necting the parts, a sliding ring a being employed to pass over the
connecting pieces d³, d³, and prevent their becoming accidentally

page_text: disconnected from each other. The divers will tighten the cords d' until
they assume the position shown at Figures 10 and 11, when they will
fix them together at certain distances to hold the various cords d'
together; they will then lower successively at the right and at the left-
hand side a number of cylinders formed and fitted as before described,
and will fix them to the belt or series of ropes d', with ropes passing
through the lugs or cars B, B, B, Figure 1; they will then remove the
weights G to lighten the cylinder. These weights will then serve to load
other cylinders.
The arrangement of these cylinders around the vessel to be raised is
shown at Figure B, where the belt d' is shown with a double row of
cylinders a, a, a, a, fixed thereto, as is also shown at Figure 11. In
case a single series of cylinders should not be sufficient to completely
raise the vessel a second series can be fixed, as shown at b, b, b, b,
Figure B and Figure 11, by attaching them to the cylinders of the first
series by means of the straps or links d. By means of the straps or
links da third series of cylinders can be fixed to the others, as shown at
Figure 9. It is evident that a vessel thus provided with cylinders
cannot resist the efforts of the forces, causing it to rise when these
efforts are equal to the weight produced by the volume of water
introduced, and which has caused the submersion.
.
I will now explain the use of the arrangement shown at Figure 12.
A vessel provided as above described with cylinders is induced to rise
with a great speed produced by the sum of all the efforts of the cylinders;
it is necessary therefore to modify this extraordinary speed, which would
be dangerous.
The inventors have studied various plans for arriving at this result,
and that hereafter described is a result of their studies. At each side of
the vessel is fixed a small crane, upon which is mounted a double cord
or rope, fixed at one end to the vessel, and passing around a pulley g,
Figure 12, fixed to a counterpoise f. Two divers on board the vessel
will pay out the rope, and can thereby regulate the speed, and at the
same time maintain the vertical position of the vessel. As the vessel
rises the cylinders a, b, Figure A, fixed at the most elevated part, as
they come to the surface would prevent the further rising of the vessel,
because being no longer submerged they represent an effective weight.
These will then be detached, and if required other cylinders will be fixed.

page_text: or unions of the cords in manner and for the purpose substantially as
herein shown and described.
Fourthly. I claim the mode of checking the ascending velocity of
vessels or other bodies to be raised by means substantially as herein
shown and described with respect to Figure 12.
And, Fifthly. I claim the employment of the system substantially as
herein shown and described for submerging heavy bodies in determined
positions.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-first day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four.