IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE INTERCEPTING AND DIRECTING OF CURRENTS AND WAVES OF WATER
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JAMES WATERSTON, of 68, Millbank Street, Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Tenth day of July, in the first year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
James Waterston, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John James Waterston, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John James Waterston, my exors, adñors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE
INTERCEPTING AND DIRECTING OF CURRENTS AND WAVES OF WATER;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said John James
Waterston, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent;
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
John James Waterston, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention consists of two parts. The object of the first part of the
Invention being to fix banks of sedimentary materials, and cause them to be
produced or augmented in currents-of- water loaded with sediment, with the
view of directing the locality of the deposit so as to benefit the navigation of
roadsteads, of estuary ports, and of rivers generally; also to reclaim ground
from the water where practicable or expedient. This apparatus I call a
hydraulic screen. The object of the second part of the Invention is to afford
the protection of a breakwater by means of a floating apparatus, which will
admit of vessels passing through it during a storm without damage being
sustained on either part.
First, Hydraulic Screen:-Figure 1 is a transverse section of the screen,
which I term rigid, to distinguish it from another form of the apparatus, which
I term flexible, represented by Figures 3, 4, and 5. Figure 2 is a plan of the
rigid screen A uncovered; B, B, covered. a, c, e, d; b, a, are triangular frames
of timber connected by longitudinal pieces 1, 1, 1, strongly bolted together. Two
strong wrought or cast iron flanges or gripers r, r, r, r, are attached to each
side of the base of the screen to prevent lateral displacement from the force of
the current, the two upper sides to be covered with tarred canvas,, sheet or
corrugated iron, or other material, as circumstances may require. The dimen-
sions of the several parts will differ according to the strength of the current, the
depth of the water way which it is expedient to block up, and the sea it is liable
to be exposed to. Its specific gravity must be sufficient to sink it, and indent
its flanges in the sand bank. The force of the current and the waves acting on
its sloping sides will evidently tend to press it downwards as well as laterally
forwards. The former action will aid the flanges in taking such hold of the
ground as to resist the latter. The screens to be constructed of such lengths
as may be convenient for laying down and taking up when it is expedient to
change their position, and they are to be connected together by chains or
otherwise, n, n, m, n, Figure 5.
The manuer of applying it is illustrated in the accompanying chart of Pool
Harbour, but a local knowledge of the set of the currents, the nature of the
bottom, the exposure to and effects of storms, and other particulars, is essentially
requisite before the details of its application can be specified for any particular

page_text: place, or it is possible to judge of the time required to effect a deepening of the
channel. The red lines on the chart shew the disposition of the apparatus
which would tend to increase the deposit on each side of the channel, and
thus by concentrating the current increase the scour and depress the bar.
The screen acting as a nucleus for the deposit may be raised when the latter,
has collected to its full height, and cut again in raising the bank another step,
thus supplying, as it were; an artificial stimulus in assisting the operation of
natural causes; and effect a progressive and permanent beneficial change in the
navigable channel, and prevent any alteration in its position. When the screen
is much exposed to the sea the iron flange or griper r; r; Figures 1 and 2;.
must be fastened quite round each department, and the ends E, E; must be.
sloped and covered as well as the sides:
In the construction of this apparatus I do not confine my claim to the form,
size, or materials above spécified. The combination of structure, which I
believe to be new, and which I claim, is; the framing together of inclined.
surfaces to act as a weir or bar at the bottom of a current of water, their
inclination to be such as to deflect part of the force of current downwards; and:
to be connected to the ground only by the friction of their base, the length
of each frame to be such as to enable them conveniently to be put down or
taken up from under water and removed from one place to another. The rigid.
frame may be in another form, videlicet, the surface opposing the current to be
upright, and connected with a base sufficiently ponderous to prevent the force
of the water pushing it forwards or tilting it over; which form of the apparatus
I likewise claim:
The two forms of the apparatus above described when placed in a tidal
current will partially intercept both flood and ebb; but in some cases it may
be expedient to confine the current in one direction only, which may be done
by the flexible apparatus, Figures 3; 4; 5: m; m; m; are three cast-iron bars
bolted together forming the base; to which the flexible screen 8, 8, 3, s, is con-
nected by stays at the point p; the stays to be adjusted in length,. so that
when the screen is fully distended by the current its staves or bars 3, 3, 5, 8, will
assume an arched form, Figure 3, the apparatus to be placed so that the
concave side of the screen meet the current which it is meant to intercept;
the current will thus. distend and sustain the staves or bars of the screen, but
it will be necessary that the latter should have of itself small buoyant power.
The force of the.current will act by means of the screen on the base m, m,
pártly to tilt it over, partly to push it along; the former must be sufficiently
opposed by the weight of the bars; the latter by their weight, and also by their
flanges (Q, Figure 4) taking hold of the ground. It is evident that when tho

page_text: current changes its direction and acts upon the convex side of the screen it will
force it down and pass over it.
When it is desirable to intercept the current both ways by flexible screens,
additional longitudinal bars t, t, Figure 4, parallel to M, may be attached to
the cross bars m, m, at p, their connection with each other at that point to be
flexible, the same as with M, M, at k; the screens raised upon the bars t, t,
to be the same as s,.s, and their stays to be fixed at k, k.
In the construction of this apparatus, as of the former, I do not confine
myself to the form, size, or materials above specified. The combination of
structure in the above, which I believe to be new, and which I claim, is such,
that the screen which opposes the current be so far flexible as to fold down
before the current, moving in one direction and rise by its own buoyancy and
maintain an upright position before a current moving in the opposite direction,
and that it shall be connected with a frame or brace by stays or otherwise,
which frame shall be of sufficient weight, and have sufficient hold of the
ground by the friction of its lower surface, as to maintain its position against
the power of the current without being otherwise fixed to the ground.
A third form of the hydraulic screen is represented in Figure 16 and 17.
It is intended to intercept the current by the force of its buoyancy, thence
termed a buoyant screen. It consists (Fig. 16, 17,) of staves a, a, a, fastened
at their lower extremity to a chain cable (which is to be attached to moorings
at each end), and ranged along it at intervals of 2 or 3 feet. These staves are
connected together by ropes r, r, which pass through holes in different parts
of their length, and upon these ropes are strung short staves or cylinders with
intermediate hard wood balls to admit of flexure. The ropes are protected
where liable to be chafed with copper wire, as specified below, for the quell
water. This apparatus will recline before the current until its buoyancy is
sufficient to counteract the downward force.
In this I claim the construction of a screen consisting of buoyant parts
connected at their lower extremities to a moored line.
The second part of my Invention consists of a buoyant and breakwater, which
I term a quell water. This is composed of a series of parallel or radiant lines
of frames floating at the surface of the water (Figure 6), each line being
secured at both extremities to moorings, but not otherwise connected with the
lines adjacent; the frames of each line to diminish in size towards the most
exposed side of the quell water. The mode of their construction and con-
nection with the central line of cable has been designed to combine strength
and lightness with a certain degree of elasticity of the joints and facility of
being kept in repair.

page_text: Figures 6 and 7 are lateral and seaward elevations of the frames. They
consist of eight transverse and vertical staves or bars a, a, a, a, overlaying
each other, as shewn, the four smaller projecting to seawards of the larger.
The four larger abut against the eight fender tie bars b, b, b, b, which converge
from each corner to the central cable c, c; the central cable to be composed of
four lines lashed together with copper wire, or otherwise in a sufficient manner,
each pair of adjacent lines having contrary flexures; all the bars to be
connected with each other and with the central cable by means of ropes in
single lengths, which pass through holes e, e, drilled in the bars; these holes
pass through the axis of the fender ties and across the others, as shewn in the
Drawing. The ropes are protected when leaving one bar and entering
another, or otherwise, where liable to be worn, by a sheathing of copper wire,
as shewn in Figures 8, 9, 10, on a large scale; rings of iron or other
metal r, 1, are also sunk into the wood to receive the wired parts of the rope.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section, shewing the method by which the ropes
after leaving the fender bars are bound to the central cable. This is done by
lashing with copper wire, the ropes being first wound spirally once round the
cable each alternally in a contrary direction; the cable to be protected by a
similar sheathing of wire where subject to be worn by rubbing; the part
between the ends of the adjacent frames to be protected by a cylindrical
covering of spars 1, 1, Figure 8, strongly lashed with copper wire around the
ropes and cables, the spiral interstices of which are to be previously padded.
with tow and pitch.
Figure 10 represents the mode of supplying the place of bolts and nuts by
means of single lengths of ropes enveloped at each end with copper wire,
each bar to be strongly girt with copper wire at their extremities to serve as
straps to prevent them splitting, the whole apparatus to be well pitched over...
The application of the quell water is illustrated by Figures 11, 12, 15; the.
theory of its action by the Diagrams, Figures 13, 14. Figure 11 is a plan
of its application to form a harbour of refuge, or screen to: shelter from the
violence of the sea in a dangerous bay. a, a, a, are mushroom anchors or
other sufficient moorings, situated at intervals of forty or fifty feet along a.
strong iron cable. To this cable at intervals of twelve, fifteen, or twenty feet
the lines of frames c, c, c, are attached; these lines are fastened at their other
extremities to another chain cable and moorings b, b, b, of less strength than
the former, not being exposed to the same strain from the sea. The sea
entering the intervals between the frames with be diffused and broken.
laterally. The want of closeness will thus be compensated by the length a, b,
(Figure 11) of the lines of frames.

page_text: Figure 15.is a plan of its application to the entrance of a refuge. harbour.
P, P, mouth of the harbour; a, a, a, b, b, b, quell water, as before. A space A
may be left as a fair-weather, entrance or exit. This. is proposed to meet the
difficulty attending refuge harbours, videlicet, that if the entrance is sufficiently
wide a destructive sea is allowed to enter and damage the shipping inside; if,
on the other hand, sufficiently narrow to keep out the sea, vessels are liable to
be wrecked or damaged in attempting to enter. Kingstown Harbour, Dublin,
with its unfinished entrance, is an axample of the former defect; Whitehaven,
on, the opposite, coast, is an example of the latter. As the object. of this
apparatus is to destroy the forward or destructive impetus of the waves before
they encounter the shore, it is applicable in preventing the accumulation of
shingle, which takes place at the entrance of harbours on the south coast,
such as, that of Dover, also generally in preventing the formation of bars at
the mouths of navigable rivers, in so far as these are occasioned by the action
of the waves.
I may here mention that I intend shortly to publish remarks on waves and
currents with a view to the conservation of estuary ports, illustrated by the
Hydrographical Surveys of the Admiralty, in which the application of these
apparatus will be more fully developed than can be done within the limits of a
Specification.
In the construction of this apparatus it will be necessary to keep in view
the following principles upon which it is adapted to break the sea in a gradual
manner, or rather to allow the sea to break of itself, relieving the moorings
from the principal part of the strain by the forward and backward impulse of
the waves antagonizing each other along each line of frames.
+
Diagram, Figure 13, represents the profile of a stormy wave moving from
left to right, and illustrates the motion of a particle of water during the
passage of the wave. It revolves in an oval a, b, (Figure 13,) being carried
upwards and forwards at the front and top of the wave, and downwards and
backwards at the back and in the hollow. However confused the appearance
of the waves intermingling and crossing each other during a storm, such is
invariably the motion of the water, though irregular, and shews the varying
direction of the force.of.the indulation throughout the contour of the wave, the
upward being equal to the downward impulse, the backward to the forward.
Diagram, Figure .14, with its explanation, is meant to illustrate how. the
forward impulse at the crest of the wave becomes the most conspicious
phenomena, whilst the recoil acting through the hollow part is comparatively
masked. In the former case the motion of the water is convergent, in the
latter divergent. The former striking against the hull of a ship beating before

page_text: a storm, gives to it sometimes the velocity of a mile per hour, whilst the
effect of the latter is lost beneath its lower surface.
Besides the proper
motion of the water due to the pendulous movement of the waves there is a
weak leeward current confined to the surface, which follows the wind, caused
partly by the spray blown from the crest of the waves, and partly by the
friction of the air moving upon the surface of the water.
Figure 12 is a sectional view of the quell water in action during a storm.
The front part C is driven below the surface and acts under water, whilst it
escapes the greatest force of the sea above. The apparatus has thus a
property of self-adjustment, and the forward and backward thrust of the waves
antagonizing each other along each line of frames (see a, b, c, d, Figure 12),
diffuse the force equally over every part and in contrary directions. In the
construction of the quell water I do not confine myself to the form, size, or
materials above specified. The combination of structure which I believe to be
new, and which I claim is, the connecting together of resisting surfaces which
are buoyant in flexible lines lying alongside of each other, and fastened at
either or both extremities to moorings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John James Waterston, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight