Improved Method of and Apparatus for Removing Sand and like Bars or Banks in Rivers and Tide Ways and for Deepening the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Removing Sand and like
Bars or Banks in Rivers and Tide Ways and for Deepening
the same.
I, JOHN MORECOMBE BROMLEY BAKER of 2 Bessborough Street Pimlico in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to he performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object the removal of sand and like bars or banks in rivers
and tideways and for deepening same this I effect by forcing a jet or jets of water
into the silt mud or such like accumulation at ebb tide by means of an apparatus sub-
stantially as hereafter described.
According to this invention I employ a raft or float provided with apparatus for
forcing water through telescopic tubes in order to disperse the sand silt mud and such
like accumulations in river beds and tide ways as hereafter described.
And in order that my said invention may he fully understood I will describe the
same with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 represents side
elevation of apparatus as it would appear when at work, Fig. 2 section of
telescopic tubes drawn to an enlarged scale, Fig. 3 side view of universal swivel joint
upon which the tubes are mounted. Similar letters of reference are employed to
denote the same parts.
a shews the telescopic tubes, 6 delivery nozzle, chose from pump d, e boiler, raft
or float, g pump suction pipe, h hand wheel for raising or lowering telescopic tubes,
i rack attached to same, hand wheel and screw for traversing tube across the raft,
k bracket for supporting same, a' a² a pistons for packing lengths of tube.
The swivel or universal joint may be formed of a strong collar I made in two halves
and bolted together having a screw m connected thereto by means of a knuckle joint n,
the screw m engaging with a female screw in the socket o engaging at p with the
traversing screw.
The action of the apparatus is as follows. The operation must be effected at ebb
tide in order that sand or other accumulation may be carried away and distributed by
such tide.

page_text: The pump being set to work water is forced down the telescopic iubes a which are
gradually extended by means of the hand wheel so as to lengthen the same according
to the depth it is required to work and the tubes are worked laterally and vertically
by means of the hand wheel and screw j and rack i, the float or raft is moved slowly
along by any suitable means or I may form the float or raft with a long central
opening of any desired width having a rail on either side of the deck upon which the
whole of my apparatus may run and so that the length of such opening may be
traversed by it and a corresponding length of river or sea bed be operated upon before
moving the float or raft to continue the operation.
Although I have described my apparatus fitted with a steam pump I do not wish
to confine myself to this as I may find it convenient to employ some other power than
steam or I may in some instances simply employ hydrostatic force in which case I
should fit a tank at any suitable and convenient distance above the deck-of-the-raft.or
float and force the water into same by any suitable power.
By this method and apparatus sand and like bars or banks in rivers or tideways
may be removed and dispersed very speedily and at a moderate cost.
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
1st. The method of removing and dispersing sand and like bars and banks in
rivers or tideways by means of a jet or jets of water in combination with the apparatus
substantially as set forth.
-2nd.
forth.
Tho-use-of-telescopic-tubes-mounted on a universal joint substantially_ns set
--
3rd. The universal joint shewn in detail at Fig. 3 of the drawings substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
4th. The method of and apparatus for removing sand and like bars or banks in
rivers or tideways and for deepening same substantially as-set-forth..
Dated this 19th day of January 1889.
BROWNE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.