Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1889
Character.
I WILLIAM BURLEY of Tower Chambers, London Wall, City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a collapsible or expansible apparatus of elongated or bag
shape weighted at the lower end and connected to a skeleton.frame at the upper end
to keep the mouth of the bag or apparatus open, said mouth forming the entrance to
enable a man to descend by rope or other like ladder down the said bag when cast
over board.
Portions of the bag between straining hoops or bands are provided with sight holes,
glazed, or otherwise protected against the entrance of water to enable an examination
to be made of. a ships hull while afloat, or other structure under water.
The lower part of the bag is weighted and has a rope connected for hauling and
keeping the bag against the side of the ship, the rope being brought up and lashed to
the other side of the vessel.
'
The skeleton frame at the mouth of the bag is so shaped that a portion of it may
rest upon the gunwale and be lashed or secured to a cleat inboard; another part of
said frame being suspended from above or in any other suitable manner.
The invention is applicable for many purposes besides examining the hull of a vessel
and may be used to ascertain the cause of obstruction to a vessels progress, to
examine the nature of ground, to search for Torpedoes, for clearing foul anchors,
cleaning out Kingston valves, also for examining the lower parts of sea walls or
structures, Gas tanks, foul wells, and generally for use where an examination has to be
made below the surface where danger exists.
Air supply tubes may be fitted.

page_text: Improved Construction or Arrangement of Apparatus to Facilitate
Examination of Vessels Hulls while Afloat, Applicable also to
other Immersed Structures and for other Purposes of a similar
Character.
!
I WILLIAM BURLEY, of Tower Chambers, London Wall, City of London, Engineer,
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 relates to a collapsible or expansible apparatus of elongated, or bag.
.shape, weighted at the lower end and connected to a skeleton frame at the upper end
to keep the mouth of the bag or apparatus open, said mouth forming the entrance to
enable a man to descend by rope or other like ladder down the said bag when cast
overboard.
Portions of the bag between straining hoops or bands are provided with sight holes,
glazed or otherwise protected against the entrance of water to enable an examination
to be made of a ship's hull while afloat, or other structure under water.
The lower part of the bag is weighted and has a rope connected for hauling and
keeping the bag against the side of the ship, the rope being brought up and lashed to
the other side of the vessel.
The skeleton frame at the mouth of the bag is so shaped that a portion of it may
rest upon the gunwale and be lashed, or secured to a cleat inboard, another part of
said frame being suspended from above, or in any other suitable manner.
The invention is applicable for many purposes besides examining the hull of a
..vessel and may be used to ascertain the cause of obstruction to a vessel's progress, to
examine the nature of ground, to search for Torpedoes, for clearing foul Anchors,
cleaning out Kingston Valves, also for examining the lower parts of sea walls, or
.structures, Gas tanks, foul wells, and generally for use where an examination has to
be made below the surface where danger exists.
Air supply tubes may be fitted.
My invention will be understood by the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 is a part sectional view of a collapsible and expansible bag composed of a
series of rings A held at their respective distances apart by tubes B, through which
and the inner flanges C of the rings, ropes are rove from a bottom disc 'E, which
may have a weight at F, and the upper ring G..
The rings are preferably surrounded by a net H as an additional strength or support
and protection to the outside canvas I.
JJ, are sight holes glazed as at the sectional view, Figure 2, and K is a cover
which can close up the mouth when the apparatus has to be used as a buoy.

page_text: The apparatus can be lowered overboard by the cords L, L, and cross bar M by any
ordinary tackle and if the apparatus has to be kept close to a vessel's hull, other ropes
can lash it in place.
M, M, are steps, by which men can move down and up within the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved construction of collapsible and expansible bag or apparatus shown on
the annexed drawings, the parts being arranged for operating in the manner and for
the purposes herein before described.
The 28th day of January 1889.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said William Burley.