Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
I, GEORGE HIGGINS, of "Hybla," Wallace Street, Toorak, in the Colony of
Victoria, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists in certain improvements in suction dredges, and it
relates, more particularly to the means used for supporting the suction pipe
and the mechanism for driving the cutters or stirrers.
The object of my improvements is to make provision for the free movement
in any desired direction of the mouth of the suction-pipe, together with the
attached cutters or stirrers, without unduly straining the suction pipe or any
part of the machinery.
The upper portion of the suction-pipe is provided with a bend, to which a
bracket is attached for the purpose of suspending it from a suitable framework
upon the hull of the dredge. Between the bend and the pump a universal
joint (preferably a ball and socket) is introduced.
The other end of the bend may or may not also be provided with a universal
joint, but in this case, deflection of the pipe in a vertical plane is to be pre-
vented by a chain which connects arms or brackets projecting downwards from
the pipe on each side of the said universal joint.
The lower or inlet portion of the suction pipe is to be bent, or otherwise
shaped suitably, so that the orifice may make a suitable angle with the axis of
the suction-pipe according to the depth of water in which dredging is required
to be done. The said orifice is preferably an enlargement of the pipe, or a
"bell-mouth."
The cutters or stirrers are caused to rotate by means of a shaft guided by
bearings, suitably attached to the mouth of the suction-pipe.
The said shaft may be fitted with a universal joint, and its upper end passed
through the boss of a driving wheel in such a way that it can be raised and
lowered, and yet be rotated by the said driving wheel, or the said shaft may be
connected by suitable gearing to one or more other shafts, one of which is to
be provided with a universal joint and passed through the boss of a driving.
wheel for the purpose named.
The said driving wheel may be driven by worm or other suitable gearing,
which, together with the said wheel, is mounted on a framework or platform
which is capable of rocking in bearings placed upon another framework or
platform, which again is capable of rocking in other bearings fixed to the hull
of the dredge and arranged at right angles to the first named bearings by which
means a considerable lateral movement (relatively to the hull of the dredge) is
allowed to the mouth of the suction-pipe, with the attached cutters or stirrers,
without including bending action in any of the pieces of shafting or gearing.
Having now generally described the main features of my invention, I shall

page_text: proceed to more particularly describe it with the aid of the accompanying
drawings, wherein,
Figure 1 is a plan of part of a suction dredge illustrating my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of same.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the centrifugal pump and the upper part of
the suction pipe drawn to a larger scale than the other figures, whilst
Figure 4 is an end elevation showing the mechanism used for driving the
cutters or agitators.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the
drawings.
The hull A of the dredge and the pump B together with the driving
mechanism of the latter, are of ordinary construction, and need not, therefore,
be specifically described.
The upper portion of the suction-pipe C is according to this invention, con-
nected. to the inlet of the pump B by means of a universal joint (preferably_a
ball and socket) D and it is provided with a bend with projecting bracket E,
whereby the said suction-pipe may be supported by a chain or other flexible
support e from a suitable framework e¹ secured for the purpose upon the hull A.
At the end of the said bend furthest from the pump, a second universal joint K
(preferably a ball and socket) may be introduced, thus making the said bend
act as what is commonly called a "bell-crank." But when the joint K is intro-
duced, I prevent deflection of the pipe due to its weight at such joint by connect-
ing the portions of the pipe above and below this joint by means of a chain L,
(shewn at Fig. 3) or other flexible connection, such chain or connection being
attached at each of its ends to brackets M which project from the pipe above
and below the said joint K.
F represents the mouth, or inlet opening, of the suction-pipe C. and G the
cutters or stirrers which work below and around it. The drive-shaft g of the
cutters or stirrers passes through suitable bearings attached to the suction
pipe.
Above these bearings the said shaft may either be provided with a universal
joint g or it may be connected by suitable gearing to one or more other shafts
leading to any desired part of the dredge, one of which is to be provided with
a universal joint, such as g².
Above the said universal joint, the shaft is to be made with a feather or is to be
sided and is to be passed through the nave of a drive wheel H, to which motion
is imparted by a worm or pinion h, placed upon a shaft h¹ driven by an engine
or other motor h².
In order that this driving gear may adjust itself to varying inclinations of
said shaft. I mount the wheel H and the worm or pinion h upon a frame or
platform I, supported, in rocking bearings . upon another frame or platform 2,
which, again, is mounted upon the rocking bearings 2. arranged at right angles
to the bearings . Thus the upper frame or platform I can adjust itself to
any desired angle to suit the inclination of the said shaft, without tending to
bend the latter. The bearings are fixed to the hull of the dredge.
The shaft is necessarily made flexible and extensible, preferably by being
provided with a pair of universal joints and by having adjacent lengths con-
nected together by an extensible or sliding joint in order that it may adapt
itself to the varying movements of the worm or pinion h.
Suitably arranged chains and pulleys J depend from suitable framework j, on
the hull of the dredge, to enable the mouth of the suction-pipe C to be raised
or lowered.
With the arrangement above described it will be evident that, should the
dredge, when working, be moved by waves or other causes, or should the suction
pipe be moved relatively to the hull of the dredge, the cutters or stirrers can
continue working without subjecting their shafting or the suction-pipe or any
other portion of the mechanism to an undue strain,

page_text: 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 herein described improvements in suction dredges, constructed,.
combined and arranged substantially as and for the purposes specified and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second; In a suction dredge, a suction pipe having its upper end connected
by a universal joint, (preferably a ball and socket) to the pump, and having a
projecting bracket carried by the lower end of a suspension chain or other
flexible support depending, from a framework on the hull of the dredge, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes specified, and as illustrated in the accompany-
ing drawings.
Third; In a suction dredge, a suction pipe having its upper section or end
provided with two universal joints (preferably balls and sockets) such universal
joints being connected by a bend which is suspended by means of a bracket as
previously described, and one of the said universal joints being provided with a
chain, or other flexible connection, introduced for the purpose of preventing
deflection of the pipe in a vertical plane at such joint substantially as and for
the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth; In a suction dredge the combination with a suction-pipe of a
rotary cutter or stirrer having its shaft fitted with a universal joint, or having
its shaft connected by gearing to one or more other shafts, one of which said
shafts is fitted with a universal joint, substantially as and for the purposes speci-
fied, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fifth In a suction dredge, a frame or platform carrying a drive wheel and
a worm or pinion in gear with it, the said drive-wheel being employed for com-
municating motion to the cutter or stirrer shaft, and the said platform or frame
being mounted on bearings so as to be capable of rocking to either side, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Sixth In a suction-dredge, the combination of two frames or platforms
used for carrying the cutter or stirrer driving mechanisms, the one platform
being mounted in rocker bearings upon the second platform and the said second
platform being mounted on rocker bearings arranged at right angles to the
first ones upon the hull of the dredge, substantially as and for the purposes
specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Seventh In a suction-dredge the combination with the cutter or stirrer
driving mechanism of a rocking frame or platform on which the said mechanism
is mounted, together with a flexible and extensible shaft for communicating
motion to the said mechanism from its motor, substantially as and for the pur-
poses specified, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Tenth day of October One thousand eight hundred and ninety-
GEORGE HIGGINS.
Agents, Abel & Imray.