IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS OR OTHER FLOATING VESSELS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Phillips, of Nunhead, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR
APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS OR OTHER FLOATING
VESSELS."
Scaled the 25th September 1863, and dated the 2nd April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Phillips
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd April 1863.
I, WILLIAM HENRY PHILLIPS, of Nunhead, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS OR OTHER FLOATING
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object arrangements of apparatus for facilitating
the cleaning of the bottoms and sides of ships or other floating vessels, so as
to remove any accumulation of seaweed, barnacles, or other foreign matters
therefrom whilst the vessel is afloat or during its progress through the water.
For this purpose the form of apparatus which I prefer to employ consists of a
circular frame or disc revolving freely upon a central axis carried by a suitable
framing or support, capable of being suspended from the deck (by one or more
ropes or chains passing around or underneath the vessel), and pressed against

page_text: the bottom or side of the vessel to be cleaned when required. This framing
may also be guided or stayed by chains or ropes passing fore and aft from it to
either end of the ship, which chains or ropes may be used to give the brush a
fore-and-aft movement, if desired, when in use. The surface of the frame or
disc which is thus pressed up against the bottom or side of the vessel is of a
brush-like character, composed of cane, whalebone, wire, or other elastic or
yielding materials combined or otherwise with blades or rigid projections, if
desired. To the outer surface of the frame or disc is attached a self-acting
revolving apparatus, but I prefer to use a scries of vanes or blades, which
revolve as the vessel is propelled through the water, and cause the apparatus
mounted upon the axis to revolve by being connected to them by suitable
gearing as the vessel so passes through the water, or they may be caused to
rotate by the action of the tide when the vessel is stationary. The apparatus
is capable of being shifted from one position to another by a crab, capstan,
winch, or other means acting on the chains or ropes which support or suspend
the apparatus. In place of attaching the brush or rubbing surface to the
rotating disc by gearing, as above described, it may be separate therefrom, and
have an oscillating or to-and-fro movement imparted thereto by means of a
crank or other gearing connecting the revolving disc and the brush or cleaning
instrument together. When the vessel is in still water motion may be com-
municated to the revolving brush or cleaning instrument by means of a
driving band passing over a drum or pulley on the axis of the series of vanes or
blades actuating the revolving disc to another drum or pulley mounted upon and
driven from the deck of the vessel, or from a raft, barge, or other floating body
lying alongside the vessel. The rotating brush or cleaning surface may be
formed around the circumference of a drum having a central axis, to which
rotary motion may be given by similar means to those previously described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of tho Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Phillips in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY PHILLIPS, of Nunhead, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight bundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Henry Phillips, Her spécial licence that I, the said William
Henry Phillips, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Henry Phillips, 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, usé, éxercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS OR
OTHER FLOATING VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Henry Phillips, 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 tho 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 Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Phillips, 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, that is to say:-.
This Invention has for its object arrangements of apparatus for facilitating
the cleaning of the bottoms and sides of ships or other floating vessels, so as
to remove any accumulation of seaweed, barnacles, or other foreign matters
therefrom whilst the vessel is afloat or during its progress through the water.
For this purpose the form of apparatus which I prefer to employ consists of
à circular frame or disc revolving freely upon a central axis carried by a
suitable framing or support, capable of being suspended from the deck (by one
or more ropes or chains passing around or underneath the vessel), and pressed
against the bottom or side of the vessel to be cleaned when required. This
framing may also be guided or stayed by chains or ropes passing fore and aft
from it to either end of the ship, which chains or ropes may be used to give
the brush a fore-and-aft movement, if desired, when in use. The surface of
the frame or disc which is thus pressed up against the bottom or side of the
vessel is of a brush-liko character, composed of cane, whalebone, wire, or
other clastic or yielding materials combined or otherwise with blades or rigid
projections, if desired. To the outer surface of the frame or disc is attached
a self-acting revolving apparatus, but I prefer to use a series of vanes or
blades, which revolve as the vessel is propellel through the water, and causo
the apparatus mounted upon the axis to revolve by being connected to them

page_text: cleaned by the action of the water upon blades or vanes as the vessel and
apparatus having "headway" passes through the water, or by the passing
water of a stream or tide acting on the blades or vanes of the apparatus whilst
the vessel is at anchor, or motion may be communicated to the apparatus
whilst the vessel is lying in still water, as hereafter described.
Figure 1 shows a front elevation, Figure 2 is a transverse section, and
Figure 3 a back view, partly in section, of apparatus constructed according to
my Invention.
a, a, is a disc of wood or other suitable (by preference, buoyant) material,
having brush surfaces a', a', thereon, made of whalebone, cane, wire, spring
steel, or other suitable material, metal blades or scrapers a², a', being intro-
duced between the brushes when desired. The disc a is fixed on the spindle
or axis b, which turns freely in bearings at 6', 6', carried by the stationary
body or framing c, c, of the apparatus, to the back of which is affixed the drum
or cylinder d, open at each end, and having bars or supports in which the axis
of the screw or spiral blades e, e, revolves; f is a worm fixed on the axis e,
which worm engages with the teeth of the worm wheel 9 fixed on the axis 6,
so as to give motion thereto and to the disc a when the screw e is caused to
revolve by the action of the water thereon; h, h, are ropes or chains attached
to the apparatus and to the upper works of the ship or vessel, one of the ropes
or chains passing from the apparatus under the keel of the vessel to the upper
works on the under side; h, h², are ropes or chains which are employed to retain
the apparatus in position and to shift the same fore and aft as required. The
apparatus being slung in position, whilst the vessel has headway in passing
through the water, the screw blades or vanes e, e, are caused to revolve, and
by means of the gearing f, g, rotary motion is communicated to the circular
brush, scraper, or cleaning instrument a whilst the apparatus is borno against
the submerged part of the vessel to be cleaned.
Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section of another arrangement of self-acting
apparatus for cleaning the bottoms of ships or other floating vessels con-
structed according to my Invention, and Figure 5 shows a transverse section
of the same.
In this arrangement the brushes, or scrapers, or cleaning instruments a, a¹,
are mounted upon a drum or cylinder b, the inner circumference of which is
fixed to the inclined or spiral blades c mounted on the hollow or other buoyant
axis d, the whole revolving freely upon the central axis e, formed with rings o'
and loose collars at each end, to which rings e¹ ropes or chains are attached,
as shown, or in any other convenient manner, for supporting and holding the
apparatus in position against the submerged parts of the vessel to be cleaned.

page_text: The action of the water upon the spiral blades or vanes c causes the drum
with the brushes and scrapers mounted thereon to revolve, and thus cleanse
the part of the vessel against which the apparatus is borne.
Figure 6 shows a similar arrangement of apparatus, the outer drum or
cylinder 6 being dispensed with, the brushes or cleaning instruments being
mounted upon the spiral blades or vanes c, which latter act as scrapers in their
revolution against the side of the vessel.
Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams showing the outline of a vessel with the
cleaning apparatus slung in position at the side, as previously described. In
place of employing self-acting revolving apparatus, as previously described,
the brushes, scrapers, or cleaning instruments may be mounted upon a drum
or cylinder (by preference hollow, or made of buoyant materials), capable of
revolving upon a central axis, a rotary or reciprocating rotary motion being
communicated thereto by means of an endless band connecting it with suitable
apparatus mounted on the deck of the vessel, or upon a raft or barge or other
convenience alongside the vessel, the driving apparatus being actuated by
manual or other power, by which means the submerged parts may be cleaned
whilst the vessel is lying in dock or in still water, if desired.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Phillips, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
WILLIAM HENRY PHILLIPS. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Holborn. W.C.