Improvements in dredging apparatus
Year: 1888

page_text: I ADOLPHUS ERNEST RUGERONI of 60 Norwood Road Herne Hill, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention for Improvements in dredging apparatus relates to the arrangement.
and construction of mechanism and appliances for the excavation or removal of loose
materials under water, and consists essentially in the employment of an aspirator, on
the end of which is mounted a set of rotating knives, and which is lowered down to
the materials to be excavated or removed. Water is conveyed under pressure to an
outer chamber or casing of the aspirator, and through a conical annular passage in
an upward direction into the discharge pipe, thereby creating and maintaining in the
said pipe a strong upward current of high velocity, which induces a partial vacuum
at the lower orifice of the aspirator, and causes any loose materials to be sucked in
and forced through the discharge pipe, and thence into lighters, barges or other
receptacles.
The aspirator comprises two hollow cones arranged concentrically one with the
other, with a small annular space between them similar to an injector. The lower
end of the lower cone terminates in a bell mouth, and the upper end of the upper
cone is connected to the discharge pipe. The cones are surrounded concentrically by a
chamber into which the water under pressure is conveyed, and thence passes upwards
through the annular space between the cones to the discharge pipe. The flow of
the water produces a certain vacuum which is sufficient to draw any loose materials
found under the bell mouth through the hollow cones whence they are carried by
the water up the discharge pipe.
In order to break up the materials in front of the bell mouth, steel blades are
fixed on a shaft mounted in bearings on the bell mouth, and rotated by means of a
chain or band driven by a steam engine on the deck of the dredger. The steam
engine is mounted on a carriage which can be traversed automatically backwards and
forwards upon rails placed longitudinally on the dredger by means of any suitable
mechanism, for example, such as the rack and pinion motion used for operating the
tables of planing machines and driven by the engine. The maximum travel of the
carriage is limited by elastic buffers, which also facilitate the reversal of the motion.

page_text: The aspirator is connected to the chain of a travelling winch running on the before
mentioned rails and connected to the traversing carriage by a beam.
The pipes
leading the water to the aspirator, and the discharge pipes are connected together by
straps, and hinged at their upper ends to the traversing carriage. It will thus be
seen that the aspirator can be lowered by means of the winch to dredge at any
depth not greater than the length of the pipes. The aspirator can also be drawn
into a central longitudinal opening in the bottom of the dredger barge when not in
use this opening also admits of the requisite traverse of the pipes and chains.
The pumps for supplying the water under pressure to the aspirator are situated
at the rear of the dredger barge, and are actuated by fixed engines, and
connected to air reservoirs for equalising the pressure, and thence by flexible pipes
guided by rollers to the supply pipe of the aspirator; these pipes being connected
by spherical couplings to allow of the requisite motion.
When a space equal to the length of the traverse of the carriage has been dredged
to the required depth, the whole dredger is moved longitudinally by means of drums
operated by the pump engines and round which ropes or chains having their ends
fixed are wound.
It will readily be understood that two or more aspirators with the requisite force
and discharge pipes may be placed side by side and coupled to the pumping apparatus
if desired.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1888

page_text: Improvements in Dredging Apparatus.
I ADOLPHUS ERNEST RUGERONI, of 60 Norwood Road, Herne Hill, London S.E. 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 for Improvements in dredging apparatus, relates to the arrangement
and construction of mechanism and appliances for the excavation and removal of loose
materials under water, and consists essentially in the employment of an aspirator, on
the end of which is mounted a set of rotating knives, and which is lowered down to
the materials to be excavated and removed. Water is conveyed under pressure to an
outer chamber or casing of the aspirator and through a conical annular passage in
an upward direction into the discharge pipe, thereby creating and maintaining in the
said pipe a strong upward current of high velocity which induces a partial vacuum
at the lower orifice of the aspirator and causes any loose materials to be sucked in
and forced upwards through the discharge pipe, and thence into lighters, barges, or
other receptacles.
In the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 represents a
longitudinal vertical section of a dredger barge shewing the arrangement of dredging
apparatus with two aspirators side by side, and provided with the necessary accessory
appliances for operating the aspirators, and for conveying the excavated materials
overboard, and
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, both views being continued from sheet 1 to sheet 2,
and being broken at about their middles in order to retain a scale sufficiently large to
render the different parts quite legible.
Fig. 3 is a section to an enlarged scale of the aspirator and rotary excavating
knives.
The aspirator A comprises two hollow cones 1. 2 arranged concentrically one with
the other, so as to leave a small annular space 3 between them similar to that of an ordinary
injector. The lower end 4 of the lower cone piece 1 terminates in a bell mouth, and the
upper end 5 of the upper cone is connected to the discharge or delivery pipe 6. The
cones are surrounded concentrically by a chamber 7 into which water under pressure
is conveyed through the force pipe & and from thence it passes upwards through the
annular space 3 between the cones to the delivery pipe 6.
The upward flow of the water produces in the part 4 below the cones a certain
vacuum, which is sufficient to draw loose materials found under the bell mouth
through the hollow cones, whence they are carried by the water up the delivery
pipe 6 and overboard through the pipes 9 into barges or lighters.
In order to break up the inaterial in front of the bell mouth 4, steel blades 10 are
fixed on a shaft 11 working in bearings on the bell mouth, and rotated by means of a
chain or hand 12 driven by a steam engine B on the deck of the dredger. This steam
engine is mounted on a carriage which is traversed backwards and forwards on
rails D placed longitudinally on the dredger by the following means.
Upon the engine shaft 13 is mounted a drum 14 which communicates its motion to

page_text: one of three pulleys 15 by means of a belt. These pulleys together with the three
bevel wheels 16 form an arrangement for the reversal of motion somewhat similar to
that used for planing machines, so that, according as the belt is placed upon the right
or left hand pulley 15, the shaft 17 will turn forward or backward. Upon the
shaft 17 is keyed a pulley 18 imparting motion by means of a belt to another
pulley 19 and hence to the pinions 20 mounted on the same shaft as the pulley 19
and gearing with the toothed wheel 21, the latter gearing in their turn with the
racks 22. A translatory motion can thus be imparted to the carriage C in the desired
direction forward or backward.
-:
The direction of the traverse of the carriage is automatically reversed as follows:-
A rod 23 provided with a roller 24 at its extremity projects outside the carriage C,
and carries a fork 25 for guiding the belt connecting the pulleys 14 and 15. The
rod 23 being arranged as shewn on the drawings, the belt is placed upon the left hand
side pulley and the carriage moves towards the front of the dredger. When the
carriage arrives at the end of its forward travel the roller 24 meets the stop piece 26
and is thereby depressed, whence the belt is forced on to the right hand side pulley 15
which reverses the direction of the motion of the shaft 17, and hence that of the
pulleys 18, 19 of the gear wheels 20 21, and lastly, that of the carriage C which then
travels rearwardly. Having reached the end of this rearward travel, the roller 24
meets the stop piece 27 arranged so as to pull the roller 24 and the rod 23 back, and
thus to force the belt on to the left hand side pulley 15,.causing the carriage C to be
again traversed forward, as above stated. The carriage thus continues automatically
its to and fro motion. The maximum travel is limited by stop or abutting pieces 28
provided with elastic buffers, which facilitate the reversal of motion.
It will be obvious that many equivalent methods may be employed for reversing
the motion of the carriage, such as are commonly used in planing machines.
The aspirators are connected to the chains 29 of the two travelling winches E
running on the beforementioned rails D, and connected to the traversing carriage C
by beams 30. The force pipes 8 leading the water under pressure to the
aspirators A and the discharge pipes 6 are connected together by straps 31, and
are hinged at their upper ends to the traversing carriage C as clearly shewn.
It will thus be seen that the aspirators can be lowered by means of the winches
to dredge at any depth not greater than the length of the pipes 8 6. The
aspirators can also be drawn into a central longitudinal opening F in the dredger
barge when not in use; this opening also admits of the requisite traverse of the
pipes and chains.
The winches E may operate separately but are caused to work conjointly by
means of a coupling sleeve 32, so that the chains may always be paid out
together and in equal lengths. Hence the aspirators A operate constantly in the
same horizontal plane.
Upon the axis of the knives or blades 10 is keyed a pulley 33 connected by
means of a chain 12 to one of the pulleys 34, motion being transmitted to the
other pulley by the pulley 35 keyed upon the shaft 17. The double pulleys 34
are loose upon the prolongation of the journals of the pipe 6.
By this arrangement motion is constantly transmitted to the knives whatever
the position of the aspirator may be.
The connection of the flexible pipes 36 with the pipes S is effected by means of a
knee joint 37, which allows of their assuming any inclination required for their proper
working and they are guided by the rollers 38.
;
The pump G placed at the rear of the barge is actuated by the steam engine H
and is supplied directly from the river, either at the bottom or at the sides of the
barge, and forces the water into the reservoirs I at the required pressure.
The communicating pipes 39 may convey through the stop cocks 40 the water to
one of the reservoirs only, or to both simultaneously.
The flexible pipes 36 start from the air reservoirs I and communicate with pipes 8,
terminating at the receivers of the aspirators A. These pipes are made flexible in
order to better follow the to and fro motion of the carriage C.

page_text: During the operation of dredging the barge or lighter remains motionless; but
when the required depth has been reached, the aspirators are raised by means of the
winches E and the dredger is carried parallelly to a neighbouring part where the
work is continued. This parallel motion is obtained by mechanical means as follows.
The pulleys 41 and 42 set in motion by the engine H transmit such motion to the
drums 43 upon which the hawsers are wound up. The other ends of these hawsers
being fixed, it will be readily understood that the dredger or drag will have to work
in the direction indicated.
From the foregoing it results that a surface equal in width to the breadth of the
aspirators, and whose length is equal to that of the travel of the carriage, can be
dredged without loss of time, and without having to move the barge or lighter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In dredging apparatus: utilizing the vacuum caused by an upward current of
water passing through an annular space to draw up the materials to be discharged
substantially as described.
2. In dredging apparatus: an aspirator having a narrow conical annular water
space for conveying from an external chamber water under pressure to an internal
discharge or delivery pipe, so as to produce and maintain in the said discharge pipe
a current of high velocity, and to induce at the lower extremity or orifice of the pipe
below the annular water cone a partial vacuum, and thus to draw inwards and convey
upwards through the discharge pipe loose materials adjacent to the lower extremity of
the discharge pipe substantially as described.
3. In dredging apparatus: the employment in combination with the aspirator
referred to in claim 2 of a set of rotating knives mounted at the lower orifice of the
aspirator for breaking up the materials to be removed by the aspirator substantially as
described.
4. In dredging apparatus: automatically traversing the aspirators to and fro along
the dredger barge substantially as described.
5. The arrangement and construction of dredging apparatus substantially as
described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 15th day of November 1888.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
156, Strand, W.C.,
Agents.