IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE ADHESIONS FROM THE BOTTOMS OF IRON. STEEL, AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Baker, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Shipowner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE ADHESIONS FROM THE
BOTTOMS OF IRON. STEEL, AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS."
Sealed the 16th March 1869, and dated the 3rd October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Baker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd October 1868.
I, JAMES BAKER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Ship-
owner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE ADHESIONS FROM
THE BOTTOMS OF IRON, STEEL, AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS," to be as
follows (that is to say):
This Invention consists of a peculiar rotating brush and scrapers,
fixed spirally round a cylinder of wood or other suitable material.
To construct an apparatus according to this Invention, take a
cylinder of wood or other suitable material, which may be of, say six
inches diameter, or any other convenient size, and, say six feet, or any

page_text: other suitable length; on this cylinder is planted or fixed the piassava
or other fibre forming a brush, the rows of bristles or other fibres
forming the brush which it is preferred should be carried round the
One end of the
cylinder in a spiral form parallel to each other.
cylinder, for say about one foot, is formed tapered or conical, the end
of which is inserted into a truncated or cylindrical ferrule, to which
is attached or formed therewith two, three, or any other required
number of oblique blades, and the end of the socket piece is fitted with
a swivel to receive a rope, to allow the cylindrical brush to rotate, when
the same is drawn through the water or in a stream, which it does by
the action of the water on the blades and spiral brush.
The revolving scrapers to be used previous to the application of the
revolving brush consist of a cylinder of wood or other suitable material,
which may be of a lighter diameter to that forming the foundation of the
cylindrical brush; but in place of using bristles or other fibre there
are three, four, or any other convenient number of iron, steel, or other
suitable metal blades attached thereto and projecting at a right angle
from the cylinder, and which cylinder is fitted at one end into a socket
having oblique or spiral propeller blades and a swivel link for attaching
a rope thereto, in the same way as herein-before described as applied to
the cylindrical brush. In some cases it is preferred to combine the
brush and scrapers on one cylinder.
The apparatus may be used as follows:-A rope is attached to the
swivel link on the head of the scraper, which may be then attached to
a swivel link on the rear of the revolving brush, to which a line is made
fast on the front swivel link. The ship to be operated upon is under
way, or lying in a stream; the revolving compound scraper and rotating
cylindrical brush is passed over the bow of the vessel, and gradually
eased away until they arrive at the after part of the vessel, when they
are drawn back by means of the line to which they are attached, when
they are again allowed to fall aft, passing under another portion of the
vessel's side or bottom, and so on, until the whole surface of the bottom
and sides of the vessel required to be operated upon is completed, the
animal and vegetable matter being scraped off and brushed away by
the action of the revolving brush and compound rotating scraper. In
some cases it may be desirable to use independent lines for the cylindrical
brush and revolving compound scraper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BAKER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Shipowner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said James Baker, Her special
license that I, the said James Baker, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Baker, 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, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR REMOVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE ADHESIONS FROM THE BOTTOMS
OF IRON, STEEL, AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS,' upon the conditions
(amongst others) that I, the said James Baker, my executors or admi-.
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and caused 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 James Baker, do hereby declare.
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
fallowing statement (that is to say) :-
This my said Invention consists of a peculiar rotating brush and
scrapers fixed spirally round a cylinder of wood or other suitable
material.
To construct an apparatus according to this my Invention I take a
cylinder of wood or other suitable material, which may be of (say) about
six inches diameter, or any other convenient size, and (say) six feet or

page_text: any other suitable length; on this cylinder I plant or fix the piassava
or other fibre forming a brush, in rows of bristles, or other fibres forming
the brush, which I prefer should be carried round the cylinder in a
spiral form parallel to each other; one end of the cylinder for, say about
one foot I form tapered or conical, the end of which I insert into a
truncated, conical, or cylindrical ferrule, to which is attached or formed
therewith two, three, or any other required number of oblique blades,
and the outer ends of the socket piece I fit with a swivel to receive a rope
to allow the cylindrical brush to rotate when the same is drawn through
the water, or in a stream, which it does by the action of the water on
the blades and spiral brush. The revolving scrapers to be used previous
to the application of the revolving brush consists of a cylinder of wood
or other suitable material, which may be of a like diameter and similar
to that forming the foundation of the cylindrical brush, but in place of
using bristles or other fibre there are three or four or any other con-
venient number of iron, steel, or other suitable metal blades attached
thereto and projecting at a right angle from the cylinder, and which
cylinder I fit at one end with a socket, having oblique or spiral pro-
pellor blades, and a swivel link for attaching a rope thereto in the same
way as herein-before described, as applied to the cylindrical brush.
In some cases I prefer to combine the brush and scraper on one
cylinder.
The apparatus is used as follows:-A rope is attached to the swivel
link on the head of the scraper, which may then be attached to a swivel
link, or eye link, on the rear end of the revolving brush, to which a line
is made fast on the front swivel link. The ship to be operated upon is
under way, or lying in a stream, the revolving compound scraper and
rotating cylindrical brush is passed over the bow of the vessel, and
gradually eased away until they arrived at the after part of the vessel,
when they are drawn back by means of the line to which they are
attached, when they are again allowed to fall aft, passing under another
portion of the vessel's side or bottom, and so on until the whole surface
of the bottom or sides of the vessel required to be operated upon is com-
pleted, the animal and vegetable matter being scraped off and brushed
away by the action of the revolving brush and compound rotating
scraper.
In some cases I prefer to use independent lines for the cylindrical
revolving brush and revolving compound scraper, and in others I use a

page_text: manner.
number of rotating brushes and scrapers in sets arranged parallel to
each other and held apart by link rods, or in any other convenient
I have found it a convenient arrangement to take, say, four to
six of the cylindrical brushes, and attach them together parallel to each
other and sufficiently apart to allow each one to have an independent
rotatory motion, and attached to their rear ends a like number of other
revolving compound scrapers, which I also hold in position by transverse
link rods.
By the foregoing arrangement the bottom and sides of a ship may be
cleaned in a very short space of time.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and under-
stood I have hereunto annexed Drawings illustrating one of my improved
revolving compound ship's scrapers, also two forms of my improved
rotating ship's scrubber brush; like letters marked on the Drawing are
used to indicate similar parts.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of my improved compound self-
acting revolving ship's scrapers (drawn on a scale of three inches to the
foot) with four scrapers pitched to form one volute in four feet; Figure 2
is a side elevation of one of my improved self-acting cylindrical
revolving brushes fully clothed with bristles or other substitutes;
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same; Figure 4 is a
longitudinal elevation having the bristle arranged in three parallel
spirals partaking of the screw of four feet pitch; Figure 5 is a vertical
cross section of the same.
A (in. all the Figures), cylinder of wood or other suitable material
which is surrounded by B, B1, B2, B', (Figure 1) spiral scrapers;
C (Figures 1 and 2) fan blades attached to D, a truncated cone, the
outer end of which is fitted with E (Figures 1 and 2), swivels for
attaching the rear and tow lines to F, an eye bolt on the rear ends
of the brush and scraper cylinders; G (Figures 1 and 2), veering and
Lauling lines.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my
said Invention, and how I believe the same may be best carried into
practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise detail, relative dimensions or proportions of the several
parts of the apparatus, as it will be readily seen that the same may be
considerably varied without departing from the Invention, but what I
claim as new and my Invention is,―

page_text: First. The peculiar form of rotating brushes with their propeller
blades, constructed and operated substantially and for the purposes
herein-before described and set forth.
And, secondly. The compound cylindrical revolving ship's scrapers
constructed and operated substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
And, lastly. The use and construction of a scraper or scrapers in
combination with a brush on the said cylinder substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Baker, have hereunto set
my hand and affixed my seal, this Second day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.