APPLIANCES TO BE FITTED TO SHIPS OR VESSELS TO FACILITATE THEIR BEING RAISED WHEN SUNK
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM STEAINS VAUGHAN, of Baltic Chambers in the City and County of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "APPLIANCES TO BE FITTED TO SHIPS OR VESSELS TO FACILITATE THEIR BEING
RAISED WHEN SUNK" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to certain appliances by means of which the position of a
sunken ship or vessel may first be indicated at surface of the water and lifting
chains or cables then be readily attached for the purpose of lifting the ship by any
of the ordinary methods.
"
At certain positions, in number according to the size of the vessel, on the "port
and "starboard" sides I attach either above or below the decks or to any suitable
part of the ship shackles, eye bolts or preferably strong double eyes of forged iron,
cast steel or other material each having a round bolt passing through both eyes
or, it may be, cast with the double eye.
Around each of these "double eyes" I construct a vertical casing, preferably
cylindrical, and properly secured to ship, open at the top into which fits freely the
lower portion of a buoy made of sheet metal, galvanised or otherwise and perfectly
air and water tight, or of any other substance having sufficient buoyancy. In the
underside of each buoy is an eye through which is passed one loop of an endless
cord, wire or light chain, the other loop of which passes round the bolt of the
"double eye."
This endless cord is of such a length, when double, as to meet the
extreme depth from which a sunken ship is likely to be raised (say 50 fathoms
more or less) and is coiled loosely within the cylindrical case. When, from
collision or other cause, the ship sinks the buoys' remain on or rise to the surface
and the endless cord, wire or chain attached to each uncoils in the case till the
ship reaches the bottom the buoys indicating on the surface her position.
The endless cords, wires or chains now form "messengers" between the lifting.
pontoons or lighters and the double eyes on the sunken ship and by their means
the lifting chains or cables may be passed round the bolts a sufficient number of
times to deal with the weight of the ship. At the points where the double eyes
are fixed the ship may be suitably strengthened if necessary.
The upper surfaces of the buoys may be marked with name of ship, with numbers
or letters and the words "port" or "starboard" so as to indicate exactly how the
sunken ship lies. These appliances can be easily adapted to existing ships at very
trifling expense,

page_text: I WILLIAM STEAINS VAUGHAN, of Baltic Chambers, in the City and County of
Newcastle upon Tyne, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "APPLIANCES TO BE FITTED TO SHIPS OR VESSELS TO. FACILITATE THEIR BEING
RAISED WHEN SUNK to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
"
My invention relates to certain appliances by means of which the position of a
sunken ship or vessel may first be indicated at surface of the water and lifting
chains or cables then be readily attached for the purpose of lifting the ship by any
of the ordinary methods.
At certain positions, in number according to the size of the vessel, on the " "port'
and "starboard sides I attach either above or below the decks or to any suitable
part of the ship, shackles, eye bolts or preferably strong double eyes of forged iron,
cast steel or other material each having a round bolt passing through both eyes or
it may be cast with the double eye.
Around each of these "double eyes" I construct a vertical casing, preferably
cylindrical, and properly secured to ship, which when on the main or upper deck
may be usefully employed as "bollards," or warping heads, open at the top into
which fits freely the lower portion of a buoy made of sheet metal, galvanized or
otherwise and perfectly air and water tight, or of any other substance having
sufficient buoyancy. On the underside of each buoy is an eye through which is
passed one loop of an endless cord, wire or light chain, the other loop of which
passes round the bolt of the "double eye." This endless cord is of such a length,
when double, as to meet the extreme depth from which a sunken ship is likely to be
raised (say 50 fathoms more or less) and is coiled loosely within the cylindrical case.
When from collision or other cause, the ship sinks the buoys remain on or rise to the
surface and the endless cord, wire or chain attached to each uncoils in the case until
the ship reaches the bottom the buoys indicating on the surface her position.
The endless cords, wires or chains now form "messengers" between the lifting
"pontoons" or "lighters" and the double eyes on the sunken, ship and by their
means the lifting chains or cables may be passed round the bolts a sufficient number
of times to deal with the weight of the ship. At the points where the double eyes
are fixed the ship may be suitably strengthened if necessary.
"
The upper surfaces of the buoys may be marked with the name of ship, with
numbers or letters, and the word "port" ог "starboard" so as to indicate exactly
how the sunken ship lies.
The appliances can be easily adapted to existing ships at very trifling expense,
and the vertical casings may sometimes be constructed as ventilators.

page_text: section. A A A are three frames of the vessel, B one of the deck beams, C C are
plate brackets rivetted to the frames and by angle irons to the deck D-E E are
strong shackles of forged iron, or of steel, rivetted to the plate brackets C and C
and fitted in their upper ends, which project above the deck D, with a round
bolt F. G is a vertical casing of strong plate rivetted to the deck D enclosing the
shackles E E and circular in form so as to serve as a "bollard" or ventilator. This
casing is open at top end in which rests freely the lower portion of the buoy H in
the under side of which is an eye bolt J through which is passed one loop of a wire
or other cord or small chain K (the length of which when double is equal to the
extreme depth from which a sunken ship is likely to be raised) the other loop passes
round the bolt F and the cord is coiled loosely within the casing G.
P P P
В
Figure 3 shews a side elevation and Figure 4 a plan of a vessel fitted with my
appliances (in this case four on each side marked 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1, 2, 3, 4) supposed
to have sunk in a considerable depth of water. The eight buoys H have floated to
the surface each carrying with it it's messenger cord K and now indicate the
position and direction in which the vessel lies and the pontoons or lighters being
now in position the lifting chains or cables may be attached to the messenger cords
and passed round the bolts F in shackles E a sufficient number of times to deal
with the weight of the vessel.
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
For indicating the position and facilitating the raising of sunken vessels the use
of buoys connected with the vessel at suitable points by "messenger" cords, or
chains, passing round shackles or eye bolts, preferably enclosed in casings, or
connected in some equivalent manner so that they will float to, and remain on, the
surface and enable lifting chains or cables to be readily attached, constructed and
operating substantially as shewn and described.
Dated the 17th day of June 1885.
Witness,
T. J. DANSON, F. Inst. P.A.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
Newcastle upon Tyne.
WS. VAUGHAN,