IMPROVEMENTS IN DREDGING MACHINERY
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I HENRY CHRISTIAN LOBNITZ, of Slip Dock, Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Engineer and Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DREDGING MACHINERY" to be as follows:-
My said Invention has for its objects, to render dredgers of the common kind
having endless chains of buckets adjustable or adaptable to various conditions in
an improved and advantageous manner; and to provide in an improved manner
for the discharge of materials raised by the buckets.
In carrying out my Invention the ladder carrying and distending the endless
chain of buckets is arranged so as, whilst retaining the most advantageous angle of
inclination, to be capable of being moved in the direction of its length, in order
that its lower end may be at a greater or less depth according to the requirements.
For this purpose the latter is placed in guides or on rollers, and screws may be
applied for moving it; or it may be moved by the ordinary suspending tackle,
provision being made for securing it by bolts or in any convenient way in any of
its various positions. The endless chain of buckets is lengthened or shortened by
inserting or removing links and buckets to suit the position of the ladder, the
position of the upper tumbler or pulley round which the chain passes remaining
always in one position.
My improved arrangements for removing the dredged materials are designed for
discharging them on the banks of the canal or water way that is being dredged, or
at a little distance from the dredger. A couloir or conduit is employed for this
purpose, and has its higher end connected to a funnel which receives the materials
from the buckets as they turn over the upper tumbler or pulley. The couloir or
conduit is mainly supported by a punt or lighter placed in a position about under
the middle of its length, the punt having a mast or sheer legs from the top of
which stays proceed to various parts of the couloir to give them the requisite
support. The coulior or conduit may be entirely in the form of a pipe or entirely
in the form of an open channel but I prefer its upper part to be a pipe and its
lower part an open channel. In most cases only a small inclination can be given
to the couloir and in order that the dredged materials may be conveyed along it
with sufficient speed I employ a pump to raise water and to direct it in a strong
jet into the upper end of the couloir or conduit so as to propel and wash down the
materials.
DML 1001
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: I, HENRY CHRISTIAN LÖBNITZ, of Slip Dock, Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Engineer and Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DREDGING MACHINERY," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its objects to render dredgers of the common kind
having endless chains of buckets adjustable or adaptable to various conditions in
an improved and advantageous manner; and to provide in an improved manner
for the discharge of materials raised by the buckets.
In carrying out my Invention the ladder carrying and distending the endless
chain of buckets is arranged so as, whilst retaining the most advantageous angle of
inclination, to be capable of being moved in the direction of its length, in order
that its lower end may be at a greater or less depth according to the requirements.
For this purpose the ladder is placed in guides or on rollers, and screws may be
applied for moving it; or it may be moved by the ordinary suspending tackle,
provision being made for securing it by bolts, or in any convenient way in any of
its various positions. The endless chain of buckets is lengthened or shortened by
inserting or removing links and buckets to suit the position of the ladder, the
upper tumbler or pulley round which the chain passes remaining always in one
position.
My improved arrangements for removing the dredged materials are designed for
discharging them on the banks of the canal or water way that is being dredged, or
at a little distance from the dredger. A couloir or conduit is employed for this
purpose and has its higher end connected to a funnel which receives the materials
from the buckets as they turn over the upper tumbler or pulley. The couloir
when of considerable length is mainly supported by a punt or lighter placed in a
position under about the middle of its length the punt having a mast or sheer leg,
from the top of which stays proceed to various parts of the couloir to give them
the requisite support. The couloir may be entirely in the form of a pipe or
entirely in the form of an open channel, but I prefer its upper part to be a pipe
and its lower part an open channel. In most cases only a small inclination can be
given to the couloir, and in order that the dredged materials may be conveyed
along it with sufficient speed I employ a pump to raise water and to direct it in a
strong jet into the upper end of the couloir so as to propel and wash down the
materials.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performning the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings
to Le hereinafter referred to and representing my improved machinery.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the drawings is a transverse section of a canal or water
way with the dredger shown in end elevation. Figure, 2, is a longitudinal section
of the canal or water way, with the dredger shown in side elevation; and figure, 3,
is a plan of the dredger. Figures, 4 and 5, on sheet, 2, represent on an enlarged
scale the parts provided for the shifting or adjusting of the ladder, figure, 4, being
a side elevation, and figure, 5, an orthographic projection as on a plane parallel to
the plane of the ladder. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used
to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The dredger shown in the drawings is of the kind having the ladder, 6, and
endless chain of buckets, 7, extending down through a well or space formed along
the middle of the fore half of the vessel. The bottom end of the ladder, 6, is
suspended in the ordinary way by chain tackle from a crane, or windlass, 8. The
tackle and other parts are partly indicated by dotted lines in figure, 2; and

page_text: different positions of the ladder, 6, are also indicated by dotted lines. The upper
end of the ladder, 6, is attached to a transverse bar, 9, having ends formed or fitted
with square blocks which are arranged to slide between guides, 10, fixed to the
framing, 11. Screw shafts, 12, extend along between the guides, 10, at each side,
being held in bearings at their upper and lower ends, and being tapped through
the ends of the transverse bar, 9. On the upper ends of the screw shafts, 12,
worm wheels, 13, are fixed, and have in gear with them worms on a transverse
shaft, 14, which may be driven in any convenient way. Dotted circles between
the guides, 10, in figure, 4, indicate different positions of the transverse bar, 9;
and top of the ladder, 6; or they may be regarded as indicating holes in the
outer side plate of the guides for a bar, 9, longer than the one shown to be
entered into, when the ladder is raised or lowered otherwise than by means of the
screw shafts, 12.
My improved discharging apparatus is shown in figure, 1. On passing round
the upper tumbler or pulley, 15, the buckets, 7, empty their contents into a trough
the bottom of which is formed with funnels, 16, 17, communicating with
couloirs, 18, 19. One, 18, of these couloirs is shown as of considerable length
and is partly supported by a punt or lighter, 20, fitted with a mast, 21, from
which stays, 22, proceed to various parts of the couloir, 18. The couloir, 19, on
the other side being of less length is supported by stays, 23, from a mast or
spar, 24, fixed on the dredger itself. The pumps for supplying the water for
propelling or washing the dredged materials along the couloirs, 18, 19, are not
shown but may be of any suitable kind. The discharge pipes of the pumps are
shown at, 25, and have their upper ends placed so as to direct their jets into the
couloir funnels, 16, 17. When one of the couloirs is being used the other is closed
by a valve, 26, as indicated in figuro, 1.
I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated
provided that the distinctive features of my Invention are retained these being-
the making the ladder movable or adjustable in the direction of its length, and the
arrangement of the couloirs or discharging apparatus together with the application
of the pumps. The improved arrangement of the ladder enables the depth of
dredging to be varied without altering the angle of inclination at which the
buckets work; it also enables the dredger to cut its own way by means of the
extension of the ladder beyond and forward of the bow of the vessel; and it
admits of the withdrawal of the ladder within the limits of the vessel's length.
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:
1. The constructing or arranging of the bucket ladder of a dredger and parts
connected there with so that the upper end of the ladder may be movable or
adjustable along guides or in the direction of its length, in the manner and for the
purposes substantially as herein before described.
2. The combination of a couloir supported at a slight inclination by stays and
a mast or sheers, and a pump or pumps throwing water into the couloir for
discharging dredged materials at a distance from the dredging vessel substantially
as herein before described.
DALL
11004
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.