A HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FOR THE UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHTS, FORCES, OR RESISTANCES, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES FOR THE TRANSPORT OF SHIPS AND BOATS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Pieper, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, of 74,
Belle-Alliance Strasse, Berlin, S.W., Prussia, for the Invention of "A HYDRAULIC
APPARATUS FOR THE UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHTS, FORCES, OR
RESISTANCES, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES FOR THE TRANSPORT
OF SHIPS AND BOATS." A communication from Ewald Bellingrath; of Dresden,
Saxony.
Sealed the 5th September 1879, and dated the 11th March 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Carl Pieper at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 11th March 1879.
CARL PIEPER, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, of 74, Belle-Alliance Strasse,
Berlin, S. W., Prussia. "A HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FOR THE UNIFORM DISTRIBU-
TION OF WEIGHTS, FORCES, OR RESISTANCES, ESPECIALLY APPLICAPLE TO CARRIAGES
FOR THE TRANSPORT OF SHIPS AND BOATS." A communication from Ewald
Bellingrath, of Dresden, Saxony.
This Invention relates to a hydraulic apparatus for distributing uniformly the
weight of heavy loads, considerable forces or resistances, upon a number of bearing
points or working points respectively, and for keeping the said distribution uniform
during motion, even when the relative position of the bearing or working points.
varies within certain limits.
The principle of this apparatus is based upon the law of hydrostatics, according
to which all the units of surface of a vessel containing fluid are under an equal
constant pressure. This law remains the same when several vessels containing a
fluid communicate with each other.
Supposing that three cylinders containing any kind of fluid and communicating
with each other be placed near each other, that they be closed above by pistons
having each the same diameter, & that one of the said pistons be loaded with a
certain weight, the other pistons will receive from below a pressure equal to this
weight and the loaded piston will sink, whereas the remaining two will rise.
If on the contrary the three pistons are loaded equally equilibrium takes place,
and will continue to exist even when one or all the pistons are caused to assume a
higher or lower position within the limits of their stroke.

page_text: If a load composed of one single piece, such, for instance, as a curved beam, is
placed upon the three pistons, the beam will cause the latter to set according to its
shape. The piston loaded in the first place will sink and the others will rise until
each piston carries an equal part of the load.
The same action takes place when a load is suspended to the pistons, it being
however supposed that the arrangement of the pistons and cylinders be suitably
modified for that purpose. An individual force might then be caused to act upon
each cylinder in order to lift the load bodily without running the danger of a
greater strain being exerted at one point of the load than on the other. This mode
of distributing a weight or of equalizing forces would be applicable, for instance, for
hoisting a load by means of several tackles, or for its suspension to several chains;
also for moving loads upon horizontal or inclined- planes by means of several
individual forces a uniform distribution of the resistance might be obtained by an
arrangement of this kind.
This apparatus is however especially intended to be applied to a carriage or train
of carriages for transporting ships or boats across a chain of mountains, or from one
level of a canal or river to another, where there are no locks between the levels.
Supposing that each carriage pertaining to a train of carriages be provided with
two cylinders communicating with each other, that a platform be placed upon the
pistons of the said cylinders, & that this platform carry a ship, the latter will be
supported at all its bearing points in a uniform manner, and its weight will be
distributed equally upon the carriages. This effect, is the same if the track for the
carriages be horizontal, inclined, or curved in a vertical plane; the pistons will
adapt themselves with regard to their higher or lower position as well to the con-
figuration of 'the track as to the shape, of the ship. The incline of the track may
therefore vary within the limit of the stroke of the pistons, and the variations in the
position of the rails or the unevenness of the track will have no influence upon the
uniformity of the pressures exerted against the burden. A slight inaccuracy with
regard to the rise and descent of the pistons is certainly caused by friction and
inertia, as well of the pistons themselves as of the fluid contained in the cylinders,
but these resistances are so small in regard to the operating pressures that they
need not be taken into consideration.
Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) of the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings shows part of a
train of carriages, or so-called "hydrostatic carriage," constructed according to this
Invention, and which is shown as carrying a vessel; Fig. 3 & 4 show a separate
carriage.
The boat or barge taken for example represents. a.vessel such as those on the
Elbe, the length of the cargo room of which is, say, 130 feet: It suffices when this
part of the vessel only is supported, as the bow and the stern may be unsupported,
without however bending to any material extent. For this purpose the platform
merely requires to have the length of the cargo room. The distance between the
bearing points of the loaded part of a vessel of the kind, represented should be about
10 feet; therefore fourteen carriages coupled together will be taken, each carriage
having two cylinders c (Fig. 3 & 4), one on each side. According to the above
indications the distance apart between the extreme cylinders will be 130 feet.
The carriages run on four wheels, each wheel having two journals, turning in
suitable bearings. Each pair of wheels of one side carries a strong frame consisting
of two plates or walls, which frame is connected to the frame of the opposite side
by means of several cross-girders. Between the walls of each frame, and at the
middle of their length, the cylinders c are mounted upon sharp edges b., they are
provided with the pistons d which work at a stroke of, say, 3 feet 3 inches. The
cylinders are preferably filled with glycerine, and the packing of the pistons is or
may be similar to that of hydraulic presses.
Upon both pistons of each carriage bears a hollow iron cross-beam e, upon which
are secured the longitudinal wooden beams f, forming together the platform, see
Fig. 2. These beams only bear from, one cross-beam to the other, and are jointed
together or united two by two by means of a hinge, as shown, in the Drawing;
.

page_text: their section is such that they may bend between the cross-beams, but without
breaking under the maximum load. The platform being thus constructed light and
'flexible can adapt itself to the shape of the vessel & yet offers a means for dis-
tributing with uniformity the hydrostatic pressure upon the pistons. The cross-
beams should be close enough to each other so that the vessel may stand on them
alone without being damaged by an injurious bending. For this purpose a distance
of 10 feet apart for a vessel such as that shown in the Drawing would be
sufficient.
The lower ends of the cylinders on one side of two contiguous carriages and the
corresponding bearing points of the cross-beams form a quadrangle M, N, O, P,
Fig. 8, the form of which varies according to the position of the pistons. The
cylinders, the lower ends of which are united by means of jointed rods, are kept in
a vertical or nearly vertical position by a special arrangement, here-after to be
described. The length of the side M, N, is invariable, the sides M, O, & N, P,
remain vertical, but their length varies according to the position of the platform
with regard to the rails or track; the length of the side O, P, will therefore be
variable also. For the purpose of allowing this variation to take place without
straining the cross-beams are not fixed to the upper ends of the pistons, but they
are arranged so as to be able to move to and fro and to rock in the longitudinal
direction of the carriage by means of rollers. The amount to which the normal
distance between the piston-heads of the end carriages is liable to shorten or to
lengthen on account of the variation of position of the pistons will not exceed one
inch towards either side under ordinary circumstances.
The arrangement for allowing the cross-beams e to move or to rock in the above
mentioned manner is shown in Fig. 3 & 4, and by diagram, Fig. 9. The inside of
the cross-beam e carries two plates E, each bearing upon a disk A, which by means
of the journals B, B, travels upon a sector C, the lower edge of which is rounded
and rests upon a bearing F, which constitutes the head of the piston d. To this
end is besides connected a forked guide-piece G, G, having for its purpose to
prevent A from rolling off the sector & to cause at the same time the pressure upon A
to operate constantly in the center of the piston.
As the cross-beam is open at the bottom and completely closed at the top but.
very little water will enter therein when the carriage is brought into the water for
receiving a ship, the parts may therefore be kept constantly lubricated.
The motion of the disk A & of the sector Chowever imparts to the cylinders a
tendency to assume an oblique position, which might cause a hindrance to their
working, even if their angular deviation is limited by fixed points. Besides a
piston in an oblique position would not only be subject to an axial pressure but
also to a pressure acting upon it in a transverse direction, & having a tendency to
cause it to bend or break. In order to avoid this inconvenience and keep the
cylinders vertical, whatever may be the incline of the track, a pendulum g is
adapted to the steering carriage K (shown in longitudinal section, Fig. 1), of the
'train of hydrostatic carriages. This pendulum actuates by means of connecting
rods u, v, w, & levers h, i, j, k, the lower ends of the cylinders, which are united
together by means of connecting rods x. The arrangement of these levers and con-
necting rods is such as to cause the cylinders to remain parallel with the pendulum,
and as the latter always remains vertical (not taking into account the slight
amount of deviation due to the existing frictional resistances) the cylinders will
also be vertical, or nearly so. Consequently the load upon the lower edges of the
sectors will constantly operate in the axial direction of the pistons, and the plat-
form which is of invariable length will be able to adapt itself to the varying distance
between the heads of the pistons.
To complete this arrangement means are required for connecting the platform to
the carriages so as to cause the former to follow the motion of the latter."
For this purpose chains (not shown in the Drawing) are employed, of which one
on each side leads from the frame of the first carriage to the last cross-beam of the
platform, and another one from the frame of the last carriage to the first cross-beam,

page_text: each chain being provided with a mechanism for keeping it under uniform tension,
so as to allow the platform only sufficient play for its shifting with regard to the
points of support. The internal width of the cross-beams allows of a space more
than sufficient on each side for the above-mentioned to and fro on rocking
motion.
If fourteen carriages are taken for example, as above stated, and it being supposed
that the cylinders of either side are numbered 1 to 14 from the front to the back,
the cylinders from 4 to 11 may be in constant communication; likewise 1 with 14,
2 with 13, 3 with 12. Each of these four groups of one side communicates by
means of a separate pipe, with the pipe m of an apparatus L fitted upon the plat-
form of the steering carriage K (see Fig. 1, 5, 6, & 7), and the four groups of the
other side are in communication with the pipe n of the same apparatus by means
of other pipes. Suitable cocks o', 0%, 0³, 04, 08, 06, 07, 08, fitted to the apparatus L,
serve for opening or closing the connecting pipes. By this arrangement communi-
cation can be established or intercepted between either of the groups of the left hand
cylinders and the pipe m by means of one of the cocks o', 0, 0, 0, whilst the same
result is obtained by means of the cocks o², 0, 0, & 08, in regard to the groups of
the right hand cylinders with the pipe n. Both opposite cocks o¹ & o² may be
opened or closed simultaneously by turning a small shaft p, Fig. 7. The same effect
can be obtained in regard to o³ and o*, and so on, but in case of need they may be
acted upon individually.
Communication can thus be established by means of the pipes m & n between
the groups of cylinders 4 to 11, 3 and 12, 2 and 13, 1 and 14 on either side of the
carriages.
Supposing now a light vessel of the kind shown in the Drawing is to be trans-
ported, the loaded part of which is 70 feet, then the said cocks have to be closed,
so that there is cominunication between the cylinders of each group on either side
only. The loaded part of the vessel will under such conditions be borne by the
pistons of the cylinders 4 to 11, the extreme ones of which are supposed to be
70 feet apart, and the fluid in the said cylinders will act with a counter-pressure
corresponding to the weight bearing on them. The pistons of the other groups of
cylinders will on the other hand receive the weight of the empty bow and the stern
of the vessel only, the fluid within these cylinders operating with a lower degree of
pressure than the fluid in cylinders 4 to 11. If under the said conditions all the
groups of cylinders were put into communication with each other the loaded part
of the vessel would cause the central group of pistons to sink, and those of the
other groups to rise until equilibrium would be attained by the tension produced
in the fore and aft parts of the vessel, whereby it might be seriously strained and
damaged.
If the length of the loaded part of the vessel is, say, 90 feet, the group of cylinders
3 and 12 has to be put into communication with the group 4 to 11; if its length is
110 feet the cylinders 2 & 13 must be added, and so forth.
In order to prepare the carriages for the reception of a vessel it is sufficient to
turn one, two, or three pairs of cocks placed close to each other. In loading the
.carriages care should be taken that the vessel settles as nearly as possible with its
fore and aft center line upon the middle of the platform. This end may easily be
'attained by means of suitable marks, and this so much the more as the floating ship
can be moved.
'
The cylinders of one side only should be in communication, otherwise in case the
vessel should bear more on one side than on the other their contents would flow
towards the other side, whereas when the contents of the cylinders is separate the
cylinders of the one side are merely under a pressure slightly higher than those of
the other side.
In their normal condition the cylinders should be half filled, but as there always
exists leakage through the packing of the pistons, notwithstanding the use of the
most efficient arrangements, there will always be a loss of fluid, however slight.
For the purpose of informing the superintendant or driver of the carriage in case

page_text: this loss should be such as to cause a piston to sink too much, an electric device may
be combined with each piston, which causes a bell to be sounded as soon as any
piston has sunk beyond a certain fixed limit. In order to refill the cylinders in
such case at once a small accumulator q is in communication with the pipes m & n
upon the steering carriage, the contents of the said accumulator being kept under
a suitable pressure by means of a weight r acting upon the chain of a tackle. The
replenishing is effected by establishing communication between either of the pipes
m & n on one side with the accumulator, and on the other side with the required
'group of cylinders. Care should merely be taken that the groups of the extreme
cylinders be not filled too much, & that the pressure of the liquid which they
contain be in due proportion to the pressure in the center group of cylinders, because
if this should not be the case a prejudicial pressure might be exerted against the
ends of the vessel which would have a tendency to bend the same. For this purpose
a pressure-gauge is fitted upon each of the pipes m & n for indicating the differences
of pressure. In order to obtain more security pressure regulators might also be
adapted between the central group and each of the external groups for the purpose
of keeping the pressure of the central group constantly higher.
For replenishing the accumulator the weight r must be lifted and the piston
drawn back, whereupon the requisite amount of fluid is poured in through an
opening which is closed by a suitable screw-plug during the working.
In order to ensure a proper working of all the parts under hydrostatic pressure
it is important that the connecting pipes, etc., contain no air; should however air
have entered with the fluid when refilling the accumulator for instance, it may be
made to escape by means of small screws or valves fitted to the pistons m & n and
to the connecting pipes.
The carriages are or may be provided with brakes operated by means of suitable
gearing from the steering carriage, but as the arrangement employed for that
purpose is composed of well known parts it has not been thought necessary to show
it in the Drawing.
Before the carriages are brought into the water for the purpose of transporting a
vessel the latter should be connected to the steering carriage by means of a rope,
and in case tlie carriages are intended to go backwards the vessel should be made
fast to a column on the last carriage by means of a rope or otherwise.
'
As to the service upon the steering, carriage, one attendant is sufficient for the
same, as the different manipulations never occur at the same time.
When a vessel is to be placed on the carriage the operation is as follows:-The
carriage or set of carriages is conveyed backwards into the water with platform
nearly horizontal until the ship may float above the same, even when the piston of
the first carriage is at the upper end of its stroke. Supposing now that the length
of the loaded part of the ship is 130 feet, the driver will have to turn the
cocks o¹, 02, 03, 04, 08, 06, 07, 08, 80 as to establish communication between the above-
mentioned groups of cylinders 1 and 14, 2 and 13, 3 and 12, and from 4 to 11. A
rope is then thrown over to the boatman and the signal is given for starting. After.
having laid this rope round the bitt of the vessel, the boatman slacks the same out
whilst the carriages are started until the vessel is in proper position above the said
carriages; the carriages and the vessel are then moved forward together, the latter
being still afloat. Whilst the carriages ascend the inclined plane the vessel
gradually settles upon the platform so that the pistons acted upon in the first place
descend; whereas the remaining pistons rise until they are all in operation. The
platform will then have laid itself completely against the bottom of the vessel, and
the latter will rise out of the water, horizontally. The carriages are gradually
loaded in the proportion as the vessel loses displacement.
After the vessel has been raised out of water the carriages may pass from one
incline to another of different gradient, or they may run upward on one incline and
down on another; the vessel will always remain as it were floating upon the fluid
in the cylinders c by the interposition of the pistons d which adapt themselves
with regard to their position to the distance apart between the track and the

page_text: .
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platform. When the carriages reenter the water at the other end of the inclined
plane the position of the vessel may. differ from the horizontal position; it will
ordinarily incline forward on account of the front piston having sunk in a larger
proportion at the starting, & consequently the vessel will not re-enter the water
horizontally. An important peculiarity of the hydrostatic carriage then presents
itself. As soon as the bow of the vessel enters the water the position of the pistons
alters; the front pistons are partly disburdened, whereas the rear pistons are still
acted upon, but as the pressure below all the pistons is equal the excess of weight
at the rear raises the front pistons in proportion to the relief of the front part of
the vessel until the latter has entirely entered the water, whereby the platform will
become horizontal again. When the vessel separates from the carriages it has the
same speed as the carriages, and its rope having been detached it can be steered so
as to pass along the side of the steering carriage, whilst the set of carriages is yet
drawn forward a short distance.
.
When running in the other direction the vessel has at the beginning to be
fastened to the column of the last carriage instead of to the steering carriage.
Should the contents of the cylinders slightly diminish after certain time the
driver can replenish the cylinders at pleasure during the motion by establishing a
communication of short duration between the accumulator and the separate groups
of cylinders. The arrangement of brake employed will be necessary or not
according to the system of locomotion; in all cases the driver has ample time for
its operation. When the speed of the carriages does not exceed 6 feet per second
it is not necessary to employ an arrangement of brake having a quick action.
When repairs are needed, the individual carriages can easily be changed by
bringing them upon a travelling platform forming part of the track, and the length of
which corresponds to that of the carriage. For this purpose (besides the connecting
rods placed above the middle of the carriage frames) the brake rods as well as
the connecting rods for the cylinder ends and the pipes will also have to be
disunited.
The carriages run on a track constructed according to the load to be transported,
& which for light vessels such as the barge taken for example need only be composed
of two strong rails.
The length of the carriages and the stroke of the pistons, which latter as a
matter of security is limited by chains y, y, (Fig. 3), determine the amount of
incline, so that when one of the extreme pistons is at the lower end of its stroke
the other piston can be in its highest position. For the above-mentioned dimensions
of carriage the incline of the track may be in the proportion of 1 to 40 up to the
point where the vessel is lifted out of the water, there being a distance of 130 feet
apart between the extreme cylinders, and the stroke being 3 feet 3 inches. If it is
desired to pass from one gradient to another on the said incline it is requsite to
make the change of gradient sufficiently easy so as not to check the free play of the
pistons when the carriage is passing the point where the angle of inclination
changes.
The use of the described hydrostatic carriage is not limited as regards the weight
of the loads, for by augmenting the number of rails and carriages the heaviest sea-
going vessels might be placed upon the carriages & be transported without causing
an excessive weight to be thrown on any single wheel or on any point of the
rails.
When the above described hydrostatic apparatus is intended to be used in cases
where a resistance or a tractive force has to be distributed or divided uniformly at
different working points, the requisite arrangement of the pistons and cylinders
will differ from that applied to a so-called hydrostatic carriage. In this case the
piston would have to be united by means of a cross-head and rods passing along
the side of the cylinder to one of the said working points, whereas the cylinder
should be united in the same way to the draw chain or rope.
plunger a common disk-shaped piston may be used which is
passing through a stuffing box fitted to the cover of the cylinder. The draw-chain
Or instead of the
provided with a rod

page_text: or rope may then be caused to act directly upon the piston-rod, whilst the cylinder
is connected to the working-point at which it is intended to operate.
In certain cases such apparatus would be applicable with advantage for the
balancing of several tractive forces applied for drawing hydrostatic carriages which
carry a heavy burden or loads.
Having thus described the object and nature of this Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be carried out in practice (as communicated to me by my corres-
pondent), I wish it to be understood that all the above dimensions & the above-men-
tioned number of carriages belonging to a train have merely been indicated as an
example for a certain case, and that they must be varied according to circumstances.
I also declare that I do not claim all the details of construction of the described
carriages, but I claim as new and important features of the said Invention,―
First. The use in a carriage or combination of carriages for the conveyance of
ships, boats, and other heavy loads upon rails, of a number of cylinders in com-
munication with each other & containing a suitable fluid for the purpose of
supporting the load uniformly by means of the pistons of such cylinders, whatever
may be the differences or the variations of the distance apart between the rails
and the bearing points of the load in the manner substantially as above described.
Second. The use of a pendulum acting upon the cylinders of the said combination
of carriages for the purpose of maintaining the said cylinders in a vertical or nearly
vertical position.
Third. The use of several cylinders in communication with each other
containing an appropriate fluid, and provided with suitable pistons for the purpose
of distributing a force or resistance at different points in a uniform manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Carl Pieper, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
CARL PIEPER. (L.S.)