IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR CLEANING SHIPS' BOTTOMS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALEXANDER HENRY REED, of Suffolk House, Laurence Pountney Hill, Cannon
Street, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR CLEANING SHIPS' BOTTOMS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning the bottoms of
ships or boats, said devices receiving motion through mechanism driven by the water
in which the ship or boat travels.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig 1 represents a side view of the cleaning device attached to a ship.
Fig 1 is a front view of the same.
Fig. 2 is an horizontal section of the cleaning device on a larger scale than the
previous figures, the plane of section being indicated by the line xx fig 1 and 3.
Fig 3 is an inside view of the cleaning device showing the face bearing against
the ship's side.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the cleaning device on a smaller scale than figs 2 and 3.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts
In these drawings the letter A designates the box which is triangular as shown
in fig. 1. The side B is intended to face towards the side of the ship; the side C is
presented to the force of the water when the ship moves forward and by the action
of the water on this inclined side the box is held in contact with the side of the
ship. The side D approaches the side B from the rear end of the side B but does
not meet it, an opening E being left for the escape of water that may enter
the box.
In the sides F F of the box is journalled a shaft G on which is mounted a paddle
wheel H the blades of which project through the opening E as shown in figs 1*, 2.
and 4. In the example represented by the drawing a feathering paddle wheel
is shown, but the blades of the paddle wheel may be made rigid. A shield I
extends over the inner section of the paddle wheel H, so that the current of water
acts only on those blades which project beyond the box A and consequently a
rotary motion is imparted to the shaft G in the direction of arrow 1 fig. 2.
"

page_text: The propeller shaft is geared together with an intermediate shaft K which in its
turn is geared together with the scraper shaft L, so that this last named shaft
rotates in the same direction as the propeller shaft. A guard M protects the gear
wheels (fig. 3) all being placed preferably on the upper side of the box. The
shaft L between its journals is preferably made square or polygonal in cross
section and it carries a series of spring blades N having their free ends formed into
scraping heads. At each end of the shaft L outside the box are cranks O which
are connected to a brush P by a jointed rod R and a short link S returned in the
direction of the rod R but at an angle thereto. The brush P is in the form of an
are preferably, and it travels on curved ways T. The cranks O are diametrically
opposite so that one will carry the brush P in one and the other in the opposite
direction. The brush P is made of wire or other suitable material and it serves to
loosen the accumulations on the ship's bottom preparatory to the action of the
scrapers N. Both the brush and the scrapers project through an opening in the
side B of the box. A sufficient number of rollers U on pointed spring bearings V
and placed in recesses in the box project beyond the side B. They rest against the
side or bottom of the ship, the spring bearings giving sufficiently to allow the
scrapers and the brush to operate properly and also facilitate the removal of the
device from one point to another. On the upper and lower sides of the box A are
firmly secured defectors u, u which are curved so as to break the force of the water
striking the box,
Reference to figs 1 and 1* will show the manner of suspending the device.
A clevis W is suspended so as to engage around the cut water of the vessel by
means of a line having footmarks or other indications thereon. The box A is also
suspended by an indicating line connected to a bail X. A tackle is attached to the
clevis at the bow of the ship and also on deck, so that the box may be hauled along
on the bottom of the ship. From a bail X' secured to the underside of the box A
extends a rope through a shoe s to the opposite side of the vessel, said shoe being
fitted in the keel so that it can be moved thereon by means of the rope t.
°
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
ร
1st In a ship bottom cleaner, a means to utilize the relative inertia of the water:
when said ship is in motion, to drive the cleaning mechanism consisting of a paddle
wheel the blades of which are acted upon by the water and which is geared
together with the cleaning mechanism.
2nd In a ship bottom cleaner, a paddle wheel engaging with the water when the
ship is in motion, in combination with a shaft carrying spring blades with scraping
heads, the said wheel being connected to and driving said shaft.
3rd A ship bottom cleaner consisting of the box A pointed at the forward end
and carrying the cleaning mechanism and the paddle wheel engaging with the
water when the ship is in motion and serving to impart motion to the cleaning
mechanism, said box being provided with the deflectors u, u.
4th The combination with a ship bottom cleaner of a line or lines for suspending
and sustaining the same, a shoe moveable on the keel and lines for holding the
cleaner in contact with the bottom to be cleaned.