AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE CLEANSING AND EXAMINATION OF THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Derwas Owen Jones, of Pontesford, in the County of
Salop, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO
FACILITATE THE CLEANSING AND EXAMINATION OF THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND
OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES."
Sealed the 20th February 1866, and dated the 22nd August 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Derwas Owen Jones
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd August 1865.
I, DERWAS OWEN JONES, of Pontesford, in the County of Salop, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
TO FACILITATE THE CLEANSING AND EXAMINATION OF THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND
OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES," to be as follows:-
My apparatus consists of a waterproof frame, with elastic joints, and with
a flexible face, closed at bottom and open at top. I use in conjunction with
the waterproof frame, levers or beams shaped in accord with the contour of the
particular structure and part to which the frame is to be applied, which levers
on being pressed against the back of the frame cause it to assume a form corre-
sponding to that of the structure. I introduce an india-rubber tube in the
face of the frame, and force more or less air into it. To use the apparatus

page_text: bring it in contact with the structure to be cleansed or examined, pump out
the water from the inside thereof, when a tight chamber will be provided, in
which men may safely descend and work.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Dewas Owen Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd February 1866.
1.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DERWAS
OWEN JONES, of Pontesford, in the County of Salop, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Hér heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Derwas Owen Jones, Her special licence that I, the said Derwas
Owen Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such - others
as 1, the said Derwas Owen Jones, 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 AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE CLEANSING AND EXAMINATION
OF THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Derwas Owen Jones, my executors or
administrators, 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 cause 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 Derwas Owen Jones do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
My apparatus consists of a waterproof frame with elastic joints, and with
a flexible face, closed at bottom and open at top. I use in conjunction
with the waterproof frame levers or beams, shaped in accord with the contour

page_text: of the particular structure and part to which the frame is to be applied;
which levers on being pressed against the back of the frame cause it to
assume a form corresponding to that of the structure. I introduce an india-
rubber tube in the face of the frame, and force more or less air into it.
To use the apparatus bring it in contact with the structure to be cleansed or
examined, pump out the water from the inside thereof, when a tight chamber
will be provided, in which men may safely descend and work.
The manner in which I construct my apparatus will be fully understood
by the accompanying Drawing and the following description thereof:--
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the inside of the apparatus, and Figure 2 a
perspective view of the outside, showing it brought in contact with the side of
a ship. I first take a large sheet a of vulcanized india-rubber or other
suitable waterproof material of any convenient dimensions, say 20 feet each way,
and with a flange b on each of two opposite sides. On each side of this
sheet I place bands of timber c laid across between the two flanged sides, and
severed about 3 feet from each end, as seen in the Drawings. Those bands
which are on the side which is the inside of the apparatus when complete are
joined at the points of severence by strong hinges d capable of closing to a
right angle, as represented in Figure 1. The bands c are secured to the
sheet a at such intervals as to give sufficient strength, & at the same time
allow of perfect flexibility. I turn in the ends of the bands and the sheet, so
far (as the hinges & will permit, that is to say to a right angle, and I keep
them in position by tie rods and hooks e; the flanges b form an edging. I
then screw on a bottom f to the frame, with an india-rubber flange on its inner
edge, so as to connect the flanges b, b, and thereby form a complete flange on
three sides of the apparatus. I next secure to this flange, so that it may be
taken off when so desired, an india-rubber tube 9, which may be permanently
fixed to a flat base, that it may be more readily fitted to the flange; this
tube can be inflated, and thereby act as a pad, or if desired water can be
introduced therein, or a simple padding of india-rubber or other suitable com-
pressible material may be used instead. The frame as thus constructed will
be flexible, and being 20 feet in depth, 14 in length, and 3 feet in width, will
afford ample space for working in. By taking off the tube 9 or padding,
unscrewing the bottom f, and turning out the sides, the apparatus can be
readily taken to pieces and stowed away. h, h, are levers or beams shaped
in accord with the contour of the particular structure and part to which the
frame is to be applied; i, i, are screws passed at intervals through the levers,
as shown, and carrying on their inner ends heads which embrace flexible
bands of steel or other pliable material allowed to traverse freely. By means

page_text: of these screws the bands j can be adapted to the contour of any part of a
ship's bottom.
To use the apparatus I proceed as follows:-I adapt the bands; by means
of, the screws i, i, to the curves of the part of the vessel to be operated on,
the lines or drawings of the vessel being taken as the guide; I. then insert
the lower ends of the levers h, h, into sockets. k, k, at: the bottom of the
apparatus and secure them therein. Near the lower ends I attach chains:l,
and the upper ends are kept in temporary position. The whole apparatus is
then lowered into the water to the required depth, the chains are passed
underneath the vessel, carried up the opposite side and drawn taut opposite
the part to be operated upon, thus bringing the bottom of the apparatus in
contact with the vessel at or above the keel. The upper ends of the levers h, h,
are then drawn. tightly in by ropes or chains, thereby forcing the inner edges of
the frame in perfect contact with the vessel. The water is then pumped out of
the apparatus, so that men can descend to examine or repair the ship's bottom.
The levers or beams h, h, may if desired be made hollow, the screws i pro-
jecting into the hollows; water can then be admitted into the levers and
pumped out again when in position, so that men can descend inside the levers
to screw up the apparatus if necessary..
Figure 3 represents an arrangement of the levers or beams in which the
screws i, i, are not caused to rotate, but are moved forwards or backwards by
means of boxes m, m, shown more clearly in Figure 4; these boxes m are
formed with shoulders or flanges n, and are inserted in, the levers or beams;
the shoulders or flanges being on the inner sides, and kept in position by
means of plates o, o, bolted on each side; the boxes have female threads to
receive the screws i, i; the outer ends of the boxes project beyond the face of
the levers; these projections are squared and have drums or sheaves. D fitted
thereon; these drums have ropes wound round them and carried up to the
deck. If the apparatus does not fit tightly against the vessel, the ropes, or
some of them, according to requirement, are drawn by.men on. board with
sufficient power to cause the corresponding boxes m to rotate, and thus force
the corresponding screws i, i, towards the vessel, pushing in the portion of the
flexible frame against which they act. In some cases I fit spring buffers
between the levers or beams and the frame.. :..
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improved
apparatus to facilitate the cleansing and examination of the bottoms of ships
and other submerged structures, constructing such apparatus of a waterproof
frame with elastic joints, and with a flexible face, & of levers or beams
1

page_text: applied to the back of the frame, all substantially in the manner and for
the purposes herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Derwas Owen Jones, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six.
|DERWAS OWEN JONES. (L.s.)