Improved Apparatus for Cleansing and Deepening Tidal and other Waterways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Cleansing and Deepening Tidal and other
Waterways.
We, JOHN LEA of 304 Bold Street Liverpool, of no occupation, and EDWARD
HORACE WYNNE of the Castle Tonbridge, Kent, Schoolmaster, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
"
A prominent part of the invention consists of movable Barriers or Walls of wood
and metal of arbitrary length, arbitrary height, and arbitrary thickness, but the most
eligible height will be from six to nine feet, and the most eligible thickness from
twelve to twenty four inches whilst the length of each section of such "Barriers
or "Walls" must be determined by the positions in which, and the special purposes
for which they are to be employed. In subsequent reference to these "Barriers"
ог "Walls" in this specification, we shall denominate them "Training Walls." They
are constructed in the following manner, viz.; for each section of such Training
Walls, we provide a top and bottom frame of six to nine inches in thickness
vertically and twelve to twenty four inches horizontally and when the length of any
section of Training Wall does not exceed fifty feet and the breadth or thickness does
not exceed one foot the frames may be obtained in one sawn piece each, but for
greater lengths the frames are to be built up of planks of suitable width and
thickness, conjoined lengthwise, at varying intervals, so as to distribute the weakening
points, evenly, and over each joint a strip of suitable hoop iron is to be tightly
bound round the entire frame and securely rivetted-The horizontal width of the
planks composing the top and bottom frames should be without joints. The frames
are connected by pillars or planks of timber of such length as will constitute with the
top and bottom frames a Training Wall of the required height and the greatest
breadth of these pillars or planks must be four inches less than the prescribed
breadth or thickness of the Training Wall so that by the addition of planks of two
inches in thickness over each face of the Training Wall, within the top and bottom
frames the required breadth or thickness may be completed. The connecting pillars
or planks last mentioned are to be attached to the top and bottom frames
of the Training Walls at such intervals as may be found most expedient and they
are to be secured in their positions by metal tie rods of about one inch in diameter,
wormed at each end to receive suitable metal nuts, and each of a length of about
six inches more than the height of the Training Wall, so as to project through the
top and bottom frames far enough to receive the ends of two thin metal truss bars
between the outer surface of each frame and the binding nuts. These tie rods.are
placed in pairs, at the front and back of each connecting pillar or plank which is
merely tacked in its position by two spikes driven through the frames into each of
its ends to avoid weakening the frames by morticing, but they are all most rigidly
fixed to the top and bottom frames by the powerful nuts of the tie rods which are
connected, at both their ends, throughout the entire length of the Training Wall by
metal bars from four to six inches wide and from a quarter of an inch to half an
inch thick, which are extended, diagonally, from the ends of the pair of tie rods
attached to each pillar or plank to the ends of the pair of tie rods attached to the
next pillar or plank but, severally, to the ends of the tie rods on the opposite face of
the Training Wall, so as to resist lateral deflection of the Training Wall by the action
of the flowing tide or stream in which the Training Wall may be moored at an angle
to the thread of the current. These Training Walls are intended to be movable and
where frequent transposition is required they are ballasted to a specific gravity only
slightly exceeding that of the water in which they are to operate but when they are

page_text: intended to be placed in comparatively permanent positions, they may be ballasted
with local sand or other almost costless material to a specific gravity fully equal to that
of brick and cement walls of similar dimensions and by providing automatic traps in
their construction the surplus ballast may be easily dispersed, if necessary for
removal, and be readily substituted for in any new position.
Having thus described the nature and mode of construction of our Training Walls,
we proceed to explain that their purpose is to divert the course of any flowing tide or
stream, by mooring them, firmly, at same angle to the line of the current and, thus,
to locally accelerate its velocity and increase its scouring and deepening energy, as
well as to divert to lateral tracks the silt or other matter temporarily suspended in
the flowing volume. Thus these Training Walls act automatically and independently
of auxiliary apparatus but, to augment their efficiency, we provide cooperating
appliances to disrupt the obstructive matter which they are designed to disperse and
these active cooperating agents consist of barges or other floating craft furnished
with marine engines adapted to paddle motions. To each projecting end of each
paddle shaft we attach metal arms, similar to those used in the construction of
dredgers and of such length and other dimensions as may be necessary to carry
several disrupting drums at their lower ends the axes of which drams are to have
their ends framed in the pair of arms attached to each barge or other attendant
craft. The "drums" may be of any diameter found to be most convenient and effective,
but, presumably, from eighteen to thirty six inches in diameter and of the length
necessary to extend between the framing "arms."
"
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are
We construct the "drums" of wood discs of the adopted diameter and about three
inches thick, to prevent embarrasing depth of penetration of the abrading combs
affixed to project from a quarter of an inch to half an inch beyond the periphery of
each "drum.' We affix these discs on metal shafts of length sufficient to carry the
armature and its actuating accessories and these shafts or axes are in substance one to
two inches square. We place the "discs on the shafts or axes at intervals of two to
three feet and key or wedge them firmly on the shaft or axis. At several points of
the circumference of each "disc" we imbed the non-serrated edges of long metal
combs, each about one quarter of an inch thick, of a total width of two to three
inches and having about three fourths of its width cut into teeth of a width equal
to its thickness and with intervals of similar dimensions. These "combs
imbedded so as to leave only about a quarter of an inch of their toothed edge
projecting above the periphery of each "disc" and they are extended, diagonally,
from "disc" to "disc" throughout the length of the "drum" thus forming a sort of
zigzag spiral and presenting on the revolution of the "drum an advantageous
cutting edge to the matter on which they may be operating. Our object in adopting
"combs" with teeth several times as long as the portion utilised at any one time
is that, as the "combs wear down, they may be, gradually, raised in their grooves
and thus maintain the necessary projection. Each end of the shaft or axis of each
drum is turned down to a spindle of a diameter equal to the side of the square of
the shaft or axis so as to lodge and revolve in the two arms attached to the barge or
other auxiliary steam craft and at the two extreme ends of each shaft or axis and
outside of the " arms are attached firmly to the shaft or axis rotating wheels with
radial arms and which are actuated by endless chains extending from a motor wheel
affixed to the points of the driving shaft of the steam engine of the barge or craft to
which the " arms carrying the "drums" are attached. It is hardly necessary to
explain that our agencies can only be effectively worked for cleansing or deepening
waterways when tides or currents are outflowing and then the combined action of
the Training Walls and the steam abradus is as follows:-
"
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In the track to be operated upon, the Training Walls are moored in advance of the
steam craft at an angle with the thread of the current of, say, forty five degrees and
presents a diagonal equal to the width operated upon by the steam craft, so that when
the obstructive matter is dislodged and mingled with the overflowing volume of water
it is prevented flowing directly onwards; to be soon redeposited in the same lineal
1.

page_text: track, and is diverted to be dispersed over marginal spaces. When channels of
considerable width have to be cleansed and deepened it is expedient to form a quad-
rangle of Training Walls yielding a diagonal equal to the width of the track to be
operated upon and this may be done to a width of one hundred yards, in one fell
Swoop, with a sufficient fleet of steam craft, say ten each operating over a width of ten
yards and even the extensive park of Training Walls can be so rigidly combined and
so nicely ballasted that it may be easily moved onward in the immediate front of the
steam craft as the fleet advances and the apex of the quadrangle will always
automatically present itself to the flow of the tide or present itself to the flow of
the tide or stream, without the trouble of mooring to preserve the angle for diverting
the silt-laden current. Each steam craft will be attached, in echelon, by a hawser
to an appropriate point of the Training Wall quadrangle in front of the fleet and the
quadrangle will be thus restrained from yielding to the force of the most. power
outflowing tide or stream and automatic buttresses within the apex of the quadrangle
presented to the inflowing tide will resist the hydraulic stress in that direction so that
no special mooring will be needed. We must not omit to say that, for the purpose
of absolutely floating the Training Walls from spot to spot, we attach buoys to
various points, with wire or hemp ropes, running through swivelled pulleys which
may be actuated by special traction or, in tidal waterways, the buoys may be pinned
down to any point at low water to secure flotation by the return of the tide. All
necessary illustrative Drawings will accompany the complete Specification.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1889.
JOHN LEA.
EDWARD HORACE WYNNE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Cleansing and Deepening Tidal and other
Waterways.
We, JOHN LEA of No. 304, Bold Street in the City of Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, of no occupation, and EDWARD HORACE WYNNE, late of Bradford in the
County of York, now of Blair Lodge, Polmont Station, Stirlingshire, Schoolmaster
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
A prominent feature of our Invention consists of barriers composed of wood and
metal and which we denominate "Training Walls" "A" "A" Fig. 1. These
structures are in sections of arbitrary dimensions but preferably of from thirty to
fifty feet in length, six to nine feet in height and twelve to fifteen inches in
thickness. They are constructed by arranging three planks "6" "1" "f"
Fig. 1 of corresponding dimensions as top, bottom and middle portions of frame,
with transverse wood pillars "c" "c" &c. Fig. 1 at intervals between the two
parallels, to constitute, with the aggregate thickness of the three horizontal planks,
the required height of the individual barrier.
The
even face on one or
The horizontal planks and intervening vertical wood pillars are then firmly com-
bined, by rods of iron or steel dd" &c. Fig. of suitable strength being
passed through the three horizontal planks and having their ends wormed to a
sufficient extent to receive Duts suitable to bind the structure rigidly.
skeleton frame of each section being thus completed, planks of one to two inches
in thickness "e" "e" Fig. 1 are employed to produce an
both sides of the frame and for this purpose are nailed to the vertical pillars of
the frame; or, optionally, automatic shutters "f" "f" &c. may be applied to cover
the panel apertures of the skeleton frame, so that when the tide or stream is
flowing in one direction "G" the shutters may, automatically, open and when the
flow, is in the opposite direction "H" the shutters may, automatically, close, when
the barrier lies at an angle to the current.

page_text: These barriers may be, more or less closely, connected in series, to any extent,
and are intended to be movable, with which object they are ballasted to an integral
specific gravity but little exceeding that of the water in which they are to operate,
and, to further facilitate their locomotion, they are each furnished with, at least,
two cylindrical rollers "i" Fig. 2 similar to garden rollers, of suitable diameter
and length and, for comparative lightness and buoyancy, they are composed of
skeleton iron discs, of suitable diameters, fixed on iron or steel axes and peripherally
paced with wood planks. These rollers are fixed at appropriate angles to cach
barrier, so as to sustain it two or three inches above the surface of the bed of the
river and, to avert the passage of any sand or silt through the aperture thus created,
at the lower edge of the barrier, skirting boards about six inches wide, are loosely
hinged, on a suitable wire, fixed to run from end to end of each barrier, about one
inch from its lower edge, and the skirting boards are ballasted by strips of
metal "" at their lower edge, so as to rest on the surface of the river bed and
drag onward. with the barrier. To effectually float the barrier or series of barriers,
we attach to each, at convenient points, iron pulleys "1," "1" &c. through which
is passed a hemp or wire rope "m" fastened to the barrier or series of barriers at
one extreme point and then passed, alternately, through pulleys attached to
buoys "n" &c. floating on the surface of the water and the pulleys affixed
to the barrier or barriers, so that when the rope is strained at its free end it may
submerge the buoys sufficiently to float the barrier or barriers and, by pinning the
strained end of the rope, secure the flotation for any required interval. To regulate
and readily ascertain, at all times, the attitude of the submerged apparatus, a slender
steel wire "o"""&c. of adequate length to show its upper end above the surface
of the water is affixed to each end of the barrier and a small finial "p," "p" &c.
of cork or light wood or wire-work is attached to the exposed end of each vertical
wire and vividly coloured, to make it conspicuous. These wire indicators not only
show the diagonal to the thread of the current at which the barrier lies but also
whether it is in or out of perpendicular. To discover obstructions in the path of the
apparatus, iron arms, Fig. 3 two or three feet in length, are fixed at intervals on the
advanced face of the apparatus, two or three inches above its lower edge, to project
borizontally, and having hinged to its outer point another bar
9" Fig. 3
shouldered at the joint to project beyond the fixed bar at an angle of about
45 degrees, upwards, and having attached to its upper end a wire indicator" 33 66
9."
Fig. 3 similar to those described above, long enough to expose its finial "go 23
Fig. 3 above the surface of the water and fixed on its sustaining bar at an angle
to pass to the surface vertically, so that when the diagonal bar to which it is
annexed is actuated by any obstruction the deflection of the wire indicator may
indicate the impediment. It is anticipated that an angle of about forty-five degrees
will he found most eligible and efficient for practical application of the apparatus
and in order to maintain this or any other adopted angle, a wire or hemp
горе """&c. of adequate strength and sufficient length to cover the maximum
lineal progress of the apparatus during a single operation, has attached to each
of its ends a sufficiently heavy anchor "t," t &c. one of which is cast
immediately above the starting point "u," " "&c. of each operation and the
other (with the connecting rope stretched to its utmost tension) at the point to be
next attained "v," v in the direct line of progress and the tight.rope is passed
into a projecting book "w,"
"""&c. fixed about one to three feet above the lower
edge of the barrier, at its extreme end, to guide the leading end of the apparatus,
and precisely similar accessories "w¹," "w," &c. are employed to guide and restrain
the rear end of the apparatus on a parallel line separated by an interval equal to the
width of the path operated upon. The rear rope and anchors are laid in similar
relation to the rear end of the apparatus and the co-operating rigid ropes restrain the
apparatus to the angle adopted.
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For the purpose of transposing the anchors between each operation, a floating
steam derrick is required and which may be utilized as a traction tug during
operations, so as materially to expedite progress. Assuming operations taking

page_text: 1
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place in tidal waters, it will be necessary to restrain the apparatus from automatic
retrogression, through impulsion of the inflowing tide, and this is easily done, as
follows When the apparatus has ceased to move onwards, under impulsion of the
out-flowing tide and any auxiliary agencies, the rear anchor "u" of the leading
end of the apparatus is raised and relaid close to the advanced point of the apparatus;
the associated front anchor "v" is then raised and advanced to its next point of
duty, where it is deposited, with the rope at fullest tension. The rear anchor "u
of the rear end of the apparatus is then raised and deposited, temporarily, a
sufficient portion of its next total advance to allow the apparatus to swing into line
with the current of the inflowing tide and just at high water the partially advanced
anchor is raised and planted at its next exact point of service, the associated front
anchor, "" is raised and advanced to its new position, the rope strained and the
Without
apparatus restored to and restrained at its prescribed working angle.
accessories, the apparatus will disperse a certain amount of sand or silt, through
the local scour created by the accelerated velocity of the water diverted from its
norinal course, but it is intended to attach to the rear face of the apparatus, at
convenient points, to cover the track operated on, suitable rakes, harrows or other
automatic disrupters say "x," x" or spiral cones of strong wire, to be actuated
by the onward movement of the apparatus, through the hydraulic impulsion of the
out-flowing tide, probably aided by steam tug traction in front or still more potent
steam auxiliaries at the rear of the apparatus. To guard against prostration or
prejudicial inclination of the barriers, the bulk of the complementary ballast of each
barrier is distributed over its lower edge and to further prevent the contingencies,
projecting feet "y," "y" &c. are fixed, at intervals, and are made stable by metal
rods diagonally connecting their extremities with the upper edge of the barrier, and
the attached rollers also materially aid in maintaining the perpendicular attitude of
the apparatus. The barriers may be arranged triangularly or quadrangularly for
action and then, one of the apices "z" being presented to the face of the current,
the silt-laden water is dispersed in two directions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
First. Originality for our designs for movable barriers or Training Walls to divert
the lower stratuin of tidal or other flowing waters from its normal course to lateral
courses, as may bo prescribed.
Second. The accessories to the said barriers or Training Walls by which their
positions, when submerged, are regulated and denoted and by which they may be
Hoated and sustained in suspension for any required interval.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1889