AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS, OR PREVENTING SHIPS FROM SINKING AFTER COLLISION, OR ON HAVING SPRUNG A LEAK
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Chapman, of Limehouse, in the County of
Middlesex, Captain in the Merchant Service, and Samuel Kimbel, of Poplar, in
the same County, Fruiterer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF
AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS, OR PREVENTING SHIPS FROM
SINKING AFTER COLLISION, OR ON HAVING SPRUNG A LEAK."
Sealed the 24th December 1878, and dated the 28th June 1878.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Chapman and
Samuel Kimbel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th
June 1878.
WILLIAM CHAPMAN, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, Captain in the
Merchant Service, and SAMUEL KIMBEL, of Poplar, in the same County, Fruiterer.
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS, OR
PREVENTING SHIPS FROM SINKING AFTER COLLISION, OR ON HAVING SPRUNG A
LEAK,"
The object of this Invention is to prevent ships from foundering, and keep them
afloat when in a sinking condition from having sprung a leak, or having come into
violent collision with some hard body, such as another vessel or a sunk rock.
The apparatus may also be employed for raising sunken vessels. It consists.
mainly of collapsible vessels made of canvas or other suitable fabric made imper-
vious to water by means of caoutchouc, gutta percha, or other waterproof flexible
or elastic gum. These vessels may be made of any suitable size and shape, according
to the form and dimension of the vessel to which it is to be applied.
These collapsible vessels are closed on all sides, but are provided with a flexible
or other pipe whereby air may be forced into them. Two or more of these vessels
may be connected together, so as to form a long air chamber, say, of the total length.
of the vessel, and they may be lowered into the water and held in contact with the
sides of the ship.
.

page_text: The apparatus.may be kept on board in a collapsed and folded state, and should
occasion arise for its use, as from springing a leak, it may be dropped over the stern
or bows of the ship and drawn close against the sides. Air may then be pumped in
by means of air pumps worked from a frame inside the ship, and the vessel may
thus be kept afloat until it can be got to a place of safety.
In order to raise a sunken ship the collapsible vessels may be lowered down to
and securely connected with the sunken ship, then upon pumping air into the
collapsible vessels the ship will be lifted and brought to the surface, when the water
may be pumped out and any damages repaired.
The bags are roped all round, and are provided with cringles to which weights
may be hooked in such a manner that they may be unhooked with facility or even
automatically.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Chapman and Samuel Kimbel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th December 1878.
WILLIAM CHAPMAN, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, Captain in tho
Merchant Service, and SAMUEL KIMBEL, of Poplar, in the same County, Fruiterer.
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS, OR
PREVENTING SHIPS FROM SINKING AFTER COLLISION, OR ON HAVING SPRUNG A
LEAK."
The object of this Invention is to prevent ships from foundering, and keep them
afloat when in a sinking condition from having sprung a leak, or having come into
violent collision with some hard body, such as another vessel or a sunken rock.
The apparatus may also be employed for raising sunken vessels. It consists
mainly of collapsible air vessels made of canvas or other suitable fabric, rendered
impervious to water by means of caoutchouc, gutta percha, or other waterproof
flexible or elastic gum.
These vessels will take preferably a cylindrical form, and may be made of any
suitable length and diameter, according to the dimensions of the vessels to which
they are to be applied. They will be fitted with flexible or other pipes connected
with a force pump, whereby air may be forced into them, and chain cables will be
connected therewith to secure the air vessels to the ship.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Fig. 1 shews in side elevation a grounded ship fitted with the improved apparatus
for raising the same, and Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same.
Fig. 3 is a cross section of a vessel supposed to have sprung a leak, and fitted
according to our Invention with a means for increasing its buoyancy.
Fig. 4 is a diagram of a sunken vessel heeled over on to its bilge or beam ends,
and shewing the means which we employ for raising it on to its keel.
In Figures 1 and 2 A, A, A, are a series of air cylinders combined together
according to our Invention, and applied to the hull of a ship. These cylinders, it

page_text: will be seen, extend from stem to stern of the ship. We construct them of the best
linen canvas or cotton canvas, waterproofed with india-rubber, and form on their
exterior from end to end a flange or fillet, making therein eyelet holes or cringles at
certain distances apart. In these eyelet holes or cringles we fit shackles to receive
a tonsion chain of a length sufficient to extend from end to end of the ship, as
shewn at B, B, Fig. 1.
For strengthening the air cylinders bands running through the eyelets pass
around the cylinders, and thus enable them to resist the pressure of the air admitted
thereto. The chains B are provided with hooks or shackles at their opposite ends
to facilitate the attachment together of the chains at the opposite sides of the
ship. The weight of the chains will serve to sink the cylindrical air vessels when
in a collapsed state.
When two air vessels (one on either side of the ship) are sunk and properly
adjusted forward by a diver, and their chains are connected together, the hook or
shackle on the port side taking into the hook or shackle of the chain on the star-
board side, the chains are to be hauled taut aft well under the bilge, which can be
done by two boats' crews, or a small tug with a hawser attached to the after part of
each cylinder, and the chains can then be shackled on the same as forward, the
chain of the starboard cylinder connecting with the chain of the port cylinder. In
like manner a second and a third pair of cylinders may be applied to the hull of the
ship (one pair under the other), as shewn at Figures 1 and 2, and secured in place
by their respective chains B, B. When this is done the cylinders may be connected
together by vertical chains C, C, which chains it will be convenient to attach to the
chains B of the uppermost pair of air cylinders before lowering the same into place.
The pendant chains C can then be secured to the chains B of the other cylinders by
lashing or by metal attachments, thus forming when the cylinders are expanded a
kind of buoyant well braced cradle around the hull of the ship.
A three-inch hose is attached to each cylinder some two feet from the end thereof,
with a safety valve in each, and a stop-cock in the union at the pump, and this
pump is worked either by steam power or manual labour.
It should be remarked that the amount of air pumped into the cylinders must
be regulated according to the indicated capacity of the air vessels attached to the
ship. Thus whon one pair of inflated cylinders has proved to be insufficient to
impart the requisite buoyancy to the ship, a second pair must be added, or even a
third pair, as shewn in the Drawing, until the sunken ship is raised to the surface:
The ship can then be pumped out to restore its buoyancy, or towed away as
desired.
When the vessel has sprung a leak, and no serious danger therefrom is appre
hended, a pair of cylinders placed around the hull of the ship, as at Fig. 3, and
forming an air belt around it, may suffice to impart the requisite buoyancy, and the
ship may then proceed safely on its voyage to the nearest harbour.
In the case of a sunken ship, if it should have become imbedded and lying on
her beam ends, as indicated at Fig. 4, a cylinder might be lowered down as at A to
the ship, and secured by a diver from end to end to the dead eyes or eye-bolts, and
other convenient points of the ship. The inflation of the cylinder thus secured will
cause the under side of the vessel to lift until she is raised on to her keel. This
will allow of the cylinder for floating the vessel being placed below the bilge, as
shewn at Figures 1 and 2.
The Invention is applicable also to yachts intended to be grounded in a tideway.
In such case the cylinders are placed one on each side at high water, or as soon as
she takes the ground. By inflating these cylinders by a small air pump, the yacht
would be kept upright at low water, and thus save great expense and damage, which
often occurs by the yachts getting sucked in the mud, the water flowing over the
covering board on to the deck and into the cabins.
It is also claimed that if ships were compelled to carry two of those cylinders,
and these were at times practised with when lying becalmed, passengers and crew
would find themselves more at ease, knowing that in case of any disaster, such as

page_text: sunken rocks, recfs, or icebergs, or any other unforeseen danger, that they have the
means at hand to save the ship and their lives, and take the ship to the nearest port,
and repair or proceed on the voyage, as these cylinders would not be the slightest
impediment to the ship's progress.
In case of fire the cylinders could be applied so as to keep the ship afloat even
if the spars and decks were burnt, as they would be quite under the water and clear
from the fire, or two being inflated and lashed together would form a very buoyant
raft if required.
Our Invention applies equally to stranded ships, to which the apparatus could be
easily applied, as thus:-Shackle or hook the chains and pass them over the bow,
say, put the starboard one over on the port side outside the back ropes and under
the bobstays, and bring it up on the starboard side and take it aft; have a small
warp fast to the after end of each cylinder, then pass the starboard warp around on
the port side and take it to the windlass of capstan or a luff tackle on each, and
bowse taut. When well taut, then use the force pumps, which are always carried on
board ship, and inflate the cylinders until the ship is floated. The ship can then
(without removing the cylinders) proceed to the nearest port for repair without
assistance.
.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "An Improved Mode of and
Apparatus for Raising Sunken Ships, or Preventing Ships from Sinking after Colli-
sion, or on having Sprunk a Leak," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent we claim, the application to sinking and sunken vessels of the apparatus
above described with reference to the Drawings, such apparatus forming a taut belt
or cradle around the half of the vessel as and for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Chapman and Samuel Kimbel, have
hereunto set our hands and scals, the Twenty-seventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.