Automatic Distributing Apparatus for Conveying Dredged Silt or Spoil and the like by Means of a Current of Compressed Air or Water.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 5th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 8th Nov., 1887
Automatic Distributing Apparatus for Conveying Dredged Silt or
Spoil and the like by Means of a Current of Compressed Air
or Water.
JOSEPH ALLARD of Harfleur in the French Republic, Contractor do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Attempts to use a current of water or air under pressure in a tube have already
heen made for carrying off and transporting to a great distance the materials raised
by a dredger from the bed of rivers, harbours canals and the like, or other excavated
materials of any kind; but the means proposed for this end have, up to the present
time, given imperfect results.
In order to obviate the inconveniences heretofore experienced in the mode of
transport of the spoil or silt, such as sand, clay and the like, I employ a rotatory
apparatus which receives the said silt or spoil as fast as and as soon as it is brought
up by the dredger or any other means, and delivers it equally in a continuous manner
and by small regular quantities into the current of water or air under pressure
which passes in the tube with which the lower part of the apparatus communicates.
In this manner the materials are infallibly swept away as soon as they arrive in the
current and the pipe is never stopped up. I attain therefore in a practical manner
the transport of the material up to the place of discharge, by means of a compressed
fluid, a system which offers very great advantages over transport by elevators long
shoots (longs couloirs), wagons and the like, as well as over the employment of
barges with hinged bottoms (bateaux clapets) which are not easily sent out from a
harbour into the open to be emptied when the sea is rough. My invention moreover
dispenses with reservoirs which are usually necessary for storing up the material in
the case of transport by wagons and the like, and in like manner in the case of
transport by a current of water such as has been used up to the present time.
permits of transporting the materials to a very great distance from their place of
extraction.
lt
My apparatus consists of a casing closed at both ends and having below an opening
on each side of a diameter equal to that of the fluid supply pipe which it is desirable to

page_text: employ the opening projects about halfway down below the casing in order to
augment the capacity of the compartiment and thus prevents the retardation of
the current.
In the upper part there is an opening serving to introduce the materials to be
transported.
Inside the casing there is a well fitting revolving fan of brass or iron and having
five or six arms or paddles which at their extremities are provided with plates of india
rubber in order to make joint with the interior of the casing.
This fan is worked at a speed corresponding to the quantity of the dredged material.
When the current is set up in the pipes connected to this apparatus and the materials
falling down through the aforesaid upper opening are carried round by the rotary
movement of the fan, each compartment comes into contact with the current and all
the materials contained therein are immediately carried away into the fluid current
exit. The movement of the fan being combined with that of the dredger buckets,
there is never clogging if care is taken to make the capacity of each compartment
larger than that of the dredger buckets. The water which necessarily fills the
compartment which is to be emptied will escape by an opening in the side of the
apparatus, but the water might escape equally well from the upper part. In order to
avoid choking up by too bulky materials it will be well to have a mill placed at the
shoot of the dredger buckets and composed of two rolls with spikes or of any
other form in order to divide the materials well, according to the spoil to be
conveyed away.
Thatod this 9th
L. 1007

page_text: Automatic Distributing Apparatus for Conveying Dredged Silt or
Spoil and the like by Means of a Current of Compressed Air
or Water.
I, JOSEPH ALLARD of Harfleur in the French Republic Contractor 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 ---
Attempts to use a current of water or air under pressure in a tube have already
been made for carrying off and transporting to a great distance the materials raised
by a dredger from the bed of rivers harbours canals and the like, or other excavated
materials of any kind; but the means proposed for this end have, up to the present
time, given imperfect results.
In order to obviate the inconveniences heretofore experienced in the mode of
transport of the spoil or silt such as sand, clay and the like, I employ a rotatory
apparatus which receives the said silt or spoil as fast as and as soon as it is brought
up by the dredger or any other means, and delivers it equally in a continuous
manner and by small regular quantities into the current of water or air under
pressure which passes in the tube with which the lower part of the apparatus
communicates.
In this manner the materials are infallibly swept away as soon as they arrive in the
current and the pipe is never stopped up. I attain therefore in a practical manner
the transport of the material up to the place of discharge, by means of a compressed
fluid, a system which offers very great advantages over transport by elevators long
shoots (longs-couloirs) wagons and the like, as well as over the employment of barges
with hinged bottoms (bateaux clapets) which are not easily sent out from a harbour
into the open to be emptied when the sea is rough. My invention moreover dispenses
with reservoirs which are usually necessary for storing up the material in the case of
transport by wagons and the like, an 1 in like manner in the case of transport by a
current of water such as has been used up to the present time. It permits of
transporting the materials to a very great distance from their place of extraction.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a transverse section of my apparatus,
Figure 2 is front elevation and Figure 3 a longitudinal section of same.
The same letters of reference represent like parts in these Figures.
As shown, my apparatus consists of a casing A closed at both ends and having
below an opening B on each side of a diameter equal to that of the fluid supply pipe
which it is desired to employ; the opening projects about half way down below
the casing in order to augment the capacity of the compartment and thus prevents
the retardation of the current.
In the upper part there is an opening C serving to introduce the materials to be
transported.

page_text: Inside the casing A there is a well-fitting revolving fan D of brass or iron and
having five or six arms or paddles which at their extremities are provided with plates
of India rubber in order to make joint with the interior of the casing.
This fan is worked at a speed corresponding to the quantity of the dredged
inaterial. When the current is set up in the pipes connected to this apparatus and
the materials falling down through the aforesaid upper opening Care carried round
by the rotary movement of the fan D, each compartment comes into contact with the
current and all the materials contained therein are immediately carried away into the
fluid current exit. The movement of the fan D being combined with that of
the dredger buckets, there is never clogging if care is taken to make the capacity
of each compartment larger than that of the dredger buckets. The water which
necessarily fills the compartment which is to be emptied will escape by an opening E
in the side of the apparatus, but the water might escape equally well from the upper
part. In order to avoid choking up by too bulky minerals it will be well to have a
mill placed at the shoot of the dredger buckets and composed of two rolls with spikes
or of any other suitable form in order to divide the materials well when required and
according to the nature of the spoil to be conveyed away.
Having thus 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 -
First. The application and use for conveying or distributing dredged or excavated
material such for instance as earth, silt, sand or clay of an apparatus inserted in the
delivery pipe of a pump for forcing liquids or fluids, such apparatus consisting
essentially of a fan or wheel with compartments rotating in a casing past an opening
which is supplied with the material to be conveyed, the wheel or fan bringing the
same into the current of the forced liquid or fluid whereby it is carried to its
destination or place of discharge, substantially as set forth.
Second. The construction of apparatus shown on the drawings.
Dated this 5th day of October 1887.
THOMAS ALLARD.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.