CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF APPARATUS AND WORKS FOR INLAND NAVIGATION
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, 1IENRY
ANTHONY KOYMANS, of Wainford Court, Thogmorton Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Ilis present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixteenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-six, in the sixth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and giant unto me, the said IIenry Anthony Koymans, His
especial licence, that I, the said Henry Anthony Koymans, my exors, adiñois,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Anthony Koymans, my
exois, adiiois, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all is said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF APPARATUS AND WORKS FOR
INLAND NAVIGATION," communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad; in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Henry
Anthony Koymans, by an instrument in wilting under my hand seal, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the sanie to be inrolled
in lis Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months neat

page_text: and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Anthony Koymans, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be practised and carried
into effect, is hercin-after particularly set forth and described by the following
description, and the explanatory Plan or Drawing hereunto annexed, that is
to say:-
It consists of a self-acting or adjustable sluice or weir, to be applied in any 1
rivers, canals, or water courses, in which there is a current or stream, and
which by reason of floods or other causes may be subject to variation in the
height or depth of the water, so as to overflow the banks or be detrimental to
the purposes of navigation.
The apparatus may vary in form and dimensions to suit the particular form 1
and magnitude of the river, or other watercourse, upon which it may be con-
structed, though its principles of operation remain the same.
Fig 1 in the annexed Drawing represents a ground plan of a form of
construction which will be found very generally applicable, and in which the
letters K, K, K, K, shew the banks or shores of that part of the liver, or
other watercourse, at which it is proposed to construct or erect the aforesaid
contrivances, which banks should at this place be called, kampsheeted, or
otherwise protected against the action of the water. A, B, and C, D, are
two fixed overfalls or tumbling bays, constructed in the usual manner, and
aised to the height at which it may be desirable or expedient to retain the 2
water in the upper reach U, U, of the watercourse, either for navigation or
other purposes.
g
At the extremities A and D of these over-falls, two rounded projecting
piers or pilasters are constructed in brickwork or masonry to protect the side
walls K, K, K, K, from the effects of the running water; and at the oppo-
site extremities B and C, two other like piers are built, either of the form
shewn in the plan, Fig. 1, or of such other form as may best suit the direction
of the current of water that may have to pass them. The tops of these piers
should stand higher than the top sills of the overfalls, or, what is still better,
should be higher than the highest water that can ise, so that they may never 3
be covered with water. E, E, F, F, F, F, is the self-adjusting sluice or weir
before alluded to, and this must be of sufficient length from E to E to admit
of the free passage of the full quantity of water, which it may be necessary to
discharge from the upper each U, U, of the water couce in times of floods

page_text: or freshes of water. The part E, E. of this weir is framed of timber, and is
similar in form and construction to the fixed framework of weirs, as they are
generally constructed, and as they now exist, and are left upon the River
Thames during the winter or wet season, when all the paddles, shuttles, gates,
or other obstructions to the passage of the water are taken away in order to
give it free passage.
It consists, therefore, of perpendicular square posts a, a, a, a, &c. each of
which is supported and upheld against the pressure of the water by a diagonal
stiut or brace a, b, a, b, as may be more distinctly seen in Fig 2, which is an
end view or profile, in section, of the framework of the aforesaid self-adjusting
sluice or weir, and in which L, M, is one of the perpendicular square posts,
here shewn as a long pile driven into the bed of the river. W is one of the
diagonal or sloping struts or braces, secured at its lower extremity into some
or one of the main timbers of the platform N, R. The upper surface of this
platform must be nearly on a level, or as low as the bed or bottom of the
lower reach P, P, of the river or water course, so that while the said weir
remains open, as aforesaid, nearly the whole of the water from the upper
reach of the river could run off and discharge itself into the lower reach.
The perpendicular posts L, M, may either be piles, as shewn in the profile,
Fig 2, or be let into a sill V, supported upon piles, or any good and solid
foundation. The top rail or timber L runs longitudinally along the wholo
length of the weir for the purpose of connecting the several perpendicular
posts together, and keeping them in their proper positions, and the whole
construction must stand upon such a foundation of piles, masonry, brickwork,
or other materials, according to the exigency of the case, as may insure its
perfect stability.
The parallelogram F, F, F, F, Fig. 1, is to indicate the plan of a long kind.
of caissoon or floating vessel, something like a barge, which forms the leading
feature of my aforesaid Invention, and to the use of which, as herein-after
described, I therefore claim the sole and exclusive right. This floating vessel
has a double bottom to render it more secure against accidents and more
certain in its operation and working, as well as to provide a floor to work
upon. This caisoon or floating vessel is so constructed that one of its sides,
which for this purpose must be made quite flat and true, may be applied to
and will work or slido up and down against the smooth and flat faces of the
perpendicular posts a, a, a, &c. thus forming an immense floating gate or
sluice capable of rising or falling, so as when down to prevent the running of
the water from the higher reach or level, or when raised to permit it to pass
under the bottom of the said caissoon or floating vessel in any quantity that

page_text: may be required, and which will of course depend upon the quantity of its
elevation. The bottom of the flat side of the floating vessel must be parallel
to the sill of the weir, and capable of passing down in front of it. so as to
make a tolerable water-tight joint, when the said caissoon or floating vessel as
down for the purpose of intercepting the passage of the water. G is another
pin of masonry or brickwork, similar to that near C, and of the same height.
It is built at the down stream end of the weir E, E, and serves to assist in
supporting it. The open space or distance between the two piers G and C
must be a trifle larger than the width of the caissoon or floating vessel
F, F, F, F. II, II, are sliding planks or shutters, or else a regularly framed
shuttle sliding in grooves formed in the insides of the two pins G and C. These
planks or shuttles are to be taken away whenever it may be necessary to
remove or introduce the caissoon or floating vessel, but at all other times they
must be closed in a water-tight manner. J, I, is a jetty or projection of open
pile or railwork in timber, so formed as to permit the passage of the water, and
to direct the passage of masses of ice, timber, or other floating bodies towards
the fixed overfall and tumbling bay C, D, and prevent such ice or other bodies
getting into contact with or impeding the action of the adjusting wiel; E, E,
and F, F, F, F, Figure 2, as before observed, is a transverse section or profile
of the weir E, E, in Figure 1, drawn to a larger scale, and in which L, V, M,
is one of the perpendicular square posts of the weir, shown at a, a, a, a, &c.
In Figure 1, N, N, N, N, is the surface of lower water before the con-
struction of the works, and it is at this level that the sill V of the open weir
should be fixed; 0, 0, is the surface of the water in the higher reach of the
river or watercourse, being on the same level with the two overfalls A, B,
and C, D, of Fig. 1; P, P, is the surface of the lower reach of water, raised
to this level from the original height N, N, by means of another weir supposed
to be placed in the river at a proper and convenient distance below that now
under description, and which distance must be determined by the depth of
water required for the navigation or other purposes; Q, R, S, T, in Fig. 2,
is a vertical section of the caissoon or floating vessel, shewn in plan at Fig. 1
by the letters F, F, F, F. In Fig. 2, the manner in which the flat side Q, R,
of that vessel is applied against the smooth outside faces of the perpendicular
posts L, V, M, is distinctly seen, as well as how the pressure of the high
water O, O, forces it to and retains it in that position. The caissoon or floating
vessel is shewn in this Figure in its sunk or low position, or when its bottom
comes into contact with the horizontal transverse sill V of the weir, in which
position it will entuely intercept the passage of any water from the higher
level; but to permit such water to pass and escape, nothing more is necessary

page_text: than to raise the caissoon or floating vessel (which the buoyant power of the
water alone will effect) into a position such as is shewn by the dotted lines
9. r, s, t in the said Figure. Of course any required quantity of water may be
permitted to flow underneath its bottom, and this quantity can be adjusted at
pleasure, by varying the weight of the caissoon or floating vessel, either by
introducing therein greater or less quantities of gravel or other solid ballast,
or what will be more convenient, a sufficient quantity of water from the upper
level, which water may be admitted between the two bottoms of the caissoon
or floating vessel, by a valve or cock, or valves or cocks, or other well-known
contrivances. An air well should also be constructed upon the upper floor, in
order that the air may escape from between the two bottoms, as also for the
purpose of seeing the quantity of water admitted, and foi descending into the
space between such bottoms for repans or other purposes. The use of the
said double-bottom is not only to give strength and stiffness to the caissoon or
floating vessel, but also to form a space just capable of containing the proper
quantity of water necessary to give the vessel its proper descending power,
and thus guard against any inconvenience that might arise from the cocks or
valves being out of order, or not being properly attended to, likewise to
prevent the water ballast all getting to one end of the caissoon should it get
out of level; and the more effectually to secure this I occasionally introduce
transverse perpendicular partitions into the space between the two bottoms,
so as to divide that space into two or more separate cells, and thus prevent
the water from shifting towards either end of the space; but in this case cach
cell or division must have its separate valves or cocks to admit and discharge
the water, and separate air funnels for the escape of the air. The magnitude
of the hollow space for water between the bottoms can be ascertained by
calculation with sufhcient accuracy, and I recommend the general use of such
double bottoms and water space as aforesaid; but inasmuch as the caissoon
or floating vessel will act (though with less certainty) without the upper
platform or bottom, so I claim the use of the said caissoon or floating vessel
for the purposes herein mentioned and described, either with single or double
bottoms, or otherwise formed receptacle for containing the necessary quantity
of water. When the caissoon or floating vessel is thus sufficiently loaded as
aforesaid to cause it to sink, it will of course impede the passage of any water
from the upper to the lower level. The water contained in the caissoon or
floating vessel may, however, at any time be let off by cocks or valves as
aforesaid, and discharged into the lower level, and it may be completely
emptied by pumping or other well-known expedients, or if solid ballast bo
used, the whole or any part thereof may be taken out and removed, by which

page_text: the caissoon or floating vessel will by virtue of its buoyancy ascend in any
required degree, or may be made to float near the surface of the upper water,
and thus let any required required quantity of water pass underneath it.
Such variations in the buoyancy of the caissoon or floating vessel, will,
however, be unnecessary, after it is once adjusted, except upon extraordinary
occasions or accidents, or for the purposes of removing it or repairing it, or
any other part of the works. In the winter season when ice forms, and there.
is a superabundance of water, or even during high temporary floods, it may
become necessary to remove every possible impediment to the passage of the
water; and in this case the stop gates or planks II, II, Fig 1, must be
removed, when the caissoon or floating vessel, F, F, F, F, is to be floated
down through the opening H, II, between the two piers G and C into the
lower reach, where it may be laid up in some dock or place of security, until
again wanted. The whole space of the weir between E and E, will now be
quite open, and free from every impediment to the passage of the water and
ice, (with the exception only of the perpendicular ports and oblique struts or
braces a, b, a, b, a, b, &c.) and the gates H, I, may also be left open. But
when the short water season begins to return, the caissoon or floating vessel
must be drawn back into its former situation, and be raised against the current
through the opening H, II, by the application of mechanical force in any of the
well-known and accustomed methods; after which the stop gates II, H, must
be put in and secured against the passage of water, when the lateral pressure
of the upper water will soon drive the caissoon or floating vessel against the
perpendicular ports, in its passage towards which it must be guided, so as to
get it into its proper situation before the full pressure comes on; the running
of the water through the weir being thus interrupted by the now position of the
caissoon or floating vessel, the water will rise in the upper level, but by its rising
the caissoon or floating vessel will rise also, and thus afford a passage for the
water underneath it; and should this become too large, the weight of the
caissoon or floating vessel must be increased by letting water into it, or loading
it with ballast, as aforesaid, until the water in the river or watercourse is
brought to and kept at the requisite depth for navigation. Indeed it is at this
time that the adjustment of the weight of the caissoon or floating vessel is to
be made, as herein-before described, when it will afterwards act without
assistance, and regulate the discharge of the water of the river or watercourse.
In the above description, only one caissoon or floating vessel has been noticed
as necessary for a weir, but in practice, more or less of them must be
used, according to the length of weir that may be necessary to give a free
discharge to the surplus water of the river or watercourse upon which it is

page_text: constructed, and which may always be determined by experiments and calcu
lation. But I do not recommend the caissoons or floating vessels being too
long; from 40 to 60 feet for each of them will be found a convenient length,
and of course when more than one are used in the same weir, their adjacent
ends must meet on or about the centre of an upright port. It may be here
observed that the herein-before described apparatus is for the sole purpose of
checking currents and regulating the retention or discharge of water, so as to
maintain a proper depth for the purposes of navigation, and is therefore quite
independent of locks for the passage of boats, barges, or vessels, which are to
be constructed in the usual manner either beyond or on the outside of the
walls K, K, K, K. or in any other more convenient part of the river or water-
course. From the above description, the nature of my aforesaid Invention,
and the manner in which it is to be used and applied, will be sufficiently
obvious, and as the magnitude, strength, and materials of which the several
parts are composed must in every case depend upon the size of the work to be
constructed, the rapidity of the curent, and the depth of water required, so I
feel that it is unnecessary to specify them further than by saying that tho
framework of the open weir will be best formed of good timber, and that the
flat or front faces of the perpendicular ports a, a, a, &c. Fig. 1, may be faced
with flat and smooth plates of cast or wrought iron, as well for strength as to
prevent fiction in the rising and falling of the caissoon or floating vessel, and
the unequality of surface on such perpendicular posts which would arise from
wear and decay. The caissoons or floating vessels may be made wholly of
wood, or wholly of iron or other metal, or of wood faced in the parts where
fiction occurs, with iron to preserve them. It is also obvious that water mills
for various purposes may be constructed in the caissoons or floating vessels,
and used during the time that they are in action, by making use of the
difference in height of the water on the two sides of such vessels which are
addressed to the upper and lower reaches of the river, in such manner as will
be obvious to any competent workman.
The above described apparatus will, I conceive, remove most of the
dangers and difficulties incident to the use of ordinary shifting weirs, even
in the most improved state, such as those of putting down and taking
up the paddles or stop gates in 11veis subject to sudden floods, an opera-
tion always requireng considerable tune, and which can never be done
without danger and difficulty in the night time, or in foggy weather, the
great loss of water in the joints or fittings of such paddles or stop gates,
which are very numerous, and subject to decay and great deterioration
by being alternately wet and day, the banks, excavations, and impedi-

page_text: ments which form in the bed of the river at the tails of the fixed tumbling
bays or falls of water which always fall upon the same spot, and from the same
great elevation; while, in the arrangement above described, the spare water
flows from the lowest possible level, is constantly varying in its force and con-
sequent duection, and need never be permitted to pass over the fixed over-
falls, except in the time of extreme floods or wet seasons, when the caissoons
and all possible obstructions being removed, the water must take its courso
according to its quantity, and the difference of elevation of the water in tho
upper and lower reach having disappeared, the effect of the passage of the water
over the fixed tumbling bays is rendered harmless. And, lastly, the difficulty
of protecting many parts of an ordinary weir, and particularly the smaller and
more moveable ones, from damage by floating ice, all which being in a greater
or less degree obviated by my horein-before described apparatus, I claim the
sole and exclusive uso thereof under my aforesaid Patent, when and wherever
the principles above described are made use of, notwithstanding any variation
in form or arrangement from that laid down in the annexed Drawing, as such
form and arrangement must depend upon the local circumstances connected
with the place where such works are constructed.
In witness whercof, I, the said Пenry Anthony Koymans, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our
Loud One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.