Vessels, and of Making Ships or Vessels Unsinkable.
Year: 1885

page_text: Vessels, and of Making Ships or Vessels Unsinkable.
DAVID YOUNG Boatmaker 37 Thistle St. Edinburgh carrying on the business of
Boatmaker at 33 Hanover St. Edinburgh do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for THE RAISING OR FLOATING OF SUNKEN OR STRANDED SHIPS OR
VESSELS; AND OF MAKING SHIPS OR VESSELS UNSINKABLE to be as follows:―
A number of airtight and waterproof bags of a convenient size are provided;
each bag being fitted with an airtight stop cock and nozzle; also a number of air-
pumps; and long flexible airtight tubes or pipes; the number of pumps and tubes
corresponding to the number of divers or workmen employed in filling the bags
with air.
In the case of a sunken or wrecked vessel lying at whatever depth. The vessel
containing the apparatus is moored or anchored in a convenient position on the
surface of the water above the wreck; the divers are provided with the usual
apparatus for breathing and working under water; after which they descend to
the wreck; and fix blocks and tackle by means of which the empty bags are passed
down to them; a tube attached to an airpump is also passed down to each diver;
by means of which he fills each bag with air as soon as it is placed in proper
position.
The diver seizes each bag as it is passed down; thrusts it inside a deckhouse;
cabin; fo'castle; engine room; hold; furnace; boiler; or any other room or cavity
which shall prevent it rising alone to the surface when filled with air; he keeps
the shut stop cock towards him and passes the free end of the air tube over the
mouth of the nozzle; when sure that the tube has a hold of the nozzle; he opens
the stop cock; when the bag is immediately filled with air; which is constantly
passing in a strong current through the tube from the air pump above; as soon as
the bag is fully inflated the diver shuts the stop cock; disconnects the tube and
packs the bag in proper position.
These operations are rapidly continued by each person employed until the whole
of the wrecked vessel's compartments may be filled; the water being expelled;
as the inflated bags are piled in; and the submerged vessel thus rises to the
enfone

page_text: In the case of a stranded vessel which the tide leaves or partially leaves the
same operations may be carried on with or without the use of divers; when the
bags may be packed in; and the wreck hauled; warped; or towed off as the tide
makes.
In the case of a vessel which is wished to be made unsinkable; the empty bags;
tubes; and pumps; may be stored on board in a convenient place and used at a
moments notice to fill every empty space within the vessel when the bags are
inflated; thus it would be quite impossible for the ship to sink even although her
bottom were to fall out,
This method would be invaluable in case of threatened shipwreck; or founder-
ing; or in case of a warship going into action; as she would still float though
riddled with holes.
In most cases it is not necessary to Jettison or remove carco.

page_text: A Method of Raising or Floating Sunken or Stranded Ships or
Vessels, and of Making Ships or Vessels Unsinkable.
I, DAVID YOUNG, of 33 Hanover Street Edinburgh, 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:—
My said invention relates to a new or improved method or mode and means of
raising to the surface or floating ships or vessels or other structures, which have
sunk or stranded or become wrecked at sea; and of rendering ships or floating
bodies unsinkable.
And the nature and novelty of the invention as applied to a wrecked or sunken
vessel or submerged structure, consist all as follows:-The vessel or ship containing
the appliances to be used, is moored or anchored close to the sunken vessel, and
workmen in the usual "Diving" and breathing costume descend beneath the
surface of the water to the bottom where the wreck or submerged structure lies,
and air-tight and water-proof bags, bladders, or hollow closed vessels, and india-
rubber, gutta-percha or other water and air-tight preferably flexible tubing are
passed down to them by means of blocks and tackle or other lowering apparatus, from
the floating ship or vessel at the surface of the water above. The bags or hollow
air and water-tight vessels are provided at their necks with taps, stop cocks or air
valves and metal nozzles, and are placed by the Divers or workmen, either before
or after being filled, charged or inflated with air under pressure, in any convenient
holding part of the ship or submerged structure, such as the deck house, hold,
cabins, or engine room, in which they will be unable to escape or rise from; or
otherwise secured at any part of the hull of the ship. The bags would be charged
or filled by coupling, screwing, or otherwise connecting, the ends of tubes, which
pass down from the floating vessel above, to their mouths or necks. The lower
ends of these tubes are also provided with stop cocks or air valves and nozzles and
when connected to the bags as stated, the stop cocks or valves in both tubes and
bags are opened, and air under pressure passes down through the tubes from the
floating vessel above until the bags are sufficiently charged or filled, when their
valves would be closed and disconnected from the tubes and then placed in the
cavities or holding parts of the sunken vessel to be raised. The air for charging
or filling the bags would be supplied by means of air pumps or air forcing and
blowing or compressing engines, or from a reservoir charged by these means.
When the sunken ship or submerged structure has got its compartments filled
with these charged or inflated air bags, water is displaced or expelled from the
space occupied by the bags, and by their buoyancy the vessel rises to the surface
and is thus recovered.
In the case of a vessel which becomes stranded or aground on shore the same
operations as aforesaid may be carried on; or the vessel may have its compart-
ments filled with the air bags, when the tide is out, without the use of "Divers,”
and be thus floated or towed off when the tide "makes" or "comes in."
When it is desired to make vessels, such as warships, unsinkable or in threatened
shipwreck, the bags, tubes and air forcing apparatus could be stored on board, and
the bags charged and placed in position within a very short time.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1.
1. The method, or mode and means, of raising or floating sunken or stranded
ships or vessels, and of rendering ships or vessels unsinkable, substantially as
herein set forth.
2. The use of bags or hollow vessels charged or filled with air for raising or
floating sunken or stranded ships or vessels, and for rendering ships or vessels
unsinkable, substantially as herein set forth.
3. The filling or charging of bags or hollow vessels with air, for the purposes,
and by means of apparatus substantially as herein set forth.