SLINGING AND RAISING SUNKEN OR STRANDED VESSELS
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Beare Caulfield at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th October
1860.
I, WILLIAM BEARE CAULFIELD, of 54, Cole Harbour, Blackwall, Middlesex,
Steam Tug Owner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"SLINGING AND RAISING SUNKEN OR STRANDED VESSELS," to be as follows:-
I enclose the lower part of the hull of a sunken or stranded vessel within á
series of bands composed of rods of steel or iron,. taking their bearing along
and rather below the bilge and round the stem and sternpost. These bands are
separate from and independent of each other, so that no one may have to bear
more than its own share of strain in lifting. The number of bands is regulated
by the weight required to be raised, the lifting power of each band being
known with accuracy. In these bands, and in every other portion of my
apparatus where it is possible, I use steel of best quality in preference to iron,
by which I gain double power without increasing the weight of material.
The rods or bars composing these bands are of such length and weight that any
diver may handle, carry, or place them in any required position under water
with ease and rapidity, and they are fitted with an eye at each end, by which
they can be joined together by shackles or connecting links of adequate
strength. The rods or bars being lowered from the surface near the wreck are
taken up separately by the divers, and placed end to end in a line on each side
of the vessel's bottom. On the fore part of the vessel's stem at a convenient

page_text: height from the ground a length of flat elastic wire rope is fastened by bolts
or cramps having fitted to it a row of plates with eyes projecting on each side
to which the foremost bars of each band are to be attached. Similar straps
and eyes are attached to a saddle constructed of wood and iron with a hollow
sufficient to allow the free working of the rudder post within it. This saddle
is cramped on to the stern post above the projecting portion of the rudder.
When this arrangement is found unsuitable a space is chiselled out of the
stern post sufficient to admit a sufficient number of plates with eyes at each
side to which the after lengths of the bands are to be attached. The divers
shackle the lengths of rods together, beginning at each end of the vessel and
working towards the midship part, where by means of coupling screws the
whole band is drawn together to a proper tension, and completed by the
introduction of a length of rod specially fitted to fill up the vacancy. This
process is repeated with each band in succession until the full number has
been secured above the vessel sufficient to bear her weight in lifting. Two or
three rods or as many as may be necessary are shackled to each band at regular
intervals, and left hanging loose in readiness to receive the ends of the lifting
chains. When these are made fast, and an equal strain is exerted upon each
from vessels on the surface or either partially or totally submerged, according
to the nature and circumstances of each particular case, the sunken or stranded
vessel is by means of sufficient purchase lifted off the bottom, and towed
together with the craft or vessels supporting her into a place of safety, where
repairs may be effected or the wreck otherwise disposed of.