improvements in Stuices; for, water, ways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1895-Accepted, 28th Dec., 1895
"
improvements in Stuices; for, water, ways..
1, JAMES BERNARD, HUNTER, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to sluices made of slats of wood or other material in a
similar manner to a roller blind or shutter.
The slats. are supported against the water pressure by abutments and their edges
are bevelled so that the edge of one, slat, forms. a sill for the edge of the next the
pressure tending to make a tight,joint. The slats are fixed to pitch chains engaging
with rings of teeth ou a ruller at the bottom of the sluice being led upwards again
(parallel to the face of the sluice) and connected at the top. to lifting apparatus.
The roller does not, work in,bearings but simply hangs loose in the bends of the
pitch chains. Preferably the roller is polygonal with the sides of the same width
as the slats...
With this construction it will be, seen that when the lifting apparatus, is, at work
the, slats are turned successively one, at a time. about, their upper edges., with
.considerable leverage and then pass round the roller clear away froin, their
abutments so that in lifting there is no rubbing friction between the slats and
the abutments...
"
In cases, where a clear water way is desired the abutments are made in the form
of a frame which with the other apparatus can be lifted bodily out of the water
after the slats have been raised...
Dated this. 22nd day of Ebby 1895.
I, JAMES BERNARD HUNTER, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
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:
This invention, relates to sluices, made, of slats of wood or other material in a
similar manner to a roller blind or shutter.
The slats are supported against the water pressure by abutments and their edges
are bevelled so that the edge of, one, slat forms, a sill for the, edge of the next the
pressure tending to make a tight joint. The slats are fixed to pitch chains engaging
with rings of teeth on a roller at the bottom of the sluice being led upwards again
(parallel to the face of the sluice) and, connected at the top, to lifting apparatus.
The roller does not work in bearings but simply hangs loose in the bends of the
pitch chains.. Preferably the roller is polygonal, with the sides of the same width
as the slate...
With this construction, it will be seen, that when the lifting apparatus is at work
the slats are turnedu successively, one at a time about, their upper edges with
considerable leverage and then pass round.. the..roller, clear away, froin, their

page_text: abutments so that in lifting there is no rubbing friction between the slats and
the abutments.
In cases where a clear water way is desired the abutments are made in the form
of a frame which with the other apparatus can be lifted bodily out of the water
after the slats have been raised.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a transverse section and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of the roller
d lower part of the blind or shutter.
The roller consists of a tube of metal or shaft of other material A upon which
is secured by keys or otherwise a sprocket wheel of metal B formed to suit the
pitch of the chain C which is attached to each slat D of the blind by means of
bolts. The sprocket wheels are placed at distances along the roller A to suit the
position of the lifting chains. The roller is made preferably hollow so that its
displacement of water may relieve the raising gear of the greater part of the strain
due to its weight when it is immersed though it is desirable that it should be loaded
sufficiently to cause it to sink with the blind.
Figures 3 to 12 show various ways in which the apparatus is employed.
The left hand half of Figure 3 is a vertical central section and the right hand
half a front elevation of one arrangement, Figure 4 is a corresponding horizontal
section and plan of the same and Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section.
The wrought iron framing f forming the support for the sluice shutter is supported
at or near its centre of gravity upon pins or trunnions a by means of chains bat
each end of Figures 3 and 4 running over sheaves c connected to a balance
weight dat each end of the sluice framing. The chain pulley c is formed to fit
the chain and is made to rotate by the hand gear and shafting e so that the sluice
framing can be easily raised. The framing is connected to a radial bar g by
means of a block sliding in a groove / so that after the framing has been raised a
certain height it engages or locks with the bar y which causes the framing to turn
and assume a horizontal position as shown by dotted lines f' in Figure 5. The
operation of raising the framing is carried out after the shutter sluice has been
raised by chains; and gearing k. The result of this is that a perfectly unimpeded
waterway is afforded in times of flood when the tail water is at the same level as
the head. In order that the shutter sluice may be automatic in its action as far as
possible, a float / Figure 5 is attached to the lifting chainsj of the shutter, this
Hoat having a lifting power equal to the strain necessary to open the bottom slat
of the sluice, consequently should the head water rise owing to a fresh accession of
water, the float will rise with it and pull open the bottom slat or slats according to
the amount of rise thus opening the sluice and causing the superabundant water to
flow away.
In order to facilitate the turning of the sluice frame by means of the
radial arm g a roller m is attached to the masonry on each side of the sluice opening
over which the framing will easily turn when its upward motion is controlled by
the radial arm g.
The framing forms a watertight joint against a rebate or sill
formed in the masonry of the piers and apron of the weir as shown in Figure 4 at n
and Figure 5 at n and o.
Figure 6 shows a somewhat similar framing of but having its hinge à a fixed
point attached to the side masonry so that if the shutter bas been raised by its
gearing k, the framework can be raised by the crab p by means of chains b so that
it finally occupies the position shown in dotted lines at this leaving a free and
open water way. Figure 7 shows an arrangement similar to that shown in
Figures 3, 4 and 5 except that the framing instead of turning is simply raised
vertically as shown by dotted lines at f. Figure 8 shows an arrangement by
which the overhead bridge for supporting the raising gear of the shutter is dispensed
with by placing a crab g having a beam r extending from one masonry pier to the
other from which chains would lead over pulleys attached to the top of the
framing fin connection with the shutter. After the shutter has been raised by

page_text: the crab y the framework can be raised by the crab p in the manner described in
connection with Figure 6. Figure 9 shows an arrangement by which, after the
shutter bas been raised, the framework f can be lowered to the position shown by
dotted lines by means of the crab p into a recess formed in the masonry sill, the
framing turning upon the pivot a fixed at the heel of the framing near the sill n.
This arrangement would only be suitable where the recess in the masonry would
not be liable to be silted up. Figures 10, 11 and 12 show the application of the
blind to sluice or flood gates partaking somewhat of the form of lock gates and is
applicable more particularly to tidal rivers where it is customary to pass traffic-
through the weirs for a certain period prior to high tide closing them when the
requisite quantity of water has been impounded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A sluice formed of slats hinged together and having bevelled edges so
that the edge of one slat forms a sill for the edge of the next substantially as
described.
2. A sluice formed of slats fixed to chains passing around a roller at the bottom
and connected at the top to lifting apparatus substantially as described.
3. A sluice formed of slats hinged together and carried in a frame which can be
removed from the waterway substantially as described.
4. A sluice substantially as described and shown at Figures 1 and 2 of the
drawings.
5. A sluice substantially as described and shown at Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the
drawings.
6. A sluice substantially as described and shown at Figure 6 of the drawings.
7. A sluice substantially as described and shown at Figure 7 of the drawings.
8. A sluice substantially as described and shown at Figure 8 of the drawings.
9. A sluice substantially as described and shown at Figure 9 of the drawings.
10. A sluice substantially as described and shown at Figures 10, 11 and 12 of
the drawings.
Dated this 14th day of November 1895.