APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND DOCKING SHIPS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith, of Nos. 18 and 19, Salisbury Street,
Adelphi, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "APPARATUS FOR RAISING
AND DOCKING SHIPS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."-A communication from
abroad by Mr. John W. Nystrom, a .Citizen of the United States of
North America, at present residing in Russia.
Sealed the 29th November 1859, and dated the 31st May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners, of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st May 1859.
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of Nos. 18 and 19, Salisbury Street,. Adelphi, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "APPARATUS
FOR RAISING AND DOCKING SHIPS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," (a communica-
tion to me from abroad by Mr. John W. Nystrom, a Citizen of the United
States of North America, at present residing in Russia,) to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of hydraulic pontoon or
pontcon dock supplied with steam power and capable of being steamed or
propelled to the place of operation. These pontoons may be sent to sea or
employed in a channel way or for harbour or dock duty, either for the purpose
of raising a ship from its ordinary floating line out of the water without any
Price 8d1

page_text: further local preparation, for the purposes of examination, repair, or removal,
and in substitution of any of the existing modes of docking a ship, or for
raising sunken or stranded ships or immersed bodies, or for lifting and removing
heavy weights from shore to shore, or from shore to ship, or vice versâ, or
from ship to ship, and for performing various other duties in and about the
sea coast, harbours, rivers, and docks. It consists in forming a vessel or
pontoon of suitable dimensions, somewhat like a ship of considerable breadth
and small draft in proportion to her length, and constructing two hollow
towers, one at the bow and the other at the stern. The vessel or pontoon is
divided into a number of water-tight compartments, into which, for the purpose
of sinking the pontoon or vessel, water is admitted, and from which the water
has to be pumped when the poonton and its load have to be raised. The two
hollow towers are water-tight and extend to the bottom of the pontoon, and
communication is effected between them through a tunnel extending fore and
aft. In one of these towers I prefer to place the boiler and fuel stores, and in
the other the steam engine for driving the propeller and pumps, and also the
pumping machinery, hoisting tackle, and apparatus for performing the various
duties required in and about the pontoon or dock. The decks of these
pontoons are constructed of great strength suitable for supporting the weight
and strain of a ship resting thereupon; and the pontoon is strengthened
longitudinally and transversely by girder bulkheads or partitions suitably
disposed for giving the greatest amount of strength with the least weight.
The hollow water-tight towers are carried to a height from the deck sufficient
to enable the pontoon to be sunk to the requisite extent without submerging
the tops of the towers, and within these towers suitable staging or means of
access and arrangements for performing the docking of ships and other
purposes as herein-before mentioned, are arranged, so that the men have free
access between the towers, and out at the tops of and around them; the funnel
or smoke pipe from the boiler, and the steam blow off and other pipes are
carried up to the top of the towers, so that no inconvenience or interruption
to the working of the machinery or performance of other operations on board
will occur during the submersion of the pontoon.
The mode of working or putting in action these pontoons or pontoon docks
when about to.be employed for the purpose of lifting a floating ship is as
follows: Steam having been raised, the Kingston or other valves are opened,
and the external water admitted into the water-tight compartments or tanks,
whereupon the air contained therein becomes compressed, and the air cocks or
escape valves have to be opened to admit of the air being discharged there-

page_text: from under pressure. When the pontoon has been sunk to the required
extent it is placed under the floating vessel or ship to be raised, and when
the ship is of a greater length or greater weight than can be fairly or properly
borne by one of these pontoons or floating docks, two or more of them may be
employed side by side. When the vessel has been brought between the
towers the water is pumped out from the water-tight compartments and the
pontoon or pontoons with the load will gradually be raised, whereupon the ship
or vessel may be secured and blocked in its proper position, and where there
are more than two or more pontoons side by side, they are to be braced or
secured together.
When this apparatus is employed for lifting ships or barges foundered or
grounded in shallow water the pontoons may be sunk and placed side by side
of the vessel to be raised, or when employed for lifting submerged vessels or
other bodies, the operation of sinking and attaching the pontoon, then pumping
out, raising, and floating into shallow water, may be repeated several times
until the vessel is landed high and dry, and instead of one, either two or more
of these pontoons may be employed in aiding each other, and so combine their
power and movements as to act upon the same object. These pontoons may
be also employed in various other ways, according to the nature of the
operation and circumstances under which they are required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 30th
November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SMITH, of Nos. 18 & 19, Salisbury St., Adelphi, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Smith, Her special licence that I, the said
William Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should.and lawfully

page_text: might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"APPARATUS FO 1 RAISING AND DOCKING SHIPS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," a
communication from abroad by Mr. John W. Nystrom, a Citizen of the
United States of North America, at present residing in Russia, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Smith, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawing
This Invention relates to a novel construction of hydraulic poutoon or
pontoon dock supplied with steam power, and capable of being steamed or
propelled to the place of operation. These pontoons may be sent to sea
or employed in a channel way, or for harbour or dock duty, either for the
purpose of raising a ship from its ordinary floating line, out of the water,
without any further local preparation, for the purposes of examination, repair,
or removal, and in substitution of any of the existing modes of docking a ship,
or for raising sunken or stranded ships, or immersed bodies, or for lifting and
removing heavy weights from shore to ship, or vice versa, or from ship to ship,
and for performing various other duties in and about the sea coast, harbours,
rivers, and docks. It consists in forming a vessel or pontoon of suitable
dimensions, somewhat like a ship of considerable breadth and sinall draft in
proportion to her length, and constructing two hollow towers, one at the bow
and the other at the stern. The vessel or pontoon is divided into a number of
water-tight compartments, into which, for the purpose of sinking the pontoon
or vessel, water is admitted, and from which the water has to be pumped when
the pontoon and its load have to be raised. The two hollow towers are water-
tight, and extend to the bottom of the pontoon, and communication is effected
between them through a tunnel extending fore and aft. In one of these
towers I prefer to place the boiler and fuel stores, and in the other the steam
engine for driving propeller and pumps, and also the pumping machinery,
hoisting tackle, and apparatus for performing the various duties required in
and about the pontoon or dock. The decks of these pontoons are constructed

page_text: of great strength, suitable for supporting the weight and strain of a ship
resting thereupon, and the pontoon is strengthened longitudinally and trans-
versely by girder bulkheads or partitions, suitably disposed for giving the
greatest amount of strength with the least weight The hollow water-tight
towers are carried to a height from the deck sufficient to enable the pontoon
to be sunk to the requisite extent without submerging the tops of the towers,
and within these towers suitable staging or means of access, and arrangements
for performing the docking of ships and other purposes, as herein-before
mentioned, are arranged so that the men have free access between the towers
and out at the tops of and around them; the funnel or smoke pipe from the
boiler, and the steam blow-off and other pipes, are carried up to the top of
the towers, so that no inconvenience or interruption to the working of the
machinery or performance of other operatious on board will occur during the
submersion of the pontoon.
The mode of working or putting in action these pontoons or pontoon docks,
when about to be employed for the purpose of lifting a floating ship, is as
follows: Steam having been raised, the Kingston or other valves are opened,
and the external water admitted into the water-tight compartments or tanks,
whereupon the air contained therein becomes compressed, and the air cockscr
escape valves have to be opened to admit of the air being discharged there-
from under pressure. When the pontoon has been sunk to the required
extent, it is placed under the floating vessel or ship to be raised, and when the
ship is of a greater length or greater weight than can be fairly or properly
borne by one of these pontoons or floating docks, two or more of them may be
employed side by side. When the vessel has been brought between the
towers, the water is pumped out from the water-tight compartments, and the
pontoon or pontoons, with the load, will gradually be raised, whereupon theship
or vessel may be secured and blocked in its proper position; and where there
are more than two or more pontoons side by side they are to be braced or
secured together.
When this apparatus is employed for lifting ships or barges foundered or
grounded in shallow water, the pontoons may be sunk and placed side by side
of the vessel to be raised; or when employed for lifting submerged vessels or
other bodies, the operation of sinking and attaching the pontoon,then pumping
out, raising, and floating into shallow water, may be repeated several times,
until the vessel is landed high and dry; and instead of one,either two or more
of these pontoons may be employed in aiding each other, and so combine their
power and movements as to act upon the same object.
These pontoons may

page_text: be also employed in various other ways,according to the nature of the operation
and circumstances under which they are required.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one pontoon; Fig.2,a plan; and Fig. 3,
a transverse section of the same. Scale is about th of an inch equal to
one foot.
The pontoons, of course, can be made of any size, but the following
dimensions have been selected for illustrating this Invention, and the mode of
applying it, as convenient, and most appropriate for the docking of ships up to
2,000 tons, and drawing about 28 feet water.
DIMENSIONS. Length on water line 100 feet, breadth of beam 30 feet,
height from keel to deck 10 feet, height of towers from deck 30 feet, diameter
of towers at the base 15 feet. Each pontoon can lift dead weight 450 tons;
nominal power of engines 20-horse, diameter of propeller 4 feet.
The mode of operation, when docking a ship, is simplybysinking a sufficient
number of pontoons (down) into the sea, by letting water into them. The
ship enters between the towers, as represented by Figs, 4 and 5; the water
is then pumped out of the pontoons, and the whole system, with the ship, will
rise to the required height above the water. The towers of the pontoons serve
the same purpose as the balance tanks in the American sectional dock; they
keep the pontoon at any required depth under the water. When the poutoons,
with the ship, are raised to the required height, the pontoon propellers can be
set in operation, and drive the system to any required place convenient for
repairing the ship. The pontoons, with the ship, will draw a great deal less
water than the ship itself.
Construction of a Pontoon.-The pontoon (as illustrated) has twelve water-
tight compartments, which we hereafter will call "tanks;" these 12 tanks are
divided by bulkheads in the pontoon, as represented by the strong dotted lines
in the plan, Fig. 2, all connected by pipes with a steam pupp, so that water
can be pumped out from either or all of them. In the centre of the pontoon
is a corridor about 4 feet wide, connecting the two towers, the engine being
placed in the aft tower, and the steam boiler in the fore tower.
All the con-
nection pipes and cocks are placed in the corridor and towers, conveniently
arranged for the engineers. The towers being open at the top, give sufficient
ventilation and comfort in the corridor where the engineer is stationed for
managing the pontoons, in accordance with the command given through a
speaking trumpet from the top of the tower.
T
The central pipe a at the bottom of the corridor, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, connect
the tanks with the steam pumps; in the centre c it branches off with cocks to

page_text: four places, one branch with a cock for every three tanks, which latter are
connected with valves worked separate. Air is let into the tanks through the
air pipe 6, extending from the top of the engine tower, under the top of the
corridor to the centre c, where it branches off with cocks e, to four places
similar to the pipe a, each supplying air to three tanks. The air pipe is also
connected with the steam pump in such manner that air can be forced into
the tanks and drive the water out through the bottom, which may be required
in some circumstances; for instance, if the pontoon should be sunk on some
unexpected obstacle, as a sharp stone or anchor at the bottom of the water,.
which may injure or make a hole in the pontoon, the air is then forced in, and.
the water out, instead of pumping the water, which, in such case, might not
be possible; thus, the lifting operation goes on notwithstanding the injury the
pontoon may have sustained. Another accident might happen, viz., the
pontoon, with the towers sinking wholly under the water. The air pipe b is
made with a screw joint at the top, to which a hose or pipe can be screwed
and connected with a similar pipe on a floating pontoon, by which air can be.
forced into the tanks of the sunken pontoon, and thereby raise it. In the
bottom of the pontoon are placed four Kingston cocks f,each with two valves,
opening one inwards and one outwards; those opening inwards are operated.
by a rod leading into the corridor at c, by which water is let into the tanks
when the pontoon is to be lowered; the valves are shut when the water is to
be pumped out, or air forced in, for raising the pontoon. The valves opening
outwards are self-acting when the water is forced out by the air.
The management of the pontoon is in control of the engineer stationed in
the centre c in the corridor, where he has 12 cocks to operate in accordance
with the circumstances required. When the pontoon is to be lowered, the
engineer opens the four Kingston valves, letting water into the tanks; when
the pontoon begins to sink, the air in the tanks will be compressed, the air
cocks are then opened only as much as is necessary for a uniform and proper.
descension of the pontoon, which is regulated by the air cocks,always keeping.
the air compressed in the tanks. If the pontoon appears to lower more or less.
on one side or end, it is corrected by letting out more or less air through the
proper air cock, which is seen by the glass guages and guage cocks d, d.
When the pontoon is to be raised, there are several circumstances to be con-
sidered, namely, if it is to lift uniformly with its whole power, if it is to lift
only with one side, or if it is to lift only with one end. In raising a ship, each
pontoon will lift uniformly, but some pontoons must lift a little more than
others, in accordance with the form of the ship, so as not to strain it. In

page_text: lifting a ship or barge, grounded or foundered in shallow water, the pontoons
are placed side by side of the sunken vessel; when made fast to it, the six
tanks on the sides nearest the vessel are pumped out, beca use the force is
required to lift only by one side of the pontoons. If such a sunken ship be
very heavy, there may not be room for the pontoons to be placed side by side,
but the ends of the same to be placed to the sides of the ship, in which case
the water in the six tanks at one end is to be pumped out. All these different
operations are accomplished by the engineer in the corridor. If the pontoon
be made wholly of iron, which is considered the cheapest and safest mate-
rial for the purpose, the hull of the boat should to be made of about of
an inch thick iron plates, the frames spaced about 21 inches apart, with
beams and floor timbers on every other frame. The hold of the pontoon is
divided bywater-tightbulkheads transverselyand longitudinally,strengthened
on both sides by angle irons placed diagonally, as represented by the drawn
and dotted diagonal lines. There are man-holes in the bulkheads for entering
and cleaning the tanks. The deck to be made wholly of iron, rivetted and
caulked tight to the sides and tower. The towers are made wider at the base,
in order to increase the balancing power, which is most required when the
deck of the pontoons is just under water and the ship above, in raising or
lowering the system. In the original design it was intended to make the
towers parallel, and only 10 feet in diameter, and place a small house at the
foot of the same for increasing the balance force, which is still maintained in
Figs. 6, 7, and 8.
Fig. 9 shews a plan of another arrangement of the pontoons, which are in
this case increased in size and placed longitudinally by the side of the vessel to
be docked,&c., a frame raft being placed across or between the two pontoons,
the vessel taking its bearing as shown. Fig.10 shews a longitudinal elevation
of this arrangement; Figs. 11 and 12 exhibits a plan and longitudinal eleva-
tion of a similar arrangement. The pontoons in this case being required for a
smaller vessel, two of the former are employed, and placed as shown. Fig. 13
is an end elevation, applicable to either of the last two systems. The pro-
portions of the weight of materials and displacement of the pontoons must be
so arranged and adjusted that the weight of the water, displaced bythe towers
and corridor, must be equal to the total weight of the pontoon and machinery.
In the pontoon described by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it is so adjusted, that when all
the tanks are full of water, it will float with the deck about 18 feet under the
water; in order to sink it deeper, there are two vertical tanks in the inside of
each tower,extending from the bottom of the pontoon to the top truss timbers;

page_text: these tanks are in connection with the main tanks, by cocks and pipes. When
the pontoons are to be sunk to more than 18 feet, or down to 28 feet, water is
let into the tower tanks. Should it be necessary to sink the pontoons still
deeper, additional precautions must be taken by placing additional pipes on the
top of the openings in the towers. Such pipes must be fixed perfectly water-
tight, and if very high, they must be rigged with shrouds from the tower.
railing. Suppose such additional pipes to be 20 feet high above the top of
the towers, the pontoon could then by ballasting be sunk, and operate in 60
feet deep water, but in such case it will be necessary to hang the sunken
pontoon in, and lower it with a second pontoon, as there is not displacement
enough in the additional pipes to keep the pontoon in a proper position.
On the top of the towers are platforms and railings for the commanding
officers or directors of the operation. Ladders for ascending or descending the
towers are placed inside and out, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. Over each tank,
corridor, and in the towers, are placed small lights or windows, to admit light
into the interior. In each tower are placed four truss timbers k, l, k, k, by which
the shipis kept in a proper position on the poutoons; in the inside of the towers
the truss timbers are surrounded by a square tube rivetted to the sides of the
towers, to keep the water out when immersed. Each pontoon has four chock
blocks placed over the bulkheads, arranged in the ordinary manner, with
blocks and falls for moving them under the ship's bottom. Each pontoon to have
two capstans m, m, one fore and aft of the towers, as shown in the Drawing.
The ship on the pontoon, Fig. 1, is supposed to have been raised from the water
line W, W, to the docking line of the pontoon w, w; the ordinary floating
line of the pontoon itself, when propelled by steam at sea, is to be kept at v, v,
but when there is no water in the tanks the pontoon will not float deeper than
about 16 to 18 inches. The machinery placed in the aft tower consists of one
condensing engines with one upright cylinder, working downwards direct on
the propeller shaft crank; the cylinder is placed high enough to admit of two
pumps working direct from the crosshead between the cylinder and crank, the
connecting rod playing between the pumps, thus making the arrangement
very simple. The engine is made condensing, because the pumps must, at any
rate, be applied for pumping the water from the tanks; this water is injected
into the condenser, from which the pumps force it overboard. In docking and
lifting operations, the propeller is coupled loose from the engines, but con-
nected, when it is required for propelling the pontoons. When the pontoons
are going to sea, they are lowered to four or five feet draft, one, of the
Kingston valves being kept sufficiently open to supply water to the condenser.

page_text: The steam boiler is placed in the foreward tower, the smoke chimney leads
to the top, where it is arranged with a spark arrester, forming the top of the
tower. The tower or towers are arranged with a coue inside, by which rain
water is led out on the top, thus keeping the inside dry and ventilated in rainy
weather. On the top of the steam boiler is the safety valve, with the blow-off
pipe h leading into the opening at the top of the tower; the engine and boiler
are connected by the steam pipe g and feed pipe i. Over the propeller shaft
is a tunnel from the tower to the sternpost stuffing box.
Figures 4 and 5 represent a ship raised on a number of pontoons; W, W,
the floating line of the ship to which the pontoons have been lowered and
raised to the docking line w, w. When a ship is to be raised by a hydraulic
pontoon dock, the form, tonnage, and draft of water of the ship must first be
ascertained. The form of the bottom of the vessel must be ascertained in
order to place suitable chock blocks in the proper position on the pontoon for
receiving the ship; when this is ascertained, a sufficient number of pontoons
are coupled together by lines over the timberheads and truss timbers as seen
in the plan, Fig. 5. The chock blocks being placed in proper position, the
pontoons are, at a given commaud, started to sink, which is effected as before
described; care should be taken by guards on the tower platforms that all the
pontoons sink uniformly and together. When the dock is lowered sufficiently
deep, the ship enters between the towers, and is placed central by the truss
timbers, the dock is then carefully raised until it just touches the keel of the
ship, the pumps are then stopped, and the chockblocks drawn tight under the
ship's bottom by the blocks and falls for that purpose; the truss timbers are
then adjusted and fastened tight to the ship's sides, the pumps then being set
in motion, the ship will soon be in position represented in Fig. 4. The
lowering of the ship or other vessel will of course be operated upon in the
reverse way. To secure a safer balance, it may be found necessary to place
the towers a little further apart, and to make the pontoons a little longer for
the largest sized ships.
Figure 6 represents a pontoon under steam and sail at sea.
Figure 7 shows a pontoon in the operation of lifting a ship from the bottom
of the sea, which is accomplished in the following manner :-Find the location
of the ship, send down a sufficient number of men in diving dresses to make
lines fast to the ship's shrouds, or wherever convenient about the ship; the
men ascend and make the other ends of the lines fast to a sufficient number of
pontoous to raise the ship; four lines are fixed from the ship to each pontoon,
these lines are led over blocks and sheaves, two to each capstan, around which

page_text: they are fastened; the pontoons are then lowered until the deck is level with
the water, and a new hold taken by the lines on the capstans. Men are
required in diving dresses at each capstan keeping the lines from the ship as
tight as possible, while the pontoons are lowered to the required depth; the
lines being secured to the capstans with palls, the men can ascend on the
ladders to the top platforms on the towers. When the engine is set in operation
to pump the water out of the tanks, the pontoons will lift the ship about
25 feet from the bottom of the sea, and by then coupling the propeller to the
engine, the whole system will be driven to a shallower place, where the ship
will touch and rest on the bottom; a new hold of the ship is taken by the
pontoons as before described, and the ship will at last come into the position
represented by Fig. 8, where the pontoons will be applied in a quite different
manner. The pontoons are laid side by side of the ship, and fastened by
chains from underneath the bottom, as shown by the dotted lines, or fastened
in any other convenient manner, as by beams over the ship's and pontoon's
deck, &c., the water is pumped out from the pontoons, raising the ship to a
sufficient height for inspecting its bottom, and plug up any holes or leakage,
for making the ship tight; the pontoon pumps are applied to pump the water
out of the ship until it will float of itself, when it is docked by the pontoons,
as before described. In this last operation it may be found necessary to
pump the water out only from the sides of the pontoons fastened to the ship,
in which case each pontoon's lifting power is decreased; but should the ship
be found too heavy, the pontoons can be rigged with beams in such a manner
that the whole force of each pontoon can be utilized.
For lifting steamers or barges in rivers, the operation will be similar to the
last described and illustrated in Fig. 8. The pontoon dock can be applied to
a great many other purposes in marine operations; for instance, for taking.
large ships over saud banks or bars at the mouths of harbours.
In large seaports of shallow water a large ship could be taken on the
hydraulic pontoon dock at sea, and when so supported, propelled to the city
or up-stream for unloading and loading.
Having thus described and illustrated some of the modes I employ in
constructing hydraulic pontoon docks according to my Invention, I wish it to.
be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact number of
water-tight compartments which I have shown in the Drawings or mentioned
herein,nor do I intend to confine myself to the exact proportions of the several
parts, or the exact arrangement or disposition thereof as shown in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and mentioned herein, as they may be varied to

page_text: suit the particular purpose or the situation for which they are required, bu
what I claim is,-
Firstly, the construction of pontoons or vessels with one or more towers, and
a corridor or corridors arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein described.
Secondly, the combination of the machinery, propeller pumps; and pipes.
with pontoons or vessels, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
FREDERIC ROBERTS,
19, Salisbury St., Adelphi,
W.C.
WILLIAM SMITH, C.E. (L.S.)