improvements in Dredging apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
improvements in Dredging apparatus.
I, CHARLES EDWARD BECKMAN, of 12, Adolphus Road, Finsbury Park, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that description of dredging apparatus
in which a pump is employed for bringing to the surface the soil from the bed of
a river for the purpose of extracting gold therefrom for example, and my invention
has for its object the loosening, breaking up or scarifying of such soil and thoroughly
mixing the same with the water at or near the end of the suction pipe of the pump
in order to facilitate the raising of such matter to the place where it has to be
treated. This apparatus consists essentially of a ladder, beam or derrick the upper
of which is suitably hinged to the deck of a punt for example while the lower
end is provided with revolving picks for the purpose already specified. The con-
struction is as follows:
The ladder, beam or derrick may be of wood or iron as may be preferred, provided
with cross and diagonal stays, bolted together with bolts and washer plates.
The upper end is provided with suitable castings secured to the sides through
which passes the shaft which is fixed by any suitable means to the deck of the
punt and forms a hinge for the derrick to be raised or lowered upon, at will, to
suit the position of the suction pipe of the pump. To the lower end is secured in
any convenient manner bearings to carry the lower shaft on which is secured the
picks and a chain sprocket wheel for the purpose of imparting thereto a rotatory
inotion by means of a chain. The driving chain sprocket wheel is mounted on an
upper shaft which is rotated at a slow speed by means of a train of gearing in the
ordinary manner. The chain is supported at convenient intervals by guide rollers
rotating in carriages fixed to the cross stays. The lower sprocket wheel is pro-
tected from sand and grit by a casing fixed to the lower cross stay.
I prefer to make the centre portion of the lower shaft square; that is to say,
the part upon which the picks and sprocket wheel are fixed, the outer ends being
turned down to enable me to use steel bushes for the wearing parts, which can
be replaced as may be required, one bush being fixed to the shaft and the other in
the bearing supporting said shaft.
When both the pump and scarifier are set to work the latter will disturb the
ground or earth in the vicinity of the end of the suction pipe and the pump will
raise the loosened earth with the water in ordinary course, and deliver same on to
the deck of the punt through the delivery pipe to be dealt with as may be desired.
Dated this 5th day of May 1897.

page_text: I, CHARLES EDWARD BECKMAN, of 12, Adolphus Road, Finsbury Park, 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 improvements in that description of dredging apparatus
in which a pump is employed for, bringing to the surface the soil from the bed of
a river for the purpose of extracting gold therefrom for example, and my invention
has for its object the loosening, breaking up or scarifying of such soil and thoroughly.
mixing the same with the water at or near the end of the suction pipe of the pump
in order to facilitate the raising of such matter to the place where it has to be
treated.
In the accompanying drawings Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation and
plan of scarifying apparatus constructed according to my invention and Figure 3
is a more or less diagrammatical plan view of the deck of a punt or dredger vessel
with the said scarifying apparatus applied thereto.
This apparatus consists essentially of a ladder, beam or derrick the upper end
of which is suitably hinged to the deck of a punt while the lower end is provided
with revolving picks for the purpose already specified. The construction is as
follows:-
The ladder, beam, or derrick Q may be of wood or iron as may be preferred,
provided with cross and diagonal stays R and R' respectively, bolted together with
bolts S and washer plates S1 as shown. The upper end is provided with suitable
castings TT secured to the sides Q through which passes the shaft U which is
fixed by any suitable means to the deck of the punt and forms a hinge for the
derrick to be raised or lowered upon at will to suit the position of the suction pipe F
of the pump. To the lower end is secured in any convenient manner the bearings V
to carry the lower shaft W on which is secured the picks W and the chain sprocket
wheel W for the purpose of imparting thereto a rotatory motion by means of the
chain W. The driving chain sprocket wheel W is mounted on a shaft W which
is rotated at a slow speed by means of a train of gearing as shown at W* Figure 5
in the ordinary manner. The chain Wis supported at convenient intervals by the
guide rollers X rotating in carriage X fixed to the cross stays R. The lower
sprocket wheel W2 is protected from sand and grit by the casing W** fixed to the
lower cross stay R as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
It will be obvious that the sprocket wheel Ws need not be necessarily in the
centre between the picks W as shown, as in some cases it may be desirable to place
it to one side, thereby leaving the whole, or the greater number of picks together
on the side nearest to the suction pipe F. I prefer to make the centre portion of
the shaft W square, that is to say, the part upon which the picks W and sprocket
wheel Ware fixed, the outer ends being turned down to enable me to use stee!
bushes W and W for the wearing parts, which can be replaced as may be required,
the bush We being fixed to, the shaft W and the bush W in the bearing V.
The modus operandi of the apparatus is explained by reference to Figure 3.
Y shows a portion of a punt sufficient to elucidate the application of the invention,
Z is a gap therein to enable the suction pipe F of the pump A and the scarifier
ladder, beam or derrick Q carrying the picks W to be raised out of or lowered into
the water, the pump centre and that of the shaft U being preferably arranged
in line with one another so as to ensure the end of the suction pipe F being in
close proximity to the picks W₁ to obtain the best effect. It will now be seen that
when both the pump and scarifier are set to work the latter will disturb the ground

page_text: or earth in the vicinity of the end of the suction pipe F and the pump will raise
the loosened earth with the water in ordinary course, and deliver same on to the
deck of the punt through the delivery pipe F to be dealt with as may be desired.
The pump may be driven by a pulley M or its shaft may be connected directly
to an engine or motor or be otherwise operated.
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:-
First. In dredging apparatus of the kind herein described, a scarifier consisting
of a ladder, beam, or derrick, the upper end of which is hinged to the deck of the
punt, and its lower end provided with rotating picks, and means for operating
such picks, substantially as described.
Second. In dredging apparatus of the kind herein described the combination of
a scarifier and a centrifugal pump arranged and operating substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of February 1898.
C. E. BECKMAN.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
C. E. BECKMAN.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.