Improvements in Dredging Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dredging Apparatus.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co., of
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by Christopher
Gullmann, of New York, N.Y., United States of America, Mechanical Engineer,
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 certain Improvements in Dredging Apparatus as pointed
out in the following Specification and claim and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing in which
Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of the scraper and grapple and the mechanism
for operating the same.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, on a
larger scale than the previous figure; the grapple being open.
Figure 3 is a vertical section in the plane ax Fig. 2.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section in the plane y y Fig. 3.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the scraper and grapple when the grapple is
closed.
Figure 6 is a face view of the same.
Figure 7 is a sectional side elevation showing a modification of the means used
for actuating the scraper and the grapple.
Figure 8 is a plan or top view of the same.
The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which the
material which is to be removed, can either be taken up bodily and dumped on the
desired spot, or said material can be moved up to the mouth of a suction pipe
which forms part of a suction and discharge apparatus by means of which the
material is finally dumped on the desired spot.
In the drawing the letter A designates the scow or dredge boat which contains a
suction and discharge apparatus 17 (Figs. 7 & 8) by means of which a portion of
the, material to be removed is drawn in through a suction pipe 18 and then forced
out upon the dumping ground through a discharge pipe (not shown).
Any suitable suction and discharge apparatus may be used, but in the example
illustrated in the drawing I have shown a drum which is charged with steam from
a boiler 20 (one or more) and then the steam is condensed so as to create a partial
vacuum in the drum and to produce the required suction, by which the material is
drawn into the drum and then live steam is admitted to the drum, by the pressure
of which the refuse is forced out to the dumping ground.
On the deck of the scow is mounted a crane 21 which carries a scraper 22, and a
grapple 23, said crane being so constructed that it can be swivelled around on a
stud 24 to which it is connected by pivots 25 so that it can be brought to an
inclined or vertical position, thereby lowering or raising the scraper and grapple as
may be required.
For the purpose of actuating the crane, the scraper and the grapple I employ
a steam engine 26 (Fig. 8) from which motion is imparted to a shaft 27 mounted
In the example
in a frame 28 in which are also mounted two drums 29 and 30.
shown in Figures 1 to 6 ropes 31, 32 extend from the drum 29 under pulleys 33, 34
(Figs. 3 and 4) which are mounted on the pins 25 and from these pulleys said
ropes extend over pulleys 35, 36 to sheaves 37 attached to a standard 38 which
is firmly secured to the deck of the scow A (Fig. 1). From the sheaves 37
the ropes 31, 32 extend over pulleys 39, 40 mounted in the crane 21 (Figs. 1 and 3)

page_text: thence down to the grapple 23 and their ends are fastened together and secured
to the end of a lever 41. This lever is pivoted to a link 42, which swings on
a pivot 43 secured in a bracket connected to the head 44 of the scraper 22
(see Figs. 1, 2 and 5). The grapple 23. is secured to a lever 45 which swings
on a pivot 46 secured in the, shank 48 of the head 44 and the tail end of which
is attached by a pivot 47 to the lever 41. The ropes 31 and 32 are wound in
opposite directions upon the drum 29 and if this drum is turned so as to take
up the rope 31 and let off the rope 32, the grapple 23 is moved from its open
position Fig. 2 to its closed position (Fig. 5) and if the drum 29 is turned in the
opposite direction, the grapple is opened.
In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the shank 48 of the head 44 is connected
at its end to the crane 21 by a pivot 49 and to said shank is secured a slide 50
by means of a pivot 51 and this slide extends through a guide 52 which is
pivotally secured to the crane 21 (Fig. 3). In the guide 52 are mounted two
pulleys 53, 54 and on the slide are secured two ropes 55, 56. The rope 55
extends over the pulley 53 and under a pulley 57 to the drum 30 which is mounted
in the frame 28 (Fig. 8) and the rope 56 extends over the pulley 54 and under a
pulley 58 to the drum 30 (see also Figures 3 and 4). The ropes 55, 56 are wound
in opposite directions upon the drum 30 and if this drum is turned so as to wind up
the rope 55 and unwind the rope 56, the slide 50 is moved inward in the direction
of arrow 1, (Fig. 1) but if the drum 30 is turned so as to wind up the rope 56, the
slide 50 is moved outward in the direction of arrow 2. By these means an
oscillating motion can be imparted to the scraper 22 and the head 44 can be moved
down upon the ground or moved up away from the ground.
The motion of the drums 29 and 30 can be controlled by a suitable reversing
gear 61 as shown in Fig. 1.
The pivots 25 which support the feet of the crane 21 are mounted in lugs 62
which rise from a plate 63 (Figs. 2, 3 & 4) secured to a bevel-wheel 64 which is
mounted upon the stud 24 and engages a bevel-wheel 65 which is geared with the
driving-shaft 27 so that a rotary motion can be imparted to it in either direction.
In the example shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the shank 48 of the head 44 is connected to
the crane 21 by a pivot 66 and from a point above this pivot extends the rope 56
over a pulley 67 which is secured to the standard 38 and from a point below the
pivot 66 extends a rope 55 over a pulley 68 mounted on the plate 68. The
ropes 55, 56 are wound upon the drum 30 in opposite direction and if this drum is
turned so as to take up the rope 56 and let out the rope 55, the head 44 of the
scraper is moved in the direction of arrow 5 (Fig. 7) and if the drum 30 is turned
in the opposite direction, the head 44 moves in the direction opposite to arrow 5.
By these means an oscillating motion can be imparted to the scraper.
The rope 31
extends from the drum 29 (Fig. 8) over a pulley 37 which is attached to the
standard 38, thence over pulleys 49, 39 to a pulley 68 secured to the shank 48 of
the scraper, thence to lever 45 to which it is fastened (see Figures 7 and 8). The
rope 32 extends from the drum 29 over a pulley 37* secured to the standard 38,
thenoe over pulleys 49* 39* to a pulley mounted on the side of pulley 68 (Fig. 7)
thence to lever 41 to which it is fastened. When the rope 31 is wound up on
drum 29, the grapple is opened, and when the rope 32 is wound up, the grapple is
closed. At the same time when the operation of winding up the rope 31 is
continued after the grapple has been opened, the grapple and the crane are
carried up to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 and if it is desired
to carry up the grapple in a closed position, the operation of winding up the
rope 32 must be continued after the grapple has closed. Furthermore if the
grapple is raised in a closed position it can be opened by reversing the notion
of the drum 29 so as to wind up the rope 31 while the rope 32 is unwound to
such an extent that the lever 41 can move from the position shown in. Fig. 5 to
that shown in Fig. 2. If the scraper while bearing upon the ground, is moved in
the direction of the arrow shown near it in Fig. 1, the grapple is charged with sand
or other matter and the contents of the grapple can be moved up to the mouth of

page_text: the suction pipe 18, and I prefer to make the mouth of this pipe bellshaped so that
when the contents of the grapple are dumped into this mouth, they are in the
proper position to follow the suction. The suction pipe 18 is provided with a
ball and socket joint 80 and suitable mechanism is provided to raise said suction
pipe from the ground as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 and by raising the
grapple the contents of the same can be dumped into the bellshaped mouth of
the suction pipe.
It must be remarked that the drums 29 and 30 may each be made in two sections,
each of which is driven independent of the other in the manner commonly used in
hoisting machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is : :-
1. The combination with the suction pipe 18 of an oscillating scraper for moving
the material to the entrance of the suction pipe and mechanism for oscillating the
scraper to and from the suction pipe, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the suction pipe 18 of a scraper and a grapple and
mechanism for imparting to the scraper and grapple a reciprocating and a rising
and falling motion substantially as described.
3. In a dredging apparatus the combination with a suction pipe, of a pivoted
swinging crane, mechanism for swinging the crane vertically, a shank pivotally
connected with the crane, carrying a scraper and a grapple and movable to and
from the suction pipe for causing the scraper to move the material to the entrance
of the suction pipe, and means for moving the shank and operating the grapple
substantially as described.
4. In a dredging apparatus, the combination of a pivoted swinging crane,
mechanism for swinging the crane vertically and also laterally, a shank pivoted to
the crane and carrying at its lower end a scraper and a grapple, a slide pivoted to
the shank and having a sliding engagement with the crane, and means for
operating the grapple, substantially as described.
5. The combination with a suction pipe 18 of a pivoted swinging crane, a shank
connected with the crane and provided at its lower end with a scraper 22 for
moving the material to the entrance of the suction pipe and means for swinging the
crane and oscillating the shank, substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of March 1894.
R. HADDAN.