or other Semi-fluid Matter.
Year: 1886

page_text: or other Semi-fluid Matter.
We ARTHUR HUBBARD, and ROBERT JOHN BEALE, of 62 Palace Chambers,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Two or more air tight tanks figured A & B on the accompanying drawing, of
iron or other suitable material; working telescopically within each other, and con-
nected together by flexible joints C, C, C, are supported on twin pontoons D, D, bý
an arrangement of girders, stanchions, and framing, forming guides for regulating the
rise and fall of tanks, which tanks are provided with hatchways on top for loading,
and one or more' openings in bottom, connected with flexible shoot or shoots E E
for discharging the contents below the surface of the water, which discharge is
facilitated by the weight of the upper tanks pressing thereon.
ARTHUR HUBBARD.
ROBERT JOHN BEALE,

page_text: or other Semi-fluid Matter.
We ARTHUR HUBBARD and ROBERT JOHN BEALE Engineers, of 61 Palace
Chambers, Bridge Street, Westminster, 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 improved sludge vessel consists of a tank A, of wrought iron or other
suitable material carried on twin pontoons, or other floating support possessing the
requisite stability. Within this tank is another smaller & similar tank B. but
inverted arranged to work telescopically with it.
These two tanks are connected together by a flexible joint C, and supported
& stayed by an arrangement of girders, stanchions, & framing, forming guides D. D,
for regulating the rise and fall of inner tank.
The top of the inner tank is provided with airtight hatchways F. F., (opening
& closing automatically) through which the sludge is loaded, and in the bottom of
lower tank is an opening fitted with a flexible shoot, & closed with sliding door,
for discharging the contents of the vessel at any required depth below the surface
of the water. Fixed to the upper tank at intervals all round are chains E, E,
attached to suitable gearing & passing through grippers, fixed to the top of
stanchions.
The method of working is as follows,
When about to be loaded the vessel is taken into a lockpit, dock, or other
suitable place under the sludge pipe, and the chains secured to sides of lock pit,
one or more of the hatchways is then opened & the sludge turned into the tanks.
The weight of the load causes the vessel to become more immersed, and the
upper tank being prevented by the chains from following it becomes gradually
drawn out to its full extent or as far as required.
The chains being seized by the grippers, and the upper tanks being thus sup-
ported by the stanchions, water is let into the lock pit, and the vessel rising with
it, the chains are released from the lock sides and the vessel towed out to the place
of discharge.
The upper tank being only raised sufficiently to contain the required load, & the
vessel thus being perfectly full however varying the loads, no oscillation can
possibly take place."
On arriving at its destination the discharge shoot is lowered to the required
depth & the sliding door opened. The grippers are then released & the whole
weight of the upper tank pressing on the sludge (in addition to the head of sludge
above water line) quickly discharges the contents.
The vessel being relieved of its load as it rises out of the water the "head" is
maintained until all the sludge is discharged.
As the contents of the tanks are lowered, the hatchways on top open auto-
matically for admission of air, and by the descent of the upper tank the centre of

page_text: gravity is lowered, and thus presenting but small surface to the wind the vessel is
enabled to make the return journey empty without the necessity of taking in
ballast.
•
Although not requiring any cleansing being air tight and each load cleansing
out the remains of the former one, yet by loading with water instead of sewage
& discharging in the ordinary way the cleansing can easily be effected.
We wish it to be understood that instead of one moving tank two or more may
be employed, and we do not limit ourselves to exact details for effecting the objects
of our Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is,
1. No ballasting required.
2. It is automatic in its action both in loading and unloading.
3. From its design it is practically unsinkable.
4. Being airtight no offensive gasses can escape and therefore no cleansing is
required.
5. Its convenience for discharging sewage at any depth below surface of water.
6. Entire absence of oscillation of load.