IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR THE LIFTING AND TEMPORARY PROPULSION OR TRANSPORTATION OF SHIPS, VESSELS, AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES OR STRUCTURES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Scott, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR
MEANS FOR THE LIFTING AND TEMPORARY PROPULSION OR TRANSPORTATION OF
SHIPS, VESSELS, AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES OR STRUCTURES."
Sealed the 13th July 1877, and dated the 16th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Scott at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th January 1877.
JAMES SCOTT, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR THE LIFTING AND TEMPORARY
PROPULSION OR TRANSPORTATION OF SHIPS, VESSELS, AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES OR
STRUCTURES."
My Invention has for its chief object the provision of means for moving a
stranded vessel to any place at which it may be temporarily repaired, and thence
again into deep water after the repairs have been effected, and it consists in the
employment for this purpose of a suitable number of hydraulic rams (the number
varying according to the length of the stranded ship or vessel), so arranged along each
side of the latter as to enable the same to be impelled either upon incline or
otherwise, or turned round so as to bring the ship or vessel end on to the sea if
stranded broadside on.
In carrying out my Invention each ram cylinder is, by preference, mounted on
trunnions and secured to the ship's side by straps of iron or other suitable means.
Each ram (the movement of which is downwards) has attached to it a leg of timber,
iron, or other suitable material having jointed thereto a ground foot in order to
prevent it from sinking into the sand or ground, when the power of the ram is
brought to bear upon it. The rams are all connected to one tube leading direct
from the pumping engine which can be placed in any convenient position, say, for
example, on the deck of the stranded ship or vessel or on a suitable vessel alongside,
so that the action of the rams is simultaneous. Each stroke of the rams will move
the ship or vessel forwards a given distance, according to the length of the legs from
the ram heads to the ground foot. By a simple movement all the rams are drawn
upwards when another step with the legs is taken, and so on step by step until the
ship or vessel arrives at the required spot, when it may be repaired temporarily or
Price 6d1

page_text: otherwise, according to circumstances. The rams are then reversed and the ship or
vessel is launched into deep water by the same process.
My present Invention is intended more particularly to be employed in co-operation
with the apparatus described in the Provisional Specification, filed by me the
13th October, 1876, No. 3959, but it may be used independently thereof if desired.
It may also be applied to the propulsion of caissons, such for example, as those
described in my said former Provisional Specification, and for transporting heavy
bodies or structures; such for example as monuments of large dimensions which
may require to be removed.
The apparatus may also be so arranged as to lift the ship or vessel, and impel the
same from the deck by fastening connections to the beams or inside of the vessel,
or the ship or vessel can be propelled or transported by longitudinal rams applied
to the before-mentioned legs through the intervention of a combination of levers
and beams or other convenient moans.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th July
1877.
JAMES SCOTT, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR THE LIFTING AND TEMPORARY
PROPULSION OR TRANSPORTATION OF SHIPS, VESSELS, AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES OR
STRUCTURES."
My said Invention has for its chief object the provision of means for moving a
stranded vessel to any place at which it may be temporarily repaired, and thence
again into deep water after the repairs have been effected, and it consists in the
employment for this purpose of a suitable number of hydraulic rams (the number
varying according to the length or tonnage of the stranded ship or vessel) so arranged
along each side of the latter as to enable the same to be impelled either up an
incline or otherwise, or turned round so as to bring the ship or vessel end on to
the sea if stranded broadside on.
In carrying out my said Invention each ram cylinder is, by preference, mounted
on trunnions and secured to the ship's side by straps of iron or other suitable means,
and its rams has attached to it a leg of timber, iron, or other suitable material to
which there is jointed a ground foot in order to prevent it from sinking into the
sand or ground when the hydraulic power is brought to bear upon it. The ram
cylinders are all connected to one tube or series of tubes leading direct from the
pumping engine which can be placed in any convenient position, say, for example,
on the deck of the stranded ship or vessel or on a suitable vessel alongside, so that
the action of the rams is simultaneous. Each stroke of the apparatus will move
the ship or vessel forwards a given distance, according to the length of the legs from
the ram heads to the ground foot. By a simple movement all the legs are drawn
upwards when another step with the legs is taken; and so on step by step until the
ship or vessel arrives at the required spot when it may be repaired temporarily or
otherwise, according to circumstances. The direction of the rams is then reversed
and the ship or vessel is launched into deep water by the same process."
The apparatus whilst effecting the propulsion of the ship or vessel also serves for
lifting the same, the extent to which the ship or vessel is elevated being regulated
by varying the inclined position of the legs, that is to say, by causing them to
approximate more or less closely to a vertical line drawn through the points of
suspension.
My said Invention is also applicable to the propulsion of caissons, and for lifting
and transporting heavy bodies or structures; such for example as heavy ordnance
or monuments of large dimensions which may require to be removed.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of a ship or vessel with my
Invention applied thereto, and Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same.
Figure 3 represents on a larger scale a sectional perspective view taken midships,
and Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 4a is a modification which will be herein-after referred to.
Figure 5 is a diagram plan illustrating the method of turning the ship or vessel;
and Figures 6 and 7 are elevations of the fore end and stern of the same, she wing
the arrangement of the hydraulic cylinders and rams with their legs.
Figure 8 is a transverse sectional elevation, and Figure 9, a side elevation
illustrating the converse arrangement of the rams and cylinders; and Figures 10
and 11 are similar views illustrating a modification of the preceding arrangement.
A are the ram cylinders mounted on trunnions a in straps B secured to the side
of the ship or vessel C, and D are the rams protruding from the lower ends of the
ram cylinders A, and each having attached to it a leg E to the lower extremity of
which is jointed at b a foot F bearing on the sand or ground. The ram cylinders A
are connected by branch pipes c to longitudinal pipes G arranged one at each side
of the vessel C, and which in their turn are connected by transverse pipes H leading
from a pumping engine I situate on the deck d of the vessel, so that the action of
the whole of the rams is simultaneous.
When water is forced by means of the pumping engine I into the ram cylinders A,
the feet F which are provided with projections on their under side take a firm hold
upon the ground, and as the feet cannot be depressed the cylinders move outwards
and the vessel is necessarily impelled forwards; the legs E are then raised by means
of chains e attached to longitudinal chains f which are operated by special rams A¹
working in cylinders D₁ situate on the rail d¹ (see Figure 4), such cylinders being
connected either with the pumping engine I or with an independent pumping engine
or otherwise if required.
The operation of the apparatus will be clearly understood by reference to Figure 4.
Assuming that it be required to move the vessel up an incline foreshore or beach
in the direction indicated by the arrow for repairs or other purpose, the rams with
the legs and feet will be in the position indicated with respect to one of them at the
left hand side of Figure 4, and on water being forced into the ram cylinder, as the
ram is unable to move downwards by reason of the foot F, taking a firm support
upon the ground, the cylinder itself will be moved outwards and upwards, thereby
raising the vessel; and since the leg is slightly inclined forwards from a vertical line,
which position is ensured by chains g, the vessel will be moved bodily (the ram
cylinder turning upon its trunnions a) into the position shewn in full lines in
Figure 4. The leg is then elevated slightly so as to raise the foot from the ground
and admit of its resuming its slightly inclined position, which by reason of the
movement of the vessel will then be the position indicated by the central dotted
lines in Figure 4, after which the ram D is again brought into action for taking a
fresh step, whereby the leg will be brought into the inclined position shewn by the
next dotted line on the right hand side of the Figure, and the vessel moved a corre-
sponding distance, the leg being then again returned to the nearly vertical position,
and so in succession until the vessel is propelled to the required place.
Although I have described the action of one ram cylinder with its ram and leg
only, it will be understood that the whole of the cylinders operate simultaneously,
their combined power being utilized in impelling or propelling the vessel. This
combined action is shewn clearly in Figure 1, in which the full lines at E, E,
indicate the position of the legs after a step has been taken. When the repairs
have been effected, or it is required to launch the vessel into deep water, the legs
are placed so as to incline slightly to the opposite side of a vertical line passing
through the trunnions a, and the cylinder A being again set in action, the former

page_text: operations are repeated in the reverse direction, as indicated by the dotted lines in
Figure 1, which represent the angle of the legs after they have taken a retrograde
step. When the vessel has arrived in deep water the legs are drawn up and secured
to the ship's side by chains g', as shewn in Figure 4, for the vessel proceeding on
her voyage.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 illustrate a method of utilizing my apparatus for turning a
ship or vessel when lying broad side on to an exposed beach or coast, in order to
bring the vessel into such a position that its liability to be broken up or injured
will be obviated or reduced to a minimum. In this case the rams with their legs
are fitted all round the fore end and the stern as well as at the sides of the vessel,
the rams of the fore end (see Figure 6) being arranged so that the legs on one side
of the centre line shall be placed at a greater angle than those at the other side,
whilst the rams of the stern (see Figure 7) with their legs are arranged at such an
angle that from the port side forward to the starboard side at the after end the
direction of the action of the legs shall be reversed; the lifting and tilting of the
vessel is thus carried on simultaneously in opposite directions, whereby the vessel
is turned round as upon a centre h, as shewn clearly in Figure 5, in which Figure
the arrows indicate the direction of motion of the vessel, and the dotted lines denote
the several stages in the movement of the vessel from the first step when the vessel
lay in the position shewn in full lines in the Figure, exposed to the force of the sea,
to the last step when the vessel will have have been turned round through an angle
of 90°, thus bringing its longitudinal centre line i, i, into the position indicated by
the dotted line k, k, where the vessel will be unaffected by the force of the current.
In Figure 6 the ram cylinders A are represented as carried by beams / attached by
straps to the vessel.
If desired, the ram cylinders may be carried on the legs and the rams connected
with the vessel in lieu of the converse method herein-before described. This
arrangement is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, and Figures 10 and 11 respectively,
which represent two modifications of the same.
Referring to Figures 8 and 9 it will be seen that the rams D are connected by
knuckle or socket joints at a¹ to beams l, and work through the upper ends of the
'ram cylinders A (which are carried by the legs E) when water is forced into the
cylinders in the manner herein-before described. The beams are rigidly secured
to the vessel by chains B¹ passing through the deck d and round under beams m
or by bars or otherwise, so that when the rains are operated the vessel will be lifted
and impelled forward, in the manner herein-before described with reference to
Figures 1, 2 3, and 4.
In the modification illustrated by Figures 10 and 11 the chains B¹ are shewn as
'passed through the side ports or dead lights n; in some cases also chains B² may
be continued underneath the bottom of the vessel (as shewn in those Figures) the
other extremity of the chains being attached to corresponding beams on the
opposite side.
Ships or vessels may also be propelled or transported by longitudinal rams applied
to the legs through the intervention of suitable media for transmitting motion.
An example of this arrangement is illustrated in Figure 4, in which the leg is made
in two parts E, E', jointed together at o, at which point it is connected by chains 2
with longitudinal rams situate (for example) on the deck of the vessel but not
shewn in my Drawings. The upper part E¹ of the leg is mounted upon a centre a¹
carried by supports B attached to the vessel, and when the rams are operated their
action has the effect of bringing the two parts E, E', of the legs in a line the one
with the other and thereby lifting the vessel and impelling the same forwards, after
which the leg is returned to the relative position shewn in the Figure with the
two parts E, E, at an angle to each other by means of other chains and rams or
otherwise, as will be well understood from the description herein-before given
without further explanation.
When the Invention is applied to the propulsion of caissons or the lifting and
'transportation of other heavy bodies, such, for example, as heavy ordnance, or of

page_text: structures, such, for example, as monuments of large dimensions the rams or their
cylinders are attached to the bodies or structures to be removed and operated,
substantially in the manner herein-before described, for the temporary propulsion
or transportation of ships or vessels.
In my Drawings I have represented the legs as constructed of wood, but they
may be made of iron of a double angle or other suitable section. In some cases
they may be constructed of a tubular shape and in lengths, one length fitting into
another telescopically so as to admit of the length of the legs being adjusted as to
tonnage of the vessel may render necessary.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, effecting the lifting and temporary propulsion or trans-
portation of ships, vessels, and other heavy bodies or structures by the employment
of hydraulic rams carried upon or by the body or structure to be moved, and
arranged so as to operate substantially in the manner herein-before described and
illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Scott, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
JAMES SCOTT. (L.S.)