AN IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN AND WRECKED VESSELS.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Browne, of the Firm of Browne and
Company, Patent Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN AND WRECKED VESSELS.".
A communication from abroad by Henry Francis Knapp, of New
York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 3rd July 1874, and dated the 6th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Browne at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th January 1874.
I, ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent
Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middle-
sex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN AND WRECKED VESSELS," a com-
munication from abroad by Henry Francis Knapp, of New York, in the
United States of America, to be as follows:-

page_text: This Invention consists in an improved method and apparatus for
raising sunken and wrecked vessels by means of chains passed under the
wreck.
The first part of this Invention consists of a curved bar passed under
the wreck, by means of which a lifting chain or cable is slipped under
the said wreck; or the chain or cable is attached direct to each end of
the said bar, which thus forms part or link of the chain or cable, thereby
saving time.
In order to get the aforesaid bar under the wreck a tube is combined
with it, the said tube being attached along the length of the bar, and a
powerful stream of water is forced through the said tube, thus cutting a
passage in the sand or mud. The said tube is provided with perforations
along its length to allow of a partial escape of the water forced therein
for the purpose of liquifying or softening the sand to reduce the friction
and resistance thereof.
When the wreck is deeply embedded in the sand a section of a
primary or larger size tube is first placed under one side of the wreck
by means of a water pump. When this primary tube is in a suitable
position the combined tube and bar aforesaid are introduced therein. If
necessary another primary tube is placed on the other side of the wreck,
thus forming a clear passage for the combined bar and tube under the
sunken vessel.
The second part of this Invention consists of an hydro-pneumatic
jack used for the purpose or lifting the wreck when once the chains or
bars are passed under it. This apparatus consists of a box, the bottom
of which is opened, and out of which when sunk the water may be
ejected and air injected by means of a suction and compression air and
water pump. These jacks have an air-tight man-hole, and their internal
bracing is so arranged that lifting chains may be affixed thereto, but
these chains are by preference attached outside the jacks. When the
chains have been passed under the wreck the said hydro-pneumatic jacks
are brought along each side of the vessel and sunk. The chains are
then attached to them and the water is exhausted therefrom and air
injected therein, when they will rise bringing the wreck up with them.
The said jacks are united one to another by means of a flexible hose
provided with taps, so that one air pump shall act simultaneously on all
of them.

page_text: The object of having the bottom of the hydro-pneumatic jacks open
is to allow of them being used when the vessel is wrecked on rocks and
when deeply imbedded in the mud, into which the said jacks may be
sunk and thus kept in position until the air pump is applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Alexander Browne in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent Agents, of 5,
Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Sixth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Browne, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Browne, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Browne, 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 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 "AN IMPROVED
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN AND WRECKED VESSELS," a com-
munication from abroad by Henry Francis Knapp, of New York, in the
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Alexander Browne, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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.
-

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Browne, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say:―
This Invention consists in an improved method and apparatus for
raising sunken and wrecked vessels by means of chains passed under the
wreck.
The first part of this Invention consists of a curved bar passed under
the wreck, by means of which a lifting chain or cable is slipped under
the said wreck. Or the chain or cable is attached direct to each end of
the said bar, which thus forms part or link of the chain or cable, thereby
saving time.
In order to get the aforesaid bar under the wreck a tube is combined
with it, the said tube being attached along the length of the bar, and a
powerful stream of water is forced through the said tube, thus cutting
a passage in the sand or mud. The said tube is provided with per-
forations along its length to allow of a partial escape of the water forced
therein, for the purpose of liquifying or softening the sand to reduce the
friction and resistance thereof.
When the wreck is deeply embedded in the sand a section of a
primary or larger size tube is first placed under one side of the wreck
by means of a water pump. When this primary tube is in a suitable
position the combined tube and bar aforesaid are introduced therein. If
necessary another primary tube is placed on the other side of the wreck,
thus forming a clear passage for the combined bar and tube under the
sunken vessel.
The second part of this Invention consists of an hydro-pneumatic
jack used for the purpose of lifting the wreck when once the chains or
bars are passed under it. This apparatus consists of a box, the bottom
of which is opened, and out of which. when sunk the water may be
ejected and air injected by means of a suction and compression air and
water pump. These jacks have an air-tight man-hole, and their internal
bracing is so arranged that lifting chains may be affixed thereto, but
these chains are by preference attached outside the jacks. When the
chains have been passed under the wreck the said hydro-pneumatic jacks-

page_text: Figure 5 is an end section view of bar C, tube B, and periorations o.
Figure 3 is a view of the hydro-pneumatic jacks G sunk in the mud by
suction through the hose d, and fastened to the wreck by the bar C and
chain F.
Figure 6 is an end view of the jacks G on each side of the wreck, and
connected together by the hose I, which has a stop-cock g for regulating
the pressure of air in the jacks, as it may sometimes be required to have
greater pressure on one side of the wreck than the other; this view also
shows the bar C, chains braces M, and feed hose d, and man-hole H.
Figure 7 shows an arrangement of the hydro-pneumatic jack, whereby
its length may be increased when required and the chains secured
thereto.
A is the hydro-pneumatic jack, to which is added one or more
sectional parts B without top or bottom by means of bolts C and
packing, in order to make a tight joint. The top A¹ of the jack A is
furnished with two apertures D, D³, to which are attached the hose for
pumping out the water and injecting the air. E is the aperture, through
which the chain F is passed for lifting the wreck. A suitable packing e
in connection with the pipe G prevents the escape of air. When working
in very deep water in order to secure the chain, hinged arms or
clutches H are provided, which will catch the chain and prevent it
slipping through the packing, and also by pressing against the said
packing will prevent leaks.
Figure 8 is a view of a hydro-pneumatic jack A with additional
section B. This jack has a movable bottom F which works loosely in
the interior of the jack, and is prevented from slipping out by means of
the stops G. This movable bottom is provided with an aperture H
furnished with a valve h, the packing of india-rubber J forming a tight
joint between the movable bottom F and the sides of the jack A.
The working of the movable bottom in connection with the jack is as
follows: The jack is lowered on the sand alongside the wreck, and
upon exhausting the air and water the jack will sink into the sand, the
movable bottom resting on the top thereof. The packing J is so
arranged that the air and water can pass between it and the side of the
jack when sinking in the sand, but when raised it will form a tight

page_text: joint, the air and water escaping out of the aperture E. As the jack
rises out of the sand the movable bottom F finally rests on the stops G,
and when clear of the water is practically air-tight, as the packing J and
valve h are rigid' enough to meet the variations of the undulations of the
waves.
Figure 9 is a valve to be used in connection with the pump and jacks
to produce exhaustion or compression of the air or water so as to make
one pipe and connection serve the purpose of two, thus avoiding the
necessity of stopping or reversing the pump.
A is a frame in which slides the part B; C is the hose fastened to the
coupling D which forms part of the sliding part B, this sliding part
connects the jack with the inlet or outlet of the pump through the con-
nections E or F; E is the induction pipe and F the eduction pipe, thus
if the slide B be moved to E it will put C in communication with the
exhaust of the pump, the hose C becoming an exhaust pipe, and vice
versa.
To describe the process of working the Invention I will state that a
force pump in a wrecking boat is brought alongside or over the wreck,
as explained in my former Patent, dated the 5th day of December 1872,
and numbered 3686, the flexible bose D is coupled to a pump by one
end and the other is screwed to the primary tube E by means of a cap.
This primary tube is lowered down end first alongside of the wreck, and
by force of water cuts its way down alongside the wreck. When the top
of the primary tube is flush with the river bottom the hose is taken off
and attached to the tube B of the curved bar C, the end of which bar
is passed through the primary tube E (which is clear of sand) till its
lower end touches the sand at the bottom of the primary tube. The
force of water is now driven through the tube B and it in turn cuts its
way the rest of the distance under the wreck, as before described, but
if a very large vessel is being operated on a primary tube may also be
used on the opposite side of the wreck, and it may be remarked that a
series of primary tubes arranged on the principle of a telescope may be
used, that is in section, so that the friction and pressure may be dealt
with on one section at a time only. When the bar C is under the wreck
it is obvious that the means are obtained for raising the wreck when the
power is applied, inasmuch as the bar C may be used by applying chains

page_text: to each end of it, or the said bar may be used to drag under a continuous
lifting chain cable.
The manner of working the jacks on a stranded vessel is to arrange
them along each side of the wreck open bottom downward, connect
them together by the hose I, and one of them being connected with the
air and water exhauster and compresser by the hose d, the air and water
is sucked out of them when they immediately sink by the superin-
cumbent atmospheric pressure on the top of them driving them into the
mud or sand until their tops are flush with the riser bottom, but it
is only necessary to drive them down till their bottoms are on a line
with the keel of the wreck, as shown in Figures 3 and 6. The jacks are
now attached to the wreck by any suitable means, preferably by chains
passing under the said wreck, as that mode is the only sure way of
maintaining a hold. When attached the action of the pump is reversed
and air is compressed into the jacks, which air presses on the sand and
forces the jacks up with the wreck clear from the bottom, and if there
be a few feet of water for floatage the wreck can be immediately floated
into deep water. In this process of working the jacks the bottom of the
river (that is the sand or mud) acts as a fulcrum or as the piston in a
cylinder.
When these jacks are used in very deep water or where the wreck is
totally submerged it is necessary to arrange them over the deck as well
as alongside, so that when filled with air those on the deck will insure
the wreck coming up level to the surface of the water when sufficient
displacement of water has taken place to counterbalance the weight of
the wreck.
When the filling of the jacks with air is required to be accomplished
most quickly, on account of an approaching storm or other reasons, a
special reservoir may be used wherein acids and alkalies may be com-
bined in order to generate a large volume of gas to be conducted by hose
into the jacks, or liquid carbonic acid may be used for the same
purpose.
Having now described and set forth the nature and object of the said
Invention for "An Improved Method and Apparatus for Raising Sunken
and Wrecked Vessels," I would remark in conclusion that what I claim
and desire to secure by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent

page_text: is, the method and apparatus for raising sunken and wrecked vessels, as
described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Browne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
ALEX. BROWNE. (L.S.)