Improvements in and relating to Dredging Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
[Communicated from abroad by THE PACIFIC DREDGING & RECLAMATION Co., a
Corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the
State of California, U.S.A., and having its place of business at No. 36, Steuart
Street, in the City and County of San Francisco, in said State.]
Improvements in and relating to Dredging Apparatus.
I, VICTOR ISIDORE FEENY, Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, of 60, Queen Victoria Street,
in the City and County of London, 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 dredging apparatus and more especially to that portion
of the apparatus by which the material is transferred from the ploughs or diggers
by which it is excavated, to a distant point where the dredged material is to be
deposited, and in a means for advancing the digging apparatus as fast as it is
required for the purpose of excavating in fresh ground. Figure 1 is a plan of a
portion of the apparatus, showing a telescopic extension of the rigid pipe. Figure 2
is a side view of the same. Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of the hinge joint
between the two rigid sections of conveying pipe A, B. Figure 4 is a plan of
same. Figure 5 is a side view of a modified form of the joint. Figure 6 shews
the excavator. Figures 7 and 8 shew an intermediate float to support the tele-
scopic section, the movable float hinged thereto and the swivel pipe joint in line
above the hinge. Figures 9, 10, 11 are enlarged views of the conveying pipe
joints. Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the joint supporting devices of Figures 1
and 2.
The object of my invention is to provide a means for connecting the rigid con-
veying pipe with the corresponding rigid connection between said pipe and the
digging or excavating mechanism, in such a manner that the latter may be
advanced as fast as the necessities of the work require, without the employment
of any flexible sections in the conveying pipe, and in the formation of a swivel
joint between the two rigid pipe sections which will allow that portion connecting
with the digging apparatus to be swung in an arc of a circle with relation to said
joint so as to excavate to any desired width.
For the purpose of transferring excavated material, a suction pipe is fitted to
some form of digging or excavating apparatus, so that the excavated material
may be drawn into said pipe in conjunction with a sufficient amount of water,
when necessary, so that it can be afterwards transported to considerable distances
through conveying pipes and deposited at any desired point.
This is effected by connecting any form of suction and forcing apparatus with
the inlet and discharge pipe, so that the material is constantly drawn in through
the suction pipe and forced out through the delivery pipe.
In some forms of dredging apparatus, the discharge pipe consists of a series
of sections which are flexibly joined together, and supported upon floats or
pontoons, and the pipe is so curved as to be of a considerably greater length than

page_text: the distance between the dredging apparatus and the point of deposit so as to
enable the dredge to be advanced from time to time by gradually straightening
out the curved sections to allow of this advance.
In this invention, rigid sections of discharge pipe A are employed, having
suitable tight and essentially rigid joints whereby they are united together, the
whole forming a discharge pipe which may be supported either upon the bottom
of the stream, estuary or other water-way if it is necessary to cross such water-
way, or it may be supported upon the land if the digging is sufficiently near for
the purpose, or if the digging takes place at a distance across a considerable body
of water, the pipe may be supported upon floats or pontoons so anchored in the
line of direction of the pipe that the latter will be supported in as nearly a straight
line as can be effected, with such changes of direction as may be required made
by the use of elbows, curved sections, or equivalent joints inserted at intervals
between the pipe lengths, and the pipe is thus held in as nearly a rigid line as
the effect of the wind and waves upon its supports will allow.
The essence of this construction is the fixing of the conveying pipe without
flexible joints as rigidly as possible and as nearly in straight lines from the point
of reception of the dredged material to the point of delivery as can be maintained,
and the connection therewith of a telescopic section of any desired length, which
is extensible in the line of the pipe without flexibility, for the purpose of advanc-
ing the excavating apparatus from time to time.
To the receiving end of this pipe is joined a second rigid section B, the joint A³
being formed by any well known swivel or rotary connection, about which joint
the section B is turnable from side to side.
This section B is connected with the discharge passage of a suction and forcing
apparatus which in the present case is shewn in the form of a rotary pump C.
The inlet to this pump is connected by a rigid section or sections 1), D¹ with
any suitable form of digging or excavating apparatus. In the present case a
plough or cutter E is shewn with coulters or plates which are adapted to
excavate the material when the cutter is moved across it and the pipe section D'
is so connected with the excavating plough and with the suction pump that the
material excavated will be drawn into the pipe as fast as the excavation takes place.
This section of pipe is connected at the rear end with the pipe D by any suit-
able swivel joint or trunnion d which will allow it to turn about the joint without
breaking the connection with the suction pipe. Suspending ropes extend from
the outer end over an elevated support, and this allows the ploughs or excavators
to be raised, or gradually depressed as the material is cut away. The length of
the pipe section connecting the excavator with the joint d is sufficient to allow
of as great a depression as is necessary, to excavate to any desired depth.
The excavating device is moved from side to side turning about the joint which
connects the pipes A and B so that it may swing in a part of a circle, the radius
of which is equal to the distance between the joint and the excavator and the
width may be made as great as desired by the distance to which the excavator is
swung to either side.
In order to thus swing the excavating device, posts or other holding devices e
are fixed at a considerable distance away upon each side of the excavator, and by
means of ropes or chains de passing from side posts, or other fixed points, around
pulleys d³ connected with the suction pipe or excavator, and thence to some suit-
able form of winding drum c supported in conjunction with the movable pipe
section, the excavator can be gradually moved to the end of its work in one direc-
tion, then by reversing the winding apparatus it may be returned to the opposite
end of the work.
The horizontal joint d between the pipe D and D₁ allows the latter to sink,
carrying with it the excavator as fast as the material is removed. When a sufficient
depth has been reached, the excavator may be raised above the surface of the
material and advanced a sufficient distance to make a new cut.
The method of making this advance is by lengthening the rigid delivery pipe A.

page_text: 5
This is effected as follows:
The end of this pipe being securely anchored and
This section
ixed, has a section A¹ of any desired length telescoping within it.
passes through suitable stuffing-box as shewn at a, and the joint A² is formed
between the outer end of this telescoping section and the rear end of the pipe B.
When the excavator is to be advanced, as previously described, it is only neces-
sary to extend the rigid pipe A by moving the telescopic section A¹ forward a
The latter
listance equal to that which it is desired to advance the excavator.
will then be in position to be again swung from side to side and make a new cut.
The telescopic section may be moved out or in by means of block and tackles a¹,
but when at work, the pressure from the pump is so great that it is only necessary
to loosen the tackle, and the interior pressure is sufficient to push the telescopic
section and the whole excavating apparatus forward to any desired distance
up to the length of the pipe.
Each advance is thus made by simply moving the telescopic section forward
until the whole length of this section has been advanced,
The pipe is then extended and the apparatus set for a new advance by retract-
ing the telescopic portion into the pipe A, and securing a new length or section
at a suitable point in A.
It will be manifest that the joint A2 about which the excavator is caused to
swing may be at any distance from the excavator to conform to the length of the
radius of the arc in which it swings, the joint being formed in the pipe so that
the forward portion connecting with the excavator may be made to swing upon,
this joint without advancing.
In using this apparatus, it is sometimes convenient to cut a certain width by
swinging the excavator as previously described, and any desired length, by the
gradual advance, after which the excavator may be retracted, and by an elbow
or other joint somewhere in the main pipe, the apparatus may be headed to
advance in a new direction.
By another construction, shewn in Figure 1, and where it is desirable to cut
the full width of the channel at once, the main conveying pipe is provided with
a joint H, at some point in its length, and the section between this joint and the
excavator, supported on floats or otherwise, may have its direction changed about
this joint, after each cut in any one direction has been completed.
This construction allows the excavator to be advanced, by its telescopic section,
and swung around its own joint to cut the full arc of its circle. It is then
retracted and the whole apparatus turned about the joint H until it is headed in
a new direction adjacent to the cut already made, and a new cut is completed.
The joint H simply takes the place of elbows of various angles to allow a change
of direction and it remains stationary while the excavation is going on.
The advance in each case is made by means of the telescoping sections of pipe
by the extension of which the excavating apparatus is moved forward a distance
equal to the width of each cut until the full length of said section is used, after
which the telescopic section is retracted and another section of pipe is added to the
main line as before described, and the work carried on.
In order to support the stationary portion of the pipe about which the excava-
ting portion is turnable it is fixed or anchored firmly in any suitable manner.
In the present case the conveying pipe is shewn with its telescopic section sup-
ported upon a float or floats G having guides at suitable points, preferably near
each end, and spuds I are driven down through these guides into the mud or bed
0 of the body of water in which the float is situated, so that this float is maintained
at all times as stationary as possible while the apparatus is at work.
The telescopic section A¹ of the pipe A is extended forward therefrom at inter-
vals as required. It is found that in order to steady and support this telescopic
section when it has been extended to a considerably distance from the fixed float,
55 and to resist the action of wind and waves, sliding timbers J should be fixed upon
it with relation to the pipe so as to form supports therefor.
These timbers are made slidable in guides L fixed upon the float G so that as

page_text: the pipe and its supporting timbers are moved forward, the guides steady the
parts and hold them rigidly in line with the main pipe of which it forms a part.
The front end of the telescopic section A¹ may also be supported upon a float G
intermediate between float G and the one which carries the pipe B, this float G
being advanced in unison with the extension of the pipe section A¹.
When the pipe has been extended to a considerable distance, the addition of a
vertical spud or anchor passing through its front end, or through the float G¹ on
guides thereon, assists to retain it in position, and prevent its being moved out
of line by the action of the wind, waves or current.
In one form of construction, Figures 1, 3 and 4, such a spud is shewn at M,
and the pipe is split or divided into two branches, one passing each side of the
spud and practically forming a casing through which the spud passes.
The forward and movable section of the pipe B is then connected with the pipe
where the two parts again come together and has the swivel joint A³ as previously
described.
As this joint is slightly out of line with the spud centre, it is moved in a small
arc of a circle by the swinging of the forward end B of the pipe. In order to guide
it in this movement, a bar N is shewn, to the end of which is fixed a clamp O
which clasps the vertical portion of the joint section of the pipe B as shewn.
telescopic or slip joint b is formed in the section B, and a second swivel joint at 63
or their equivalents, to compensate for the movement of the joint A³ about the
spud M.
A
The rear end of the bar N is fitted to slide in a fixed guide P which is located
upon the float or support which carries the excavating device, engines, pump, and
the portion B of the pipe. This float is also connected with the stationary hinge
on the fixed pipe or its support, about which the parts are turnable, and the whole
forward portion of the device is thus movable in unison.
In Figure 5 is shewn the float G₁ anchored by a spud, or otherwise, as previously
described, and having fixed to the float end, one part of a strong hinge joint M².
The other part M³ is fixed to the float which carries the engine and other machinery
and the pipe section B, and they may be connected or disconnected by a strong
hinge pin. In this construction, the swivel joint A is axially in line with the
hinge pin, no compensating device being necessary, and the telescopic extension is,
in this modification, arranged to take place at A, Figure 5.
The spuds or anchors may be raised whenever movement is necessary by means
of a derrick or frame situated upon the float which supports the telescopic pipe
or otherwise, and if desired the float carrying the dredging mechanism can at any
time be detached from the pivot or hinge of the stationary pipe and moved away
from it, a joint in the pipe B being uncoupled at the same time.
As the main-conveying pipe sections must be uncoupled to admit new sections
as the work progresses, and to remove sections when the apparatus is retracted for
a new cut, I have shewn a convenient means for rapidly doing this, by abutting
the pipe ends between rigid timber or other supports I' extending along the pipe
across each joint.
J' is a flexible or other section adapted to enclose the joint to prevent leakage
and this section is held firmly in place by clamps K.
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:
-
1st: The combination with the suction pipe of a dredge having an opening
in the lower side of the front end, of a cutting blade curved downwardly to form
a loop beneath the pipe opening, and having cutting edges upon each side, and
plates projecting transversely upon each side of the rear of the cutter.
2nd: In a dredging apparatus, a conveying pipe composed of essentially fixed
supported sections, an excavator, suction and forcing mechanism and pipes, an
extensible telescopic pipe section forming a connection between the suction and

page_text: discharge pipes, and the conveying pipe, a joint connection whereby the excava-
ting suction and discharge pipes are turnable about the stationary front of the
telescopic section, and a supplemental joint in the main conveying pipe whereby
the direction may be changed exterior to said joint and the excavator and its con-
nections moved bodily to a new point after a cut has been completed.
3-A dredger and telescopic section of discharge pipe, the latter firmly
anchored in position and rigidly joined to other sections of discharge pipe extend-
ing to the place of deposit for dredged materials, and a joint connecting the teles-
copic section with the dredger to allow the dredger to move from side to side when
at work, and to move ahead as the work progresses without disturbing said fixed
sections of discharge pipe.
Dated this 29th day of March 1898.
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agents.