IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND MACHINERY FOR WARPING' OR COVERING LAND, BOG, OR PEAT WITH EARTH OB SOIL, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE IN RAISING AND CONVEYING SOIL OB EARTHY MATTERS IN THE FORMATION AND CLEANSING OF CANALS, WATERCOURSES, OR WAYS, RESERVOIRS, HARBOURS, AND DOCKS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Wood at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
January 1864.
I, WILLIAM WOOD, of Monkhill, near Pontefract, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
AND MACHINERY FOR WARPING' OR COVERING LAND, BOG, OR PEAT WITH EARTH
OB SOIL, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE IN RAISING AND CONVEYING SOIL OB
EARTHY MATTERS IN THE FORMATION AND CLEANSING OF CANALS, WATERCOURSES,
OR WAYS, RESERVOIRS, HARBOURS, AND DOCKS," to be as follows:-
The "warping" of land, or the adding thereto of large quantities of earthy
matters in order to form or produce a new soil thereon, is practised on the
lowlands, below the level of the tides, bordering certain tidal rivers and
estuaries where a sufficient quantity of earthy material is held in suspension
by the water, as described in the Specification of the Patent granted to me on
the 14th day of July 1863 (No. 1762), for warping or covering lands that are
above the level of the tides; and the object of my present improvements is to
facilitate that operation, and the formation and cleansing of canals, water-
courses, or ways, reservoirs, harbours, and docks.
My improvements relate, firstly, to that part of my previous Patent, which
consists in warping or covering land by mixing earthy matters with water and
distributing the mixture over the land, and consist in means and machinery
for gathering, lifting, and mixing the earthy matters added to tidal or other
waters.
For the gathering and lifting I employ a dredging or endless cutting
or scraping and lifting apparatus, or suitable scoop wheel or revolving screw

page_text: actuated by steam or other power, to lift the earthy matters into a holder,
where they are mixed with a suitable quantity of water and then pumped on
the land to be covered; or the earthy matters are deposited in a hopper, from
which they are removed continuously in measured quantity by a revolving
wheel or screw into the mixing holder, or directly to the water in the pumping
or lifting apparatus. To avoid the labor of bringing the earthy matters to
the lifting machine I prefer to attach the latter to a locomotive engine, so that
when any portion of the warp or other soil has been used the engine carries
or moves forward the excavating, mixing, and pumping apparatus to a
fresh portion of warp or other soil, a suitable tramway being formed when
necessary to carry the engine and machinery; or I use a traction or an
endless railway engine for this purpose. Whenever the soil or earthy matter
desired to be used is covered with or bordered by sufficient water to float a
suitable vessel, I place the motive power, and the excavating, raising, mixing,
and pumping apparatus therein, so as to obtain conveniently the requisito
supply of earth, and water moving the vessel from place to place as the earth
is removed from the bottom or sides of the body of water. In order to further
avail myself of these facilities I also form artificial bodies of water over the
land on which the warp or other soil required is deposited by making an
embankment round it, and admitting the tidal water where the land is low
enough, and in other cases direct streams, or raise sufficient water thereon, so
that a flat-bottomed or other suitable vessel can be floated and moved over the
soil from place to place, in which the motive power and the other apparatus is
fixed and used to lift or gather the earth and water into the mixing and
raising apparatus. When the soil or earthy matter is covered with water,
perforated pipes or hose may be laid or drawn thereon, and rakes or stirrers
may be drawn through the water to stir up and mix the warp, soil, or mud
therewith, which may then be pumped on to the land either by stationary or
moveable engines and apparatus. When moveable engines are used, whether
on land or water, the soil or earthy matters can be conveniently raised into the
holder, mixer, or pump, by a species of plough or inclined plane attached to
the engine or vessel carrying the mixer and pump, or other apparatus being
pushed or drawn through the soil or mud at a depth proportionate to the
quantity desired to be then raised, or the inclined plane may be drawn over
the earthy matters, in either case I use a revolving endless scraper or brush
to raise or assist in raising the earthy matters up the inclined plane. By
whatever plan the warp or soil may be raised, I pass it through a sieve o
grating kept clear by a brush or other arrangement, so as to prevent stones
or other unsuitable bodies passing into the mixer pump or pipes.

page_text: I employ the combined apparatus for raising the soil or earthy matters,
mixing it with water, and pumping or lifting and conveying such mixture to
where it may be desired to deposit it, whether such combined apparatus is
moved on land or on water, in the formation and cleansing of canals, water-
courses, or ways, reservoirs, harbours, and docks.