Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning the Bottoms of Ships and other like Floating Vessels.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning the Bottoms of Ships and
other like Floating Vessels.
I HENRY BIRKBECK of 34 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane London in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent (a communication to me from abroad by James
Edwards at present at Marseilles and of 59 Exmouth Street Commercial Road
Stepney in the County of Middlesex Master Mariner) do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaning the bottoms and
sides of ships and other like floating vessels by means of a series of either brushes
or scrapers joined or linked together at suitable distances apart and hauled to and
fro under the bottom and up and down the sides of a ship or other floating vessel so
as to remove any accumulation of barnacles sea weed or other foreign matters
adhering thereto.
This invention relates to that character of apparatus for which the said James
Edwards received Letters Patent dated the 20th April 1887 No. 5782 and the .
present inprovements consist in arranging the brush or brushes or scraper or
scrapers or both (according to the nature of the foreign substances on the bottom
to be cleaned) in a kind of carrier or framework and mounting such carrier or
carriage on suitable wheels or rollers in such a manner that they will serve to
assist the carrier or machine over the edges of the plates forming the ships bottom
without preventing the brushes or scrapers or both thereon doing their work
properly.
The form of the carriage and the number and arrangement of the wheels or rollers
thereon may be considerably varied:
The ends of the ropes or chains which connect with the lower edges of the machine
carrying the brushes or scrapers pass up the sides of the vessel advantageously over
pulleys on to the deck and are drawn backwards and forwards by manual power so as
to cause the brushes or the scrapers or both to act against the bottom and sides of the
ship or vessel to cleanse the same.
In practice two of such machines may be connected or joined together by a chain
wire rope or other suitable connection passing under the keel of the vessel and having
also each a hauling chain or connection passing up to the deck and the two machines.
are so arranged that when the one on the starboard side is at the water level the other
is at the port side of the keel or vice versa.
The cleaning is then effected by hauling them backwards and forwards from the
water line to the keel on each side respectively the machine on the port side cleaning
the port side only and the machine on the starboard side cleaning the starboard side
only from the keel to the water line respectively.
This improved apparatus may also be used in any other desired manner.
The machine is so made that the brushes can be readily removed therefrom and
scrapers substituted in their stead. Or they can be arranged alternately or in any
other desired manner and the process of cleaning may be carried on either in dock or
at sea.
Mechanical power may be employed to haul the apparatus to and fro when
in use.
A L 12
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning the Bottoms of Ships and
other like Floating Vessels.
I HENRY BIRKBECK of 34 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane London in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent (a communication to me from abroad by James
Edwards at present at Hong-Kong China and of 27 Richmond Gardens Romford
Road Forest Gate in the County of Essex Master Mariner) do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaning the bottoms and
sides of ships and other like floating vessels by means of a series of either brushes
or scrapers joined or linked together at suitable distances apart and hauled to and
fro under the bottom and up and down the sides of a ship or other floating vessel
so as to remove any accumulation of barnacles sea weed or other foreign matters
adhering thereto.
And in order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe the same reference being made to the draw-
ings hereto annexed. Figure 1 of which shows a transverse section and Figure
part of a side view of a ship or vessel showing my improved cleaning apparatus as
applied thereto when in use.
Figure 3 shows a side view and Figure 4 an end view of one of the brushes.
This invention relates to that character of apparatus for which the said James
Edwards received Letters Patent dated the 20th April 1887 No. 5782 and the present
improvements consist in arranging the brush or brushes a a (or scraper or scrapers or
both according to the nature of the foreign substances on the bottom to be cleaned)
in a kind of carrier or frainework and mounting such carrier or carriage b on,
suitable wheels or rollers c in such a manner that they will serve to assist the
carrier or machine over the edges of the plates forming the ships bottom
without preventing the brushes or scrapers or both thereon doing their work
properly.
The form of the carriage and the number and arrangement of the wheels or
rollers c thereon may be considerably varied.
The ends of the ropes or chains & which connect with the body of the machine b
carrying the brushes or scrapers a pass up the sides of the vessel advantageously over
pulleys e on to the deck and are drawn backwards and forwards by manual power so
as to cause the brushes or the scrapers or both to act against the bottom and sides of
the ship or vessel to cleanse the same.
In practice two of such machines may be connected or joined together as shown in
the drawings by a chain wire rope or other suitable connection passing under the
keel of the vessel and having also each a hauling chain d or connection passing up
to the deck and the two machines are so arranged that when the one on the
starboard side is at the water level the other is at the port side of the keel or
vice versa.
The cleaning is then effected by hauling them backwards and forwards from the
water line to the keel on each side respectively the machine on the port side cleaning
the port side only and the machine on the starboard side cleaning the starboard side
only from the keel to the water line respectively.
This improved apparatus may also be used in any other desired manner.
The body of the machine 6 is so made that the brushes a can be readily removed
therefrom and scrapers substituted in their stead. Or they can be arranged
alternately or in any other desired manner and the process of cleaning may be
carried on either in dock or at sea.
Mechanical power may be employed to haul the apparatus to and fro when in use
if desired.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved arrangement and construction of apparatus such as shown in
Figures 3 and 4 for cleaning the bottoms of ships or other like floating vessels in
which the brushes or scrapers or both combined are mounted upon a carrier or
framework furnished with wheels or rollers which serve to assist the carrier in
travelling over the edges of the plates or other inequalities of the ships bottom
substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and repre-
sented in the drawings hereto annexed.
2. The improved general arrangement and combination of apparatus for cleaning
the bottoms of ships and other floating vessels arranged to act substantially in the
manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings
hereto annexed.
Dated this 19th day of Mr.. 1000
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.