Improvements in Docks or Locks for the Accommodation of Ships and the like Vessels.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Docks or Locks for the Accommodation of Ships
and the like Vessels.
I, THOMAS BODLEY DAWE of Carlton Chambers, in the City and County of
Bristol, Colonial Broker, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be
as follows:-
The object of my invention is to facilitate the construction of docks or locks for
the accomodation of ships and the like vessels in rivers, channels, and waterways,
navigations, and harbours or in localities where foundations for heavy masonry are
difficult to secure, or in places where it is important that such accomodation should
be provided more quickly than is obtainable by the ordinary processes of construction
or where owing to tides or other characteristics of any locality the construction of
docks or locks to docks, navigations or harbours is hazardous or difficult.
I effect this by constructing the dock or lock in iron or steel so that it may be
floated into position either as a whole or in sections, and afterwards sunk into the
berth which will have been previously prepared for it; thus near the mouth of a
river where rapid silting takes place or where strong tides or currents prevail or
where it is difficult to obtain a bed for foundations, or material for their construction,
or where expedition is of the greatest importance, instead of the costly and
extended operations of constructing masonry docks, it would only be necessary to
prepare a pile dam for the reception of the dock or lock which would be floated
into position and then sunk.
For this purpose I construct the dock or lock or segments of the dock or lock
with sides formed by square sluices or caissons or in the form of a deep box girder
and provided with external vertical ribs or stringers on the sides which form the
inner wall of the dock or lock so that I can fill the spaces between such ribs or
stringers with concrete or masonry to form a lining and protective wall to the
ironwork.
These sides I connect together at the bottom by transverse ribs or girders, such
girders being made either of the ordinary plate section or in some cases I employ
the box form of girder for this purpose.
I place the transverse girders which connect the sides of my improved dock or
lock a sufficient distance apart to allow of excavating between and under the
bottom of the same and likewise under the bottom of the sides of the dock or lock
after it has been sunk into position and when once bedded to the required level
I fill the spaces between the transverse girders and the sides with concrete or
masonry and in some cases where the transverse girders or the longitudinal girders
which form the sides or bottom sluices are of box or cellular construction I likewise
fill them, or partly fill them with concrete or cement. In some cases I only plate
the bottom sluices on the outside leaving the bottom and inner side open which I
afterwards fill in, or make up with concrete, cement or masonry as the case
may be.
As a modification of the mode of construction herein described, in some cases
I construct my improved dock or lock in like manner to a large ship or barge with
frames either in the form of plate or box girders, the bottom however being
unplated and left open between the girders or frames; the sides being cellular in
construction and water-tight like a ship with double sides, openings being left
between the frames for the passage of water when the sides are used as sluices.
In this manner the whole dock or lock or longitudinal segments of the dock or
lock, could be put together and rivetted on shore, launched, floated and towed or

page_text: hauled into position, afterwards scuttled or sunk on to the bed prepared for it and
(where necessary could be) afterwards lowered by excavating under and between
the bottom girders and sides as previously described..
In constructing my improved dock or lock in some cases, I only carry the iron-
work sides as high as the ordinary water level, above this I employ masonry with
the usual granite coping. It will thus be seen that the whole of such a dock or
lock may be constructed in sections, each section being composed of several
portable parts, the whole being easily carried and transported to its destination, the
several parts being rivetted together and erected on a beach or the banks of a
river; the separate sections when so erected being tied and connected together by
transverse longitudinal or intermediate girders, the whole of such parts forming
when so tied together a floatable framework for the dock or lock or portion of a
dock or lock which can be launched or floated and afterwards towed or hauled into
position and sunk.
In some cases each separate section forming one transverse bottom girder with
the two sides may be launched separately and floated into position or several such
sections tied together and floated into position and then sunk.
Docks or locks such as I have here described may be closed by ordinary lock
gates or by caissons, they may likewise be divided longitudinally by caissons ;
several such docks or locks may be placed side by side and parallel, or at an angle
to each other.
Dated this 25th day of November 1893.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Docks or Locks for the Accommodation of Ships
and the like Vessels.
I, THOMAS BODLEY DAWE of Carlton Chambers, in the City and County of
Bristol, Colonial Broker, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to facilitate the construction of docks and locks
for the accomodation of ships and the like vessels, in rivers, channels, and water-
ways, navigations, and harbours, or in localities where foundations for heavy
masonry are difficult to secure, or in places where it is important that such
accomodation should be provided more quickly than is obtainable by the ordinary
processes of construction or where owing to tides or other characteristics of any
locality the construction of docks or locks to docks, navigations or harbours is
hazardous, expensive or difficult.
The nature of my invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which,
Fig. 1, is a plan (shortened) of the framework of my improved dock or lock.
Fig. 2, is a perspective view of part of the same shewing the parts to be filled
in with brickwork, concrete, or masonry and also the vertical ribs or stringers
with lower sluices unplated at the bottom and inner side.
The outer sides as shewn in Fig. 2, are only plated down to the top of the
transverse girders, the plating may however be extended to the bottom and take
the place of the outer longitudinal girders; or a smaller type of girder may be
used with the plating carried to the bottom.
Fig. 3, is a transverse section of graving dock complete with caisson in situ
shewing the filling in of brickwork, concrete or masonry between the vertical
ribs or stringers and between the transverse girders, also in the lower sluices

page_text: or caissons and likewise shewing the masonry and granite coping completing the
sides.
Fig. 4, is a similar transverse section of lock shewing the lock gates closed.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
I construct the dock or lock in iron or steel or other suitable metal or material
either in its permanent site or in a convenient place from whence it may be floated
into position either as a whole or in sections, and afterwards sunk into the berth
which will have been previously prepared for it; thus, in or near the mouth of a
river or where rapid silting takes place, or where strong tides or currents prevail
or where it is difficult to obtain a bed for foundations, instead of the costly and
extended operations of constructing foundations for masonry docks, it would only
be necessary to prepare a berth for the reception of the dock or lock.
I construct the dock or lock or segments of the dock or lock with sides formed
by round or square sluices or caissons, a, and f, or in the form of a deep box
girder and provided with external vertical ribs or stringers, b, on the sides which
form the inner walls of the dock or lock so that I can fill the spaces between
such ribs or stringers with brickwork, concrete, or masonry to form a lining and
protective wall, c, to the ironwork.
Sometimes I also line the inside of the sluices or caissons, u, or, f, as shewn in
Figs. 3 and 4, with brickwork, concrete, or masonry to strengthen and protect the
ironwork.
The sides of the dock or lock I connect together at the bottom by transverse or
by transverse and diagonal girders, d, on which the sides rest.
place the transverse girders d, which connect the sides of my improved dock
or lock a sufficient distance apart to allow of excavating between and under
the bottom of the same and likewise under the bottom of the sides of the dock
or lock.
After the dock or lock has been sunk into position and when once bedded to the
required level, I fill the spaces between the girders with brickwork, concrete, or
masonry e. I leave the bottom sluices, f, open or unplated on the bottom and
inner sides to allow of excavation and I afterwards close them, or wholly or
partly fill them in or make them up with concrete, brickwork or masonry as the
case may be. The longitudinal girders, g, on which the concrete, brickwork or
masonry is built, may be put in after the dock or lock has been sunk into position.
Land stays may be placed where the lock gates are hung or in any other parts
of the dock or lock where necessary.
Diagonal and cross stays may be temporarily placed on the top and bottom of
the dock or lock during construction which can be removed after the brickwork,
concrete or masonry has been filled in.
.
In constructing my improved dock or lock, in some cases, I only employ
sufficient sluices or caissons to take the strain of the dock, or lock and I complete
the sides with masonry and granite coping h. It will thus be seen that the whole
of such a dock or lock may be constructed in sections, each section being composed
of several portable parts, the whole being easily carried and transported to its
destination, the several parts being riveted together and erected on a beach, or the
banks of a river; the separate sections when so erected being tied and connected
together by transverse, longitudinal, diagonal, or intermediate girders or stays, the
whole of such parts forming when so tied together a floatable framework for the
dock or lock or portion of a dock or lock which can be launched or floated and
afterwards towed or hauled into position and sunk.
When the dock or lock is floated into position as a whole, spaces may be left
temporarily plated at the sides; and after the dock or lock has been sunk into
position they may be opened to facilitate the lining of the sluices or caissons.
The sluices or caissons, a, and, would be used for regulating the level of the
water in the dock or lock and in some cases for controlling, dealing and letting
off flood or other water, those not required for these purposes could be closed or
entirely or partly filled in with brickwork, concrete or masonry.

page_text: Docks or locks such as I have here described may be closed by ordinary lock
gates, i, or by caissons, they may likewise be divided longitudinally by caissons ;
several such docks or locks may be placed side by side and parallel, or at an angle
to each other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
1. In docks or locks for the accomodation of ships and the like vessels, the
construction in sections or otherwise of the sides or portions of the sides or framing
of the said docks or locks of round or square sluices or caissons or in the form of
deep box girders, such sides or framing whether in sections or otherwise being
made floatable and built on and connected together by longitudinal transverse or
diagonal girders forming the bottom open framework of the dock or lock. The
bottom or connecting girders being placed a sufficient distance apart to allow of
excavating between and under the same and likewise under the bottoms of the
side framing, sluices, caissons or girders so that the shell or frame-work of the lock
or dock may be floated and sunk into position and securely bedded, levelled,
encased, lined and filled in as required with brickwork, concrete, masonry or other
material and completed in the manner and for the purposes substantially as herein
described and illustrated.
Dated this 98th day of June 1801
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.