Improvements in Dredgers.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 11th May, 1889-Accepted, 29th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dredgers.
I, WILLIAM SHAPTON, of 8 Great George Street, in the City of Westininster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improved dredger consists of a lighter or vessel carrying a beam or frame
pivotted to it near one end. The beam or frame is of sufficient length to reach
to the bottom where the dredging is to be performed, and here the beam or frame
carries a trough like bucket of large dimensions. The bucket is pivotted to the
beam or frame, and on one of its sides is a cutting edge.
The dredging is performed by partially rotating the bucket whilst the cutting
edge is pressed against the ground-This partial rotation is given to the bucket by
means of two chains attached to it on opposite sides and lapped partly around it.
These chains ascend from the bucket along the beam or frame to hydraulic cylinders
with rams and sheaves which also are preferably carried upon the beain or frame.
These cylinders are similar to the turning cylinders of a crane and they rotate the
bucket to and fro in a similar manner.
When in the manner described the bucket has received its load it, together with
the beam or frame, is raised by means of a chain connected with the beam or frame
near its lower end-This chain passes up over a sheave carried by a cat head on
the barge or lighter, and it then descends and passes around the sheaves of a hydraulic
lifting cylinder and ram, by which the chain is taken up when the bucket has to be.
raised-The bucket when so lifted is turned over by means of its turning chains and
it then discharges its contents into a shoot which conveys the material into a barge
alongside. The upper end of the shoot is jointed and it folds down out of the
way to allow the bucket to rise past it. A projecting horn is provided in connection
with this portion of the shoot, and a surface on the beam or frame comes against this
arm and at the proper time raises the end of the shoot into position to receive the
contents of the bucket. As the masses brought up in the bucket will frequently be
too heavy to be allowed to run down the shoot without control 1 provide a stop piece
within the shoot, which is movable along it up and down, under the control of
hydraulic or other gear. As soon as the load is discharged into the shoot it comes
against this stop piece, and this then is allowed gradually to descend the shoot until
the mass of material is brought well over the barge; and here a portion of the
bottom of the shoot is so formed as to permit the mass to pass beneath the stop, and
it falls out into the barge.
The apparatus may be made with a single beam working through a trunk in the
bottom of the lighter, or there may be two beams one on either side of the lighter
connected together into a frame. Although it is convenient that the hydraulic
cylinders which serve to rotate the bucket should be mounted upon the beam or frame
and be supplied with water through the trunnions which carry the said beam or frame,
nevertheless the said hydraulic cylinders may be otherwise arranged.
Sometimes I make the hydraulic cylinder which lifts the beam or frame to serve
also as the lifting cylinder of a crane-In this case in place of permanently fixing
one extremity of the chain, (as would otherwise be the case) I lead this end of the
chain over a pulley upon the head of a crane, and I provide it with a lifting hook. I
also provide stoppers by which the chain may be made fast on one side or the other
side of the hydraulic cylinder at pleasure. When dredging the chain is made fast
upon the crane side, but when the crane is being worked the chain is made fast
upon the other or dredging side. The crane may, if necessary, be provided with

page_text: turning cylinders in the usual way The out board end of the spoil shoot is jointed
so that it may be raised out of the way when not in use.
Dated this 13th day of August 1888
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dredgers.
I, WILLIAM SHAPTON of 8 Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Engineer, 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:
My improved dredger consists of a lighter or vessel carrying a beam or frame
pivotted to it near one end. The beam or frame is of sufficient length to reach to the
bottom where the dredging is to be performed, and here the beam or frame carries
à trough like bucket of large dimensions. The bucket is pivotted to the beam or
frame, and on one of its sides is a cutting edge.
The dredging is performed by partially rotating the bucket whilst the cutting edge
is pressed against the ground. This partial rotation is given to the bucket by means
of two chains attached to it on opposite sides and lapped partly around it!
These chains ascend from the bucket along the beam or frame to hydraulic cylinders
with rams and sheaves which also are preferably carried upon the beam or frame.
These cylinders are similar to the turning cylinders of a crane and they rotate the
bucket to and fro in a similar manner.
When in the manner described the bucket has received its load it, together with
the beam or frame, is raised by means of a chain connected with the beam or frame
near its lower end. This chain passes up over a sheave carried by a cat head on the
barge or lighter, and it then descends and passes around the sheaves of a hydraulic
lifting cylinder and ram, by which the chain is taken up when the bucket has to be
raised. The bucket when so lifted is turned over by means of its turning chains and
it then discharges its contents into a shoot which conveys the material into a barge
alongside. The upper end of the shoot is jointed and it folds down out of the way to
allow the bucket to rise past it. A projecting horn is provided in connection with this
portion of the shoot, and a surface on the beam or frame comes against this arin
and at the proper time raises the end of the shoot into position to receive the contents
of the bucket. As the masses brought up in the bucket will frequently be too heavy
"to be allowed to run down the shoot without control I provide a stop piece within the
shoot, which is moveable along it up and down, under the control of hydraulic or
other gear. As soon as the load is discharged into the shoot it comes against this
stop piece, and this then is allowed gradually to descend the shoot until the mass of
material is brought well over the barge; and here a portion of the bottom of the
shoot, is so forined as to permit the mass to pass beneath the stop, and it falls out into
the barge. This arrangement forms no part of the present invention and is not shown
in the drawings but it is described in the specification of Patent No. 5157 in the
present year:
.
The apparatus may be made with a single beam working through
trunk in 'the
bottom of the lighter, or there may be two beams one on either side of the lighter.
Although it is convenient that the hydraulic cylinders which serve to rotate the
bucket should be mounted upon the beam or frame and be supplied with water
through the trunnions which carry the said beam or frame, nevertheless the 'said
hydraulic cylinders may be otherwise arranged.
it
Sometimes I make the hydraulic cylinder which lifts the beam or frame to serve
also as the lifting cylinder of a crane. In this case in place of permanently fixing
one extremity of the chain, (as would otherwise be the case) I lead this end of the
chain over a pulley upon the head of a crane, and 1 provide it with a lifting, hook. I

page_text: also provide stoppers by which the chain may be made fast on one side or the other
side of the hydraulic cylinder at pleasure. When dredging the chain is made fast
upon the crane side, but when the crane is being worked the chain is made fast upon
the other or dredging side. The crane may, if necessary, be provided with turning
cylinders in the usual way. The out board end of the spoil shoot is jointed so that it
may be raised out of the way when not in use.
The drawing shows an apparatus constructed according to my invention.
A is the bucket which is pivotted at A' to the beam B which in its turn is pivotted
at B¹ to the lighter or vessel C and carries a counterbalance weight B²-D) D¹ are
ropes or chains attached to the bucket crossing each other and passing to the hydraulic
cylinder and ram E by which either can be hauled upon whilst the other is slacked-
F is the chain and G the hydraulic cylinder and ram by which the beam is lifted-
H and J are shoots H being fixed and J pivotted at J¹. Fixed to the shoot J are
arms or horns K-As the beam and bucket are raised by the chain F the ends of the
axis A strike against the horns K and raise them together with the shoot and the
parts come into the positions shewn by dotted lines, the bucket is then by means
of the chains D D¹ turned upside down and discharges its contents. The beam B
is then again lowered the shoot J turning down out of the way of the bucket into
the position shown in full lines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would state that I am
aware it has before been proposed to mount a dredging bucket at the end of a balanced
beam pivotted to a vessel and oscillating in a well in it and I therefore make no
general claim to such an arrangement but what I claim is :-
1. The combination of the oscillating beam, a bucket pivotted to it and means for
turning the bucket about its pivot.
2. In apparatus such as is referred to in the first claim
a The means for turning the bucket about its pivot substantially as described.
6 The pivotted shoot with its projection by which it is raised beneath the bucket
as the latter ascends substantially as described.
3. Dredgers substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated thin Oth Jan of Man 1940
WM. SHAPTON.