and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1885

page_text: and Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE DEMOLITION OF
SUB-AQUEOUS OBJECTS, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR to be as follows:-
33
This invention has for its object to provide improved means for the demolition
of subaqueous objects, such as rocks on the bottom of a stream or the like, and it
consists partly in successively placing and fixing upon the surface of the object to
be demolished, charges of a suitable explosive material, this operation being
repeated on each point until the desired depth is reached; all the points where the
charges are successively placed forming a series of parallel lines or nearly so. The
invention further comprises a device, by which a pole, to whose lower end
the charges are suitably attached, can be moved end wise, and at the same time
caused to swing in two series of planes having such positions that the horizontal
intersection line of each series crosses the intersection line of the other series at
right angles and in the very axis of said pole; this device being mounted on a
scaffold which is erected on the shore or on an anchored vessel.
To enable the pole to be moved endwise and swung as above stated, its upper
end is loosely inserted into a socket which is suspended in such a manner as to
admit of its being freely turned in every direction, and the middle portion of the
pole is guided by a sliding-carriage or similar part, made movable lengthwise and
sidewise.
The pole is raised and lowered, for the purposes of attaching a new charge and
placing the same upon the chosen spot, by means of a cord, connected with the
bottom portion of said pole; this cord may be of wire and then serve as a conductor
for the electric current used for firing the charge.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Demolition of Subaqueous Objects
and Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE DEMOLITION OF
SUBAQUEOUS OBJECTS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR" and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the 5
following statement :-
This invention relates to the demolition of sub-aqueous objects, and to apparatus
therefor.
The blasting of subaqueous objects such as rocks on the bottom of a stream and
the like, by means of explosive charges placed upon the surface of such objects, 1
can only be successfully accomplished by arranging said charges systematically
.according to a predetermined plan, so as to cause the spheres of action of the
charges to intersect each other.
The arrangement of the explosive charges can be practically obtained by means
of long poles carrying at their extremities the respective charges, and guided with 1
great precision by means of special apparatus, so that each charge is deposited
exactly upon the desired spot and there maintained up to the moment of
explosion.
To this end I have constructed apparatus whereby a pole, to the lower end of
which the charges are suitably attached, can be moved endwise, and at the same
time caused to swing in two series of planes, intersecting each other at right angles
in a horizontal plane and passing through a fixed point in the axis of said pole,
this apparatus being mounted on a scaffold or platform which is erected on the
shore or on an anchored vessel.
To enable the pole to be moved endwise and swung as above stated its upper
end is loosely inserted into a socket, and this socket is provided with two journals
or trunions resting in bearings, while the middle portion of the pole passes through
a hole in a sliding-carriage, which is movable laterally on a horizontal frame, that
can be moved longitudinally of another frame in its turn. The frame which
guides and supports the sliding carriage is guided and supported by a larger frame
advantageously made of U-shaped iron, and horizontally projecting from the
platform toward the object to be demolished. Both frames are provided with
recesses, equidistant from each other, into which latches, pivotted to the respective
parts, are adapted to engage, in order to fix the said frames in the desired positions.
To admit of an easy movement of the longitudinally movable frame, the same may
be provided with antifriction-rollers or mounted on balls.
The frame carrying the sliding carriage, is moved forward or backward upon its
supporting frame by means of two connecting-rods, which connect each end of
said frame with a plate loosely mounted on the lower end of an upright shaft, and
of a pinion keyed on this shaft and gearing with a rack, that runs along a slot
formed in the said platform. Obviously, when the upright shaft is turned in one

page_text: or the other direction, the pinion will move forward or backward along the rack,
thereby moving the shaft, the disc, the ring, and, by means of the connecting-rods,
the frame too.
The lateral motions of the sliding-carriage are obtained in such a way, that a
chain, fixed to both ends of said carriage, runs over rollers in both corners of the
movable guiding frame and round a chain-pulley at the lower end of a second
upright shaft. This chain-pulley is rigidly connected with the second upright
shaft, which is enclosed in the other upright shaft, which obviously is made hollow,
to receive the same.
The pole is raised and lowered, for the purposes of attaching a new charge and
placing the same upon the desired spot, by means of a wire cord connected at one
end with the bottom portion of said pole, and wound at its other end round a drum
that is fixed to the socket, in which the pole is longitudinally movable, as stated.
The said wire-cord serves at the same time as a conductor for the electric current,
used for firing the charges.
The charge of explosive substance is first attached to one end of a rather short
wooden cylinder or bar connected at its other end, by means of a pin, with the
conical end of a metallic socket; and this conical socket is connected in a similar
manner, by means of a short conical piece of wood and a pin, with the hollow end
of the pole.
The improved apparatus which forms the subject of the present invention, is
represented in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a side-elevation partly in section of the apparatus fixed upon
a vessel, pontoon, or the like.
Figure 2 is an end elevation, and
Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 4 represents, on an enlarged scale, a cross-section of the guiding-frame
together with its sliding-carriage.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the same.
Figures 6 and 7 are cross-sections of the guiding frame.
Figure 8 shows a longitudinal section of the socket by means of which the bar
carrying the explosive charge is connected with the pole.
Figures 9 and 10 reprosent a sectional side elevation and a plan view of the
mechanism operating the guiding frame.
Upon a barge or pontoon, or any other vessel, a platform A of any desired shape
is erected, said platform projecting as far as convenient from the said vessel;
a frame B made of U-shaped iron is journalled in two bearings a, between the
extreme ends of the said platform, which frame carries the guiding frame C.
The two sides of the frame B are provided in the longitudinal direction of the
platform, with recesses b Figure 3 arranged at distances of about 20 centimeters
froin each other, which recesses are designed to receive latches for fixing the
guiding-frame C in any desirable position.
The guiding-frame C consists of two rods or tubes C¹ C, the extremities of
which are fastened to two sliding-bars D D¹ movable upon balls or rollers d, along
the bottom plate of the frame B Figures 4 and 5. The frame C can thus be
displaced in the direction of the length of the platform A, and may be fixed in any
desired position by means of latches c c¹ Figure 5 attached to the slides D Di,
and entering the recesses b of the outer frame B. A carriage E fitted upon the
tubes C C of the frame C can be caused to slide to the right or to the left along
the frame C throughout the whole of its length. This carriage E is provided in its
centre with a hole e, and may be fixed in any desired position by means of a
atch centering one of a number of recesses b₁ formed at regular intervals in the
front cross-piece c³ of the frame C.
The forward and backward movements of the guiding frame C, and the lateral
movements of the sliding carriage E are produced by means of mechanism F
mounted upon the floor A¹ of the platform A.

page_text: .
In order to shift the guiding frame C, a rack G gearing with a pinion g of the
mechanism F Figure 9 is provided. This pinion g is fitted upon a hollow spindle g¹
arranged vertically, and maintained in its position by supports F1; the top end of
this hollow spindle g' carries a cross-handle or hand-wheel g'. The supports F¹ are
mounted upon a sliding plate H¹, which can be displaced along a longitudinal slot
formed in the supporting plate H fitted upon the platform. It is obvious that by
turning the hand-wheel g² the toothed wheel g and the supports F¹ are caused to
move along the rack G.
Beneath the pinion g, a chain-pulley f is connected to the bottom end of
a spindle h¹, enclosed in the said hollow spindle g¹ and carrying at its top end
a cross handle or hand-wheel h. Upon the spindle ¹, between the chain-pulley f
and the pinion g, a plate fi is loosely fitted, the rim of said plate being partially
bent down so as to form a flange surrounding a portion of said chain-pulley. To
this downwardly bent portion of the plate f¹ two rods D2 and D³ jointed to the
said slides D D', are fastened. The plate fi and the rods D' 13 are designed to.
transmit the movement of the mechanism F to the guiding frame C.
Around the chain-pulley f a chain I passes, the two ends of said chain being
passed around two small pulleys i attached to the slides D D', whilst the two
extremities of this chain are hooked into rings on the sliding carriage E.
It is obvious that by turning the hand-wheel the sliding-carriage E is caused:
to move to the right or to the left upon the guiding-frame C, whilst by turning the
hand-wheel g the guiding frame C itself is caused to move forward or backward
inside the frame B. In this manner, by turning the hand-wheels hand g², the
sliding carriage E can be placed above any desired point within the limited surface
of the river bottom lying beneath the frame B.
The sliding-carriage E is designed to guide a pole, carrying at its bottom end the
explosive charge. On the one hand, this pole passes through the hole c of the
sliding carriage E, and on the other hand, it is guided by a socket K movably
connected with the cross-beam A2 upon the platform A.
The socket K is journalled at its upper end by means of two trunnions in two
bearings K¹, or by means of a ball-joint, so that it can be turned in any desired
direction around the point K2 Figure 1. The lower end of the socket K carries
a small transverse shaft , upon which two pulleys are fitted; said pulleys
being arranged to be rotated by means of cranks ²².
The guiding socket K and the hole c of the sliding carriage E determine the
position of the pole L (which is preferably a hollow rod of wrought iron,) for
putting the explosive charges in place. This hollow rod L, made in one piece,
should have a length corresponding to the depth of the water at the place where
the explosion is to take place. The bottom end of the hollow rod L is reinforced
by means of a flange 1, Figure 8, and above the latter a hole is formed through the
rod, said hole being designed to receive a pin 1, attached by means of a small chain
to the ring tightly fitted upon the rod L. The thickness of the metal of the
hollow rod L should be in proportion to its length and may easily be calculated.
Commencing from the point at which the explosive charge is attached to the
rod L, a scale (subdivided according to any desired measurement of length,) is
engraved upon the rod L, said scale permitting the length of the portion of the rol,
which at any given moment is below the surface of the water, to be ascertained at
sight, and, consequently, the height of the portion of the object which is to be
demolished by explosion. A mark is engraved upon the edge of a longitudinal slot
in the socket K, and from the line of the scale which at any given moment coinsides
with this mark on the socket, the depth of immersion of the charge can be easily
ascertained.
To the said ring 12, one extremity of a thin wire cable m is fastened by means of
a set-screw, whilst the opposite end of this cable m is attached to one of the
When a crank is
pulleys k mounted on the shaft k, carried by the socket K.
turned in the direction of the hands of a clock-dial, the cable m is wound upon the

page_text: pulley, thereby raising the rod L. By turning the crank in the opposite direction
the cable m is unwound and the rod L is lowered. The explosive charge is carried
by a bar M fastened to the bottom end of the rod L by means of a coupling box or
socket N.
The conical portion of this socket N should be quite smooth on its inside, and
the plug n is soldered into the socket very firmly and rivetted. This socket N is
reinforced at its top and bottom by iron flanges n¹n³. The bottom flange n¹ serves
to prevent a widening of the conical portion of the socket whilst the top-flange n
serves to distribute the recoil, caused by the explosion of the charge in the direction
of the rod L, upon the flange of the said hollow rod. This socket N is fastened
to the hollow rod L by means of a pin inserted through the bottom portion of
the hollow rod and through a corresponding perforation made in the upper portion
of the plug n soldered in the socket N. To prevent this pin from falling from.its
place at the moment of the explosion, it is provided at its thin end with
a cross-pin.
The bar M which carries the explosive charge at its lower end is a cylindrical-
piece of common, wood. The top portion of this bar is tapered to fit the conical
portion of the socket and is provided with a hole in order to receive a pin n³ by
means of which the said bar is fastened in the socket N.
The explosive substance having a density of 1, 4 is contained in a cylindrical box
made of pasteboard. The movable lid of this box is provided with a hole in which
the electric fuze is inserted. In order to prevent the deterioration of the explosive
substance by the action of the water, the said pasteboard-box is impregnated or
covered with soluble glass or any analogous substance and thereby rendered hard
and water-proof. The joints of the lid of the box as well as of the fuze are made
water-tight by means of a suitable cement.
The charge prepared in the described manner is introduced into a small canvas-
bag, which is drawn over the end of the bar M and fastened to the same by means
of nails. The bar M with the charge O fastened to it is then fitted into the
socket N and maintained in the same by means of the said pin n³ attached to
the socket by means of a small chain.
The firing of the charge is produced by an electric current, the water forming
the conductor for the return current. The electric current from any generator
passes to the small shaft, thence through the cable m to the contact-piece of the
ring, and from this contact-piece by means of an insulated wire o to the fuze.
To manipulate the described apparatus the assistance of four men only is
required.
Those parts of the apparatus which are directly subjected to the action of the
shock caused by the explosion have neither screw nor rivet-connections.
The guiding socket K in combination with the frame C and the sliding carriage,
permit, by reason of the different movements which can be imparted to these
parts of the apparatus from one point, the rod L to be placed in a very great
number of positions.
As the longitudinal and transverse parts of the guiding frame Care arranged
at right angles to each other, it is obvious that all the movements of the rod L to
the different positions it is enabled to assume, in a horizontal plane will be in
straight lines. The cavities formed by the consecutive explosions of the charges
will therefore also be formed in straight lines. As moreover the recesses b₁ of the
bar of frame C allow the displacement of the sliding carriage E only at equal
distances, the charges are placed at regular distances from each other.
By successively moving the frame C inside the outer frame in the up-stream
direction, and by successively moving the carriage E in parallel positions the cavities
are also produced in a series of parallel lines.
The operation of the improved apparatus as follows, that is to say :-
When the demolition of a subaqueous object is to be performed from the bank
of a river, the platform A is mounted upon a movable car or waggon. When the

page_text: object to be demolished is situated in the middle of the river or in the sea the
said platform should be erected upon a ship. In any case the platform must be
disposed above the object to be removed, and when this object is situated at the
bottom of a river, the said platform ought to be first placed at the down-stream
end of this object.
The explosive charge fastened to the directing-rod is next lowered upon the
object, the said rod being in the most backward position, and then fired by the
electric current. The rod is now raised again and the bar together with the socket
is removed and replaced by a new bar with a charge. This being done, the rod
is lowered again and fresh explosion is caused to take place. The described
operations are repeated until the demolition of the object has advanced to the
required depth. This can easily be ascertained by noticing the figure on the scale
of the directing-rod coinciding at the given moment with the mark or line on the
guiding socket.
As soon as the required depth is reached the directing-rod is displaced sideways
at a distance of from 60 to 100 centimeters from its first position and again a
number of explosions is caused to take place, as above described. The described
operations are repeated until the sliding carriage has reached its extreme position;
the guiding frame is then moved inside the outer frame to its next parallel
position and the described operations are repeated.
As this invention consists substantially in the provision of means for enabling
a number of explosive charges to be placed upon a subaqueous object on syste-
matically chosen lines, one after the other, it is evident that the described construction
of the apparatus may be modified in different manners without the principal points
of my invention being thereby altered.
Thus for instance instead of employing the described mechanism F to produce the
required movements of the guiding frame C and of the sliding carriage E, a system
of tackles, or simply ropes passed over grooved pulleys, may be employed. The
movements of the guiding frame C inside the outer frame B may for instance be
produced by a rope attached to the middle of the frame C; or by two ropes
attached to both ends of the same, said ropes being from time to time pulled back
simultaneously for exactly the same length, and this may be done either by hand
or by winding the ropes up upon a cylinder. The lateral movements of the sliding
carriage E upon the frame C may be effected in a similar manner, either by means
of a tackle or by means of a rope passed round a grooved pulley, or even by hand,
thereby dispensing with all mechanical contrivances.
The described movements of the apparatus may also be effected by means of
a contrivance similar to the mechanism F but rigidly fastened upon the floor A¹
of the platform A, the pinion of the said mechanism gearing with a rack fastened
to the frame C. The chain I for shifting the sliding carriage E is in this case
passed around a chain pulley of the driving mechanism, and in order to prevent
the slackening of the chain when the frame C is moved backwards, this chain I
passes besides round a tightening-pulley fitted to the rear-end of the rack which
serves to shift the frame C, so that the chain is constantly maintained in a
stretched condition. The same effect may be obtained by simply allowing the
free end of the chain behind the chain-pulley to hang into the water. The guiding
frame C and the sliding-carriage E may also be actuated by a contrivance similar
to the traversing mechanism of the slide of a lathe, i.e. by a screw acted upon by
suitable driving appliances.
If the solidity of the apparatus is not of great importance the outer frame B, the
guiding-frame C and the sliding carriage E may be completely dispensed with. In
this case the rod carrying the charge is suspended in the above described manner
in the socket K and to the bottom end of the same two lateral rods are jointed,
which can be fixed, on the right and on the left sides in different slanting positions.
In this manner the socket K may be placed in all possible positions. The two
lateral rods are provided with recesses similar to the recesses and 6 of the

page_text: frames B and C and with these recesses corresponding catches or latches engage,
said catches or latches being articulated to the sockets guiding the lower ends of
said rods and jointed, themselves, by means of universal joints to the two lateral
uprights of the platform A. The shifting of these rods may be effected either by
hand or by means of suitable gearing.
It would obviously be very easy to enumerate other modifications of the
apparatus which could be applied in different circumstances with more or less
advantage without departing from the nature of my invention, and therefore I do
not confine myself to the use of the apparatus described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
First. The herein described method of systematically blasting subaqueous objects,
the said method consisting in placing explosive charges upon the surface of the
object to be demolished at points in a series of parallel lines, a number of charges
being successively fired at one point until the said object at this point is demolished
to the desired depth, whereupon the next point is attacked; the said charges being
placed in position by attaching each charge to the bottom end of a longitudinally
movable rod L, which is also arranged for swinging around a fixed point in its axis,
in two series of planes intersecting one or the other of two horizontal straight lines
at right angles to each other, one of the said straight lines being parallel to the
parallel lines above mentioned substantially as described.
Second. Apparatus for guiding the rod L referred to in the preceding claiming
clause, the said apparatus consisting of a scaffold or platform A erected upon the
head of an anchored vessel or on the shore, and carrying by an upper cross-
beam A two bearings K¹ for the two journals or trunnions of a socket K, in which
the upper end of the rod L freely slides while the middle portion of the said rod
freely rests in a hole e of a sliding-carriage E, the said carriage being movable to
the right and to the left and carried by a guiding frame C movable forward or
backward upon rollers or balls inside an outer frame B made of U-shaped iron and
projecting horizontally from the platform A; said frames B and C being each
provided with recesses b b¹ respectively equidistant from each other in which
recesses the latches c c c of the frame C, and sliding-carriage E respectively
engage substantially as shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
Third. In the apparatus referred to in the second claiming clause the mechanism
for imparting the necessary forward and backward movements to the frame C
inside the outer frame B, said mechanism consisting of a rack G fastened upon the
floor A¹ of the platform A along which rack G a toothed pinion g can be moved by
means of a shaft gl; said toothed pinion g having beneath it a chain-pulley f
loosely surrounded by a plate f¹, which latter is connected with the guiding
frame C by means of link-rods D' and D³, substantially as shown and described.
Fourth. In the apparatus referred to in the second and third claiming clauses
mechanism serving to move the sliding-carriage E along the guiding-frame C, said
mechanism consisting of a chain I fastened by its ends to the sliding-carriage E
and running over rollers i attached to both ends of the guiding-frame C and thence
over the chain-pulley f, which is arranged to be rotated by means of a spindle h³,
enclosed in the hollow spindle g', substantially as shown and described.
Fifth. In the apparatus referred to in the second claiming clause mechanism for
raising and lowering the rod L in order to fasten the explosive charge and place
the same at the desired point of the object to be demolished, said mechanism
consisting of a wire-cable m fixed to the lower end of the rod L and wound upon a
pulley supported by the socket K this cable serving at the same time as a
conductor of electricity for the electric fuze of the charge, substantially as shown
and specified.

page_text: Sixth. In blasting according to the method referred to in the first claiming
clause, fastening the explosive charge to a separate bar M held in the hollow
portion of a socket N by means of a pin n³, said socket being provided at its upper
end with a solid plug n inserted in the hollow end of the rod L and fixed therein
by means of a pin l, substantially as shown and described.