Improvements in Apparatus for Raising and Discharging Sand, Gravel, or Shingle in Water, and for Separating the same from the Water.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Raising and Discharging Sand,
Gravel, or Shingle in Water, and for Separating the same from
the Water.
I PATRICK HAMPSON of 165 Albert Bridge Road in the City of Belfast in Ireland,
Sand Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
:-
The object of my invention is to provide better and easier means of raising sand,
gravel and shingle in or under water and for discharging the same and separating it
from the water in which it is suspended or deposited in order that it may be supplied
to builders and others.
For these purposes I employ a barge or scow having a tank or reservoir to receive
a cargo of sand, gravel or shingle and a cistern or cisterns and waterhold to receive
drainage or overflow water therefrom and I provide a pulsometer or other pump
furnished with a suction pipe-partly rigid and partly flexible-to reach the bed or
bank of sand, gravel or shingle which is drawn through it, mixed with water, by
the aid of the pulsometer or other pump and deposited in the tank or reservoir.
Around the mouth of the suction pipe I place a number of hollow or tubular prongs
which sink into the bed or bank of sand, gravel or shingle and I pass a flexible tube
into each of these prongs and by the aid of another pulsometer or pump I drive streams
of water from the waterhold of the barge or scow, or, if necessary, from the river or
sea, through the flexible tubes and prongs into such bed or bank so as to loosen and
lift the sand, gravel or shingle to be drawn up through the suction pipe and deposited
in the tank or reservoir as above described.
The cistern or cisterns and waterhold are placed so that the water pumped into the
tank or reservoir, or a portion of it, may percolate or overflow into them and remove
or retain any sand or sediment escaping with it from the tank or reservoir.
By the same or similar means I raise or unload the sand gravel or shingle from the
tank or reservoir and discharge it into elevated bins or tanks fitted with hinges and
shoots to discharge the solid matter and with spouts to return the percolated or over-
flow water to the barge or scow for use in raising the solid matter or to the river or
sea as waste.
Dated 16th day of November 1889
HYNDMAN & DICKSON,
6, Waring Street, Belfast, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Raising and Discharging Sand,
Gravel, or Shingle in Water, and for Separating the same from
the Water.
I PATRICK HAMPSON of 165 Albert Bridge Road in the City of Belfast, in Ireland,
Sand Merchant, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide better and easier means of raising sand,
gravel and shingle in or under water and for discharging the same and separating it
from the water in which it is suspended or deposited in order that it may be supplied
to builders and others but my apparatus or portion thereof is also applicable for other
objects such as the removal of beds, banks or bars of solid or semi-solid matter which
impede or prevent navigation and the like.

page_text: For these purposes I employ a barge or scow having a tank or reservoir to receive
a cargo of sand gravel or shingle and a cistern or cisterns and waterhold to receive
drainage or overflow water therefrom and i provide a pulsometer or other pump
furnished with a suction pipe-partly rigid and partly flexible-to reach the bed or
bank of sand, gravel or shingle which is drawn through it, mixed with water, by the
aid of the pulsometer or other pump and deposited in the tank or reservoir.
1. do not construct a special pump for my purpose as any ordinary kind of suction
pump will be found suitable but I prefer to use a rotary pump as I have found it to
give a much greater pressure for every square inch in the mouth of the suction
pipe.
The suction pipe is preferably constructed with metal ends or collars jointed or
flanged for connection at one extremity with the pump and at the other with a heavy
metal bell or "digger" which I employ to confine the sand, gravel or shingle, when
loosened and stirred up as hereinafter described, within the range or draught of the
suction pipe and which prevents it from being carried elsewhere by any under current
in the water. The other part of the suction pipe is flexible.
""
The sides of the bell or "digger are furnished with air holes to let in water and
prevent choking in the suction pipe or vacuum.
Around the mouth of the suction pipe and within the bell or "digger" I place a
number of hollow or tubular prongs tapered towards or reduced at the orifice and
which sink into the bed or bank of sand gravel or shingle. Into each of these prongs
I pass a flexible tube or hose-pipe and by the aid of another pulsometer or force-pump
I drive streams of water from the waterhold of the barge or scow, or if necessary from
the river or sea, through the flexible tubes or hose-pipes and prongs into the bed or
bank above mentioned so as to loosen and lift the sand, gravel or shingle to be drawn
up through the suction pipe and deposited in the tank or reservoir as above described
or to be discharged into an empty barge or scow or directly upon the shore or bank
of the sea or river.
The cistern or cisterns and waterhold are placed so that the water pumped into the
tank or reservoir, or a portion of it, may percolate or overflow into them and remove
or retain any sand or sediment escaping with it from the tank or reservoir. The
seams in the tank or reservoir may be slightly open to facilitate such percolation and
may fit them with slides or slips so as to be closed and opened as desired. The over-
flow may, however, be advantageously directed into the river or sea.
By the same or similar means I may raise or unload the sand, gravel or shingle
from the tank or reservoir and deposit it in elevated bins or tanks fitted with hinged
sides and shoots to discharge the solid matter and with spouts to return the drainage
or overflow water to the barge or scow for use in raising the solid matter from the
tank or reservoir or to the river or sea as waste.
When it is necessary to introduce some additional water into the tank or reservoir
in order to loosen or liquefy the solid matter before raising it into the bins or tanks I
employ syphons or pipes through which it may be drawn or may flow direct from the
river or sea.
And in order that my said invention may be more fully understood I shall now
proceed to refer to the drawings upon the sheets hereunto annexed, the same letters
of reference being used throughout all the figures thereon to represent the same or
corresponding parts of my apparatus.
"
digger"
Fig. I. is an elevation showing the general arrangement of the suction pipe, prongs
and bell or "digger," pumps and tanks and a davit for shifting the bell or
as attached to and fitted upon a barge or scow.
Fig. II. is a plan of the same parts.
"
Fig. III. is an enlarged sectional elevation of the bell or "digger
shewing the
attachment of the suction pipe and the prongs thereto and of the latter to the flexible
tubes or hose-pipes, the lugs for fastening the bell or "digger" to the davit and the
holes to prevent choking or vacuum.
Fig. IV. is a plan of the parts shatun in Fia UI

page_text: Fig. V. is an elevation of the bell or "digger" and its attachments on board a barge
or scow when its cargo is being discharged, into bins or tanks carried
tramway.
Fig. VI. is a plan of the parts shewn on Fig. V.
on
a
Fig. VII. is an enlarged sectional elevation of the bins or tanks fitted with hinged
sides.
Fig. VIII. is an enlarged detail of the side of the tank or reservoir in the barge or
scow shewing the open vertical seams, and
Fig. IX. is a sectional plan of the same.
a is a feed-pipe attached to a circulating or force pump, b, for driving water through
the flexible tubes or hose-pipes, c, c, c, to the prongs, d, d, d, which discharge it
inside the bell or "digger," e; f is the suction pipe attached to a rotary pump, 9, and
to the bell or "
digger," e, at opposite extremities and discharging the sand, gravel or
shingle and water through a pipe, h, into the tank or reservoir, j; k is a cistern or
waterhold to receive drainage or overflow water; 1, l, are lugs for attaching the bell
or "digger," e, to the davit, m; n, n, are holes in the side of the bell or digger," e,
to prevent choking or vacuum; o, o, are union couplings attaching the flexible tubes
or hose-pipes, c, c, c, to the prongs d, d, d; p is a spout or pipe having traps or
openings q, y, at intervals to discharge the cargo into the bins or tanks, r, r, which are
fitted with hinged sides, s, s; t is an open seam in the side of the tank or reservoir, j;
and,, are syphons or pipes for introducing additional water into the tank or
reservoir, j, in order to liquefy the sand, gravel or shingle before or while discharging
the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
.
1. The use of a suction pipe and pronged hose-pipes, in combination, constructed,
disposed and employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed; and
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improved apparatus
constructed, disposed and employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings on the sheets hereunto
annexed.
Dated this 17th day of September 1890.
HYNDMAN & DICKSON,
6, Waring Street, Belfast, Agents for Applicant.