IMPROVE- DREDGING AND IN EMPTYING DREDGING LIGHTERS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edwin Powley Alexander at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd August 1882.
A com-
munication to him from abroad by Mathias Neuhaus of the City of Berlin in
the Empire of Germany
MENTS IN
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent "IMPROVE-
DREDGING AND IN EMPTYING DREDGING LIGHTERS AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN." A communication to me from abroad by Mathias
Neuhaus of the City of Berlin in the Empire of Germany
THE
This invention relates to the use of pumps in loosening soil which is to be
dredged and the raising of this loosened soil also to details in the construction of
the pumps employed.
The complete apparatus for dredging consists of a crane-ship with a boiler and a
dredging apparatus suspended to the crane in the latter two pulsometers are
mounted which receive their steam from suitable pipes. The perpendicular parts
of these pipes are furnished with telescopic pieces which can be drawn out packed
with stuffing boxes and follow during the descending and raising of a suspended
containing vessel. Instead of these telescopic pipes flexible hose can of course be
used to supply the steam.
The suction pipe of one pulsometer is surrounded by a larger pipe into which the
discharge pipe of the other and smaller pulsometer discharges so forcing water
into the annular space between the pipes. At their lower ends these pipes are
joined. The exterior of the larger pipe and the annular connection plate of the two
pipes are supplied with a number of small nozzles through which the water spurts
effectively under the influence of strong steam pressure stirring up the soil which
will be raised together with the water by the larger pulsometer the discharge pipe
of which is carried into an adjoining lighter.
Whilst working, the crane ship carrying the suspended containing vessel is
moved on different sides and turned or moved from its position by any well known
warping contrivance so as to cause the suction pipe of the dredging apparatus to
pass over the ground to be dredged in regular progress.
מ
.

page_text: The suction pipe of the smaller pulsometer has in addition to the pipe leading
over board a branch by which the water can be let into the suspended vessel so as
to increase its gravity and lower it to its work.
I also propose to use in combination with the buckets of a dredging machine a
pump or pulsometer for raising the loosened soil which may not have been carried
up by the buckets.
Attached to the suction pipe of the pulsometer are 1. Two peculiar pipe joints
on the ball and socket principle of which the convex part fits into a concave part
the joint being made by a suitable packing ring and kept in its position by a
removeable concave piece bolted to the before mentioned fixed concave part
2. A diametrical cross piece at the suction opening for preventing large compact
matter being drawn into the mouth piece of the pump.
To cause the pulsometer to retain its vertical position under whatever angle the
bucket slide may be working I supply it with a strong back piece in the hollow
part of which is a slit above the gravitation point into which a bolt fits passing
through both beams of the slide.
•
I employ the above described kind of apparatus generally for dredging purposes
but especially on sea coasts where amber has hitherto been fished in a perfectly
different very expensive and less efficient way. Buckets destroy or break the
largest and most valuable pieces. By my mode of proceeding however the sand is
loosened by the before described apparatus the large pieces of amber are cleared
for reception either by the buckets or by the pulsometers which suck and elevate
and discharge them into the lighters or barges. For emptying the dredge lighters
or barges and conveying their contents on shore, I employ the following or
equivalent contrivances consisting of two pulsometers conveniently fixed at the
edge of the water. The suction pipe of the larger pulsometer has ball and socket
pipe joints as previously described and is joined to a telescopic suction pipe which
is tightened by stuffing boxes. The whole suction pipe is therefore moveable and
is so counterbalanced that it can easily be raised or lowered by a chain and whilst
left to itself it sinks till it reaches a resistance at the bottom.
At the end of the lower joint of the suction pipe a chamber is fitted or formed
into which the discharge pipe of the smaller pulsometer is conducted. Through a
number of openings or nozzles in the said chamber leading downwards in different
directions water jets are directed into the contents of the lighter through the
flexible discharge pipe of the smaller pulsometer thereby stirring up the mass and
so permitting the larger pulsometer to raise and discharge it by its discharge pipe
to any desired place.
I fit this discharge pipe with one or more cross pieces provided with hinged
doors at the bottom whilst the upper part carries a pipe with blank flange forming
an air chamber. After a certain time the doors are opened and the accumulated
sand will drop out.
As some soils become very compacted in the lighters or barges I place inside
the mouthpiece of the lower suction pipe a cross piece the lower edges of which are
sharpened and project to a certain extent so as to divide any compact pieces which
may come before the mouth piece at the same time keeping the latter at a certain
distance from the bottom of the lighter.
The following is the modus operandi of the said apparatus.
The lighter is first laid under the telescopic suction pipe the latter is then
lowered until the ejection chamber rests on the mass which is to be raised the
smaller pump is then put in motion and afterwards the larger one. With the
progress of the work the suction pipe with its ejection chamber sinks till it reaches
the bottom of the lighter. When the lighter is perfectly cleared-first the large
and then the smaller pulsometer are stopped and immediately afterwards the
suction pipe raised by drawing down the counterweight till the cross piece hangs
over the lighter then the telescopic pipe is pushed over board and lowered till the
mouth piece is under water. The larger pump is now started again and drives

page_text: clean water through the discharge pipe so as to wash out the same till the next
loaded lighter comes alongside when the operation re-cominences.
This arrangement for unloading lighters or boats may be either stationary or
floating.
It is obvious that pulsometers plungers or other pumps may be used in carrying
out this invention
The above described arrangement may also be used to advantage for raising clay
from its natural position and at the same time washing it by allowing the raising
pulsometer or other pump to discharge the matter into suitable receptacles in which
it is left to deposit.