A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DEEPENING RIVERS,. MAKING COURSES OR RECEPTACLES FOR WATER, AND REMOVING DEPOSITS AND OBSTRUCTIONS IN NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL WATER- COURSES OR RECEPTACLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Crabtree, of Preston, in the County Palatine of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
DEEPENING RIVERS,. MAKING COURSES OR RECEPTACLES FOR WATER, AND
REMOVING DEPOSITS AND OBSTRUCTIONS IN NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL WATER-
COURSES OR RECEPTACLES."
Sealed the 23rd February 1877, and dated the 26th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Crabtree at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August 1876.
JOSEPH CRABTREE, of Preston, in the County Palatine of Lancaster.
"A NEW
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DEEPENING RIVERS, MAKING COURSES OR RECEP-
TACLES FOR WATER, AND REMOVING DEPOSITS AND OBSTRUCTIONS IN NATURAL OR
ARTIFICIAL WATER COURSES OR RECEPTACLES."
.
My Invention has for its object effecting the deepening of rivers, making courses
or receptacles for water, and removing deposits and obstructions in livers, canals,
reservoirs, cuts, water courses, culverts, conduits, sewers, and pipes, and it consists
of an apparatus to be designated a "scuttler," which is constructed of wood, iron,
or other suitable material, and is placed in a vertical position on the bottom end
or side of a steam or other ship, vessel, boat, barge, punt, or other suitable recep-
tacle, or on the bottom end and side at one time, and either permanently fixed or
not, or made to be lowered or raised as may be required, or a scuttler may be
self-contained and so used, and any required number of scuttlers may be used
at one time and on one steam or other ship, vessel, boat, barge, punt, or other
receptacle, and any required number of steamships, vessels, boats, barges, punts,
and other receptacles, with scuttlers on then may be used at one and the same
time placed side by side or one after another, or otherwise, or worked in opposite
directions.
The scuttler may be constructed of various shapes to meet the peculiarity of
the work to be performed, its object being to present a resisting object to the flow
of the water in the situation to be operated upon, whereby the force of the current
of water is increased and directed against the substance to be operated upon by
the natural-velocity of the water, or the scuttler may be propelled against or
with the stream or used in a fixed position, so that a current of water is caused to

page_text: pass underneath or by the side thereof. to operate on the material to be removed,
which when stirred up, removed, and mixed with the water will be carried away by
the stream.
And the scuttler may be used in the clearing of deposit in culverts, conduits,
sewer, and other water ways, by being used as a propeller or scraper, and may be
driven through the culvert, conduit, sewer, or other waterway, by the force of the
water or dragged or forced through or along the waterway by any other convenient
means.
According to one mode of carrying out my Invention the scuttler consists of
a metal plate, and two are employed fixed to a punt with slides at each end, and
the scuttlers can be hoisted or let down, as required, by the aid of traversing
screws operated froin above or by other convenient means.
According to another modification the scuttler is composed of framework con-
sisting of vertical and transverse wooden framing, fixed together with longitudinal
pieces running under and above the punt. This scuttler can be attached in a
similar manner to any existing punt or vessel.
According to a further modification the scuttlers are attached to the bottom
of a vessel with a longitudinal piece running along the bottom of the vessel to
strengthen the scuttlers, and they may be fixed with flanges and longitudinal
pieces.
When self-contained scuttlers are to be employed in culverts, conduits, sewers,
pipes, and water courses, the shape of the scuttler is to be made to suit the
form of the culvert, conduit, sewer, pipes, or water courses, in which it is to be
used. For example, they may be composed of seiniciicular ends connected together
by upper longitudinal planks, the whole being strengthened by stays and weighted
as occasion may require.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Crabtree in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
February 1877.
JOSEPH CRABTREE, of Preston, in the County Palatine of Lancaster. "A NEW
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DEEPENING RIVERS, MAKING COURSES OR RECEP-
TACLES FOR WATER, AND REMOVING DEPOSITS AND OBSTRUCTIONS IN NATURAL OR
ARTIFICIAL WATER COURSES OR RECEPTACLES."
My said Invention relates to means to be employed for effecting the deepening
of rivers, making courses or receptacles for water, and removing deposits and
obstructions in rivers, canals, reservoirs, cuts, water courses, culverts, conduits,
sewers, and pipes, and it consists of an apparatus to be designated a "scuttler,"
which is constructed of wood, iron, or other suitable material, and is placed in a
vertical position on the bottom end or side of a steam or other ship, boat, barge,
punt, or other vessel, or on the bottom end and side at one time, and either per-
manently fixed or arranged so as to be capable of being lowered and raised, as
required; or a scuttler may be self contained and so used, and any required number
of scuttlers may be employed simultaneously and on one steam or other ship, boat,
barge, punt, or other vessel, and any required number of steam or other ships,
boats, barges, punts, or other vessels fitted with scuttlers may be employed simul-
taneously placed side by side, or one after another, or worked in opposite directions,
or otherwise.
The scuttler may be constructed of various shapes to meet the peculiarity of the
work to be performed, its object being to present a resisting object to the flow of
the water in the situation where it is required to be used, whereby the force of
the current of water is increased and directed against the substance to be operated
upon by the natural velocity of the water, or the scuttler may be propelled against
or with the stream) or used in a fixed position, so that a current of water is caused

page_text: to pass underneath or by the side thereof to operate on the material to be removed,
which when stirred up and mixed with the water will be carried away with the
stream
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal section; and Figure 2,
a plan of a punt fitted with apparatus constructed and arranged according to one
mode of carrying out my Invention.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section; and Figure 4 a plan, illustrating another
modification
Figure 5 is a side elevation; and Figure 6, a plan of the under side of a vessel
with apparatus applied thereto, constructed and fitted according to a further modi-
fication of my Invention.
Figure 7 is & perspective view; and Figure 8, a plan of a self-contained scuttler
to be employed in culverts, conduits, sewers, pipes, and other.water courses for
removing deposits and obstructions; and Figure 9 is an end view; and Figure 10,
a longitudinal section, illustrating a modification of the scuttler shewn in Figures
7 and 8.
In the arrangement represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings the scuttler
consists of a metal plate a, fitted so as to be capable of sliding vertically in grooves
or recesses formed in guide bars b attached to a punt c, and the motion of such
scuttler or plate a, for the purpose of raising and lowering it, is obtained by the
aid of a screw & supported in a standard e on the deck f of the punt, and working
in nuts or internal screws formed on or attached to the plate a, a hand wheel g
being provided for the facility of operating the screw. Or the motion may be
obtained in any other similar or suitable manner. In my Drawings I have shewn
two of the scuttlers a applied to the punt c, one at each end, but it is obvious that
their number and position may be varied according to circumstances, as before
mentioned.
In the modification shewn in Figures 3 and 4 the scuttlers are composed of frame-
work, consisting of transverse boards a attached to vertical beams b, connected by
longitudinal beams h, i, respectively at the upper and under sides of the punt o.
This arrangement of scuttler is applicable to existing punts or vessels.
According to a further modification, which is illustrated by Figures 5 and 6, the
scuttlers a, a, which may be made of a semi-annular or crescent shape, are attached
to the bottom of any suitable boat or vessel c, and connected together by a longi-
tudinal tie bar i, arranged underneath the vessel, whereby increased strength and
rigidity are obtained. The plates a and bar i are formed with flanges a¹, i¹,
respectively for the facility of attaching thein to the vessel c.
In applying these apparatus, say, for example, for the purpose of deepening a
river, the punt or other vessel with the scuttler or scuttlers attached thereto is so
placed at the part of a river at which the bed is required to be operated upon as
to present a resisting object to the flow of the water, whereby the force of the
current of water is increased and directed against the bed of the river which is
thus acted upon by the natural velocity of the water, or the scuttler may be
propelled against or with the stream in lieu of being maintained approximately
stationary, if desired.
When the scuttler is employed for other like purposes, such, for example, as for
making water courses, it operates in a similar manner, the mode of applying the
apparatus being varied in a manner which will be perfectly understood, according
to the particular object to be attained.
The scuttlers may also be utilized for removing deposits in culverts, conduits,
sewers, pipes, and other water courses, in which cases they are made self-contained
and adapted in shape to the water course in which they are to be employed. For
example, they may consist, as shewn in Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings, of semi-

page_text: circular ends a, a, connected together by upper longitudinal planks h, h; and, if
desired, be strengthened with stays and provided with weights 1, as shewn in
Figures 9 and 10
When applied for this purpose the apparatus may be drawn or
driven through the water course by any convenient means.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the application and use to and in the deepening of rivors,
the making of courses or receptacles for water, and the removal of deposits and
obstructions in natural or artificial water courses or receptacles, of apparatus
constructed, fitted, and operating, substantially in the manner herein-before
described
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Crabtree, have to this my Specifi
cation set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness to the signature of
Joseph Crabtree,
WILLIAM WEARING,
Surveyor,
Preston.
IUS
. JOSEPH × CRABTREE. (Ls)
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