Year: 1885

page_text: We, GARDNIER FRANKLIN BADGER, Engineer, and WILLIAM FREDERICK KIDDER,
Merchant, both of the City and State of New York, United States of America, 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 this invention is to provide an improved dredging device and
method of dredging, for removing sand, mud, gravel or other matter from under
water and depositing it at a distance from the place of removal.
By this device and method river and harbor channels can readily be deepened,
and the removed material be deposited in place for filling up flats and making new
land.
The apparatus covered by the invention embraces a barge or boat carrying an
attached frame work which supports a continuous, overhanging rail; a hopper fixed
above the frame work and extending nearly or quite the length and width of the
boat; suitable discharge pipes connected with the hopper; a suitable adjustable
discharge trough, and a suitable pump adjustably and freely suspended from the
rail and adapted to be raised and lowered and operated from the boat and having a
suitable suction pipe provided with a terminal digger and strainer of novel
construction for penetrating, excavating and removing the mud, etc.; and suitable
discharge pipe or pipes for discharging the same into the aforesaid hopper.
The method covered by the invention consists in suspending a pump, having a
rigid suction pipe with terminal digger and strainer, in such a manner that the
digger teeth shall be almost continuously forced into the mud, sand, etc., during
the operation of dredging by the weight of said pump and pipe, in applying or
making use of the combined weight of the pump and suction pipe and digger to
facilitate the excavation of the matter to be removed by the pump.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of the
specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure 1, is a perspective view of our improved device in position.

page_text: Figure 2, is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the attachment of discharge
pipe to hopper.
Figure 3, is an enlarged side elevation of our improved device attached to the
suction pipe of a dredging pump.
Figure 4, is an enlarged side elevation of the same with the lower part open.
In the drawings A represents a boat or barge of ordinary construction having
on it a house B for enclosing boiler, engine, hoisting apparatus, and steam and
water pipes, etc., such as are in common use with devices of this class.
The outside extensions C of the water pipes are provided with cocks a and the
outside extensions D of the steam pipes are provided with cocks b.
Fixed on the boat is the frame E consisting of upright timbers c whose tops are
suitably secured, in or to bracing timbers d as indicated. We do not always
strictly adhere to this form of frame construction as it is obvious that it may be
otherwise suitably built.
Fixed on the top of the frame E is a frame work F carrying the hopper G which
is designed to receive the mud, sand, etc., that may be discharged from the pump
or pumps H through their discharge pipes f.
This hopper G is preferably constructed with its floor sloping from sides and
ends toward the central opening g shown in Figure 2, and about this opening g is
secured a T-pipe h, one end of which may be closed by a plug or cap as at i while
to the other end a piece of flexible hose or pipe k may be attached for carrying off
the contents of said hopper.
To the outer ends of the timbers d is secured the continuous rail I that is
preferably or conveniently made of I or flanged iron; and on the lower flange of
this rail are one or more trolleys m through the sheaves of which are passed the
chains n from which the pump or pumps H is or are suspended:
By means of this continuous rail, trolleys and chains the pump or pumps can
readily be moved from one point to another so that dredging can be done all
around the boat without moving it, a matter of great importance when dredging
in places that are left bare at low tides.
The pumps H herein shown are designed to be of peculiar construction and
considerable weight especially adapted to the purpose set forth.
Preferably a heavy pump, of peculiar construction, well known as the pulsometer
pump, is used, and is herein shown, special valves and other devices (not shown)
being introduced or applied thereto to better adapt it for such work, and the
suction pipe thereof is of metal.
Flexible connections o connect the steam pipes D with the pumps, and flexible
connections p connect the water pipes C with the pumps; and the supply of steam
and water to the said pumps is regulated by the cocks b, a, respectively, at the
will of the operator.
If there be air valves on the pump they also may be regulated from the boat by
connecting flexible tubes with them and leading said tubes inboard convenient to
the hand of the operator.
The inboard ends of the chains n are designed to be connected with a hoisting
drum or engine, so that the pump can be raised and lowered at pleasure according
to the depth at which the excavation or removal of the mud, etc., is to be made, it
being designed that the teeth of the digger on the lower end of the suction pipe q
of a pump shall penetrate the mud, etc., several inches, the weight of the pump
forcing them into the mud.
When in operation, suspended directly from a chain as herein shown, and worked
with ordinary pressure of say from 40 to 60 pounds of steam, a pump H will, because
of its operation, oscillato to such an extent that the digger, which is forced into the
mud, etc., by its own weight and the weight of the pump and pipe to which it is
attached, will move through an area of several feet in diameter and will disturb,
excavate, stir up and mix the mud, sand, etc., with the water so that the dredging
will proceed with great rapidity. It is obvious that the full weight of pump and

page_text: pipe should not always be pressing down on the matter to be dredged, and that the
degree of this downward pressure can be easily regulated by the operator by means
of the chain n.
A pump is put in operation by steam admitted on turning a cock o; and sucking
up the mud, sand, etc., through the digger and strainer and suction pipe, it
discharges the same through discharge pipe finto the hopper G. whence said mud,
sand, etc., flows through pipes h, k and 8 into a trought that is adjustably
supported by ropes u from floating frames K. or in other suitable manner, and is
designed to be of any required length and to be adjusted to discharge at any
desired point, the discharge end of said trough always being on a lower level than.
the discharge opening of the hopper G; the pipe a connected with the flexible
pipe and lying in the V-shaped trough t is, preferably, of iron and heavy, so that.
it may keep its place notwithstanding the rocking of the boat or the movement of
the mud or sand as they are discharged.
A water pipe connection C furnishes water, when required, on turning a cock a,
for the purpose of clearing the pump and its valves of mud, sand, gravel, etc.,
should said pump and valves become clogged therewith as may be the case when
the material to be removed is of a clayey or peaty nature.
The hopper G is designed to be elevated, as indicated, well above the point of
discharge of the discharging trough, but in the construction of this device we do
not confine ourselves to a fixed hopper for receiving and discharging the excavated
material, but sometimes arrange the hopper so that it may be elevated or depressed
by screws or other devices, in order to assure a suitable inclination from the hopper.
to the discharge end of the trought for the free discharge of the excavated
material.
It will be observed that the pumps H are adapted to be moved along the sides.
and ends of the boat to any desired point and their flexible steam and water pipe
connections can be lengthened at convenience or can be connected at convenient
points with the fixed steam and water pipes.
Each pump is designed to be connected with a steam-hoisting device on the
boat, and each pump will require but one man to attend to it to regulate the.
hoisting and lowering of it and to regulate the supplies of air, steam and water to
it, and the pumps can be operated either above or immersed in the water as may
be desired.
In other dredging devices with which we are acquainted, in which centrifugal
or other pumps are used for removing the mud, sand, etc., the suction pipe of the.
pump is flexible and simply rests on the surface of the material to be removed-has
no penetrating power of itself nor is provided with a digger-and hence when the
bottom, the mud, sand, etc., is hard or compact its removal by such dredging
device is very slow; more water than solid matter being raised at every stroke.or
revolution of the pump.
By our method of fixing a digger and strainer on the end of the rigid suction pipe
and forcing the digger teeth, by means of the added weight of the pump into the
mud, sand, etc., an excavation is rapidly made when the pump is in operation; and
as the material about the excavation fast caves in, and as the digger and strainer
is, by the pulsations of the pump, made to swing about over a considerable area, it
is obvious that the dredging must proceed rapidly and almost uninterruptedly.
The digger and strainer P consists of a hollow metallic shell, preferably in the
shape of a frustrum of a cone, flanged at the top for connection with the rigid
suction pipe of the dredging pump and having hinged to its bottom-so as to cover
the opening thereof-a circular, flanged, perforated plate, to whose base ring or
flange are secured several downward projecting teeth which are designed to operate
as diggers and stirrers.
The hollow shell v of the combined digger and strainer is provided with a
laterally projecting flange v¹ about its upper edge; and w represents the strainer
portion consisting of a heavy circular plate having numerous perforations w³ whose

page_text: combined area should be about double that of the pump suction pipe to which this
device is to be applied. In this instance these perforations are about two inches
in diameter but they may be made of any suitable area to suit the work to which
the device is applied.
The plate w is hinged as shown at w³, to the shell v, and when closed up in place
is so held by a bolt a which is passed through lugs on the said shell and strainer.
On the upper edge of the strainer plate is a vertical flange x which fits against
and about the outside of the lower rim of the shell when the strainer is closed
up, to make a tight joint between the parts, and to assist in holding them rigidly
together.
A downward projecting base ring or flange. y is also formed about the edge of
the plate wand at the outer face of this flange or ring y are formed alternate ribs y'
and recesses y whose purpose will be hereinafter set forth. 2,2, represent the
stirring or digging teeth which are made of strong metal and may be from six to
eight inches long or thereabouts.
. These teeth are tapering on their points, and their strong upper ends are forked
or split so as to straddle the ring y between the ribs y and are of a width to fit
exactly in the recesses y² and to bear against the ribs on either side thereof;
they are secured more firmly in place by bolts and nuts as shown.
By these means the digging teeth are held most rigidly to the strainer plate.
The lower end of the suction pipe of the pump is provided with a flange corre-
sponding with the flange y' of the digger and strainer and the two are secured
together by means of bolts and nuts or other suitable devices.
When it occurs (as it rarely does, however), in operating this device, that stones,
shells, masses of seaweed, grass or other impediments are packed up against or into
the perforations in the plate w so as to close them, the pump and its attached digger
and strainer are raised so that the latter shall be just above the water and an
operator then removes the impediments by hand, and if necessary throws the
plate w open as indicated in Figure 4, to drive the stones, shells, etc., out of the
perforations from within outward, and then closes and secures the plate in position
again, all of which may be done in a minute or two.
The combined areas of the perforations greatly exceed the area of the suction
pipe so that the pump may do full work even if many of the perforations become
clogged.
Where a sufficient supply of water can be had to make it operative, this device
can be used with great advantage in sinking shafts, wells, etc.
The suction pipe of a dredging pump may have fixed on its lower end an enlarged
section of pipe which would be a mechanical equivalent of the shell of the com-
bined digger and strainer herein shown and described, in which case the perforated
plate with its teeth would be hinged or otherwise attached to the lower end of said
suction pipe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is
1. A dredging device constructed substantially as herein shown and described
consisting of a barge or boat having fixed thereon frame work supporting an
elevated receiving and discharging hopper and a continuous rail, a pump suspended
by trolley and chain from the continuous rail and provided with flexible steam and
water attachments for operation and provided also with rigid suction pipe; suitable
discharge pipes connected with the elevated hopper; and an adjustable trough, all
arranged and operated as set forth.
2. In a dredging device the combination with an elevated, continuous rail as I of
pump as H and devices for suspending said pump from said rail, substantially as
herein shown and described, whereby said pump may be raised, lowered and moved
as set forth.
E

page_text: 3. In a dredging device of the character substantially as herein shown and
described the combination with a continuous, overhanging rail of a pump and of
attachments for raising, lowering and laterally moving said pump as set forth.
4. In a dredging device as a means for supporting a dredging pump and facilitating
its adjustment in position, an elevated continuous rail as I fixed on and in com-
bination with a supporting boat and frame as set forth.
5. In a dredging device the combination with an elevated, continuous rail as I
and devices for suspending a pump adjustably therefrom, of a suspended pump,
as H provided with flexible steam and water connections, substantially as herein
shown and described.
6. In a dredging device a vertically suspended pump as H provided with rigid,
vertical, suction pipe, substantially as and for the purposes described.
7. In a dredging device of the character substantially as herein shown and
described, the combination with an elevated hopper as G and suitable hopper-
discharging pipes, of flexible pipe k iron pipes and V-shaped trough t as set forth.
8. The improved method of dredging which consists in applying, during the
operation of dredging with a pump, the combined weight of the pump and suction
pipe to facilitate the excavation of the matter to be removed by the pump as set
forth.
.
9. In a dredging device as a means for excavating the matter to be dredged an
operating pump provided with a rigid suction pipe and suspended with the lower
end of the pipe resting on the matter to be dredged and supporting the weight of
the pump as set forth.
10. A combined digger and strainer for excavating or dredging purposes con-
structed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of a hollow metallic
shell adapted for attachment to a suction pipe and having secured to its lower rim
a flanged perforated plate carrying projecting teeth as set forth.
11. In a dredging or excavating apparatus the combination with the suction
pipe of a pump, of a perforated plate carrying downward projecting stirring or
digging teeth substantially as herein shown and described.
12. In a dredging device of the character substantially as herein specified the
combination with an operating pump provided with a rigid suction pipe, of a com-
bined digger and strainer constructed substantially as herein shown and described
and adapted to be secured to the lower end of the suction pipe as set forth.
Doted this 19th day of November 1885
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicants.