IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SCRAPING SHIPS' BOTTOMS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Westberg, of Brahestad, Finland, in the Empire of
Russia, at present residing at 23, Rood Lane, in the City of London, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SCRAPING SHIPS' BOTTOMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Westberg at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th April 1881.
JOHN WESTBERG, of Brahestad, Finland, in the Empire of Russia, at present
residing at 23, Rood Lane, in the City of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SCRAPING SHIPS' BOTTOMS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for scraping ships'.
bottoms when afloat, and the improvements relate to the means employed for
forcibly pressing scrapers up to and against the sides and bottom of a ship as they
are dragged or moved to and fro over them.
For this purpose I hinge boards or flaps to the back of the frame which carries
the scrapers. The hinge joints of these flaps are made to be at right angles, or
approximately so, to the direction in which the scraper frame is to be dragged to
and fro over the surface of a ships bottom. The flaps stand out from the back of
the frame, and stops are fixed to the frame or to the flaps to limit the movement
of the flaps, so that the flaps may either incline to the frame in one direction, or
they may incline to the frame in the opposite direction at an angle of 45 degrees
or thereabouts, according to the direction in which the frame is being drawn
through the water..
Generally the scraper frames are drawn by ropes upwards and downwards over
the sides and bottom of a ship, that is, that they are first drawn downwards over
one side of the ship to the keel, then the movement is reversed and the scraper is
hauled back in the opposite direction up the same side of the ship, and in which-
ever way the scraper frame is being moved the inclined flaps acting against the
water forces the scraper frame up to the sides or bottom of the vessel.
The scrapers I prefer to use are metal blades. In large sized apparatus they
are fixed to an open rectangular frame so as to project at right angles from one

page_text: face of it. A flap is hinged to the back of the upper bar of the rectangular frame,
and another flap to the back of the lower bar. Projecting from the back of the
ends of the frame are triangular projections, the sides of which are at an angle of
about 45° to the back of the frame. When the frame is drawn in one direction
one flap would at its ends rest upon one side of each projection and be so kept at
an angle of about 45 degrees to the frame, whilst the other is likewise kept at an
angle of 45° to the frame by the two flaps being linked together by cords, or chains,
or links.
Small apparatus may be made in a similar manner to be moved to and fro by a
long handle or pole. Or in small apparatus scrapers may be made to project
outwards from one side or bar of an open rectangular frame. A flap of somewhat
smaller size than the rectangular opening of the frame may be hinged to the
back of this bar, and another flap may be hinged to the outside of the opposite
side or bar of the rectangular frame. To this latter bar a long pole or handle may
be affixed. The movement of the flaps would be limited by stops to keep them
at angle of 45° or thereabouts to the frame in one direction or the other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Westberg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th October
1881.
JOHN WESTBERG, of Brahestad, Finland, in the Empire of Russia, at present
residing at 23, Rood Lane, in the City of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SCRAPING SHIPS' BOTTOMS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for scraping ships'
bottoms when afloat, and the improvements relate to the means employed for
forcibly pressing scrapers up to and against the sides and bottom of a ship as they
are dragged or moved to and fro over them.
For this purpose I binge boards or flaps to the back of the frame which carries
the scrapers. The hinge joints of these flaps are made to be at right angles, or
approximately so, to the direction in which the scraper frame is to be dragged to
and fro over the surface of a ships bottom. The flaps stand out from the back of
the frame, and stops are fixed to the frame or to the flaps to limit the movement
of the flaps, so that the flaps may either incline to the frame in one direction or
they may incline to the frame in the opposite direction at an angle of 45 degrees
or thereabouts according to the direction in which the frame is being drawn
through the water.
Generally the scraper frames are drawn by ropes upwards and downwards over
the sides and bottom of a ship, that is, that they are first drawn downwards over
one side of the ship to the keel, and then the movement is reversed and the scraper
is hauled back in the opposite direction up the same side of the ship, and in which
ever way the scraper frame is being moved the inclined flaps acting against the
water forces the scraper frame up to the sides or bottom of the vessel.
The scrapers I prefer to use are metal blades. In large sized apparatus they are
fixed to an open rectangular frame, so as to project at right angles from one face of
it. A flap is hinged to the back of the upper bar of the rectangular frame and
another flap to the back of the lower bar. Projecting from the back of the ends
of the frame are triangular projections, the sides of which are at an angle of about
45° to the back of the frame. When the frame is drawn in one direction one
flap would at its ends rest upon one side of each projection, and be so kept at an
angle of about 45 degrees to the frame, whilst the other is likewise kept at an
angle of 45° to the frame by the two flaps being linked together by cords, or chains,
or links.
Small apparatus may be made in a similar manner to be moved to and fro by
a long handle or pole. Or in small apparatus scrapers may be made to project
outwards from one side or bar of an open rectangular frame. A flap of some-
what smaller size than the rectangular opening of the frame may be hinged to the
back of this bar, and another flap may be hinged to the outside of the opposite
side or bar of the rectangular frame. To this latter bar a long pole or handle may
be affixed. The movement of the flaps would be limited by stops to keep them at
an angle of 45° or thereabouts to the frame in one direction or the other.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn apparatus constructed as
above described.
Figure 1 is a face view of one form of the apparatus.
Figure 2 is an end view of the same, and Figure 3 is a back view.
A, A, are four rectangular frames carrying metal scraper blades A'; each frame
A is carried by pivots B. The pivots of two of the frames A are carried by one
of a pair of rectangular frames C, and the pivots of the two other frames are
carried by the other rectangular frame C. The rectangular frames C are them-
selves connected to an outer frame D by pivots C₁ at right angles to the pivots B.

page_text: This way of carrying the scraper blades admits of their adapting themselves to the
surface of a ships bottom, but any other suitable way of securing the scrapers to
the outer frame D which will effect the same object may be adopted. Projecting
from the back of each end of the frame D is a triangular projection D¹. To the
back of the frame are also hinged two flaps E. If the apparatus is drawn through
the water in the direction shewn by the arrow, the upper flap will by the action
of the water be turned downwards into the position shewn, and will rest at its ends
against the triangular projections D¹, and will be so kept at an angle of about 45°
to the back of the frame. The lower flap E also being coupled to the upper flap
by links F will be retained at the same angle. If the apparatus were drawn in
the opposite direction the positions of the flaps would be altered, and they would
incline upwards at an angle of 45° instead of downwards. The apparatus is drawn
to and fro over the bottom of a ship by cords, in the manner above described;
the cords are attached to arms G which are jointed to the frame at its ends, as
shown. H, H, are stops or guards to keep the frame from getting out of proper
position.
be
Figure 4 is a face view, and Figure 5 a transverse section of a scraper of smaller
size to be moved to and fro by a pole handle. The construction of this apparatus
is very similar to that above described; A' are the scraper blades, in this case fixed
to the outer frame D; E, E, are two flaps hinged to the back of this frame, and D¹
are triangular projections on either side of the back of the frame to form stops for
the flaps E to rest against, as above described; F is a link by which the two flaps
are linked together; G is a long pole or handle by which the apparatus may
moved to and fro; D2 is a cross bar fixed at its ends to the apex of the two
triangular projections D¹ of the frame D. This cross bar has hinged to it another
flap I; D³ are stops carried by the bar D³, which allow the flap to turn to an
angle of 45° in either direction to the back of the frame D, as shown. The
apparatus might be made either with or without this additional flap. Another
form of the apparatus is shewn in section at Figure 6; A¹ are the scraper blades;
D is the frame; E, E, are flaps; G is a pole handle; the way in which the flaps are
prevented from turning in either direction beyond an angle of 45° or thereabouts
to the frame is clearly shewn by the Drawings.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim the construction of apparatus
for scraping ships bottoms, substantially in the manner herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Westberg, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
JOHN WESTBERG. (L.S.)