IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUBAQUEOUS PARTY
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas English, of Hawley, Dartford, in the County
of Kent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUBAQUEOUS
PARTY"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas English at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th April 1881.
THOMAS ENGLISH, of Hawley, Dartford, in the County of Kent. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUBAQUEOUS BORING."
My Invention relates to apparatus for boring under water, arranged in such a
manner as to permit boring operations to be continued notwithstanding tidal or
other currents or changes of the water level, or movements of the barge or other
vessel from which the apparatus is worked. For this purpose I employ a rotating
boring tube, having at its end suitable cutters, which when hard rock has to be
bored, may be arranged as in diamond rock drills; and I steady this tube in a
vertical or a more or less inclined attitude by a frame resting on the bottom, the
tube itself extending some distance above the surface of the water.
At the upper
end of the tube I provide a bearing for it in a framing, in which there is also a
bearing for a short shaft at or about right angles to the tube carrying a bevil
wheel, which gears with a bevil wheel on the tube. The framing also carries a
weight, the effect of which may be increased or diminished as required for the
nature of the work by means of a counterweight connected to the frame of the
drill tube by a rope or chain passing over pullies on a jib or derrick mounted on a
barge or other suitable floating vessel moored in the required position. On board
this vessel I provide an engine or other suitable motor, and I connect a revolving
shaft of this motor to that of the bevil wheel, which works the drill by a flexible
twisted wire shaft, such as is frequently employed for working drills in various
positions and attitudes. I also connect from pumps on the barge or floating vessel
a flexible hose, conducting water under pressure to the interior of the drill tube.
The steadying frame, which may be of tripod or open pyramidal form, being placed
on the bottom. The boring tube is lowered by means of the jib or derrick chain
into guides provided in the steadying frame, and its counterweight is adjusted to
suit the nature of the ground or rock to be bored; it is then by means of the
flexible shaft and gearing caused to revolve while water is forced through it to
scour out the borings, the tube descending as the hole becomes deepened. When it
has descended a certain distance the gearing and its frame are detached, an
additional length of tube is added, and the boring is continued.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas English in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th October
1881.
THOMAS ENGLISH, of Hawley, Dartford, in the County of Kent. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUBAQUEOUS BORING."
My Invention relates to apparatus for boring under water, arranged in such a
manner as to permit boring operations to be continued notwithstanding tidal or
other currents or changes of the water level,.or_movements of the barge or other
vessel from which the apparatus is worked. For this purpose I employ a rotating
boring tube having at its end suitable cutters, which when hard rock has to be
bored may be arranged as in diamond rock drills; and I steady this tube in a
vertical or a more or less inclined attitude by a frame resting on the bottom, the tube
itself extending some distance above the surface of the water. At the upper end of
the tube I provide a bearing for it in a framing, in which there is also a bearing
for a short shaft at or about right angles to the tube carrying a bevil wheel, which
gears with a bevil wheel on the tube. The framing also carries a weight, the
effect of which may be increased or diminished as required for the nature of the
work by means of a counterweight connected to the frame of the drill tube by a
rope or chain passing over pullies on a jib or derrick mounted on a barge or other
suitable floating vessel moored in the required position. On board this vessel I
provide an engine or other suitable motor; and I connect a revolving shaft of this
motor to that of the bevil wheel, which works the drill by a flexible twisted wire
shaft, such as is frequently employed for working drills in various positions and
attitudes. I also connect from pumps on the barge or floating vessel a flexible hose,
conducting water under pressure to the interior of the drill tube. The steadying
frame, which may be of tripod or open pyramidal form, being placed on the
bottom. The boring tube is lowered by means of the jib or derrick chain into
guides provided in the steadying frame, and its counterweight is adjusted to suit
the nature of the ground or rock to be bored; it is then by means of the flexible
shaft and gearing caused to revolve while water is forced through it to scour out
the borings, the tube descending as the hole becomes deepened. When it has
descended a certain distance the gearing and its frame are detached, an additional
length of tube is added, and the boring is continued.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a front view of boring apparatus according to
my Invention.
A is the barge or vessel, on which are mounted side by side
several sets of the boring apparatus, one of which I will now describe. An engene B,
or it might be a revolving shaft, works a pulley C, which is connected by the
flexible shaft D to one of a pair of bevil wheels E, the other of which is fixed on
the boring tube F. The bevil wheels E are mounted in a frame G, on which are
placed suitable weights H; a chain extends from these weights over pullies on a
jib or derrick K to a counterweight L, which may be varied at pleasure, thereby
varying the pressure of the weights H upon the boring tube. By means of tackle
to the counterweight L the boring tube with its gearing can be raised or lowered
as required. The boring tube may be steadied by an open tripod frame M. resting
on the bottom. In many cases however this frame may be dispensed with. The
boring tube F extends upwards through the weights H, and terminates in a swivel
union, to which is connected the flexible water hose N. The water under pressure.
may be supplied by a pump or by an injector. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively side

page_text: and front views shewing a modified form of the apparatus. All the parts in these
Figures, corresponding with those shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, are marked by similar
letters. In Fig. 3 I shew the motion derived by a rope from a shaft Ó, which,
extending along the barge, gives motion to a number of the boring apparatus, each
of which can be thrown into or out of action by a clutch and lever P. The pulley C
is driven by a rope Q, which passes over pullies R, and it can be tightened if required
by tackle applied to the frame of C. The chain suspending the bearing tube and
its weights passes over a chain wheel S, which can when required be geared by a
clutch with a wheel T worked by a hand rope. A brake U is provided for the
wheel T, so as to hold the same, and thereby support the boring tube and weights
in a suitable position for connecting or disconnecting lengths of boring tube. When
the tube has been lowered again for boring, the rope wheel T is disengaged from the
chain wheel S, and the drill will then be pressed down by the weights H inde-
pendently of the vertical movement of the barge. By means of the clutch P motion
is communicated from the shaft O to the pulley C and its flexible shaft D which
drives the drill, at the same time allowing for the movement of the barge.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,-
The use for subaqueous boring of apparatus consisting of a barge or vessel
carrying a suspended boring tube, which is pressed down by suitable weights, and
driven by a flexible shaft from a motor on the barge, substantially as herein.
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas English, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
THOS. ENGLISH. (L.S.)