IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATING DOCKS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I SERKIS-BEY BALLIAN of N° 21 rue de Trévise, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATING DOCKS" to be as follows:-
My improved floating dock is constructed of a series of strong sheet iron
cylinders of large diameter arranged parallel one with the other in a horizontal
plane. These cylinders placed a short distance apart from one another are closed
at their ends and communicate with one another by means of lateral tubes;
towards each of the ends of the cylinders are vertically placed cylinders
communicating with the first named and which may also be connected together.
A platform is arranged on the horizontal cylinders and the vessel is drawn
onto it.
"
By emptying the water from the cylinders the whole will become lighter than
the water and in rising will dry dock the vessel. The dimensions of the dock may
be increased or diminished by adding or removing therefrom one or more
cylinders.

page_text: °
I SERKIS-BEY BALLIAN of N° 21 rue de Trévise, Paris in the Republic of
France, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATING DOCKS "and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of floating docks
whereby their cost is diminished and their construction simplified.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1, is a plan and figure 2,
a transverse section of a floating dock constructed according to my invention.
Similar letters in both figures represent similar parts.
In carrying out my invention I arrange horizontally a series of sheet iron
cylinders A A A, communicating with one another by means of a series of
tubes B B B. At each end of each of these cylinders A; is a pipe C, placed
vertically and each of these pipes C, may be if desired connected to the one on
each side of it, or it may be independent. In a dock of this construction it is
advantageous to construct along the said vertical tubes a wall or fence of wood or
other suitable material to prevent the water from inconveniencing the workmen.
These tubes may also be strengthened by means of suitable struts or stays.
Transverse platforms or bridges are arranged at E, the whole length of the
cylinders A, above which I place girders F F on which rests the ship G, suitably
stayed or supported.
It will be obvious that if the water contained in the cylinders A, and in the
pipes C, or in some of them be pumped out the weight of the dock and of the vessel
can be equilibrated and that by filling the whole or some of these cylinders the
immersion of the whole can be effected. The emptying and filling of the tubes
may be effected by any known means.
I propose to employ cylinders of a diameter of about three meters, and of a
length of about thirty meters but these dimensions can be varied. I do not
contine myself to the number of the cylinders and tubes as it will be evident that
the number will vary according to the weight and length of the vessel to be raised.
One of the chief advantages of my improved construction of floating dock consists
in being able to increase or diminish the length of the dock by adding to or taking
away a number of the cylinders.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
Constructing floating docks of a number of horizontal cylinders or tubes
having vertical tubes at each end, the said cylinders or tubes being connected
together as hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
1
Naambon 1901.