Improvements in and in Apparatus for the Raising of Vessels and Articles Sunk in Water and for like purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
Improvements in and in Apparatus for the Raising of Vessels and
Articles Sunk in Water and for like purposes.
A communication by FRIEDERICH GERHARD NIELSEN, of Sonderburg, in the Empire
of Germany, Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
This invention has for its object the raising of sunken vessels or articles sunk
in water as well as for expelling water from floating docks or other open hollow
bodies and for rendering openings under water watertight by the use of water-
tight bags inflated with acetylene gas or other suitable gas obtained by a cold
process.
In carrying out the invention a holder or casing is airtightly inserted in the
centre of the lid or cover of a hollow vessel, which holder serves for containing the
gas evolving apparatus.
When the apparatus is to be used, a bag made of canvas and which is to receive the
calcium carbide is hung on the open bottom of the holder, and a spherical tilting
drum which is eccentrically pivoted in the holder is filled with calcium carbide.
A disc of leather or indiarubber is placed over the opening in the spherical drum
and held fast by means of a cap which is screwed down onto it into the holder, thus
compressing an internal spiral spring placed between the cap and the centre of the
disc so that the spherical drum is prevented rotating by the disc firmly bearing
thereon. A cord runs through the cap to the disc and is adapted when pulled to
lift the disc off the drum, thus allowing the latter to tilt or turn over.
The apparatus is slung by ring bolts and conveyed into the water, a suitable
amount of air being allowed to escape through a screwhole and enough water
admitted through holes in or near the bottom until the vessel sinks. No water can
yet penetrate into the drum because in addition to the tight fitting disc the air
under the drum in the holder keeps out the water. A hook provided on the vessel
is connected with the article to be raised and then the rope is pulled. The drum
thereupon tilts or makes a half revolution and scatters calcium carbide into the
bag where it comes in contact with water. The acetylene gas then developed expels
the water from the hollow vessel which thereby receives lifting power.
If instead of expelling water from the hollow vessel, the inflation of an air tight
bag is to be effected, the holder is watertightly connected therewith and water
admitted to the drum and calcium carbide placed in the bag.
Dated this 7th day of April 1898.

page_text: Improvements in and in Apparatus for the Raising of Vessels and
Articles Sunk in Water and for like purposes..
A communication by FRIEDERICH GERHARD NIELSEN, of Sonderburg, in the Empire
of Germany, Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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: —
This invention has for its object the raising of sunken vessels or articles sunk
in water as well as for expelling water from floating docks or other open hollow
bodies and for rendering openings under water watertight by the use of water-
tight bags inflated with acetylene gas or other suitable gas obtained by a cold
process.
In carrying out the invention a holder or casing u which is shown in the accom-
panying drawings, Figure 1 being a vertical section, and Figure 2 a sectional
plan view, is airtightly inserted in the centre of the lid or cover d of a hollow
vessel A, which holder serves for containing the gas evolving apparatus.
When the apparatus is to be used, a bag b made of canvas and which is to receive
the calcium carbide is hung on the open bottom of the holder u, and a spherical
tilting drum m which is eccentrically pivoted in the holder u is filled with calcium
carbide. A disc of leather or indiarubber is placed over the opening in the
spherical drum and held fast by means of a cap g which is screwed down onto it
into the holder u, thus compressing an internal spiral spring f placed between the
cap and the centre of the disc, so that the spherical drum m is prevented rotating
by the disc i firmly,bearing thereon. A cord runs through the cap g to the disc i
and is adapted when pulled to lift the disc i off the drum m, thus allowing the latter
to tilt or turn over.
The apparatus is slung by ring bolts and conveyed into the water, a suitable
amount of air being allowed to escape through a screwhole and enough water
admitted through holes p in or near the bottom until the vessel sinks. No water
can yet penetrate into the drum m because in addition to the tight fitting disc i
the air under the drum in the holder keeps out the water. A hook h provided on
the vessel is connected with the article to be raised and then the rope t is pulled. The
drum m thereupon tilts or makes a half revolution and scatters calcium carbide into
the bag b where it comes in contact with water. The acetylene gas then developed
expels the water from the hollow vessel A which thereby receives lifting power.
If instead of expelling water from the hollow vessel, the inflation of an airtight
bag is to be effected, the holder u is watertightly connected therewith and water
admitted to the drum m and calcium carbide placed in the bag.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The expulsion of water from a vessel (A) under water, or the inflation of a
gas obtained
water tight bag under water by means of acetylene gas or other suitable
by a cold process, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

page_text: 2. Apparatus for the raising of vessels and articles sunk in water and for like
purposes consisting of a gas producer arranged in a vessel such as described and
comprising a spherical drum (m) filled with calcium carbide and eccentrically
pivoted in a tight holder (u) and adapted to be tilted or caused to make half a
revolution on a cord (t) being pulled, when the vessel (A) partially filled with water
has been attached by means of a hook to the article to be lifted, thereby causing
the calcium carbide to be scattered into a bag (b) hanging beneath it, whereupon
gas is evolved and the water expelled from the vessel (A), substantially as herein-
before described.
3. The application of the herein before described apparatus for the inflation of a
water tight bag characterized by the water tight bag being attached to the holder (u),
water being contained in the spherical drum (m) and calcium carbide in the water
tight bag so that by the evolution of gas which takes place after the tilting of the
drum, the water tight bag is inflated, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated thin Ofth day of May 1808