IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TRANSPORT OF CARRIAGES AND CATTLE OVER RIVERS AND ESTUARIES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Imrie Bell, of Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, Francis Goold Morony Stoney, of the same Place, Civil
Engineer, and William Edmund Rich; of Whitehall Place, also in the City of
Westminster, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
FACILITATING THE TRANSPORT OF CARRIAGES AND CATTLE OVER RIVERS AND
ESTUARIES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Imrie Bell, Francis Goold
Morony Stoney, and William Edmund Rich at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents on the 16th June 1881.
IMRIE BELL, of Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer,
FRANCIS GOOLD MORONY STONEY, of the same Place, Civil Engineer, and
WILLIAM EDMUND RICH, of Whitehall Place, also in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TRANSPORT OF
CARRIAGES AND CATTLE OVER RIVERS AND ESTUARIES."
The object of this Invention is to transfer carriages laden with goods or
passengers, and also droves of cattle, over rivers and estuaries from one high level
to another. For this purpose, supposing a river is to be crossed, wo construct at the
opposite shores at the points of embarkation and disembarkation docks to receive a
steam ferry boat of peculiar construction, which docks will stand out, say, at right
angles to the shore; or we may form locks parallel to the shore for the reception
of our peculiar construction of ferry boat, fitting the locks with swing gates at their
opposite ends, which gates will form abutments for the boat to rest against, and
also, if required, vertical guides for the boat.
The docks or the locks will be constructed of such internal proportions as to
receive the steam boat, and by their side walls to present vertical guiding surfaces,
over which the boat may slide vertically when raised or lowered in the manner to
be presently described. The hull of the steam boat we form with parallel sides at
the middle of its length, and these parallel sides will terminate at a rebato which
will form vertical fore and aft bearing surfaces, beyond which the hull will taper
[Price 6d.1.

page_text: to its stem and stern, both ends being preferably made of corresponding form. In
the centre of the hull we fit a large hydraulic cylinder constructed of, say, cast
iron, and put together in sections. This cylinder we secure by bolts or rivets to
suitable girders forming part of the frame of the boat, thereby inaking it a
structural portion of the boat. This cylinder will extend from the bottom of the
boat to any desired height above the deck, according to the length of lift required
for the boat, and will be closed at top and connected at that part by pipes with a
force pump or pumps.
Within this cylinder wo fit a hydraulic ram, which is free to slide through a
gland at the lower end of the cylinder. The bottom of this ram we cone, making
it preferably hollow to fit onto a corresponding projection at the bottom and contre
of the dock or lock. This conical projection is intended to forin a step bearing for
the hydraulic ram when the ram is caused to protrude through the hull by water
pumped into the cylinder by means of steam power. The ferry boat we propose to
fit with deck houses, and to lay transversely or otherwiso rails upon the dock for
the reception of railway carriages. To enable the boat to receive its load we raiso
it to the level, say, of the railway from which the carriages are to be run.
This we
do by pumping water into the hydraulic cylinder until the deck of the boat has
risen in its lock to the level of the adjacent railway. The transfer of the carriages
to the boat will then be readily effected.
At this time the whole weight of the boat and its load will be supported by the
ram, the ram resting, as already explained, upon its foot bearing. As the sides of
the lock form guides for the parallel sides of the hull, it will be understood
that no tipping of the boat can take place. When the boat has received its cargo
of whatever kind it is only necessary to allow the water in the hydraulic cylinder
to escape, and the boat will gradually sink to its line of flotation. The lock gates
we propose shall open inwards, and fall back into recosses formed to receive them.
By means of counterweights or other suitable contrivance these gates may receive
a tendency to leave their recesses, and thus form abutments for the boat, which
abutments will gauge the position of the boat in the lock and centro it with
respect to the foot bearing. The cover of the hydraulic cylinder wo propose to
cushion with cork, india rubber, or some equivalent material, to deaden tho blow
which may be caused by the foot of the ram striking the step bearing. When the
ferry boat lins reached the point of disembarkation it will be berthed as before in
lock or dock, and then by means of hydraulic apparatus the boat will bo raised
until its deck is on a level with the landing stago. This stage being fitted with
rails corresponding with those on the deck the carriages may be readily trans-
ferred from the boat to shore. In like manner this power of raising the ferry boat
to the level of an elevated platform will offer great facilities for the transport of
cattle, the labour of delivering them onto the vessel, and subsequently on to the
landing stage by means of slings boing thereby avoided.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Imrie Bell, Francis Goold Morony Stoney, and William Edmund
Rich in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th December 1881.
IMRIE BELL, of Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer,
FRANCIS GOOLD MORONY STONEY, of the same Place, Civil Engineer, and WILLIAM
EDMUND RICH, of Whitehall Place, also in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
'IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TRANSPORT OF CARRIAGES AND
CATTLE OVER RIVERS AND ESTUARIES."
The object of this Invention is to transfer carriages laden with goods or
passengers, and also droves of cattle, over rivers and estuaries from one high level
to another. For this purpose, supposing a river is to bo crossed, we construct at
the opposite shores at the points of embarkation and disembarkation docks to
receive a steam ferry boat of peculiar construction, such docks constituting
abutments for the boat to rest against and also vertical guides for the boat. !
The hull of the steam boat we form with parallel sides at the middle of its
length, and at the termination of these parallel sides we provide means for locking
the vessel to the docks, so as to ensure the uprightness of the vessel under the
varying circumstances presently to be noticed. Beyond the parallel sides the hull
will taper to its stem and stern, both ends being preferably made of corresponding
form. In the centro of the hull we fit a large hydraulic cylinder constructed of,
say, cast iron, and forming a structural portion of the boat. This cylinder will
extend from the bottom of the boat to any desired height above,' he deck; according
to the length of lift required for the boat, and will be closed at top and connected
at that part by pipes with a force pump or pumps.
Within this cylinder we fit an hydraulic ram, which is free to slide through a
gland at the lower end of the cylinder. The bottom of this ram we cono, making
it preferably hollow to fit onto a corresponding projection at the bottom of the
dock. This conical projection is intended to form a stop bearing for the hydraulic
rain when the ram is caused to protrudo through the hull by water pumped into
the cylinder by means of steam power. The deck of the ferry boat we lay with
rails transversely for the reception of railway carriages. To enable the boat to receivo
its load we raise it to the level, say, of the railway from which the carriages are to
be run. This we do by pumping water into the hydraulic cylinder until the deck of
the boat has risen to the level of the adjacent railway. The transfer of the carriagos
to the boat will then be readily effected. When the boat has received its cargo, of
whatever kind, it is only necessary to allow the water in the hydraulic cylinder to
escape, and the boat will gradually sink to its line of flotation. On lifting tho
ram clear of its foot bearing and withdrawing the clamps from the grooves D the
vessel may then be propelled to the opposite side of the river. On the ferry boat
reaching the point of disembarkation it will be berthed as before, and then by
means of the hydraulic apparatus the boat will be raised until its deck is on a level
with the landing stage. This stage being fitted with rails corresponding with those
on the deck, the carriages may be readily transferred from the boat to shore. In
like manner this power of raising the ferry boat to the level of an elevated
platform will offer great facilities for the transport of cattle, the labour of delivering
them onto the vessel and subsequently onto the landing stage by means of slings
being thereby avoided.
In the accompanying Drawings we have shewn our Invention as adapted for
facilitating the transport of railway carriages across a river, recessed quay walls
with vertical guides being in this case sufficient to form the docks of embarkation
and disembarkation, but in the case of an estuary it may be found desirable to
erect locks for the better security of the ferry boat when raised out of the water.

page_text: In Sheet I. of the Drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of our improved ferry boat
lying beside the quay which constitutes the dock, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the
vessel shewing it raised out of the water. In Sheet II. Fig. 3 is a horizontal
sectional plan showing it secured to the dock or river side quay. In these Figures,
A is a vertical cylinder of cast iron built up in sections and extending from tho
bottom of the bull to any required height above the deck, which height will be
determined by the length of lift desired to be given to the vessel. The castings of
this cylinder (see the enlarged sectional view, Fig. 4) are formed with horizontal
and vertical external flanges for receiving bolts or rivets by which the parts are
secured together. Connected with this cylinder by its vertical flanges are the
transverse girders or bulk heads near the centre of the vessel, as shown in the
sectional plan, Fig. 3. Thus the cylinder A will serve to give strength and stability
to the hull, and it is further secured to the hull by means of the bridge which
extends longitudinally of the vessel. The cylinder is closed at top by a cover A¹
which is fitted on its inner face with a cushion a of cork chips or equivalent
material, for the purpose to be hereafter mentioned. Within this cylinder A is
fitted a ram B formed in segments cast with internal flanges by which the parts
are secured together. The ram is closed at its upper end and open at bottom, the
lower ring of segments being cast with a conical lip to fit onto a conical shaped
step bearing C fixed at the bottom of the dock, or at a distanco from the quay
side about equal to one half the breadth of the vessel. This step bearing is
intended to receive and support the whole weight of the vessel when raised from
the water to receive its load, and a similar provision is made on the opposite side
of the river for the like purpose when the vessel is raised to discharge its load.
The hydraulic cylinder A is fitted with an internal packing ring at bottom, and
the ram is similarly provided with a packing ring at its upper end. The cylinder A
wo connect in any convenient manner with force pumps (not shewn in the Drawing,
for delivering water at a pressure above the ram for the purpose of lifting the
vessel, and below the packing ring of the ram for lifting the ram when that is
required, as will be horeafter mentioned. Tho vessel we propose to fit with steam
propelling machinery, and a donkey engine should be provided for working the
hydraulic apparatus. When the force pumps are set to work and water is forced
into the cylinder A, the vessel will bo raised to any desired height, and for
lowering the vessel to its floating level it will only be necessary to discharge the
water from the hydraulic cylinder. In order to steady the vessel as it rises and
falls under the action of the bydraulic apparatus, vertical guides D are provided at
either end of the recess in the quay, and into these guides project clamps from the
vessel's side, which clamps while held in place will offer no obstruction to the
elevation and depression of the vessel. These clamps shewn at E may be described
as crank lovers pivotted at a and connected by toggle levers El to a fixed point c'.
Coupled to these toggle levers at their point of connection with one another, is a
rod E which is jointed to the piston rod of a small hydraulic ram F or equivalent
contrivance. The vessel is similarly provided at its opposite sides with clamps E
and small hydraulic rams or their equivalent for working them. Thus when the
hydraulic rams are caused to straighten the toggles E', the clamps E will be thrust
into the guides D, and so long as they are retained in that position they will
serve to maintain the vessel in a vertical position. So soon however as the vessel
falls to its floating level, the shifting of the valves of the hydraulic cylinders F which
should be double acting will withdraw the clamps from the guides D and leave the
vessel free to be steered out of dock. On the descent of the vessel, which is caused
by the discharge from the hydraulic cylinder of the water delivered by the force
pumps, the cover of the cylinder may be subjected to a severe shock at the moment
that the vessel is settling to its floating level, and it is to prevent injury from this
cause to the hydraulic ram that its cover is furnished with a cushion, as shown at
Fig. 4 to receive and deaden this shock.
From the foregoing it will be understood that when the ferry boat is required
to be of large dimensions, it may be found desirable to duplicate or even triplicate

page_text: the bydraulic lifting cylinders, in order to avoid a difficulty which might ariso in
nicely balancing the loaded vessel. In such case these cylinders should be con-
nected together, so that they might be simultaneously and equally charged with
water from the force pumps. The step bearings would necessarily have to bo
increased in number to correspond with the number of rams for which bearings
were required.
The diagram, Fig. 5, Sheet II., shews a method of constructing a lock which may
afford moro protection to the vessel than would be afforded by the dock illustrated
in Fig. 1. In this Figure a wall is built parallel to the quay and at such distanco
therefrom as to afford free ingress and egress for the vessel. This will allow of
the vessel being held simultaneously at its opposite sides when raised out of the
water, a precaution which may be desirable in estuaries subject to occasional
tempestuous weather. This lock we fit with swing gates at its opposite ends, which
gates form abutments for the boat to rest against, and also vertical guides for the
boat. These lock gates open inwards and fall back into recesses made to receivo
them. A tendency is however given by counterweights for these gates to leave
their recesses, and thus form the abutments for the boat, which abutments will
gauge the position of the boat in the lock and centro it with respect to the foot
bearing. The boat may be held to the gates by clamps worked from within tho
vessel as explained with reference to Fig. 1.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improved Apparatus for
Facilitating the Transport of Carriages and Cattle over Rivers and Estuaries," and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood
that under the above in part recited Letters Patent we claim,-
The adaptation to travelling floating structures of hydraulic lifting apparatus
as above described, and in combination therewith the use of a dock or its equivalent
provided with guides for steadying the movements of the floating vessel when
rising from or descending into the water.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Goold Morony Stoney, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord, One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.