IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE UTILIZATION OF GAS FLAME, TO DRYING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS WHILE IN DOCK, ON-SLIPS OR IN OTHER RECEPTACLES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"
We ALFRED HORATIO FELL, ARTHUR WELLESLEY FELL Gentlemen of
2 St Thomas Place and ROBERT TURNBULL, Naval Architect of 27 Campbell St
all of Newcastle upon Tyne, do hereby declare the, nature of our said invention
for "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE UTILIZATION OF GAS FLAME,
TO DRYING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS WHILE IN DOCK, ON-SLIPS OR IN OTHER
RECEPTACLES" to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to dry or evaporate the wet and damp moisture
from the bottoms of iron and steel ships and other like structures while in dock, on
slipways, on gridirons on pontoons, or on the shore after the tide has receded or
left the vessel previous to laying on the paint or composition and also for drying
the paint after it has been laid on the vessels bottom or sides by means of gas
blown through or into hollow flat chambers or other vessels provided with doors or
plates or left open.
•
The chambers are placed on the end of a lever made to swing round right or left
and either up or down so that it presses against the vessels bottom or side.
The lever is supported upon a bogie which carries the said lever; cranks, screws
and levers are so arranged that they are made to travel well under the bottom of
the vessel.
The gas is supplied from the dock side either by iron or flexible pipes which run
fore and aft the dock side and conveyed by flexible pipes to the lever and there
connected to a fixed pipe fitted with taps communicating with the hollow flat
chambers or pan which may be in several pieces and jointed to fit the bottom or
sides of the vessel,
In some cases we use a carriage to run under the bottom to the vessels keel
either across the dock bottom or to run longitudinally, the hollow chamber being
suspended on parallels which are actuated by a rack and pinion or preferably by a
pair of bevilled wheels which revolve a screw for either elevating or depressing the
chamber as required to bring the gas flame, or the heat from the chamber against
the plating of the vessels bottom.

page_text: We ALFRED HORATIO FELL, ARTHUR WELLESLEY FELL Gentlemen of
2 St Thomas Place and ROBERT TURNBULL Naval Architect of 27 Campbell
Street all of Newcastle upon Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention for "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE UTILIZATION OF GAS
FLAME TO DRYING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS WHILE IN DOCK, ON SLIPS, OR IN OTHER 5
RECEPTACLE," and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to dry or evaporate the wet and damp moisture
from the bottoms of iron and steel ships and other like structures while in dock, on
slipways, on gridirons, on pontoons, or on the shore after the tide has receded or 1
left the vessel, previous to laying on the paint or composition, and also for 'drying
the paint after it has been laid on the vessels bottom or sides, by means of gas
blown through or into flat chambers or other vessels provided with doors or plates
or left open. The chambers are placed on the end of a lever made to swing
round, right or left, and, either up or down, so that it presses against the vessels 1
bottom or side.
The lever is supported upon a bogie and the said lever, also cranks, and screws
are so arranged that they are made to travel well under the bottom of the vessel.
The gas is supplied from the dock side either by iron or flexible pipes, which run
fore and aft on the dock side, and conveyed by flexible pipes to the lever and thero
connected to a fixed pipe fitted with taps communicating with the flat chambers
or pan, which may be in several pieces and jointed to fit the bottom or sides of
the vessel.
In some cases we use a carriage to run under the bottom, to the vessels keel,
either across the dock bottom, or to run longitudinally, the chambers being
Buspended on parallels which are actuated by a rack and pinion or preferably by
a pair of bevelled wheels, which revolve a screw for either elevating or depressing
the chamber, as required, to bring the gas flame or the heat from the chamber
against the plating of the vessel's bottom.
The manner of effecting the drying of ships bottoms by gas flame or gas heat
according to our invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings
Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Referring to Figure 1 A is a chamber divided into compartments for the
distribution of gas therein. The upper part of this chamber is provided with
perforated plates or meshed wire work (doors) so that the gas supplied by the
pipe B, or it may be several pipes, from one branch supply C (which we prefer
should be flexible) and connected to a pipe D fitted along the dock wall.
The chamber A is pivotted on the end of a lever H which can be canted to any
desired extent by the elevating screw E which is secured to its opposite arm F.
The lever is supported by a swivel crutch G on the upper part of a bogie or

page_text: travelling carriage L which can be moved along longitudinally of the dock. The
lever H and its elevating screw is capable of a swinging action on the crutch G by
the crane jib I and the chamber A can be set at any convenient angle to the
lever H by the crank J and hand lever K to suit the curvature of the ship's bottom
or the part to which the gas flame has to be applied for drying purposes.
The flexible pipe C can be attached to the existing pipes now used for lighting
purposes, or a separate branch may be fitted to said branch to supply the
chamber A.
Figures 2 and 3 represent in elevation and plan our improved method of drying
ships bottoms by gas flame heat in which the carriage or bogie L carrying the
gas chambers or burners A, is moved transversely in the dock, the chambers or
burners A having an elevating and lowering action by means of the levers from
the hand wheel K, so as to bring it nearer to or farther from the bottom of the
vessel M.
·
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
The utilization of gas flame heat for drying the bottoms of ships or like structures
whilst in dock on slips or other receptacles as hereinbefore described and by the
means or apparatus such as is shown on the annexed drawings.