IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS AND APPARATUS USED FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER BODIES IN THE WATER, AND FOR LOWERING MATERIALS FOR STRUCTURAL PURPOSES IN WATER.
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Randoll Smith, of 2, Hanover Terrace,
Cumberland Road, Bristol, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS
AND APPARATUS USED FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER BODIES IN THE
WATER, AND FOR LOWERING MATERIALS FOR STRUCTURAL PURPOSES IN WATER.
Sealed the 2nd June 1854, and dated the 5th April 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Randoll Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1854.
I, STEPHEN RANDOLL SMITH, of 2, Hanover Terrace, Cumberland Road,
Bristol, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VESSELS AND APPARATUS USED FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER BODIES IN
THE WATER, AND FOR LOWERING MATERIALS FOR STRUCTURAL PURPOSES IN WATER,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention, which I call the central tubular marine lifting apparatus,
consists of a floating vessel, constructed of wood and iron, somewhat resembling
the hull of a ship, having a deck, on which the principal mechanical operations
are performed, and furnished with a series of iron tubes arranged in the
central line of the deck, and passing through the body of the vessel from
the deck to the bottom, the said tubes being used as conductors, through which
chains are worked for the purpose of lifting sunken vessels or other ponderous
bodies, or for depositing heavy masses of concrete or masonry to be used

page_text: in the construction of piers, harbours, breakwaters, or other erections or
foundations.
The tubes being in the centre of the vessel, admits of the use of any avail-
able power from the centre of the vessel for the purposes of lifting or other-
wise, without lurching or disturbing the vertical position of the vessel and
apparatus; it also admits of the use of encircling chains to be applied for the
purpose of lifting vessels or other ponderous bodies.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stephen Randoll Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
RANDOLL SMITH, of 2, Hanover Terrace, Cumberland Road, Bristol, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Stephen Randoll Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Stephen Randoll
Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Stephen Randoll Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VESSELS AND APPARATUS USED FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER
BODIES IN THE WATER, AND FOR LOWERING MATERIALS FOR STRUCTURAL PURPOSES
IN WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stephen
Randoll Smith, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW, KNOW YE, that I, the said Stephen Randoll Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say):-

page_text: My Invention, which I call the central tubular marine lifting apparatus,
consists of a floating vessel, constructed of wood and iron, somewhat resembling
the hull of a ship, having a deck, on which the principal mechanical operations
are performed, and furnished with a series of iron tubes arranged in the central
line of the deck, and passing through the body of the vessels from the deck to
the bottom, the said tubes being used as conductors, through which chains are
worked for the purpose of lifting sunken vessels or other ponderous bodies, or
for depositing heavy masses of concrete or masonry to be used in the construc-
tion of piers, harbours, breakwaters, or other crections or foundations. The
tubes being in the centre of the vessel admits of the use of any available
power from the centre of the vessel for the purposes of lifting or otherwise,
without lurching or disturbing the vertical position of the vessel and apparatus ;
it also admits of the use of encircling chains to be applied for the purpose of
lifting vessels or other ponderous bodies.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section; and Figure 3, a
transverse section of a vessel or apparatus constructed according to my Inven-
tion. The other Figures show detached views of some of the parts, together
with side floats and modifications of the apparatus, the nature of which being
written thereon, it will not be necessary to further describe. a, a, is a strong
framework of timber, firmly bolted together and strengthened with angle iron,
as shewn; b, b, are a series of metal tubes which pass through the centre of
the deck and bottom of the vessel, and are firmly secured thereto. The chains
or cables for raising or lifting sunken vessels or other ponderous bodies, or for
depositing heavy masses of concrete or masonry for foundations or other sub-
marine purposes, are passed from any suitable lifting machinery placed on the
deck of the vessels through the tubes b, b, and are secured by suitable arrange-
ments of encircling chains and shackles carried by a steam tug, having suitable
fittings and arrangements as regards hawse pipes, nippers, &c., for the working
of the chains, and being also furnished with diving stages and ladders to be
worked by suitable apparatus for discovering and surveying the position of
sunken vessels, &c., so as to readily attach the chains to the sunken vessel or
other heavy body to be raised in the most advantageous manner; and the
power exerted to raise such body will thus be applied vertically, so as not to
disturb the vertical position of the vessels, although it may sometimes be
requisite to apply the power in a lateral direction; the sunken vessel or other

page_text: body to be raised will be raised up between two such floating vessels, which
will be readily understood on examining Figures 4 and 5, which show
perspective views of a sunken vessel, and apparatus for raising the same,
according to my Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, what I claim is, the arrangement of apparatus for raising
sunken vessels and other bodies, and for lowering materials for structural pur-
poses in water, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Randoll Smith, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
STEPHEN RANDOLL SMITH. (L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE TOMMY,
7, Bath Parade, Temple Gate,
Bristol.