IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING AND WORKING CAISSONS AND PONTOONS FOR LIFTS AND FLOATING AND DRY Docks AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN IRON AND WOOD
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Lungley, of Greenwich, in the County
of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING AND
WORKING CAISSONS AND PONTOONS FOR LIFTS AND FLOATING AND DRY Docks
AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN IRON AND WOOD."
Sealed the 23rd July 1869, and dated the 27th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Lungley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th January 1869.
I, CHARLES LUNGLEY, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BUILDING AND WORKING CAISSONS AND PONTOONS FOR LIFTS AND FLOATING
AND DRY DOCKS AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN IRON AND WOOD," to be as follows:-
The objects of this Invention are to build in wood and iron and
other metal caissons, pontoons, and other structures, such as ships and
other vessels, and to fit the same with divisions, tanks, and decks, so

page_text: that the floating capacity of a caisson and pontoon may lift all or
nearly all its own weight, and thus save the lifting of the weight of
the caisson or pontoon, which now has to be lifted in addition to the
ship upon it when lifted by hydraulic or other power.
The caissons or pontoons are constructed with sides and ends on a
higher level than the deck so that water can be retained thereon, or the
tanks or the spaces formed by the divisions may be wholly or partly filled
with water in order that the sinking of the pontoon can be regulated.
Sometimes I employ the weight of the
assist in sinking it, and sometimes I
hydraulic power for the same purpose.
water will be required on the deck to sink it. Valves are fitted to
the sides or decks, or through the bottom, so that when the valves
are opened the water can be run off or from them as the pontoon
is raised.
lifting bars on the pontoon to
use or employ the force of
In these cases little or no
When the caisson or pontoon is built wholly of iron or other metal
they are constructed of square plates laid cornerwise, so that when
looked at lengthwise of or across the structure the plates appear as of
diamond form; in this mode of construction no liners or back filling:
in pieces are required, great strength is imparted and weight of metal
saved. This particular mode of building is applicable to other similar
structures, such as ships and other vessels. Sometimes I do not connect
all the plates forming the sides above the deck, but leave out plates
here and there, so that openings are formed; the plates in this case
are brought corner to corner and secured to the ribs or framing.
When the caissons or pontoons are built of wood I make the bilges
round, the floors are made of wood, and I fit iron ribs to the bilges
and sides (preferably angle iron) and to the plates to connect the parts
together; these are screwed or bolted to the sides or top of the floors.
Sometimes I fit plates or ribs on the opposite side of the floor. I also fit
an iron stringer plate to the frame, so that the beams rest upon it, which
in this case I make of wood. Brackets of iron are fitted to the under
side of the stringer and are secured to the frame; a strip of iron is
also fitted on the top of the stringer to form a "tabling" under the
side of the beam.
These caissons or pontoons can be employed in floating and dry docks.
When employed in floating docks water is placed on the deck in
sufficient quantity to sink the structure on to the blocks or gridiron.

page_text: Trunks or tanks, forming part of the structure or not, may be employed
to assist in sinking it; the sinking can be regulated and controlled by
the weight of water which is pumped into the trunks or tanks. When
the caissons or pontoons are employed in dry docks I fit sleepers in the
bottom for the structure to rest upon. Slotted guide posts or their equi-
valents are fitted in the dock wall, in which balanced bars are free to
slide in order to keep the structure in position while being lowered or
raised. In some cases chains and rods are fitted to the caisson or
pontoon in connection with a hydraulic or steam ram or to a wheel with
a break or rack rod and chain in order to regulate the lowering of the
same. Tell-tales or indicators can be attached to the chain or to the
dock to shew the depth to which the structure is lowered.
The ship or vessel is placed over the caisson or pontoon, being kept
in position by guides; when this is accomplished the water is allowed
to flow out or forced from the dock, and as the water diminishes in
height the vessel falls or is lowered with it and finds a seating for
itself on the caisson or pontoon; when the water has all escaped from
the dock the structure is freed from the water which it contained.
The structure now becomes the lifting medium for the ship or vessel,
which is firmly secured on it; the water is then readmitted into the
dock, and the structure and vessel will rise therewith to the required
height. The structure with the vessel can be moved to any other
place or to the river, as the case may be, as required and a fresh
structure brought in, in order that a similar operation may be performed.
When I work the pontoon in dry docks where the entrance to the
dock is not wide enough to admit it I cut away or remove the upper
part of each side of the entrance down to the draught of water
required for its admission, say 8 or 10 feet; I then add wings or I
fit separate wicket pieces to the caissons proper; thus I am enabled
to make the dock available at a small expense and save all the risk of
a wide entrance at the lower part.
When the entrance to the docks which I require to receive a
pontoon is fitted with gates I cut away or remove the upper part of
each side of the same and corresponding upper portions of the gates, and
fit other portions of gates to fill up the increased size of the entrance;
these portions I prefer to make in the form of a tank, so that when
it is required to open or close them they shall have sufficient floating
power or buoyancy to keep them from dropping down or sinking..

page_text: I also propose to fit cocks and valves connected to flexible or other
pipes, so that when the pontoon with the ship or vessel is afloat she
may be taken to a place where the water is shallow, then by admitting
water on to it or into the trunks or tanks, as before explained, she
can be let down on to a bed and thus save the expense of mooring.
When required to be moved again the water can be allowed to run
out into a lower level by a syphon arrangement or drawn or forced
out by pumps or otherwise.
When I require to move or transport the pontoons to a distance I
fit them with rudders at or near their sides; these may be supported
by clamps, eyes, or lashings so that they can easily be put on and off;
they may be worked by means of a rope or chain passing round the
head and connected to a capstan or winch; the rope or chain may be
endless.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Lungley in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 27th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
LUNGLEY, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Lungley, Her special
licence that I, the said Charles Lungley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Lungley, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING
AND WORKING CAISSONS AND PONTOONS FOR LIFTS AND FLOATING AND DRY DOCKS
AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN IRON AND WOOD," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Lungley, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their

page_text: hands and seals, 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 Charles Lungley, my do hereby
declare the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
The objects of this Invention are to build in wood and iron and other
metal caissons, pontoons, and other structures, such as ships and other
vessels, and to fit the same with divisions, tanks, and decks, so that the
floating capacity of a caisson and pontoon may lift all or nearly all its
own weight, and thus save the lifting of the weight of the caisson or
pontoon, which now has to be lifted in addition to the ship upon it when
lifted by hydraulic or other power.
The caissons or pontoons are constructed with sides and ends
on a higher level than the deck, as represented in the perspective
view Figure 1, so that water can be retained thereon, or instead
of putting the water on the deck I fill or partially fill the spaces
formed by the division plates a, a, of the pontoon, as seen in Figure 2,
in order that the sinking of the pontoon may be regulated at will.
Sometimes I employ the weight of the lifting bars on the pontoon
to assist in sinking it, and sometimes use or employ the force of
hydraulic power for the same purpose; in these cases little or no
water will be required on the deck to sink it. Valves are fitted to the
sides of the chambers or through the bottom, so that when the valves are
opened the water can be run off or from them as the pontoon is raised;
other valves are also fitted to the deck for the same purpose. In some
cases I fit tubes between the bottom of the pontoon and the deck, and
I fit a valve at each end of the tubes, so that when the valves are
open the water is free to pass up to the deck as it is being lowered.
When the caissons or pontoons are built wholly of iron or other metal
they are constructed of square plates b, b, laid cornerwise, as shewn in
Figure 3, so that when looked at lengthwise of or across the structure
the plates appear as of diamond form; in this mode of construction no

page_text: liners or bacк nung-in pieces are required, great strengun is imparted
and weight of metal saved.
This particular mode of building is applicable to other similar
structures, such as ships and other vessels. Sometimes I do not connect
all the plates forming the sides above the deck, but leave out plates here
and there so that openings are formed; the plates in this case are brought
corner to corner and secured to the ribs or framing.
When the caissons or pontoons are built of wood I make the bilges
round, the floors c, c, Figure 4, are made of wood, and I fit iron ribs to
the bilges and sides (preferably angle iron) and to the plates to connect
the parts together; these are screwed or bolted to the sides or top of the
floors. Sometimes I fit plates or ribs on the opposite side of the floor..
I also fit an iron stringer plated to the frame so that the beams e rest
upon it, which in this case I make of wood. Brackets f of iron are fitted
to the under side of the stringer and are secured to the frame; a strip of
iron g is also fitted on the top of the stringer to form a "tabling" under]
the side of the.beam e.
.
These caissons or pontoons can be employed in floating and dry docks.
When employed in floating docks water is placed on the deck in sufficient
quantity to sink the structure on to the blocks or gridiron. Trunks or
tanks h, h, as seen in Figure 1, forming part of the structure or not, may
be employed to assist in sinking it; the sinking can be regulated and
controlled by the weight of the water which is pumped into the trunks
or tanks. When the caissons or pontoons are employed in dry docks
I fit sleepers j, Figure 5, on the bottom for the pontoon to rest upon.
Slotted guide posts k or their equivalents are fitted in the dock wall, in
which balanced bars or bolts l, l, are free to slide in order to keep the
structure in position while being lowered or raised. In some cases
chains m, m, and rods n are fitted to the caisson or pontoon in connection
with a hydraulic or steam ram p, or to a wheel with a break or rack rod
and chain in order to regulate the lowering of the same. Tell-tales or
indicators can be attached to the chain or to the dock to show the depth
to which the structure is lowered. The guide posts and parts connected
with them can be employed in floating docks.
The ship or vessel is placed over the caisson or pontoon, being kept
in position by guides; when this is accomplished the water is allowed to

page_text: flow out or is forced from the dock, and as the water diminishes in height
the vessel falls or is lowered with it and finds a seating for itself on the
caisson or pontoon, as shewn in Figure 6; when the water has all
escaped from the dock the structure is freed from the water which it.
contained by pumping or otherwise. By shutting off the valves the
structure becomes the lifting medium for the ship or vessel, which is
firmly secured on it; the water is then readmitted into the dock and
the structure and vessel will rise therewith to the required height. The
structure with the vessel can be moved to any other place or to the river,
as the case may be, as required and a fresh structure brought in, in order
that a similar operation may be performed.
When I work the pontoon in dry docks where the entrance to the dock
is not wide enough to admit it I cut away or remove the upper part of
each side of the entrance down to the draught of water required for its
admission, say 8 or 10 feet, as represented at q, q, Figure 7; I then add
wings r, r, shown in Figure 8, or I fit separate wicket pieces to the
caissons proper; thus I am enabled to make the dock available at a
small expense and save all the risk of a wide entrance at the lower
part.
When the entrance to the docks which I require to receive a pontoon
is fitted with gates I cut away or remove the upper part of each side of
the same and corresponding upper portions of the gates, and fit other
portions of gates a, s, to fill up the increased size of the entrance, as
represented in Figure 9; these portions I prefer to make in the form of
a tank; so that when it is required to open or close them they shall
have sufficient floating power or buoyancy to keep them from dropping
down or sinking.
I also propose to fit cocks and valves connected to flexible or other
pipes, so that when the pontoon with the ship or vessel is afloat she may
be taken to a place where the water is shallow, then by admitting water
on to it or into the trunks or tanks, as before explained, she can be let
down on to a bed and thus save the expense of mooring. When required
to be moved again the water can be allowed to run out into a lower
level by a syphon arrangement or drawn or forced out by pumps or
otherwise.
When I require to move or transport the pontoons to a distance I
fit them with rudders at or near their sides; these may be supported

page_text: by clamps, eyes, or lashings, so that they can easily be put on and off;
they may be worked by means of a rope or chain passing round the
head and connected to a capstan or winch; the rope or chain may be
endless.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. The general construction and arrangement of pontoons for
lifting their own weight and as much of the weight of the ship or other
structure as desired by hydraulic or other power, substantially in the
manner herein-before described and represented in the accompanying 1
Drawings.
Second. The attachment of girders or bearers for hydraulic power
to assist in sinking pontoons with or without the use of hydraulic
power.
Third. The building of pontoons and other similar structures with 1
square plates laid as above described and represented in the Drawings.
Fourth. The building of pontoons with iron frames attached to wood
floors and iron shelf with brackets under beams, as described and shown
in the Drawings.
Fifth. The employment of pontoons built in the manner as before 2
described in floating docks.
Sixth. The using of pontoons in dry docks with or without the sinking
arrangement.
Seventh. Fixing guide posts for guiding and steadying the pontoon
up or down, and the apparatus employed in connection therewith, as 2
described and shewn.
Eighth. Cutting away the upper part of the entrances of docks and
making the caissons to fit the same in the manner described and
represented.
Ninth. The construction and employment of floating or buoyant gates 3
in the upper parts of the entrances to docks in the manner and for the
purpose herein-before described and represented in the Drawing hereunto
annexed.

page_text: And, tenth. Fitting pontoons with rudders at their sides by means
of clamps, eyes, or lashings, and working them in the manner and for
the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Lungley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
CHARLES LUNGLEY. (L.s.)