Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Removal of Rock, Stones, and similar Materials in Submarine and other Operations.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1895
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Removal of Rock,
Stones, and similar Materials in Submarine and other Operations.
1, ANDREW BROWN, of London Works, Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew,
Engineer and Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for breaking rock, stones
and other similar material for the purpose of facilitating the easy and economical
removal of the same by means of dredger buckets, or other similar or suitable
appliances.
The said improved apparatus consists broadly of a combination of one or more
steel guiding shafts and one or more steel or iron chisels, the said chisel or chisels
being so arranged as to move parallel to the said guiding shaft or shafts.
Thus according to one form in which my apparatus may be constructed, I
employ a single guide shaft furnished at its upper end with a cylinder, within
which a plunger or ram works. To the head of this ram a cross-bar, or frame is
attached carrying two or more chisels parallel with the said guide shaft and
connected by suitable frames or braces, working on the said cylinder and shaft, so
that the said chisels are constrained to move parallel with the said guide shaft,
when the aforesaid plunger is operated, and cannot fly tangentially from the face
of the rock or material upon which they are operating, should the same be convex
or angular.
As a modification, I may employ two guide shafts and cylinders, with a single
chisel between them, arranged in a similar manner to that above described, but I
do not confine myself to any particular number of the said guide shafts and
chisels respectively in constructing my apparatus.
The apparatus is suspended from a crane, jib, or other suitable support by means
of a chain, flexible wire, or rope, and the cylinders may be operated by steam,
compressed air or hydraulic pressure, supplied thereto by means of suitable pipes
or hose, but if desired the apparatus may be arranged to be operated by hand.
For more efficiently working the apparatus, I prefer to employ with it a system of
counter balance weights.
My invention is more particularly adapted for submarine operations, though its
use is not necessarily confined thereto; and when employed in submarine work,
I prefer to surround the apparatus with an iron or steel casing from which the
water is excluded by means of air pressure, to increase the efficiency of the con-
trivance by preventing the chisels from coming in contact with the water during
the greater part of their stroke.
Dated this 17th day of October 1894.
AMBROSE MYALL,
2 Lancaster Place, Strand, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: ש--ש----
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Removal of Rock,
Stones, and similar Materials in Submarine and other Operations.
I, ANDREW BROWN, of London Works, Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew,
Engineer and Shipbuilder, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for breaking rock, stones and
other similar material, for the purpose of facilitating the easy and economical
removal of the same by means of dredger buckets, or other similar or suitable
appliances, and the main objects of this invention are the construction of such au
apparatus, in such manner that it may be fitted permanently or temporarily to any
existing dredger, or other suitable vessel, or be fitted up on land; and also such
mode of construction as will enable it to operate upon the material at a more
favourable angle than has been obtained hitherto.
My improved apparatus consists broadly of a combination of one or more steel
guiding shafts and one or more steel or iron chisels, the said chisel or chisels being
so arranged, as to move parallel to the said guiding shaft or shafts.
Thus, according to one form in which my apparatus may be constructed, I
employ a single guide shaft, furnished at its upper end with a cylinder, within which
a plunger or ram works. To the head of this ram a cross-bar or frame is attached,
carrying two or more chisels parallel with the said guide shaft and connected by
suitable frames or braces, working on the said cylinder and shaft, so that the said
chisels are constrained to move parallel with the said guide shaft, when the afore-
said plunger is operated, and cannot fly tangentially from the face of the rock, or
material upon which they are operating, should the same be convex or angular.
As a modification, I may employ two guide shafts and cylinders, with a single
chisel between them, arranged in a similar manner to that above described, but I
do not confine myself to any particular number of the said guide shafts and chisels
respectively, in constructing my apparatus.
The apparatus may be suspended from a crane, jib, or other suitable support, by
means of a chain, flexible wire or rope, and the cylinders may be operated by
steam, compressed air, gas, or hydraulic pressure, supplied thereto by means of
suitable pipes or hose, but if desired the apparatus may be arranged to be operated
by hand.
In some cases for more efficiently working the apparatus, I may employ with it
a system of counter-balance weights.
In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, which form part of this Specification,
and in which similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of an apparatus, constructed in accordance with one mode
of carrying my invention into practice,
Fig. 2 is a plan of same, and
Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, at right angles to Fig. 1, and with
certain parts omitted.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of part of a bucket dredger, shewing such an apparatus,
temporarily fitted thereto.
Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, AA, are hammers, or chisels of steel or iron,
having hard wearing points, B is a post or shaft, of round, rectangular, or other
suitable section, secured to the lower end of a cylinder C and axially in line there-
with. The said cylinder is bored out to receive a piston or ram D.
E is a cross-head, at the top of the ram D and preferably made in one piece
therewith, as shewn, though it may be formed separately and attached thereto in
any suitable manner.

page_text: F, F, are coupling-rods, connecting the chisels A, A, with the cross-head E, so
that the said chisels and the ram D, practically form one piece and all nove
together.
The chisels are connected by braces, or cross pieces H, H', the brace H
embracing and sliding on the cylinder C, and the brace H' embracing and sliding
on the post B, so that the said chisels must move parallel with the cylinder and
post, when the ram is operated, and cannot fly tangentially from the face of the
rock, or other material upon which they are working, should the same be convex or
angular.
The upper end J of the cylinder C is of spherical form, as shewn, and K is a
bearing in the form of a hollow zone, adapted to embrace and move freely upon
the said spherical part J, in any direction.
The said bearing is provided with wings, or extensions L, L, which embrace and
slide upon guide rods M, M. These rods are connected by any suitable form of
bracing, or other arrangement (not shewn in the drawings) so that their parallelism
to each other is always preserved. N, N, are chains connected to the wings L, L,
of the bearing K and passing over pulleys P, P, carried by the rods M, M, and
provided with weights Q, Q, to partly or wholly counterbalance the weight of the
apparatus.
The said guides are of any convenient length, and when the apparatus is in use,
their lower ends rest upon the ground, or material to be broken, or on any
suitable erection, or floating vessel. More than two such rods and counterbalancing
weights may be provided, if desired.
The
The
Fig. 4 shews my apparatus as applied to a bucket dredger R. not specially
adapted to receive it, but having the same temporarily fitted thereto.
apparatus is substantially the same as that shewa in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with the
exception that the guide rods M, M, and weights Q, Q, are dispensed with. It is
slung by a chain S and bridle T, attached to wings L', L', on the bearing K.
chain S is led to a piston working in a cylinder (not shewn on the drawing) and
actuated by the same motive power which works the rest of the apparatus.
V is a flexible pipe conveying the motive power to the ram D.
The action is as follows:-The apparatus being suspended by the chain S from
a derrick or crane W, as shewn, or in any other suitable manner, the pressure is
reduced in the steam balance cylinder aforesaid, so that the apparatus can descend
until the chisels A, A, rest upon the material to be dealt with and at right-angles
to the same. Such right-angled position being enabled to be assumed, by means of
the spherical bearing K. The motive power is then admitted through the pipe V
to the cylinder C. When the pressure has accumulated sufficiently in this
cylinder, it descends until the post B bears on the rock, having for its resistance
the weight of the ram D and chisels A, A, &c. The pressure still increasing the
said ram with the chisels ascend, having for resistance to such ascending motion,
the solid rock on which the post B is resting. The ram having risen to the limit
of its stroke, the pressure is relieved, or exhausted from the cylinder C, and the
ram with the chisels falls, the latter striking and breaking the rock at, or about,
the same level us that on which the post B rests. Pressure is then again admitted
to the cylinder to raise the ram and chisels, and this cycle of operations is continued
as required, the apparatus heing also moved at intervals into fresh positions on the
ground, by means of the crane W, chain S and balance cylinder aforesaid.
When the guide rods M, M, and weights Q, Q, are employed, the apparatus is
allowed to descend into position by raising, or relieving the weights Q, Q, in any
suitable manner, when it will slide down the said rods, until the chisels touch the
ground and adjust themselves by means of the bearing K.
Pressure being then alternately admitted to and exhausted from the cylinder C,
the action is the same as before described.
The apparatus in this case, may be slung by attaching a chain to the guide
rods.
Although in the drawings, I have shewn two chisels and one cylinder and post,

page_text: I do not confine myself to this arrangement, for as before indicated, I may employ
combinations consisting of any suitable number of such chisels and cylinders aud
posts respectively.
My invention is more particularly adapted for submarine operations, though its
use is not necessarily confined thereto, and when employed in submarine work,
1 may surround the apparatus with an iron or steel casing, from which the water is
excluded by means of air pressure, to increase the efficiency of the contrivance by
preventing the chisels from coming in contact with the water during the whole, or
greater part of their stroke.
The main advantages of my apparatus consist:-First; in the convenience and
simplicity of its construction."
Secondly; in the immunity from the risk of damage, due to the manner of its
suspension and the freedom of movement obtained by means of the spherical
bearing K.
Thirdly the impossibility of the chisels sinking into soft soil, owing to the fact
that they cannot be elevated from their lowest position until the post B rests on
solid rock, or hard resisting material.
Fourthly the fact that when operating on au inclined face of rock, the chisels
strike the rock at right-angles to its surface, and not vertically, as in the case of
the chisels used heretofore for a like purpose.
Fifthly the making use of the material to be broken as the resistance or
fulcrum (by the medium of one or more posts such as B) to the power which
elevates the chisels.
It is to be understood that although the aforesaid drawings are given as
illustrations of a suitable mode of putting my invention into practice, I do not
necessarily confine myself to the precise details of construction shewn therein and
described in this Specification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is
1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of one or more cutting
or breaking implements, with one or more cylinders, rams and posts, so arranged
that the said post or posts act as the resistance to the power which elevates the
said implement or implements, substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth.
2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination there with of a spherical
bearing K, from which the said apparatus is suspended, so that whether the face of
the material to be broken be horizontal, or inclined, the apparatus cau assume a
position, perpendicular to such face, substantially as herein set forth.
3. An apparatus of the class described, consisting of the combination of
chisels AA, a post B, cylinder C, ram D connected to said chisels, guides H, H',
for said chisels and a spherical suspension bearing K, all substantially as and for
the purposes herein set forth.
4. An apparatus of the class described, consisting of the combination of
chisels A A, a post B, cylinder C, ram D connected to said chisels, guides H, H',
for said chisels, a spherical suspension bearing K, working upon guide rods M M,
chains NN, pulleys P P, and counterbalance weights QQ, all substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
5. The combination with the apparatus herein described, of a casing for the
exclusion of water by pneumatic pressure, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 17th day of August 1895.
AMBROSE MYALL,
2 Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.