Submergible Vessels for Raising or Floating Sunken or Grounded Ships.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Submergible Vessels for Raising or Floating Sunken or Grounded
Ships.
We, HERRMAN GUSTAV RIEMER, Butcher, and PAUL OTTO RIEMER, Baker, both
of Rauenthalstrasse, Meissen, Saxony, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:
-
The submergible vessel of this invention for raising or floating sunken or
grounded ships, is, by admitting water thereto, let down near the ship to be raised,
made fast to it, or connected to it from underneath or sideways, and then pumped
out to cause it to ascend carrying with it the ship. The vessel can be divided into
several compartments and according to the situation of the ship to be raised can
be caused to ascend at either end or more at one end than at the other end.
In the accompanying drawing, Figs. 1 and 2 shew diagrammatically
elevation and in plan two vessels of the invention made fast to a ship to be raised.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a vessel. Fig. 4 relates to a detail.
in end
Each of the submergible vessels e to be used, is connected with an accompanying
ship or boat by two pipes or fixed hose a, b, the former serving in pumping out
water and the latter for the admission into the vessel of air in a measure corre-
sponding to the withdrawal of water.
c, d, are partitions by which compartments f, g, h, are formed
These are so
connected through cocks (or it may also be valves) i, k, l, and air pipe m with the
air pipe b, and through valves n, o, p, q, r, with the water suction or delivery pipe a
that each compartment may be separately pumped out and fed with air.
The admission of water for the purpose of sinking the vessel takes place through
a pipes which projects at its ends through the bottom part of the vessel against
which it is tight jointed, so that water can enter at both ends whilst the entrance
of the water into the several compartments takes place through apertures t, u, v, in
the pipe s.
The cocks and valves for opening and closing the air and water pipes are
operated from key rods which are carried through stuffing boxes provided in the
shell of the vessel. As is obvious the same can be operated by floats in a known
way.
În raising a sunk or grounded ship at least two of the submergible vessels would
preferably be used. They are designed to be towed to the place of operation
empty, the water valves being closed. Upon arrival at the place the water
valves n, 0, 1, 7, r, and the-air cocks i, k, l, are opened to admit water to all the
compartments of the vessels and sink them. This being done the vessels are con-
nected to the ship to be raised, it may be by passing hemp or chain cables under-
neath the ship at suitable intervals and places and attaching them to the vessels,
for which purpose a number of hooks or rings we are provided, or the ship's hull
may have fastening appliances such as rings w attached to it and the vessels made
fast them.

page_text: All the compartments of the vessels are then pumped out from a pump on board
the accompanying salvage ship or boat and connecting with the pipe a whilst in
the same measure air enters through the pipe b which is also connected by a hose
with the salvage ship, whereupon the water being partly or completely pumped
out the vessels ascend lifting the grounded ship upon the cables or hull attachments
ready to be towed away.
In case the grounded ship should lie with one part higher than another, it may
be set straight by a suitable pumping out of the different compartments f, g, h,
say first an end compartment, then the next and so on. If, for example, only
the compartment f is to be filled and pumped out the valves g, n, p, r, k, l, are
closed so that water can only enter at t and be withdrawn through pipe a. If
in addition to emptying the compartment f, the compartment is also to be
pumped out, the valves 1, n, are also opened.
Instead of three compartments as shewn only two or any other desirable number
may be provided and which may be stayed together inside, further the vessels
may be so constructed on the outside that they can be braced together to form,
when required, a single compact apparatus.
In great depths where the water cannot be pumped out by suction pumps, force
pumps can be used either inside or outside the vessels and driven from above by
electro motors or other suitable means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
Apparatus for raising sunken or grounded ships, characterised by submergible
vessels constructed with compartments connected with one another by air and water
pipes provided with valves or the like, upon the opening of which water is let
into the vessels and these thereby sunk adjacent to the ship to be raised, and upon
the closing of which all of the compartments or single ones can be pumped out in
order to insure a complete or partial ascent of the vessels and therewith that of the
ship to be raised, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 19th day of January 1899.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
15, Tooks Court, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.