IMPROVEMENT IN SUB MARINE EXCAVATING, AND IN APPARATUS AND SCOWS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Roy Stone, of the City and State of New York, United
"
States of America, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENT IN SUB MARINE
EXCAVATING, AND IN APPARATUS AND SCOWS FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 4th May 1880, and dated the 26th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Roy Stone at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 26th November 1879.
ROY STONE, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
"IMPROVEMENT IN SUB MARINE EXCAVATING, AND IN APPARATUS AND SCOWS FOR
THE SAME."
Sand, mud, earth, and other similar materials have been loosened by a jet of
water. My improvement relates to the method of submarine excavating, consisting
in loosening the sand or other material by a jet of water acting in one direction,
and conveying away such material by a second jet of water acting in the opposite
or & different direction.
In carrying out this improvement I suspend from a scow or vessel an excavating
tube that is open at both ends and provided with chains or other appliances for
moving the same and holding it in position. At one end of this tube there are
guard bars, preferably crossing each other, and projecting from the end sufficiently
to prevent the tube becoming embedded in the sand or material to be removed.
The water employed is forced by any suitable pumping apparatus upon the scow
or vessel through flexible or other pipes to the jet nozzles, one of which opens in
front of the excavating tube and guard bars aforesaid; the other nozzle is within
the excavating tube and stands in the other direction. The water from the first
nozzle washes out and loosens the sand or other material; the second nozzle causes
a powerful circulation of water in the other direction, and draws away and forces
out through the excavating tube all the solid material that is loosened by the
first jet.
The materials may be delivered in any convenient manner. If they are received
into a scow I prefer and use a scow with a central well and surrounding floating
compartments; the water and materials are delivered into the central well or
receptacle, the water overflows, leaving the solid materials,behind. The scow should
be partially sunk by water admitted into its float compartments, and as the weight
of sand or similar material increases the buoyant capacity of the scow should be
proportionately increased by removing the water from the float chambers by a
syphon ejector, a pump, or other convenient devico. It is to be understood that the
delivery end of the excavating tube is to be brought above the edge of the well in
the scow, so that excavated material passes into the scow.

page_text: _KOY STONE, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
"IMPROVEMENT IN SUBMARINE EXCAVATING, AND IN APPARATUS ANd Scows for
THE SAME
"
Sand, mud, earth, and other similar materials have been loosened by a jet of
water.
My improvement relates to the method of submarine excavating, consisting in
loosening the sand or other material by a jet of water acting in one direction, and
conveying away such material by a second jet of water acting in the opposite or a
different direction.
In carrying out this improvement I suspend from a scow or vessel a an
excavating tube b that is open at both ends and provided with chains or other
appliances for moving the same and holding it in position.
At one end of this tube 6 there are guard bars c, preferably crossing each other,
and projecting from the end sufficiently to prevent the tube becoming imbedded in
the sand or material to be removed.
The water employed is forced by any suitable pumping apparatus d upon the
scow or vessel through flexible or other pipes to the jet nozzles e, h, one of which (e)
opens in front of the excavating tube and guard bars aforesaid; the other nozzle (h)
is within the excavating tube and stands in the other direction. The water from
the first nozzle washes out and loosens the sand or other material, and the second
nozzle causes a powerful circulation of water in the other direction, and draws away
and forces out through the excavating tube all the solid material that is loosened
by the first jet.
The materials may be delivered in any convenient manner. If they are received
into scow, I prefer and use a scow a¹ with a central well t and surrounding floating
compartments L. The water and materials are delivered into the central well or
receptacle and the water overflows, leaving the solid materials behind.
The scow should be partially sunk by water admitted into its float compartments,
and as the weight of sand or similar material increases the buoyant capacity of the
scow should be proportionately increased by removing the water from the float
chambers by a syphon ejector, a pump, or other convenient device.
It is to be understood that the delivery end of the excavating tube b is to be
brought above the edge of the well in the scow so that the excavated material
passes into the scow.
In cases where this improvement is employed in excavating auriferous sands from
rivers, lakes, or bays, the scow is to be provided with any suitable separating
apparatus or ore washer to detain the metals or ores before allowing the refuse to
return to the water; in this case the sand and water as brought up by the tube b
should pass directly into the ore or gold separating apparatus or washer.
I claim as my Invention,-
First. The combination with the excavating tube of a jet nozzle, through which
water passes to loosen and mix the materials to be excavated, and a jet nozzle
within the tube, through which water passes for conveying the excavated material
to the place of delivery, substantially as set forth.
Second. The method herein set forth of excavating beneath the surface of the
water, consisting in loosening the earthy substances by a jet of water, and conveying
the materials up through a pipe to the scow or other receptacle by the action of a
jet of water, substantially as set forth.
Third. A scow containing water tight compartments into which water is

page_text: admitted to partially sink the same, and from which compartments the water is
removed to increase the buoyancy of the scow as it is loaded, substantially as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Roy Stone, have hereunto set my hand and
AAA
Witnesses,
CHAS. H. SMITH, 140, Nassau St., New York, N.Y.
HAROLD SERRELL,
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ROY STONE. (LS.)