AN IMPROVED FABRIC TO BE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COFFER DAMS, BOATS, LIFE SAVING APPARATUS, BRIDGES AND OTHER AQUATIC STRUCTURES AND APPLIANCES to
Year: 1884

page_text: TROYESIONAL
DE MULTICATION,
I CHARLES JAMES Fox of 2, Vernon Placo, Conway Street, Birkenhead, in the
County of Chester, Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for AN IMPROVED FABRIC TO BE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
COFFER DAMS, BOATS, LIFE SAVING APPARATUS, BRIDGES AND OTHER AQUATIC
STRUCTURES AND APPLIANCES to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object an improved fabric to be used in the construction
of Coffer Dams, Boats, Life Saving apparatus, Bridges and other Aquatic Structures
and appliances which fabric is capable of resisting pressure and is at the same time
pliable and capable of accomodating itself to curved or irregular surfaces.
The fabric according to my Invention consists of a foundation of any suitablo
pliable material, such as crossed ropes, interlaced wires, crossed parallel wiros, chain
network, wire gauze, or in cases where little strength is required, canvas, or fibrous
fabric, or leather, or any other equivalent material which will accomodate itself to
curved, or irregular surfaces. This foundation may be made water proof by being
covered with suitable waterproofing material such as painted canvas, or rubber
sheeting, or any other waterproof medium. Upon and to the foundation thus
constructed, I attach in proximity to each other blocks of wood, cork, or metul
solid, or hollow and preferably tapered, in which latter case the bases of the blocks
touch each other and when the blocks are not tapered, they are only spaced apart
sufficiently to allow the upper ends of the blocks, coming into contact with each
other when the fabric is bent. Thus the foundation of the fabric takes the tensional
strain that may be put on the fabric and the blocks bear the strain of compression.
Amongst the other uses to which the fabric according to my Invention is applied
is that of a flexible gate for coffer dams applied to navigable vessels when from the
nature of the fabric, the coffer dam having been emptied the water pressure which
is applied on the outside of the fabric fixes tho fabric against the shell of the vessel
and the fabric through its pliable nature accomodates itself to the run, or lines of
the vessel and effects a watertight joint therewith, or the coffer dam itself may bo
CD 031

page_text: formed partially or wholly of the fabric, or the coffer dam may be of ordinary
construction and the fabric used for the gates only. In applying the fabric to the
construction of boats the shape of the fabric is made to conform with the shell of
the boat, the blocks being on the inside of the boat and the foundation on the
outside the fabric affords a very strong material for the construction of collapsible
boats. The fabric also provides a suitable material for the construction of life
saving apparatus, such as rafts, life belts and the like. The fabric is also suitable
to be used in the formation of floating bridges for military and other purposes and
affords a suitable material for application to closing, or stopping up holes, or leaks
in navigable vessels, caused by collision, accidents and gun shots and affords a 1
material for many other aquatic purposes, where it is requisite to have a pliable
material that will stand great strain and at the same time accomodato itself to
curved and irregular surfaces. A covering or flooring may be provided over the
blocks by fastening thereto sheets of metal, or other lap over each.
Dated this twentieth day of March 1001

page_text: I CHARLES JAMES Fox, of 2 Vernon Place, Conway Street, Birkenhead in the
County of Chester, Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for AN IMPROVED FABRIC TO BE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
COFFER DAMS, BOATS, LIFE SAVING APPARATUS, BRIDGES AND OTHER ACQUATIC
STRUCTURES AND APPLIANCES, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My Invention has for its object an improved fabric to be used in the construction
of Coffer Dams, Boats, Life Saving Apparatus, Bridges and other acquatic structures
and appliances, which fabric is capable of resisting pressure and is at the same time
pliable and capable of accomodating itself to curved, or irregular surfaces.
The fabric according to my Invention consists of a foundation of any suitable
pliable material, such as crossed ropes, interlaced wires, crossed parallel wires, chain
network, wire gauze, or in cases where little strength is required, canvas, or fibrous
fabric, or leather, or any other equivalent material which will accomodate itself to
curved, or irregular surfaces. The foundation inay be made waterproof by being
covered with suitable waterproofing material, such as painted canvas, or rubber
sheeting, or any other waterproof medium. Upon and to the foundation thus
constructed, I attach in proximity to each other blocks of wood, cork, or metal,
solid, or hollow and preferably tapered, in which latter caso, the bases of the blocks
touch each other and when the blocks are not tapered, they are spaced apart
sufficiently to allow the upper ends of the blocks coming into contact with each
other when the fabric is bent. Thus the foundation of the fabric takes the tensional
strain that may be put on the fabric and the blocks bear the strain of compression.
The beforegoing being the nature and object of my Invention, I will now proceed
to describe moro in detail how the same may be put into practical operation
reference being had to the annexed sheets of Drawings making a part of this
Specification and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, like letters
and figures being used to denote the same, or corresponding parts throughout the:
various views and figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a piece of fabric constructed according to my
Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of Ficura 1

page_text: A fabric according to my Invention consists of a foundation a to which are
attached the blocks b. The foundation a may be of any suitable pliable material,
such as crossed ropes, interlaced wires, crossed parallel wires, chain, or wire network,
wire gauze, or in some cases where little strength is required, canvas, or fibrous
fabric, or leather, or any other equivalent material which will accomodate itself to
curved, or irregular surfaces. This foundation may be made waterproof by being
covered with suitable waterproofing material, such as painted canvas, india rubber
sheeting, or any other waterproof medium. Upon and to the foundation a thus
constructed, I attach by the bolts b¹, or other connections and in proximity to each
other the blocks b which may be of wood, cork, or metal, solid, or hollow and
preferably tapered, in which case the bases of the blocks touch each other, as shown
in reference to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the dotted lines Figure 1 show the form
the fabric takes when the blocks b come together. When the blocks b are not
tapered, they are spaced apart sufficiently to allow the upper ends of the blocks to
come into contact with each other when the fabric is bent. The foundation a of
the fabric takes the tensional strain that may be put on the fabric and the blocks b
take the strain of compression.
Amongst other uses to which the fabric according to my Invention may be put
is that of a flexible gate for coffer dams for navigable vessels. This application is
illustrated at Figure 7. In this case the blocks bare graduated in size in manner
similar to that shown at Figure 7. The nature of the fabric accomodates itself to
the run, or lines of the ship to which the coffer dam is applied. The coffer dam
having been emptied of water, the water pressure on the outside of the fabric binds
the fabric against the shell of the vessel, the fabric accomodating itself to the shape
of the shell, effects a watertight joint with the shell. The whole of the coffer dam,
or part thereof may be formed of the fabric, or the coffer dam may be of ordinary
construction and the fabric used for the gates only.
In applying the fabric to the construction of boats, the shape of the fabric is
made to conform with the shell of the boat the blocks b being on the inside of the
boat and the foundation a on the outside. The fabric affords a very strong material
for the construction of collapsible boats. The fabric also provides a suitable
material for tho construction of life saving apparatus, such as rafts, of which an
example is shown at Figures 8 and 9, upon reference to which it will be seen that
the blocks b are larger in the centre and decrease in size at the outside of the raft.
The raft shown is of star shape, so that the points theroof will bend up over the
approaching wave. The centre of the raft is provided with a block, or platform c
rather higher than the rest of the raft, which platform c carries, or holds the
occupant, or occupants.
The fabric is also suitable to be used in the construction of life belts and the
like.
The application of my Invention to the formation of floating bridges is illustrated
in Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13. In this case the blocks b are preferably elongated
and they are connected together by lateral ropes, or chains e which are passed and
fastened underneath the blocks b. The ends of the blocks b are connected together
by links d. The whole structure is provided underneath with a canvas, india
rubber, or other waterproof sheeting. To keep the bridge in position suitable
mooring chains g are provided. As an additional support and to keep the water
from lapping over the edges, flexible inflated pontoons h may be used, one on each
side of the bridge as shown in Figure 13. Bridges constructed according to my
Invention are particularly suitable as bridges for military purposes inasmuch as
they are simple of construction and portable.
The fabric also affords a suitable material for application to close, or stop up
holes, or leaks, caused by collision, accidents, and gun shots in navigable vessels,
and the fabric provides a material for many other aquatic purposes, where it is
requisite to have a pliable material that will stand great strain and at the same
time accomodate itself to curves and irregular surfaces.

page_text: Where necessary a covering, or flooring may be provided over the blocks b by
fastening thereto sheets of metal, or other material k as shown at Figure 6. These
sheets of metal, or scales k are attached one to each block band lap over each other
as shown.
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:
A fabric constructed substantially as herein described consisting essentially of a
foundation (such as a) to which are connected blocks (such as b) substantially as
set forth for purposes such as herein specified.