IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SCRAPING. OR CLEANING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fishwick of Barnstaple in the county of Devon
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SCRAPING. OR
CLEANING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS OR VESSELS
”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fishwick at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th May 1883.
JOHN FISHWICK of Barnstaple in the County of Devon "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SCRAPING OR CLEANING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS OR VESSELS."
It is found that after immersion for any considerable length of time, the bottom
or that part of a vessel which is below the water line, becomes foul, or covered
with a growth of weeds, barnacles, et-cetera, firmly attached thereto.
This foulness grows and increases, whether the ship is merely standing at rest,
as when in dock or whether in motion, as in the ordinary course of sailing, and the
passage of a ship through the water is greatly retarded thereby, in proportion to
the amount of the foreign material adhering to its bottom.
This can all be easily cleaned or scraped off in port when the ship is in a dry
dock, but the difficulty has been to prevent the growth during a long voyage, or
to remove it during the time the ship is at sea Several compositions of paint
have been tried to prevent or kill the growth, and different appliances have been
tried to effect a scraping of the ship while in motion, but none with universal
success.
It is to provide such an apparatus that this invention is designed, and consists
of an oblong board preferably of wood, and tapering to either end, To this board
are attached cross pieces preferably of rectangular cross section, of hard wood
covered with metal. These may be attached at both sides of the board, making
each side alike. A rope is attached to each of the tapered ends of the board, by
means of which the scraper is drawn from end to end along the ship's bottom.
The ropes run through leads, passing under the bottom of the ship, one forward

page_text: and the other astern, and are thence connected to winch or crane on board, by
which they are operated. In addition to the scraping, the ship may be scrubbed,
and thus further cleaned, by attaching to the board or over the cross pieces, a brush
or matting, which will remove such dirt as the scraper had failed to remove.
This invention will be found of great value to sailing vessels making long
voyages, and may be used to advantage when sailing at the rate of from two to
three miles per hour, or during a calm. And while it is particularly applicable to
iron sailing ships, I do not wish to restrict its use to such; as it may be applied
to wooden ships, and also to steamers, and may be used either at sea or in port,
and in the latter case save the expense and loss of time incurred in using a dry
dock.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Fishwick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th November
1883.
JOHN FISHWICK of Barnstaple in the county of Devon
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SCRAPING OR CLEANING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS OR VESSELS
"
It is found that after immersion for any considerable length of time, the bottom
or that part of a vessel which is below the water line, becomes foul, or covered
with a growth of weeds, barnacles, et cetera, firmly attached thereto.
This foulness grows and increases whether the ship is merely standing at rest, as
when in dock, or whether in motion, as in the ordinary course of sailing, and the
passage of a ship through the water is greatly retarded thereby, in proportion to
the amount of the foreign material adhering to its bottom.
This can all be easily cleaned or scraped off in port, when the ship is in a dry
dock, but the difficulty has been to prevent the growth during a long voyage, or
to remove it during the time the ship is at sea. Several compositions of paint
have been tried to prevent or kill the growth, and different appliances have been
tried to effect a scraping of the ship while in motion, but none with universal
success.
It is to provide such an apparatus that this invention is designed.
It is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings in which,
Fig 1. is an elevation of the ship's hull with my apparatus shewn in position.
Fig 2. is a transverse section of same.
Figs 3 and 4 enlarged plan and elevation of scraper.
Fig 5 detailed enlarged view of lead or guide chain E
In these A is a wooden framework, preferably made of 3 inch planking pointed,
at each end; B cross pieces of three inch scantling, firmly fixed to the framework A,
these are covered with sheet metal and are placed on each side, so that should the
board topple over in being brought under the keel or otherwise it may work
equally well with either side presented to the ship. CC holes in framework A,
sometimes sheathed with iron or brass. D shackle with bolt passing through
hole C. D' D" hauling rope carried by or run through hanks or rings G attached to
leads or guide chains E.. The chains E pass under the bottom of the ship, one
forward and the other astern, as shewn, their ends being secured on deck, one
end of each of the hauling ropes is attached to the shackle D on the scraper, and
the other connected to a winch on board, by which they are operated. H spar
rigged up at the stern carrying block I, for hauling in rope D¹. J block on bow-
sprit for hauling in on rope D¹¹.
The mode of action is as follows. The lead or guide chains E E being placed in
position with their respective hanks or guide rings G near the keel on the same
side of the ship, so as to have between them two thirds of the length of the hull,
their ends are secured on deck; the scraper hauling ropes D' D", which have been
previously passed through the hanks G of the leads E, are passed through the
blocks I and J. The scraper is hauled to and fro once or twice between the
leads E E. The buoyancy of the scraper causes it to press firmly against the
bottom of the ship and thus scrape off the barnacles et cetera. The leads E E are
now adjusted so as to bring the scraper its own width further from the keel, and
the same action goes on till the entire section on that side of the keel is scraped.
It is then passed under the keel to the other side of the ship which is then scraped
or cleaned in a similar way. One of the leads E is then brought a little nearer
amidship and the scraper placed between it and the bowsprit, and the fore end of

page_text: the ship is scraped in the same manner as the portion amidship. Then the after
portion is scraped in like manner.
The scraper being then brought on deck some matting, preferably made out of
coir rope or even brushes or other suitable fibrous or yielding material, is laced
round it and the hull rubbed down with the fibrous or yielding material just as it
had been scraped by the hard surface
This invention will be found of great value to sailing vessels making long
voyages, and may be used to advantage when sailing at the rate of from two to
three miles per hour, or during a calm. And while it is particularly applicable to
iron sailing ships I do not wish to restrict its use to such; as it may be applied to
wooden ships and also to steamers, and may be used either at sea or in port, and
in the latter case save the expense and loss of time incurred in using a dry dock
In thus describing my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details, materials or, dimensions herein given, as I am well
aware that other things will give buoyancy beside wood, other things will scrape
beside metal, and the dimensions are comparatively immaterial, and I merely give
the arrangement specified as the best mode known to me of carrying it into effect,
but that what I claim under the Letters patent is
4
1st. The apparatus for scraping or cleaning bottoms of ships or vessels substantially
as herein described, in which a buoyant and preferably flat mass, provided with
transverse scraping edges points or bars, is dragged to and fro longitudinally
against the under surface of the hull between guide chains, or between the bow or
stem and a guide chain.
2nd. In combination with a scraper for scraping ship's bottoms substantially as
above described, a set of brushes or a sheathing or layer, of matting or other
suitable fibrous or yielding elastic material, placed between the body of the scraper
and the skin of the ship, so as to act as a rubber for rubbing off the loosed dirt still
sticking to the ship's bottom after scraping, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said John Fishwick have hereunto set my hand and
seal this fifth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and eighty three.
ΤΟΥΤΑ RICHTICES