IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH CLEANSING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry James Cole, of 76, Wandsworth Road, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED WITH CLEANSING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGED
STRUCTURES.”
Sealed the 9th March 1877, and dated the 13th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry James Cole at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th September 1876.
HENRY JAMES COLE, of 76, Wandsworth Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH CLEANSING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS
AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES."
According to my Invention I fit a rotating brush or scraper as one article on a
pivotted frame whose lower part can be made to approach the body to be cleansed
under the action of a crab and guys fitted upon a separate vessel, or upon the same
vessel. Upon the pivotted frame I fit a rack which is geared into by a pinion on
the brush spindle, the pinion being actuated by other gearing governed by chains
from above.
The brush is formed of hair or other body arranged in spiral order upon a drum
or cylinder with an intervening blade, also spirally arranged to act as a scraper.
The rack and pinion enables the rotating brush to travel up or down in the frame.
The joints of the pivotted frame are each faced by a fork which carries rollers
over which the chain or chains pass, so that at whatever angle the frame may be
brought to the chains are kept taut.
The crab or winch if upon a separate vessel has its base arranged with a screw
adjustment, in order that the vessel can be trimmed as desired and to regulate the
angle of the brush frame.
The gearing of the brush mechanism and of the raising and lowering mechanism
are adjusted that the movement of one will be in proportion to the other as the
work of cleansing progresses..
The separate vessel is provided with propellers (screw or paddles) on two of its
sides to enable it to be kept in proximity to the ship or structure, and to enable it
to be moved alongside the ship or structure. This separate vessel has capstan heads
and ropes upon it to assist the hauling in or to retain it at any given part of the

page_text: ship's side. The propellers are controlled by bevil gearing, and one or other of them
can be put out of gear by clutches or other appliances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry James Cole in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th March
1877.
HENRY JAMES COLE, of 76, Wandsworth Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH CLEANSING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS
AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES."
According to my Invention I fit a rotating brush or scraper as one article on a
pivotted frame whose lower part can be made to approach the body to be cleansed
under the action of a crab and guys fitted upon a separate vessel, or upon the saine
vessel. Upon the pivotted frame I fit a rack which is geared into by a pinion on
the brush spindle, the pinion being actuated by other gearing governed by chains
from above.
The brush is formed of cane or other body arranged in spiral order upon a drum
or cylinder with an intervening blade, also spirally arranged to act as a scraper.
The rack and pinion enables the rotating brush to travel up or down in the frame.
The joints of the pivotted frame are cach formed by a fork which carry rollers
over which the chain or chains pass, so that at whatever angle the frame may be
brought to the chains are kept tant.
The crab or winch if upon a separate vessel has its base arranged with a sciew
adjustment, in order that the vessel can be trimmed as desired and to regulate the
angle of the brush frame.
The gearing of the brush mechanism and of the raising and lowering mechanism
are adjusted that the movement of one will be in proportion to the other as the
work of cleansing progresses.
The separate vessel is provided with propellers (screw or paddles) on two of its
sides to enable it to be kept in proximity to the slip or structure, and to enable it
to be moved alongside the ship or structure. This separate vessel has capstan heads
and ropes upon it to assist the hauling in or to retain it at any given part of the
ship's side The propellers are controlled by bevil gearing, and one or other of them
can be put out of gear by clutches or other appliances.
My Invention is clearly represented in the accompanying Drawings; in which
Figure 1 shows a side view of an apparatus complete for cleansing, say, the bottom
of a ship or other body of bellied or curvilinear forin; Figure 2 is a face view of
the saine partly in section; and Figure 3, a plan illustrating the arrangement and
mechanism for tilting or throwing outwards the bottom or brush, and in order to
keep it in contact with the bilge or fore-and-aft runs for the removal of barnacles,
seaweed, or other fouling body which it is necessary to remove while the ship is afloat
and without the necessity of docking it for the purpose of cleansing as is now done.
Figure 4 is a detached view of my spirally arranged brush M and scraper
blades a, a.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section; Figure 6, a plan; and Figure 7, a transverse
section of the separato vessel, to show the details of the mechanism by which the
tilting of the brush frame and also the movement of the separate vessel from one
place to another or along the ship's side are obtained.
A is a curved double frame composed of two legs tied and stayed at a fixed
distance apart and parallel to each other by cross bars or timbers B, B, if the frame
he wholly or partially of wood, to render it as buoyant as is necessary. The cross
pieces B, B, support a rack C, as shown, into the teeth of which a pinion D is
caused to gear to raise or lower the brush fiame or traveller E at a speed proportionate
to the progress of the cleaning This pinion D is upon a shaft F which receives its

page_text: motion from a wheel G through the wheel H on the shaft carrying the whelp wheel,
this being actuated by the chain I, the links of which take into the teeth through a
pressure of a forked strap J and guide rollers, as shown. The chain is endless and
passes over a wheel K at the top and under the wheel L at the bottom of the frame
to maintain its parallel action whichever way it may be moved
"
"
The brush is composed of strong fibre, such as cane or "bass," or flexible.
metallic wires arranged spirally with intervening strips of steel a, a, (stiff) to act.
as scrapers also spirally fitted (see Figure 4) upon a drum M whose axle receives its
rotatory motion by a chain N from the axle of the driving chain wheel. The brush
drum is mounted upon a skeleton frame E, E, whose lower ends are provided with
guide rollers to ride upon flanged or recessed portions of the curved frame A.
"
The curved frame is supported near its upper part by joints Q, Q, on arms
projecting or overhanging from a separate vessel R, the chain at this end engaging
into the teeth of a wheel S (as a driver) under the action of a forked strap T, which
not only ensures the action but keeps the chain taut. The shaft of the wheel S
receives its notion from another chain wheel U from inboard the separate vessel.
The "crab or driving apparatus if worked by hand is on the opposite side of the
vessel and maintains a level keel at whatever angle the frame A may be set at for
cleansing purposes. I prefer however to drive the brush and its gearing by steam
power, as represented by Sheet 2 of the Drawings. The frame A is tilted or thrown
outwards from the vertical line by crab mechanism upon the deck hauling upon the
top end of the fiame inwardly, the crab or purchase apparatus being fitted so that
it can be moved over by a socket piece at its base working upon a horizontal
threaded shaft that can be worked by hand to adjust the position of the crab.
"
In cleansing the fore-and-aft "runs" of a ship or other curved body which
necessitates the brush to be put askew I fit a worm and pinion to a portion of the
supporting arms and affix a couple of guide rollers on a T frame, as at W (Figure 6,)
that the whole of the frame A can be "sett" for the brush to act in the desired
manner.
In the Drawings I have shown a curved bar beyond the outer line of the brush,
that when the brush is touching the ship the bar is depressed to the brush level.
This depression acts by levers on a tell-tale mechanism, which may if desired be
caused to sound a gong or bell, which would be sounded each time the bar went in,
or a line and weight can be used for the purpose, the weight maintaining a certain
elevation, while the bar is depressed and another elevation when the bar is
extended.
The steam engine upon or in the separate vessel is to be also employed for
moving this vessel alongside the ship or structure by a screw, or it may be by a
paddle
In the Drawings I have shown a screw worked by bevil gearing, through which
also other screws are worked for keeping the vessel in close proximity with the
ship, it being essential that the screws be kept working, in order that as one piece
say, from keel to water line, is cleaned vertically by an up-and-down travel of the
brush, the appliances can be shifted for cleansing a fresh part. In the case of a fixed
structure such as a pier wall I fit capstan heads and hauling ropes on the vessel,
which when lashed to the pier keep the vessel in position as desired.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the details set forth in the
introductory part of this Specification, composed of,-
Firstly. Arranging the brush or cleansing medium in helical form with a metal
strip or blade intervening, when applied as and for the purposes described.
Secondly. Fitting a rack upon a frame which has a rock motion upon joints from
a separate vessel or from the ship or structure itself, as and for the purpose
described.
Thirdly. Fitting fork straps on the frame A for maintaining the chains in the
teeth of their wheels, and for preventing slack in the chain, as described.

page_text: Fourthly Fitting an adjustable tilting crab or purchase upon a separate vessel,
as described, when in connection with ship-cleaning mechanism.
Fifthly. Fitting a separate vessel when used for ship-cleansing purposes with two
propellers on one side to keep it in close proximity to-the ship, and with one or
more propellers on another of its sides or ends for moving it along, as set forth.
Sixthly. I claim the combination of all the parts described and shown when used
in conjunction, as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry James Cole, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
seven.
HENRY JAMES COLE. (L.S.)