IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING SHIPS, ANCHORS, TELEGRAPH CABLES, AND OTHER SUBMERGED PROPERTY, SUCH IMPROVED APPARATUS BEING ALSO APPLI- CABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry William Hemsworth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1879.
HENRY WILLIAM HEMSWORTH, of Southend, in the County of Essex. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING SHIPS, ANCHORS, TELEGRAPH CABLES, AND
OTHER SUBMERGED PROPERTY, SUCH IMPROVED APPARATUS BEING ALSO APPLI-
CABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to improvements which, when properly adjusted and
lowered down to a ship, anchors, chains, telegraph cables, or other bodies sub-
merged in deep water will hold and bring the same securely to the surface.
For raising ships the apparatus may be constructed in the following manner :-
A grappling iron with two prongs is formed somewhat in the shape of an anchor.
A hammer is fixed on between the shackle and the prongs, so that when the
grappling takes hold of any body the hammer is employed to make it hold more
securely. These grapplings may be made with one or more prongs. Another form
of grappling is used without a hammer, and only one prong. Another form of
grappling is of curved shape, and with teeth on the concave side.
Another apparatus for raising anchors, chains, telegraph cables, or any other
bodies resembles to some extent a lobster. This apparatus has two floats, one fas-
tened to the shackles, and the other to the anchor formed end. These floats are
made fust by means of a rope or chain. The floats are used to indicate the place
where the apparatus is situated.
Or a pontoon may be used, in form like a dish cover, to which catches or the
grappling arrangements are attached. At the top of the pontoon & hole or opening
is made to pass from the outside to the inside.
Pipes are employed, through which air is sent from an engine for that purpose,
and four or other suitable number of pipes are connected with buckets at what
may be considered the corners (internally) of the pontoon. The pontoon is let down
into the water by suitable means, and is made fast at the catches to ends of chains
which pass underneath the vessel; or the grappling irons may be used, same being
fixed to the ship, as before described. Air is forced through the tube or pipe into
the pontoon, and the pontoon when full of air would exert a power on cach of the
chain ends, as well as supporting its own weight. If a number of these pontoons
were placed above the ship, running lengthways from side to side of the ship, then

page_text: their united power would (when air had been pumped in) give such power as to
raise the ship or vessel, but in this case the ship would be in unstable equilibrium.
To remedy this I attach to the bucket previously mentioned india rubber tubes, so
that the water can go through the buckets, and to the level of the top of the water
above immediately after the pontoon is let down. When the air is forced into the
poutoon, the buckets and pipe being full of water, the said water will rise in a
column above the top of the water as much as the level of the water in the pontoon
is below the level of the water in the bucket; or tubes containing mercury can be
used, and indication given by the rise of the mercury, the indication being in
accordance with the relative pressure of the water on the mercury. The pontoons
may be attached in various forms. To the pontoon on one side chains are secured.
To the last link of each chain a wire rope is passed through, one end being attached
to the lips of the pontoon on the other side; the other ends pass up to the surface,
and are actuated by windlass or other means, by which the chains are drawn under
the ship, and when the pontoon is in position engage in a catch provided for that
purpose, and thus the pontoon is securely held to the ship.
In some cases, instead of chains, arms in the form of callipers may be used. The
ends will grip the sides of the ship when in position in somewhat similar manner
to the grappling irons before described.
In places other than submerged, bodies, human or otherwise, living or dead, can
by my apparatus be drawn from water or pits, and for mining purposes, dredging,
or fishing.