IMPROVEMENTS IN NAVIGABLE DREDGING VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1885

page_text: Connected therewith.
I JAMES TAYLOR, of The Britannia Works, Cleveland Street, Birkenhead, in
the County of Chester, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN NAVIGABLE DREDGING VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in navigable dredging
vessels and in apparatus connected therewith, whereby such dredging vessels can
be inade to operate either with, or against the tide, or stream and without the
necessity of mooring the dredging appliances being arranged so as to work with
either a pushing, or dragging action.
A dredging vessel constructed according to my Invention consists of a vessel
provided with and propelled by double twin screws, namely two screws on the twin
principle at each end of the vessel. The vessel is fitted with a suitable boiler and
steam engines for working the double twin screws. The vessel is provided with
an athwart ship girder bridge from the sides of which are pivotted and suspended
two hollow spars, or legs, each provided with a system of ladder dredging buckets.
The lower ends of these spars or legs are provided with a horizontal shaft on which
are provided circular drums, the lower edge of the drums being arranged so as to
come slightly above the cutting, or digging edges of the dredging buckets, the
object of the drums being to prevent the dredging ladders and buckets from
sinking too deeply into the material being dredged and to adjust the dredging
ladders and buckets to the irregularities and inclines of the ground being dredged.
The drums and the spars being hollow tend to float, or to help to float the dredging
ladders. Suitable machinery is provided on the vessel for working the dredging
ladder buckets and for lowering and raising them and the ladders are so hung that
they can be used to work against a bank to be removed, or to drag or trail along
the bottom.
The use of a vessel with propellers and dredging ladders arranged and con-
structed as above described admits of the vessel being manoeuvred over the ground,
or bank to be dredged without the necessity of moving the vessel, the vessel
either pushing or dragging the dredging ladder, and working against banks, or
along the surface to be dredged.

page_text: Improvements in Navigable Dredging Vessels and in Apparatus
Connected therewith.
I JAMES TAYLOR, of The Britannia Works, Cleveland Street, Birkenhead, in the
County of Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
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 certain improvements in navigable dredging
vessels and in apparatus connected therewith, whereby such dredging vessels
can be made to operate either width, or against the tide, or stream and without the
necessity of mooring, the dredging appliances being arranged so as to work with
either a pushing, or dragging action.
The following is a description of my Invention in such full, clear and distinct
language as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it belongs to carry the
same out into practice, reference being bad to the annexed sheet of Drawings
which make a part of this Specification and to the letters and figures of reference
marked thereon. Like letters and figures are used to denote like parts throughout
the Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a dredging vessel constructed with my improvements
applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1 shown with two barges for receiving the dredged
material.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2.
A dredging vessel constructed and fitted according to my Invention consists of
a vessel a provided with and propelled by double twin screws b, namely two
screws b on the twin principle at the stern of the vessel a and two screws b on the
twin principle at the bow of the vessel a. The vessel a is fitted with a suitable
boiler and steam engines for working the double twin screws b. The vessel a is
provided with an athwart-ship girder bridge c from the sides of which are pivotted
and suspended two hollow spars, or legs d each provided with a system of ladder
dredging buckets e. The lower ends of these hollow spars, or legs d are provided
with horizontal shafts f on which are provided circular drums, or floats g. The
lower ends of the drums g being so arranged as to come slightly above the
cutting or digging edges of the dredging buckets & The object of the drums g
being to prevent the dredging buckets e from sinking too deeply into the material
being dredged and to adjust the dredging ladders and buckets e to the irregu-
larities and inclines of the ground being dredged. The drums g and the spars d
being hollow tend to float, or to help to float the dredging ladders. The drums g
are preferably made to revolve on, or with their shaft f, or if desired they may be
fixed. Suitable machinery is provided on the vessel for working the dredging
ladder buckets and for raising and lowering them. This machinery may be of the
usual type provided for these purposes. The raising and lowering machinery being
'

page_text: provided on the athwart-ship bridge h. In the Drawings the dredging vessel and
ladder buckets are shown arranged and in position for working against a bank to
be removed but it will be evident that they can be arranged to drag, or trail
along the bottom when removing the bank.
The use of a vessel with propellers and dredging ladders arranged and con- .
structed as above described admits of the vessel being manouevered over the
ground, or bank to be dredged without the necessity of moving the vessel, the
vessel either pushing, or dragging the dredging ladders and working against banks
or along the surface to be dredged.
In the Drawings the dredging vessel is shown with the dredging ladders arranged
to come inside the stem of the vessel when lifted. This arrangement necessitates
the drums g of the ladders having separate shafts, but in some cases for example
where the dredging vessel will not be exposed to rough water, the ladders may be
extended beyond the bow and the drums may work on one shaft f common to all
of them as shown at Figure 3.
In the example shown in the Drawings the vessel is arranged to discharge the
dredged material into the attendant hopper barges A.
The use of the four screws with the dredging vessel a enables the vessel to be
80 manoeuvred as to become a moorless dredger inasmuch as she is capable of being
kept in position for performing the work and the use of the drums, or floats in
connection with the dredging ladders enables the accomplishment of moorless
dredging inasmuch as the dredging ladders adjust themselves to the ground being
dredged and the danger of the buckets taking too deep a dig in the ground being
dredged is obviated.
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:
First. Constructing and arranging navigable dredging vessels and apparatus
connected there with in the manner herein described and with reference to the
Drawings whereby facilities for manoeuvering the vessel and dredging in any desired
direction and without mooring are afforded, substantially as set forth.
Second. A dredging vessel having twin screws at the stern and twin screws at
the bow for manouevering the vessel and an appliance such as the drums g in
connection with the dredging ladders whereby such manoeuvering and moorless
dredging can be accomplished as set forth.
Third. The use in connection with the dredging ladders on dredging vessels of an
appliance such as the drums g whereby the dig of the dredging buckets is limited
and adjusted as set forth.