IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF DREDGERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Simons and Andrew Brown, both of the
Town and County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineers and Ship-
builders, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND
CONSTRUCTION OF DREDGERS."
Sealed the 25th June 1867, and dated the 29th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Simons and
Andrew Brown at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 29th December 1866.
We, WILLIAM SIMONS and ANDREW BROWN, both of the Town and County
of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineers and Shipbuilders, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT
AND CONSTRUCTION OF DREDGERS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
The first part of this Invention has for its object the combining together
so as to constitute one apparatus that which has hitherto consisted as two
separate and distinct appliances used for the dredging and conveying
away of the material dredged, namely, the steam dredger proper and the
hopper barge.
In carrying out this first part of our Invention the hull of the dredger is
built with a well to receive the ordinary bucket ladder in the usual manner;
and the aft or forward end of the hull is formed of larger capacity than usual,
constituting, in fact, and forming the hopper cavity or space into which the
dredged material is discharged from the buckets, to the entire exclusion of

page_text: hopper barges or mud punts as at present in use. As soon as the hopper is
full the bucket ladder is raised into the well, the combined dredger and hopper
is propelled or navigated by a screw or screws out to sea, or to any place where
it is desired to deposit the dredgings, on arriving at which the doors at the
bottom of the hopper are opened and the dredgings discharged, after which
being effected the doors are closed and the vessel returns to continue opera-
tions, for which purpose the bucket ladder is lowered to carry on the dredging.
By means of thus combining together into one vessel the dredger and hopper
barge, the mud punts and hopper barges at present in use are dispensed with,
whilst at the same time the crew ordinarily required for dredging operations
is considerably diminished, and the expenses attendant thercon correspondingly
reduced.
The second part of this Invention relates to so constructing the dredger
that it may be used in addition to the ordinary dredging operations for the
purpose of excavating or undercutting land above or at the surface of the
water, the sides of canals, rivers, embankments, and coasts. The ladder is
so arranged that it may be clevated out of the water and raised to any
required position, projecting over one end of the hull so that the buckets
may be brought to act upon the parts above water requiring to be excavated
or undercut. It is intended with this second modification of our Invention
to undercut the parts requiring removal, thus allowing the upper portions to
break off or detach themselves through their own weight, on which having
fallen in the water the bucket ladder is lowered to raise it in the ordinary way.
It is to be understood that this second part of the Invention may be used
in connection with the ordinary dredger hull, mud punts, or hopper barges,
or the combined dredgers and hopper as herein-before described. It is
also to be understood that both parts of this Invention may be carried out
with one or more bucket ladders.
As constituting this Invention and as novel and original it is intended to
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM 3
SIMONS and ANDREW BROWN, both of the Town and County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Engineers and Shipbuilders, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Simons and Andrew Brown, Her special license that we, the
said William Simons and Andrew Brown, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said William Simons and Andrew Brown,
our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGE-
MENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF DREDGES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said William Simons and Andrew Brown, by an instrument
in writing under our hands and scals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Simons and Andrew Brown,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The first part of our said Invention has for its essential object the combining
together so as to constitute one apparatus that which has hitherto consisted as
two separate and distinct appliances used for the dredging and conveying away
of the material dredged, namely, the steam dredger proper and the hopper barge.
In carrying out this part of our Invention the hull of the dredger is built
with a well to receive the ordinary bucket ladder in the usual manner, and the
aft or forward end of the hull is formed of larger capacity than usual,.
constituting, in fact, and forming the hopper cavity or space into which the
dredged material is discharged from the buckets to the entire exclusion of the
hopper barges or mud punts at present in usc. As soon as the hopper is full.
the bucket ladder is raised into the well, the combined dredger and hopper is
propelled or navigated by a screw or screws out to sea or to any place where
it is desired to deposit the dredgings, on arriving at which the doors at the
bottom of the hopper are opened and the contents or "dredgings" discharged,

page_text: after which being effected the doors are closed and the vessel returns to carry on
the dredging, for which purpose the bucket ladder is lowered as before to con-
tinue operations. By means of thus combining together into one vessel the
dredger and hopper barge the mud punts and hopper barges at present in
use are dispensed with, whilst at the same time the crew ordinarily required
for dredging operations is considerably diminished, and the expenses attendant
thereon correspondingly reduced.
The second part of this Invention relates to so constructing the dredger
that it may be used in (addition to the ordinary dredging operations) for the
purpose of excavating or cutting land above or at the surface of the water,
the sides of canals, rivers, embankments, and coasts. The ladder is so
arranged that it may be elevated out of the water and raised to any required
position, projecting over one end of the hull so that the bucket may be
brought to act upon the part above water requiring to be excavated or
underent. It is intended with this second modification of our Invention
to undercut the parts requiring removal, thus allowing the upper portion
to break off or be detached through its own weight, on which having fallen
in the water the bucket ladder is lowered to raise it in the ordinary manner.
It is to be understood that the second part of this Invention may be used
in connection with the ordinary dredger hull, mud punts, or hopper barges,
or the combined dredger and hopper as herein-before described. It is to be
understood that both parts of this Invention may be carried out with one or
more bucket ladders.
As constituting this Invention and as novel and original it is intended to
claim only the foregoing arrangements as applicable under the ordinary system
of dredging by buckets.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood we
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in
or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect,
reference being had, for the sake of more complete elucidation, to the several
Figures upon the two explanatory Sheets of Drawings, which we have hereunto
appended, that is to say :-
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a transverse vertical section at the centre of a
combined dredger and hopper barge constructed in accordance with our
Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3, a transverse section
on the line a, a, Figures 1 and 2, looking towards the bows; Figure 4, a
section on the line b, b, Figures 1 and 2, also looking towards the bows;
Figure 5, a section of the hull through the well, through which the bucket

page_text: ladder is lowered on the line c, c, Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 6 a section
on the line d, d, Figures 1 and 2.
In the several Figures the hull of the combined dredger and barge is
marked A. The form and arrangement of the main framing B which carries
the upper end of the bucket ladder C is shown at Figures 1, 2, and 4,
Figure 1 showing the apparatus in the act of dredging. The lower end of
the bucket ladder is suspended by blocks and tackle D from the shears E,
also shown at Figure 6 in the ordinary manner, by which its depth of cut
can be adjusted as well as the ladder, and buckets raised or lowered as
required. At the aft or stern end of the hull the engines F are fixed, and
when it is necessary to move or navigate the combined dredger and hopper
barge from one place to another these engines are employed to drive the
screw G; but when dredging operations are commenced the screw is
disconnected and the engines are used for driving the dredging apparatus.
In the Figures 1, 2, and 4 the hopper H is shown, its bottom being made
tight by means of the doors I, which are connected by hinges at their outer
ends to the bottom plates of the hull, as in an ordinary hopper barge, and
across the centre of the space above the hopper H the bridge or frame K is
placed, being firmly attached to and forming part of the main framing B, as
well as being secured at its opposite end to the bulkhead L, thus acting as
a stay to the main framing B as well as constituting a bridge or girder in
which are carried the rollers over which the chains p pass for holding up the
doors constituting the bottom of the hopper H; the chains p are retained by
palls catching into the teeth of ratchet pinions fixed in the ends of the chain
rollers. The engines F actuate the chain of buckets M through the gearing
marked, in Figures 1 and 2, the horizontal parts of which are dotted, this
when necessary,
gear
being arranged that it may be thrown out of
another shaft y is arranged to be actuated by it for the purpose of driving
the chain barrel N, Figures 1, 2, and 6, so that the ladder may be raised or
lowered when required; when, however, the position of the ladder is fixed the
barrel N is secured or held by any convenient clutch or other arrangement
for holding it, and during the dredging operations the crab or winch O by
which the dredger is drawn up continuously against the work is kept in
motion by means of the bevil gearing e actuating the vertical shaft f, which
in turn drives the winch, and the hauling ropes are thus wound up. During
the dredging operations the dredged materials or "dredgings" are discharged
by means of the shute P into the hopper H, and when this is full the ladder and
buckets Cand M are raised into the well; the screw G is put in motion, and the
vessel navigated to any place where it is desired to discharge the "dredgings,"
and

page_text: this being effected by opening the doors I constituting the bottom of the
hopper so that the material may fall out; the doors being opened by their
own as well as the insistent weight of the "dredgings," on slackening the
chains p, as is usual with hopper barges as at present constructed, the
dredgings being discharged the vessel or combined dredger and hopper barge
is navigated back to the place of operation and the dredging process is
continued as before.
By means therefore of this first part of our Invention the mud punts and
hopper barges are dispensed with.
We now proceed to specify the second part of our Invention illustrated by
the Figures on Sheet 2 of the appended Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a
longitudinal section at the centre of a dredger which may be used either as
an ordinary dredger as well as for excavating or undercutting land above or
at the surface of the water, the sides of rivers, embankments, harbours, or
coasts, or for other generally similar purposes; Figure 2 is a top plau
corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 3, an end elevation of the shears, and
Figure 4 a transverse section near the main framing, showing the shutes for
discharging the dredged material with a hopper barge moored alongside.
The chief peculiarity of this apparatus is that the hull A is formed with the
well B continued from midships or thereabouts right through the stern, so that
the ladder C and chain of buckets D may be elevated to any position required
for cutting or excavating under any circumstances, and for the special purposes
herein-before referred to, whilst the hull which carries the whole machinery
floats in the water. By preference a horizontal engine E is employed for
driving the chain of buckets on its crank shaft F, Figure 2; a bevil wheel is
fixed gearing into a bevil pinion on the vertical shaft F", which in turn drives
through bevil gearing G the top tumbler H by which the buckets D are actuated,
whilst on the side of the engine opposite to that from which the buckets are
driven the chain barrel I is placed, which may be actuated by gearing as shown
at c, c, Figure 2, or in any other convenient manner. By means of this
hoisting gear the chain K for elevating or lowering the ladder and buckets C
and D is actuated, and when raised or lowered to the requisite position the
barrel I is fixed and disconnected from the engines, so that the cutting or
excavating may proceed.
It is to be understood that the dredger now described may also be used as
an ordinary dredger, for which purpose the ladder and buckets are lowered,
as shown in red lines at Figure 1, Sheet 2. If desired this dredger may be
combined with a hopper barge, as in the preceding arrangement, or the
ordinary mud punts and hopper barges may be used...

page_text: In connection with both parts of our Invention one or more bucket ladders
may be used.
On Figure 2, Sheet 2, capstans L are shown to which ropes or chains
are applied, the other ends of which are secured to the banks against which
the dredger is working, so that on being drawn taut the dredger is held up
against the work. The capstans may be arranged to be driven by gearing
from the engines, or they may be actuated by hand; in place however of
these capstans, winches may be substituted.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,--
First, the general arrangement and construction of dredging or excavating
apparatus as herein-before described, or any mere modification thereof.
Second, the combination of a dredger with a hopper barge, as herein-before
described and shown on Sheet 1 of our Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
Third, the arrangement and construction of dredgers which may be used,
in addition to the ordinary dredging operations, for the purpose of excavating
or undercutting land contiguous to water, the sides or bottoms of canals,
rivers, embankments, harbours, and coasts, as herein-before described, or
any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Simons, on behalf of the said
Andrew Brown and of myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Twenty-fourth day of June One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven.