AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING BY THE MEANS OF COMPRESSED AIR SUBMERGED SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest_Cuyer, of Honfleur (Calvados), France, Contractor,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING BY THE MEANS
OF COMPRESSED AIR SUBMERGED SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 23rd February 1877, and dated the 20th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest Cuyer at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th September 1876.
ERNEST CUYER, of Honfleur (Calvados), France, Contractor. "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR RAISING BY THE MEANS OF COMPRESSED AIR SUBMERGED SHIPS OR
OTHER VESSELS."
According to one part of this Invention closed bags or receptacles of any suitable
strong waterproof material, such as caoutchouc or waterproofed canvas, are con-
structed of a rectangular shape with rounded sides, and have connected to their
lower part flexible tubes leading to an air pump on board a vessel, and they are
strengthened against bursting by a double netting, of which the outer one is made
of strong rope, and has connected to it at the under side of the bag a strong
chain extending the whole length of the latter. These bags are lowered by ropes
or chains in a collapsed condition to either side of the sunken vessel, and those on
the one side are there connected to those on the other side by chains passed under
the keel of the vessel, and attached to the before-mentioned chains under the bags.
The bags are then inflated by pumping air into them through the before-mentioned
tubes, loaded safety valves being provided at the tops of the bags to prevent their
being subject to too great an internal pressure. The buoyancy of the inflated
bags will then raise the sunken vessel to the surface of the water.
According to another part of the Invention the hold of the sunken vessel or the
several compartments thereof are closed in a water-tight manner by the application
of metal or other plates with suitable caulking to the hatchways or other apertures.
Two sets of tubes are introduced through openings into the hold, the one set
communicating with the upper part of the space in the hold, and with air pumps
on board a ship at the surface of the water, while the other set communicate with
the bottom of the hold, and with water pumps on board the ship.
Air is forced into the hold through the first named tubes, while water is at the
same time drawn from the hold through the second set. By this means the ship

page_text: will be rendered sufficiently buoyant to rise to the surface, but should greater
buoyancy be required the before-described air bags may in addition be applied to
the outer surface of the ship, either by chains passed under the keel, or they may
be connected to strong hooks in the sides of the ship.
Bags of the same construction as above described may be kept on board of ships,
so that should the vessel spring a leak it may be buoyed up by attaching the bags
to the sides of the ship and inflating them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ernest Cuyer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th March
1877.
ERNEST CUYER, of Honfluer (Calvados), France, Contractor.
"AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR RAISING BY THE MEANS OF COMPRESSED AIR SUBMERGED SHIPS OR
OTHER VESSELS."
According to one part of this Invention closed bags or receptacles of any suitable
strong waterproof material, such as caoutchouc or waterproofed canvas, are con-
structed of rectangular shape with rounded sides, and have connected to their
lower part flexible tubes leading to an air pump on board a vessel, and they are
strengthened against bursting by a double netting, of which the outer one is made
of strong rope, and has connected to it at the under side of the bag a strong chain
extending the whole length of the latter. These bags are lowered by ropes or
chains in a collapsed condition to either side of the sunken vessel, and those on the
one side are there connected to those on the other side by chains passed under the
keel of the vessel and attached to the before-mentioned chains under the bags.
The bags are then inflated by pumping air into them through the before-mentioned
tubes, loaded safety valves being provided at the tops of the bags to prevent their
being subject to too great an internal pressure. The buoyancy of the inflated bags
will then raise the sunken vessel to the surface of the water.
According to another part of the Invention, the hold of the sunken vessel or the
several compartments thereof, are closed in a water-tight manner by the application
of metal or other plates, with suitable caulking to the hatchways or other apertures.
Two sets of tubes are introduced through openings into the hold, the one set
communicating with the upper part of the space in the hold and with air pumps
on board a ship at the surface of the water, while the other set communicate with
the bottom of the hold and with water pumps on board the ship.
Air is forced into the hold through the first named tubes, while water is at the
same time drawn from the hold through the second set. By this means the ship
will be rendered sufficiently buoyant to rise to the surface, but should greater
buoyancy be required, the before-described air bags may in addition be applied to
the outer surface of the ship, either by chains passed under the keel, or they may
be connected to strong hooks in the sides of the ship.
Bags of the same construction as above described may be kept on board of ships,
so that should the vessel spring a leak it may be buoyed up by attaching the bags
to the sides of the ship and inflating them.

page_text: The bag is made of two thicknesses a, a, (see Fig. 3), of strong fabric served with
caoutchouc, and enclosing between them a sheet of caoutchouc b for bags of small
dimensions; one of the thickness a may be dispensed with. Over the bag is
spread a strong cord netting B having fine meshes, so as to support the fabric of
the bag against bursting strain, and over this netting is spread a large meshed
net A of rope attached at the lower side to chains D, the purpose of the net A
being to transmit equally over the bag the strain applied to the chains D. On
the upper part of the bag is provided a safety valve F, as shewn in detail at Fig. 3.
It consists of a seating 9 secured to the fabric a of the bag, to which seating is fitted
the conical valves having a rod h, which is guided through an internal stirrup i.
A helical spring j, of strength suited to the maximum pressure which the bag
will sustain, is interposed between a collar on the rod h and an internal plate, and
the force of the spring is adjusted as required by a nut l, which can be secured
more or less along the threaded part of the rod h. A flexible pipe G leads from an
air compressing pump to the interior of the bag for the purpose of inflating it.
In employing bags such as I have described for buoying up a vessel or other
sunken body, they are let down in a collapsed condition, and by their chains D are
secured by a diver to the vessel; being then inflated they buoy up the vessel.
When the vessel to be buoyed is large, a number of bags can be secured round it,
so as in some measure to relieve its weight, then additional bags can be secured to
one end of the vessel, raising it sufficiently for chains to be passed under its keel
and attached to other bags or buoys.
In case of a vessel grounding or leaking, bags such as I have described carried
on board in a collapsed condition may be employed to float the vessel by their
inflation, or to float up one end to give access to a leak. In some cases the bags
can be applied inside the vessel, where there is room for their inflation under the
water line.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim,-
First. The use for buoying up or floating ships or other vessels of bags that
can be inflated, the said bags being constructed of waterproofed fabric strengthened
by netting, and provided with safety valves, substantially as herein described.
Second. The use in combination with bags, such as are referred to in the preceding
claim, of a strong outer netting for diffusing the strain of the attaching chains,
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest Cuyer have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
CH. ARMENGAUD,
Civil Engineer,
Bd. de Strasbourg, 23, Paris.
E. CUYER. (LS)