Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr:, 1887
Complete Left, 19th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1888
I JAMES EDWARDS of 59 Exmouth Street Commercial Road Stepnoy in the County
of Middlesex, Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaning the bottoms of
ships and other floating vessels by means of a series of either brushes or scrapers
linked together at suitable distances apart and hauled to and fro under the bottom and
up and down the sides of a ship or other floating vessel so as to remove any accumu-
lation of barnacles sea weed or other foreign matters adhering thereto.
For this purpose a series of brushes of suitable size are connected together at cach
end at their lower edges by wire or other ropes or chains at a distance of three or four
feet more or less as desired. To these ropes or chains floats are attached which aid
in supporting them and keeping the brushes or scrapers as the case may be against
the surface of the ship or vessel.
The brushes or scrapers are also connected together in the centre near the top by a
tie rope or rod to keep them in position whilst in use.
The ends of the ropes or chains which connect the lower edges of the brushes or
scrapers together pass up the sides of the vessel advantageously over pulleys on to the
deck and are drawn backwards and forwards by manual power so as to cause the
brushes or the scrapers to act against the bottom and sides of the ship or vessel to
cleanse the same.
The stocks or bodies of the brushes are so made that the brushes can be readily
removed therefrom and scrapers substituted in their stead. Or they can be arranged
alternately or in any other desired manner and the process of cleaning may be carried
on either in dock or at sea.
Mechanical power may be employed to haul the brushes to and fro when in use.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning the Bottoms of Ships and
other Floating Vessels.
I JAMES EDWARDS of 59 Exmouth Street Commercial Road, Stepnoy in the County
of Middlesex. Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly. described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to Improvements in apparatus for cleaning the bottoms of
Ships and other floating vessels by means of a series of either brushes or scrapers
linked together at suitable distances apart and hauled to and fro under the bottom and
up and down the sides of a Ship or other floating vessel so as to remove any
accumulation of barnacles, sea weed, or other foreign matters adhering thereto.
For this purpose a series of brushes of suitable size are connected together at each
end at their lower edges by wire or other ropes or chains at a distance of three or four
feet apart more or less as desired. To these ropes or chains floats are attached which
aid in supporting them and keeping the brushes or scrapers as the case may be against
the surface of the ship or vessel.
The brushes or scrapers are also connected together in the centre near the top by a
tie rope or rod to keep them in position whilst in use.
The ends of the ropes or chains which connect the lower edges of the brushes or
scrapers together pass up the sides of the vessel advantageously over pulleys on to the
deck and are drawn backwards and forwards by manual power so as to cause the brushes
or the scrapers to act against the bottom and sides of the ship or vessel to cleanse the
same.
The stocks or bodies of the brushes are so made that the brushes can be readily
removed therefrom and scrapers substituted in their stead. Or they can he arranged
alternately or in any other desired manner and the process of cleaning may be carried
on either in port or at sea.
Mechanical power may be employed to haul the brushes or scrapers to and fro when
in uso.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
practice I will proceed to describe the drawings hereto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of the hull of a vessel showing my improved
cleaning apparatus with a series of brushes connected together placed in position
ready for operating upon the bottom and sides thereof. Figure 2 is a side view.
Figure 3 a transverse section and Figure 4 a plan of one of the scrapers, Figures 5
and 6 showing a side view and section of one of the brushes.
a, a are the series of brushes (or they may be scrapers) connected together at each
end by the ropes or chains a¹, a¹ to which floats of cork or other material are attached

page_text: to assist in supporting and keeping the brushes in contact with the bottom of the
vessel. The brushes and the scrapers may also if desired be connected together by a
tie rope, rod, or chain, b to assist in keeping them in position whilst in use.
The stocks or bodies in which the brushes and the scrapers are mounted are so
constructed that they can be readily separated therefrom and exchanged as required
by which arrangement the same apparatus serves either for brushes or for scrapers.
The stems of the brushes and scrapers are so formed that when inserted in the stocks
they can be secured therein by set screws a³ or otherwise fixed thereto.
The ends of the rope or chain a¹ pass over the pulleys c, c on to the deck of the vessel
and are drawn to and fro to actuate the brushes by manual or other power.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is,
The improved arrangement and application of a series of brushes and of scrapers
mounted so as to be drawn to and fro under the bottom and up and down the sides
of a Ship or other floating vessel for the purpose of cleaning the same substantially
in the manner herein before described and represented in the drawings hereto annexed.
I also claim the improved construction of the stocks or bodies in which the brushes
and the scrapers are mounted so that they can be readily separated therefrom and the
one exchanged for the other and secured to the stocks or holders substantially as and
for the purpose herein before described.
Dated this 19th day of January 1888.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.