Improved Apparatus for Scouring Rivers, Harbours, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Scouring Rivers, Harbours, and the like.
BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE of 37 Victoria Street Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
My invention relates to an improved form of apparatus for effecting subaqueous
erosion by high-pressure of air or water such high pressure being produced by any
well known mechanical means-such as pumps or turbines. The apparatus is
intended for the rapid and facile removal of subaqueous accumulations, as silt or
sand accumulations, in docks estuaries bars or harbours-and which accumulations
impede the progress of maritime navigation.
To effect my invention, I utilise compressed air or water, which I lead or direct,
by means of armoured hose of the sphincter grip character to a specially arranged
carriage, provided with hollow trunnions or axles, through and by which the water
or air separately and in combination is delivered under very high pressure-to
nozzles that lead the fluid under compression-directly on to the deposited silt or
sand.
I attach the armoured hose to the centre of the hollow axle, at each end of
the latter I loosely attach cast steel disc wheels, preferably provided with spikes
uniformly distributed on the tyres or rim, by which an adhesion to the surface of the
wheel tread is secured.
In order to maintain the nozzles in proper position over but in close proximity to.
the material to be eroded removed or disturbed, I provide a carriage of a four
wheeled type provided with a pair of fore and a pair of rear wheels-or the rear
axle may have one wheel, or the fore axle may have only one wheel, the other
axle in both applications being provided with a pair of disc wheels.
The sphincter grip or armoured hose is connected to the foremost hollow axle,
which is connected to the rear axle by two side or one central and single connection
as may be determined.
I provide the hollow rear axle with fluid under pressure, distributing nozzles.
similar to the foremost hollow axle, by this arrangement the fluid eroding or
disturbing pressure is well distributed.
I may provide two hollow axles side by side of the rear and fore axles of croding
carriage each of the hollow axles having independent armoured hose connections
and fluid distributing nozzles.
To one of the pair of hollow axles, I provide a high pressure water supply, to
the other I provide an air supply also under high pressure.
I utilise the air, not for eroding but for its quality of expansion, and displacement
action.
I use the water pressure for its disturbance displacement and erosion qualities-
and the air for displacing and forcing upward of the disturbed silt in suspension.
The particles of silt or sand are thus lifted into the upper currents, by the bubbles
of expanded air, as they leave the nozzles and ascend to the surface.
The carriage is lowered and drawn or dragged along by means of chains, in order
that no tensional strain may be exerted on the hose. The chains are so attached to
the carriage that it shall not be easily overturned.
The wheels of the carriage may be so arranged as to turn on pivots to facilitate
the dragging & moving of the carriage around dock wall sides.
Dated this 26th day of August 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Scouring Rivers, Harbours, and the like.
I, BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE, of 37 Victoria Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, 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 :—
My invention relates to an improved form of apparatus for effecting subaqueous
erosion by high pressure of air or water, such high pressure being produced by any
well known mechanical means, such as pumps or turbines. The apparatus is
intended for the rapid and facile removal of subaqueous accumulations, such as silt
or sand accumulations in docks, estuaries, bars, or harbours, and which accumu-
lations impede the progress of maritime navigation.
To effect my invention, I utilise compressed air or water, which I lead or direct
by means of armoured hose of the sphincter grip character to a specially arranged
carriage provided with hollow trunnions or axles, through and by which the water
or air separately or in combination is delivered under very high pressure to nozzles
that lead the fluid under compression directly on to the deposited silt or sand.
I attach the armoured hose to the centre of the hollow axle, at each end of
the latter I loosely attach_cast steel disc wheels, preferably provided with spikes
uniformly distributed on the tyres or rims by which an adhesion to the surfaces of
the wheel tread is secured.
In order to maintain the nozzles in proper position over but in close proximity
to the material to be eroded, removed, or disturbed, I employ a carriage of a four
wheeled type provided with a pair of fore and a pair of rear wheels or the rear
axle may have one wheel, or the fore axle may have only one wheel, the other axle
in both applications being provided with a pair of disc wheels.
The sphincter grip or armoured hose is connected to the foremost hollow axle
which is connected to the rear axle by two side or one central and single connection
as may be determined. I provide the hollow rear axle with fluid under pressure,
distributing nozzles similar to the foremost hollow axle, by this arrangement the
fluid eroding or disturbing pressure is well distributed.
I may provide two hollow axles side by side of the rear and fore axles of the
eroding carriage each of the hollow axles having independent armoured hose_con-
nections and fluid distributing nozzles. To one of the pair of hollow axles, I
provide a high pressure water supply, to the other I provide an air supply also
under high pressure.
I utilise the air, not for eroding but for its quality of expansion, and displacement
action.
I use the water pressure for its disturbance, displacement, and erosion qualities
and the air for displacing and forcing upward of the disturbed silt in suspension.
The particles of silt or sand are thus lifted into the upper currents by the bubbles
of expanded air as they leave the nozzles and ascend to the surface.
The carriage is lowered and drawn or dragged along by means of chains, in order
that no tensional strain may be exerted on the hose. The chains are so attached
to the carriage that it shall not be easily overturned.
The wheels of the carriage may be so arranged as to turn on pivots to facilitate
the dragging and moving of the carriage around dock wall sides.
Before describing the three sheets of drawings that accompany and are intended
to form part of this Specification I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not
intend to be confined to the use of the exact details shown therein, as these may be
modified without departing from the nature of my said invention.
Referring in the first instance to Sheet 1 of drawings Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent
respectively a longitudinal view, a side elevation, and plan of my eroder carriage.
In detail, the structural elements may be enumerated as follows
-
The sphincter grip hose for conducting the water pressure flow, is shown by a,

page_text: that for supplying the air pressure flow by b. The water pressure flow is supplied
to the hollow axle c, at the ends of which are provided the disc wheels d having on
their treads or rims the spikes e.
The hollow axle c is attached at its ends to the terminations of a rear axle / also
carried by disc wheels marked g. The connections between the wheels are made
by the hollow couplings h by which the water pressure flow is supplied to the rear
axle. Each axle is provided with projecting nozzle pipes i by which the water
pressure is educted or emitted on each side of the axle, the angle formed by the
two lines of pipes fore and aft being equal to 90°, this inclination of the pipes on
each side of the axle balances the counteracting pressure on the axle, there being
established as much pressure on one side as upon the other.
The air pressure flow is supplied to a pipe that rides or is carried by the front
hollow axle and this is also provided with eduction nozzle pipes k arranged between
the water eduction pipes i in such a way that the silt, sand, or other subaqueous
material is elevated by the bubbles of air as they leave the nozzles and ascend to
the upper current.
The fore axle may be arranged to work on a pivot so as to facilitate the turning
of the eroder carriage around dock corners.
On Sheet 2 of drawings, Figures 4 and 5 show the complete application of my
invention, and in which application a simpler, or pair wheel eroder carriage is used,
of which Figures 6 and 7 are respectively front and side elevations.
The barge A is of ordinary construction but it may here be stated that any kind
of vessel is suitable for the purpose, and the ordinary hopper barge may be used.
The steam generator B of the Thwaite water tube type is the form I prefer to
adopt, this provides steam for a special form of high pressure water pump C and
also to a high pressure air compression engine D, the high pressure water supply is
delivered to the hose E, and the high pressure air supply is supplied to the sphincter
grip hose F.
The sphincter grip hose is wound around the winch drums G of comparatively
large diameter and from thence is connected to the eroder carriage H.
The eroder pair wheel carriage is held drawn or slewed by the chain J. Other
dragging and suspension chains are supplied when required for effecting the move-
ment of the eroder carriage.
A special engine K is provided for revolving the hoisting winch drums. Drums
or reels L are also provided for the pneumatic or high pressure air hose and
projecting guide wheel brackets M are provided for keeping hose clear from bow
of barge.
Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the pair wheel eroder carriage is provided with
the usual hollow axle N for supplying the water jet pipes O and the upper dis-
tributing pipe P for supplying air to the air eduction or jet pipes Q. The ejection
pipes being placed at an angle of 90° to each other to balance or equalise the
reactionary pressure on the axle of the eroder carriage.
In order to maintain the jet nozzle pipes at the proper angle of inclination, I
provide a weight R suspended from the hollow axle N.
Referring to Figures 8 and 9 on Sheet 3 of drawings showing respectively a
longitudinal and cross section of my arrangement of traversing eroder, or the
arrangement of moving the eroder carriage from side to side of barge S. In this
barge S there is a water well T, over which a hose carriage U is made to travel
from end to end of the well, or from side to side of the barge. This hose carriage U
runs on a pair of rolled joists or girders V, the carriage being propelled by a winch
and chain arrangement W.
The eroder carriage X is slewed and dragged by a chain Y in the usual
manner.
A special eroder carriage Z is shown in Figures 10 and 11, having a triple
nozzle arrangement of ejector nozzle pipes 2 and provided with a riding flange 3
by which the nozzle orifices 4 are kept at a short distance above the level of the
silt or sand to be removed,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The general arrangement of apparatus, substantially as shown, and for the
purpose described herein specifically.
2. The employment in combination with sphincter grip hose of eroder carriage,
or carriages for carrying nozzle or eduction pipes, as described and for the purpose
of this said invention.
3. The utilisation of water pressure and air pressure jets in combination, the
former for disturbing the silt, sand, or other subaqueous materials requiring to be
removed, the latter for displacing such suspended silt, and for forcing it up into
the swiftly flowing currents during the period of an adequate current velocity of
such currents.
4. The arrangement shown for slewing the hose and eroder carriage and jet
nozzle transversely under the barge.
Ik. 01 1... SM... 1001
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Benjamin Howarth Thwaite.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Benjamin Howarth Thwaite.