IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS. OR MECHANISM FOR CLEANING SHIPS' BOTTOMS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hjalmar Arentz, of Glasgow, in the, County of Lanark,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS. OR
MECHANISM FOR CLEANING SHIPS' BOTTOMS."
Sealed the 18th December 1877, and dated the 4th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hjalmar Arentz at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th July 1877.
!
HJALMAR ARENTZ, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain;
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR CLEANING SHIPS' BOTTOMS."
This Invention relates to a new or improved construction or arrangement of
mechanism or apparatus for cleaning barnacles, sea-weeds, or other marine deposits
or growths from ships' bottoms, while at sea or in harbour, in a more simple and
efficient manner than heretofore.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention consist all as follows:-A small
lateral travelling platform or frame is arranged with a cleaning brush or scraper; or
a combination of these, at its one end, the frame being hung and counterbalanced
on two ropes passing from the top rail to the "keel catcher" or longitudinal
traversing frame, so that this cleaner will bear against the bottom and sides of the
ship to be cleaned, while these two ropes draw or submerge the cleaner and its
frame towards the keel; and traverse it back again to above the water line. alter-
nately (either with or without guide ropes) through an arrangement of sheaves, and
actuated on deck by manual or motive power.
The keel-catcher is traversed longitudinally, and catches the keel or its continua-
tion at the stem by means of conically shaped india-rubber rollers actuated from the
deck direct or through pulleys and wheel gearing, by one, or it might be two, wire
ropes passed through wooden or other guiding or shield pipes or tubes.
The main feature of novelty of these improvements consists in driving the-bruslí.
or scraper by a small rotary or reciprocating water engine carried on; its lateral
traversing frame, driven by a current of water forced down to it through hose from
force pumps on board the ship.
t

page_text: The force pumps are either actuated by manual power or by a steam engine on
board, the same engine being also used when desired to actuate the ropes or their
driving barrels or sheaves for traversing the keel-catcher or cleaner frame; or in some
cases the water engine might be made to traverse its own lateral travelling frame
along its carrying or guide ropes, preferably by winding the hauling rope one or
two turns round a slip curved winding barrel, so as to traverse the frame back-
wards or forwards, according to the direction in which the barrel is turned by the
water engine, somewhat similar to the manner of hauling chain drawn ferry boats,
either the engine or the winding barrel being reversed as the frame reached the keel
and water line.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Hjalmar Arentz in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st January
1878.
.
HJALMAR ARENTZ, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR CLEANING SHIPS' BOTTOMS."
My said Invention relates to a new or improved construction or arrangement of
mechanism or apparatus for cleaning barnacles, sea-weeds, or other marine deposits
or growths from ships' bottoms, while at sea or in harbour, in water, without
requiring to be docked, in a more simple and efficient manner than heretofore.
And in order that the nature and mode of performing my said Invention may be
properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the two
Sheets of explanatory Drawings, which I have hereunto appended for that purpose,
the same letters and numerals indicating the same or like parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 is a transverse section of an iron-plated ship Z, as taken
through a full part of the midship on the one side, and through a hollow part of
the "fore" or "aft" portion of the ship on the other, and Figure 2 a side elevation
of the mid part of the ship corresponding to that in Figure 1, and showing
complete general arrangement of my Invention or improved hydraulic cleaning
mechanism, or machine A, A', A", and its carrying and actuating gearing tackle in
end and side view respectively as applied to the cleaning of the outside surface of
the plating of the ship.
a
Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 are a side or end elevation and corresponding outside
plan, half in section, of the actual cleaning or brushing machine A, A¹, A" proper,
drawn to a large scale detached to show the details and arrangement of its parts
more clearly than can be seen in the general views, Figures 1 and 2.
Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sections of the securing and longitudinal traversing
part of the machine or mechanism E, E¹, at and along the keel z¹ of the ship; and
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a longitudinal sectional side elevation and a plan of
the same, corresponding to Figures 5 and 6, the sections being taken near the lines
5-5, 6-6, and 7---7 in the latter Figure.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 8, the nature, novelty, and mode of performing
my said Invention consist all as follows:-The actual cleaning machine consists of
a small lateral travelling portable platform or boxed-in frame, formed with cast-
iron end plates A, and bottom and sides A¹, A", of wood or other equivalent, as
sheet-iron, arranged and fitted with a cylindrical cleaning brush or scraper B, or a
combination of these made with steel wire bristles B¹ at one side or edge, driven by

page_text: This
spur and bevel gearing B1, B2, and B1, B3, from the small rotary hydraulic engine
C, secured to the platform or bottom A¹ of the machine, which is fitted with a
single rolling and guiding wheel D in the centre of the opposite side to the cleaning
brush B, all as seen particularly in Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2. The frame A, A', Aч,
is carried and counterbalanced on two ropes a, a, which pass from a holder a¹ at the
top rail or bulwark z of the ship Z, over and between the pulleys a¹¹, and the guide
rollers a fitted at each side of the frame, and between it and the guide rails a
secured to the frame A at a³, thence passing down to the "keel catcher" or longitu
dinal traversing frame E, E¹, where they are attached at e to the guiding and
griping part E of the carriage E, E¹, as seen particularly in Figures 2 & 5 to 8, so
that the cleaner B, B¹, will bear against the bottom and sides of the ship Z to be
cleaned, in whichever position it may be in, as particularly seen in Figure 1.
hydraulic motive-power portable cleaning machine A, A¹; A", with its cleaning
brush or cylinder B, B¹, all as so far described, is carried on and drawn to and fro, up
and down, upon its said hanging stationary guide ropes a, a, by the frictional and
griping action of the driving groove pulleys a", keyed on the outer end of their
driving shaft a in either direction by its reversing clutch coupling b, actuated or
reversed, as will be. herein-after described, by. its reversing lever b¹ carried on the
fulcrum bracket b₁₁ through the buffer spring sliding rod b², so that the clutch b
takes into either of the corresponding couplings on the inner faces of the two oppo-
site revolving and transmitting bevel wheels c", c², actuated by the bevel pinion c¹
on the end of the shaft c, driven by the same spur and bevel gearing B₁₁, B2, and
B1, B3, which actuates the cleaner B, B', from the rotary water engine C and its
shaft C, all as particularly seen in Figures 3 and 4, and there indicated by the
arrows, and shown as coupled for winding the cleaner A, A, A", towards the
keel z of the ship, where it is automatically reversed by one of the two reversing
forked or bow levers 63, 6111, embracing one of the guide ropes a at its outer end,
and keyed on short fulcrum spindles passing through one of the side frames A of
the cleaner, so as to control the action of the spring reversing slide rod b² by levers.
band, keyed on their inner ends. Thus supposing the cleaner A, A¹, A¹!, and
its brush B, B¹ constructed, and its travelling gearing c, c', c, c², coupled and
driven, as just described, and shown in Figures 3 and 4, and traversing and cleaning
the outer surface of the ship Z on its downward motion, as seen in Figures 1 and 2,
when it got to near the end of this at the keel, the reversing fork lever b³ comes in
contact with the outer eye d¹ of a stop reversing rod d, jointed, at e to the holding
travelling frame E, near where one of the ropes a is attached, and which passes
through the said end eye d', so as to tilt the fork 63, and raise its catch lever b*.out
of a check or catch holder on the spring rod b2, which by the power of its buffer
spring would instantly reverse the lever b and clutch b, and cause the machine to
at once commence its return up stroke towards the bulwark at the deck, where
another stop, or a person by a bar or a cord for the purpose, would push or pull the
lever b back to the position shown in Figures 3 and 4, so as by the lever b1111 to
push back the spring and rod 62, and also the links b', attached to the back of the
spring, and to catch the lever b4, which would thus drop into the catch on the bar
62, and hold the whole in their reversed position for the downward traverse, as
before explained in reference to Figures 3 and 4, the rods 65 being in a straight line
in this case, have no tendency to shift the catch lever b² out of action, and a small
spiral or other spring could be used for holding down the free ends of the rods and
catches if their gravitation was not found sufficient to do so.
The rotary water engine C would be of the turbine form, with vanes and
enclosed spaces on its revolving cylinder and shaft C, and driven by water forced
down through the small elastic vulcanised india-rubber hose C", led down from
pumps on the deck or other convenient part of the ship, to the coupling Con
the case C of the water motor, so as to pass round it and drive the turbine
cylinder inside and escape through an outlet hole in its case C, and the bottom
A of the cleaner at 09. After each single or double traverse of the cleaner
A, A¹, A, B, B¹, laterally up and down the outside surface of the ship, so as to.

page_text: clean a section or strip of it as wide as the length of the brush B, B', it would
be moved or traversed longitudinally to the extent of another length of the
brush, by removing the attachment a¹ of the carrying ropes a, a, at the deck rails 2,
and to the same extent moving forward the longitudinal traversing and keel-
griping carriage E, E¹, which is secured and guided along below the keel ¹ by the
horizontal guide rollers E", and also the vertical one E, projecting up on each
side of it from the extreme end of the frame E, and by the deep drawing rollers
E2, which are preferably conical and fixed on the driving geared spindles Es working
in fixed journal bearing frames E, projecting up from one side of the keel ¹, from
the hollow frame and boxed part E' of the carriage E, E', containing the actuating
gearing for traversing it, and having on the other side of the keel an opposite
pressing roller E, carried on the upper end of a spring lever E, fulcrumed on and pro-
jecting up from the case El, containing the compressing spiral or equivalent spring F,
mounted on a carrying rod and pressing discs F, on the lower arm of the lever E,
and a securing central stud F1, so as to press the pulley E hard up against the keel
, and keep the drawing rollers E² hard´up against the opposite side, griping the
keel between them.
All or any of these rollers might be covered with vulcanized india-rubber, and
the drawing or travelling rollers E are driven through spur wheels G on the lower
end of their spindles E3, gearing into a central pinion G₁ on the same hollow axis
as the grooved rope pulley G", which actuates all by the endless or duplex reverse
running and driving rope g, passed round the driving pulley C and guide rollers G²,
all fitted within the case part E¹ of the keel carriage E, E¹, as seen particularly in
Figures 5 to 8; the rope g passing in and out of the case through guide funnels G³
(in either direction, according to that in which the carriage has to be traversed)
from the deck, through eyes in hollow cross ring fenders or balls for keeping the
actuating rope g from rubbing on the side of the ship, and through guide sheaves
or other pulleys gll fixed at or to the side rails of the ship z, the ends of the rope y
being led away and actuated by hand, or by any suitable windlass, or other rope-
winding or hauling mechanism, on deck or other suitable part of the ship.
Two of the cleaning machines A, A', A", with their brushes B, B1, are employed,
or one machine changed to each side of the ship, traversing on a set of guide ropes
a, a, secured on each side, as seen in Figure 1; but.only one set of ropes g, g, and
guide sheaves g₁ fitted on one side are required for traversing the keel catcher E, E¹.
The hollow guiding fenders or shields g¹, or it might be wooden balls or other
tubes, for the rope g, g, passing through would all be attached at proper distances
apart, to a stay rope g2, stretched between the keel carriage E, E, and the rail z at
the deck of the ship, and shifted and fixed there with the guide blocks of the
ropes g, g, before each successive longitudinal shift of the cleaning carriage E, E';
and wire ropes might be used for any or all of these ropes when desired, although
ordinary ropes have been found to answer quite well.
Although the water engine C for driving the cleaning brush B, B¹, has been
shown as made to traverse its carriage A, A1, A¹, to and fro on its guide ropes a, a,
it will be evident that this might be done on deck by a double rope attached to the
carriage, one to the lower end passed through a sheaf or pulley on the keel
catcher, and led back to the deck, and the other from the upper end direct to the
deck, which, when respectively pulled by hand, or by a windlass or other winding
gear, would pull the cleaner to the keel and back to the upper part of the ship
above the water line alternately and respectively, as desired; and if a small portable
engine were used in the ship for working the force pumps for driving the rotary
hydraulic engine C of the cleaner, it could also be used for working a portable
windlass on the same frame for hauling the ropes, either for traversing the keel
catcher, or the cleaning machine when so traversed. And although a rotary hydraulic
engine has been shown and described as fitted on the cleaning carriage A, A¹, A",
for driving the brushing or scraping cylinder B, B', and its traversing gear, this
being preferred, it is to be understood that double cylinder reciprocating engines
might be used when desired.

page_text: When scrapers are fitted on the cleaning roller or brush B, B¹, they may be fitted
as radial longitudinal blades the whole or only part of the length of the cylinder at
intervals round it, the one part being set between the spaces of the others; or they
might be fitted spirally from each end, preferably in reversed directions, so
as to act against one another, and not tend to traverse the frame A, A¹, A¹,
longitudinally.
The operation of cleaning is commenced at the bow of the ship by adjusting the
keel catcher E¹ to the stem, and which is formed in two parts E and E¹, and jointed
at e for the purpose of moving round the curved stem and straight keel, and
lowering it by turning its endless rope g, g, and gearing G, G¹, G¹¹, until it is under
the bow quarters, when the guide ropes a, a, would then be stretched and made
fast to the rail, rigging, or deck, as convenient, with the cleaning mechanism
proper A, A, A, B, B¹, mounted on them, all the upper ends of the ropes being
retained on deck for these purposes. When the down-and-up motion of the cleaner
A, A¹, A, B, B1, is proceeded with, after starting the pumps, and hydraulic rotary
engine C on it, the buoyancy of the upper part of the frame or cleaner, and the
balanced manner in which it is bung to its carrying ropes a, a, maintaining the
brush or cleaner B, B¹, always against the ship's bottom or side at whatever part it
may be, all as before described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus or mechanism
actuated by water-pressure engine, with keel carrying and traversing tackle, for the
cleaning of ships' bottoms or outside surfaces, all substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
Second. The construction and use of a portable frame or carriage A, A1, A", with
rotary brushing or scraping cylinder B, B¹, actuated by a hydraulic or water
engine C with reversing gearing for traversing it laterally, or down and up to and
from the keel 21 of ships for cleaning their bottoms or outer surfaces, all sub-
stantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Third. The construction and use of a traversing frame or carriages E, E¹, with
friction griping rollers for griping and travelling along the keel z¹ and its actuating
gearing, for the purpose of securing the under tackle and guide ropes thereto, and
laterally traversing the brushes or scrapers, for the cleaning of ships' bottoms or
outer surfaces, substantially as shown and described.
22
Fourth. The arrangement of "taut or stay ropes g², with hollow guide rings g¹
(or wooden or other balls or tubes) with holes through them for guiding the endless
rope g, for traversing the keel catcher E, E', from the deck, all substantially as
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hjalmar Arentz, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
HJALMAR ARENTZ. (L.S.)