IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBMARINE TONGS FOR GATHERING OYSTERS AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Job Johnson, of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SUBMARINE TONGS FOR GATHERING OYSTERS AND OTHER ARTICLES."
Sealed the 26th July 1867, and dated the 15th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Job Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th May
1867.
I, JOB JOHNSON, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SUBMARINE TONGS FOR GATHERING OYSTERS AND OTHER ARTICLES," to be
as follows:
This Invention relates to tongs that are adapted to the gathering of oysters
or any other articles at a greater or less distance under water. I employ two
rakes formed of metal, with scoop-shaped or open heads, and each rake is
attached to a handle; the handles are connected together by a joint near the
middle, with the rake teeth coming towards each other something like the
usual oyster tongs, but the handles are much shorter.

page_text: My special feature of improvement relates to a pair of toggle bars connected
to each other and to the ends of the aforesaid handles, so that upon pulling
upon the centre joint of these toggle bars the tongs will be closed; this is
effected with a rope or chain, which also serves to haul up the tongs with their
The tongs are lowered by a second rope or chain, which acts to
keep them open, and also to open and disengage them from any article too
heavy to be safely raised. The rope or chain for opening the tongs is con-
Dected to the rake heads by a double or forked end, or it passes through a
sheave on the tongs up to the joint of the toggle bars, so as to draw that down
and thus open the tongs; and in order to press the tongs down and cause
them to be more efficient I employ when desired a pole or vertical bar con-
nected at its lower end to one of the joints of the tongs, and sufficiently long
to reach the operator; when this pole or bar is employed one of the ropes
might be dispensed with, but I prefer to use both the chains or ropes in
comparatively shallow water, and without the pole in deep water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Job Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 15th
November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOB
JOHNSON, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of May, A.D. One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Job Johnson, Her
special license that I, the said Job Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Job Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should any time agree with, and no others from time to
time and 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 Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBMARINE TONGS FOR GATHERING OYSTERS AND OTHER
ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Job Johnson,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: 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 I, the said Job Johnson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 is a side view of said tongs as opened ready for use;
"
2 is a similar view in a closed position ;
3 is an elevation at right angles to Fig. 2; and,
"
"
4 is a side view with the tongs open, showing a slight variation in
the mode of operating said tongs. Similar marks of reference denote the
same parts.
My Invention is a modification of and improvement upon the oyster tongs
that were patented by me in Great Britain under date of August 23rd,
A.D. 1866. This Invention relates to a pair of toggle bars combined with
the oyster tongs in such a manner that said tongs by the action of a rope and
pole, or by the action of two ropes may be opened or closed at pleasure, and
be employed at any depth to gather oysters, or any substance under water.
In the Drawing a and b represent rake teeth or prongs of any desired size
or shape. I have represented the same as teeth cut from a sheet of metal,
which also forms a head or scoop c for holding the oysters or other materials
gathered by the tongs. d and e are the handles of the tongs united, to the
heads c of the teeth a and b respectively, and jointed at 1. Braces or fender
bars are also employed between the handles and the heads of the scoop or rake,
as at f. The ends of the bars d and e are jointed to the. toggle bars 9 and h
respectively at 2 and 3, and at the upper part of the apparatus the bars .g
and h are united by the joint 4. In Fig. 4 this apparatus is shown in a form
adapted to deep water, the rope k is attached to an eye or clevis 7 at the
joint 4, and the rope b is attached by the branches to the eyes 5. When the
apparatus is opened into the position shown in Fig. 4 it is to be lowered, the
two ropes k and passing through the hands of the operator or otherwise so
that the apparatus is in a condition for use; by drawing upon the rope k the
toggle bars g and h will be raised, closing the rake or drawing the teeth of
the tongs towards each other, so as to grasp any oysters or other substances
between the tongs, and by continuing to pull on the same the tongs will be
kept together and drawn up. If it becomes necessary to open the tongs to

page_text: disengage them from any heavy or useless substance it can be done by
drawing upon the rope 1. The same general features exist in the tongs
represented in the other Figures of the Drawing, the rope k being employed.
to close and draw up the tongs, and the rope to open them.
It however is
often necessary that the attendant be able to press the tongs down into the
mud or upon the article to be grasped; for this purpose I employ a pole m, at
the lower end of which I provide a rod n, attached at its lower end to the
tongs by the bolt or rivet of the joint 1, so that the power to press down the
tongs can be applied at this point, and said tongs be still in a condition to be
closed by drawing upon the rope k. I find it advantageous to employ an eye
at the joint 4 to travel over the rod n to guide the parts as the tongs are
opened or closed. I have shown in Figs. 1, 2, & 3 the rope l as passing
under a sheave o on or in the handle or rod n, and going up to a loop or eye 6:
at the under side of the joint 4, so that the tongs will be opened by drawing
down this joint 4 of the toggle bars g and h; an eye might be substituted for
the sheave o. The rod or pole (m, n,) may be attached in any convenient
manner to whichever joint of the tongs desired; I however prefer the same
applied in the way shown. The rope may pass through an eye 8 on the
pole m, and if a knot is applied above that eye or any other stop applied to
said rope it will prevent the tongs closing beyond a given point. The tongs
shown in Fig. 5 may be provided with a sheave o attached to the joint I, and
formed with cheek pieces to prevent the rope slipping off, and through this the
rope may be passed, as shown, and led to the eye 6 at the joint 4, so as to
open or close the tongs, as before described. The eyes 6 and 7 should be
made at the ends of a metal plate introduced at the joint 4 between the bars
g and h.
It will be evident that scoops may be applied in place of the teeth or rakes,
or in addition to the same, and that these scoops may be of any desired size
or shape, so as to be closed in upon and scoop up mud, sand, or similar
material according to the use to which this apparatus may be applied.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First, the pair of toggle bars g, h, jointed to the ends of the tongs d, e,
substantially as specified, so that the tongs will be closed by drawing up the
joint between the bars g, h, or opened by drawing the joint between the
bars d, e, towards the said joint between the bars g, h.
Second, in combination with the toggle bars g, h, and tongs e, d, as afore-
said; I claim the pole or bar m, n, and the ropes or chains k, l, substantially
as and for the purposes specified.

page_text: Third, I claim the sheave o applied at the joint 1 in combination with the
rope that passes through said sheave, and is attached to the eye 6 near the
joint 4 of the toggle bars g, h, as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Job Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September, A.D. One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witnesses,
CHAS. H. SMITH,
121, Nassau St., New York.
GEO. DENNETT WALKER,
121, Nassau St., New York.
JOB JOHNSON. (L.8.)