IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR LIFTING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER SUBMERGED BODIES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Joseph Ellis; of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
APPARATUS FOR LIFTING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER SUBMERGED BODIES."
Sealed the 5th August 1859, and dated the 10th February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Joseph Ellis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, 'on'
the 10th February 1859.
I, ROBERT JOSEPH ELLIS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR LIFTING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER SUBMERGED
BODIES," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists of one or more cylindrical or other suitably shaped
enclosed vessel of large capacity, say sixty feet long by fourteen feet diameter,
which, to ensure strength, it is proposed to build upon longitudinal and
transverse framings formed of angle or T iron or steel, and plated externally
with steel or iron. Each of these vessels are provided with two or more
floating ball valves which open inwardly, and a large spring valve which opens
outwardly when the internal pressure is greater than the external. These,
cylindrical or other suitably shaped pontoons are fitted internally with a
number of hydraulic cylinders placed in a longitudinal line with the floating
and spring valves. These hydraulic cylinders are connected together by
of pipes which form passages for the water from the bottom of the
means

page_text: When this
interior of one cylinder to another, and are fitted with pistons and piston rods
which work through stuffing boxes in the bottom of the vessel. The lifting
chains being attached to the outer ends of the piston rods the strain will be
equal on each. It is proposed to place two or more of these pontoons side by
side, or parallel to each other, and to attach them together by stout beams
and so forth, on which a deck can be laid, and a mast or masts rigged for the
purpose of sailing them from place to place, where they may be required, and
they may be steered by means of a suitable rudder or rudders.
apparatus is to be brought into operation, one or more of the pontoons can be
detached from the deck and deck beams, and, by allowing the floating valves
in the bottom to work, the water will enter the vessel and cause it to sink to
the wreck or other submerged body it is required to lift. The lifting chains
being made fast to the wreck are attached to the ends of the hydraulic piston
rods; the water is then forced from the interior of the pontoon through the
opening of the floating valves by means of atmospheric air forced therein
through a pipe from the surface by an air pump which is worked on board an
attendant vessel. As long as there is sufficient water in the interior of the
pontoon to float the valves, they will remain open, but as soon as they come
in contact with their seats, they are kept in position by the internal pressure
of the air, and when the internal pressure exceeds that of the external pressure
above a certain amount, the spring valve is forced open, and allows a portion
of the compressed air to escape.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Joseph Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
JOSEPH ELLIS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,'
the said Robert Joseph Ellis, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Joseph Ellis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Robert Joseph Ellis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 Invention for "Iμ-
PROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR LIFTING SUNKEN VESSELS AND OTHER SUBMERGED
BODIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that the said Robert Joseph
Ellis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner 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 Robert Joseph Ellis, 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 (that is to say):-
This my said Invention consists of one or more cylindrical or other suitably
shaped enclosed vessels of large capacity, say sixty feet long by fourteen feet
diameter, which, to ensure strength, I propose to build upon longitudinal and
transverse framings formed of angle or T iron or steel, and plated externally
with steel or iron. Each of these vessels are provided with two or more
floating ball valves which open inwardly, and a large spring valve (or valves)
which opens outwardly when the internal pressure is greater than the external
pressure. These cylindrical or other shaped pontoons are fitted internally with
a number of hydraulic cylinders placed in a longitudinal line with the floating
and spring valves. These hydraulic cylinders are connected together by means
of pipes which form passages for the water from the bottom of the interior of
one cylinder to another, and are fitted with pistons and piston rods, which work
through stuffing boxes in the bottom of the vessel. I attach the lifting chaine
to the outer ends of the piston rods, by which arrangement the strain will be
equal on each. I propose to place two or more of these pontoons side by
side, or parallel to each other, and to attach them together by stout beams and
so forth, on which a deck can be laid, and a mast or masts rigged for the
purpose of sailing them from place to place where they may be required, and
they may be steered by means of a suitable rudder or rudders. When this my
improved apparatus is to be brought into operation one or more of the pontoons
can be detached from the deck and deck beams, and by allowing the floating
valves in the bottom to work, the water will enter the vessel and cause it to sink
to the wreck or other submerged body it is required to lift, the lifting chains being
made fast to the object required to be lifted are then attached to the ends of

page_text: the hydraulic piston rods. I then force the water from the interior of the
pontoon through the opening of the floating valves by means of atmospheric air
forced therein through a pipe from the surface by an air pump which is
worked on board an attendant vessel. As long as there is sufficient water in
the interior of the pontoon to float the valves they will remain open, but as
soon as they come in contact with their seats they are kept in position-by the
internal pressure of the air. And when the internal pressure exceeds that of
the external pressure above a certain amount, the spring valves are forced
open and allows a portion of the compressed air to escape.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
I have hereunto annexed Drawings of so much of one of the improved lifting
pontoons constructed according to my Invention as will be requisite to illustrate
the practical application thereof. Like letters and figures marked thereon
being used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 (Sheet A), is a semi-longitudinal vertical section of one of my
improved compensating lift-pontoons, drawn on a scale of half an inch
to the foot; and Figure 2 (Sheet B), is a transverse vertical section of the
same.
A, the outer shell of a cylindrical egg-ended pontoon, which by preference I
construct of iron or steel plates; B, internal strengthening ribs of iron or
steel; C, internal longitudinal transverse and diagonal stays; D, a man-hole,
by which the pontoon may be entered; E, large shackles securely attached to
cach end of the pontoon, for the purpose of making fast by; F, lagging of
timber on the side of pontoons; G, binding straps on the top of the wood
lagging; H, iron brackets, through which works I, tightening screws on
the ends of the binding straps; K, the inlet and outlet valves, the balls of
which float during the time the pontoon is being filled with water and while it
is being expelled, but which falls upon and are securely held on their seats
when the water is expelled by the action of the pressure of the air pumped into
the pontoon through L, an air valve, which opens inwards when acted upon by
the air forced down M, the air pipe, through which the air from the air pump
on board the attendant vessel is forced into the pontoon, by which the water is
expelled from the interior through the floating ball valves K, after which they
are held on their seat by the preponderance of the internal pressure of the air
by which the water is expelled; N, lift valves, which open outwardly when
the internal pressure exceeds the external pressure beyond a certain amount,
which I regulate by springs or weights acting on the valve covers; O, hydraulic
cylinders, which are fitted with P, pistons, which are provided with Q, piston
rods, which work through the bottoms of the hydraulic cylinders; R, strong

page_text: eyes on the lower end of the piston rod to which the lifting chains or ropes
are attached, and which work up and down the cavities formed vertically
down through S, metal stands, upon which the hydraulic cylinders are
mounted; T, pipes which connect the water space below the piston of all the
hydraulic cylinders, by which arrangement an equal pressure is sustained by
each cylinder and piston when attached to the body to be lifted, although the
pistons may be higher or lower in the cylinders.
Having now fully described my said Invention, and how I believe the same
may be best carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details or dimensions herein-before described and
set forth, as it will be readily seen that the same may be considerably varied
without departing from the Invention; but what I claim is,―
First, the peculiar arrangement of outlet and inlet valves when applied to
lifting pontoons as herein-before described, or any mere modification of the
same.
Secondly, the construction and use of the regulating hydraulic cylinders and
their appurtenances as herein-before described, or any mere modification of
the same.
And, lastly, the general arrangements and combination of parts for the
construction of an apparatus for lifting submerged bodies, as herein-before
described and set forth, or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Joseph Ellis, have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my seal, this Ninth day of August, in the
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
year
10
5
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44 Castle Street,
Liverpool.
ROBERT JOSEPH (L.S.) ELLIS.