IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION TO BE EMPLOYED ON THE WATER FOR. RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTER PATENT to John Pym, of Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Pym-at the Office
1.J.
J. 123
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th May
1857..
نام
I, JOHN (PYM, of Pimlico, in the: County, of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for: "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
TO BE EMPLOYED ON THE WATER FOR. RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS," to be
as follows:-
I construct a ship of light draught in two parts. or halfs, divided longi-
tudinally, each part being a vessel coniplete in itself, and when placed side by
side the two form a double or duplex ship; and I fit the same with sheers,
which extend from each vessel, and are united at top, so as to form a.double
sheer hulk. I connect the vessels, so as to prevent their separating: beyond
a certain distance from each other, and by the aid of the sheers and chains
worked from one or both of the vessels, raise, or raise and lower, as required,
the weights to be acted on. These double sheer hulks are particularly
[Price 8d.]

page_text: adapted to the raising and recovering of şunken and stranded ships and other
property, as well as to the placing and removing of masts, boilers, and
machinery into and out of ships. The hulks may be provided with steam
engines and propelling machinery.
SPECIFICATION
in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Pym in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th November
1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN PYM,
of Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Pym, Her special licence that I, the said John Pym, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Pym, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should, at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED ON
THE WATER FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Pym, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Pym, 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
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed (that is
to say):
This Invention relates to the raising or the raising and lowering of bodies or
weights, particularly floating shoaled or sunken ships or other vessels, or the
parts or machinery thereof, by means of a double or duplex ship, or other

page_text: ships or other floating vessels, fitted with double sheers capable of being con-
nected and having pendant chains and other suitable tackle and apparatus,
which are or may be worked by steam or other machinery.
MODE OF OPERATING.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted, with for carrying the
same into practical operation, reference being had in the latter part of my
description to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and numeral figures of reference marked thereon.
I construct a ship or other floating vessel of light draught, divided longi-
tudinally into two parts or halves, each part being a vessel complete in itself,
and so that the two when placed side by side form a double or duplex ship or
other vessel, and I fit the same with any required or convenient number of
sheers, which rest upon and rise out of each such part, and the arms of which
are moveable and project or extend from or over the sides of each such part
or vessel, and are capable of being united at the top by means of joints pro-
vided for the purpose, when the whole machine, so consisting of such two
parts or vessels, fitted with sheers, connected as aforesaid, forms a double sheer
hulk.
I prevent the several parts or vessels when at work from separating beyond
a proper or convenient distance from each other by means of chains, guys, or
other suitable fastenings. The sheers are constructed with joints, so as to act
with or allow of the undulating motion of the vessel. I prefer using two
joints for each arm, one at the lower part of the sheer, in or near the hulk,
and one at the upper part thereof, though à greater or less number of joints
may be used without affecting the principle of my said Invention. The joints
may be any kind of known joint, though I prefer using at or for the lower
part of the sheer what is commonly known as a universal joint, and at or
for the upper part thereof either a universal joint or a double joint, with or
without the assistance of a link or arm. These sheers are fitted with chains
or other suitable tackle or apparatus, and by the aid of the sheers applied or
worked from one or both of the vessels I raise, or raise and lower, as required,
the bodies or weights to be acted on. I cause such double or duplex ship or
other vessel to be propelled or floated over or near to the body or weight to
be acted on, when I separate such ship or other vessel into its two parts,
keeping such parts from separating beyond a convenient distance by means of

page_text: strong iron chains, cables, or rods, attached to or fastened by hooks and eyes
or any other known ties or appliances to each such part, so as to connect the
two together.
This double sheer hulk is particularly adapted to the raising and recovering
of sunken or shoaled ships and other property, the taking or lifting ships or
other vessels or heavy bodies over shoals or bars and removing them into
deeper or shallower water, as well as to the placing and removing of masts,
anchors, boilers, ordnance and other machinery, apparatus, or fittings into and
out of ships or other vessels. The hulks may be provided with propelling
machinery worked by steam or any other known means.
DESCRIPTION OR EXPLANATION OF DRAWINGS.
In order that my Invention may be still more clearly and fully understood,
I now proceed to describe the same with reference to the Drawings so here-
unto annexed. Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved boats or double sheer hulk placed close
side by side. These boats or double sheer hulk are or is formed straight in
the sides, which come close to each other, as at A, A. B, B, B, B, are paddles,
two of which I prefer to use on the outside of each hulk, fore and aft, as
shewn. These paddles are worked by suitable engines, and I prefer oue
engine to each paddle. C, C, C, C, are the smoke funnels. To strong and
suitable framings in the hulks I joint or insert the lower ends of a series of
sheers D, D, which are formed so as to meet at their tops, where they are
jointed or hinged together above the line of separation of the two hulks. A
rod or stay E may be passed through the joints or hinges in such a manner as
to serve the double purpose of a joint pin and stay to keep the sheer heads in
place. At or near the top joints of the foremost and aftermost sheers stays
are attached, which are carried down and secured to the decks of each vessel,
and serve to steady the sheers.
,
Figure 2 is an end or stern view of Figure 1; it likewise represents the
hulks closed, in which position they are kept by cables or chains F, F, shewn
in Figure 4, which are wound up by windlasses or capstans placed in the
holes of the hulks. When it is required to proceed to sea or any given place,
the hulks are kept in the positions shewn in Figures 1 and 2, until the hulks
with their sheers have been propelled or floated over or near to the vessel, or
other body or weight to be lifted; the capstans or windlasses are then made to
pay out the connecting chains, or guys F, F, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, so
as to allow of the two hulks being separated, as shewn in such Figures.

page_text: In Figure 4, G, G, are strong chains, which proceed from the holes of the
hulks, where they are attached to the barrels of the lifting or heaving wind-
lasses or capstans; they are reeved through blocks H, H, fixed to or
suspended from the sheer legs D, D; after passing through the blocks H, H,
they descend to snatch blocks I, I, through which they are reeved, they then
pass upward to the blocks H, H, where their ends may be fixed, or they may
be passed a second time through these blocks and again reeved through the
blocks I, I, and then passed upwards to the blocks H, I, and there fixed; or
they may be passed any number of times through the blocks H, H, and I, I,
according to the power or purchase required. Short chains L, L, proceed
downwards to the lower blocks I, I. To these short chains is suspended and
attached a heavy chain or cable; one of such heavy chains or cables is lowered
horizontally down to and on each side of the vessel, or other body or weight to
be raised or acted on. These heavy chains, which are shewn, and marked J
in Figure 5, are then passed under and around the stem and stern, or other
projecting parts of the ship, or other body or weight to be so raised or acted on,
as shewn in Figure 5. The ends of the said chains J are then hooked or
fastened together, and to these may be attached slings or belts, passing under
the ship, or other body or weight to be raised or acted on; power is then
applied to the windlasses or capstans, and as the chains are wound up around
or on them, the sunken ship K, or other body or weight to be acted on, is
gradually raised until it has been sufficiently elevated. The raising power is
then stopped, and the hulks with their burden between them are propelled or
otherwise floated to any place required. The windlass or capstan chains G, G,
being slacked out, allow of the raised
deposited or released from the hulks.
afterwards brought together again, as
hauling in the cables or chains F, F.
appearance of one vessel only, and are again ready to proceed where required.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the sheer hulks and apparatus applied to
a sunken vessel ready to be raised. The hulks with their sheer legs and
apparatus may be similarly applied for the purpose of placing masts, boilers,
ordnance, machinery, or other heavy articles, into or taking them out of
vessels.
ship, or other body or weight, being
The hulks pass clear of it, and are
represented in Figures 1 and 2, by
When fairly closed they assume the
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the construction
and employment of a ship or other floating vessel constructed in two parts or
halves, with sheers raised thereon, and with lifting tackle applied thereto, for

page_text: the purpose of raising or raising and lowering vessels or other bodies or
weights in or out of water, and the means employed for keeping the parts of
the ship or other floating vessel with the sheer legs in any desired position,
substantially as described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Pym, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-seven
JOHN PYM. (L.S.)