IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOVING SHIPS AND VESSELS ON SLIPS IN INCLINED WAYS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Grissell, of Regent's Canal Iron Works..
Eagle Wharf Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOVING SHIPS AND
VESSELS ON SLIPS IN INCLINED WAYS."
Sealed the 28th June 1859, and dated the 29th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Grissell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th January 1859.
I, HENRY GRISSELL, of Regent's Canal Iron Works, Eagle Wharf Road, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOVING SHIPS AND VESSELS ON
SLIPS OR INCLINED WAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for moving
ships and vessels on slips or inclined ways.
For these purposes hydrostatic presses are arranged to act in succession on
a chain in such manner as to produce a continuous motion to such chain and
to the cradle or carriage connected thereto. The parts of the chain as they
pass the presses go out of use and are detached in succession, and the parts
detached are received on to a carriage; this carriage is moved on a way
formed transversely of the slip, so that the parts of the chain when.detached
may arrange themselves side by side on the carriage, and as the parts of the
chain are again required to. be connected, in order to lower the cradle, the

page_text: carriage is caused to move back in such manner as to bring up in succession
the ends of the parts of the chain to be again connected.
It is preferred to use the hydrostatic presses in pairs, the rams of each pair
being connected by a crosshead, or otherwise. Two of such pairs of presses
are arranged to come into and go out of action on the chain alternately, so
that one pair of presses may-go-out-of-action and have the ramis-moved back
into position to again come into action on the chain whilst the other pair of
presses is operating on the chain. The crossheads, or parts connecting the rams
of the presses, are furnished with instruments in order that they may operate
on the chain when the rams are in action and become separate from the chain
as the rams go back. In order to aid the rams in going back, the pistons of
vacuum cylinders are arranged to act on them, and these vacuum cylinders
are put in connection with the condenser of the steam engine which works
the pumps, or are so otherwise arranged that a vacuum may be obtained
therein. In addition to the hand gearing for starting and stopping the presses
there is self-acting gearing, by which as one pair of hydrostatic presses is
going out of action on the chain, communication is made between the water
supply and the other pair of hydrostatic presses, so that the same may be in
full action on the chain when the pair of hydrostatic presses previously in
action is thrown out of action by the gearing which is arranged to stop the
supply of water to the cylinders of such hydrostatic presses, and to open a
communication between the condenser of the engine and the vacuum cylinders
before mentioned, in order that the rams of such hydrostatic presses may be
brought back into position to act again on the chain in their proper order.
In like manner may single hydrostatic presses be caused to act in succession
so as to keep up a continuous motion to a chain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Grissell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM, THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; HENRY
GRISSELL, of Regent's Canal Iron Works, Eagle Wharf Road; in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent; Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January; 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,

page_text: _me, the said Henry Grissell, Her special licence that J, the said Heury
.Grissell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,,
the said Henry Grissell, 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 FOR MOVING SHIPS AND VESSELS ON SLIPS OR
INCLINED WAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry
Grissell; 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 perfornied, 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 Henry Grissell, do hereby declare.
the nature of the 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, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for moving
ships and vessels on slips or inclined ways.
For these purposes bydrostatic presses are arranged to act in succession on
a chain in such manner as to produce a continuous motion to such chain and
to the cradle or carriage connected thereto. The parts of the chain as they
pass the presses go out of use and are detached in succession, and the parts
detached are received on to a carriage. This carriage is moved on a way
formed transversely of the slip, so that the parts of the chain when detached
may arrange themselves side by side on the carriage, and as the parts of the
chain are again required to be connected in order to lower the cradle, the
carriage is caused to move back in such manner as to bring up in succession
the ends of the parts of the chain to be again connected. It is preferred to
use the hydrostatic presses in pairs, the rams of each pair: being connected by
a crosshead, or otherwise; two of such pairs of presses are arranged: to come
into and go out of action on the chain alternately, so that one pair of presses.may
go out of action and have the rams moved back into position. to again come
into action on the chain, whilst the other pair of presses is operating on the
chain. The crossheads or parts connecting the rams of. the presses are
furnished with instruments in order that they may operate on the chain when
the rams are in action, and become separate from the chain as the ranis go

page_text: back. In order to aid the rams in going back, the pistons of vacuum cylinders
are arranged to act on them, and these vacuum cylinders are put in connection.
with the condenser of the steam engine which works the pumps or are so
otherwise arranged that a vacuum may be obtained therein. In addition to:
the hand gearing for starting and stopping the presses, there is a self-acting.
gearing by which as one pair of hydrostatic presses is going out of action on
the chain, communication is made between the water supply and the other:
pair of hydrostatic presses, so that the same may be in full action on the
chain when the pair of hydrostatic presses previously in action is thrown out.
of action by the gearing, which is arranged to stop the supply of water to the
cylinders of such hydrostatic presses, and a communication. between the con-
denser of the engine and the vacuum cylinders before mentioned, in order:
that the rams of such hydrostatic presses may be brought back into position
to act again on the chain in their proper order. In like manner may single
hydrostatic presses be caused to act in succession so as to keep up a continuous
motion to a chain.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 is a plan of machinery for moving!
ships and vessels on slips or inclined ways. a, a, are hydrostatic cylinders or
presses of ordinary construction, they are firmly bolted to a foundation 6, and
are furnished with rams c, c. There are in the arrangements shown four
cylinders and rams, and they are combined in sets of two each, but this may
be varied; the two rams of each set are arranged to act on the two ends of a
cross head d, which is capable of sliding in guides e, e; also firmly bolted to
the foundation f is a chain, it is attached at the further end to a cradle for
receiving a ship or vessel, and which may be of an ordinary construction, and
arranged to run on ways as heretofore.
The cradle may receive motion from two or other number of chains as may
be considered desirable, each chain having machinery to actuate it, such as is
shown in the Drawing. Each link of the chain is as shown constructed of
four plates bolted together, and one end of the link is double or forked, while
the other end consists of two plates bolted close together, so as to be able to
enter the double or forked end of the next link. f', f, are pins by which the
links are connected together. The chain passes through circular holes in the
centre of the crossheads d, and these have mounted on them on suitable
standards short axes g, g, on which arms are fixed, having suspended at their
ends cotters g', g', which by entering spaces formed for them between the links
of the chain, prevent the chain passing through the eye of the cross head.
On the axes g arms g², g², are also mounted, they have weights fixed at their
ends, these arms as the crosshead travels are brought in contact with the

page_text: tappets h, h, mounted on the stationary bar h', h¹; the arms 9, 9, are capable
of turning freely on the axis g, through a certain distance regulated by stops:
When the rams of one set arrive at the end of their stroke, one of the tappets
h has just acted to throw the weighted arm gå over its centre, so that it rests
on one of the stops on the axis, and tends to raise the cotter g¹ out of the
links of the chain, but it does not actually do so until the strain is taken off
the rams of this set by the other set coming into action. The rams as they'
come to the end of their stroke also act on the rod i, so as to reverse the
position of the valves in the valve box ; and thus to cut off the water (which
is forced by pumps worked by a steam engine through the pipes j) from their
own cylinders, and direct it into the cylinders of the other set. The valves I
prefer should be what are known as equilibrium valves, so that a small force
may be sufficient to raise them from their seats. k is a rod attached to the
crosshead, it carries tappets k, which come in contact with the lever m, and
throw it over, thus turning the cocks n and o, the one of which allows the
water to escape from the cylinder a, a, into the well, and the other opens a
passage from the pipe p, which communicates with the condenser of the
steam engine to the cylinders q, q, which contain pistons fixed by the rods q', q',
to the crosshead d. The valves n and o are shown in the Drawing to illustrate
the Invention so connected with the lever m, that as this lever is gradually
moved by the tappets ¹, the cocks are at the same time gradually turned, but
in practice it is preferred to mount the lever m loosely on an axis between
stops, as the arm g is mounted, so that just as the rams arrive at the end of
their stroke, the lever m suddenly falls over, and acts suddenly on the
cocks.
The action of the machinery is as follows:-One set of cylinders being in
action hauling on the chain, when they arrive near the end of their outstroke,"
the arm g of this set is thrown over the centre, so as to give the cotter g¹ a
tendency to rise out of the chain; the rod i is also acted on so as to move
the valves and. direct the water into the cylinders of the other set, during
the short space of time that both the valves are open, the rams of the two sets
of cylinders move together. Lastly, when the stroke is complete, the cocks n
and o are opened, the cock n allows the water to escape from the cylinders,
and the cock o connects the space in the cylinders q, q, behind the pistons
with the condenser of the engine, and a vacuum being thus obtained in the
cylinders, the crosshead & and the rams care drawn back, and the cotter g¹ is
lifted out of the chain, as the return motion proceeds (the cylinders of the
other set being during this time in action on the chain) the arm g² is brought
against the other tappet h, and is tipped over in the other direction so as to

page_text: give the cotter g¹ a tendency to again descend into the spaces in the chain as
they pass under it, but it does not enter the first space it passes over, as it is
not tipped over in time so to do, the cotter of each set only having to enter
every alternate space in the chain. When the rams arrive at the end of
their return stroke, the cocks n and o are again closed by a tappet k¹ coming
against the lever m, the whole of the apparatus of this set then remains
stationary until the other rams again move the valve rod i, and thus the
operation, goes on continuously while the pumps are at work. In some cases
I arrange the cocks n and o of one set to be worked by a rod moved by the
rams of the other set which renders unnecessary the exact adjustment of the
tappets, in order that the motion of the cocks may take place exactly at the
end of the stroke, as is required when each set of rams works its own valves
and o
The valve levers may be worked by hand if it is preferred, in place of
rendering them self-acting as above explained. Behind the rams and at right
angles to the chain, a railway is formed,. on which trucks r, r, run, and there
is a rack fixed on the railway, and each of the trucks is furnished with an
axis r', on which a pinion is mounted gearing with the rack on the railway,
and by turning this axis the trucks can be caused to travel along on the
railway. Each of the trucks is made by preference of such a width as to
allow a portion of the chain, two links in length, to lay across it, and suitable
to take two such portions of the chain, but this may be varied. The chain
runs on to the truck on friction rollers, the truck being brought to a suitable
position, and the portion of the chain on the truck is disconnected by knocking
out one of the pins f¹, and the end of the chain is then thrown up by
turning the cam s, by the hand wheels s¹, and the truck is then traversed to
a position to receive another length of chain, and so on. In the Drawing the
cam s is shown as having raised the end of the chain, but in practice this would
not be done until the length of chain just detached had been pushed further on
to the truck, than the position in which it is shown in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Grissell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine. .
HENRY GRISSELL. (L.S.)