IMPROVEMENTS IN OLEANING THE SIDES AND BOTTOMS OF IRON SHIPS OR VESSELS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: WATION.
We, WILLIAM MACGOWAN of the Town and County of Galway, Ireland, Master
Mariner and MORRIS CARSWELL of Glasgow in the County of Lanark North
Britain, Fishing Gut Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OLEANING THE SIDES AND BOTTOMS OF IRON
SHIPS OR VESSELS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
to be as
follows:-
"
This Invention, which relates to improvements in cleaning the sides and bottoms
of iron Ships or Vessels from marine growth such as barnacles or sea-weed or other
animal or vegetable life which attaches thereto, consists of an automatic "keel-
block" having a roller at its side, and provided with an endless travelling belt,
having scrubbers or scrapers attached to the outer side thereof. The belt is
traversed by means of a winch carried on the rail, and in its revolution causes both
the winch and the "keel-block" to be slowly and automatically moved along the
ship's side. As the belt, fitted with scrubbers or scrapers herein before described,.
is traversed, it causes these to act upon the marine growth, and to remove it. In
order to render the belt capable of floating, or nearly so, it has pieces of wood or
cork placed in or upon it, so as to reduce its general specific gravity, and the belt
may be made of canvas or of other suitable material. The winch, if desired, may be
fitted with set-screws for adjusting it to the rail when required at any point.
TIL
t
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Petitioners' Agents,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.

page_text: We, WILLIAM MACGOWAN of the town and County of Galway, Ireland, Master
Mariner, and MORRIS CARSWELL of Glasgow in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Fishing Gut Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING THE SIDES AND BOTTOMS OF IRON
SHIPS OR VESSELS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
Our Invention, which relates to improvements in cleaning the sides and bottoms
of iron ships or vessels, from marine growth such as barnacles or sea-weed or other
animal or vegetable life which attaches thereto, consists of an automatic "koel
block" having a roller at its side or sides, and provided with an endless travelling
belt, having scrubbers or scrapers-attached to the-outer-side-thereof. The belt_is_
traversed by means of a winch carried on the rail, and in its revolution causes both
the winch and the "keel block" to be slowly and automatically moved along the
ship's side. As the belt, fitted with the scrubbers or scrapers herein before described, is
traversed, it causes these to act upon the marine growth and to remove it.-In
order to render the belt capable of floating, or nearly so, it has pieces of wood or
cork placed in or upon it, so as to reduce its general specific gravity, and the belt
may be made of canvas or of other suitable material. The winch, if desired, inay
be fitted with set screws for adjusting it to the rail, when required at any point.
In order that our said Invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect we will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1, is a plan of a "keel block" as applied to the keel of a vessel and con-
structed according to our present Invention.
Figure 2, is a transverse section of the same taken on the line A, B, Figure 1.
Figures 3, and 4, are respectively a plan and a side elevation of a portion of the
endless band with scrubbers or scrapers attached and constructed according to our
present Invention.
Figures 5, and 6, are respectively a front elevation and a side elevation of a
winch constructed. according to our present Invention.
"3
The "keel-block" represented at Figures 1, and 2, of the annexed drawings,
consists of the grooved or channelled part a, by which, when the said "keel block
is in position, is guided upon the keel b, of the vessel. At the underside of the
part o, the rollers c, are provided, and at the sides thereof, the rollers d, and e, are
arranged. The rollers c, and d, are capable of rotating upon the pins or shafts f
which are secured at fixed points within the framing of the said " keel-block."
The rollers e, are mounted on pins or shafts g, which are carried in the forks h,
represented in dotted lines at Figure 1. The shafts i, from these forks h, pass to
the outside of the framing of the "keel-block" and are provided with the spiral
or equivalent springs), which tend to press the rollers e, against the side of the keel b,
of the vessel being operated upon, and the outer ends of the shafts i, are secured to
the bar k, which is provided with the eye l, in and through which a rope is secured
and carried up to the deck of the vessel. At one or at each side of the keel-block
there is provided a roller m, which is capable of free rotation about its axis, and to
the outside of this roller the guide rollers n, are provided and are similarly free to
"

page_text: rotate about their axes.
At the fore and aft parts of the framing of the "keel-
block" as also at one or both sides thereof the eyes o, are provided, so that ropes
may be secured thereto and carried up to the fore and aft and any intermediate
parts of the vessel to be operated upon. The rope attached to the eye l, admits of
the rollers e, being drawn outwards while the "keel-block" is being arranged upon
the keel of the vessel.
The endless belt which we employ to carry the scrapers is preferably composed of
canvas. A portion of this belt with its attached scrapers is represented at
Figures 3, and 4, respectively in plan and in side elevation. The scrubbers or
scrapers which are secured to the plates p, are formed alternately of steel pins q
and of vegetable or other fibre r. The steel pins q, are preferably of taper or
conical form, of shorter length than the fibre r, their ends being rounded off as
shewn at Figure 4, and they are riveted, screwed or otherwise secured into the
plates p. The plates p, are secured to the belt a, by bolts and nuts or rivets a³;
preferably copper, or by any other equivalent means, the steel pins q, of every
plate p, carrying such pins, being so arranged as to travel in lines differing from
those of the pins p, immediately preceding them. The belt 8, also has pieces of
wood or cork attached to it, in order to reduce its general specific gravity to about
that of the water in which it is employed.
For operating the endless belt a, which is passed around the lower roller m, and
around one of, or between, the two guide rollers n, the said belt is carried upwards
and passed around the roller t of the winch represented at Figures 5 and 6 of the
annexed drawings, and which winch is supported and free to travel longitudinally upon
the rail of the vessel being operated upon. The parts of the apparatus for supporting
the said winch upon the rail and side of the vessel consists of the hinged jawa u,
which, on being inoved outwards admit of the winch being placed on such rail.
The jaws u, and framing w, are provided with the rollers x, which enable the whole
apparatus to be easily moved longitudinally, while, to further support the framing w,
the grooved rollers y, at the two sides of such framing, are arranged at such position
as will allow it to travel along the bead formed at the outside or upon any other
contiguous part of the vessel. The grooved rollers y, are carried in the forks z, the
position of which relatively with that of the framing w, may be adjusted by the
screws and lock nuts a¹, so that the winch may be adjusted to its vertical
position or canted over in either direction from such position. The winch
having been placed upon the rail as hereinlast described, the jaw u, is lowered
into its normal position in which it is secured by the pin or screw 2' passing
through such jaw and the fixed framing w. The shaft b' upon which the roller t,
is carried, is supported in the bearings c', and is arranged to slide with its blocks d¹,
upwards and downwards within the guides e¹, formed in the two sides of the
framing w. To one end of the shaft b₁, we secure the toothed or sprocket wheel f¹,
which is operated by the endless chain gl. The shaft b¹, supports the lower ends of
the two connecting rods or links h, the upper ends of which carry the shaft i, which.
is also guided near its ends by the blocks or bearings, within the quadrantal
guides k. The endless chain gl, passes over and engages with the toothed or
sprocket wheel, secured to one end of the shaft i, to the opposite end of which
the toothed or sprocket wheel m³, is secured. The endless chain n', which engages
with and operates the toothed or sprocket wheel m', is passed around the wheels o¹.
and p'. The former of which is secured to a short shaft q' supported in the angular
framing. This framing r, is pivoted upon the same axis about which the wheel pl
rotates, and which axis is also the centre from which the curve of the quadrantal
guides, is struck. The shaft a', which carries the wheel p', is supported in
bearings within the fixed framing w, and at its ends it is provided with the
handles t'. The bearings c', by which the roller t, is supported, are formed in the
two ends of the fork u¹, at whose upper part the sheave block v', is provided. At
the upper part of the framing w, the sheave block w, is arranged so that, by
passing the rope a', around the several pullies of these sheave blocks v', and w³,
the roller t, may be raised or lowered within the framing w, in any position within

page_text: which it may be secured by fastening the rope ³, around the cleet y³, or by
fastening it to any other convenient part. When the roller t, is raised or lowered
by the herein last described apparatus, the connecting rods or links h¹, corre-
spondingly move the shaft i, which, through the angular framing r³, corre-
spondingly moves the shaft q', and wheel o¹, so that in whatever position the
roller t may be placed, the endless chains g¹, and n', are maintained taut and in
gear with their respective wheels.
Upon the winch represented at Figures 5 and 6, of the annexed drawings we may
arrange means for automatically traversing the said winch longitudinally upon the
vessel. This may be effected by a ratchet and pawl device operated from the
shaft a, and rotating a capstan or equivalent drum or barrel. A rope secured at
any distant part of the vessel and passed around this drum or barrel enables the
winch apparatus, the endless belt 8, and the keel-block to be simultaneously moved
along. We prefer however, to dispense with this automatic arrangement, and prefer
to move the said apparatus by hand, or by the aid of ropes passed around sheave
blocks or in other convenient manner.
"
In the operation of our apparatus the shaft s', is rotated by the handles t¹ trans-
mitting motion through the wheels m¹, 1, and f¹ to the roller t, which operates the
endless belt 8, also its attached scrubbers q and r and thus causes the said
scrubbers g and r, respectively to break, and to remove or sweep off the marine
growth which has become attached to the sides or bottom of the vessel, the endless
belt passing around the roller m, of the "keel-block as hereinbefore described.
When-the-apparatus-is-employed at or about a mid-ship section the winch roller t, is
in its lowest position, and when moved forward or rearward of such mid-ship section
to a section with less exterior surface, the said roller t, is raised so that the scrubbers
or scrapers are drawn against the said surface and the endless belt 8, rendered taut.
With a "keel-block" provided with two rollers m, one at either side of the keel b,
a winch such as is represented at Figures 5 and 6, is arranged at each side of the
vessel to operate the two endless belts so employed, and all the parts are caused to
travel simultaneously along the vessel by any of the hereinbefore described or by
equivalent means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
First For cleaning the sides and bottoms of iron ships or vessels, the endless
belt
8, and its attached scrapers or scrubbers q, and r, substantially as herein before
described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the annexed drawings, or the
mechanical equivalent of these parts.
"
Second For cleaning the sides and bottoms of iron ships or vessels and for
operating the endless belt s, and its attached scrubbers q, and r, the "keel-block
represented at Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawings, provided with the roller m,
and the winch substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn at Figures 5 and 6
of the annexed Drawings.
Third-The combination of the winch shewn at Figures 5 and 6 of the annexed
drawings and claimed by the preceding second claiming clause, with mechanism for
automatically traversing such winch along the sides of a ship or vessel substantially
as herein before described.