IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND IN THE APPARATUS FOR BUILDING AND WORKING UNDER WATER, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BUSH, of Wormwood Street, Bishopsgate Street, in the City of London,
Surveyor and Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of September, in the seventh year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Bush, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Bush, my exors, admors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Bush, my exors, adiñors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF
AND IN THE APPARATUS FOR BUILDING AND WORKING UNDER WATER, PART OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said William Bush, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Bush, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had

page_text: thereon (that is to say):
My Invention relates,-
First, to the means and apparatus for building or constructing the
foundations of lighthouses and other buildings below the surface of the
water.
Secondly, in the mode of supplying air to diving bells. And,
Thirdly, in the mode of supplying air to persons working under water, by
the aid diving dresses.
Which improvement are also applicable for descending under water for
various purposes, such, for instance, as the examination and ascertaining the
position of objects below the surface of the water; and also, by the application
of an air belt to diving dresses, to facilitate the rising of the diver, or regulate
his descent.
And further, in the application of a compass within the helmet of a diving
dress, by which means the diver may see in which direction he is moving, and
thus ascertain the position of any object below the water.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a sketch of a lighthouse, the foundation of which has
been constructed according to the first part of my Invention. Figure 2
shews the lower part of the apparatus in section. Figure 3 represents the
mode of combining the parts together.
a, a, represents a conical framing of wood, which is constructed of the figure
of the foundation of the intended lighthouse, and is what I call the internal cone.
b, b, is another conical framing of wood, and is what I call the external cone,
there being a space c, c, left between the two cones, which allows of sand or
other materials being loaded in between the internal and external cone,
thereby causing them to sink. The mode I prefer of constructing these conical
framings is more clearly shewn at Figures 2 and 3, where the parts are shown
on an enlarged scale. Each portion of the timber to construct the internal
and external cones are to be bevelled in a like manner to the preparation of
the staves of a cask, so that when they are brought together and bound by
hoops they will produce vessels or framings open at each end, and of a conical
form. These frames may in some instances be made in one length, where the
depth of water and sand is not considerable, but where the depth exceeds
fifteen to twenty feet it will be desirable to make the conical vessels or frames
of two, three, or more lengths, and connect them together by iron flanges or
by other suitable means sufficiently secure and strong for the purpose. The
lower conical frame is shod with iron, as is clearly shewn at Figure 2, which

page_text: shoeing is applied at the lower end, where the internal and external cones
come together, the iron shoes combining the two parts of the timber together,
and they are retained by bolts and keys, as is clearly shewn in Figure 2.
d, d, are iron hoops which bind the parts of the inner cone together, and e, e,
are iron hoops which bind the parts of the external cone together. When
more than one length of cone is required, I combine them together by means
of iron caps and bolts with keys, as is shewn in Figure 3, such iron caps
having flanges which are connected together by means of bolts and keys; and
between the two flanges they are grooves or recesses formed, into which is
placed suitable materials for causing the joint to be water-tight, such as hemp,
rope, lead, or other material.
Having thus explained the nature of the parts of the apparatus, I will
proceed to describe the manner of using the same, supposing it is determined
to have three cones for the constructing the foundation of a particular lighthouse.
They are to be hooped together on land, or in any other convenient situation,
and floated to the place where they are to be employed, and by the aid of
punts and boats and suitable tackle, the one which is of the largest diameter,
and which has its lowest end shod with iron, as shewn at Figure 2, is first to
be lowered, which will readily be accomplished by lifting the upper end and
filling the space c, c, with sand or shingle, which will quickly bring the upper
part or flange to the water's edge, at which position the next length of cone
may be raised to its position and affixed by the bolts and flanges to the first
cone (or else the first cone may be lowered to its position), the filling of the
space c is again to be performed, till the second part descends to a position
for having the third length of cone affixed thereto. The cones thus combined
are to be lowered, and the shod part will penetrate the sand to a considerable
depth; or, if it be preferred, each part of the cone may successively be lowered
down to its position, but in this case it will require divers to put in the bolts
and keys at the flanges which join two parts together. In either case, the
lower part of the cone penetrating into the sand to a considerable depth will,
when the water is pumped out of the conical frame, form a water joint, and for
the most part prevent the water penetrating to the interior of the cone. And
it should be remarked, that whatever be the description of tackle used for
lowering the cones, care must be observed in keeping them upright, but this
will be materially assisted by the filling in of sand or shingle or other material
to the space c. By care this operation may be performed with such accuracy
that very
little control will be required in the lowering tackle. The conical
frames being lowered to their position, and by their weight sufficiently pene-
trated into the sand below, the water is to be removed from within, and the

page_text: foundation also, till sufficient solidity is obtained, when the inner surface is to
be filled with masonry of granite to the height required, and on this foundation
is to be built the lighthouse. But as my Invention relates only to the mode
of combining and using the double cones or conical frames above described,
and as the means of laying the masonry, and the mode of constructing light-
houses, forms no part of my Invention, no further description will be required;
they being well understood.
The foundation of the lighthouse being built, the cones may then be
removed, and in order to facilitate this operation the hoops which bring the
parts of the cones together are each made of two or more pieces combined
by bolts and keys, which, being removed, will allow of the parts of the cones
separating and floating, and, in order to accomplish this, divers in diving
dresses descend and first remove the keys of the hoops, and of the flanges of the
external cone, by which each part of that cone will separate, and the sand
filled into the space c will fall away from the inner cone and allow of the keys
of the hoops and flanges being got at and removed, and thus will the parts
constituting the inner cone be allowed to float, but the lowest cone will in most
instances be left in its place, the difficulties to be overcome would in general
cost more than that much of the cone is worth.
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention, which
consists in applying one or more pumps within a diving bell, in order that the
workmen descending therein may keep up the necessary supply of air for their
use, in place of having the air forced down from above, as heretofore practised.
In order to accomplish this part of my Invention I.affix one or more pumps in
connection with an air pipe, which is to be supported above the water's
surface, and I recommend that two, three, or more air pumps should be used
in the bell and connected to the air pipe, so that in case one or more pumps
should get out of order there will always be one or more to keep up the supply
of air as occasion requires it.
Figure 4 shews a sketch of this part of my Invention, which, together with
the foregoing description, will readily enable a workman to perform the same.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which consists in combin
ing a pump with a diving dress or helmet, whereby the diver can at all times;
by working the pump, obtain a fresh supply of air from above, and in order
to render the constant operation of pumping unnecessary
the pump is enclosed
in an air-tight vessel or receiver into which the air enters from the pump,
consequently by filling this vessel occasionally the diver may perform the work
for which he descends, or make such examination of objects below the surface
of the water as may be desired.

page_text: Figure 5 shews a front view, Figure 6 a side view, and Figure 7 a plan
of apparatus having my improvements applied thereto. The outline represents
a man in a water-tight diving dress and helmet, which is of two parts, jacket
with helmet and trowsers, combined by the hoops a, a, and screws, as is clearly
shown in the Drawing. 6 is an air-tight vessel, of copper or other suitable
material, containing an air pump. c, c, are handles moving on an axis at d, d,
which are supported by the standards e, e, affixed to the plate or bottom of the.
air vessel, as is clearly shewn. f, f, are two connecting rods, attached at one
end by pin joints to the levers c¹ c', affixed to the axis d, and the connecting.
rods are attached at their other ends by pin joints to the curved cross head g,
the cross head being affixed to the piston rod of the air pump, which piston.
rod works through a stuffing box formed on the upper part of the air vessel, as
will readily be understood by an examination of the Drawing. By this means.
the pump within may be worked by the diver when below the water. h is a
waterproof flexible pipe, being kept to its figure by a spiral coil of wire, as is
well understood. This pipe h is the air supply pipe, the upper part of which
is kept above the water's surface by a buoy or other suitable means, and such
is the case with respect to the exit pipe i, which is of like materials to that at
h, and is also supported above the water's surface by a buoy or other means.
The pipe h is connected by a suitable passage with the air vessel, as is shewn
in the Drawing, and the pipe i is connected with the upper part of the helmet.
1 is a stopcock on the pipe i, by which the diver can regulate the quantity of
air which shall escape. k is another flexible pipe, which is connected with the
air vessel by a suitable passage, as is clearly shewn in the Drawing, and to the
diving dress.
m is a stopcock by which the air may be stopped off from, or
permitted to flow to, the helmet through the pipes k, n, there being a three-
way cock o connecting the pipes k and n, and also connecting the pipe m' with
the air-tight belt p.
Thus, when the handle of the cock o is upwards the air
is flowing from m to the helmet, but not into the belt p; and when the handle
of the cock is downwards the air flows from m to the belt p, the effect of which
will be that the belt will become inflated and cause the diver to float to the
surface of the water; and, in order to supply the diver with air, q is a cock
connected with belt p and the diving dress; on opening that cock the air will
flow from the belt p to the dress, and if the handle of the cock o be raised
upwards the air in the belt p would quickly pass away and the diver would
again descend. By this means the diver has great command of his rising and
sinking in the water, and of supplying and regulating the supply of air. q is
an opening in the helmet of the diving dress, which is closed by the cover h
which screws on to the opening. Within the opening is suspended a small

page_text: compass in such manner that it will at all times retain its horizontal position,
as is well understood; hence the diver may, by looking downwards, readily
see the position of any object, and ascertain the direction in which he moves.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark that I lay no claim to the
parts separately of which the various apparatus is composed. But what I do
claim is,
-
First, the construction and application of the double cones or frames first
described, for the purpose of facilitating the building the foundation of
lighthouses or of other buildings below the surface of the water, as above
described.
Secondly, I claim the applying air pumps in diving bells, in place of pump-
ing air down from above, as is usually practised. And,
Thirdly, I claim the application of a pump or pumps to diving dresses,
whereby the diver may supply himself with air from above, as above
described.
And I claim the application of an air belt when combined with a diving
dress, to facilitate the diver in rising and sinking, and to regulate the same,
as above described.
And further, I claim the application of a compass to the helmet of a diving
dress, to facilitate the diver in ascertaining his position, or the position of
any object below the water.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bush, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
Inrolled the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-seven.