IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS OR OTHER MATERIALS FROM UNDER THE WATER, OR IN THE SEA, OR TO PREVENT THEM FROM SINKING
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Trestrail, of Southampton, in the
County of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING
SUNKEN VESSELS OR OTHER MATERIALS FROM UNDER THE WATER, OR IN
THE SEA, OR TO PREVENT THEM FROM SINKING."
Scaled the 11th May 1858, and dated the 20th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Trestrail at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th November 1852.
1, JOHN TRESTRAIL, of Southampton, in the County of Hants, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS OR OTHER MATERIALS FROM UNDER THE WATER,
OR IN THE SEA, OR TO PREVENT THEM FROM SINKING," to be as follows:
This Invention consists of creating gas below the water, which,
being in air tight vessels, will raise ships, or articles, or matters,
from below the water or sea, and prevent them sinking.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Trestrail in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 20th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TRESTRAIL, of Southampton, in the County of Hants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the Sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Trestrail,
Her special licence, that I, the said John Trestrail, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Trestrail, 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 RAISING SUNKEN
VESSELS OR OTHER MATERIALS FROM UNDER THE WATER, OR IN THE SEA, OR
TO PREVENT THEM FROM SINKING," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Trestrail, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 John Trestrail, 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 consists of creating gas below the water, which,
being in air tight vessels, will raise ships, or articles, or matters,
from below the water or sea, and prevent them sinking. And in
order that iny said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means
pursued by me.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, is a sectional elevation, Figure 2, a sectional plan, of a
cylinder, caisson, or vessel, having at one end a water tight com-
partment B, in which is placed the composition for obtaining the
gases, which, when created, passes through the valve C, shown on an
enlarged scale, in Figures 10, 11, and 12, into the caisson filled with
water, and expels the water through the valve D, which, as will
readily be understood, will give to the caisson or vessel buoyancy or
lifting power in proportion to the quantity of water so displaced; E,
is a vent pipe and cock, for the passage of air from the caisson when
it is being lowered into the water. The air passage of the cock,
which is to be closed on the vessel descending below the water.
Figure 3, is an elevation (partly in section) of a cask or barrel, also
fitted with a valve D, and vent cock E (as in Figure 1). Figure 4,
is an elevation of a flexible or clastic bag in connection with a
metallic and water tight case L, containing the composition for
obtaining gas for its inflation. A, A, A, A, Figures 1, and 2, and
L, L, Figures 3, and 4, represent cases containing the materials to
create gas, when the same are ignited. I prefer for this purpose to
use gunpowder, with other materials to delay its ignition, and for
this
purpose I employ soot or charcoal, and saltpetre, or it may be
other matters; and I find that two parts by weight of gunpowder to
one of charcoal or soot, and one of saltpetre, to be a good mixture.
I do not, however, confine myself thereto; and the best means of
employing them is to ram them in cases of paper or metal; those I
use are about one foot long and one inch in diameter, which quantity
I find to give about two cubic feet of gas, under a pressure of about
five feet of water.
The ignition of these charges to be effected either by the common
fuse (used in Cornwall for submarine blasting) I, I, I, I, Figures 1,
3, and 4, which proceed from the cases A, A, L, L, through the
caisson or cylinder, or barrel, to the surface of the water. Fire
being applied in the ordinary manner, the ingress of water to the
charges is prevented by the fuse passing through the impermeable
stopper M, shewn on an enlarged scale in Figures 5, 6, 7, in which
the fuse I, I, passes through the india rubber washer N, which, by

page_text: its elasticity, assisted by the spiral spring O, collapses round the
fuse I, I, and prevents the ingress of water; or the ignition of the
charge may be effected by the use of the detonating apparatus H,
shown on an enlarged scale in Figures 8, and 9, in which the fuse I, I,
passes into a water-tight tube P, P, and is firmly held in its position
by the screw Q, Q. A common percussion cap is placed on the nipple
R, and impact is caused by the act of pulling and suddenly releasing
the handle T, T, by which means a spiral spring U, drives the
hammer S, upon the percussion cap, and causes it to explode and
ignite the charge through the fuse I.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that
I make no claim to the use of buoyant vessels for such purposes, as
like vessels have been before used by forcing in air to obtain buoy-
ancy by displacing the water; nor do I confine my Invention to the
use of such vessels as are shown and above mentioned, as the
form of the vessels used may be varied, whether for raising sunken
vessels or matters, or to prevent their sinking; but what I claim is,
the arranging apparatus, in combination with suitable vessels, in
such manner that gas may be created and drive out the water
therefrom by the materials above mentioned, or equivalents there-
fore, and the buoyancy used to raise sunken vessels, and other
materials, or to prevent thein sinking.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Trestrail, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty three.
JOHN TRESTRAIL. (L. s.)
Witness,
EDWARD COCKS,
135, High St., Southampton.