IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING THE HULLS OF VESSELS AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUC- TURES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Fielder, of 2, Steele's Cottages, Plumstead, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR CLEANSING THE HULLS OF VESSELS AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUC-
TURES."
Sealed the 12th April 1878, and dated the 13th February 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Fielder at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th February 1878.
CHARLES FIELDER, of 2, Steele's Cottages, Plumstead, in the County of Kent,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING THE HULLS OF VESSELS
AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES."
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleansing the hulls of
vessels and other submerged structures, and consists in fitting two revolving brushes
within a suitable frame, the axes of the two brushes being arranged side by side
and parallel with each other.
Each brush in or about the centre of its length has a pulley with preferably
a V groove, around which the bight of a rope is caused to pass with the view of
not only revolving the brushes when the apparatus is in use, but also to cause
the brushes to travel over, and so cover the surface to be acted upon.
The brushes also carry at their centre another sheave or pulley, around which an
endless chain or rope is caused, to pass to connect the two brushes and to ensure
their revolving simultaneously.
When the apparatus is at work on the side of a ship or other submerged structure
in the case of cleaning from water line to keel, the axes of the brushes are prefer-
ably horizontal with the water line. Two double ropes are used, one passing from
the upper brush up to the rail of the vessel, where one end is made fast to an adjust-
able frame, which can travel on the rail, and the other end can be attached to the
barrel of a crab or winch for hauling on and rotating the brush.
A similar rope
to the above is caused to take over the pulley of the lower brush, from whence it is
.
a

page_text: carried under the ship's keel, and one end secured to a similar adjustable frame on
the opposite rail of the vessel, while the other end of the said rope is attached to a
second drum as before mentioned.
The brushes which may be formed of bass, cane, or other suitable inaterial, are
preferably constructed in the following manner :-The core or centre of the brush is
formed of strands of wire or of rods twisted together, after the manner of a rope.
The bass, cane, or other suitable material of which the brushes are formed, having
been previously laid at right angles in regular order between them, the
result being that a cylindrical brush is formed with the bass or cane in spiral
form.
In action, assuming a ship is being cleaned, by passing the brushes round the
ship's bilge from water line to keel, the adjustable frames before mentioned having
been secured in the required position, and the brush frame and ropes having been
passed under the ship's bottom, and secured to the ship's rail at each side and the
barrel of the winches, motion is given to one of the winches which hauls in one
end of the ropes, passing round the pulleys of the brushes; this not only causes
the brush frame to travel over the surface being acted upon, but also ensures the
revolving of the brushes at the same time, and consequently the removal of all
accumulations on the ship's side or other submerged structure.
While one end of the ropes encircling the pulley of one brush is being hauled in
the ropes encircling the pulley on the other brush are being paid out, and vice versa,
according to the direction of the travel of the brush.
The apparatus can be used in either a vertical or horizontal direction or as desired,
and by hand or other power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Fielder in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th August
1878.
CHARLES FIELDER, of 2, Steele's Cottages, Plumstead, in the County of Kent,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING THE HULLS OF VESSELS
AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES."
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleansing the hulls of
vessels and other submerged structures, and consists in fitting two revolving brushes
within a suitable frame, the axes of the two brushes being arranged side by side,
and parallel with each other.
Each brush in or about the centre of its length has a pulley with preferably
a V groove, around which the bight of a rope is caused to pass with the view of not
only revolving the brushes when the apparatus is in use, but also to cause the
brushes to travel over and so cover the surface to be acted upon.
The brushes also carry at their centre another sheave or pulley, around which
an endless chain or rope is caused to pass to connect the two brushes, and to ensure
their revolving simultaneously.
When the apparatus is at work on the side of a ship or other submerged structure
in the case of cleaning from water line to keel, the axes of the brushes are prefer-
ably horizontal with the water line. Two double ropes are used, one passing from
the upper brush up to the rail of the vessel, where one end is made fast to an
adjustable frame, which can travel on the rail, and the other end can be attached
to the barrel of a crab or winch for hauling on and rotating the brush.
similar rope to the above is caused to take over the pulley of the lower brush, from
whence it is carried under the ship's keel, and one end secured to a similar adjust-
able frame on the opposite rail of the vessel; while the other end of the said rope
is attached to a second drum as before mentioned.
A
The brushes which may be formed of bass, cane, or other suitable material are
preferably constructed in the following manner :-The core or centre of the brush
is formed of strands of wire or of rods twisted together, after the manner of a rope,
the bass, cane, or other suitable material of which the brushes are fornied
having been previously laid at right angles in regular order between them,
the result being that a cylindrical brush is formed with the bass or cane in
spiral form.
In action, assuming a ship is being cleaned, by passing the brushes round the
ship's bilge from water line to keel, the adjustable frames before mentioned, having
been secured in the required position, and the brush frame and ropes having been
passed under the ship's bottom, and secured to the ship's rail at each side and the
barrel of the winches, motion is given to one of the winches, which hauls in one
end of the ropes passing round the pulleys of the brushes; this not only causes the
brush frame to travel over the surface being acted upon, but also ensures the
revolving of the brushes at the same time, and consequently the removal of all
accumulations on the ship's side or other submerged structure.
While one end of the ropes encircling the pulley of one brush is being hauled in
the ropes encircling the pulley on the other brush are being "paid out," and vice.
versa, according to the direction of the travel of the brush.
The apparatus can be used in either a vertical or horizontal direction, or as desired,
and by hand or other power.
The Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed Drawings,
in which,
Figure 1 shows a midship section of a vessel with my brush frame and brushes
fitted and shown as cleaning a ship from the water line to the keel, and Figure 2
a side view of the same.
Figure 3 is an inboard view, showing the winch, and Figure 4 shows one of the
brushes.

page_text: A is the vessel; B, the brush frame; C, C, are the brushes; D is the endless
chain connection of the two brushes, passing round wheels or pulleys E, E, on the
respective axles of the two brushes.
G, G, are the pulleys or drums round which pass the rotating and hauling ropes
H, H, the bight of the outer ends of these ropes passing round, and, if need be,
making a complete turn round the pullies G for gripping purposes; while the other
ends of the ropes are carried up to the ship's rail on each side, as shown, where one
of them is made fast to the eye K of the adjustable frame L, and the other
carried over the pulley I¹, and secured on the barrel of the winch M, the turning of
which by the handles N rotates the brushes, and also causes them to traverse a
portion of the vessel's outer skin, by which process the part they pass over is
effectually cleaned.
It will be observed that the vessel to be cleaned is provided with a winch (as
shown on the right of Figure 1) on each side which is temporarily secured at the
spot opposite to where the ship's side is to be acted upon, or the ropes H, H, may
be hauled upon or payed out by hand as arranged on the left of Figure 1, and
supposing the apparatus as a whole to be in position for being put in operation, and
the brush frame about the level of the water at P, the winch barrel on the opposite
side of the ship, when winches are used, is turned by its handles which hauls in its
rope and draws the brush frame from the water line at P down to the keel, cleaning
the ship's skin as it progresses.
During the downward travel of the brush frame, it is evident the winch on
that side (that is the brush side) is turned in the reverse direction to the winch
on the opposite side, so as to allow the rope to pay out and the brush frame to
descend.
When the brushes have arrived at the ship's keel, the motion of oach winch is
reversed, so that the winch which paid its rope out while the brushes were descending
becomes the hauling in one and at the same time the revolver of the brushes; and
the winch which hauled the brushes down to the keel becomes the paying out one,
by which the brushes are again brought to the surface of the water, the process of
reversing the motion of the winches as described being repeated as many times as
found necessary to pass the brushes over the surface being cleaned.
The winch frames can be readily secured in the required position by means of the
screw legs serving to jam them against the under side of the ship's rail, while the
adjustable frame L, which carries the eye K and top guide roller, is readily fixed and
held, where required, by the legs a, sliding on the bars b, on which the legs can be
held by pins passing through eyes on their upper ends and through holes formed in
the bars b for that purpose. The legs a have a screw pin c passing through them,
and taking under the ship's rail, as clearly shown in Figure 1, by which the whole
top frame becomes securely fixed.
The brush frames are provided with air bags Q, Q, which, so to speak, float
them, and thereby render them very easy to handle and manipulate when
overboard, and at the same time greatly assist the brushes to keep in contact
with the surface being operated upon by which their action is rendered much more
effective.
On reference to Figure 2, it will be seen that the endless chain connection
driving the two brushes C, C, is arranged about the centre of their lengths, but I
do not confine myself to this arrangement, as an endless chain or rope can be
used, one at each end of the 'brushes, and inside or outside the brush frame, as
found convenient.
The brush frame is provided with a sort of guide R through which the ropes H, H,
from the winches pass, and by which they are prevented from slipping off their
respective pullies G, G. The frames are also provided with rollers S, S, on adjust-
able legs T, T, to regulate the touch of the brushes on the ship's side.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my Invention,―
First. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting my improve-

page_text: ments in apparatus for cleansing the hulls of vessels and other submerged structures,
acting as described, and as shown in the Drawings.
Secondly. Fitting air bags to ship cleaning brush frames, as described, and sub-
stantially as shown for the purposes set forth.
Thirdly. The employment for the purposes of cleansing the hulls of ships and
other submerged structures of brushes inanufactured with the cane, bass, wire,
or other material of which they are composed, arranged in spiral order, as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Fielder, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of August, One thousand eight hundred and
Beventy-eight.
CHARLES FIELDER. (L.s.)