IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DREDGING OR EXCAVATING MACHINES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Furness, of Great George Street, West-
minster, Contractor, and James Slater, of Catherine Terrace, Lansdown
Road, Lambeth, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF DREDGING OR EXCAVATING MACHINES."
Sealed the 20th December 1864, and dated the 26th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Furness and James
Slater at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 26th July 1864.
We, GEORGE FURNESS, of Great George Street, Westminster, Contractor
and JAMES SLATER, of Catherine Terrace, Lansdown Road, Lambeth,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DREDGING OR EXCAVATING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
The design and object of this Invention is to produce an improved simple
and efficient machine for dredging and excavating; it is also intended for a
filth hoist, but is specially adapted for dredging and excavating large caissons,
cofferdams, docks, and other works. It is to work by steam or other motive
power, and consists of a strong cast metal frame, to which we attach one or
two steam cylinders, as may appear the most desirable. On the above frame
we fix three transverse shafts; on the end of the first we attach a disc or discs,
to which we fix the connecting rod by means of crank pins, the aforesaid con-
necting rod giving a rotatory motion to the several shafts, all of which are
connected by means of toothed pinion and spur wheels. On the third shaft
[Price 8d.1

page_text: we fix two pentagonal wheels, on which two endless chains work, to which
chains are attached a number of scoops or buckets, according to the depth to
be excavated.
'The whole machine with engine and boiler is fixed upon a suitable wood or
iron frame resting upon two pair or more of railway or other wheels, and can
be easily transferred from place to place as the work progresses. Under the
above frame is fixed the ladder or telescopic frame; the inner ladder or jib is
designed to slide within the outer one, in order to elongate or shorten it, as
may be required. The machine can be in operation with the ladder in an
oblique or in a vertical position. When a depth of three, four, or five feet
has been excavated in a caisson, cofferdam, or dock, or other work, the process
may be repeated to the depth of ten or twelve feet by lengthening the ladder
by means of the telescopic frame. This is accomplished by two bevil toothed
wheels, one of which is fixed to a transverse shaft that is attached to a ladder,
and the other one to the vertical shaft, which has a screw cut in it that works
in a nut like the screw of a slide rest. Motion being given to the horizontal
shaft. by means of a winch handle or otherwise, the screw causes the inner
slide to rise or fall as may be necessary for the depth to be excavated. This
telescopic slide is also of great service in adjusting the required tension of the
endless chain which carries the buckets. These buckets have each a door
working on a hinge next the endless chain, and as the buckets pass over the
pentagonal wheel on the top of the machine the doors are forced open by the
rotatory motion of levers fixed on the main shaft, thus discharging the dirt,
gravel, or clay into a shoot, and thence into a wagon, barge, or other receiver.
The machine, with engine, boiler, ladder, and buckets, can easily be applied
to a barge or vessel, and will make a very compact and powerful floating
dredging machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said George Furness and James Slater in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
FURNESS, of Great George Street, Westminster, Contractor, and JAMES
SLATER, of Catherine Terrace, Lansdown Road, Lambeth, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant us, the said
George Furness and James Slater, Her special licence that we, the said
George Furness and James Slater, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said George Fruness and James Slater, our
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 aud 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF DREDGING
OR EXCAVATING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said George Furness and James Slater, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,or under thehand and
seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was tobeperformed, 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 we, the said George Furness and James Slater,
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:-
The design and object of this Invention is to produce an improved simple
and efficient machine for dredging and excavating; it is also intended for a
filth hoist,but is specially adapted for dredging and excavating large caissons,
cofferdams, docks, and other works. It is to work by steam or other motive
power, and consists of a strong cast metal frame, to which we attach one or
two steam cylinders, as may appear the most desirable. On the above frame
we fix three transverse shafts; on the end of the first we attach a disc or discs,
to which we fix the 'connecting rod by means of crank pins, the aforesaid con-
necting rod giving a rotatory motion to the several shafts, all of which are
connected by means of toothed pinion and spur wheels. On the third shaft
we fix two pentagonal wheels, on which two endless chains work, to which
chains are attached a number of scoops or buckets, according to the depth
to be excavated.
The whole machine with engine and boiler is fixed upon a suitable wood or
iron frame resting upon two pairs or more of railway or other wheels, and can
be easily transferred from place to place as the work progresses. Under the
above frame is fixed the ladder or telescopic frame; the inner ladder or jib is
designed to slide within the outer one, in order to elongate or shorten it, as

page_text: may be required. The machine can be in operation with the ladder in an
oblique or in a vertical position. When a depth of three, four, or five feet
has been excavated in a caisson,cofferdam, or dock or other work, the process
may be repeated to the depth of ten or twelve feet by lengthening the ladder
by means of the telescopic frame. This is accomplished by two bevil toothed
wheels, one of which is fixed to a transverse shaft that is attached to a ladder,
and the other one to the vertical shaft, which has a screw cut in it that works
in a nut like the screw of a slide rest. Motion being given to the horizontal
shaft by means of a winch handle or otherwise, the screw causes the inner
slide to rise or fall as may be necessary for the depth to be excavated. This
telescopic slide is also of great service in adjusting the required tension of the
endless chains which carrie the buckets. These buckets have each a door
working on a hinge next the endless chains, and as the buckets pass over the
pentagonal wheel on the top of the machine the doors are forced open by the
rotatory motion of levers fixed on the main shaft, thus discharging the dirt,
gravel, or clay into a shoot, and thence into a wagon, barge, or other receiver.
The machine, with engine, boiler, ladder, and buckets, can easily be applied
to a barge or vessel, and will make a very compact and powerful floating
dredging machine.
And in order that our Invention may be more fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a front elevation of machinery
arranged according to our Invention.
a is a shaft having motion given to it by having affixed thereto a disc a', to
which the connecting rod of a cylinder 6 is affixed; the shaft a has fixed
thereon a toothed pinion a2 taking into a toothed wheel c¹ on the shaft c, to
which shaft is also fixed a toothed pinion e' taking into a toothed wheel d' on
the shaft or axis d; on this shaft are fixed pentagonal or other shaped
wheels d, over which endless chains e pass; to these chains buckets fare
attached, as shewn. The endless chains e also pass round wheels 9, carried
by the telescopic jib or frame h, which is capable of being raised and lowered
within the frame by the screw i taking into a nut * carried by the jib or
frame The screw is rotated by means of a handle, or it may be a
ratchet brace ¹, upon the axis of which is fixed a bevilled pinion taking
into a bevilled pinion 3 fixed to the upper end of the screw i; the frame or
jib h is further secured in the desired position by the nuts h³; this motion of

page_text: the frame or jib h affords facility for lengthening or shortening the chains e,
and of giving a proper tension to those chains; a sectional plan of the frames /
and is shewn to a larger scale at Figure 3. As the buckets rise to the top
of the machine, levers or arms d³ act to force inwards doors f¹ working on
hinges f, thereby discharging the contents of the buckets into a shoot (shewn
by blue lines in the Drawings), and thence into a wagon, barge, or other
receiver; stops fs limit the amount of motion to the doors f¹. A section and
back view of one of the buckets are shewn to a larger scale at Figures 4 and 5
respectively; the chains e are also guided by passing round rollers,1,carried
by the frame j. The axis of the rollers is hollow, and is supported by the
standards 3, the axis a passing therethrough, and being supported by the side
framings. It is preferred that the boiler and engine be carried by the same
framing, but motion may be given to the machinery by a portable or other
engine. Steam is supplied to the cylinder b from a boiler k carried by the
framing j. Transverse motion is given to the machine by means of wheels
running on rails, carried by the lower carriage or traveller l, and longi-
tudinal motion is given thereto by means of suitable gear applied to the lower
carriage or traveller l, as is well understood, or the machinery may be applied
to a barge or vessel. When at work, the jib or frame h may be in a vertica
or oblique position, and may be caused simply to rest against its work, as
shewn in the Drawing, or held up thereto by means of chains actuated by a
"crab" or by other suitable means.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the precise details herein shewn and described; but what we do
claim is, the combined arrangement of dredging or excavating machine,
substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Furness and James Slater,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-five.
GEORGE FURNESS. (L.S.)
JAMES SLATER.
(L.S.)