IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING, TRANSPORTING, LOWERING, OR DEPOSITING AND SUPPORTING SHIPS AND OTHER OBJECTS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT tc William Lloyd Wise of 7 Whitehall Place in the City of
Westminster, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING, TRANSPORTING, LOWERING, OR DEPOSITING
AND SUPPORTING SHIPS AND OTHER OBJECTS."-A communication from abroad
by Joseph Alexander Westerman, of Genoa, in the Kingdom of Italy.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th April 1882.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of 7 Whitehall Place in the City of Westminster,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING
TRANSPORTING, LOWERING, OR DEPOSITING AND SUPPORTING SHIPS AND OTHER
OBJECTS (a communication from abroad by Joseph Alexander Westerman of
Genoa in the Kingdom of Italy).
"
This invention has reference to a method of and means or apparatus for raising
ships and other bodies out of the water and transporting and depositing them on
piers or jetties and for raising them from piers and jetties and lowering them into
the water.
When it is desired to raise a ship or other body out of comparatively deep water
according to this invention two separate and independent pontoons capable of being
submerged are placed parallel to each other with an intervening distance between
them rather wider than the width of the ship or object to be lifted, and girders
are provided across the pontoons and the space between them. Rising from the
upper deck or surface of each pontoon are a number of vertical cylindrical columns
reaching through the deck to the bottom of the pontoon, and supporting at their
upper extremities a hollow metallic spar deck which carries the necessary mechanism
such as engines, air compressors, pumps, valves, controlling gear &c, also attendants.
The columns and deck add to the buoyancy of the structure when immersed in the
water. With this construction and arrangement of apparatus if water be admitted
to the pontoons they will sink until the cross girders (which are provided with

page_text: sliding keel or bilge blocks) are low enougli to pass under the vessel or object to
be raised. The pontoons are to be moved into position at either side of the vessel
or body or the vessel or body is to be towed between them, and when the two
have attained their proper relative positions if the water be ejected from the
pontoons they will rise lifting the vessel or other body to be raised with them.
The raising being continued until the lower edges of the cross girders are above
the level of the pier or jetty the loaded apparatus is to be hauled until one portion
is at each side of the jetty and the raised vessel or body above it. On water being
then let into the pontoons they will sink lowering the cross girders with their
superincumbent load and depositing them on the pier or jetty. The pontoons are
then to be withdrawn leaving the vessel or other body and cross girders on the
pier or jetty thus the pontoons will at once be available for raising other vessels or
bodies and depositing them upon piers or jetties. To replace in the water a vessel
or body that has been put on a pier or jetty or to remove a newly built vessel
without launching in the usual manner the operations above described are to be
carried out in the reverse order. In the case of long vessels two or more pairs of
pontoons may be employed.
In cases where the water is too shallow to admit of the pontoons being sunk
below the ship or object-to-be-dealt-with-spar-decks are not to be used, the ends of
the cross girders will be suspended from the rams or pistons of hydraulic presses
carried on the upper deck or surface of each pontoon. As in this case the pontoon
will not ever be wholly submerged the engine, pumps, and other accessories can be
placed directly upon it. The presses are arranged upon the centre line of the
-poutoon or thereabouts and to admit of the cross girders being raised above the
surface of the water clear openings or canals are-cut-from-the-side to the centre of
the pontoon to allow them to pass up. The operations in this case are conducted
in the same order as those described above, the cross girders being placed in loops
or stirrups connected-to-the-pistons-or-plungers_of_the_presses and the load being
raised by admitting water under pressure to the cylinder instead of by ejecting-
water from the pontoons. The pontoons in either case can be drawn together by
ropes or chains wound on drums or barrels and led round pulleys in any suitable
manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd October 1882.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE late of 7 Whitehall Place in the City of Westminster now
of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex ]MPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF, AND MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING, TRANSPORTING, LOWERING, OR
DEPOSITING, AND SUPPORTING SHIPS AND OTHER OBJECTS (a communication from
abroad by Joseph Alexander Westerman of Genoa in the Kingdom of Italy.
This invention has reference to a method of and means or apparatus for raising
ships and other bodies out of the water and transporting and depositing them on
piers or jetties and for raising them from piers and jetties and lowering them into
the water.

page_text: Referring to the accompanying two sheets of drawings (in which Fig 1. is to a
smaller scale than the other figures) Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate an apparatus according
to this invention applicable when it is desired to raise a ship or other body out of
comparatively deep water.
According to this arrangement two separate and independent pontoons A A
capable of being submerged are placed parallel to each other with an intervening
distance between them rather wider than the width of the ship or object A¹
to be lifted, and girders B B. are provided across the pontoons and the space
between them.
Rising from the upper deck or surface of each pontoon are a number of vertical
cylindrical columns CC reaching through the deck to the bottom of the pontoon,
and supporting at their upper extremities a hollow metallic spar deck D which
carries the necessary mechanism such as engines, air compressors, pumps, valves,
controlling gear, etc,-also attendants.
The columns and deck add to the buoyancy of the structure when immersed in
the water. With this construction and arrangement of apparatus if water be
admitted to the pontoons A A they will sink until the cross girders B B (which
are provided with sliding keel or bilge blocks E E) are low enough to pass under
the vessel or object A' to be raised as shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Each of
the girders between the pontoons is at each end provided with strong springs.
These springs rest on the decks of pontoons and thus form an elastic and stiff cradle
for hulls to rest on preserving the vessel's hulls from all shocks or violent efforts or
blows on lifting or settling.
The pontoons are to be moved into position at either side of the vessel or body,
or the vessel or body is to be towed between them, and when the two have
attained their proper relative positions if the water be ejected from the pontoons
they will rise lifting the vessel or other body to be raised with them.
The raising being continued until the lower edges of the cross girders B B have
attained a higher level than that of the pier or jetty E on which it is intended to
deposit the vessel or body A¹ the loaded apparatus is to bo hauled until one
portion is at each side of the jetty and the raised vessel or body above it as indi-
cated in Figs. 1 and 2. On water being then let into the pontoons they will sink
lowering the cross girders B B with their superincumbent load and depositing
them on the pier or jetty E.
The pontoons are then to be withdrawn leaving the vessel or other body and
cross girders B B on the pier or jetty, thus the pontoons will at once be available
for raising other vessels or bodies and depositing them upon piers or jetties. To
replace in the water a vessel or body that has been put on a pier or jetty or to
remove a newly built vessel without launching in the usual manner the operations
above described are to be carried out in the reverse order.
The pontoons AA are to be floated into position at each side of F under the
ends of girders B B, then water is to be removed from them so that they will rise
and lift the girders B B and their load, then the entire apparatus with the load is
to be caused to move clear of F, whereupon by admitting water to A A, so as to
submerge them, the vessel A¹ can be allowed to float clear of the apparatus.
In the case of long vessels two or more pairs of pontoons may be employed.
Figs. 3, 4 & 5 illustrate an arrangement for use in cases where the water is
too shallow to admit of the pontoons being sunk below the ship or object to be
dealt with. Here spars decks are not to be used, the ends of the cross girders BB
will be suspended from the rams or pistons of hydraulic presses G G carried on the
upper deck or surface of each pontoon.
As in this case the pontoon will not ever be wholly submerged the engine,
pumps, and other accessories can be placed directly upon it.
The presses GG are arranged upon the centre line of the pontoon or thereabouts
and to admit of the cross girders B B being raised above the surface of the water
clear openings or canals H H are cut from the side to the centre of the pontoon to

page_text: allow them to pass up as shown in Fig. 5. The operations in this case are con-
ducted in the same order as those described above, the cross girders being placed in
loops or stirrups connected to the pistons or plungers of the presses and the load
being raised by admitting water under pressure to the cylinder instead of by
ejecting water from the pontoons.
The cordage or chains shown in drawings is intended to be worked by the
winches or capstans. One set is designed to haul back and forward the sliding
blocks E on the girders, under the bilge of the vessel, and the other set is to haul
the heads of the struts J J hard against vessel's sides to assist in staying it.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of carrying
it into practical effect as communicated to me as aforesaid I wish it to be under-
stood that what is considered to be novel and original and is therefore claimed as
secured to me under the Letters Patent first herein before in part recited, is,-
1. The method of raising out of the water, transporting and depositing vessels
and other objects to be cleansed, repaired or otherwise treated by the use in
conjunction with narrow jetties or piers of apparatus comprising two or more
independent immersible pontoons and a set of removable cross girders for con-
necting or coupling the said pontoons together and supporting a vessel or other
body above and between-them,-the-arrangement and operation being substantially
such as hereinabove described and illustrated.
2. The method of raising from a pier or jetty transporting and depositing on the
water a ship or other vessel by the use in combination of two or more independent
immersible pontoons and a set of removable cross girders so constructed and
_arranged as to connect or couple the said pontoons together and to support the
ship or other body above and between them-the-arrangement-being-substantially
such as described and illustrated.
3. The combined apparatus constructed arranged and operated substantially as
shewn-in-and-described-with-reference_to_Figs 1 and 2 of the drawings for the
purposes specified.
4. The use for lifting, transporting and lowering or depositing vessels and other
bodies of pontoons arranged in pairs in combination with cross girders or beams
supported and operated by hydraulic apparatus carried by the said pontoons
substantially as above set forth
5. The combined apparatus constructed arranged and operated substantially as
shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings for the
purposes specified.
In witness whereof I the said William Lloyd Wise have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twentieth day of October in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.