Improved Breakwaters or Devices for Breaking or Moderating the Force of Waves.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Breakwaters or Devices for Breaking or Moderating the
Force of Waves.
I, CHRISTOPHER HILL, of 11 Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Railway
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide simple and economical means for
breaking or moderating the force of waves for which purpose I moor or anchor
where necessary a device or series of devices comprising or each comprising upper
and lower nets of cord or other material the upper one being constructed or
provided with buoys or floats of any suitable kind or both and the lower one being
suspended to the upper one and provided with suitable weights-or, according to
a modification, I combine with a net such as that above referred to as the upper
net, any suitable number of depending nets of equal length or otherwise whose
attitude will be normally vertical or approximately so and which whilst at their
upper ends secured to the buoyed upper net are at their lower ends suitably
weighted. In some cases I combine a lower net with such an arrangement of upper
net and nets depending therefrom.
According to one construction the upper net is provided with floats at each knot
or point of intersection and with buoys at the corners or edges with or without
intermediate buoys, and the lower net is a similar net but is provided at its knots
or points of intersection and edges with weights, the knots or points of intersection
of the upper net being connected by ropes, or connections all of equal or varying
lengths with the corresponding knots or points of intersection of the lower net so
that the latter may be supported below the upper net and by being weighted will
be kept at a suitable distance below the water level and will hold the connections
more or less taut. Upper and lower nets such as referred to may have their floats
or buoys variously constructed and arranged and the connections between the
upper and lower nets may be secured to those nets at any convenient parts
thereof. The upper net may either float on the surface or partially so of the
water or be so moored or anchored as to be supported somewhat below the
water level. In some cases useful results may be obtained by means of an upper
net of the kind described above this being suitably anchored or moored as set
forth.
When using a series of breakwaters or devices such as above referred to this
may be relatively arranged and moored in such manner as local conditions may
render desirable.
Provision is made for indicating clearly the location of the breakwaters. This
may be done in various ways and means may be provided for electric or other
suitable lighting apparatus as for example by providing buoys with apparatus for
lighting by means of gas stored under compression.
In connection with the above described horizontal or vertical nets or both ropes
may be fastened, the lower ends being free and weighted or not. They may be
short ropes or cords attached to various parts of the nets, and adapted to act on
the water after the manner of seaweed or mats or loops or equivalent devices can
be used instead of such ropes.
In some cases I may substitute connected spars or frames for the nets or some of
them or I may dispense with nets spars and frames and provide ropes or cables

page_text: suitably moored and furnished with numerous short ropes or cords or mats or loops
or equivalents such as above referred to these being attached at one end to the
main ropes or cables and having their other ends free. Spars or frames and nets
or ropes may be used conjointly with short ropes or cords or mats or the like such
as above referred to.
Improved Breakwaters or Devices for Breaking or Moderating the
Force of Waves.
I, CHRISTOPHER HILL, of 11 Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Railway
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide simple and economical means for
breaking or inoderating the force of waves for which purpose I moor or anchor
where necessary a device or series of devices comprising or each comprising upper
and lower nets of cord or other material, the upper one being constructed or
provided with buoys or floats of any suitable kind, or both, and the lower onc
being suspended to the upper one and provided with suitable weights-or,
according to a modification, I combine with a net such as that above referred to as
the upper net, any suitable number of depending nets of equal length or otherwise
whose attitude will be normally vertical, or approximately so, and which, whilst, at
their upper ends secured to the buoyed upper net, are at their lower ends suitably
weighted. In some cases I combine a lower net with such an arrangement of
upper net and nets depending therefrom.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is an isometric view showing one
construction of breakwater or device for breaking or moderating the force of
waves according to this invention.
In this construction 1 is an upper net provided with floats 2 at each knot or
point of intersection, and with buoys 3 at the corners or edges, with or without
intermediate buoys 3. 4 is a lower net similar to the upper one but provided at
its knots or points of intersection and edges with weights 5 of suitable material for
example metal, the knots or points of intersection of the upper net being connected
by ropes or connections 6 of equal length as shown, or of varying lengths, with the
corresponding knots or points of intersection of the lower net so that the latter
will be supported below the upper net, and by being weighted, will be kept at a
suitable distance below the water level and will hold the connections more or less
taut. The floats and buoys may be of any suitable material such as hollow metal,
cork, wood or inflated tubes, balls or bags of water proof material such as rubber
with or without canvas.
Upper and lower nets such as referred to may have their floats 2 and buoys 3
variously constructed and arranged and the connections 6 between the upper and
lower nets may, if desired, be secured to those nets at any convenient parts thereof
other than that shown. The upper net 1 may either float on the surface, or
partially so of the water, or be so moored or anchored as for example by anchors 7,
weights, sinkers or equivalent means, as to be supported somewhat below the water
level.
Fig. 2 is a cross section showing another arrangement in which a series of

page_text: vertical nets 6ª are suspended from the upper net 1 and provided with suitable.
weights 5, the upper net being suitably moored as before. The vertical nets may
obviously be connected together at their lower ends by a horizontal net.
In some cases useful results may be obtained by means of an upper net of the
kind described above, this net being suitably anchored or moored as set forth.
Fig. 3 shows such an arrangement. A number of such nets, breakwaters or
devices may be relatively arranged and moored in such manner as local circum-
stances may require. Thus there may be arranged in series in one or more rows
as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 34 where they are shown attached end to end;.
or in a diagonal manner as shown in Fig. 3B where they are shown attached
corner to corner; as shown in Fig. 3° where each device is separate and arranged
opposite the space between a pair of adjacent similar devices on one or each
side of it.
In connection with the above described horizontal or vertical nets, or both,
ropes may be fastened, the lower ends being free and weighted or not. They may
be short ropes or cords attached to various parts of the nets, and adapted to act on.
the water after the manner of seaweed; or mats or loops or equivalent devices can:
be used instead of such ropes.
Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing an arrangement in which the upper
net 1 has attached to it short ropes or cords 6° the lower ends of which are free
and unweighted. The arrangement on the nets of mats or loops or equivalent
devices instead of such ropes 6b will be readily understood without drawings.
Fig. 5 is an isometric view showing an arrangement similar to that shown in
Fig. 2 but wherein short ropes 6 or mats 6° or it may be loops or equivalent
devices, are suspended from various points of the upper horizontal net 1 and
vertical nets 6º.
In some cases I use connected spars or frames of wood or hollow metal for the-
nets, or some of them. Or such spars may advantageously be employed in
conjunction with the nets to assist in supporting them.
Fig. 6 shows an arrangement of this kind in which 8 are wooden spars flexibly
connected together at their ends to form a frame for an upper horizontal net 1
from which may hang short ropes, or mats, loops or equivalent devices or, as in
the example shown, vertical nets 6" with or without short ropes 6b, or mats 6°.
Fig. 7 shows another arrangement in which in lieu of nets, spars or frames,
I provide buoyed ropes or cables 9 suitably moored, as by anchors 7 and furnished
with numerous short ropes or cords 6', or nets, or mats or loops or equivalents such
as above referred to, these being attached at one end to the main ropes or cables
and having their other ends free.
Spars or frames and nets or ropes may be used conjointly with short ropes or
cords or mats or the like such as above referred to.
In each case when using a series of breakwaters or devices such as above
referred to, they may be relatively arranged and moored in such manner as local
conditions may render desirable.
Provision is made for indicating clearly the location of the breakwaters. This
may be done in various ways, as for example by flags, and means may be provided
for electric or other suitable lighting apparatus as for example by providing buoys
with apparatus for lighting by means of gas stored under compression. Thus the
buoys 3, or some of them, may be constructed to hold compressed illuminating gas
and be provided with lamps adapted to burn such gas, as in gas lighted buoys of
known construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A breakwater comprising a series of net, buoys or floats that support them in
the manner described, and means for mooring or anchoring the same as set forth,

page_text: 2. A breakwater comprising a net, buoys or floats that support it, means for
mooring or anchoring same, and nets, ropes, mats, loops or equivalent devices,
connected at their upper ends or parts to the first mentioned net, and either free
at their other ends or connected together, (whether their ends be weighted or not)
substantially as described for the purpose specified.
3. A breakwater comprising a floating structure formed with connected spars or
frames of suitable material, nets, ropes, mats, loops or equivalent devices attached
at the upper ends or parts thereof to the said floating structure and free (weighted
or not) or connected together or moored or anchored at their lower ends or parts
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. My improved breakwaters or devices for breaking or moderating the force
of waves, constructed arranged and operating substantially as shewn in and
herein before described with reference respectively to. Fig. 1; to Fig. 2; to
Figs. 3, 34, 3, 3°; to Fig. 4; to Fig. 5; to Fig. 6; and to Fig. 7 of the
drawings annexed hereto.
Dated this 20th day of October 1896.
CHRISTOPHER HILL.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W:C., Agent for the Applicant.