Improvements in Floating Sectional Dry- and Construction-docks.

摘要

13,794. Jamieson, W., and Goepel, P. Aug. 1. Docks; caissons; sunken ships and objects, raising.- Relates to dry docks either for repairing vessels, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 10, or for constructing vessels, as shown in Fig. 22. In each case, the dry dock is constructed from a number of iron pontoons A, B, C, which are detachably secured together by bolts f. Each pontoon has blocks E, E', E2 for supporting the vessel V, and is provided also with a pump e connected by jointed pipes d3 with a boiler on a scow s, whereby water can be pumped either from the space between the vessel and the pontoon or from any of the chambers into which the interior of the pontoon is divided by narrow partitions. The pontoons are preferably of equal length, so that, when turned through a right-angle and coupled together, they can be easily towed. When repairing a vessel, half of the intermediate pontoons C are secured to the bow pontoon A and half to the stern pontoon B. They are then submerged, and are drawn together under the hull of the vessel by means of cables passing near the blocks E from the stern to the foremost half of the pontoons. An auxiliary rectangular pontoon may be provided for raising submarine objects, or for forming a dry dock by being placed at one end of a number of the ordinary pontoons. When part only of the vessel needs repairing, one or more of the pontoons may be employed, and a water-tight connection between the end pontoons and the vessel is made by means of the apron shown in Fig. 10. The apron is formed of two layers of planks e4, which are secured by bolts e3 to metallic bosses e' on a bulkhead F fixed to the end pontoon. The planks are connected together by straps e5, e6, e8, and the planks of one layer break joint with those of the other, distance pieces f3 being employed at the bends. The end portions B3 of the apron are pivoted at f4 to the middle part B2, and ropes i1, i4 hold the parts in position. The inner edge of the apron is grooved to receive a hose-pipe packing f2, expanded both by internal springs and by fluid pressure, and a water-tight connection between adjacent pontoons may be similarly made. When constructing a vessel, pontoons of the modified form shown in Fig. 22 replace those above described. Near each corner of the pontoon is a hollow column D, provided with rings r, and sockets s for cranes G, and depressions o for receiving the supports D' of scaffolding D2.