US1300954A - Pontoon dry-dock. - Google Patents

Description

H. A. GRAY.

PONTOON DRY DOCK.

APPLICATION PuiMun/18.1918.

[1,300,954. Patented Apr.15,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. A. GRAY.

PoNooN DRY DOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY1B,19IB.

1300954 Patented Apr. 15, 1919 I y 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ern f v 'HOWARD A. GRAY, 0F GODFREY, ILLINOIS.

roix'rrooN DRY-DOCK.

Specification of Lettersv Patent.

Patented Apr. 15,1919.

' Application mea July 1s, 191s. serial No. Y(245,519.6.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HOWARD A.v GRAY, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Godfrey,'in the county of Madison and State `of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pontoon Dry-Docks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in submersible iioating dry docks especially adapted for receiving salvaged vessels which have been raised from the bottom of the sea, and consistsV of a simple and eioient device of this nature having various details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and then specically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 ofy Fig. 1.-

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the compartments of the dock, and

Fig. 4 is a 'detail view of a chain gear wheel.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numerals;

1 designates a floating dry dock provided with individual compartments 2, having iood valves 3 and centrifugal pumps 4, one provided for each compartment of the pontoon and provided for the purpose of'permitting the dry dock to maintain its level while the vessel is being drawn into the same and allowing the bow end of the dock to be ballasted, while water may be pumped out of the stern of the compartment, making the stern buoyant as the vessel is being drawn into the'dock.

A chain gear 5 is mounted near the forward end of the dock and over which cables 6 for drawing the vessel into the dock are adapted to run. Said chain gear 5, a detail of which is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, consists merely of a sheave with recesses or indentures 5 formed therein, in orderv to grip the lengths of the chain andl is used" instead of a drum, as it would be inconvenient to wind up a considerable amount of heavy cable chain, but by the employment of a chain gear, the slack passes down through the hole in the deck of the dry dock and may be conveniently let out when desired by a reverse movement of the chain gear. Suitable gates 8 are provided at the stern of the dock, whereby the same may be opened when it is desired to permit the ship to pass into or out of the dock. Anti-friction rollers 10 are journaled at intervals on the opposite sides and on the bottom of the dock, and against which the vessel is adapted to contact as it enters or leaves the dock. A retarding cable 11 passes over pulleys 12 and winds about a chain gearvl, similar to the gear 5, and which is fixed to a suitable shaft 16 having a beveled pinion gear 17 meshing with a pinion 18` rotated with a motor shaft 19, said motor contained within the casing 20. A beveled gear 21, Xed to the shaft 19 meshes with a gear 22 keyed to the shaft 23, and which latter has a beveled gear 24 in mesh with the pinion 25, which drives the stub shaft 5X to which the chain gear 5 is keyed.

It will be noted that the motor drives two similarly constructed and operated chain gears 15, one upon either side of the motor. It will be noted upon reference to the drawings that the bow of the vessel coming in contact with the horizontally disposed portion of the cable, will cause the latter to be moved forward and passing over chain gears will tend to act as a brake mechanism, permitting the vessel to enter the dock slowly.

It will be understood that my dry dock is adapted to be submerged, in order to receive an entirely submerged hull of a vessel, and when once within the dock the gates may be closed and the dock rendered buoyant by pumping out the water within the same and also the water within the vessel in the dock.

By the provision of the pumps in the various compartments and the flood valves, the dock may be held at different inclinations to facilitate the docking of the vessel and righted to horizontal position by expelling water from one or the other of said compartments, by pumps adapted to operate independently or simultaneously.

What I claim to be new is:

1. A submersible dry dock having gates at yenters the dock.

2. A submersible dry doek having gates atone. end thereof, a cable positioned Vagainstone end thereof, 'y a yielding cable against which a boat entering the dock is' adapted to Voontact, and means connected. to thecable regulating the movement of the boat as it the entrance into the dock and against which the prow of the boat is adaptedv to contact, and power, mechanism connected'to the cable.

v V3. submersible dry dock having gates at Y `Copies of this patent may beobtaine for cable adapted to be 'disposed in the path of 15 :the-boat as it enters the dock.

signature in presence of two witnesses.

y Witnesses: y

I. J. BEARD, n

IfALMsGm ve cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of Patents." l Washington, D. C.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix -my' HOWARD A. GRAY. Y

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