Kennard's sand pump is entirely different from the pumps already
described, and is a direct application of the ordinary lift pump. A
wrought iron box has a suction pipe fitted at the bottom, rising about
half way up the inside of the box; on the top of the box is fitted the
actual pump and the flap valves. The apparatus is lowered by chains,
and the pump lowered from above. As soon as the box is filled with
sand it is raised, the catches holding up the bottom released, and the
contents discharged into a punt.
Sand-pump dredgers, designed and arranged by Mr Darnton Hutton, were
extensively used on the Amsterdam Ship Canal. A centrifugal pump with
a fan 4 ft. in diameter was employed, the suction and delivery pipes,
each 18 in. in diameter, being attached to an open wrought-iron
framework. The machine was suspended between guides fixed to the end
of the vessel, which was fitted with tackle for raising, lowering and
adjusting the machine. The vessel was fitted with a steam engine and
boiler for working and manipulating the pumps and the heavy side
chains for the guidance of the dredger. The engine was 70 h.p., and
the total cost of one dredger was £8000. The number of hands required
for working this sand-pump dredger was one captain, one engineer, one
stoker and four sailors. Each machine was capable of raising about
1300 tons of material per day, the engines working at 60 and the pump
at 180 revolutions per minute. The sand was delivered into barges
alongside the dredger. The cost of raising the material and depositing
it in barges was about 1d. per ton when the sand pumps were working,
but upon the year's work the cost was 2.4d. per cub. yd. for working
expenses and repairs, and 1.24d. per cub. yd. for interest and
depreciation at 10% upon the cost of the plant, making a total cost
for dredging of 3.64d. per cub. yd. The cost for transport was 3.588d.
per cub. yd., making a total cost for dredging and transport of
7.234d. per cub. yd. Dredging and transport on the same works by an
ordinary bucket dredger and barges cost 8.328d. per cub. yd.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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