Scientific American Supplement, No. 275, April 9, 1881Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 275, April 9, 1881
Various
Science -- Periodicals
It is this latter arrangement which forms the subject of our illustration,
the vessel represented being of the following dimensions: Length between
perpendiculars, 350 feet; breadth, moulded, 40 feet; depth, moulded, 32
feet; tons, B. M., 2,600; tons net, 2,000. At A, in fig. 1, is shown in
dotted lines a portion of the vessel and pontoon, the ship having just been
hauled in and centered over the keel blocks. At B, is shown the pontoon
with the ship raised and swung round on to a low level quay. Going a step
further in the operation, we see at C, the vessel hauled on to the slipways
on the high-level quay. In this case the cylinder is arranged so that
the vessel may be delivered on to the rails or slips, which are arranged
radially, taking the cylinder as the center. There may be any number of
slips so arranged, and one pontoon may be made available for several
cylinders at the deep water parts of neighboring repairing or building
yards, in which case the recessed portion of the pontoon, when arranged
around the cylinder, has stays or retaining bars fitted to prevent it
leaving the cylinder when the swinging is taking place, such as might
happen in a tideway.
[Illustration: Fig. 1. IMPROVED FLOATING PONTOON DRY DOCK.]
The arrangements for delivering vessels on radial slips is seen in plan at
fig. 2, where A represents the river or deep water; B is the pontoon with
the vessel; C being the cylinder or turning center; D is the low-level
quay on to which the pontoon carrying the ship is first swung; E is the
high-level quay with the slip-ways; F is an engine running on rails around
the radial slips for drawing the vessels with the cradle off the pontoon,
and hauling them up on to the high-level quay; and G shows the repairing
shops, stores, and sheds. A pontoon attached to a cylinder may be fitted
with an ordinary wet dock; and then the pontoon, before or after the vessel
is upon it, can be slewed round to suit the slips up which the vessel has
to be moved, supposing the slips are arranged radially. In this case, the
pivot end of the pontoon would be a fixture, so to speak, to the cylinder.
The pontoon may also be made available for lifting heavy weights, by
fitting a pair of compound levers or other apparatus at one end, the
lifting power being in the pontoon itself. In some cases, in order to
lengthen the pontoon, twenty-five or fifty foot lengths are added at
the after end. When not thus engaged, those lengths form short pontoons
suitable for small vessels.--_Iron_.
* * * * *
WEIRLEIGH, BRENCHLEY, KENT.
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