A USEFUL INVENTION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11680, 30 October 1900, Page 1

A USEFUL INVENTION.

The great expenßß ana delay of docking ft Teasel for the purpose of cleaning a foul bottom, has prompted inventorß to devise other aieans whereby the removal of barnacles is effeoted more inexpensively and quickly. The most recent; method of this kind forms the snbject of a patent granted to a pair of American mechanics. In the system in question a scow is used, ,whioh carries the cleaning apparatus, and which is moved along the vessel by- means of side propellers. Adjustable side bars extend from the scow and carry buffers to prevent possible injury to the vessel. " Boilers on the bars engage the side bars of a frame, on the lower end of whioh a brush or steel cleaner rooks. Swinging standards on the float each carry two tollers, between whioh the side bars of the brnsh frame move. The brush frame is yieldingly carried towards the hull of the vessel to be cleaned by means of -weights attaohed to ropes running over ' Pnlleya, and conneoted with the frame. The brush or Bteel oleaner ib brought into engagement with the hnll by moana of lifting cables seonred to the brush frame, and to winding drums on the scow or deok. A drawingdown cable is fastened to tha brush . frame near its upper portion, passes down around the pulley on the lower end of a shifting bar, and tip around a second pulley to another winding drum. The - shifting bar referred to can be moved toward or from the vessel, as may be required, and can be adjusted vertically. The ßhifting. bar is furthermore adjust- ' ably connected with the rooking bar, so ■ that a swinging of the one will cause a like movement in the other. When the - brush is in its lowermost position the <(rnms are set in motion by the engine to . wind up the lifting cables, thus drawing the brush up into contact with the hull. When the brush or cleaner reaohes the surface of the water' the drawing-down cable is operated to pull the brush downward, the lifting cables being released from their drums. During this operation the scow can be moved towards the side of the vessel by means of a stern propeller. This apparatus can be carried (in a collapsed condition) on board a man-of-war, taking up lesß room than 60 oubio feet of space, and in a few moments set up on a dock in any part of the world, ready for cleaning the chip.— Scientific American.