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April, 1910 "TAE MARINE. REVIEW A Self-Dumping Barge J fas problem of the best method of dumping stone, dirt, or other spoil into water is of particular interest in Stockholm, where rock blasting and re- moval is continually being carried out for extensions to the harbor, or the streets. phere. A pipe is run so that the upper tank D is always in communication with A; further, by means of valves, A may be -connected with the compressed air tank B, while C may be put in nication concurrently with D commu- and 4. 143 the barge begins to right, until a posi- tion is reached when A is lower than -, when the water flows into A, and the barge rights completely as before: The valves and mechanism by which the various interconnections between the tanks are made, or broken, are detailed in Figs. 4 and 5, while the positions of the various pipes and the operating Fic. The dumping has in general been car- ried out by means of the usual type of hopper barge, with doors in the bottom; but with :-a view to facilitate the work, many suggestions have been made for some form of automatic dumping ap- paratus. One of these suggestions has matured in the form of the self-dump- ing barge, which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As will be understood from these illustrations, the barge is built with a flush deck with low bulwarks on three sides, the fourth side being either left open, as shown, or provided with doors which are opened by the pressure of the load on deck, when the barge tilts over for dumping. The self-tilt- ing of the barge is obtained by forcing water, by means of compressed air, into a cylindrical tank, which is carried by means of tripods at a height of some 16 ft. above the deck. The admission of water to this tank destroys the sta- bility of the barge, with the result that it tilts over and discharges its load, as shown in .Fig. 2. The methods which are employed for the admission of water to the upper tank, and also for emptying it after the barge has discharged its load, will be seen in Fig. 3: Briefly, the arrange- ment consists of four cylindrical ves- sels or tanks, shown at 4, B, C and D in the line engravings. At the com- mencement of the cycle of operations-- that is, when the loaded barge has been towed to position over the dumping ground--the tank A contains water, B contains compressed. air, while C and D are empty, and are open to atmos- 1--TuHe Wikinec Se_r-Dumpine Barce, Loanven. When the barge is to be tipped, the valve between 4d and B is opened, so that the compressed air in B forces the water in A This destroys the stability of the barge, which tips over, so that the load slides off into the water. The connection be- tween A and B is now closed, and A is at the same time put in commun'ca- tion with the atmosphere; normally at this stage D will be higher than A, so that the water in D flows back into 4, and the barge returns to an upright position. If, however, owing to the into the upper tank D.. rope are shown in Fig. 3. The valve- chest, shown in section in Fig, 4 is connected by the pipe d to the com- pressed air tank B and by pipe b to the water-tank A. The stop-valve e is used to shut off the compressed-air supply from the valve chamber F until the barge is ready for dumping, when it is opened, admitting the compressed -- air to the back of the slide-valve H. Depending upon the position of the slide-valve, pipe b connecting to tank A is in connection either with the compressed air in chest F, or with the Fic, 2--THE WikING SELF-DuMPING BARGE, DUMPING. nature of the load, dumping does not occur until the tank D is at or near the surface of the water, the above opera- tion will not right' the barge, as the level of D will then be below A. In this case the valve putting C in com- munication with both D and A is opened, and as C is always lower than D, the water flows from D to C, and atmosphere through the left-hand side valve-port. The position of the valve- chest on the barge is shown in the upped left-hand corner of the deck plan in Fig. 3. This figure also shows the pipes connecting from the valve- chest to tanks A and B, the pipe E connecting tanks D and A, and the rope 1; which is pulled to operate the