IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Simons, of Renfrew, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Shipbuilder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS OR VESSELS."
Sealed the 3rd October 1862, and dated the 7th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Simons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
April 1862.
I, WILLIAM SIMONS, of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS OR VESSELS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the constructing of ships or vessels with iron
frames combined with external wood planking, and comprises improvements
designed to render this system of construction more satisfactory than hitherto.
My first improvement consists in fastening the wooden planks to the iron
frames by means of screw or other bolts made of iron, and partly covered
with copper, yellow metal, brass, or zinc. It is preferred to use a screw bolt,
fitted with an iron nut, and the copper or other covering is applied to the
head of the bolt, and to as much of the body or shank thereof as is imbedded
in the plank. In this way injurious corrosive action will not arise on the one
hand from the contact of a bare iron bolt head with the external copper or
other sheathing, nor, on the other hand, from the contact with the iron frame
of nuts and bolt points of a different metal.
A second improvement consists in introducing between the iron frames and
the external wood planking flat bars of iron or other metal, such bars being
disposed diagonally from about the gunwale down to the bilge or keel, and

page_text: being rivetted upon the frames. The external planking may be checked on
its inner surface to receive these diagonal bars. In combination with these
diagonal bars, similar or somewhat similar bars may be rivetted to the insides
of the frames or to the reverse angle irons attached to the frames, being
disposed in reverse diagonal directions to the bars described as attached to the
outsides of the frames.
A third improvement consists in fastening or binding to each other the
outside wooden planking of iron-framed ships by means of vertical, diagonal,
or oblique seam bolts, such bolts being driven in edgeways through or across
the seams of two or more ranges of planks. The bolts may be of iron, copper,
or other metal, and they may be clenched.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Simons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SIMONS, of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Shipbuilder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Simons, Her special licence that I, the said William Simons,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Simons, my execntors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTING SHIPS OR VESSELS," upon the condition, amongst others, that
I, the said William Simons, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under iny, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Simons, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the constructing of ships or vessels with.iron
frames, combined with external wood planking, and comprises improvements
designed to render this system of construction more satisfactory than
hitherto.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing it may
be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings, to be herein-after referred to in particularly describing my improve-
ments.
A first improvement consists in fastening the wooden planks to the iron
frames by means of screw bolts or other bolts made of iron or steel, and partly
covered with copper, yellow metal, brass, zinc, or any combination of these
metals. I prefer to use a screw bolt A, as shown in the sectional view,
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings, such screw bolt being of iron or steel,
and being fitted with an iron or steel nut B, and the copper or other
covering C is applied to the head D of the bolt, and to as much of the body or
shank A thereof as is embedded in the plank E, whilst the part passing through
the frame F and nut B are not so covered. By these means injurious
corrosive action will be prevented from arising on the one hand from the
contact of a bare iron or steel bolt head with the external copper or other
sheathing, or on the other hand from the contact with the iron frame of nuts
and bolt points of a different metal. Bolts of the same kind may also be used
to secure the deck planking to the beams.
A second improvement, shown under one modification in Figures 2 and 3,
consists in introducing between the iron frames F and the external wood
planking E, flat bars or plates G, of iron or other metal, each bar or plate G
being disposed diagonally from about the gunwale down to the keel, as shown
in Figures 2 and 3, or down to the bilge only, as shown in Figure 4, and
being rivetted or otherwise fastened upon the outsides of the frames F. The
external or outside planking E may be checked or scored out on its inner
surface to receive these diagonal bars or plates G. In combination with these
diagonal bars or plates G similar or somewhat similar bars or plates H, as
shown in Figure 5, may be rivetted to the insides of the frames F, or to the
reverse angle irons attached to the frames, being disposed in reverse diagonal
directions to the bars G, described as attached to the outsides of the frames.
A third improvement consists in fastening or binding to each other the
outside wooden planking of iron-framed ships by means of diagonal or oblique

page_text: seam bolts, such bolts being driven in edgeways, in a vertical plane or in a
plane parallel to the face of the planks and across the seams of two or more
layers or ranges of planks. These diagonal seam bolts are indicated by dotted
lines, as introduced in the wooden planking E, in Figures 2, 3, and 5. The
bolts may be of iron, copper, or other metal, and they may be clenched.
The several improvements herein-before described may be applied not only
to vessels entirely planked over from keel to gunwale, but also to the planking
of vessels only partially planked.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict myself
to the precise details herein described or delineated, and that I do not make
any claim to the making of screw bolts or other bolts of the kind herein
described; but that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited. Letters
Patent, is,
1. The securing of the wooden planking to the iron frames or beams of ships
or vessels by means of screw bolts or other bolts of iron or steel partially
coated with copper, yellow metal, brass, zinc, or a combination thereof,
substantially as herein-before described.
2. The introducing of diagonal metal bars or plates between the wooden
planking and the iron frames of ships or vessels alone or along with reverse
diagonal bars or plates on the insides of the frames, substantially as herein-
before described..
And, 3. The fastening to each other of the outside planks of iron-framed
ships or vessels with oblique or diagonal seam bolts, substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Simons, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT, Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
WM. SIMONS.
(L.S.)