IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING
Year: 1860

page_text: Sealed the 17th July 1860, and dated the 19th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Anthony Bower at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
January 1860.
I, ANTHONY BOWER, of Liverpool, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING," to be as follows:-—
This Invention has for its object improvements in ship building; for these
purposes the lower part of the body of a ship or vessel which is below the
water line is built in the same manner as if it were to be a metal ship or
vessel, whilst the upper part from somewhat below the water line is built as a
timber ship or vessel. In thus constructing a ship or vessel particularly for
war purposes, the lower parts of the ribs or main framing of the ship or vessel
are formed of metal, such as wrought iron, the kelsons being by preference box:
kelsons made of sheet iron or steel, and it is preferred that all the beams should be

page_text: also of metal and plated over with sheet metal, and then planked over with
wood to form the decks thereon, and such beams and decks may be supported by
rows of metal pillars running in a direction fore and aft the ship or vessel,
Longitudinal and transverse bulkheads may be constructed of sheet metal
not only in the parts of the body of a ship or vessel below the water line, but
also in the upper parts of the body which come above the water line. The
iron or other metal ribs or main frame of the lower part of the body of a ship
or vessel may be constructed so as to come above the water line more or less,
or they may terminate below the water line. The lower ends of the main
timbers or upper framing of wood are arranged to descend below the water
line, and to pass between the upper ends of the iron or other metai ribs or
framings of the lower parts of the Body of the ship or vessel, and the outside
plating of the ship or vessel with iron or other metal plates may be carried up
more or less above the water line and be planked over with wood planking,
and such wood planking may be carried down to any desired depth below the
water line. The ceiling of the interior of the body of a ship or vessel is
preferred to be of wood, but it is also preferred to plate over the interior of the
body of a ship or vessel with metal plates before the inner wood planking is
applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Anthony Bower in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,. ANTHONY
BOWER, of Liverpool, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Anthony Bower, Her special licence that I, the said Anthony.
Bower, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Anthony Bower, my executors, 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

page_text: for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Anthony Bower, my executors or administrators, by an.
instrument in writing under my, 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 Anthony Bower do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ship building; for these
purposes the lower part of the body of a ship or vessel which is below the
water line is built in the same manner as if it were to be a metal ship or
vessel, whilst the upper part from somewhat below the water line is built as a
timber ship or vessel. In thus constructing a ship or vessel, particularly for
war purposes, the lower parts of the ribs or main framing of the ship or vessel
are formed of metal, such as wrought iron, the kelsons, as is shewn in the
annexed Drawing, which is a transverse section of a ship constructed according
to this Invention, being by preference box kelsons made of sheet iron or steel,
(they are marked a, in the Drawing,) and it is preferred that all the beams b,.
should also be of metal and plated over on the top of the beam with sheet.
metal, and then planked over with wood at c, to form the decks thereon; such
beams and decks may be supported by rows of metal pillars d, d, running
in a direction fore and aft the ship or vessel.
Longitudinal and transverse bulkheads may be constructed of sheet metal
not only in the parts of the body of the ship or vessel below the water line,
but also in the upper parts of the body which come above the water line.
The iron or other metal ribs e, or main frame of the lower part of the body of
the ship or vessel may be constructed so as to come above the water line more
or less, or they may terminate below the water line as shewn in the Drawing.
The lower ends of the main timbers f, or upper framing of wood, are arranged
to descend below the water line and to pass between the upper ends of the
iron or other metal ribs e, or framings of the lower parts of the body of the
ship or vessel, and the outside iron or other metal plating 9 of the ship or
vessel may be carried up more or less above the water line and be planked
over with wood planking h, and such wood planking may be carried down
to any desired depth below the water line. The ceiling i, of the interior of

page_text: the body of the ship or vessel is preferred to be of wood; it is also pre-
ferred to plate over the interior of the body of the ship or vessel with metal
plates before the inner wood planking is applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Anthony Bower, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
ANTY. BOWER. (L.S.)