AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS TO FACILITATE THE USE OF WATER AS BALLAST
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Scott Russell, of Millwall, for the Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS TO
FACILITATE THE USE OF WATER AS BALLAST."
Sealed the 24th April 1855, and dated the 24th February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Scott Russell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th February 1855.
I, JOHN SCOTT RUSSELL, of Millwall, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS
TO FACILITATE THE USE OF WATER AS BALLAST" to be as follows:-
Heretofore various arrangements for and means of employing water as
ballast on board ships and vessels have been proposed and resorted to, but it
is believed none have offered that degree of convenience which is desirable;
on the contrary, much good space has been generally occupied in ships or
vessels (constructed to carry water as ballast) in which cargo cannot be con-
veniently stowed when the space is not filled with water. Now, it is of great
importance that in constructing a ship or vessel with a view to employ water
as ballast, that the water compartment when not used to contain water should

page_text: be as capable of having cargo stowed therein as in an ordinary hold of a ship or
vessel; and my improvement consists of constructing a ship or vessel with a
central or midship compartment or hold, formed by strong transverse water-
tight bulkheads, and closed in at top with an iron deck, either covered or not
with wood, having, however, a hatchway capable of being closed water-tight.
At the upper part of this compartment or hold is a rising pipe, by which water
may be filled by a pump or otherwise into the hold or compartment above the
line of flotation of the ship or vessel, there being a hole in the bottom of the
ship or vessel, with a plug or valve to admit water to flow in up to the water
line, and by reason of their having a rising pipe the water may be filled
above the height of the hold or compartment, by which the water ballast will
be kept from movement in the compartment or hold. By this mode of cou-
structing a compartment or hold at or near the midships, water ballast may
be more advantageously and conveniently employed when cargo cannot bo
obtained, and yet when cargo is obtained it may be as conveniently stowed as
in an ordinary hold of a ship or vessel, and such means of carrying water
as ballast will be found very convenient for carrying fresh water to a fleet of
ships at sea.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Scott Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SCOTT RUSSELL, of Millwall, send greeting.
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
ine, the said John Scott Russell, IIer special licence that I, the said John
Scott Russell, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Scott Russell, 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS TO FACILITATE

page_text: THE USE OF WATER AS BALLAST," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Scott Russell, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 John Scott Russell, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
IIeretofore various arrangements for and means of employing water as
ballast on board ships and vessels have been proposed and resorted to, but it
is believed none have offered that degree of convenience which is desirable;
on the contrary, much good space has been generally occupied in ships or
vessels (constructed to carry water as ballast) in which cargo cannot be con-
veniently stowed when the space is not filled with water. Now, it is of great
importance that in constructing a ship or vessel with a view to employ water
as ballast, that the water compartment when not used to contain water should
be as capable of having cargo stowed therein as in an ordinary hold of a ship or
vessel; and my improvement consists of constructing a ship or vessel, with a
central or midship compartment or hold, formed by strong transverse water-
tight bulkheads, and closed in at top with an iron deck, either covered or not
with wood, having, however, a hatchway capable of being closed water-tight.
At the upper part of this compartment or hold is a rising pipe, by which water
may be filled by a pump or otherwise into the hold or compartment above
the line of floatation of the ship or vessel, there being a hole in the bottom of
the ship or vessel, with a plug or valve to admit water to flow in up to tho
water line, and by reason of their having a rising pipe the water may be filled
above the height of the hold or compartment, by which the water ballast will
be kept from movement in the compartiment or hold. By this mode of con-
structing compartment or hold at or near the midships water ballast may
be more advantageously and conveniently employed when cargo cannot be
obtained, and yet when cargo is obtained it may be as conveniently stowed
as in an ordinary hold of a ship or vessel, and such means of carrying water
as ballast will be found very convenient for carrying fresh water to a fleet
of ships at sea.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a plan of the midship portion of a ship or vessel having a water
compartment constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is another
plan in section; and Figure 3 shows a vertical section. The water space is
made with sheet iron, rivetted together; it is strengthened by angle iron, and
sustained by iron stays. a, a, is the central or midship compartment for water,
closed at top with iron, and covered with a deck of wood; b is a hatchway,
closed water-tight when the compartment contains water; c is a rising pipe, to
admit of filling the water compartment, somewhat above the deck. The water
compartment is to be provided with means of admitting water to flow into it
up to the line of floatation of the ship or vessel; also a pump or pumps for
pumping out the water when desired.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details; but what I claim is, the constructing of ships or vessels
with central or midship water compartments, as herein described.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Scott Russell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
4, Old Square, Lincoln's Inn.
J. SCOTT RUSSELL. (L.S.)