IMPROVE- MENTS IN HINGES FOR SHIPS' PORTS, SKYLIGHTS, AND OTHER PURPOSES.
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Notman, of the East India Road, Poplar,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HINGES FOR SHIPS' PORTS, SKYLIGHTS, AND OTHER PURPOSES.".
Sealed the 20th October 1864, and dated the 28th April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Notman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
April 1864.
I, ALEXANDER NOTMAN, of the East India Road, Poplar, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES FOR SHIPS' PORTS, SKYLIGHTS, AND OTHER PURPOSES,"
to be as follows :—
Hitherto in fitting ports to ships, especially in circular parts; great difficulty
has been experienced in setting the hinges carrying the ports at corresponding
angles.
Now, my Invention consists in the construction of a hinge capable of being
set at any desired or required angle I make the strap of the hinge in a
piece with or connect it to a ball, which may be solid or hollow. The ball
works in a socket formed by jaws, riveted or otherwise secured to the knuckle
or hinge plate, which latter is screwed or otherwise fastened to the place where.

page_text: the hinge is to be attached to a ship's side or stern, for example, or the jaws
may be secured by screws passing through them, and entering the bed on
which it is laid. In cases where the angle at which the port works is known
I secure the ball between the jaws by passing a pin or stud through the jaws
the hinge is to be attached to a ship's side or stern, for example, or the jaws
may be secured by screws passing through them, and entering the bed on
which it is laid. In cases where the angle at which the port works is known
I secure the ball between the jaws by passing a pin or stud through the jaws
and bali.
Although I have described my Invention as applied to the hinges for the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Notman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
NOTMAN, of the East India Road, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eigth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alexander Notman, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Notman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alexander Notman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HINGES FOR SHIPS' PORTS, SKYLIGHTS, AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Notman, 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 Alexander Notman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-

page_text: lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-.
Hitherto in fitting ports to ships, especially in circular parts, great difficulty
bas been experienced in setting the hinges carrying the ports at corresponding
angles.
1. Now, my Invention consists in the construction of a hinge capable of being
set at any required angle. I make the strap of the hinge in a piece with or
connect it to a ball, which may be solid or hollow. The ball works in a socket
formed by jaws, which I prefer to cast on to the knuckle or hinge plate, but
they may be rivetted or secured in any other approved manner. The knuckle
or hinge plate is secured to the place where the hinge is to be attached, to a
ship's side or stern for example.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front elevation; Figure 2, a
plan; and Figure 3, a longitudinal section through the line a, b, of Figure 1
of a hinge constructed according to my Invention.
A is the ball of the hinge made in a piece with its strap B; C, C¹, are
jaws, between which the ball A is free to move. These jaws are made in a
piece with the hinge plate D, or they are rivetted or otherwise secured thereto.
When rivetted, one jaw C is made somewhat lower than the other C¹ to
enable the ball A to be inserted between the jaws, and to secure the ball
between the jaws the additional portion on the jaw C is rivetted thereon, as
shown in Figure 3, so that when complete the jaws are of equal height. The
ball, and consequently the strap B, are free to move in any direction, as indi-
cated by the dotted lines in Figures 2 and 5. Sometimes I secure the ball
between the jaws by passing a pin or stud through the jaws or ball. It will
thus be seen that by applying hinges constructed in the manner before described
to the ports of ships with what facility their position may be altered, and how
easily one hinge will adapt itself to the other, no matter whether the port be
square, circular, or of other shape.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, are views of a ball and strap somewhat modified to
that before described. This arrangement is particularly suitable for a wood
ship, whereas the arrangement before described is more suitable for an iron
ship. By fitting the hinge in the manner shewn at Figures 4, 5, and 6, no
aperture is left between the port and port sill of the ship or vessel.
Although I have described my Invention as applied only to the hinges for
the ports of ships, yet it is evident to any competent workman that it may be
applied with equal facility to other purposes where hinges are used.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed; I declare that I claim, the construction
of hinges capable of being set at any required angle wherein a ball is free
to move within or between jaws or sockets, substantially in manner herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Notman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
A. NOTMAN. (L.S.)