IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON VESSELS
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hodgson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th August 1854.
I, JAMES HODGSON, of 16, Sweeting Street, Liverpool, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON
VESSELS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a construction of vessels for carrying coals
and minerals, as well as other articles. In such construction of vessels there
are openings or holes at the bottom, capable of being closed by valves or covers,
and capable of discharging the coals or other cargo from below. For this
purpose, ships or vessels are constructed with openings or holes at bottom, with
covers or valves to such openings or holes, which can be readily applied and
removed, and be fixed water-tight by screws or otherwise. Such, vessels on
arriving with a cargo at their destination are, at high water, or the most favor-
able time, to be run on to a slip or suitable support (but they may be raised
out of the water on a slip or other support by means of a suitable power); and
when the vessels are out of the water the covers or valves are to be removed
from the openings or holes in the bottom of the vessels, and the cargo of coals
or other material is to be discharged through such holes or openings into

page_text: waggons, lighters, or otherwise, and the covers or valves are to be replaced
and fixed water-tight, when the vessels will be again in a fit condition to be
floated; and in order to carry water ballast, and give stability to the interior of
the ship, I construct it with inclined longitudinal water-tight bulkheads, in the
spaces between which and the sides of the ship or vessel, water is placed after
the cargo is unloaded.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Hodgson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HODGSON, of 16, Sweeting Street, Liverpool, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Hodgson, Her special licence that I, the said James Hodgson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Hodgson, 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 Chanuel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF IRON VESSELS," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said James
Hodgson, 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 James Hodgson, 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 a construction of vessels for carrying coals
and minerals, as well as other articles. In such construction of vessels there are
openings or holes at the bottom capable of being closed by valves or covers, and
capable of discharging the coals or other cargo from below. For this purpose,

page_text: ships or vessels are constructed with openings or holes at bottom, with covers or
valves to such openings or holes, which can be readily applied and removed, and
be fixed water-tight by screws or otherwise. Such vessels on arriving with a
cargo at their destination are, at high water, or the most favorable time, to be
run on to a slip or suitable support (but they may be raised out of the water
on a slip or other support by means of a suitable power); and when the vessels
are out of the water the covers or valves are to be removed from the openings
or holes in the bottom of the vessels, and the cargo, if coals or other material,
is to be discharged through such holes or openings into waggons, lighters, or
otherwise, and the covers or valves are to be replaced and fixed water-tight,
when the vessels will be again in a fit condition to be floated; and in order to
carry water ballast, and give stability to the interior of the ship, I construct it
with inclined longitudinal water-tight bulkheads, in the spaces between which
and the sides of the ship or vessel, water is placed after the cargo is unloaded.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same.
It is very desirable, in order to save labour in unloading vessels carrying
coal, minerals, or other cargoes in bulk, so to construct the vessels, that they.
may be able to unload by portions of the bottom of each vessel being made to
open outwards, and so that when resting on elevated slips or supports such.
portions of a vessel may be opened, and when opened allow the cargo of coals,
minerals, or other matters therein to descend through the bottom and into
waggons, carts, lighters, barges, or otherwise, brought below the vessel.
And my Invention consists of so building vessels, that parts of the bottoms
thereof are formed with openings through, and suitable for receiving covers or
valves at the outside, which when fixed form parts of the bottoms of the vessels.
The dimensions and the positions of the holos through the bottoms of a vessel
may be varied, but it is desirable that they should not be of such dimensions
as would weaken the structure, and this is not necessary, as the sizes of the
pieces of coals and other cargoes carried in bulk do not require it.
The valves or covers may be fixed and removed from the outside, and the
It will be evident that
fixing may be by screws or other convenient means.
in the use of such description of vessels great saving of time and labour
will result, for a vessel of this construction on arriving at her destination
may be run on to an clevated "slip." which is sufficiently below the water
when the tide is up, and yet admit of lighters or waggons coming under when
the tide is low or out; or such vessels may be similarly unloaded in other
waters than tidal waters by raising the same up a patent slip or otherwise, so
that lighters or waggons may pass under them.

page_text: I would remark that I am aware that vessels have before been constructed
with openings through their bottoms suitable for receiving and carrying out to
sea and discharging when afloat "sludge" and matters in a more or less fluid
state raised from harbours and other waters. Such vessels, however, are
unsuitable for the purposes of carrying coals, minerals, and other matters in
bulk, and of being opened from the exterior, and unloaded when out of the
water, as above explained. I do not therefore claim such constructions of
vessels as any part of my Invention. And in order that vessels constructed
with holes through the bottoms and closed with valves or covers from the out-
side may be readily ballasted with water, I make longitudinal hollow bulk-
heads with inclined sides to receive water, such bulkheads by their inclined
sides offering inclined planes towards the holes or openings, above mentioned,
to facilitate the descent of the coals or cargo. These bulkheads are filled with
water when the vessel is without cargo, and they may or may not be filled
with articles of cargo when not in use for water ballast.
I would remark that similar bulkheads have before been made in vessels to
receive water as ballast; I do not therefore claim the same separately, but
only use them in combination with the facilities for unloading above described.
In witness whercof, I, the said James Hodgson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JAMES MARSHALL.
JAMES HODGSON. (L.S.)