IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING OR FITTING THE INTERIOR PARTS OF SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS, WAREHOUSES AND OTHER DEPÔTS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FACILITATING THE DELIVER- ING OB REMOVING FROM SUCH SHIPS, VESSELS, WAREHOUSES, AND OTHER DEPÔTS OF THE CARGOES OR CONTENTS THEREOF
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN RAY,
of Albion Terrace, Commercial Road East, in the County of Middlesex, Coal.
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Third day of July, in the eleventh
year of Her reign, did give and grant unto me, the said John Ray, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her special licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said John Ray, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said John Ray, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter, during the term of years therein
mentioned, should aud lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that
part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in
the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all
Her Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CONSTRUCTING OR FITTING THE INTERIOR PARTS OF SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS,
WAREHOUSES AND OTHER DEPÔTS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FACILITATING THE DELIVER-
ING OB REMOVING FROM SUCH SHIPS, VESSELS, WAREHOUSES, AND OTHER DEPÔTS OF
THE CARGOES OR CONTENTS THEREOF;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-
tained a proviso requiring that I, the said John Ray, shall particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and
cause the same to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next. and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as, réference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Ray, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by this present-Instrument in writing, reference being had to the
several Drawings hereunto annexed, and in which said several Drawings
similar parts are marked and referred to by similar letters or figures (that is
to say)-
For
My said Invention consists of a mode or modes of constructing or fitting
the interior parts of ships or othe similar vessels, warehouses, and other depots,
for the purpose of facilitating the delivering or removing from such such ships,
vessels, warehouses, and other depôts of the cargoes or contents thereof.
this purpose I furnish or construct the interior parts of a ship, vessel, ware-
house, or depot, with a covered passage or roadway, covered passages or road-
ways, along which trams, waggons, or other carriages may pass and repass, so
that when grain, coals, or any similar goods are shipped or stored in bulk in
such ship, vessel, warehouse, or depôt, the same may be transferred into the
trams,' waggons, or other carriages passing and repassing along such. passage
or passages, roadway or roadways, and the delivery or removal of such cargoes
or contents be thus facilitated; and if my said Invention be applied to a ship
or other similar vessel, I furnish or fit it with vertical shafts communicating
with such covered passage or passages, as before mentioned, and rising up to
proper hatches or openings in the deck of the vessel, so that when portions of
the cargo of the vessel are from time to time conveyed along the covered
passage or passages before mentioned to the foot of such shaft, they may
raised up and taken out of the vessel.
i
be
I have in Figures 1 and 2 of the said Drawings shewn a mode in which the
interior parts of a ship or similar vessel may be fitted or constructed according
to my Invention. Figure 1 is a longitudinal and vertical section of a ship or
vessel having its interior parts constructed or fitted up according to my Inven-
tion and Figure 2 is a transverse and vertical section of the same vessel
taken through the dotted lines y, z, in Figure 1. A, A, A, is à covered passage
constructed of wood, iron, or other fit material, the top of it being made in
the shape of an arch, the better to bear the weight which it will have to
sustain. This passage is to be made sufficiently high and wide to allow a
carriage of the intended dimensions to pass along in either direction for the

page_text: conveyance of portions of the cargo, and the floor of the passage :may either
be made flat and' level, or furnished with rails or tram plates for, the carriages
to run upon. If desired, the passage may be made wide enough to allow. two
carriages. to pass each other, or some particular; part or...parts: only of the
passage may be made wide enough for that purpose. The carriages, used for
conveying portions of the cargo along the passage may be made of any con-
venient size and shape, and may either consist of a box, tub; or other recep-
tacle of proper, shape, size, and construction for receiving and conveying
portions of the cargo, and fitted with wheels, as shewn in Figure: 1, or of a
mere carriage tram or frame running upon wheels, and upon which a tub, box,
or other receptacle may, be placed for the purpose of being conveyed along. the
passsage to the foot of a shaft, and from thence taken out of the vessel. The
materials by means of which this passage is covered or separated from the
ship or vessel must be fixed or be made capable of being fixed firmly and
securely within the ship or vessel;.but those materials may be fitted to..or
within the ship so as to be capable of being taken. out, removed, or: laid down
upon the bottom or against the sides of the vessel when it is not intended to
use such covered passage as aforesaid, and so that the sides or side partitions
of such covered passage may, if desired, be made, to open or be removed, when
desirable so to do. The bottom of the masts of the ship or vessel: may be
made to rest upon the top of the covered passage, as shewn in Figure 1, or
may be supported in the usual manner; but if the masts descend to the
bottom of the vessel in the usual way the covered passage must be made so
as to allow carriages to pass along one side or on both sides of each of the
masts. The top of the passage or archway must have hatches.or valves.made
in it at intervals all the way along, for the purpose of allowing a portion of
the cargo from time to time to fall down into a box or other receptacle placed
underneath to receive' it; and these hatches or valves must be furnished with
sliding covers, moved by levers or other convenient means, so as to be capable
of being opened and closed at pleasure. As the friction may be very great
when these hatches (or, valves are moved, it will be better to construct them
(including their covers) of sheet or plate iron, so as to be more durable. The
sizes of these hatches or valves may of course be varied according to the par-
ticular kind of goods which the ship may be chiefly intended to: carry. The
sides of this covered passage may be constructed with hatches or valves capable
of being opened in like manner as the hatches and valves.in the top of the.
covered passage already mentioned, so that when the cargo ceases..to run
through the hatches in the top.of the passage, access to the residue, thereof
may be had or obtained through such hatches or valves in the side of the

page_text: covered passage. B and C (Figure 1) are two vertical shafts communicating
with the covered passage already described, and rising up' to hatchways or
openings in the deck of the ship. These shafts may be made of wood, iron,
or any other fit material (according to the use to which the ship is to be
applied), and must be made sufficiently large to permit the passage upwards
of the carriages, boxes, tubs, or receptacles in which portions of the cargo are
to be raised up for the purpose of delivering the ship of her cargo. In a
small ship or vessel one of such shafts only may be sufficient; but in large
vessels it may be necessary or expedient to have two or more of such shafts,
for the purpose of more speedily delivering the cargo. The boxes or other
receptacles containing portions of the cargo may of course be raised up the
shafts, and taken out of the vessel by cranes and chains, or any other of the
means usually employed for similar purposes. The shafts just described, and
through which the cargo is to be delivered out of a ship, must have or com-
municate with openings in the deck of the vessel distinct from the ordinary
hatches or openings in the deck. When the ship receives its cargo it is to be
introduced into the hold through the ordinary hatches or openings in the
vessel, and the cargo thus introduced will fill the whole of the hold except
those parts occupied by the covered passage and shaft or shafts before men-
tioned, the hatches or valves in the top and sides of the passage being kept
closed for the purpose of preventing any communication between the covered
passage and the hold of the vessel. The ship or vessel may be loaded in this
way without having any portion of the cargo placed in the covered passage;
but if thought desirable, each of the hatches or valves may in succession be
opened and kept open until a quantity of the cargo has fallen down into the
adjoining part of the passage so as nearly to fill it, the hatch or valve being
then closed, and the workman commencing with the hatch or valve which is
most distant from a shaft, and ending with that which is nearest, and thus
filling the covered passage, or the greater part of it, with a portion of the
cargo. The shafts already described. may also, if thought desirable, be filled
from above with portions of the cargo in the usual manner. When a vessel,
having its interior parts constructed or fitted in the way I have described is
to be delivered of its cargo, if the shaft or shafts and covered passage have
been filled with portions of the cargo, those portions of the cargo must be
taken out first; and as soon as the passage has been cleared so as to permit
:the passage of carriages in manner before mentioned, the carriages, boxes, or
receptacles before mentioned are from time to time to be placed under a hatch
or valve in the top of the passage, and the hatch or valve opened for a suffi-
eient length of time to permit the carriage, box, or receptacle to be filled

page_text: when it is to be passed along to the foot of a shaft, and taken out of the
vessel, in manner before described. This is to be continued until the quantity
of cargo contained in the vessel has been reduced so low that it will no longer
run through any of the hatches or valves in the top of the passage, and then
the hatches or valves in the sides of the passage must be successively opened
so as to gain access to the residue of the cargo in "the hold, and by means of
shovels or other convenient means fill the carriages, boxes, or receptacles with
portions of the cargo to be conveyed out of the vessel in' manner before
described. Although I have described a ship fitted with only one such covered
passage as aforesaid a large vessel may, if required, be furnished with two or
more of such covered passages; but I believe that one such covered passage
.will be generally found to be amply sufficient for all practical purposes.
In Figures 3 and 4 of the said Drawings I have shewn a mode in which
my Invention may be applied to a warehouse or any other similar depôt.
A, Figure 3, is a covered passage similar to that already described as "con-
structed or made in the interior of a ship. This passage must be made of
sufficient size to admit a waggon or carriage of the size intended to be used
for removing the contents of the warehouse or depôt, and it must pass from
end to end of the warehouse or depôt, or nearly so. The arched cover of this
passage must be made sufficiently strong to bear the weight of the largest
quantity of goods which may be placed above it; and it must be furnished
with hatches or valves in like manner as the tops of the covered passages of
ships herein-before described. The floor or bottom of the warehouse E, E, is
made to incline upwards in each direction from the top of the covered passage
at an angle of about forty-five degrees with the horizon, so that when any of
the hatches or valves in the arched cover of the passage are opened, such
goods as aforesaid in the warehouse or depôt may fall or slide down towards
the open hatch or valve. If the warehouse or depôt be so large that the
whole of its contents could not be conveniently delivered or removed by means
of a single covered passage, it may be fitted up or constructed with two or
more of such covered passages; and I have in Figure 4 shewn a mode in
which a warehouse or depôt, may be fitted or constructed with two of such
passages. If the warehouse or depôt be constructed in this manner, there
will be spaces G, G, under the inclined floors of the warehouse or depôt which
may be left vacant or used for any purpose for which they may be useful or
appropriate.
In Figure 5 I have shewn a mode of fitting or constructing the interior of
a warehouse or other depôt with covered passages, the floor or bottom of the
warehouse or depôt being in this case composed entirely of the arched covers
of the passages A, A, A.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I claim as of my
said Invention the mode or modes of constructing or fitting the interior parts
of ships or other vessels, warehouses, and other depôts herein-before described,
for the purpose of facilitating the delivering or removing from such ships,
vessels, warehouses, and depôts of the cargoes or contents thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ray, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord One