IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Grahame, of Hatton Hall, Welling-
borough, in the County of Northampton, for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Grahame
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th October 1853.
I, THOMAS GRAHAME, of Hatton Hall, Wellingborough, in the
County of Northampton, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS" to be as
follows:-
2
This Invention has for its object three improvements in building
ships and other vessels... The first, when iron or other metal is used for
plating, consists in the use or 'substitution of several thin sheets of
metal in place of using single sheets of a greater thickness, such
thinner sheets to be laid together, and having between them layers or
sheets of cork, gutta percha, india-rubber, cloth, paper, or other mate-
rial, to exclude the action of the atmosphere, and to offer a series of

page_text: elastic flexible fillings between the several sheets of metal, thus obtaining
greater strength and power of resistance with a diminished weight..
The second improvement consists in the use or substitution of, ribs
or framings of trough iron in place of the angle or T iron now in use
in iron, wooden, or other vessels, in the view of obtaining greater
strength with diminished weight. And the third improvement consists
in covering the bottoms of vessels, whether built of wood or iron, with a
smooth vitreous substance or smooth enamel of any kind, to reduce the
friction in passing over and through the water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Grahame in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th April 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS GRAHAME,. of Hatton Hall, Wellingborough, in the County of
Northampton, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victória, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Grahame, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Grahame, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I; the said Thomas Grahame, 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BUILDING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Grahame, 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

page_text: Umice within six. calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW...YE; that I, the said-Thomas Grahame, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in' and
by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
I
This Invention has for its object three improvements. in building
ships and other vessels. The first, when iron or other métal is used for
plating, consists in the use or substitution of several, thin sheets of
metal in place of using single sheets of a greater thickness, such
thinner sheets to be laid together, and having between them layers or
sheets of cork, gutta pecha, india-rubber, cloth, paper, or other mate-
rial, to exclude the action of the atmosphere, and to offer a series of
elastic flexible fillings between the several sheets of metal, thus obtain-
ing greater strength and power of resistance with a diminished weight.
The second improvement consists in the use or substitution of ribs or
framings of trough iron in place of the angle or T iron now in use in
iron, wooden, or other vessels, in the view of obtaining greater strength
with diminished weight. And the third improvement consists in cover-
ing the bottoms of vessels, whether built of wood or iron, with a smooth
vitreous substance or smooth enamel of any kind, to reduce the friction
in passing over and through the water.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same. In place of using
single sheets of iron of the substance and thickness required I obtain
the strength and thickness desired by laying together several thinner
sheets, having between them paper, felt, cork, gutta percha, or other
soft and flexible material, which will keep the several thinner plates
at a distance one from the other; and I employ a solution of gutta
percha or of india-rubber or other matter suitable for obtaining a close
contact of the surfaces, in order to keep the atmosphere from getting
between the several plates or sheets of iron. By these means I
make up compound sheets, composed of comparatively thin sheets of
iron, and flexible and comparatively soft matter, which combinations
will be found more useful in ship building than the use of single sheets,

page_text: as heretofore practised... And in order to get more strength to the
ribs of ships or vessels, in place of using the ordinary angle iron or tee
angle iron(T) as. heretofore, I. employ trough angle-iron; and in
order to get smoothness of surface to the bottoms of ships or vessels, I
employ sheets of iron coated with enamel.
In witness whereof; I, the said Thomas Grahame, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM HEATH BUTLER,.
Hatton Hall.
THOMAS GRAHAME. (L.S.)