CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING FLAT-BOTTOMED BOATS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Gilbee, of Number 4, South Street, Finsbury,
London, and 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING FLAT-BOTTOMED BOATS."-A communication
from Monsieur Jacovenco, of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Gilbee at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th August
1855.
I, HENRY GILBEE, of Number 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, & 39,
Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING FLAT-BOTTOMED BOATS" to be as
follows, that is to say:-
The Invention communicated to me consists in a new mode of constructing
flat-bottomed boat for navigating on rivers & in shallow watters.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The wood-work of this flat-bottomed boat, represented in the Drawing, is
composed of two beams a, a, & b, b, to which are fitted the planks p, p, p,
by screws fff; these planks, which form the bottom of the boat, serve to
support the beams & to preserve the canvas from injury. The extremities

page_text: of the beams a, a, &
b, b, are for greater solidity united together by the
beams n, n, & n, n. On the beams a, a, & b, b, are fixed small supports 1, 1, 1.
On the supports 1, 1, is placed a beam d, d, a little longer than the beam
a, a; the extremities d, d, are united to a, a, by the beams c, c. On the
The extremities of
beam b, b, is placed another i, i, in the same manner.
the beams d, d, & i, i, are united together by the beams o, o.
c, c, c, c, which form the fore & aft part of the boat, are fixed planks, in the
same manner as at the beams a, a, & b, b.
On the beams
The waterproof canvas which is intended to displace the water is composed
of a strong canvass, rendered waterproof by caoutchouc or other means; it has
the form of the wood-work of the boat, & is fixed to it by means of cords,
which keep it sufficiently distended for it to resist the pressure of the water.
When the nature of the articles to be carried does not allow of the weight
being equally distributed over the bottom of the boat, planks are placed to
prevent its rising. The canvas is fixed to the wood-work; transversal beams
m, m, m, m, are placed between the beams d, d, & i, i. On the two beams
0, 0, & 0, 0, are fitted two oars q, q, of the same form as those employed on
a raft. When the boat has arrived at its destination it is unloaded & taken
to pieces, & the canvas as well as the iron & wood-work are transported back
to serve again for a similar purpose. I would observe that this improved boat
is principally intended for descending rivers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Gilbee in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
GILBEE, of Number 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, and 39, Rue de
l'Echiquier, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Gilbee, Her special license that I, the said Henry Gilbee, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Gilbee,
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

page_text: 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING
FLAT-BOTTOMED BOATS," (communicated to me from Monsieur Jacovenco, of
Paris,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Gilbee,
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 Henry Gilbee, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The Invention consists in the employment of waterproof cloth in combi-
nation with a wooden frame for the construction of flat-bottomed boats
applicable to the navigation of rivers and shallow waters.
The boats constructed according to my improved plan are suitable for the
conveyance of grain, wood, coal, and such like articles. They are intended
to be employed on canals or rivers where the traffic is more important in
descending than in ascending the same.
The frame is composed of two beams a, a, and b, b, to which the boards
P.P.P, are fastened by means of the bolts f, f, f. These boards form the
bottom of the boat, and serve to maintain the beams and preserve the cloth
from damage. The extremities of the beams a, a, b, b, are united together by
On these beams the
means of planks n, n, in order to strengthen them.
small supports 1, 1, 1, are fixed. On these supports 1, 1, 1, a beam d, d, rather
longer than the beam a, a, is placed, and the extremities of the beam d, d,
are united with a, a, by means.of the wooden pieces c, c. On the beam b, b, a
beam i, i, is placed in a similar manner. The
i, i, are fastened together by the pieces o, o.
which form the fore and aft of the boat, are
similar to those fixed on the beams a, a, b, b.
to the frame, beams m, m, m, m, are placed between the beams d, d, i, i.
Two oars are fixed on the beams o, o, and o, o, in a manner similar to those
on rafts.
ends of the beams d, d, and
On the wooden pieces c, c,
placed boards, in a manner
When the cloth is fastened
The waterproof cloth takes the shape of the frame of the boat, and is fixed
to it by means of ropes, which serve to maintain it sufficiently stretched so as

page_text: to resist the pressure of the surrounding water.
When the nature of the
cargo to be carried does not allow the weight to be equally distributed on
the bottom of the boat, boards are placed on the cloth to prevent the latter
from rising. When the boat has arrived at its destination it is taken to
pieces, and the cloth & other materials conveyed to their original station or
elsewhere. The cargo must be distributed in an equal manner on the bottom
and sides, in order to obtain an equilibrium with the pressure of the water.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is, the employment of a waterproof cloth in combination with
a suitable frame in the construction of flat-bottomed boats, as herein-before
described, and shewn in the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Gilbee, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
H. GILBEE. (L.S.)