IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KEEL OF SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Willem Henderk's Sleeboom, of Hamburgh, Surveyor
to the French "Lloyds," for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE KEEL OF SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 4th May 1858, and dated the 3rd March 1858..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Willem Henderk's Sleeboom
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1858.
I, WILLEM HENDERK'S SLEEBOOM, of Hamburgh, Surveyor to the French
Lloyds," do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KEEL OP SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
It is well know that when a ship or other sea-going vessel heels over
under press of canvass the keel no longer performs its function satis
factorily, the water streaming across it & the ship driving to leeward: This is
very dangerous when a craft is clawing off a lee shore, and causes loss of way
(in the ship's course) at all times. I propose to place a batten of triangular
form on each side of the keel (and secured thereto), extending its whole length
or nearly so, the battens tapering to a point "upwards" at stem and stern, as
the ship rarely heels over more than 20 degrees. I make my additions to an

page_text: angle of 20 degrees or thereabouts, so that when the vessel lays over, my
apparatus being (as it were) at its perpendicular, prevents the water streaming
over the keel, and will effect an increase in the run of the ship by enabling it
to beat up to windward, much diminishing the leeway. I believe also the ship
will steer better with my apparatus attached.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Willem Henderk's Sleeboom in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLEM
HENDERK'S SLEEBOOM, of Hamburg, Surveyor to the French Lloyds, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Willem Henderk's Sleeboom, Her special licence, that I, the said Willem
Henderk's Sleeboom, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Willem Henderk's Sléeboom, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KEEL OF SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Willem Henderk's
Sleeboom, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Willem Henderk's Sleeboom, do hereby,
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly-described-and-ascertained-in-and-by-the-fol
lowing statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the figures and letters, marked thereon, similar letters of
reference being placed upon and denoting similar parts where such parts are
shewn at each of the Figures respectively..

page_text: The objects of my Invention are to give the keels of sailing vessels a greater
hold of the water when the hull is heeled over by the force of the wind on the
sails, thus enabling a ship to work to. windward better than craft sailing with
the ordinary keel only. Its employ also ensures greater steadiness in a vessel
5 under canvass generally, and as it is applicable to all keeled vessels without
alteration in their build and only by a simple and inexpensive addition to their
keels, it will doubtless be largely demanded.
In carrying my Invention into effect upon the keel of a ship, I place a
batten or length of timber on each side of the keel (these lengths are of. the
peculiar shape hereafter described and shewn), running either from stem to
stern or from any given part of the keel to any other given part, if preferred;
but 'my expérience inclines me to run my adjutant keels nearly the whole
length of the true keel: of the ship, causing them to descend the keel thereof
in such wise that a greater security is given to the false keel than has been
hitherto obtained. My adjutant keels are made of one or more pieces of timber,
and where vessels are not coppered or the bottoni thereof.not otherwise covered
hard durable timber, such as oak, should be used:
In iron sailing ships the keel may be at once forined to the shape hereafter
indicated and shewn in the Drawing, or the addition may be made by one: or
more pieces of that metal being affixed thereon by any secure and durable
means.
1':
It will be observed that for the better illustration of my Invention, I have
herein-after explained cach Figure or Diagram of the Drawing as it first comes
under consideration.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a cross section of a ship heeled over to an angle of twenty
degrees; shewing the flow of tlie water under the keel, my Invention not being
applied thereto; the water, when à vessel with keel of the ordinary construc-
tion is so heeled over, finds little obstruction in its course under the ship's
bottom and across her keel; the hull therefore recedes or gives way under the
pressure of the wind, and much leeway is in consequence made; Figure 2 is
also an outline section of a vessel, but with my Invention affixed on each side
of the keel thereof; I term: the additions (marked in. this cross section a, a,)"
adjutant keels. It will be seen at this section that the water running under
the bottom of the ship which is heeled over twenty degrees as at Figure 1,. no
longer makes a free or unimpeded: passage across, but. is interrupted in its
course by reason of its meeting with resistance from the adjutant keel pro
jecting from the ordinary keel of the vessel; this projection resists the flow of:

page_text: the water and causes the upper portion of the vessel. (the hull, masts, et cetera)
to retain or sustain. a more vertical and rigid position, and consequently the.
ship having a greater hold at its bottom of the water, and.not sliding away
from:
the impulsive power to the same extent as when no.resistance was offered to
the flow of the water, bears up to windward and makes much less leeway,
ensuring in many cases the safety of the, ship and equipage, as, for instance,:
when the ship is close hauled and clawing off a: lee shore; the weatherage.
gained by the addition to the keel before mentioned enables the vessel. to .lie
closer to the wind, lessens the leeway, and enables it to pass to windward of
those objects, which, under, ordinary circumstances, would have intercepted
her course and caused the wreck of the ship.
The upper part of my adjutant keel inclines from the side of. the true keel
at an angle of twenty degrees, the lower part thereof rising or bevilling
upwards at. an angle of. fifty degrees, so that when a ship is heeling over
twenty degrees from the perpendicular, the outer and upper plane of my adju-
tant keel is at right angles with the plane surface of the water. The adjutant
keel runs usually from the stern of the vessel to within a few feet (according
to the size of the vessel) of the cutwater; its upper portion is fixed as near the
garboard streak as will permit its lower portion to cover a part of the ship's
false keel b, a row of nails or bolts being passed through the lower part of the
adjutant keel and into the false keel, very much strengthens or supports the
latter, and prevents the admission of water or dirt between it and the true keel,
by which exclusion the surfaces of both will be less liable to rot.
Figure 3 is an end view of my adjutant keel, with a Diagram of dimensions
varying according to the tonnage of shipping; and I would here remark, that
where vessels are not intended to be coppered or their bottoms otherwise.
covered with metal, I somewhat vary the scale here shewn, say, for a vessel of
two hundred tons, to which No. 6 is directed to be applied, I use No. 7 instead,
and so on, according to tonnage. Figure 4 shews a butt end of a ship's keel
with my Invention applied thereto, shewing-the-angles-of-the-adjutant-keels
_thereon. Figure_5_shews a portion of the bottom of a ship at full length, with
the adjutant keel affixed thereon.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the means of carry-
ing it into effect, I would here observe that I am aware it has been proposed
to make additions to the sides of keels of vessels to enable ships to lie better to
windward, also to form the keel of a vessel at once of different form to that
ordinarily used; but I believe nothing has been effected as herein described
and shewn in the Drawing, and I lay no claim to any other form of keel, or
adjutant keels, or additions to keels than I have herein described; but what I

page_text: do claim is, the formation of the keel of a ship or other vessel of or in the
form herein-before described and shewn generally in the annexed Drawing, and
more particularly in cross section or butt end of keel shewn at Figure 4 of the
Drawing, which forms part of this my Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Willem Henderk's Sleeboom, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
W. H. SLEEBOOM. (L.S.)
Witness,
JOHN GEDGE, (Patent Agent,)
4, Wellington St. South, Strand,
London.