IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS, BOATS, AND VESSELS, AND IN CERTAIN ARTICLES OF SHIPS' FURNITURE
Year: 1852

page_text: TAYLOR'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
JEPSON ODDY TAYLOR, of Gracechurch Street, London, Naval Engineer.
Letters Patent for England, dated 8th May, 1852, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHIPS, BOATS, AND VESSELS, AND IN CERTAIN ARTICLES OF SHIPS' FURNITURE;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, &c.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Jepson Oddy Taylor, hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following Specification thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed; that is to say:-
Firstly, my Invention consists in the use of tubes in the formation of the
sides of ships, boats, and vessels, as herein-after and in the said Drawings more
particularly explained, such tubes to be formed of iron or other suitable metal
or material, whereby greater buoyancy, and also greater strength in proportion
to the thickness of the material used are imparted to such ships, boats, and
vessels, or in place of tubes the half or other proportions of such tubes may be
used, the effect of course varying according to the proportions of the tubes that
may be used.
The sides of ships, boats, or vessels may be made entirely of such tubes or
parts of tubes commencing from the head to the stern, lengthwise or otherwise,
or tubes or parts of tubes may be nailed or otherwise attached to the sides of
vessels already built. The tubes or parts of tubes may be placed longitu-
dinally, vertically, or in any other suitable position with respect to each other,

page_text: and may vary in dimension according to the size and requirements of the
vessel. If found desirable, the tubes may be filled with any substance of a
less specific gravity than water, and should be made water-tight, or as nearly
so as may be.
Figure 1 is a sheer plan of a life-boat built according to my improvements;
and Figure 2 is a plan of a boat with my improvements fitted as a life-boat,
but which fittings, except as to the said tubes and parts of tubes, I do not
claim as being my Invention.
My Invention will be more fully understood by the following description of
the construction of a ship, boat, or vessel.
iron or other material
If formed of T iron,
I first lay down the keel, which may be made of
that may be found best adapted to the vessel to be built.
the iron should be bent to the curve or form required. The bottom or floor of
the boat should be rivetted to the flat or broad part of the T iron or other
material. It is very requisite that the bottom or floor should be of thicker or
stronger material than the tubular parts, and it is preferable that the plane
surface of the said bottom or flooring should be about one-third of the external
surface or area of the side and bottom of the vessel. Thus, for example, if
the side of the boat from the keel measured on the deepest part of the side were
four feet six inches, then there would be eighteen inches of flooring on each
side of the keel, that is, three feet of flooring or plane bottom for the vessel.
When the keel is formed and the bottom or flooring laid on and rivetted
thereto, the head and stern may be formed next. They may be made of iron
or other material considered most suitable. In certain cases it may be
desirable to have the head and stern of the same shape.
It is preferable that the ends of the vessels should be made plain, that is to
say, not tubular, so as to offer the least possible resistance to the water.
After the keel and bottom, and the head and stern are completed, the tubular
part should be added, being curved or bent in conformity with the intended
lines of the boat or vessel, and commencing at the bottom, first, with smaller
tubes, say, about three inches in diameter, and as the tubes are added it is
better that they should be increasing about half an inch in diameter, more or
less, in the widest part. Tubes may then be added until the vessel is built of
the proper height and form, and should gradually become larger and larger in
diameter as they approach the top of the sides of the vessel. The tubes
should be inserted into each other, or overlapped and rivetted or screwed
together in suitable and varying lengths, so that their unions or joints may
not be in a vertical line with those under or above them, and before each
Jength is added, the ends should be plugged or stopped off into compartments

page_text: either with the same material as they are formed of, or with cork and marine
glue, or any other suitable substance, so that in case of any puncturing,
breaking, or leaking of any part of the tubes, or accident happening thereto,
the mischief may be confined to as small a space as may be and the more
easily remedied.
Figure 3 is a cross section of a boat on my tubular plan.
In order to join the layers of tubes together, each tube may be formed in
two parts, as shewn in the cross section, Figure 4, where a and b represent the
parts of a tube; to each half or part of the tube a and b, and on both sides
thereof, is a flange, lip, or connecting piece c.
The lowermost tube may be
fastened to the floor or bottom of the boat or vessel by passing the flooring
between the lower lips or flanges of the tube, and then rivetting or otherwise
fastening it thereto. The two upper flanges of the tube may be inserted or
laid into the two lower flanges of the next tube, and firmly fastened by screws
or rivets, and may be further strengthened by the addition of a piece of metal
d rivetted on each side of the joining or flanges, as shewn in Figure 5. Each
succeeding tube may be fastened in this manner to the one immediately above
and below it until the tops of the sides are reached. The edge or gunwale of
the vessel should then be formed. It may be made of T iron, having
the broad part uppermost, or other material, or in any other way now in use.
It is better that the tubes should not extend of equal diameter along the
whole side of the vessel from bow to stern, but taper off gradually as they
approach the bow or stern from midships until they form a mitre or spear
point in the bow or stern, as shewn in Drawing, Figure 1, or a slot or groove
may be made in the plain part of the bow or stern, and the tubes or parts of
tubes rivetted, nailed, or screwed thereto (having first been mitred or spear-
pointed at the ends thereof).
The head and stern being made plain, as before stated, must terminate in
the rabbets or grooves of the T-iron, forming the curvatures of those parts
respectively, and should be firmly rivetted thereto. Instead of forming the
sides of the vessel entirely of tubes, tubes or parts of tubes may be fastened by
nails, bolts, or rivets to the upper part of the sides of wooden, iron, or other
vessels already built, that is to say, from about the float line to the load line of
such vessels, whereby a greater amount of buoyancy and strength will be
imparted thereto. This use or addition of tubes or parts of tubes is also
particularly adapted to colliers and vessels of every description where it is
sought to retain their ballast, notwithstanding their taking in their cargo.
In the Figures annexed I have represented my Invention as applied to a life-
boat;
but the like method of tubular construction is equally applicable to other

page_text: descriptions of ships, boats, and vessels, with such modifications as their
particular character may require. The tubes may also be so constructed as to
admit water therein when desired, by means of an ordinary cock or plug,
and so as to form a ballast for the boat, ship, or vessel, which ballast may
again be removed by pumping or otherwise to any extent required.
I do not confine myself to any particular shape or form of tube, and the
number, size, and extent of the tubes may be varied according to the buoyancy
required.
Secondly, my Invention, in so far as it relates to improvements in
articles of ships furniture, has reference to vases, boxes, chests, or other
receptacles for stowing mail bags, ships' papers, property, or other valuables,
and consists in forming the sides, tops, and bottoms respectively of such vases,
boxes, chests, or other receptacles of closed tubes or parts of tubes, leaving a
sufficient space in the interior (which should be made water-tight), that is, the
space not occupied by the tubes for the reception of papers or other valuables,
so that if in case of shipwreck or other emergency it became requisite to throw
such vases, boxes, chests, or other receptacles overboard, they would possess
sufficient buoyancy to float safely and preserve their contents securely.
Figures 6 and 7 are front elevations of a box and vase thus constructed; and
Figure 8 is a sectional view of the same box. The tubes may be formed
with flanges and joined firmly together in a similar manner as that described in
the former part of this Specification for joining the tubes and forming the sides
of vessels. The space A is intended for the reception of mail bags, papers, or
valuables, and the top should be very firmly and accurately fitted and fastened
on, so as to render the interior water-tight. These boxes may be made of any
suitable form as may seem best adapted for floating, and I recommend they
should be painted of very conspicuous or glaring colors so as to be easily
discernible from a distance, and that they should have the name of the vessel
and her port painted in distinct characters thereon. Or, instead of forming the
tops, sides, or bottoms respectively of tubes entirely, tubes or parts of tubes
may be fastened by nails, rivets, or otherwise to the sides, tops, or bottoms of
chests or other receptacles, so as to render them buoyant and prevent their
sinking in the water.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the forming of the sides or a portion of the sides of ships, boats, or
other vessels, of tubes or parts of tubes, or the addition of tubes or parts of
tubes to vessels already built, as herein-before and in the said Drawings
explained, thereby combining lightness with greater strength and buoyancy.

page_text: Second, the forming of the tops, bottoms, and sides of such articles of ships'
furniture, as vases, chests, boxes, or other receptacles for stowing and securing
mail bags, ships' papers, or other valuables in the manner herein-before
represented and described, and the application of tubes or parts of tubes to
such articles of ships' furniture, so as to render them buoyant.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Jepson Oddy Taylor, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.