IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, IN RIGGING AND PROPELLING VESSELS, AND FACILITATING THEIR PROGRESS THROUGH THE WATER
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MACINTOSH, of Berners Street, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, in the fifteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Macintosh, my exors, adiiors, and assigns, Her especial license,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Macintosh, my
exors, adiiors, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said John Macintosh, my
exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my lnvention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, IN RIGGING AND PROPELLING VESSELS, AND FACILITATING
THEIR PROGRESS THROUGH THE WATER;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said John Macintosh, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
be enrolled in Her 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 in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said John
Macintosh, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, are fully described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: My Invention consists, first, of improvements in steam engines. Secondly,
my Invention consists of improvements in the rigging of ships and vessels.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of preparing and applying a certain composition
for the bottoms of ships and vessels.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 show two sections of so much of a steam engine as will
enable me to describe the first part of my Invention. a, a, is the steam
cylinder. b, the valve by which steam is admitted to and from the cylinder.
c, is an internal cylinder carrying the two slides, which act as pistons. These
parts are very similar to some steam engines which have heretofore been
proposed; but in this arrangement the end plates d, d, are fixed on the ends
of the cylinder c, so that they together rotate, and the points of contact of the
ends d with the cylinder a are made steam-tight by means of packing at e, e.
The slides c', c', are connected by means of two rods c², c, as shown, but in such
manner that the slides may slide on the ends of the rod, and thus allow of the
springs coming into action to press out the slides c¹ to keep them in contact
with the cylinder a. It will thus be seen that the rubbing surfaces are only at
the outer edges of the pistons or slides c' against the cylinder a, in consequence
of the ends d, d, the cylinder c, and the slides e revolving all together.
tion.
The second part of my Invention consists of improvements in rigging vessels
with a view to cause the sails to act in a direction to lift the vessel as well as
to propel it. Figure 3 shows a side view; Figure 4, an end view; and
Figure 5, a plan of part of a vessel, rigged according to this part of my Inven-
a is the mast, the heel of which is fitted in a joint b so as to be capable
of leaning over at an angle of 45°, or such an angle as may be required, in
order that the sails may become or act as lifting rails on a wind as well
as propelling sails, and its movement sideways in either direction may be
eflected by the means shewn in the Drawing, or by any other convenient
means. c, c, are two pullies fixed on either side of the vessel, around which and
the larger pulley d a rope or chain is passed, and by turning the pulley d by
handles upon its periphery or otherwise in the direction the mast is required
to assume, the rope or chain e will be wound on one side and delivered off the
other side of the pulley wheel d, in the manner of ordinary steering wheels.
The head sails or other jib-formed sails may be hauled to windward without
inclining the mast, as will be seen by Figures 6, 7, and 8, which shew a
guide g on the yard for the block attached to the halyards to travel to and
fro upon as may be required to make the sails assume such angles that they
will become lifting as well as propelling sails.

page_text: The third part of my Invention consists of preparing and using a composi-
tion made by decomposing india rubber in connection with sweet oil by
submitting to heat. This composition, mixed with pigments and laid on to the
bottoms of ships, I have found will not dry, but always presents a sort of
glutinous surface which greatly facilitates the passage of vessels so coated
through water. For sea-going vessels I prefer to add to the foregoing compo-
sition castor oil mixed with arsenic, copperas, or suitable poisonous substances
to prevent barnacles from adhering to ships' bottoms in consequence of the
composition being at all times soft and glutinous. I am aware that many
poisonous substances have before been used mixed with waterproof composi-
tious, but, unlike my preparation for such like purposes, it always became hard,
and the barnacles, &c. adhered as usual thereto; but this composition remains
a soft glutinous surface which not only facilitates the passage of the vessel
through the water but also allows the poisons to be absorbed by the barnacles.
I sometimes add gutta percha to the composition above referred to for the
purpose of thickening it and rendering it more adhesive; the mixture is to be
laid on to the vessel's bottom in a warm state.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details herein given so long as the peculiar character of any part
of my Invention be retained, but what I claim is,―
First, the improvements in steam engines herein described.
Secondly, I claim the improvements in rigging vessels herein described; and
Thirdly, I claim the preparing and applying composition as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Macintosh, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Fourth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two.
JOHN (L.s.) MACINTOSH.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid John Macintosh came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.