AN IMPROVED MODE OP ATTACHING, FIXING, OR SECURING THE DEAD EYES TO THE CHANNELS AND SIDES OF SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN WERE
CLARKE, of Tiverton, in the County of Devon, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eighth day of June, in the eighth year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Were Clarke, His special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John Were Clarke, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Were Clarke, my executors, administrators,
and 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, and also within all His Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OP ATTACHING,
FIXING, OR SECURING THE DEAD EYES TO THE CHANNELS AND SIDES OF SHIPS OR
VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said John Were Clarke, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same
to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six months
next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
annear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Were Clarke, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say):-
The usual mode of attaching the dead eyes to the sides of ships or vessels is
by strong chains and chain plates' a (Fig, 1); which are bolted to the ship's
side from whence the dead eyes fare propped off by the channels b, to give
the rigging a sufficient spread to secure the masts, each shroud trusting solely
to it's respective chain, chain plate, and bolt for its security, preventing in
many instances the guns of ships of war from being pointed obliquely fore
and aft as much as is required when the ship gets into action, and creating a
constant leakage in many ships round those bolts, from the great strain of the
masts coming upon them. I entirely get rid of these chains and chain plates,
and place a knee, which I prefer of iron, d, Fig. 2, against the ship's side, for
each shroud (and also, if required, for the back stays), on which knees I rest,
and to which I bolt the channel b, scoring the channel down to the depth of
an inch on each knee. These knees I make either single or double, as the
the case may require, that is, with one arm downwards only, or with another
arm upwards, as shewn in Fig. 3, or with one arm upwards only. The
extreme end of that part of the knee on which the channel rests I form into
a hook e, with its point downwards, to which I attach the iron strap of the
dead eye f, forming it into an eye or loop p, Fig. 4, long enough to allow the
dead eye, as at present made, to stand over or clear of the channel;. and I
keep the dead eye from falling off the hook by the preventer rail g, Figs. 2,
5, and 6, which is sufficiently secured to the channel to keep the dead eyes
in their places when the rigging hangs slack, but not so strongly attached to
the channel as to prevent it from being torn off the dead eyes, from unhooking
and going clear, when the mast falls over the side, and the rigging gets into
the water. Thus, although each shroud has it's respective knee, yet all the
knees are so attached together, forming a solid framework, that they give to
each shroud the security of the whole, preventing the leakage occasioned by
the great strain and constant racking from jerks on the chain plate bolts in
present use, and cannot interfere with the pointing the guns obliquely when
the ship gets into action. Or for the better security of the channels when the
ship may be struck under them by a heavy sea, I make them hollow or open
between the knees as follows:-I first fit on all the knees to the side of the
ship in their respective places, I then lay a piece of flat bar iron, h, Figs. 5 and 6.
on the outer ends of all the knees within the hooks, ranging from the head-

page_text: most to the aftermost knee; I then place other pieces of flat bar iron
diagonally, i, Fig 5, from the outer end of the aftermost knee to the neck of
the third or fourth from it, and again from the outermost end of the last-
mentioned knee to the neck of the first, second, or third forwards from it, and
so on successively until the but of the last reaches to the neck of the head-
most knee, forming a shoulder k, Figs. 7 and 8, in each of these diagonal
braces, to but against the neck of the knee on which the inner end rests, and
which diagonal braces may be crossed by others of the same size and shape,
attached to the knees in the same way, and as shewn in Fig. 5, if the
single braces are not deemed sufficiently strong for their purpose. I then
place a piece of wood (b) of the usual thickness of the channel on the outer
ends of the knees, so as to cover the piece of iron that runs fore and aft, and
the outer end of the diagonal braces, which pieces of iron I let into it by
scoring it down until it lies fairly on the knees. I then place another piece
of wood m of the same size against the ship's side, n, Figs. 2 and 5, on the
necks of the knees, covering the inner ends of the diagonal braces, which are
scored into it; and this piece I bolt to the side of the ship, and I connect
these fore and aft pieces of wood together at each end by a piece of the same
scantling o, Fig. 5, running in and out, thereby forming the wood into a
frame. I then bolt the outermost fore and aft pieces of wood through the
fore and aft pieces of iron and the outer ends of the diagonal braces to and
through the outer ends of each knee, and I bolt the diagonal braces also to
each other and to the knees at the respective crossings. To this frame work
of wood I secure the preventer rail 9 above mentioned, as I should do to
the solid channel, after which the whole in this framework of wood may be
fitted up with gratings, or may be left entirely epen, as may be found most
convenient. With regard to the size of the knees, the length down or up
the ship's sides, whether placed perpendicularly or diagonally in the run of
the shrouds, the placing of the bolts, &c., all these must depend on the form,
size, and structure of the particular ship, the workman taking care to introduce
the bolts where the side can best bear the strain; and for additional
convenience and security I prefer to place a piece of iron, r, Fig. 2, up and
down within the ship's side, through which all the bolts of each respective
knee should pass, and on which they may be secured, either by rivet or other-
wise, but I prefer by nuts and screws, because each knee can be removed
with ease when required; and if from any unforeseen cause, either from the
shrinking of the timber in the ship's side or otherwise, a knee can get the
least slack, it can be immediately brought again to the proper state of
tightness.

page_text: Fig. 9 is a side and Fig. 10 a top view of one of the knews d shewn
separately; the same letters of reference indicating the same parts in these
and all the other Figures.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Were Clarke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our