IMPROVE- MENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Peacock, of Gracechurch Street, in the City
of London, Merchant and Shipowner, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING."
Sealed the 23rd November 1855, and dated the 5th September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Peacock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
September 1855.
I, GEORGE PEACOCK, of Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, Mer-
chant and Shipowner, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in ship-building, with
a view to enable ships and vessels to keep a better wind, and prevent lee
way and rolling; and it has also for its object an improvement in the after
part of the ship, where a propeller is used; and the improvement consists of
applying a horizontal keel to the ordinary fixed vertical keel in such manner
that the horizontal keel may extend on either side beyond the ordinary keel;
and as regards iron ships, to enable a false keel of wood to be applied thereto.
And another improvement consists of constructing the stern of an iron ship
with a hollow or boxed stern post, tapering gradually below the line of the
screw shaft towards the junction of the keel, and to convey a bent pipe from a .

page_text: water tank or reservoir for the supply of the boilers through such hollow stern
post; the bent pipe is passed out of the ship or vessel above the deep load line,
and descends down, so that its outlet may be below the light water line; the
pipes by which the water is blown from the boilers to be conducted through
the said stern post in like manner, so as to blow off either through the outer
bend of the first-mentioned pipe or by separate pipes. These pipes are provided
with cocks for the purpose of closing the passages when necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Peacock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PEACOCK, of Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, Merchant and
Shipowner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, 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 George Peacock, Her special licence that I, the said George Peocock,
iny executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Peacock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agrée
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
SHIP-BUILDING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Peacock, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under' my, or 'their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 George Peacock, 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; that-is to say:

page_text: This Invention has for its object an improvenient in ship-building, with a
view to enable ships and vessels to keep a better wind, and prevent lee
way and rolling and it has also for its object' an improvement in the after
part of the ship, where a propeller is used; and the improvement consists
of applying a horizontál keel to the ordinary fixed vertical keel in such
manner that the horizontal keel may extend on either side beyond the
ordinary keel; and as regards iron ships, to enable a false keel of wood to
be applied thereto.
1.1
And another improvement consists of constructing the stern of an iron
ship with a hollow or boxed stern post, tapering gradually below the line of
the screw shaft towards the junction of the keel, and to convey a bent pipe
from a water tank or reservoir for the supply of the boilers through such
hollow stern post; the bent pipe is passed out of the ship or vessel above the
deep load line, and descending down, so that its outlet may be below the
light water line; the pipes by which the water is blown from the boilers
to be conducted through the said stern post in like manner, so as to blow off
either through the outer bend of the first-mentioned pipe or by separate
pipes. These pipes are provided with cocks for the purpose of closing the
passages when necessary.
:
:
"
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the means of per-
forming the same, I will now proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and refer to the figures and letters marked thereon.
:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A.
Figure 1 is a section of so much of the lower part of a ship or vessel having
my Invention applied as will serve (aided by the following description thereof)
to render the, same perfectly intelligible; Figure 2 is a side view, partly in
section, of the same; and Figure 3 shows another modification of the same.
This first part of my Invention consists of rivetting upon each side of the
ordinary keels of ships or vessels along their entire length, an angle of any
required breadth and depth (say, from four inches to nine or ten inches and
upwards in breadth), lying horizontally or at right angles with the ordinary keel,
and flush with the bottom of the ship or vessel; and tapering gradually off at
the fore part, but carrying the whole breadth aft. Angle iron A may be used
for the purpose, or a bent plate in lieu thereof, say, from three-eighths of an inch
to one and a quarter inches thick, according to the size of the ship or vessel,
and the upper part may be bent in a shape to the form of the bottom
at the garboard streak, and be rivetted not only to the sides of the keel, but also
over the garboard plate, the rivets passing through the lower ends of the frames,

page_text: as shown at A, in Figure 3 of the Drawing, thus assisting in fastening the
main keel itself to the frames of the ship or vessel. These two angle irons or
plates A, A; are united together from side to side below the keel by a plate B,
running the entire length of the keel, below which a false wooden keel C is
brought on, say, from two to three inches in depth, and of the entire breadth
of the side plates and the main keel, they being fastened by vertical rivets D
through the bottom keel plate and the side plates or angle irons, every other
rivet passing through the wood. This false keel is tapered off to nothing both
.horizontally and vertically at the extreme fore end, the bottom keel plate being
also tapered sideways to correspond. The object and advantage of this keel
are; as before stated, namely, to enable a ship or vessel to hold a better wind
(that is, make less lee way); also to prevent in a great measure the pitching and
rolling, as well as render easy the fitting of a false keel to iron ships or vessels,
which cannot be done with ships or vessels constructed in the ordinary manner;
the advantages of which are obvious in the event of the ship or vessel getting-
ashore.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS B.
Figure 1 shews a side view, partly in section, Figure 2 a stern view with
the rudder removed, and Figure 3 a plan, in section, of so much of a ship or
vessel and apparatus as will serve to illustrate the other part of my Invention.
This part of my Invention is chiefly applicable to auxiliary screw steam
ships, or vessels having their boilers and machinery in the after end thereof.
It consists, as herein-before stated, in fitting the stern post A and rudder post B
hollow, the former being boxed above the screw shaft, and constructed of the
strongest angle iron and thick plate iron. This boxing forms the stern post
for the shaft hole, it being of the same breadth from out to out as it would be
if the ship or vessel were constructed of wood, say, from nine to eighteen inches
broad, according to the size of the ship, or broader, if desirable, thus enabling
the bearings and stuffing box of the shaft to be readily got at inside for
examination and lubrication, and forming a recess (C) on the outside (by over-
lapping the side body plates) to receive two syphon feed pipes (D, D,) for the
supply of the boilers and the wash deck pumps. These pipes (D, D,) pass out
through the boxed stern post (A) considerably above the deep load line, and
extend down to below the light load line, their inner ends terminating in a
conveniently shaped reservoir or recipient (E,) placed in the after end of the
engine room, to which the boiler feed pipes (F, F,) are connected. Small taps
(G, G,) are attached to the syphon pipes (D), D,) just below their bends on the.
inside, to be opened to vitiate the vacuum, in order to prevent the flow of

page_text: water when desirable for the purposes of examining the reservoir and feed
pipe flanges, or for other purposes. The boilers are to be blown out through
the stern post-by means of the pipes (H, H,) extending with bell mouths from
nearly the bottom of the insides of the boilers, through the upper parts thereof,
and out through the stern post (A), as shown. The feed syphon pipes being
constructed, as shown, with their nozzles turned down on the outside, avoids
the necessity of having any holes (which has been the cause of many serious
accidents) through the bottom of the ship or vessel.
The rudder post (B) is made of plate iron (from three-eighths to one and a
quarter inches thick), bont to the shape of the letter V, and from five to fifteen
inches broad at the sides, according to the size of the ship or vessel, having
the gudgeons (I, I,) for the rudder pintles (J, J,) to work in, fitted inside &
rivetted to the sides by screw rivets or bolts through and through. The lower
part of the rudder post is secured to the keel by a turned-up wedge-shaped toe
piece (K), it being a continuation of the main keel, and firmly rivetted within
the lower portion of the hollow rudder post (B), the upper part thereof forming
a rest for the lower pintle of the rudder. The upper end of the plate iron
forming the hollow rudder post B is spread out and rivetted to the counter
plates. A rudder post constructed in the manner shewn and described gives
additional strength with less weight, and forms an apron for the stem of the
rudder to work in, and at the same time offering a sharp angular surface
instead of a flat one for the water to impinge upon; and this is very
important, as the resistance at this part, occasioned by the velocity of the water
passing along the run of the ship or vessel, is very great, and is considerably
increased by the action of the screw propeller.
I would further desire it to be understood that the hollow rudder post may
be constructed of wood for wooden vessels by a slight modification in the
adaptation of the material when wood is used either separately or with iron or
other metal in conjunction.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the same
into practice, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details given, as the same may be varied without departing from
my Invention, so long at the peculiar character of the same be retained; but
what I claim is,―
First, the constructing and adapting horizontal keels to ships or vessels as
shown and described in respect to Drawing A.
Secondly, the application and construction of stern posts of ships or vessels
as described.
And, thirdly, the arrangement of the blow-off pipes and syphon boiler feed

page_text: pipes to avoid the necessity of forming holes in the bottoms of ships or vessels,
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Peacock, have hereunto set my
-hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
GEORGE PEACOCK. (L.s.)