IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM OR OTHER VESSELS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR CARRYING LIVE FISH BUT ALSO SUITABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lewis Walker Leeds of Old Jewry in the City of
London for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM OR OTHER VESSELS
PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR CARRYING LIVE FISH BUT ALSO SUITABLE
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lewis Walker Leeds at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th November 1883.
LEWIS WALKER LEEDS of Old Jewry in the City of London. IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM OR OTHER VESSELS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR CARRYING LIVE FISH
BUT ALSO SUITABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
My Invention as relates to an improved design and construction of small steam
boats adapted especially for carrying fish and for coast or life boat services may be
described as follows. For the carrying of fish it is frequently desirable that they
should be carried alive This is often found difficult in boats driven by steam
owing to the amount of heat radiated from the boilers and engines In order to
obviate this defect I provide an open bottomed channel between the boiler room
and the fish or other tanks through which channel, the sea water can circulate
freely thus completely isolating and cutting off from said tanks the excessive heat.
The connection between the open bottomed channel and the tanks is controlled by
suitable valves which can be closed against the entrance of the sea when it is
desirable to use the tanks for dry storage or when steam is not employed To
prevent the excessive rolling of the boat by the motion of the water in the fish
tanks I arrange rims around the hatches to curve downwards and so as to deflect
the moving water in a downward direction. It is of the utmost importance that
such a boat should be able to run in the roughest weather and for this purpose I
have designed a special arrangement for taking the air needed for the whole boat
in at the top of the wheel or pilot house or other suitable point above deck the
entrance of the water with the air is there baffled by a series of curved guards
which greatly stop the water or spray while allowing of the passage of the air, at
the bottom of the first descending shaft the air is again separated from the water

page_text: or moisture and is then conducted horizontally to the boiler and engine rooms
through a suitable side passage. An abundant supply of air can thus be maintained
and be at the same time freed from a large amount, if not the entire quantity of
water or spray which may happen to be driven in By this arrangement the fires
may be kept constantly going even should the entire hull of the boat be immersed
several feet under the water I also construct the bow with a point but cutting off
the projecting or bowsprit portion above the water line so as to form an angle from
the deck line to the cut water
The deck bulwark at the bow is in the form of a U curve so that the waves on
striking it are deflected right and left and also thrown back on themselves
The inlet of air being provided as before described and the engine being below
deck the plan admits of a clear smooth deck which is of great importance for fishing
purposes. The same boat can be very advantageously used for a life boat as it can
be worked on the roughest sea and the passengers be thoroughly protected, when
used for this purpose suitable closed air chambers are provided The engine and
boiler rooms are ventilated by an additional pipe the full heighth of the smoke
funnel The smoke from the boiler fire is carried over a bridge above the water
line in such a manner that should a large amount of water be precipitated down the
smoke funnel, it would not go directly into the fire but would escape through
suitable side passages provided with one way valves
When at sea with hatchways closed the only entrance to "below decks" is
through the wheel house which is provided with watertight doors, and hence there
is no risk of the admission of water in rough weather.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Lewis Walker Leeds in the
Patent Office on the 14th May 1884.
LEWIS WALKER LEEDS of Old Jewry in the City of London IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM OR OTHER VESSELS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR CARRYING LIVE FISH
BUT ALSO SUITABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
My Invention as relating to an improved design and construction of small steam
boats adapted especially for carrying fish, and for coast or life boat services may be
described as follows, reference being made to the accompanying drawings which form
part of this specification and in which like letters of reference are used to designate
the same parts in all the figures. Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation on the
line a. b of Figure 2 which in its turn represents a plan on the line c. d of Fig 1
while Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on line e. f. of Fig 1. For the carrying of
fish it is frequently desirable that they should be carried alive. This is often found
difficult in boats driven by steam owing to the amount of heat radiated from the
boilers and engines. In order to obviate this defect I provide open bottomed
channels g.
between the boiler room B. and the fish or other tanks A through
which channels the sea water can circulate freely thus completely isolating and
cutting off from said tanks, tho excessivo heat. The connection between the open
bottomed channels g. g. and the tanks A A is controlled by suitable valves h. h.
which can be closed against the entrance of the sea when it is desirable to use the
tanks for dry storage, or when steam is not employed. To prevent the excessive
rolling of the boat by the motion of the water in the fish tanks I arrange rims C C
around the hatches to curve downwards, and so as to deflect the moving water in a
downward direction It is of the utmost importance that such a boat should be
able to run in the roughest weather and for this purpose I have designed a special
arrangement for taking the air needed for the whole boat, in at the top of the wheel
or pilot house D or other suitable point above deck, the entrance of the water with
the air is there baffled by a series of curved guards ii which greatly stop the
water or spray while allowing a free passage of the air; at the bottom of the first
descending shaft E the air is again separated from the water or moisture and is
then conducted horizontally to the boiler engine rooms and other parts of the
below decks through suitable passages or pipes. An abundant supply of air can
thus be maintained and be at the same time freed from a large amount, if not the
entire quantity of water or spray which may happen to be driven in, and which is
conducted from the bottom of the descending shaft E by suitable pipes. By this
arrangement the fires may be kept constantly going even should the entire hull of
the boat be immersed several feet under the water. I also construct the bow of the
vessel with a point, but cutting off the projecting or bowsprit portion F above the
water line so as to form an angle from the deck line to the cutwater. The deck
bulwark G at the bow is in the form of a U curve so that the waves, on striking it
are deflected right and left, and also thrown back on themselves
The inlet of air being provided as before described, and the engine being below
deck, the plan admits of a clear smooth deck which is of great importance for
fishing purposes. The same boat can be very advantageously used for a life boat
as it can be worked on the roughest sca, and the passengers be thoroughly protected,
when used for this purpose, suitable closed air chambers H H are provided. The
engine and boiler rooms are ventilated by an additional pipe I the full height of
the smoke funnel. The smoke from the boiler fire is carried over a bridge J above
the water line in such a manner that should a large amount of water be precipitated

page_text: down the smoke funnel, it would not go directly into the fires but would escape
through suitable side passages or pipes K provided with one way valves. When at
sea with hatchways closed, the only entrance to "below decks" is through the
wheel house which is provided with water tight doors, and hence there is no risk of
the admission of water in rough weather
Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is.
1st In steam vessels, a chamber or channel open to the sea and separating or
partially separating the engines and boilers from the rest of the hold substantially
as and for the purposes described.
2 In steam or other vessels, the combination with tanks adapted for the
carriage of liquids, of deflecting plates arranged and operating substantially as set
forth.
3rd The improved construction of steam or other vessels, by means of which the
air for ventilation is taken from above deck, separated from its moisture by means
of baffle plates, and then conducted to and through the below deck portion of the
vessel, and finds its outlet preferably through an air funnel which, in steam vessels
is in close proximity to the smoke stack and of equal height therewith substantially
as set forth
4th In steam vessels, the combination with the smoke stack, of baffle plates, and
discharge pipes adapted to prevent water from reaching the fires substantially as
described
5th In steam or other vessels the improved construction of bow bulwarks and
cutwater substantially as and for the purposes described In witness whereof I the
said Lewis Walker Leeds have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirteenth day
of May in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
Signed, sealed and delivered
in the presence of
ALLEN P JONES
Grad Inst P.A.
55 & 56 Chancery Lane
London W.C
LEWIS W LEEDS (L.S.)