IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
NAPOLEON ZERMAN, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Captain in the
French Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighth day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the eleventh year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Jean
Napoleon Zerman, my oxors, admiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, tho said Jean Napoleon Zerman,
my exors, adiiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jean Napoleon
Zerman, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of
years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in
the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso requiring that I, the said Jean Napoleon Zerman, shall particularly
describe and ascertain 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, and cause the same to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of

page_text: 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
Jean Napoleon Zerman, do hereby declare that the nature of my Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by this present Specification and instrument
in writing, reference being had to the several Figures or Drawings hereunto
annexed, and in which said several Drawings similar parts are marked and
referred to by similar letters or figures (that is to say) :-
My said improvements in ships and other navigable vessels consists in
constructing such a vessel without any keel of the ordinary description, and also
with an open longitudinal space or tunnel at the bottom or under side, and
along the whole length of the. vessel, as herein-after described. Figure I. of
the said Drawings is a transverse vertical section of the hull of a ship or
similar vessel, constructed according to my Invention, the section being taken
about the middle of the vessel. Figure II. is a longitudinal horizontal section
of tlie same vessel, taken through it at an altitude indicated by the dotted
line "a" 3", shown in Figure 1b. . The outside parts of the hull of the vessel
A, B, D, E, Figure 1", are to be made of timber, iron, or other fit material, in the
usual way; but the keel with which ships and vessels are usually constructed
(as shewn by dotted lines in Figure I) is dispensed with, and the parts
D, F, and G, E, Figure I", of the bottom are made flat, or nearly so. F, I, H, G,
is a longitudinal open space or tunnel in the bottom of the vessel, the sides of
which. are shewn in Figure I. as made vertical and parallel, or nearly so, in a
direction coinciding with the length of the vessel. Although I believe that it
is better that the sides of this open space should be vertical, it is not absolutely
necessary that they should be strictly so, for they may vary a little from that
form without materially altering the effect produced, provided the sides
are constructed so as to be straight or parallel. to each other in a longitudinal
direction. This open space or tunnel extends from end to end of the vessel, as
shewn in Figure II.; the bottom of it is open to the water, in which the vessel
may be placed, and each end of the space or tunnel is also open, so that when
the vessel. is in motion the water may pass freely through it. The sides
F, I, and G, H, and also the top or ceiling H, I, of this open space or tunnel
may be constructed of timbers and planks in the same way as the other parts
of the vessel, or of any other fit material, so that it be made sufficiently strong
to bear the pressure of the water, and exclude it from the hold of the vessel.
It is desirable that the sides of this space should be made smooth, and with no
unnecessary projections, so that there may be as little friction or resistance as

page_text: practicable offered to the water as it passes along through the open space
or tunnel. I deem it better that this open space or tunnel should be of such
a height that the top or ceiling of it, I, H, shall not be under water when the
vessel is fully laden; but I do not deem it absolutely necessary that the height
of this space or tunnel should be so great as never to be under the surface of
the water. I have shewn the transverse section of this open space or tunnel
as of a rectangular form, because I deem that form to be the best; but I do
not intend to say that such a sectional form is essential, although, as before
mentioned, the sides ought to be parallel with each other. This open space
or tunnel may either be constructed with its top or ceiling straight from end to
end (which I deem to be the best mode of constructing it); or if the deck
of the vessel should happen not to be straight in a longitudinal direction or
from end to end, then the open space or tunnel may be made so that the top
or ceiling of it shall, in a longitudinal direction, be parallel, or nearly so; to the
deck of the vessel. The outer sides of the vessel may be constructed according.
to the outline shewn in Figure II., or in any other form which it may be.
deemed more advisable that the exterior sides of the vessel should possess.
The form of vessel shewn in Figure II. is such as I believe may be usefully.
adopted, if the vessel is intended to be so constructed that it may sail with
either end foremost; but this is no essential part of my Invention, for each
side of the vessel may be made of any ordinary form, and so that a section of
the vessel taken in a manner similar to that shewn in Figure II. will repre-
sent sections of two halves of a vessel separated from each other by an open
space.
The ends of each half of the vessel may be furnished with a stem and
stern post of any ordinary description, or any other mode of constructing or
securing the ends may be adopted. In a ship or vessel constructed according
to my Invention, each side of the vessel must at the stern end be furnished
with a rudder, so that the vessel will possess two rudders instead of one, as in
ships and vessels of the ordinary construction; each of the rudders may be
of ordinary or any other convenient shape or construction; but it will act
more efficiently if it descends a little below the bottom of the vessel.
Figure III. is a side view of a steam vessel constructed according to my
Invention, shewing the two rudders with which it is furnished at the stern end
of the vessel. The two rudders with which a vessel constructed according to my
Invention is to be furnished must be connected together by what mechanics
usually call a parallel motion, so that the rudders shall in every position be
parallel to each other, and so that when turned they shall move simul-
taneously. The tiller wheel, or other contrivance used for turning the rudders,
must therefore, of course, be so constructed as to act upon and to move each
'

page_text: of the rudders at the same time. In Figure IV. I have shewn a side view of
a pair of rudders, with a parallel motion attached to them in manner already
described. If it be intended that the ship or vessel shall sail or be capable of
being navigated in either direction,-that is to say, with either end forward,-it
must, of course, have a pair of rudders with parallel motion, as already
described, at each end, and means should be provided for fixing each pair of
rudders, so that when not in use they may be held straight and even with the
course of the vessel. I have described this mode of constructing and attaching
rudders to ships or vessels made according to my Invention, because I deem it
to be the best mode adapted for the purposes of such ships or vessels; but I do
not claim such mode of constructing or attaching rudders as any essential part
of my Invention. A vessel constructed in the manner which I have described,
must be strengthened in some manner so as to keep the sides of the open space
or tunnel, as well as the sides and bottom of the vessel, in their proper
position, and enable them to bear any strain to which the vessel may be
subjected. I have, in Figures II. and V., shewn a mode of effecting this
object; Figure V. being a transverse vertical section of the vessel. p. p.
are metal rods or bars placed across the open space or tunnel, and secured
to the sides thereof by nuts and screws; 7, 9, are also metal rods or bars
extending from side to side of the vessel, and by nuts, screws, or other
sufficient means, secured not only to the outsides of the vessel, but also to the
sides of the open space or tunnel. There are two rows of these rods or bars,
one row of them being placed at the height P, P, from the bottom of the
vessel, the other row at the height Q, Q, from the bottom. The long and short
rods, it will be seen in Figure II., are placed alternally along the whole length
of the vessel, that Figure shewing the upper row of rods or bars only. The
lower row of rods or bars is placed in a similar manner, that is to say, the long
and short rods or bars are placed alternately, but so that the long rods of this
row are beneath the short rods or bars of the row above, and the short rods or
bars of the lower row beneath the long rods or bars of the row above. The
whole of the transverse rods or bars in each row are connected together
by a longitudinal rod or rods running the whole length of the vessel, or nearly
so, as shewn in Figure II, Z. The outside of the vessel, as well as the inside
of the open space or tunnel, may, if thought desirable, be still further
strengthened by iron straps v, v, v, connected with the transverse rods or bars,
as shewn in Figure VI. The mode of strengthening a vessel by iron rods or
bars, or otherwise, as well as the number of rods and bars used when that mode
of strengthening is adopted, must of course depend upon the length and size of
the vessel to be strengthened, and the service in which the vessel is to be

page_text: employed; and any mode of strengthening may be adopted which will hold the
sides firmly in their proper position, and secure them against the effects
of the external violence to which all ships and navigable vessels must be more
or less subject. But it must, however, be borne in mind, that it is desirable to
keep the open space or tunnel as free as possible for the flow of water along it,
as before mentioned. In Figure VI. I have shewn a mode in which a mast
or masts may be secured in a ship or vessel constructed according to my
invention. R, R, is a metal column fixed to the ceiling or. upper covering
of the open space or tunnel, and to the transverse rods or bars p, p, and q, q,
and thus held securely in an upright position. Upon the upper end of the
column R, R, is cast or fixed a socket or step S, S, to receive the bottom
or foot of the mast. This socket rises to the deck of the vessel, to which
it is to be secured by a flange and screws, as shewn in the Figure, or in
any other convenient manner. The bottom of the mast T, T, is then to
be inserted in the socket or step, and secured to the deck of the vessel in the
usual or in any other convenient manner. I do not, however, claim this
mode of securing or fixing a mast or masts as any essential part of my Inven-
tion, and merely describe it as a mode of effecting that object, which will, I
believe; be found useful in practice in connection with my Invention herein
described; and a ship or other vessel constructed according to my Invention
may, when desired, have the mast or masts with which it may be furnished
held or secured in any other manner which may be deemed more effective or
convenient. The mode of constructing ships and vessels which I have herein-
before described may be applied to ships and other navigable vessels of all sizes
and descriptions, and whatever motive power may be employed for propelling
them through the water. When a vessel made according to my Invention is
intended to be propelled by steam power, the paddle or other propeller may
be placed in the open space or tunnel before described, or so as to act in that
open space or tunnel, either at the centre, stern, or other part of the vessel
which may be deemed most advisable or convenient, according to the service in
which the vessel is to be employed, and the description of the propeller to be
used. Propellers may, however, if desired, be placed at the sides of the vessel
in the ordinary manner, as shewn in Figure III. The chief objects which I
have in view in making ships and other navigable vessels in the manner before
described, are to cause such vessels to draw less water, to stand more steadily and
without ballast, and to prevent them from being drifted from their courses.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim
as my said Invention consists of the mode of constructing ships and other.

page_text: navigable vessels with open longitudinal spaces or tunnels at the bottom or
lower parts thereof; in manner herein-before described. .
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Napoleon Zerman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
JEAN NAPOLEON (L.s.) ZERMAN.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of August, in the
year of our Lord 1848, the aforesaid Jean Napoleon Zerman 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.
Enrolled the Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.