IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR BUILDING OF BOATS OR VESSELS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OR BUILDING OF BOATS OR VESSELS."-A communication from abroad
by Elisha Waters, George Thacher Balch, Clarence Weed Waters,
and George Arthur Waters,, all of Troy, in the State of New York,
United States of America..
Scaled the 24th July 1868,. and dated the 27th February 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with. his.
Petition, on the 27th February 1868.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents,. 66, Chancery:
5 Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare.
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION.
OR BUILDING OF BOATS OR VESSELS," to be as follows :—
This Invention consists in forming with paper the shell' or skin and
the decks of boats or vessel's so that these parts shall be perfectly water-
O tight, and the boats stiffer, stronger, and lighter. than if made of wood. in
the usual way..

page_text: the upper or plano
The dimensions and lines of the boat to be built being given a
model in wood is constructed conformable thereto of the full size
required, so that the water lines on its exterior surface shall be exactly
those desired in the boat to be built; this model must be made
sufficiently strong and stiff to bear a heavy pressure on its exterior
surface when putting on the paper coating which is to form the skin of
the boat. Channels are cut in the model or left in the proper places
during its construction to receive the kecl, gunwales, and where they are
required the ribs.. Pieces of wood of suitable size being fitted to these
grooves they are then worked so that their exterior surfaces shall form
part of and conform to the surface of the model. Longitudinal strips,
two inches thick, are then attached by screws to
surface of the model, the outer faces of these strips being a continuation
of its exterior surface. The object of the strips being to afford a means
of holding in position the paper composing the skin by means of tacks
driven through the paper into them, and thus enabling the perfect paper
skin to be cut and separated from the model along the gunwales.. It is
desirable that the width of the sheets of paper should be sufficient to
entirely surround the model and extend over the upper strips. The
paper selected for the first or inner layer may be dampened.; it is then
placed on the model pressed, into shape throughout its whole surface so
that it presents neither wrinkle nor unevenness and is tacked to the
strips above. Other layers of paper previously saturated and made
perfectly impervious to water are now superposed on the first and each
layer firmly attached to the one below it by means of shell-lac or other
suitable adhesive substance, and all these layers are pressed together so
as to form a solid mass of any desirable thickness depending on the size
of the boat and the amount of strength and resistance wanted. Before
the last layer is put on the keel is attached to the skin by nails and
screws, and when the skin is removed from the model, the interior
framing may be fitted in place and the skin firmly attached thereto. A
deck of paper is now stretched over such parts of the hull as may require
it. It is composed of one or more thicknesses or layers, and may rest on
a sub-deck of wood..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercisc, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great.
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR BUILDING OF BOATS OR VESSELS,"
being a communication to me from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, my ex-
ecutors 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hercunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say)
:-
This Invention consists in forming with paper the shell or skin and
the decks of boats or vessels so that these parts shall be perfectly water-
tight and the boats stiffer, stronger, and lighter than if made of wood in
the usual way.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a
section of a shell boat taken six feet from the stern post; Fig. 2 is a
cross section taken at midships of the model or form over or on
which the skin of the boat is to be made; Fig. 3 is a view of a
bulkhead at the end of the cock pit in a shell boat shewing a cross
section of the combing, the gunwales, the keel, and kelson; Fig. 4 is
a cross section through a carline of a finished shell boat shewing the
method of framing with paper the skin and deck of the vessel.
The dimensions and lines of the boat to be built being given a
model in wood is constructed conformable thereto of the full size
required so that the water lines on its exterior surface shall be exactly
those desired in the boat to be built. This model may be made in
any way known in carpentry, care being taken to have it sufficiently
strong and stiff to bear a heavy pressure on its exterior surface when
putting on the paper coating which is to form the skin of the boat)
and that it may be turned over as required.
Fig. 2 shews a cross section of a model for a single shell boat in
which the breadth at midships is thirteen inches. Channels are cut in
the model or left in the proper places during its construction to receive.
the keel and gunwales and (where they are required) the ribs.
Pieces
of wood of suitable size are fitted into these grooves and are then worked
or cut down so that their exterior surfaces shall form part of and
conform to the surface of the model along the channels, as shewn at
, b, c, Fig. 2. Longitudinal strips, two inches thick, marked in cross
suction at d, e, Fig. 2, are then attached by screws to the upper or
plane surface of the model, the outer faces of these strips being a
continuation of its exterior warped surface, the object of the strips
being to afford a means of holding in position the paper composing the
skin by means of tacks t, t, driven through the paper into them, and thus
enabling the perfect paper skin to be cut and separated from the model
along the gunwales at the line m, m². The model is now ready to be
covered with paper which may be either in the form of pulp or of sheets
as the nature of the surface to be covered may require, sheets are
considered preferable when the surface of the model will admit of their
being put on smoothly. It is desirable that the width of the sheets of
paper should be sufficient to entirely surround the model and extend
over the upper strips d and e, as shewn in Figure 2. When it is
necessary to enable it to take the form of the model perfectly the paper

page_text: selected for the first or inner layer may be dampened; it is then placed
on the model pressed into shape throughout its whole surface, so that it
presents neither wrinkle nor unevenness and is tacked to the strips
d and e, Fig. 2. Other layers of paper composed of one or more
sheets (as may be found necessary) previously saturated and made
perfectly impervious to water throughout the entire fibre or otherwise
treated according to circumstances are now superposed on the first, and
cach layer is firmly attached to the one below it by means of shellac or
other suitable adhesive substance, and all these layers are pressed
together so as to form a solid mass of any desirable thickness depending
on the size of the boat and the amount of strength and resistance wanted.
Before the last layer is put on the keel is attached to the skin by nails
and screws, and when the skin is removed from the model the interior
framing may be fitted in place and the skin firmly attached thereto (see
Figures 3 and 4). Previous to fitting the interior framing in place the
posts p, the carlines, b, c, Fig. 4, and the ribs where it is considered
desirable are after being reduced to their minimum size covered with one
or more thicknesses of suitable paper, cemented in place by glue, shellac,
or other suitable adhesive. substance. A deck of paper 8, 8, Figures
1 and 4, is now stretched over such parts of the hull as may require it;
it is composed of one or more thicknesses or layers and may rest on a
sub-deck of wood; this deck is formed in the same manner as has been
described for the skin of the boat, the under layer of paper being firmly
attached (by means of a suitable waterproof composition) to the wooden
deck, or in the absence of the latter to such parts of the framing as will
properly secure it. The edges of the paper are brought over the edges
of the skin at the gunwales and is similarly attached to the skin by
shellac or other water-resisting substance or composition, and a protecting
finish is given by means of the mouldings v, v¹. Water and air-tight
compartments may be made at each end of the hull by placing bulkheads
of wood where needed, and covering them with a skin of paper of any
required thickness or strength in the manner described. The surface of
the hull may be finished to resist the action of the water and of friction
against other substances in any manner suited to the use to which the
boat is to be put as experience may dictate.
Having thus fully described the nature and object of the Invention,
I do not claim the exclusive use or application of paper in all its forms
to the construction or manufacture of models of ships, boats, or other

page_text: vessels, or to the construction or manufacture of forms of boats to be
used as ornaments, toys, or for boxes used as receptacles for various
articles in which the decks serve as covers or lids; but what I claim as
new in the present Invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent
is, the building of the entire shell or skin and the decks (where these'
are used) of boats of paper, as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Twenty-seventh day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-eight.
.Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)