IMPROVE MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, BOATS, RAFTS, AND VESSELS FOR PASSING THROUGH WATER OR THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE, OR PARTLY THROUGH THE WATER AND PARTLY THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Beadon, of Bathpool, in the County of
Somerset, Captain in the Royal Navy, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, BOATS, RAFTS, AND VESSELS FOR PASSING
THROUGH WATER OR THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE, OR PARTLY THROUGH THE
WATER AND PARTLY THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Beadon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th October 1858.
L, GEORGE BEADON, of Bathpool, in the County of Somerset, Captain in the
Royal Navy, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS. BOATS. RAFTS: AND VESSELS FOR PASSING
THROUGH WATER OR THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE OR PARTLY THROUGH THE WATER
AND PARTLY THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object, first, the construction of ships, boats, rafts,
and other vessels with an outer jacket or casing surrounding them, and open
at the extremities, or with double sides, with space between large enough to
admit the wave or flow of the water or air displaced by the forward or pro-
gressing end of a body in motion, or by its bow propeller, and to pass freely
to the after or stern end thereof, and to fill the space vacated by the receding
end or stern, and so that the sucking created by the partial vacuum at the
stern will be counteracted, as also the resisting tail water, and so that the
[Price]

page_text: flow or wave created by a bow propeller when revolving, or by the bow when
sailing or steaming, will pass freely into this casing at the fore end, and be
relieved thereby from the superincumbent pressure of the fluid medium by
which the vessel is supported, which will be little if at all agitated thereby.
Secondly, my improvements consist in casting the lower parts of vessels,
including my conical bow, patented 21st December 1852, in sections, or parts
in moulds, and putting the same together by lap joints, bolts, and nuts.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of a boom or tail propeller, for the purpose
of steering and propelling,and by its action keeping back the wake water from
following the vessel.
Fourthly, I construci vessels with turntables for receiving masts with fixed
yards, and I work the same by gear work instead of by braces, and haul the
sails out laterally instead of vertically.
Fifthly, I construct my tubular bottomed vessels, patented 21st December
1852, with a movable crank or derrick, which I raise or lower between the
sides or tubular bottom,so as to project below the vessel, to prevent the cables
from injuring my conical bows or spiral propellers thercon when the vessel is
at anchor.
Sixthly, I construct tubular vessels with conical bows, according to my
Patent aforesaid, for sailing with one extremity and steaming with the other
extremity, or for sailing and steaming with either end, as the case may be.
Seventhily, I construct tubular bottomed vessels with openings at the sides,
above, or upon pillars standing upon the tubular bottomed vessels, so that the
waves may break through laterally,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Beadon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BEADON, of Bathpool, in the County of Somerset, Captain in the Royal Navy,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Beadon, Her special licence that I, the said George
Beadon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as

page_text: I, the said George Beadon my, executors, administrators, and assigns,
shouid 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, BOATS, RAFTS, AND VESSELS
FOR PASSING THROUGH WATER OR THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE. OR PARTLY THROUGH
THE WATER AND PARTLY THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Beadon, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Beadon, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object, first, the construction of ships, boats,
rafts, and other vessels with an outer jacket or casing surrounding them, and
open at the extremities, or with double sides, with space between large
enough to admit the wave or flow of the water or air displaced by the forward
or progressing end of a body in motion, or its bow propeller, and to pass freely
to the after or stern end thereof, and to fill the space vacated by the receding
end or stern end, so that the sucking created by the partial vacuum at t! e
stern will be counteracted, as also the resisting tail water, and so that the
flow or wave created by a bow propeller when revolving, or by the bow when
sailing or steaming, will pass freely into this casing at the fore end, and be
relieved thereby from the superincumbent pressure of the fluid medium by
which the vessel is supported, which will be little if at all agitated thereby.
Secondly, my improvements consist in casting or otherwise forming the
lower parts of vessels, including my conical bow, patented 21st December
1852, in sections, or parts in moulds, and putting the same together by lap
joints, bolts, and nuts.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of a boom or tail propeller, for the purpose
of steering and propelling, and by its action keeping back the wake water
from following the vessel.
Fourthly, I construct vessels with turntables, for receiving masts with

page_text: fixed yards, and I work the same by gear work instead of by braces, and
haul the sails out laterally instead of vertically.
Fifthly, I construct my tubular bottomed vessels, patented 21st December
1852, with a movable crane or derrick, which I raise or lower between the
sides or tubular bottom, so as to project below the vessel, to prevent the
cable from injuring my conical bows or spiral propellers thereon when the
vessel is at anchor.
Sixthly, I construct tubular vessels with conical bows, according to my
Patent aforesaid, for sailing with one extremity and steaming with the other
extremity, or for sailing and steaming with either end, as the case may be.
Seventhly, I construct tubular bottomed vessels with openings at the sides,
above or upon pillars standing upon the tubular bottomed vessels, so that
the waves may break through laterally.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have illustrated the manner in which
the several parts of my Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure represents a longitudinal view of my tubular bottomed conical
bow propeller, vessel, raft, or boat, drawn partly in section, and partly in
elevation, adopted as the clearest method of illustrating the nature of its con-
structive features, and several improvements connected therewith; Figures
2, 2, 1, 2, are cross sections; Figure 3 is a plan. The corresponding letters
in the cross sections and plans refer to corresponding parts in each Drawing.
A, A, are pillars secured to the sides and timbers of the tubular bottoms or
vessels b,b, below the water line at the lower parts, and to cross beams c, c, c, c,
above the water level at their upper parts; d, d, d, represent an upper and
lower deck E. E. are side timbers extending throughout each vessel's length
from stem to stern, which are likewise bolted to the vertical pillars A,A,A;
FF, are water channels extending fore and aft from the after end to the base
of the revolving combs G,G. These channels are constructed sonstopresentan
interior and an exterior smooth surface, and as thin as possible consistent with
the necessary strength, and may be of thin sheet irou, or plate iron doubled,
each plate breaking joint, or lapping over the other, and rivetted; thus
smooth interior and exterior surface will be presented to the water. These
passages are made capacious enough to convey a larger portion of water than
is admitted into them from under a corresponding casing H, extending (sec
Figure 4) from the base of the revolving propeller towards its apex, and
having a fan or screw blade I, I, attached on the inner as well as on the outer
side of this casing; thus the water which comes in contact with this
propeller is divided, a portion passing between the casing, and a portion
outside; all the first-named passes into the water channel placed outside the

page_text: vessel, and the latter outside the channel altogether. The water which passes
inside will, it is assumed, flow into a partial vacuum caused by the rapid
withdrawal of the after end in the water before the wake water has time
to close in. The centrifugal action of the propeller blades will throw the
water into the casing or water channel F, by which it will, it is supposed,
pass quicker to the stern than if conveyed outside the vessel, and by which
means I infer that a portion of the displaced water ahead will be passed
directly to the stern; thus a partial vacuum, if it exists at the stern of a
vessel progressing rapidly, will be counteracted. L, L, represents a fixed
hollow axle projecting from the extremes of the tubular bottom vessels, and
secured in the vessel similar to the heel of a ship's bowsprit, rounded on the
outer part for the antifriction rollers carrying the propellers, see also Figure 6
where a is the outside axle, B the inside part, C,C, the sides of tube. Figure 5
illustrates my proposed method of making the lower parts of my tubular
bottomed vessel of soft cast metal. A, A, represents the sides. B the bolt,
C the nut; letter P, Figure 1, represents a mast stepped through the middle,
and wedged to a turntable g; R, R, are friction rollers on the arms of a
T-headed bolt, S,S, which passes through a groove in the turntable P,and is
affixed to the beams c, c; TT, are rigging shrouds attached to the mast
head, and to the turntable; U,U, &c.,represents a framing for extending the
sails on each side laterally; the part next the mast winding and unwinding
from a roller placed vertically or attached to a jack stay up and down the
mast. When sail is reduced it is rolled up laterally or hauled in. The side
yard W has its upper and lower ends working in a side groove in the framing.
The haulyards pass over the pulley W; X is a funicular prop, extending
from the fore part of the mast, to which it is secured; X are side props
secured to this prop and to the yardarms y; Z is a stay tension rod secured to
the beams, as also to the sides or keel of the vessel 1,61. It will be seen here,
by reference to the Drawings, that the four tubular bottoms are united into
one hull, elevated high above the water, with passages represented by the
ladders from the upper vessel to the tubes below, and that the pillars arising
from each tube are just sufficiently wide asunder to leave a passage to the
hold; thus breadth is given to the structure,a considerable point in its novelty
and utility, ensuring stability, stowage, and light draught. It will also be
observed that the vertical pillars are carried high above the water line, and
that the sides might be either boarded up or left open for the sea to break
through laterally, as amongst piles, in which case the hatchways only are
plaukd up, or otherwise secured from water breaking in. The outside tubes,
when four or more are used to form the raft, boat, or ship, will be placed

page_text: abaft the head tubes for obvious reasons, and each will have a conical bow,
tracter, or propeller, according to my Patent of the 2nd December 1852,
at its foremost extremity.
I am aware the idea of turutables is not new for masts, but the
funicular prop at the mast head, obviating the necessity of braces, the sail
frame, and the general arrangement I consider to be new. 1" represents my
tubular derrick, 2ª the screw by which it is raised and lowered, 3" the cables,
4º shackles to which the cables are secured wheen moored; 5° are folding
anchors, which are closed to enter the tube; 6ª are chain guys secured to the
lower part of the tube and to the beams when in use; thus the tubular
bottoms will be protected from the chain cables, and the vessel turn round
the anchor tube without fouling the cables when moored; 7" are side fins
for stopping or steering a screw vessel.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly, particularly the general arrangement of the system of construc-
tion herein-before set forth and illustrated in the Drawings hereunto
annexed, as being a continuation and further extension of my Patent, dated
2nd December 1852.
Secondly, the several specific improvements herein-before set forth, from
the first to the seventh inclusive.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Beadon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine
GEORGE BEADON. (L.S.)