IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAMEWORK OR HULL OF SHIPS AND VESSELS." CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAMEWORK OR HULL OF SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Symons, of Bridgwater, in the County
of Somerset, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAMEWORK OR HULL OF SHIPS AND VESSELS."
CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAMEWORK OR HULL OF SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 19th April 1872, and dated the 26th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Symons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th October 1871.
I, WILLIAM SYMONS, of Bridgwater, in the County of Somerset,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAMEWORK OR HULL OF SHIPS AND
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore ships and vessels have been constructed or built with the
futtocks or foot hooks placed by the side of the footings (the futtocks
and footings constituting the framework, timbers, or ribs of the ship or
vessel) and bolted through, but my Invention consists in placing the
futtocks on the top or inside the footings, instead of at the side; the

page_text: bolts or fastenings are consequently passed diagonally and transversely
to the medial line of the ship or vessel through the compound or joint
futtock and footing.
The result is that the vessel is greatly strengthened, the cargoes are
carried drier by reason of the extra space between the outer and inner
planks, which are consequently placed against the footings on the outside
of the vessel, and on the futtocks inside, giving a larger space for water
when the vessel is leaky. This extra space being filled with air makes
the vessel more buoyant in the water, enabling her to carry a heavier
cargo, although the internal Custom House measurement is reduced, and
also the port dues, towage, and other usual expenses.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Symons in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th April 1872. ..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SYMONS, of Bridgwater, in the County of Somerset, Merchant, send
greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Symons, Her special licence
that I, the said William Symons, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Symons, 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, exercise, and vend
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF THE FRAMEWORK OR HULL OF SHIPS AND VESSELS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Symons, my
exccutors 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
.

page_text: 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 William Symons, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing,
and to the letters marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
Heretofore ships and vessels as usually built have been constructed
with the picces called floors and futtocks constituting each timber or
rib of the framework of the vessel assembled in two sets, placed side by
side, and bolted together, but my Invention consists in placing the one
assemblage upon or inside of the other, instead of side by side therewith.
Thus constructed the ribs are much broader than hitherto in the
transverse plane of the vessel, but narrower.in a longitudinal direction,
whereby increased strength in the structure is obtained with the same
amount of material. Moreover the cargo is carried drier by reason of
the additional space between the outer and inner planking, giving more
room for water to lodge in when the vessel is leaky. This extra space,
which is filled with air, makes the vessel more buoyant by increasing
the displacement of water (but without increasing the internal or
Custom House measurement), thereby enabling her to carry a heavier
cargo than a vessel of the same internal dimensions built in the ordinary
way, so that the port dues, towage, and other usual expenses, which are
regulated by the internal or Custom House measurement would be the
same, notwithstanding that the ship carries a much heavier cargo.
In the accompanying Drawing I have represented the midship section
of a vessel constructed according to my Invention.
The timbers or ribs of the framework are composed of several sections
marked a called the floor timbers, and those marked b, b¹, b, b³, b*,
called futtocks united firmly together by bolts, of which a few are shown
in red lines at c, c, passing through both. The futtocks b, 61, 63,
(which I call the inner futtocks) are placed on the top of or inside the
floor a, and futtocks 6, 6, (which I term the outer futtocks) instead of
side by side therewith as hitherto, the joints between the floor and outer
futtocks being opposite the middle of the inner futtocks, and vice versa;
dare the chocks used for joining the ends of the futtocks and floors as
usual; e is the outside planking, which is fixed against the floor and
outer futtocks, and the inside planking or ceiling, secured to the inner

page_text: futtocks b, b', ', by bolts c¹ passing through all as shown in blue
lines.
It will be evident from the Drawing that the width of the space
between the inside and outside planking will be doubled by superposing
the onc set of futtocks on or inside of the floor and the other set.
of futtocks, instead of disposing them side by side therewith as usual.
I have not deemed it necessary to show more than a midship section, as
all the timbers or ribs of the framework are similarly constructed.
:
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declaro that what I claim as my Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, con-
structing the timbers or ribs of the framework of a vessel with inside
futtocks b, b', b³, placed on top of or inside of the floor a and outside
futtocks b, b, instead of placing one set beside the other as usual,
whereby the space between the outer planking e and the inner planking:
is increased, substantially as herein-before described and shown in the
Drawing for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Symons, have hereunto sct
my hand and scal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
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