Year: 1763

page_text: BURNE, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Coal Fitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Charles Burne, did, by my petition, humbly repre-
sent unto His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third that,
having long observed the great burthen the coal trade of this Kingdom labours
under by the expence the owners of ships are at in taking and discharging
their ballast, which expence within a few years had increased from ninepence
to a shilling a ton at some of the principal loading ports, and as the ballast-
keys and laystalls at many of the ports are too few for the great quantity of
ballast to be lodged on them, and the rents of the said keys were then already
greatly advanced, and as the distance from the water side and height it must
be conveyed is daily increasing, there was the greatest reason to apprehend in
a very few years more it would cost no less than fifteen or eighteenpence a
ton for discharging the ballast out of their ships only; that having likewise
observed that the ballast heaps are raised so exceeding high that the heavy
rains wash down many thousand tons annually into the rivers on which they are
situated, which, together with many other nusances committed by the ballast
men, so choak and fill up the receivers of shoal water ports that they cannot
contain a sufficient quantity of the influx of the sea to scower out and keep
open their channels, but large sand beds are grown therein, which the Commis-
sioners and Conservators are obliged to take up at a very great expence, these
inconveniences, which are daily increasing, must in a short time be greatly
detrimental to the coal trade, which is such an inestimable benefit to this
Kingdom; that I, the Petitioner, had, by long study, and great application and

page_text: expence, found out and invented "Two CERTAIN KINDS OF KEELS OR VESSELS,
DEPENDING PARTLY UPON EACH OTHER, BY WHICH BALLAST MAY BE TAKEN OUT
OF SHIPS, SAND BEDS IN RIVERS TAKEN UP, HARBOURS DEEPENED, BANKS OF SAND
AND GRAVEL AT THE ENTRANCE OF PORTS REMOVED AND CONVEYED INTO A
SUFFICIENT DEPTH OF THE SEA AT A MUCH LESS EXPENCE, AND NOT SO GREAT A
NUSANCE BY FAR TO THE RIVERS AND RECEIVERS AS THE PRESENT OR ANY OTHER
METHOD HITHERTO INVENTED FOR THAT PURPOSE;" therefore I, the Petitioner,
most humbly prayed His said Majesty that He would be graciously pleased
to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His Royal Letters
Patent for the sole using and employing the said keels or vessels in any part of
His said Majesty's Dominions where the same may be found usefull; His said
Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to all arts and inventions which
may be for the publick good, was graciously pleased to condescend to my said
request, and therefore His said Majesty, by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing
date at Westminster, the Third day of March, in the third year of His reign,
of His especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, did, for Him,
His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Burne, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole
priviledge and authority, that I, the said Charles Burne, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and every of us, by myself and ourselves, or by mine and
our deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said Charles
Burne, 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 of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend my said Invention, within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom
of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to me, the said Charles Burne, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or any of us, should in our discretions
seem meet, and that I, the said Charles Burne, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit,
benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing,
accrewing, and arising by reason of the said Invention, for and during the term
of years therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence,
powers, priviledges, and advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be
granted unto me, the said Charles Burne, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, for and during and unto the full end and term of fourteen years from
the date of the said Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be
compleat and ended, according to the Statute in such case made and provided;
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that if I, the said Charles

page_text: Burne, should not 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 His
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four kalendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters
Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should
utterly cease, determine, and become void, anything therein-before contained
to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding, as in and by the said recited
Letters Patent (relation being thereunto had) appears.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Burne, do hereby describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same
is to be performed, to be as is described and set forth in and by the draught or
plan of the said keels or vessels, with the several references by letters and
figures, and the explanations thereof hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Burne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Ninth day of May, in the third year of the reign of
His Majesty King George the Third, and in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand seven hundred and sixty-three.
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of May, in the third year of the reign of
His Majesty King George the Third, 1763.

page_text: of Shoal water Rivers ports and Havens and to convey the same to Sea into deep Water at a less expence
and by far less Nuvance to the Rivers ports and Havens than any method heretofore made use of....
In the execution of which the carrying keel or Vessel marked A. Fig. I will have the following qualitys
(viz:) to carry a great Burthen at a little Draught of water to have a low side for the convenience
of getting under Ships Ballast forts or for the less Lift in Drudging and to go well to windward
with a Suil to have such contrivance as to get quit of her Loading without much Labour and
lastly to make her more convenient to haul under Ships Moorings and get between their Births to have
a striking Mast with such Sails as will give the most advantage in turning to windward and
be soonest set and stowed which may be altered as found convenient.
The Drudging Heel Fig: 3 Letter I is of no other confrivance than to be a low broad Vessel
• sufficient to contain a Wheel about four or five feet diameter and a start or pole about ten feet
long to be turned by Horses and to have a sharp fore end or bow made very shong to defend the
Blows from other Keels or Craft moving in the Rivers whilst she lays fast moored at the place
: s
where the Ground is to be taken up and to which the Kuiling Vessel is to be fastned when drudg
ing to receive the Sand and Ballast
A. Fig. 1 The side of the Carrying Vessell.
B. port holes through which the Ballast will come out :
C. A strong Bind to strengthen the Vessel.
D. Fig: 2. The Deck of the Carrying Tessell in plain.
EE The Beams on which the Deck will lay.
F. Spouts declining from the plain Deck in the Midships and fore & aft from G to the
bottom of the Ballast port.
H. Lines shewing the Angles of the Spouts .
K. Fig: 3. The Drudging Vessel.
I. The start for the Horse to draw round.
M. The wheel that hauls home the Drudges.
N. Ropes round the wheel through .
0. Cranes at the sides of the Vessel- Fig: 2 to direct the Drudges.
P. Fig: 4. Section of the Vessel in Midships Lengthways.
Q. Lee Boards through the heel to haul up or let down in.
R. Wells or Cases for the Lee Boards which are to make the Vessel hold a good wind.
S. Fig. 5. A Section through the Vessel a thwartships in which
TT shews the form of her Body and Declivity of her Spouts from the plain deck to the bottom
of the port
Fig. 6. A Section of the Spouts by the inside of the Vessell shewing their Declivity fore and aft