IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JONATHAN
FELL, of Workington, in the County of Cumberland, Ship Builder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifth day of August, in the third year of Her reign, did,
or Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Jonathan Fell, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Jonathan Fell, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Jonathan Fell, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING SHIPS AND OTHER
VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Jonathan Fell, should cause a particular description of the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of 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
Jonathan Fell, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to certain improved fastenings applicable to the
securing the beams to the sides of ships and vessels; and in order to give 5
the best information in my power, I will proceed to explain the Drawing
hereunto annexed, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
hereunto annexed, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents the section of part of a ship or vessel's side, and
Figure 2 is a plan of part of a ship or vessel, showing two beams and parts
of two sides of a ship or vessel having my improvements applied thereto.
I would, however, first remark, that the ordinary mode of securing a ship or
other vessel's sides with the beams is by means of knees placed under and at
the sides of each beam on the inside of the ship or vessel. Now the object
of my Invention is to employ a mode of fixing more secure than what is
afforded by the simple use of knees. And my mode of securing the beams
and sides of ships and vessels may be used conjointly with knees or sepa-
rately. The Drawing shows my Invention as applied conjointly with ordi-
nary knees under the beams. a, a, are two bolts to the ends of each beam,
one on each side thereof, which pass through the outer planking, through
the timbers, and then they pass through two tubes b, b, which I prefer
to be of cast iron.. These tubes are cast with flat surfaces c and d, the
surfaces c resting against the side of the beam e, and the flat end or sur-
face d goes against the side of the ship or vessel, as is shown in the Draw-
ing. The tubes b. are fastened to the beams,e by long spikes, or bolts f, driven
through the plates c. into the beams, or by other convenient means. The
bolts a, a, may be. fastened by different ways. I usually make a screw at
the end to receive a nut, by this means the sides of the ship may be more
intimately drawn together, and when drawn together by the screwing up of
the nuts, as at g, the end of the bolts, may be hammered or rivetted down to
prevent the nuts moving on the screws, but this is not absolutely necessary,
as the nuts being screwed up tigthtly may be left; or, in place of there being
screws on the bolts a, the ends of the same may be simply rivetted down on
a collar or washer, or a cotter may be driven through a suitable eye formed
in the bolt a. The plan, Figure 2,, shows these various means. I would
remark, that it will be evident that no separation can take place between the
sides of the vessel and the beams, unless the bolts a be broken, for they
cannot be drawn through from the outside in consequence of the enlarged

page_text: head of the bolt a, and such bolts cannot be drawn from the tubes v in conse-
quence of their being securely affixed by any convenient means; hence the
sides of the vessel and the beams will be secured more completely than by the
ordinary knees. h are ordinary knees placed under the beams; and I have
only to remark, that such knee may be dispensed with, and then I should
recommend the using of another of my apparatus below each end of the
beams.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that what I claim is, the mode above described of securing the sides
and beams of ships and other vessels.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonathan Fell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the year of
Lond One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine