IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF STEAM VESSELS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Agerup, of Mark Lane, in the City of
London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF STEAM VESSELS."-A communication from abroad by
J. P. Matthiesen, Christian Castenskiold, and C. E. Brasen, all of
Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Agerup at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th March 1871.
I, PETER AGERUP, of Mark Lane, in the City of London, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in the construction of steam vessels
consists in supporting the hull or body of the vessel on three pontoons
constructed by preference of sheet iron and with water-tight com-
partments. The pontoons are arranged at such a distance, say from

page_text: four to five feet, apart as to admit of a pair of paddle wheels being placed
between them. In the centre compartment of the middle pontoon is
placed the engine, and in other compartments of the same pontoon are
stowed the fuel and other stores. This pontoon may also, if desired, be
provided with a screw propeller and a rudder for steering the vessel.
The hull or body of the ship or vessel is erected on a strong horizontal
framework which connects the three pontoons together, and access from
the upper ship may be obtained to the interior of the pontoons through
suitable hatchways or openings. This mode of constructing vessels will
ensure great stability, very light draught, and less liability to be wrecked
in shoal waters, and will also obviate the necessity of using ballast.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Agerup in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, PETER
AGERUP, of Mark Lane, in the City of London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Peter Agerup, Her special licence
that I, the said Peter Agerup, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Peter Agerup, 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 CONSTRUCTION OF
STEAM VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Peter Agerup, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Agerup, 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 Drawings here-
unto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
This Invention of improvements in the construction of steam vessels
consists in supporting the hull or body of the vessel on three pontoons
constructed by preference of sheet iron and with water-tight com-
partments, which may however be connected together by valves, so
that any
water that may leak into one may obtain access to the pumps.
and be thereby discharged from the vessel. The pontoons may be
arranged at such a distance (say from four to five feet) apart as to
admit of a pair of paddle wheels being placed between them, or the
vessel may be propelled by a screw. The engine may be placed in
the centre compartment of the middle pontoon, and the other com-
partments of the same pontoon may also, if desired, be each provided
with a screw propellor and a rudder for steering the vessel; or, if
preferred, there may be two propelling engines one in each of the outside
pontoons, the centre pontoon being reserved exclusively for freight or
passengers.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vessel
constructed according to the present Invention, Fig. 2 is a plan of the
same, and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section drawn upon an enlarged
scale,
The hull or body a, a, a, of the ship or vessel is erected on a strong
horizontal framework which connects the three pontoons b, b¹, b², together,
and access from the upper ship a may be obtained to the interior of either
of the pontoons b, b', or be through suitable hatchways or openings. The
cabins for the use of the passengers and crew may be constructed in the
part a, a, of the vessel so that they will not be annoyed by the heat
and smell from the engines and boilers situated at c, c, with bunkers or
compartments e, e, for the coals arranged for them in the same pontoons.
Compartments d, d, d, for the stowage of luggage, goods, and mer-.
chandize may be constructed in all three of the pontoons. The rudder
for steering the vessel is adapted to the stern of the central pontoon,
as shown at Figures 1 and 2. The vessel may be propelled either by
means of paddle wheels placed between the pontoons, or by means of

page_text: stern screw propellers, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2. This mode of con-
structing vessels will ensure great stability, very light draught, and less
liability to be wrecked in shoal waters, and will also obviate the necessity
of using ballast, thereby increasing the amount of stowage room for
goods and merchandize.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by.
Letters Patent as aforesaid, placing the body of the vessel on pontoons
firmly braced together by a suitable strong framing so that great
strength, increased stability, lighter draught of water, and consequently
less liability of being wrecked may be obtained, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Agerup, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.