IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP BUILDING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hall, of Aberdeen, for the Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP BUILDING."
Sealed the 27th August 1853, and dated the 18th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William IIall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th June 1853.
I, WILLIAM HALL, of Aberdeen, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP BUILDING" to be as follows:-
Heretofore in building ships it has been usual to employ wood
trenails, which are driven into the wood in order to fasten the parts one
to another. Now my Invention consists of employing wood trenails
with screw threads cut thereon, so that in place of their being driven
by blows they will be screwed into proper holes formed to receive
hem.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Hall in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 17th December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM HALL, of Aberdeen, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, IIer heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Hall, Her special 'icence
that I, the said William Hall, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Hall, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and 10
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
SHIP BUILDING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Hall, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 William Hall, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 (that is to say):
Heretofore in building ships it has been usual to employ wood
trenails, which are driven into the wood in order to fasten the parts one
to another. Now my Invention consists of employing wood trenails
with screw threads cut thereon, so that in place of their being driver
by blows they will be screwed into proper holes formed to receive them

page_text: Having hus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
In place of the trenails being made plain and smooth as heretofore,
so as to be driven into a plain hole drilled into the wood or timbers
into which the same is to be driven, each wood trenail, which I prefer
to be of oak, is cut. by a screw tool, as is well understood 'n making
other wood screws, and the hole into which a screw trenail is to be
screwed is to be tapped by a too! to produce a corresponding thread or
female screw. Each trenail is made with a square head to facilitate
the screwing it into its place, which head is afterwards to be cut off.
The Drawing annexed shows at Figure 1, the nature of a trenail
used by me, the other figures with the explanations written thereon
show the manner of using wood screw trenails.
Having thus explained the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would remark that I do not claim
the making of wood screws generally. But what I claim are, the
improvements in ship building herein described, consisting of the
employment of wood screw trenails.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and jfty-three.
Witness,
WILLIAM SHIRER,
Book-keeper.
WILLIAM HALL. (L.S.)