CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FASTENING OF MADE MASTS
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HILLMAN, of Mill Wall, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex, Mast Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the First day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-eight, in the ninth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Millman, His especial licence that I, the said Thomas Hillman, my
exors, admiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Thomas Hillman, my
exors, adññiors, 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 mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within Eng-
land, Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His said
Majesty's Colonics and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FASTENING OF MADE MASTS;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said Thomas
Hillman, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His
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
Thomas Hillman, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to consist

page_text: in fastening together pieces of timber for the purpose of making ships' meets-
and other spars by means of internal longitudinal dovetailed battens. And in
further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Thomas Hillman, do
hereby describe the manner in which my said Invention is to be performed
by the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
and other spars by means of internal longitudinal dovetailed battens. And in
further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Thomas Hillman, do
hereby describe the manner in which my said Invention is to be performed
by the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say) --
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a mast made on my patent plan.
A, B, C, are the three main pieces of timber which form the mast; D, E, F,
are the three battens dovetailed on their edges, by which the three main pieces
are held together.
Figure 2 is a view of part of the main picce A, showing how the battens
D and E fit into the groove cut in it for their reception. It will be observed
that these battens are rather wider at their lower ends r, s, and in fact they
should be made tapering slightly in width the whole way from the lower to the
upper end, but if their sides are parallel they will answer the purpose, though
perhaps not quite so well.
Figure 3 shows a plan for scarfing the main pieces when it is required to
make long masts, or when, for economy's sake, it may be useful to use short
timber. Qis a transverse dovetailed pin or batten for holding the scarfe
together, and which, if made tapering also to one end, will have the effect of
drawing the joint of the scarfe closely and firmly together. V is the dovetailed
groove to receive the batten.
Figure 4 is a separate view of the transverse pin or batten Q.
Figure 5 is a representation of part of a mast made on my patent principle
of four pieces. G, I, I, K, are the main picces, and L, M, N, O, the
longitudinal battens, which are shown as projecting through or beyond the
main pieces. This Figure must be considered rather as a diagram than any
regular drawn figure, the rules of perspective having been disregarded, in the
hope of thereby giving a clearer idea of the plan.
Figure 6 represents the manner of fastening a mast made of eight main
pieces on the patent principle. The masts of this size may either be hollow in
the centre, which I should prefer, or they may have a core or main fastening I,
in which case dovetailed battens, such as at P, should be raised or carved on
such core or central fastening, and corresponding grooves in the main picces,
as here shewn.
Figure 7 is a view of one of the main pieces of an eight-pieced mast, with its
two grooved battens and groove for the core.

page_text: Figure 8 is a transverse section of a mast made upon my patent principle,
shewing how the battens, instead of being made in separate pieces, may be
raised or carved upon the main pieces out of the wood itself of which they
are composed; in such cases a groove and a batten will be found to each main
piece instead of two grooves, as in the former case.
.:
Figure 9 is a representation of the same manner of uniting the main pieces
where they are four in number; and Figure 10 where there are eight main
pieces. It should here be stated, that three main pieces are the number I should
recommend for masts from seventeen to twenty-one inches in diameter, four
main pieces for masts from twenty-one to thirty inches in diameter, and eight
main pieces for masts from thirty to forty-two inches in diameter; but it will
be evident that the number of main pieces may vary at the option of the mast
maker, as almost any number are capable of being united by the longitudinal
dovetailed battens.
In order to construct or put my patent masts together, each main piece, with
the grooves neatly cut in them, should be brought to its place, and either
lashed or temporally hooped together with the wide part of the grooves to the
heel of the mast. The battens should then be entered into the groove with
the small end foremost, and gently and carefully driven up the whole length
of the main pieces, and cut off if necessary, on account of the length of the
mast. The battens may be in two or more lengths, as well as the main
pieces. When this is done, the temporary hoop or lashing may be removed,
and the mast hooped in the ordinary way.
Now whereas I claim as my Invention longitudinal dovetailed battens as
aforesaid, and applied to the purpose of fastening together the pieces of timber
of which made masts are composed, in manner aforesaid, and such my
Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief, entirely new, and
never before used within that part of His said Majesty's United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called England, His Dominion of Wales, or Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declare this to be my Specification of the
same, and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth comply in
all respects, fully and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso in the said
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent contained; wherefore I hereby
claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hillman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.
THOMAS (Ls:) HILLMAN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the First day of November, in the
year of our Lord 1828, the aforesaid Thomas Hillınan came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the First day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.