IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING SHIPS' PAPERS, AND OTHER PAPERS AND WRITINGS IN CASE OF THE LOSS OF OR ACCIDENT TO A SHIP WHILST AT SEA
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gresham, of Hull, Esquire, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING SHIPS' PAPERS, AND OTHER
PAPERS AND WRITINGS IN CASE OF THE LOSS OF OR ACCIDENT TO A SHIP
WHILST AT SEA."
Sealed the 28th January 1859, and dated the 29th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gresham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th November 1858.
I, JOHN GRESHAM, of Hull, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING SHIPS' PAPERS,
AND OTHER PAPERS AND WRITINGS IN CASE OF THE LOSS OF OR ACCIDENT TO A SHIP
WHILST AT SEA," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for preserving
ships' papers, and other papers and writings in the event of the sudden loss of
ship by wreck, fire, or other accident whilst at sea.
The plan heretofore in use in such sudden emergencies has been to place
papers, hastily written on with pencil, in a fragile bottle, and throw it over-
board, in order that it might run its precarious chance of being picked up at
sea or on shore, and thus disclose the loss of the ship to those interested.
Now, the object of my Invention is to make more suitable vessels or buoys,
constructed as herein-after described, large enough and buoyant enough to
receive not only a small written document, but the log book and the ships'
papers, and other papers, writings, and testamentary documents of the
passengers and crew, so that these books, papers, and documents floating in

page_text: these vessels or buoys, may have their chances of being discovered and restored
to the several parties interested, much increased.
For this purpose I should construct the buoy (to be called the "Gresbam
record buoy") of glass, metal, or other suitable material; as to its shape, it
is preferred that it should be spherical, though other shapes may be employed.
Of whatever substance the buoy is made, it should have the external surface
bright and shining, in order that it may be seen at a great distance, more par-
ticularly when the sun is shining. If made of metal, it is preferred that it
should have the outside under water protected with enamel, and if of glass,
that the internal surface above water should be lined with bright metal or
otherwise, so as to render it capable of reflecting the rays of light. At the top
of the buoy, outside, a rod should be fixed, rising to a slight elevation, with a
colored flag or signal attached, and lower down the rod should be suspended
a bell, for the purpose of using every available means of attracting attention.
In the interior of the buoy should be affixed to an opening in the top a water-
tight compartment, large enough to contain the log book and other papers,
and capable, in case of leakage in the outer shell of the buoy, of preventing its
entirely sinking; the opening into this compartment and the buoy to be
rendered impervious to the penetration of the water by a close-fitting lid. The
space in the interior of the buoy, between the water-tight compartment and
the outer shell of the buoy, to be filled with cork shavings or other matter of
light specific gravity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gresham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GRESHAM, of Hull, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Gresham, Her special licence that I, the said John
Gresham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Gresham, 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,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING SHIPS' PAPERS, AND OTHER PAPERS AND WRITINGS IN
CASE OF THE Loss OF OR ACCIDENT TO A SHIP WHILST AT SEA," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Gresham, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my or their hands and
seals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Gresham, 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for preserving
ships' papers, and other papers and writings in the event of the sudden loss of
a ship by wreck, fire, or other accident whilst at sea. The plan heretofore in
use in such sudden emergencies has been to place papers, hastily written on
with pencil, in a fragile bottle, and throw it overboard, in order that it might
run its precarious chance of being picked up at sea or on shore, and thus
disclose the loss of the ship to those interested.
Now, the object of my Invention is to make more suitable vessels or buoys,
constructed as herein-after described, large enough and buoyant enough to
receive not only a small written document, but the log book and ship's papers,
and other papers, writings, and testamentary documents of the passengers and
crew, so that these books, papers, and documents floating in these vessels or
buoys may have their chances of being discovered and restored to the several
parties interested much increased. For this purpose I should construct the buoy
to be called "the Gresham record buoy," of glass, metal, or other suitable
material. As to its shape, it is preferred that it should be spherical, though
other shapes may be employed. Of whatever substance the buoy is made, it
should have the external surface bright and shining, in order that it
may be
seen at a great distance, more particularly when the sun is shining. If made
of metal, it is preferred that it should have the outside under water protected with
enamel, and if of glass, that the internal surface above water should be lined
with bright metal or otherwise, so as to render it capable of reflecting the rays
of light. At the top of the buoy, outsid, a rod may be fixed rising to a slight
elevation, with a colored flag or signal attached, and lower down the rod may
be suspended a bell, for the purpose of using every available means of attract-

page_text: ing attention. In the interior of the buoy should be affixed to an opening in
the top, a water-tight compartment large enough to contain the log book and
other papers, and capable, in case of leakage in the outer shell of the buoy, of
preventing its entirely sinking; the opening into this compartment and the
buoy to be rendered impervious to the penetration of the water by a close
fitting lid. The space in the interior of the buoy, between the water-tight
compartment and the outer shell of the buoy to be filled with cork shavings
or other matter of like specific gravity.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows an external view of the form and construction of apparatus
it is preferred to use, but the shape and construction of the details may be
greatly varied; Figure 2 is a section of the apparatus. This apparatus con-
sists by preference of an inner and outer vessel, and it is recommended that
the name of the ship and the official number be painted outside the apparatus.
a, a, a, is the external vessel, which I prefer to be of thin sheet metal; b, b, is
an inner chamber, having below it a horizontal partition c, c, which divides off
the lower part of the buoy or outer vessel from the upper part, and thus
produces the compartment d, into which is placed shot or other pieces of iron
or other material, to keep the buoy, when floating on the water, in an upright
position. The space around the chamber 6 is filled with cork shavings or
other such like light material. The documents are to be packed or placed in
the compartment b, and then the plug e, of cork or wood, coated with gutta
percha or india-rubber, or other well fitting material is to be pressed into the
mouth or upper end of the chamber b, then the metal cover f is to be closed,
which covers the upper end of the chamber b, which cover, when shut down,
is capable of turning partly round, and thereby become locked and fastened.
On the top is a globe of strong glass g, which is silvered on the inside; h, h, are
handles to the buoy.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gresham, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JOIN GRESHAM. (L.S.)