An Improved Way of Gaining Access To and Exit From the Holds of Vessels:
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Way of Gaining Access To and Exit From the
Holds of Vessels:
I, GEORGE WILLIAM SIVEWRIGHT, of 5 Radcliffe Terrace, Hartlepool, in the County
of Durham, Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved arrangement of ladderways for facilitating
the access to and exit from the holds of vessels.
Hitherto it has been the custom to fit iron ladderways down into ships' holds at the
ends of the cargo hatchways which method involves much danger in the event of
the cargo breaking adrift in the holds; it being dangerous for the safety of the ship
in a heavy sea to take off the hatch covers, tarpaulins, battens, etc., for the purpose of
getting into the holds to restow the cargo.
Likewise in loading or discharging the cargo, whilst the vessel is in port it is
dangerous to life to get in or out of the holds by the ladderways which are usually
fitted in the hatchway.
The object of my invention is to cease to place these ladders in hatchways and to
utilize the hold ventilators as the mode of communication between the ships hold and
the deck above by enlarging the said ventilators sufficiently to allow them to be used
for this purpose by accomodating the ladderways hitherto provided in and under the
hatchways.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and clearly distinguished
from the existing means employed for obtaining the access to and exit from the holds
of vessels, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which the figures illustrate sectional parts of a ship taken longitudinally
and in corresponding plan.
In Figures 1 and 2 which illustrate the arrangement of ladder ways as hitherto
provided for gaining access to or exit from the holds of vessels, the ladder a it will be
observed is fitted down into the ships hold at the ends of the cargo hatchway by
which arrangement of ladderway the hatchways are the only mode of communication
between the holds and the deck above.
In Figures 3 and 4 which illustrate my improved arrangement of ladderways I
arrange the ladder a to lead down through the hold ventilator b so as to utilize the
said ventilator as the mode of communication between the ships hold and the deck
above, the ventilators so used being enlarged for the purpose and constructed with the
upper part or cowl c, of the ventilator removable. By this arrangement the ladder is
more distant from the hatch and consequently free from danger to life when discharging
cargo and the hatch coverings need not be disturbed at open sea, if it is found
necessary to get into holds to restow cargo or for any other purpose.
It must be understood that I do not confine myself to the particular arrangement
of parts for utilizing the ventilators as the mode of communication between the holds
and the deck above as herein before described with reference to Figures 3 and 4,
which may be varied to suit the position of the ventilators or the general construction
of the ship without departing from the nature of my invention as for instance :-
In the event of a longitudinal iron grain division or transverse iron bulkheads
being fitted in the holds, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 instead of providing
complete ladders I form steps or ladder rungs a rivetted or bolted to the aforesaid
transverse iron bulkheads or longitudinal iron grain divisions as found suitable, which
for ladders leading directly through the ventilators.
It is obvious that my improved form of ladderway can be made of wood or iron,
or if preferred a combination of both.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, I declare that what I
claim is
-
In providing communication between the holds of a ship and the deck above the
construction and arrangement of parts by which the ventilators are utilized for this
purpose, instead of the hatchways; substantially as and for the purposes as herein-
before. described and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1800
G. J. CLARKSON,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.