IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robinson, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 2nd June 1863, and dated the 4th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robinson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents with his Petition, on the
4th December 1862.
I, JOHN ROBINSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
I make the floor timbers entirely flat, or a little raised, at the option of the
builder; first futtock or top timber all in one, to be butted against and
dowelled to the end of floor timber; these top timbers go up to the gunwale
or rail about one-fourth of the entire length of the ship, and from amidships I
begin to cant the timbers aft, say, about five feet with the first, and keep the
remainder parallel to it as they go aft; the same will partially apply to the
fore body. The bilge is to be strenghtened thus:-A large log is fitted in the
corner on the floors, and against the top timber dowelled to the floor and top
timber, and carried all fore and aft, a clamp being fitted on the top and side of
the above log (of strength according to the size of the ship) being dowelled to.

page_text: top timber, log, and floor. The bilges of the ship outside to be planked with
thick stuff from the outside of bilge amidships to, say, about 5 feet from the
keel (parallel), and the rest of the bottom from bilges to keel with thin plank
the usual thickness, according to tonnage; this causes a channel bottom which
the water constantly flows through when the ship is sailing (one channel on
each side of the keel); this not only makes the vessel sail faster but makes
her exceedingly weatherly. In vessels with main-deck beams only, that is,
small vessels under thirteen feet depth of hold, I would have three clamps of
sufficient size turned all round fore and aft under beams about twelve inches
wide each or thereabouts, the remainder of the ceiling on the side of the vessel
to be diagonal, at about forty-five degrees, abutting under the clamps and
coming down to the clamp on top of the log in bilge, but in vessels with two
tiers of beams or more there must be clamps of sufficient size turned on
diagonal ceiling to receive the beams below main deck. For the outside
planking three or four strakes are to be turned all round fore and aft for the
top sides, and to answer as an abutment for the outside planking (which is to
be diagonal, the reverse way from the ceiling, coming from the top sides down
to bilge, and fastening to the outside of bilge planking); these three strakes
of top side planking being fore and aft form a good longitudinal tie in addition
to the clamps opposite them inside when bolted through and through. The
thick bilge stuff to be bolted in and out all fore and aft at about, say, every two
feet, and the clamps and the log in the bilges inside are to be bolted, the
thick bilges on the outside. Iron knees or wood knees to be fitted in the
bilges over the bilge log and clamps, and well bolted through all. Double
beams to be used at the fore and after parts of hatchways, to be trussed with
wrought-iron rod passing through the timbers, and screwed upon the outside
of timbers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Robinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBINSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth Fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said John Robinson, Her special licence that I, the said John
Robinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Robinson, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Robinson, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of 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 Robinson, 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, wherein I shall refer to accompanying Drawings,
Figure 1 being the sheer plan or elevation longitudinally fore and aft, and
Figure 2 a midship section.
I make the floor timbers of my ships and vessels entirely flat (vide A,
Figure 2), or a little raised, at the option of the builder; first futtock or top.
timber B, Figure 2, all in one, to be abutted against and dowelled to the end
of the floor, being let on, say, three inches or thereabouts, and dowelled to the
end of the floor timber, as shewn in said Drawing, Figure 2; these futtocks
or top timbers (B) go up to the gunwale or rail (C) for about one-fourth of
the entire length of the ship from amidships. From this point I begin to.
cant the timbers (B) in the after body aft and in the fore body forward, say,
about seven feet with the first timber, and keep the remainder as nearly
parallel thereto as may suit the shape of the vessel, this being shewn at
Figure 1. The bilge D to be strengthened thus:-A large log E is fitted in
the corner in the floors and against the first futtock or top timber (B), and'
dowelled to the said floors and top timbers, and carried all fore and aft. Clamps.
C* are fitted on the top of the above-mentioned log of sufficient strength
according to the size of the ship, and are dowelled to the log and top
timber (B), another clamp C**.being fitted on the inside of the floors and
against the bilge log E dowelled to the floor and bilge log, and thoroughly
fastened in and out and up and down through the thick bilges. The bilges of

page_text: the ship outside are planked with thick stuff (see Drawing at F, Figure 2, the
outside of the bilge or bottom to, say, about 5 feet from the keel parallel, say,
about ten inches thick for a two-hundre ton ship, and in the same proportion
for larger or smaller vessels. The rest of the bottom between the thick
outside. bilges F to be planked with thinner stuff (see Drawing, Figure 2,
at G), say, of the thickness ordinarily used for ship planking. This it will be
perceived causes a channelled bottom which the water flows through when the
ship is sailing, one channel being on each side of the keel. In vessels with
main-deck beams only, that is, small vessels under thirteen feet depth of hold,
I would have three clamps of sufficient size turned all round fore and aft under
the hold beams about twelve inches wide each or thereabouts, the remainder
of the ceiling on the side of the vessel to be diagonal, at about forty-five degrees,
abutting under these clamps and coming down to the clamp on the top of
the log inside the bilge, but in vessels with two or more tiers of beams there
must be clamps of sufficient size turned on the diagonal ceiling to receive the
beams below the main deck. For the outside planking of the sides. I use
three or four strakes H to be turned all round fore and aft for the top sides to
answer as an abutment for the outside planking, which is to be diagonal (as
shewn by the Drawing, Figure 1,) the reverse way from the ceiling or inside
planking, and coming from the top sides down the bilges, and fastening to the
outside of the bilge planking (see I at Figure 2). These three strakes of
topside planking being fore and aft form a good longitudinal tie in addition to
the clamps opposite them on the inside when bolted through and through.
The thick bilge stuff to be bolted in and out all fore and aft at about every
two feet, and the clamps and the log in the bilges inside are to be bolted
right through the thick bilges on the outside. Iron knees or wood kees K to
be fitted in the bilges over the inside bilges and clamps C*, and well bolted
through all. Double beams to be used at fore and after hatchways, and trussed
with wrought-iron rod L passing through the timbers, and screwed up outside
of large iron plates on the outside of the timbers. M denotes the stanchion and
iron rod that passes through the beam and deck, and the iron rod is connected
to an eye bolt or joint that passes through the keelson floor and keel, so that this
makes an excellent support to the bottom. This rod is placed to all the beams
that are trussed, but the stanchions are placed to all the beams. For the purpose
of providing entrances and escapes for the water to and from the aforesaid
channels (on either side of the keel) the floor timbers are to be raised up
parallel fore and after end, as shewn in sheer plan, Fig. 1, according to the
depth of the channels that may be required (see Drawing, Figure 1, at N,
which shew the same to be risen the depth of the moulding of the floors.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare
that I claim the improvements in the construction of ships and vessels herein-
before set forth and described, it being understood that I do not claim the
mere details of construction, per se, when not used substantially in the manner
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
F. CAMPIN.
JOHN ROBINSON. (L.S.)