THE METHOD OR MEANS OF PREVENTING LEAKAGE IN SHIPS, BOATS, AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1815

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J; JOIN
EDWARDS, of Canterbury Buildings, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of His United Kingdom, bearing
date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of August, in the fifty-fifth year of
His reign, give and grant unto me, the said John Edwards, my exors,
admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said John Edwards, my exors, admors, and assigns,
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "THE METHOD OR MEANS OF PREVENTING LEAKAGE
IN SHIPS, BOATS, AND OTHER VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso that if I, the said John Edwards, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and
all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease,
determine, and become void, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto
had, may more fully and at large appear).
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Edwards, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: in what manner the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in manner following, that is to say:
First, lay strips of coarse brown paper or canvas soaked in tar or in water-
proof cement, made of glue and lintseed oil boiled together; lay these over
the seams in the inside; then lay battens or narrow planks of wood, of about
four inches broad and about one inch or one inch and an half thick, over
the seams also, and nail them tight down with ragg'd nails; indeed, if the
planks in the inside of the ship were to be fastened to the timbers with ragg'd
bolts instead of trenails, this method would prevent any force of water that
might be between the outside and inside of the ship from floating the inside
planks from off the timber. This method would not only prevent leakage, but,
by being so firmly combined together, it is more than probable that it would
prevent a ship going to pieces when stranded, though in this case it is
probable that the outside of the ship would receive damage, but is not very
probable in this case that the inside would receive any damage. This being
admitted, it must be also that the ship, cargo, crew, and passengers might be
saved. However, should this method be objected to on account of rat holes,
the patent right embraces another method, that is, the inside of a ship might
be lined with any sheet metal, such as copper, iron, lead, &c., in the following
manner Nail the sheets of metal close, edge to edge or edge over edge, and
solder the seams. This method will effectually prevent rats from materially
injuring the ship. In this case also the Patentee recommends the fastening
the inside planks to the timbers with ragged bolts.
:-
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-
first day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixteen