Improvements in or connected with Ships or Vessels.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Ships or Vessels.
I, CHARLES HENRY KEATS, Jeweller, of 29 Red Lion Street, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention for improvements in vessels has for its object to construct a vessel
that shall be practically unsinkable and that shall be protected from the violence
of the waves.
A vessel according to this invention is constructed extra broad with a double
keel and with two screw propellers and two separate propelling engines. It is
divided into four compartments by a central longitudinal partition and by two
inclined partitions near the centre of the vessel. It is also provided with a fender
extending all round the vessel. To this fender is attached by ropes, chains or
cords or in other suitable manner a large tube extending all round the vessel at
some distance outwards from the fender. This tube which floats in the water
carries both above and below a series of wave breakers consisting essentially of
vertical frames provided with a number of cross bars to break the force of the
waves, alternating or not with flat plates.
The front of the vessel is fitted with a buffer apparatus consisting of a usual
spring buffer with its casing surrounding the helical spring, the said casing being
attached to one or more bow springs and also to a piston or plunger working in a
cylinder containing oil or other suitable liquid. The cylinder is attached to
the transverse partition at some distance from the bows. The how springs are
attached to the framework of the vessel. The casing may be further secured by
cables or ropes.
The vessel is also provided with a revolving light and audible signal apparatus
fitted on the bows and consisting of coloured lights that can be revolved, or of
coloured glasses that can be revolved in front of white lights. When the vessel is
in motion the lights or glasses are revolved. At the same time the mechanism
revolving the lights is caused to rotate a toothed wheel against a piece of metal to
give an audible signal. The mechanism may be operated by hand or otherwise.
The lights may be arranged horizontally or vertically or both.
A sounder plate is also provided and works between the two keels. It is hinged
to the bows at its front end and can be drawn into the recess in the bottom of the.
vessel between the two keels. It is attached to a sliding rod extending up into
the vessel and indicating on a suitable scale. The sliding rod also actuates an
electric bell or other audible signal apparatus..
Dated this 13th day of June 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: I CHARLES HENRY KEATS, Jeweller, of 29 Red Lion Street, in the City of
London, 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 :-
This invention for improvements in vessels has for its object to construct a vessel
that shall be practically unsinkable and that shall be protected from the violence
of the waves.
A vessel according to this invention is constructed extra broad with a double
keel and with two screw propellers and two separate propelling engines. It is
divided into four compartments by a central longitudinal partition and by two
inclined partitions near the centre of the vessel. It is also provided with a fender
extending all round the vessel. To this fender is attached by ropes, chains or
cords or in other suitable manner a large tube extending all round the vessel at
some distance outwards from the fender. This tube which floats in the water
carries both above and below a series of wave breakers consisting essentially of
vertical frames provided with a number of cross bars to break the force of the
waves, alternating or not with flat plates.
The front of the vessel is fitted with a buffer apparatus with its casing surrounding
the helical spring the said casing being attached to one or more bow springs
and also to a piston or plunger working in a cylinder containing oil or other suitable
liquid. The cylinder is attached to the transverse partition at some distance from
the bows. The bow springs are attached to the framework of the vessel. The
casing may be further secured by cables or ropes.
The vessel is also provided with a revolving light and audible signal apparatus
fitted on the bows and consisting of coloured lights that can be revolved, or of
coloured glasses that can be revolved in front of white lights. When the vessel is
in motion the lights or glasses are revolved. At the same time the mechanism
revolving the lights is caused to rotate a toothed wheel against a piece of metal.to
give an audible signal.
The mechanism may be operated by hand or otherwise. The lights may be
arranged horizontally or vertically or both.
A sounder plate is also provided and works between the two keels. It is hinged
to the bows at its front end and can be drawn into the recess in the bottom of the
vessel between the two keels. It is attached to a sliding rod extending up into
the vessel and indicating on a suitable scale.
"
The sliding rod also actuates an electric bell or other audible signal apparatus.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a vessel constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2. is a plan of the same, the deck being supposed removed and Figs. 3, 4 & 5
are detail views.
.
The vessel is constructed extra broad with the double keel a a and with two
screw propellers bb and two separate propelling engines C C. It is divided into
four compartments by a central longitudinal partition d and by two inclined
partitions e e near the centre of the vessel.
A vessel constructed as described is specially suitable for the conveyance of
invalids and persons who suffer from sea sickness as rolling and pitching is reduced
to a minimum.
A fender fis provided extending all round the vessel. A large tube g extending
all round the vessel at some distance outwards from the fender fis attached by
ropes chains or cords h to the fender. This tube.g which floats in the water carries
both above and below a series of wave breakers i consisting of vertical frames filled

page_text: in with crossbars or network to break the force of the waves.
alternate with flat plates.
The network may
A vessel fitted with such appliances is practically floating in smooth water and is
not liable to damage from the force of the waves. It also considerably lessens the
damage in case it is run into by another vessel.
The front of the vessel is fitted with a buffer apparatus preferably constructed
as described in Specification No. 326905 in which the usual spring buffer with its-
casing, surrounds a helical spring, the said casing being attached to one or more-
bow springs and also to a piston or plunger working in a cylinder containing oil or
other suitable liquid. The vessel is thus prevented from effecting any considrable-
damage in the event of a collision as it would glide off another vessel and thus also.
reduce the risk of damaging itself.
The revolving light and audible signal apparatus m (shown in detail in Figs. 3.
and 4) is placed on the bows and consists of lanterns n emitting coloured light
supported on a table o mounted in a frame work p and driven by bevel gearing q-.
from the handle r. At the same time the toothed wheels is rotated against the
spring plate t to give the audible signal.
Instead of lanterns emitting coloured light, coloured glasses may be caused to
revolve in front of white lights. A vessel fitted with this appliance becomes a
most distinct object from other vessels even in the case of slight fogs and in dense
fogs as the audible signal can be heard at great distances.
The sounder apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 5 consists of a plate u hinged to the
bows of the vessel at vand which can be drawn up into the space between the two.
keels as shown dotted in Fig. 1.
The plate. is attached to a rod w sliding in guides and indicating on a scale
at a. Normally the hinged plate occupies the position indicated in full lines, but
when it comes in contact with a solid obstacle it rises and indicates the depth upon
the scale. The rising motion of the rod w is also arranged to ring an electric-
bell in order to indicate audibly when the bottom is touched or an obstacle is.
encountered. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 when the rod w rises under the
influence of the sounder plate u, tension is put upon the spring w' connected to one
arm w of the suitably shaped lever w³ and raises the said arm, the opposite end w
being depressed thereby closing the spring contact at y and completing the electric
circuit from the battery through the bell z causing the latter to ring. Owing to
the spring w being used to connect the rod w with the arm w² of lever w³ the..
movement of the rod w which is relatively considerable, is only caused to move
the lever w³ the short distance necessary to close the contact at y the spring w¹.
elongating under the continued rise of the rod w.
The scale at a would be proportioned to the distance of the connection between.
rod wand. sounder plate u and fulcrum v, and the length of the. sounder plate u.
Supposing the sounder plate to indicate all depths shallower than ten fathoms to.
say five fathoms, the draught of the vessel, the height of the scale would be about
two and a half fathoms that is fifteen feet the proportion of the actual scale to the
depth indicated being about one half. If placed farther forward the proportion
could be greatly reduced say to five feet. Should the vessel get into shallow water-
an alarm is immediately given by the bell and the indicator will show the exact
depth at any time so that any danger of running aground say in case of fog is.
avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim.is:-
1. A vessel provided with a central longitudinal partition and two inclined.
partitions near the centre of the vessel and with a double keel.
2. In a vessel a fender extending all round the vessel and floating wave breakers.
attached to and extending round the vessel at some distance outwards from the:
fender.

page_text: 3. In a vessel wave breakers consisting of a floating tube provided both above
and below with vertical frames having cross bars or network to break the force of
the waves.
4. A revolving light and audible signal apparatus substantially as described.
5. A hinged sounder plate fitted underneath a vessel and provided with indicating
apparatus substantially as described.
6. The improvements in vessels substantially as described with reference to the
drawings..
Dated this 13th day of March 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.