THE TAKING OF WHALES AND OTHER CETACEOUS FISH BY MEANS OF A HARPOON CONSTRUCTED ON ENTIRE NEW PRINCIPLES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philipp Rechten, of Bremen, for the Invention of
"THE TAKING OF WHALES AND OTHER CETACEOUS FISH BY MEANS OF A
HARPOON CONSTRUCTED ON ENTIRE NEW PRINCIPLES."
Sealed the 8th July 1856, and dated the 17th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philipp Rechten at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
January 1856.
I, PHILIPP RECHTEN, of Bremen, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "THE TAKING OF WHALES AND OTHER CETACEOUS FISH BY MEANS OF
A HARPOON CONSTRUCTED ON ENTIRE NEW PRINCIPLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in arranging harpoons for taking whales, and other
cetaceous fish in the following manner :-The barbs of the harpoon are made
in one piece, arranged so as to turn on à centre at the end of the shaft. It is,
when ready for use, retained by means of a wooden peg, so that one of the ends
of the barb is in front and first enters the fish; but as soon as the strain comes
on the line the wooden peg breaks, and the barbs place themselves at right
angles to the shaft of the harpoon.
The Invention also consists in the manner of attaching and arranging the
line of the harpoon. The shaft of the harpoon consists of two parallel bars,
and they are welded to the head, which is made tubular for a short distance, and
beyond the tubular portion a hole is made transversely through the head.

page_text: The line is attached to the harpoon by passing its end up the tubular portion
of the head, and drawing it out through the transverse hole, and then tyeing a
knot in the end of the line; from this knot the line passes down between the
two parallel bars of the shaft, and through a short tubular portion at the end
thereof. When the harpoon is placed in the gun the line is turned back over
the end of the harpoon, and lays again between the two bars of the shaft until
'it reaches the niouth of the gun.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
the said Philipp Rechten in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th July 1856.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS: SHALL COME, I, PHILIPP
RECHTEN, of Bremen, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Philipp Rechten, Her special licence that I, the said Philipp Rechten;
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Philipp Rechten, 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 "THE TAKING OF
WHALES AND OTHER CETACEOUS FISH BY MEANS OF A HARPOON CONSTRUCTED.ON
ENTIRE NEW PRINCIPLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Philipp Rechten, my executors or administrators, 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 saine to be filed in the Great
Seai Patent Office within six calendar months next and inmediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Philipp Rechten, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: This Invention consists in arranging harpoons for taking whales and: other
cetaceous fish in the following manner:-The barb of the harpoon made in
one piece, arranged so as to turn on a centre at the end of the shaft. It is,
when ready for use, retained by means of a wooden peg, so that one of the
ends of the barb is in front and first enters the fish; but as soon as the strain
comes on the line the wooden peg breaks, and the barbs place themselves at
right angles to the shaft of the harpoon.
The Invention also consists in the manner of attaching and arranging the
line of the harpoon. The shaft of the harpoon consists of two parallel bars,
and they are welded to the head, which is made tubular for a short distance,
and beyond the tubular portion a hole is made transversely through the head.
The line is attached to the harpoon by passing its end up the tubular portion
of the head, and drawing it out through the transverse. hole, and then tyeing a
knot in the end of the line. From this knot the line passes down between the
two parallel bars of the shaft, and through a short tubular portion at the end
thereof. When the harpoon is placed in the gun the line is turned back over
the end of the harpoon, and lays again between the two bars of the shaft
until it reaches the mouth of the gun.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and
readily carried into effect. I will proceed to describe the Drawing herounta
This Invention consists in arranging harpoons' for taking whales and other
cetaceous fish in the following manner:-The barb of the harpoon made in
one piece, arranged so as to turn on a centre at the end of the shaft. It is,
when ready for use, retained by means of a wooden peg, so that one of the
ends of the barb is in front and first enters the fish; but as soon as the strain
comes on the line the wooden peg breaks, and the barbs place themselves at
right angles to the shaft of the harpoon.
The Invention also consists in the manner of attaching and arranging the
line of the harpoon. The shaft of the harpoon consists of two parallel bars,
and they are welded to the head, which is made tubular for a short distance,
and beyond the tubular portion a hole is made transversely through the head.
The line is attached to the harpoon by passing its end up the tubular portion
of the head, and drawing it out through the transverse.hole, and then tyeing a
knot in the end of the line. From this knot the line passes down between the
two parallel bars of the shaft, and through a short tubular portion at the end
thereof. When the harpoon is placed in the gun the line is turned back over
the end of the harpoon, and lays again between the two bars of the shaft
until it reaches the mouth of the gun.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and
readily carried into effect. I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
aunexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 a plan, of a harpoon, constructed
according to my Invention; Figure 3 is an end view of the same, and Figures
4, 5, and 6 are transverse sections taken at the lines 1, 1-2, 2-3, 3, respec-
tively of the plan and section. a is a piece, which acts as the barbs of the
harpoon; it is pin-jointed to the forked end of the head at 6; c is the wooden
pin which retains the piece a in the position shown in the Drawings until the
fish is struck and the strain comes on the line, and then the piece a turns on
its centre and places itself at right angles, or nearly so, to the head; d is the
short tubular part of the head, to which the two parallel bars e, e, forming the
shaft, are welded; f is the transverse hole in the head for accommodating the
knot g of the line h; i is a tubular portion at the end of the shaft, through
which the line passes. In Figure 1 the line is shown in the position which
it occupies when in the gun, it being doubled over the end of the shaft and
passing back up the shaft between the two parallel bars e, e.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of a gun, suitably arranged for projecting
the harpoon.
is the stock; is the barrel; m, the lock; n, a lug, by which

page_text: the gun is mounted in the boat; o is a powder chamber of a suitable size
for containing a proper charge; p is .leather wad or washer; is a washer
of iron plate, to protect the end' of the harpoon; is the harpoon already
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philipp Rechten, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
B. PEARKES,
H. B. MY'S Vice Consul.
PHILIPP RECHTEN. (L.S.)