IMPROVEMENTS IN CON- STRUCTING AND RIGGING VESSELS, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ATMOSPHERIC AND OTHER RAILWAYS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BROWNE, late of Bond Street, but now of Great Portland Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Sixth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the twelfth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Browne, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Browne, my exors, adors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Browne, my exors, aduiors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CON-
STRUCTING AND RIGGING VESSELS, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ATMOSPHERIC AND OTHER
RAILWAYS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said John Brownc, shall cause a particular description of 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, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of-the said in part recited Letters Patent, as -in

page_text: and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Browne, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
THE WHEEL-RIGGED SHIP.
The characterestic of the wheel-rigged ship is, that supposing there are six
masts, more or less, with their sails, that by means of a long bar of iron or
other material I prefer the wire rope to which these sails are attached, that
by means of a wheel or wheels, the whole of these sails attached may be
made to work round at once. For the sake of conveniently working at will
I have these sails in a frame. The frame can be thus made to work round by
means of the wheel; or the sails, instead of being reefed as at present, when
found necessary to shorten sail, they can by means of a rope be pulled one
side and drawn together or pulled out at pleasure. There may be one line of
six masts, more or less, or two lines of six masts, with their sails, more or
less; there may be likewise one or more lines of masts above to answer as
top sails or top gallant sails; they may be constructed and worked in the
same manner by the wheel. There may be one or more keels or one broad
one doing the duty of two. In having two rows of masts the projector relies
upon the pressure of the windward sails would counteract the pressure on the
leward sails. The pressure on the windward side of the keel would act as
a counterbalance to the pressure of the leward side of the keel, and tend to
steady the ship. I should propose for the wheel-rigged ship to be built in
shape either as the hulls of ships are at present, or to have the hulls of the
wheel-rigged ship, as well as other ships, a broad head with a sharp snout, and
from the head to the stern to diminish gradually, by which I suppose-a more
general tendency would arise to be impelled forward.
THE ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY.
The improvements -proposed in the atmospheric railway is proposed to do
away with leakage by means of pressure. Over the orifice of the cylinder
are two plates of iron, tin, or other substances. The plates are pressed
together by means of a succession of springs, which press upon a slighter
board, this board pressing upon the iron plate which is made into a shape
best to admit of the pressure. By this means are the plates pressed together,
allowing of the travelling piston or connecting link to go through without
.

page_text: admitting too much of the outward air from getting into the cylinder.
Spring-wheeled pineers may be used if required as a further security from
the admission of the outward air. Those iron plates are held and continued
in their position by being surrounded by leather, to the facing of which may
be fixed gutta percha, on account of the friction. Above or below this range
a long slip of gutta percha or other substance may be made to act for and in
the same manner as the iron plates, in the same manner covered with leather
as in the same manner pressed together by means of a thin board pressed
unon he a succession of springs
JOHN (L.s.) BROWNE.

page_text: year
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of August, in the
of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid John Browne came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.