IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION AND VENTILATION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander McLaine, of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ship Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION AND VENTILATION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 30th September 1864, and dated the 5th April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander M°Laine at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1864.
I, ALEXANDER MCLAINE, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ship Builder,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION AND VENTILATION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
The object of the first part of my Invention is to construct a durable vessel
with all the strength and rigidity of an iron vessel, with the non-liability to
fouling of a wooden ship, which I accomplish by constructing vessels with
keel, stem, stern post, frame, and outside planking nearly the same as an an
ordinary wooden vessel, but instead of constructing the ceiling or inner
planking of wood, I construct it of iron (by preference) completely connected
all round at bottom and ends of vessel, and made thoroughly water-tight,
and with beams, stringers, and keelsons of iron. The wooden frame is (by
preference) of less size than usual in a wooden vessel of same tonnage, and is
inserted between and bolted to angle irons rivetted to outside of iron ceiling,
or fastened along one angle iron rivetted as aforesaid. Iron plates if required
for transverse strength are fitted and bolted to wooden floors, and rivetted to

page_text: angle irons aforesaid. The wooden outside planking or skin is fastened with
bolts or treenails screwed or plain to wooden frame, and sheathed over in the
usual manner with copper or metal. Wooden frame may be also fastened to
iron ceiling with screwed or plain bolts. Steel may be substituted for iron
in any portion of the construction described.
The object of the second part of my Invention is the ventilation of vessels
described as aforesaid, or other suitably constructed vessels, which I accom-
plish by driving air through à box keelson or keelsons, thence through aper-
tures out of keelson or keelsons into the spaces between the frames, and out
by apertures through iron ceiling at a higher level into the hold 'tween decks
or other portions of inside of vessel, or through apertures communicating
directly with the outer atmosphere, all or part of said apertures to be (by
preference) fitted with gratings and adjustable covers to regulate amount of
ventilation. I sometimes reverse the currents of air, and draw instead of drive
them through as aforesaid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander M°Laine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MCLAINE, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ship Builder,, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alexander McLaine, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
McLaine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as. I, the
said Alexander McLaine, 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 "IM
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND VENTILATION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander McLaine, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 Alexander M°Laine, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The object of the first part of my Invention is to construct a durable vessel
with all the strength and rigidity of an iron vessel, with the non-liability to
fouling of a wooden ship. This part of my Invention consists in constructing
ships and vessels with keel, stem, stern post, frame, and outside planking
nearly the same as an ordinary wooden vessel, but instead of constructing the
ceiling or inner planking of wood, I construct it of iron completely, connected
by preference all round at bottom and ends of the vessel, and made thoroughly
water-tight, and with beams, stringers, and keelsons of iron. The wooden
frame is by preference of less size than usual in a wooden vessel of the same
tonnage, and is inserted between and bolted to angle irons rivetted to the
outside of the iron ceiling, or is fastened along one angle iron rivetted as
aforesaid, with or without the introduction of perpendicular bent timber
frames between the other wooden frames. Iron plates if required for trans-
verse strength are fitted and bolted to wooden floors, and rivetted to the angle
irons aforesaid. The wooden outside planking or skin is fastened with bolts
or treenails, threaded or plain to the wooden frame, and it may be sheathed
over in the usual manner with copper or yellow metal. The wooden frame
may be also fastened to the iron ceiling with threaded or plain bolts. Steel
may be substituted for iron in any portion of the construction described. In
order to keep the leakage of the vessel from coming in contact with the iron
of the structure I provide space, clear of the iron foresaid, for it to run
down the inner surface of the outside planking into the spaces between the
frames in the bottom of vessel, from whence it could be pumped up by pumps
.extending down, through, and made water-tight in, the iron ceiling.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the side of a vessel of about 2,500 tons
register, shewing my improved system of construction; Figure 2 is a perpen-
dicular section of the same; Figure 3 is a transverse section shewing the keel
and keelson; Figure 4 is a horizontal section shewin bent timber frames
introduced between the other wooden frames.
a, a, a, a, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, is the outer wooden planking fastened to

page_text: the wooden frames with screw treenails or bolts, I prefer to use brass bolts in
the bottom of the vessel. b, b, b, b, Figures 1, 2, and 4, are the wooden frames
inserted between, and bolted to angle irons rivetted to the outside of the iron
ceiling. c, Figure 3, is the wooden flooring inserted between angle irons.
d, d, d, d, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, are angle irons fastening the wooden frame
to the iron ceiling. e, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, is the iron ceiling united all
round at the bottom and ends of the vessel, and made thoroughly water-tight,
forming a complete inner skin of iron. f. f, Figures 2 and 3, are liners
filling the clinker spaces of the ceiling in wake of the angle irons. g, Figure 3,
is an iron box keelson. i, Figure 3, is a stiffening plate fitted on each side of
the wooden floors, aad rivetted to the angle irons d, d, d, d, when required for
transverse strength. If the spaces between the frames be increased as in
Figure 4, the floorings might be sided larger at the throats, and stiffening
plates would not be requisite. j, j, Figure 3, are lumber holes. k, Figure 3,
is the main keel. 1, Figure 3 is the false keel. m, m, m, m, Figures 1, 2,
3, and 4, are fore and aft screw bolts, which may be either in one length or in
two lengths, and screwed or driven from each side. n, n, n, n, Figures 1, 2,
3, and 4, are screw treenails. 0, 0, 0, 0, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, are brass bolts.
p,p, Figure 4, are the bent frames or planks of wood introduced between the
other wooden frames, reaching by preference in one length perpendicularly
from keel to gunwale, and fastened by preference to the outer wooden planking
by brass screw bolts.
In the construction of vessels as described, the iron portions of the struc-
ture should, by preference, be first finished and tightened, and all the iron
surface in the frame spaces should be cemented or covered with composition
before working on the outer planking.
The object of the second part of my Invention is the ventilation of vessels
described as aforesaid, and other suitably constructed vessels. This part of
my Invention consists in driving air through the keelson or keelsons, thence
through apertures in it or them into the spaces between the frames, then up
through the frame spaces, and out by apertures in the iron ceiling at a higher
level into the hold, the 'tween decks or other portions of the inside of the
vessel, or through apertures communicating directly with the outer atmos-
phere, all or part of the said apertures are, by preference, fitted with gratings
and adjustable covers to regulate the amount of ventilation. I sometimes reverse
the currents of air, and draw instead of drive them as aforesaid. I do not
limit myself to any particular mechanism for driving or drawing the currents
of air as aforesaid, but prefer to use a fan driven by steam power for that
purpose. g, Figure 3, is the keelson, and h, Figure 3, is a ventilating aper-

page_text: ture through the bottom of keelson into one of the spaces between the
frames.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the construction of ships or vessels with iron ceiling and wooden
frames, secured substantially as described.
Second, the combination in the construction of ships or vessels of iron
ceiling with wooden frames, and bent timber frames or planks introduced
between the other wooden frames, substantially as described.
Third, the combination in the construction of ships or vessels of iron
ceiling and wooden frames with screw treenails as fastening for the wooden
planking to the wooden frames, substantially as described.
Fourth, the ventilation of ships or vessels by driving air through the keelson
or keelsons, then through frame spaces outside an iron skin or ceiling, and
thence into the hold 'tween decks or other portions of the inside of the vessel,
or out through apertures communicating directly with the outer atmosphere,
substantially as described.
Fifth, the ventilation of ships or vessels by drawing currents of air
through the keelsons and frame spaces outside and iron skin or ceiling, sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander McLaine, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
ALEXANDER MOLAINE.
(L.B.)