IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING AND APPLYING WOOD SHEATHING TO THE BOTTOMS AND SIDES OF IRON AND OTHER SHIPS OR NAVIGABLE VESSELS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTACHING COPPER, YELLOW METAL, ZINC, OR OTHER SHEATHING THERETO, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVE- MENTS CONSIST IN A PARTICULAR FORM OF RIVET OR BOLT CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1869

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Richard Bennett Hooper, Master Shipwright, and
Thomas Nickson, Shipwright, and Henry Reaburn Nickson, Ship-
wright, all of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING AND APPLYING
WOOD SHEATHING TO THE BOTTOMS AND SIDES OF IRON AND OTHER SHIPS OR
NAVIGABLE VESSELS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTACHING COPPER, YELLOW
METAL, ZINC, OR OTHER SHEATHING THERETO, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS CONSIST IN A PARTICULAR FORM OF RIVET OR BOLT CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
a led the 2nd October 1869, and dated the 6th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Bennett
Hooper, Thomas Nickson, and Henry Reaburn Nickson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
6th April 1869.
3 We, RICHARD BENNETT HOOPER, Master Shipwright, and THOMAS
NICKSON, Shipwright, and HENRY REABURN NICKSON, Shipwright, all
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature

page_text: of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING AND
APPLYING WOOD SHEATHING TO THE BOTTOMS AND SIDES OF IRON AND OTHER
SHIPS OR NAVIGABLE VESSELS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTACHING COPPER, YELLOW
METAL, ZINC, OR OTHER SHEATHING THERETO, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
CONSIST IN A PARTICULAR FORM OF RIVET OR BOLT CONNECTED THEREWITH,'
to be as follows (that is to say)
"
This Invention has for its object and consists in an improved method
of fastening or fixing wood sheathing to the sides and bottoms of iron
and other vessels for the purpose of attaching copper, yellow metal,
zinc, or other sheathing thereto in such a manner as to prevent the
same metal sheathing by any possibility being in contact or connexion
with the hull of the vessel or the bolts which fasten the wood sheathing
to which it is attached; and, further, this Invention relates to the
peculiar form and style of rivet or bolt which fastens the wood sheathing
to the hull or skin of the vessel.
To apply this Invention to, say, the hull of an iron or other ship, an
iron, steel, or other rivet or bolt of any suitable form or shape having a
head projecting outside of the skin or plates of the ship is used. This
rivet or bolt is formed with an eye, or hole, or slot in the projecting head,
so as to allow of an iron, steel, or other bolt, key, pin, or other fast-
ening passing through it at right angles to the rivet or bolt, and by
which bolt a plank is securely fixed in a particular manner, as
follows: The plank is fitted close to the skin of the ship, covering the
projecting heads of the bolts or rivets, either in a vertical position
running from the keel of the ship to the water line, or in a horizontal
position, or in a diagonal position, or in any position which may be con-
sidered most advantageous in practise. The said planks, which are
termed main planks, after being neatly fitted up and down the ship, and
recessed to receive the projecting heads of the said rivets, a bolt either
of steel, iron, or other suitable material is passed through these main
planks and through the hole in the projecting heads of the before-
mentioned rivets, thereby securely fastening the said main planks to the
sides or bottom of the ship. By preference the bolts, keys, pins, or other
fastenings passing through the main planks and through the projecting
heads of the rivets are made shorter than the entire width of the plank,
and the hole through which they pass is securely plugged and rendered
water-tight after they are in their place. The main planks may be
arranged and fastened to the sides of the ship, leaving a space of from

page_text: one to six feet between each plank, or as found most convenient in
practise. These main planks have their edges either bevelled, mitred,
grooved, tongued, or rabbetted, the narrowest parts of the planks being
placed against the sides of the ship; the intervening spaces between
the main planks being filled in in the following manner :-Short
lengths of planking are used, fitting neatly in the bevel, mitre, groove,
tongue, or rabbet of the edges of the main planks, these intervening
pieces being tightly wedged down, and they may be kept in their place
by driving a spike nail through the edge of the intervening pieces
and main planks when found necessary. The main planks may be
formed of the following shape, that is to say, tapering from the keel
upwards to the bilge, and thence tapering again upwards to the water
line, so that the filling or intervening pieces may be placed between the
main planks at their widest space and driven down until they find their
correct position. The whole of the bottom of the ship being thus
covered, with the main planks running, say, in a vertical sense, and the
intervening planks or filling pieces in a horizontal sense, there is then
fastened a covering piece running right fore and aft at the water line,
the upper edge fitting against an angle iron which is riveted against
the sides of the ship, and reaching from stem to stern paralled with the
water line. The seams of the planks are then caulked and made water-
tight, and a most complete covering for the bottom of an iron or other
ship is thus formed for the purpose of applying copper, yellow metal,
zinc, or any other sheathing. Should the main planks be fastened on in
a horizontal position the covering board or top plank running fore and aft
will not be required, but in any case it is preferred to use the fore and
aft angle iron to protect the upper edge of the wood sheathing.
The bolts or rivets for attaching the wood sheathing to the skin of the
ship may be made of steel, iron, or other metal, and shaped round,
square, or otherwise, having a round, square, pillar, or other shaped
head, but they all must be formed with a hole or slot for the purpose
of passing an iron, steel, or other bolt, key, or fastening therethrough,
so as to affix the main planks securely to the skin of the ship, or they
may be made as a common eye bolt.
It is not absolutely necessary to use main planks and intervening
planks separately, as a ship may be sheathed over and the sheathing
fastened to the skin of the ship by means of the before-mentioned bolis
in any manner or position that may be found convenient in practise ;

page_text: but it is preferred to use the main planks together with the intermediate
planks, as by this means fewer bolts will be required, the expense
lessened, and labour much economised.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Bennett Hooper, Thomas Nickson, and
Henry Reaburn Nickson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
BENNETT HOOPER, Master Shipwright, and THOMAS NICKSON, Ship-
wright, and HENRY REABURN NICKSON, Shipwright, all of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Richard Bennett Hooper, and Thomas
Nixon, and Henry Reaburn Nickson, Her special licence that we, the
said Richard Bennett Hooper, and Thomas Nickson, and Henry Reaburn
Nickson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we
the said Richard Bennett Hooper, and Thomas Nickson, and Henry
Reaburn Nickson, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING AND APPLYING
WOOD SHEATHING TO THE BOTTOMS AND SIDES OF IRON AND OTHER SHIPS OR
NAVIGABLE VESSELS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTACHING COPPER, YELLOW METAL,
ZINC, OR OTHER SHEATHING THERETO, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS CONSIST
IN A PARTICULAR FORM OF RIVET OR BOLT CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Richard Bennett Hooper,
and Thomas Nickson, and Henry Reaburn Nickson, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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

page_text: 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 we, the said Richard Bennett Hooper, and
Thomas Nickson, and Henry Reaburn Nickson, do hereby declare the
nature of our said 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 has for its object and consists in an improved method
of fastening or fixing wood sheathing to the sides and bottoms of iron
and other ships or vessels for the purpose of attaching copper, yellow
metal, zinc, or other sheathing thereto in such a manner as to prevent
the same metal sheathing by any possibility being in contact or con-
nexion with the hull of the vessel or the bolts which fasten the wood
sheathing to which it is attached; and, further, this Invention relates to
the peculiar form and style of rivet or bolt when used for the purpose
of attaching wood sheathing to the hull or skin of iron or other ships.
or vessels. This rivet or bolt may also be used for the purpose of
fastening or holding down deck planks in iron or other ships or vessels.
To apply this Invention to, say, the hull of an iron ship, an iron,
steel, or other rivet or bolt of any suitable form or shape having a head
projecting outside of the skin or plates of the ship is used. This rivet
or bolt is formed with an eye, or hole, or slot in the projecting head,
so as to allow of an iron, steel, or other bolt, key, pin, or other fastening
passing through it at right angles to the rivet or bolt, and by which
bolt a plank is securely fixed in a particular manner as follows:-The
plank is fitted close to the skin of the ship, covering the projecting heads
of the bolts or rivets, either in a vertical position running from the keel
of the ship to the water line, or in a horizontal position, that is, fore
and aft, or in a diagonal position, or in any position which may be
considered most advantageous in practise. The said planks, which are
termed main planks, after being neatly fitted up and down the ship, and
recessed to receive the projecting heads of the said rivets, a bolt either
of steel, iron, or other suitable material is passed through these main
planks and through the hole in the projecting heads of the before-
mentioned rivets, thereby securely fastening the main planks to the
sides or bottom of the ship. By preference the bolts, keys, pins, or other
fastenings passing through the main planks and through the projecting

page_text: heads of the rivets are made shorter than the entire width of the plank,
and the hole through which they pass is securely plugged and rendered
water-tight after they are in their place. The main planks may be
arranged and fastened to the sides of the ship, leaving a space of from
one to six feet between each plank, or as found most convenient in
practise. These main planks have their edges either mitred, bevelled,.
grooved, tongued, or rabetted, the narrowest parts of the planks being
placed against the sides of the ship; the intervening spaces between
the main planks being fitted in in the following manner:-Short lengths
of planking are used, fitting neatly in the bevel, mitre, groove, tongue,
or rabbet of the edges of the main planks, these intervening pieces
being tightly wedged down, and they may be kept in their place by
driving a spike nail through the edge of the intervening pieces and
main planks when found necessary. The main planks may be formed
of the following shape, that is to say, tapering from the keel upwards to
the bilge, and thence tapering again upwards to the water line, so that
the filling or intervening pieces may be placed between the main planks
at their widest space and driven down until they find their exact
position. The whole of the bottom of the ship being thus covered, with
the main planks running, say, in a vertical sense, the intervening planks
or filling pieces in a horizontal sense, there is then fastened a covoring
piece running right fore and aft at the water line, the upper edge fitting
against an angle iron which is rivetted against the side of the ship, and
reaching from stem to stern parallel with the water line. The seams of
the planks are then caulked and made water-tight, and a most complete
covering for the bottom of an iron or other ship is thus formed for the
purpose of applying copper, yellow metal, zinc, or any other sheathing.
Should the main planks be fastened on in a horizontal position the
covering board or top plank running fore and aft will not be required,
but in any case it is preferred to use the fore and aft angle iron to
protect the upper edge of the wood sheathing.
The bolts or rivets for attaching the wood sheathing to the skin of
the ship or for fastening the decks may be made of steel, iron, or other
metal, and shaped round, square, or otherwise, having a round, square,
pillar, or other shaped head, but they all must be formed with a hole or
slot for the purpose of passing an iron, steel, or other bolt, key, or
fastening therethrough, so as to affix the planks securely to the skin
or deck beams of the ship, or they may be made as a common eye
bolt.

page_text: The deck planks of iron or other ships may be attached to the deck
beams in the following manner :-The bolts or rivets of the before-
mentioned form are rivetted or otherwise fastened at intervals in the
deck beams, having their projecting heads above the deck beam. The
deck planks are then placed in their position on the beams and are
recessed to receive the projecting heads of the bolts or rivets. A bolt
or spike is then driven horizontally through the deck plank and passes
through the hole or eye in the projecting head of the rivet or bolt. It
is preferred that these horizontal bolts be driven, say, through three
planks, thereby stiffening and holding them together. The bolts or
rivets can be placed in the deck beams alternately, or as found con-
venient in practise. By their use the necessity of plugs is obviated,
and the decks made more water-tight and impervious to wet, as the
upper surface of the deck presents a plain surface without any bolts or
plugged holes.
It is not absolutely necessary to use main planks and intervening
planks separately, as a ship may be sheathed over and the sheathing
fastened to the skin of the ship by means of the before-mentioned bolts
in any manner or position that may be found convenient in practise.
In order that this our said Invention may be more readily seen and
understood we have hereunto annexed Drawings illustrative thereof,
and have marked them with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation. Like letters and figures
marked thereon are used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a section of a portion of the side of an iron ship showing
angle-iron frame and plating with wood sheathing attached by means
of eye bolts or rivets, each plank of the sheathing being independently
attached to the skin of the ship, and the seams between the planks
being effectually caulked and rendered water-tight; Figure 2 is a plan
of the same.
Figure 8 is a portion of the side of an iron ship showing angle-iron
frame and plating with wood sheathing attached by means of eye bolts
or rivets. In this case the alternate planks, or what we term main
planks, only are attached to the skin of the ship, the spaces between
them being fitted in with intervening planks or pieces, and the seams.
effectually caulked caulked and rendered water-tight.
Figure illustrates the method of attaching deck planks to the beams
by means of eye bolts or rivets; Figure 5 is an end view of same.

page_text: the vessel.
A, frame of the ship; B, plating; C, wood sheathing planks, which
are recessed to receive D, eye bolts or rivets; E, bolts or spikes passing
through the sheathing planks and through the eye in the projecting
head of the bolt or rivet, and thereby firmly securing the plank to the
skin of the ship.
In Figure 3, where only the alternate planks are attached to the skin
of the ship, F is the intermediate or filling plank which fits. between the
bevelled edges of the main planks C and C¹.
In Figure 4, G represents a portion of a deck beam, to which are
attached the deck planks H by means of the eye bolts D. and the hori-
zontal bolts E.
In Figure 6, I represents the stern post with frames A, and plating B,
and sheathing C attached by means of the eye bolts D, and the bolts E
passing through the sheathing and through the eye bolts D.
The whole surface of the sides and bottom of a ship being sheathed
over according to the foregoing method, and the seams of the sheathing
planks effectually caulked and rendered water-tight, the whole can then
be sheathed over with copper, yellow metal, zinc, or other sheathing,
and as the surface of the wood sheathing is perfectly plain, that is, has
no bolts, nails, or spikes on the surface, it will be seen that by no
possibility can the metal sheathing have contact or chemical action with
the skin of the ship.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature, object, and
purposes of this our said Invention, together with the manner in which
the same is to be or may be carried out into practical effect, we wish it
to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the several pro-
portions and relative dimensions of the various parts of the construction,
as it will be readily seen that the same may be considerably varied
without departing from our Invention; but what we claim is, -
Firstly. The method of attaching wood sheathing to the sides and
bottoms of iron and other ships or navigable vessels, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described, set forth, and
illustrated.

page_text: And, secondly. The method of fastening deck planks, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described, set forth,
and illustrated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Bennett Hooper, and
Thomas Nickson, and Henry Reaburn Nickson, have hereunto
set our hands and affixed our seals, this Thirtieth day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine.
Witness,
HENRY REABURN
(L.S.) NICKSON.
FREDERICK J. CHEESBROUGH,
of 43, Castle Street,
Liverpool.