MENTS IN APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR PRESERVING LIVES OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY WHEN IN DANGER BY SHIPWRECK OR OTHERWISE, BY SPEEDILY CON- VERTING BOATS OR SMALL VESSELS OF ORDINARY DESCRIPTIONS INTO LIFE BOATS, AND OTHER APPARATUS OR MEANS APPLICABLE TO THE SAME OBJECTS
Year: 1831

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HOPE WERNINCK, of North Terrace, Camberwell, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the second year
of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Henry Hope Werninck, His especial licence, sole pri-
vilege and authority, that I, the said Henry Hope Werninck, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Hope Werninck,.
my exors, admors, 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 men-
tioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His
said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR PRESERVING LIVES OF PERSONS AND
PROPERTY WHEN IN DANGER BY SHIPWRECK OR OTHERWISE, BY SPEEDILY CON-
VERTING BOATS OR SMALL VESSELS OF ORDINARY DESCRIPTIONS INTO LIFE BOATS,
AND OTHER APPARATUS OR MEANS APPLICABLE TO THE SAME OBJECTS," commu-
cated to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said Henry Hope Werninck,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said

page_text: 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
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
Henry Hope Werninck, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
The Floating Balloon, Plate 1, for the purpose of obtaining communication
between a stranded ship and the shore.-Take a hundred cow or ox bladders,
out of which press the air, then let them lie a night in fresh water; then cut.
a part of the crop or neck off, and all the fat which is round it, taking care
not to cut in the membranes of the bladder. Wash the slime clean off, turn
it inside out; then fasten with twine very tightly a small wooden groove or
tube in the mouth of the bladder, which must have a lid or stopper to it made
to fix sufficiently tight in the tube so as to render it air-tight; then blow the
bladder about three parts full of air, and let it dry. When dry pour a table-
spoonful of boiled linseed oil through the tube into the bladder, and rub it
till the whole of the inside is oiled; then blow it as full of air as possible,
oil the bladder outside, and hang it to dry. When dry give it a very thin coat
of coal tar, and let dry. Note. Fifty of these bladders are required for the
small balloon, and a hundred for the large one. The balloon or bag, Fig. 2,
is made of sail cloth sowed in a circle, of which the diameter is about three
feet nine inches for the large balloon, and about two feet nine inches for the
small balloon, but as the bottom of the balloon must as it were serve for a
sail, it should be rather wider, to give the necessary room for the hoop.
The small balloon is about three feet three inches long, and the large one
one about four feet pine inches. The top of the balloon has a strong broad
hem in which there are several lace holes, through which pass a cord of
about a quarter of an inch thick, for the purpose of drawing the balloon close.
Then make a hoop of yew wood, vide Fig. 1, about two inches broad, and
the third of an inch thick, of the same diameter as the balloon. Across this
hoop fasten several canes, so as to form as it were a sort of cane net. The
openings between the canes should not exceed five or six inches square, so
that the bladders cannot pass through. The canes must be bent so as to
form an arch or hollow of about eight inches for the large balloon and five
inches for the small one. Then tie the hoop with the canes downwards to

page_text: the inside of the bottom of the balloon, which must have about twenty tapes
or strings fastened there at equal distances. For that purpose, outside at
the bottom of the balloon there must be four small cords fastened, Fig. 2
letter B, which meet together, with a loop affixed at the end, to which is
attached the line or rope, letter C, which for large ships ought to be at least
three hundred fathoms, and for small ones one hundred fathoms long. The
small balloon is intended for small vessels not drawing much water, and the
Jarge one for any other vessel. After the bladders have been blown full of
air, and the lids well secured, place them in the balloon, and draw the cord
at the neck tight, letter A, and secure it well, which forms the balloon, the
part which has hitherto been called the bottom, viz., where the hoop is, now
becoming the top of the balloon. This being thrown overboard, it will float to
shore. Fig. 3, letter C, being the balloon; the letters B, the rope of three
hundred fathoms coming from the vessel; and A, the stranded ship.
The Scaphander, Plate 2, Figure 1.-This a kind of jacket or apparatus
which when fastened round a man's waist renders him a floating body.―
Make a wooden mould or frame of about twelve inches high, six and a half
inches broad, and two and a half inches wide for the foreskirts or parts
which come in front on the chest, which must be made sloping towards the
top, and open. Take then a sufficient number of the rushes (which grow in
the Netherlands, chiefly in the provinces of Overysel and Gelderland, and are
called in Dutch "biezen,") which has been found to answer best, but any
other equally light rush would probably answer as well. Cut to the length of
twelve inches, which place in a sheet of cartridge paper, and put them in the
frame so as to fill it; then bind the rushes with the cartridge paper according
to the shape of the frame. The paper must be pasted round the rushes
with a composition of wax and resin, so that the rushes are entirely enclosed.
Then cut the top part slanting, and cover that part also with cartridge paper.
This being done, take the foreskirt out of the frame. Then take a bladder
which has stood a night in water; cut off the crop or neck, and the fat, and
free the same from slime. Cut the bladder partly open; turn it inside out,
and cover the foreskirt with it as smoothly as possible, letting the ends of the
bladder lie about an inch over each other. Let there be no wrinkles or
creases when the ends are pasted together, so that it be properly closed.
When this is dry, cover it with another bladder, observing the same process,
and let it dry, after which pass over the whole twice with boiled linseed oil; this
done, the foreskirt is waterproof. The side skirts or flaps which come under

page_text: the arm are made in the same way as the fore skirt, except that they are about
eight inches high, six inches broad, and two and a half inches thick. The
back skirts, or picces which come on the back, are about twelve inches high,
seven inches broad, and two and a half inches thick, and are made in the
same manner as the fore skirts. Then cover each skirt separately with sail
cloth, well sewed round it, and then sew a fore skirt, side skirt, and back skirt
together at the inside of each skirt, the parts which slope gradually to the
top being always the outside. The two halves of the scaphander are tied or
laced together behind at the inside edge of the back skirts, letter E, with
cords, so as to enlarge the same at pleasure. And on each foreskirt on the
outside edge fix loops or rings, letter D, to lace the same across the chest
with the lace or string, letter C. At the top of each of the back skirts fix a
shoulder strap, letter A. These must cross each other over the neck, and then
pass through the loops or rings fixed on the top of the fore skirts, letter B,
and be tied together, pulling the ends rather tight. The scaphander may
then either be covered with cloth, nankeen, or any other stuff, or merely
painted black. It is then ready for use, and ought to weigh about four pounds.
In putting the scaphander on, leave about two inches space between the top
part of the side skirt and the arm, so that the arm may not be confined.
ought not to be laced on very tightly.
It
The Safety Vest, Plate 2, Figure 2, for the same purpose as the scaphlander.
-Make a small wooden mould or frame, five inches long, three inches broad,
and one inch wide. Fill this with rushes cut to five inches in length, which
must be bound with cartridge paper pasted round them with resin and wax,
and observe exactly the same process in making these pieces as was directed
with the skirts of the scaphander, the sole and only difference being the size
and shape. There are thirty-two pieces necessary for the vest, which are
placed between the lining and the vest in such a manner that each piece
must be fastened crossways with tape to the inside of the lining, which must
be made of very strong linen. The pieces which come under the arm and at
the top of the back towards the neck are sloped towards the top (like the
skirts of the scaphander) so as to give the vest a better shape. Down the
centre of the back leave a space of about six inches all the way up, withou
any floating power, but fix two or four strings there, to be able to draw it in
if required, in the same way as waistcoats are made. At the top of the
shoulders and round the neck no floating power need be placed. This ves
may be made of bombazene, cloth, or any other stuff, according to fancy

page_text: with a row of buttons in front, as shewn in the Drawing, which must be
buttoned when used. The safety vest resembles a large waistcoat or sailor's
jacket without sleeves, and weighs about four pounds.
The Impetus Fluctuans, or Floating Power, Plate 2, Figures 3, 7, 8, 9.—
This is an apparatus or method for preserving lives of person's and property
when in danger by shipwreck or otherwise, by speedily converting boats or
small vessels of ordinary descriptions into life boats.-Cut some rushes of
about the length of two feet six inches, and tie then with common string up
in a round bundle of about inches diameter, in six places at equal distances,
but not too tight, vide Fig. 8. Take care you get it completely round, then
cover the bundle with cartridge or other strong paper, well soaked in water.
Paste this round, letting it extend an inch beyond each end of the bundle.
Then place a round thick piece of pasteboard at each end, of the same dia-
meter as the bundle, over which paste the paper that projected beyond the
bundle so as to close the edges. When dry, oil it all over well with boiled
linseed oil, in which must be mixed a little chalk. Then cover it again in
exactly the same manner, and oil it all over for a second time. Then paste
some cartridge paper over both the ends. When dry, oil that, and then cover
it for a third time in exactly the same manner as the two former times. Oil
it twice over well, and it is then waterproof, vide Fig. 9. Then case it with
either wood or strong sailcloth, and paint; it is then ready. Fig. 7 repre-
sents another shaped floating power of two feet long and eight inches square,
which is made precisely in the same way as the round floating power, the
shape being the only difference. The best way to keep the bundle of rushes
square will be to have two frames of eight inches square to place at each end
of the bundle whilst the centre is being pasted round with paper. When that
is sufficiently dry and stiff, so as to retain its shape, the frames can then be
removed, when the ends can be covered, observing the same process as
directed for the round floating power. When finished, case it with thin wood.
There is another floating power of exactly a cubic foot, which is made exactly
the same as the others. By covering this two or three times more with brown
paper, well oiled as aforesaid, it need not be cased with wood. Several of
these floating powers being properly fixed or fastened into a small vessel or
boat renders the same a life boat. The number of floating powers introduced
in any boat must of course be regulated by the quantity of goods or passengers
the same has to carry, or according to its size. The above shapes have been
hitherto mostly used; but of course the floating powers can be in any form or
shape, however large or small, the chief thing to be observed being that the
rushes must always be so secured that the water cannot get to them.

page_text: has been introduced. ine round A Das been placed above the seats, where
is lashed; and the square B below the seats, to which they are lashed. The
floating powers need not be fastened excessively tight, but merely sufficient to
keep them fixed.
The Life Preserver or Escape Buoy, Plate 2, Figure 4.-This is intended to
be thrown to any one falling overboard; and if the person can only lay hold of
one of the cords he can immediately draw the buoy towards him. His weight
will of course press one side under, by which means he can easily pass his
head and arms through. If not able to accomplish that, clinging to the buoy
will prevent his sinking. Take a common wooden hoop of between twelve
feet six inches and twelve feet nine inches diameter, round which place
rushes of the most pliant sort, both inside and outside, so that the hoop is
everywhere round in the centre of the rushes, till it has acquired a thickness
of about eight inches diameter. Then take some common string, and bind it
round, leaving about an inch space between each turn of the string. Then
with a sharp knife cut off all the ends of the rushes that may happen to stick
out, so as to have the same quite smooth. Then take some strong coarse linen
or sail cloth, and cover the buoy with it, taking care to sew it as smoothly as
possible. Then, to make it water-tight, take some common brown paper, not
very thick. Make this wet, and then paste it round the buoy with paste.
When dry, oil it with boiled linseed oil. Then cover it again with the same
paper, and when dry oil it again with boiled linseed oil mixed with chalk.
Then oil it as at first, and cover it for the third time with cartridge paper
well soaked in water. Then give it a coat of boiled linseed oil mixed with
chalk, and let it dry; after which oil it twice with boiled linseed oil. When
thoroughly dry, cover the same with good strong linen or sail cloth, stitched
as smoothly as possible round it, and then paint it. Then take ten cords of
about a quarter of an inch thick and about two feet long, to one end of which
fasten a round cork of two or three inches diameter and half an inch thick,
and at the other end of each cord make a loop, through which pass a similar
cord, and tie them at equal distances round the buoy, Fig. 4, letter A.
The Drop Safety Buoy or Life Preserver, Plate 2, Figures 5 and 6.-This
buoy is chiefly intended to be hung at the back of a vessel, so that when any
person falls overboard this buoy is dropped in the water. The person laying
hold of this must endeavor to work himself into it, so as to stand in the hoop
according to the Drawing. This buoy must be made exactly the same as the

page_text: other, with the exception that instead of the cords with corks at the
end, canes of the same length, with similar corks, must be substituted,
Fig. 5, letter A. When this is done, make an oval or oblong hoop of yew
wood, about five feet six inches high, and the width of the diameter of the
outside of the buoy, about half or the third of an inch thick, and two or three
inches broad, round which pass twice a rope of about the third of an inch
thick, tied tight. Then fasten this hoop well to the buoy with cords, letter B,
in Fig. 5 and 6. Then fix a small red vane or flag to the top and bottom
of the hoop, so that it may be better seen at a distance. A small rope may
be fastened at the top of the hoop, Fig. 6, letter C, to hang the buoy at the
back of any vessel.
The Uter Intelligentiæ, or Bladder of Intelligence, Plate 2, Figure 10.
-This is to enable a ship wrecked or in distress to give intelligence of their
situation to the inhabitants of the coast, &c. This bladder, which must be
of the largest size, is prepared exactly in the same way as those for the floating
balloon, except that the tube must project further into the bladder, and at
least be half an inch diameter in the inside. Letter A, Fig. 10, is the groove
or tube, in which a sheet of paper or letter, rolled round a thick wire, can be
introduced. When the letter is fixed in the tube, withdraw the wire. Let the
letter extend a short distance out of the mouth of the, tube, so as to be easily
pulled out. Then blow the bladder full of air, and fix on the lid or stopper,
which, like the lids of the others, must close air-tight. When this is thrown
overboard, it will, with a stiff breeze, be able to perform the distance of three
miles in a quarter of an hour, and in a storm will reach thirty miles in an
hour, and must therefore be discovered, sooner or later, either on shore or by
some other vessel at sea, and thus the vessel in distress may obtain more
speedy assistance.
The Floating Horse Harness, Plate 3.-A horse having this harness on be-
comes a floating body, and is able to carry a man on his back without scarcely
feeling any weight. Letters A are the floating powers harnessed round the horse.
It is of the same material as the floating power for the scaphander, boats, &c.,
viz., rushes made water-tight. The front pieces run sloping towards the
breast, and are, according to the size or weight of the animal, from twelve to
sixteen inches long and high, and from six to eight inches wide. The hind
pieces are from eighteen inches to two feet long, from twelve to sixteen inches
high, and from six to eight inches wide. These are covered with strong sail
cloth, and are fastened to sail cloth at about eight inches from each other,
which goes against the body of the horse, passing towards the breast, where

page_text: it is laced to the floating barness, on the other side the horse, letter E, by
which means the harness can be widened or narrowed as required. Letters B
are the belts or straps which pass over the back of the horse, and support the
floating harness on each side, which must be made to shorten or lengthen to
suit the size or shape of the horse. Letter C is the cord which extends from
the end of the floating harness to the end of the crupper, letter D, which is
made of rope. Letter F is a belt or strap reaching from where the harness
is laced on the chest to the belt G, which passes over the saddle to which it
is fastened. The saddle is a bag or cushion made of sail cloth, about a foot
long and a foot wide, which is stuffed with pieces of cork cut very fine
Letter H is the stirrup, made of a piece of cord about half an inch thick and
between eight and nine inches long, reaching from the bottom of the bind
floating power to that of the front one. This harness may be made so that
the floating power can be removed at pleasure, by letting letters A be sockets
of sail cloth into which the floating powers can be pushed, having strings to.
secure the same from coming out. The legs of the rider must come between
the two floating powers on each side, and his feet must be placed on the
stirrups, on which he must press as much as possible. When the horse is
floating in the water, the hind floating powers arise as high as letter I, and
come about in the place where the little red dots are placed in the Drawing,
by which means the horse is balanced, and the rider obtains a more secure
seat. The harness for the head and bridle may either be of leather or
rope.
In witness wliereof, I, the said Henry Hope Werninck, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.
TLEN
TODR
WEDNINGIZ