IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, FERRY BOATS, AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Aldersey Egerton, of Hextable, in the
County of Kent, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, FERRY BOATS, AND OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 21st April 1874, and dated the 1st December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Aldersey Egerton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st December 1873.
21, HUGH ALDERSEY EGERTON, of Hextable, in the County of Kent,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, FERRY BOATS, AND OTHER
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of ships, ferry
boats, and other vessels has for its object to construct a floating vessel in
such a manner that while it will be capable of carrying or transporting
very heavy and cumbrous loads, such as railway trains, carriages, and
animals on a deck, the vessel shall be of comparatively light draught,
-

page_text: and be incapable of pitching and rolling even in a rough or heavy
sea.
To this end the buoyant or floating part of the structure is formed of
three, four, or more long cylindrical or other suitably shaped pontons,
made by preference of sheet iron, arranged parallel to each other, but at
a sufficient distance apart to receive between them paddle wheels for the
propulsion of the vessel, and to allow of the easy escape of the tail
water.
The superstructure is formed of strong horizontal girders, on which
rests a platform or deck, on which may be erected cabins, engine houses,
and holds for the stowage of goods. All this superstructure is supported
by upright posts, which are carried down into the body of the pontoons
and also upwards to receive lattice or other braces for strengthening or
forming the framework for the superstructure. The cylindrical or other
shaped pontoons are tapered off at both ends to a point, so as to offer as
little resistance as possible to the water when the vessel is propelled
forward by means of the paddle wheels.
A vessel constructed in this manner will be capable of receiving an
entire railway train or other cumbrous load on the deck, and the vessel
may be propelled at very great speed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hugh Aldersey Egerton in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 1st June 1874.
}
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HUGH
ALDERSEY EGERTON, of Hextable, near Dartford, in the County of Kent, 2
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc- 3
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Hugh Aldersey Egerton, Her
special licence that I, the said Hugh Aldersey Egerton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hugh Aldersey

page_text: Egerton, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, FERRY BOATS, AND OTHER
VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Hugh
Aldersey Egerton, 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 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 Hugh Aldersey Egerton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :—
My Invention of " Improvements in the Construction of Ships, Ferry
Boats, and other Vessels" has for its object to construct a floating vessel
in such a manner that while it will be capable of carrying or transporting
very heavy and cumbrous loads (such as railway trains, carriages, and
animals) on a deck, the vessel shall be of comparatively light draught,
and be incapable of pitching and rolling even in a rough or heavy
sea.
To this end the buoyant or floating part of the structure is formed of
three, four, or more long cylindrical or other suitably shaped pontoons.
with pointed ends, and made by preference of sheet iron, and arranged
parallel to each other, but at a sufficient distance apart to receive
between them paddle wheels for the propulsion of the vessel, and to
allow of the easy escape of the tail water.
The superstructure of the vessel is formed of strong horizontal girders,
which support the platform or lower deck, on which may be erected
cabins, engine houses, and holds for the stowage of goods. Above this and
on the top of the strong transverse girders is another platform or deck, on
which are fixed rails to receive railway trains or carriages, and the whole

page_text: superstructure is secured and connected to the pontoons by upright
posts and struts, which are carried down into the body of the pontoons.
Part of these upright posts together with the struts extend upwards to
support the lower deck of the superstructure, and these parts are also
firmly secured to lattice or other braces for strengthening or forming
part of the framework of the superstructure. The cylindrical or other
shaped pontoons are tapered off at both ends to a point, so as to offer as
little resistance as possible to the water when the vessel is propelled
forward by means of the paddle wheels, which are actuated by engines
placed in suitable houses on the main deck.
A vessel constructed in this manner will be capable of receiving.an
entire railway train or other cumbrous load on the upper deck, and the
vessel may be propelled at very great speed.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of
the improved ferry boat complete, with a railway train thereon.
Fig. 2 is a plan view shewing the upper deck a, a, with the metal
rails b, b, thereon ready to receive a railway train or trains, but in order
to avoid unnecessary complexity in the Drawings the railway carriages
are omitted.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the vessel shewing the lower
deck c, c, the upper deck a having been removed for the purpose of
showing the available space for cabin room, stowage of goods, &c.
Fig. 4 is another sectional plan view in which the lower deck c is
removed in order that the floating pontoons d, d, d, which support the.
whole superstructure may be more clearly seen. In this case the main
transverse joists c³, c³, which support the flooring joists on which the
planks of the lower deck are fixed are shewn, and the positions of the
rudders are also shewn at e, e.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the pontoons d, d, d, showing the positions of
the three pairs of paddle wheels f, f, f, the whole of the superstructure,
including the flooring joists of the lower deck being removed in order
that the relative position of the pontoons and the paddle wheels may be
more clearly understood. These pontoons are constructed of sheet iron,
strengthened internally with braces or struts, and also with bulkheads
or transverse partitions, so that each pontoon is divided into several
water-tight compartments. Man-holes should be formed on the upper

page_text: side of each compartment, so that access to the interior may be obtained
from the lower deck c. The two outermost of these pontoons should be
from twenty to twenty-five feet in diameter at their central part; the
middle one may be somewhat larger, say from twenty-five to thirty feet
in diameter; and all of them should taper from their middles to a point
at both ends, as shewn best at Fig. 5. They are from four hundred and
fifty to five hundred feet in length, and both ends of the pontoons
project considerably beyond the superstructure or decked part of the
vessel.
.
The main framing of the superstructure consists of vertical transverse
lattice girders g, g, seen best in Fig. 6, which is a transverse vertical
section of the vessel drawn on an enlarged scale. The girders I prefer
to use are those known as Warren's girders, but any other form of
girder of equal strength, rigidity, and comparative lightness may be
employed if preferred. These main girders may be placed any con-
venient distance apart, and between them lighter girders and braces to
strengthen the structure may be introduced, and the spaces between
them utilized for constructing deck cabins and for gangways.
It is important that the pontoons should not be placed too closely
together, otherwise the wash or disturbance of the water produced by
the action of the paddle wheels will materially interfere with the speed
of the vessel.
I prefer that with pontoons of the size above indicated the lateral
distance between them should not be less than from sixty to seventy
feet.
I would also observe that by the construction, arrangement, and com-
bination of parts herein-before described and shown, the superstructure
of the vessel is raised such a distance above the water that no possible
wave or roll of the sea can strike the under side of the superstructure
and interfere with the speed of the vessel. The only parts of the whole
structure which will come in contact with the water will therefore be
confined to the pontoons and the paddle wheels for propelling the same,
as shewn at Fig. 5.
Having now described my Invention of Improvements in the Con-
struction of Ships, Ferry Boats, and other Vessels," and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, constructing ships, ferry

page_text: boats, and other vessels of three or more cylindrical or cigar-shaped
pontoons, placed at such a distance apart as will admit of a pair of
paddle wheels being adapted to each pontoon in such a manner as will
prevent the wash or disturbance of the water by any one paddle wheel
or pontoon from interfering with either of the others, the said pontoons
being connected together by means of transverse lattice girders, which
serve to form the skeleton framing of the superstructure of the vessel, as
hamin ant forth
boats, and other vessels of three or more cylindrical or cigar-shaped
pontoons, placed at such a distance apart as will admit of a pair of
paddle wheels being adapted to each pontoon in such a manner as will
prevent the wash or disturbance of the water by any one paddle wheel
or pontoon from interfering with either of the others, the said pontoons
being connected together by means of transverse lattice girders, which
serve to form the skeleton framing of the superstructure of the vessel, as
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugh Aldersey Egerton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
.