IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC- TION OF VESSELS PROPELLED BY STEAM
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION .left by the said Donald Bethune at the
".
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
March 1854.
I, DONALD BETHUNE,. of the City, of. Toronto, in Canada West, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC-
TION OF VESSELS PROPELLED BY STEAM".to be as follows:-
This Invention applies more particularly to vessels constructed upon the
principle set forth in a former Provisional. Specification, No. 215, recorded by
me, the said Donald Bethune, in the Patent Office, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, London, on the 28th day of January 1854, and intituled "Im
provements in the Construction of Vessels propelled by Steam or other Motive
Power," in which said Specification a method is there set forth of constructing
vessels with shallow, holds, but of considerably greater length from stem to
stern than vessels as previously constructed, and the object and intention of
the present Invention is to strengthen the vessel, and to stow the fuel required
for generating the motive power in such. manner as that the rolling and
pitching motion of the vessel in heavy seas, or when under heavy press of
canvass, cannot materially alter the position of the entire mass of fuel, so as
to affect the rate of going of the vessel, and by thus keeping the vessel in
"

page_text: good trim she is enabled to right herself quickly, and the rolling motion of the
vessel is at the same time considerably diminished, as also the straining of the
vessel; and I effect these improvements by constructing the lower part of
the vessel in the following manner; that is to say, those parts of the hold
of a vessel which are situate forward and aft of the engines and boilers, and
beneath the cabins:--I construct and arrange in a longitudinal direction any
convenient number of bulkheads or plates of metal, which are securely fixed
to the vessel, and placed equi-distant, or nearly so, from each other, thereby
forming separate compartments, which are again divided into smaller compart-
ments or cells by cross bulkheads, and I form openings therein at suitable
distances asunder, to admit of ready access to each of such said compartments
or cells, for the stowage and removal of the fuel; and this mode of construct-
ing and arranging the holds of vessels applies alike to the stowage of goods or
merchandise, as it will appear evident that by this mode of dividing the bulk
of the weight each compartment takes a separate strain, and thereby prevents
the entire mass from slipping or moving bodily from side to side or fore and
aft of the vessel, and it is this peculiar mode of dividing the weight and
strengthening the vessel which constitutes this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Donald Bethune in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, DONALD
BETHUNE, of the City of Toronto, in Canada West, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent; bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Donald Bethune, Her special licence that I, the said Donald
Bethune, my executors; administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Donald Bethune, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS PROPELLED BY STEAM," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Donald Bethune, by an instrument in writing

page_text: under my hand and seal; 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 Donald Bethune, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 (that is to say):-
My Invention applies more particularly to vessels constructed upon the prin-
ciple set forth in a former Specification, No. 215, deposited in the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
on the Twenty-eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four;
and. intituled " Improvements in the Construction of Vessels propelled by
Steam or other Motive Power," in which said Specification a method is there
set forth of constructing vessels with shallow holds, but of considerably
greater length from stem to stern than vessels as previously constructed; and
the intention of my present Invention is to effect two important objects:-
Firstly, to stow the fuel required for generating the motive power. in such
manner that the rolling and pitching motion of the vessel in heavy seas, or
when under heavy press of canvass, cannot materially alter the position of the
entire mass of fuel, so as to affect the rate of going of the vessel, and by thus
keeping the vessel in good trim to enable her. to right herself quickly, and to
lessen the rolling motion and straining of the vessel. Secondly,, to give.
additional strength to the vessel by constructing the hold thereof.in the form
of cells or separate compartments, communicating with each other, as hereafter
stated.
But in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible I now
proceed to describe the best. means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing.
hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal and vertical section of a portion of the hold of
a vessel, shewing the mode of constructing the same for the stowage of fuel
and strengthening of the vessel according to my said Invention. Figure is

page_text: the Figures respectively... A, A, are bulkheads or plates of metal arranged
in a longitudinal direction throughout those parts of a vessel which are situate
fóre and aft of the engines and boilers; and beneath the cabins of the vessel
B, B, are plates of: metal placed and securely fixed to the sides of the vessel;
and to the: floor timbers and beams of the cabin flooring, equi-distant from
each other; say from 12.to 15 feet asunder, and in transverse direction to the
plates A, A, thereby forming cells or compartments; (which may be again
divided into smaller compartments, if necessary;) in each of which openings are
made; as shewn, for the stowage: aud. removal of fuel. And I would here
remark, that this mode of constructing and arranging the holds of vessels
applies also to the stowage of tgoods or merchandizė, as by "thus dividing the
bulk of the weight each compartment takes a separate strain; and thereby
prevents the entire mass from slipping or moving bodily from side to side or
fore and aft the vessel..
y! Having now described the nature of my said Invention of improvements in
the construction of vessels propelled by steam; and in what manner the same
is to be and may be performed, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do not
claim any particular mode of connecting together the several compartments
above mentioned and referred to, but. employ any of the means at present
practised of connecting plates of metal together, so as to obtain strength
combined with lightness: But what I claim'is, the constructing of the holds
of vessels with cells or separate compartments communicating with each other,
and the use and employment of such said cells for the stowage of fuel and
cargo, as herein-before particularly described; set forth, and represented by
the illustrative Drawings hereunto annexed, or any modification thereof by
which the dividing of the bulk of the weight is effected.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Donald Bethune, have hereunto set my
hand and seal; this Eleventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
...
Witness,
ALEXR PRINCE,
Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross....
D. BETHUNE. (L.S.)