CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FITTING-UP OF BOATS OF VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
Cook, of Blackheath, in the County of Kent, Lieutenant in the Royal Navy,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the seventh year of
His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Cook, His especial licence
that I, the said Thomas Cook, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such other's
as I, the said Thomas Cook; my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the tērni
of years therein mentioned; 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, my Invention!
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FITTING-UP OF BOATS OF
VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
that I, the said Thomas Cook, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two 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 ŸE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Cook, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention; and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say): :-
In the said Drawing, Fig. 1, is the plan of a ship's boat, or such parts of one
as are necessary to be shown, and Fig. 2 a section taken at the broadest part
of it. The construction of this boat differs from others chiefly in having a
shelf-piece A, A, &c. formed around the inside, with a groove or channel
in it, B, B. Fig. 3 represents this shelf-piece on a larger scale. The groove
or channel B, B, Figs. 2 and 8, is sunk in this shelf-piece all around it, as
shown in the plan of another boat, Fig. 4. Into this groove battens, C, C,
&c. shewn in section in Fig. 5, and made of wood or metal, are fitted, the
intent of which is to secure the edges of a canvass cover D, D, &c. which is
shewn separately in Fig. 6. This canvass cover is for preventing the body of
water from going below the thwarts; it has a double thickness of leather
E, E, Figs. 6, affixed all around its edges to assist in making the cover
water-tight, and eyelet holes worked (shown by dots) for hooking over tho
screw bolts F, F. The battens C, C, &c. which may be in three, four, or more
parts, are secured in the groove by means of screw bolts F, F, &c. shewn by
dots Fig. 3, and separately in Fig. 7. These screw bolts have a shoulder on
ca:h, as shewn at G in Figs. 3 and 7, which lodge in cavities made to
receive them in the shelf-piece A; and they are fastened by means of the
screwed nuts H, Figs. 3 and 8, being bound upon them, a leather or metal
washer I, Figs. 3 and 7, being previously interposed between the nut H and
the under side of the shelf-piece. The upper ends of the screw bolts F are
likewise screwed, as shewn at J in Figs. 3 and 7; and other scrowed nuts
K, K, with handles to them are bound upon them, as shewn in Fig. 3. Fig. 9
is a top view, and Fig. 10 a side view of one of these nuts shewn separately.
Fig. 11 exhibits an under view of part of the batten C, C, intended to show
how it is hollowed away for the sake of lightness, the middle rib L, L, being,
however, also continued around the holes made for the screw bolts to pass
through. In the canvass cover D, D, bags M, M, &c. are formed to receive
the legs of the boat's crew and passengers, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 6; and in
very large boats an opening may be left (like an inverted bag without a bottom),
large enough to admit the body of a man in the after part of this cover. In
the section Fig. 12, two of these bags are also shewn, as drawn up when they
are not required for use. In order to allow any water which does not run off
over the sides of the boats to escape, I have provided moveable metal plates
N, N, &c. which are screwed into metal screwed rings or collars 0, 0, &c. with
a flanch or shoulder to each ring affixed in the sides of the boats just above

page_text: the canvass cover, as shewn in Fig. 13; and any of which said metal plates
may be unscrewed and removed when necessary to allow the water to run off;
and be again replaced. Fig. 14 is a front view of one of these metal
plates N and screwed rings O, O; and Fig. 15 a section thereof. In Fig. 4
P, P, &c. represent two canvass cases, containing cork cuttings or shavings,
and which are laced together at the head and stern of a boat, as shewn at
Q, Q, in Fig. 4, holes being made for the lacings to pass through, as shewn
by dotted lines in that Figure, and also by dots in Fig. 13. They are likewise
secured by lashings R, R, &c. which are passed through eyebolts, or other
fastenings affixed to the sides of the boat. These canvass cases, so fitted with
cork and secured, form fenders which prevent the boat from being injured in
going alongside of a wreck, &c. and likewise add to its stability, and also to its.
buoyancy in case of a hole being knocked through its bottom. The buoyancy
in the event of an accident of this kind would still be insured by having light
air-tight cases fitted into the stem and stern of the boat above the deck, in a
boat like Fig. 4. Fig. 16 is a section through the boat and the two fenders,
which if preferred may be made of air-tight bags or cases with an outer case
or covering of convass; these might be inflated to any degree.
In order to enable the steersman to let off the boat's sheet in case of a
sudden squall coming on, I have invented. the following contrivance:-Fig. 17
is a side view, and Fig. 18 a plan of this boat's sheet liberator, two of them
being required for each boat, one affixed to the inside of the boat's stern on
each side of the steersman. S, S, is a metal plate, with holes in it for the
screws to pass through, by which it is to be secured to the inside of the boat;
T, T, are ears affixed in the plate S, S, between which the handle or lever U
is lodged, and turns upon a pin passed through it and secured in the ears; V is
a bent spring, affixed at one end upon the plate S, S, its other end acting
against the longer end of the lever U so as to pass it upwards, and consequently
to depress its other end. In the shorter end of the lever U a gap W, Fig. 18,
is made, into which is received and jointed the eye X, which is formed at the
end of an axis Y, shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 17, upon which the pulley or
sheave Z is fitted and turns, and is prevented from coming off the axis by
means of a screwed nut a (shewn dotted lines), which is screwed upon the
axis. The cylindrical hole or eye in the upper end of the axis Y fits and
turns upon a cylindrical pin passed through it and through holes made in the
sides of the gap W, where it is firmly secured. The lower end of the axis Y
is formed into a cylindrical pin 6 (shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 17), which
enters into a hole made in the plate S, S, to receive it when the sheave or
pulley is in use, as shewn in Fig. 17; but upon the steersman depressing the

page_text: longer end of the lever U; the shorter end rises, the pin 6 quits the hole, and
the pulley Z assumes the position shewn in Fig. 19, at the same time letting go
the sheet line, which had been previously passed over the pulley or, sheave Z.;
and the sail will then shiver in the wind.
.
Fig. 20 is a side view, and Fig. 21 a plan of a boat liberator, consisting of a
metal plate c, c, with holes in it for the screwed bolts to pass through by which
it is to be affixed upon and near to the edge of one of the charnels of a ship or
other vessel, or in such other place as the standing part of a boat's gripes is
usually fitted or led to; d, a metal hook, turning upon a pin at e, which is passed
through cheeks formed at one end of the plate c, c,. and is secured by a screw
nut f, Fig. 21. The moveable or outer end of this hook & rests upon a stud
affixed on the plate c, c, when it is closed, as shewn in Fig. 20, and it is pre-
vented from opening by being, lodged within a moveable cleft or forked piece
of metal a, which is shewn separately and endways in Fig. 22. This forked piece
g is jointed to the plate c, c, at h, and at the upper end of it a compound bar
jj, is also jointed at one end of it, the other end of the said compound bar
being jointed to the end of the plate c, c. This compound bar.j, j, has a.rule
joint in its centre, as shewn at k, in Figs. 20 and 21, and there is also connected
with this rule joint the handle 7 by means of a screwed pin being passed
through holes made in the several parts to receive it, and it is finally secured
therein by means of a screwed nut m, Fig. 21 ;. when the compound bar j,j, is
in the position shewn in Fig. 20, or in a straight line, it effectually prevents the
forked piece g from moving, and consequently the hook d when lodged within
it; but upon pulling the handle / outwardly, the jointed bar j, j, becomes bent,
as shewn by the dotted lines, and pulls the forked piece 9 into the position
likewise shewn by the dotted lines, and the hook d is then at liberty to open, as
is likewise shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 20. The boat being secured by
a gripe, the bight of which having a thimble seized in it, is hung upon the hook
d, whilst its two ends, are led under and over, the boat, and secured in the
usual way by lanyards to the inside of the vessel; upon releasing the hook d by
pulling the handle l, the boat is instantly liberated without casting off the lan-
yards. I can also apply the hook d to the frame of a pulley, block, or sheave,
whether single, double, or treble, in the manner shewn in Fig. 23, which is a
side view, and in Fig. 24, which is a front view of it, n, n, &c., represent. the
metal frame of the pulley block d, the hook which is jointed to the frame n, n,
at o, Fig. 23, its outer end, which rests when closed upon the side of the frame,
being retained in that situation by a forked piece 9, which is jointed to the
frame at p, Fig. 28, and has a compound bar. j, j, jointed to its outer end,
and like that described in the references to Figs, 20 and 21, having a rule

page_text: joint & in its centre, its other end being. jointed at g to the centre pin r of the
pulleys, and there is also a handle / connected with the rule joint k, by pulling
which the hook. d. will be released, in a similar manner to. that above described,
the situations of the different parts being shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 23.
The use of this-improved. block is. principally to detach in an instant a boat
from the tackle falls, either before or when she touches the water in lowering,
whilst the ship or other vessel has way through the water, or when a heavy
sea is running. In addition to the usual ways of ballasting boats, I have con-
trived the following I pass a screwed bolt t, Fig. 24; through the fore part
of the keel of the boat, the boat having a shoulder u formed upon it, and a
screw at v to receive a screwed nut w, by binding which fast the bolt will be
securely affixed in the keel. a head & is formed at one end of this bolt, leaving
a neck y between it and the shoulder u, and a screwed nut is affixed upon
the other end of the bolt t, leaving a similar neck y between it and the other
screwed nut w; upon each of these two necks y, y, I lodge or rest one end of
a bar of iron, having a gap formed in it to lodge upon the neck of the bolt,
and as shewn in Fig. 25, the other ends of these two iron bars being secured
alongside of the keel by proper keepers, and being also suspended by chains or
rods leading to or through holes made in the stern of the boat. In case of the
boat being stove, these rods or iron ballast may be instantly detached from the
boat by letting go the chains or rods, when they will of course fall perpendicu-
larly into the water, leaving the boat as much lighter, as the weight of the
ballast amounted to. Fig. 26, shews the stern of a boat, and the ends of the two
iron bars (shewn by dotted lines through the keepers), as suspended by the
chains or rods above described; a life line may also be rove through all the
rings or handles of the nuts k, k.
I do not mean or intend hereby to claim as my Invention any of the various
parts herein shewn and described, which may already be known or in use,
excepting when they are applied to the construction and fitting up of boats of
various descriptions; neither do I mean or intend hereby to limit myself to the
particular forms or shapes herein shewn, nor to the use of those materials only
which are herein mentioned, but to avail myself of all which are fit and proper
for the several purposes mentioned herein. I do however hereby claim as my
Invention, and the objects of this Patent, the mode of affixing the canvass
cover, and thereby nearly excluding the water from entering the body of the
boat, underneath the thwarts, and canvass cover; likewise the method of
letting off the water through the holes made in the boat's sides and stern for
that purpose, and the closing of those holes by means of the screwed metal
plates; likewise the mode of applying the two fenders to the outside of the

page_text: boat's gunwale, and also the mode of applying and detaching the iron bars
forming the ballast of the boat; I likewise hereby claim the mode of letting
go the bight of the boat's sheet or sail, as described in the references to Figs.
17, 18, and 19; and also the liberator for detaching the boat from the gripes
described in the references to Figs. 20, 21, and 22; and lastly, the method!
of securing and letting go the hooks of tackle fall blocks, described in the
references to Figs. 23 and 24.