IMPROVEMENTS IN FITTINGS APPLICABLE TO SHIPS DECKS TO MAKE TIGHT JOINTS AROUND MASTS AND OTHER PROJECTIONS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gerard, of New York, United States of
America, now residing at 108, Minories, in the City of London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FITTINGS APPLICABLE TO SHIPS DECKS
TO MAKE TIGHT JOINTS AROUND MASTS AND OTHER PROJECTIONS."-Partly
a communication from abroad by Andrew Gove, residing at San
Francisco.
Sealed the 6th October 1866, and dated the 14th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gerard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th May 1866.
I, WILLIAM GERARD, of New York, United States of America, now residing
at 108, Minories, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FITTINGS APPLICABLE TO SHIPS DECKS
TO MAKE TIGHT JOINTS AROUND MASTS AND OTHER PROJECTIONS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the making tight joints in a ship's deck
around masts and other projections through the deck. For this purpose I

page_text: attach around the mast or other projection at a point just above the deck a
metal hood of conical form. This hood is conveniently made in two halves,
which can be applied around the mast or projection and drawn together with
screws until the upper and smaller end of the hood tightly embrace the mast
or projection, and an elastic packing of india-rubber being interposed a
perfectly water-tight joint may be made. Before the hood is applied an
india-rubber collar or a collar of other waterproof material is fixed to the
deck all round the mast or projection; this is conveniently done by placing
a metal ring on the edge of the collar and passing screws through the ring
and collar into the deck. The other edge of the collar is fixed to the metal
hood on the mast by screws passing through the lower edge of the hood through
the collar, and screwing into another metal ring below. Usually it is
necessary that the two metal rings and the elastic collar should be made each
in two parts to allow of their being placed around the mast or projection.
When the collar is thus made it is preferred that the collar should be made
of two or more thicknesses cemented together, and the joints in the two
thicknesses are placed as far apart as possible. The collar may be a short
cylinder of india-rubber or elastic material, or it may consist of two broad flat
rings laid the one on the other and attached at their inner edges. In this
way a joint may be made which will remain water-tight notwithstanding the
working of the parts to which it is applied.
The metal hood completely encloses the elastic collar and preserves it from
iniury
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Gerard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2
13th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GERARD, of New York, United States of America, now residing at 108,
Minories, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 8
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Gerard, Her special licence that I, the said William
Gerard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the 3
said William Gerard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any

page_text: time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there.
after 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 FITTINGS APPLICABLE TO SHIPS' DECKS TO MAKE TIGHT JOINTS AROUND
MASTS AND OTHER PROJECTIONS," the result partly of a communication made to
me from abroad by Andrew Gove, a person resident at San Francisco, and
partly of my own Invention, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Gerard, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 William Gerard, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that to say:-
This Invention has for its object the making tight joints in a ship's deck
around masts and other projections through the deck. For this purpose I
attach around the mast or other projection at a point just above the deck a
metal hood of conical form. This hood is conveniently made in two halves
which can be applied around the mast or projection and drawn together with
screws until the upper and smaller end of the hood tightly embraces the mast
or projection, and an elastic packing of india-rubber being interposed a
perfectly water-tight joint may be made. Before the hood is applied an
india-rubber collar or a collar of other waterproof material is fixed to the deck
all round the mast or projection; this is conveniently done by placing a metal
ring on the edge of the collar and passing screws through the ring and collar
into the deck. The other edge of the collar is fixed to the metal hood on
the mast by screws passing through the lower edge of the hood through the
collar and scrowing into another metal ring below. Usually it is necessary
that the two metal rings and the elastic collar should be made each in two
parts to allow of their being placed around the mast or projection. When
the collar is thus made it is preferred that the collar should be made of two
or more thicknesses cemented together, and the joints in the two thicknesses
are placed as far apart as possible. The collar may be a short cylinder of
india-rubber or elastic material, or it may consist of two or more broad flat
rings laid the one on the other, and attached at their inner edges. In this

page_text: way a joint may be made which will remain water-tight notwithstanding the
working of the parts to which it is applied.
The metal hood completely encloses the elastic collar and preseves it from
injury.
Having thus described the nature, of the Invention I will proceed to describe !
more fully the manner of performing the same.'.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section and Figure 2 a plan view of a ship's mast
where where it passes through the deck. a is the mast; b, the deck; c is the
metal hood embracing the mast, the joint between the hood and the mast 1
being made tight by an elastic washer, or by paint, or otherwise; d, d³, are
two discs of painted canvas connected together at their inner edges. The
outer edge of the upper disc d is connected to the bottom of the metal hood c
by screws c¹ passing through the lower edge of the hood through the disc d and
through a metal ring e. The outer edge of the lower disc d' is fastened to the ]
deck by a ring f placed above the edge of the disc and screwed down on to the
deck all around the mast.
In place of the discs d, d, being of canvas, as above described, india-rubber
or other flexible material may be employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Gerard, have hereunto set my a
hand and seal, this Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM GERARD. (L.S.)