THE IMMEDIATE CONVEYING AND PLACING OF PLATES, LENGTHS OF METAL, OR OTHER MATERIAL, BY MEANS OF RAILS, GROOVES, OR SASHES, SO AS TO COVER ANY PART OF THE SIDES, BOTTOM, OR HULL OF SAILING VESSELS, STEAMERS, OR SHIPS OF WAR WHILE AT SEA OR ELSEWHERE, AND THUS PROTECT THE SAME FROM INJURIES ABOUT TO BE OR ALREADY RECEIVED
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward John Walford at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th December 1876.
EDWARD JOHN WALFORD, of 19, York Terrace, Regent's Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman. "THE IMMEDIATE CONVEYING AND PLACING OF PLATES,
LENGTHS OF METAL, OR OTHER MATERIAL, BY MEANS OF RAILS, GROOVES, OR
SASHES, SO AS TO COVER ANY PART OF THE SIDES, BOTTOM, OR HULL OF SAILING
VESSELS, STEAMERS, OR SHIPS OF WAR WHILE AT SEA OR ELSEWHERE, AND THUS
PROTECT THE SAME FROM INJURIES ABOUT TO BE OR ALREADY RECEIVED."
I arrange and construct certain lines of rails, grooves, or sashes, of metal or other
material, either plain or cogged, the said lines of rails, grooves, or sashes being
built in, let in, and fixed at certain distances in the external skin of the ship, or
built in and fixed in the internal skin of the ship, and I here use the terms grooves
or sashes in addition to the term rails, because the rails, either cast in one piece or
cast in various pieces and joined, are let into the skin of the ship so as to form a
groove or sash with rails therein, and therefore I use the term groove or sash so as
to include the rails; and I construct such lines of rails, grooves, or sashes, either
plain or cogged, thus built in or let in and fixed in the skin of the ship, so that
plates, lengths of metal, or other material, may be pulled, pushed, propelled, carried
and conveyed on, by, or along any such lines of rails, grooves, or sashes, from any
one part of such line of rails, grooves, or sashes, to any other part of the same.
And I construct and arrange such lines of rails, grooves, or sashes, either vertically
in the skin and down the side of the ship, or horizontally in the skin and along the
side of the ship, as each particular case may require, that is to say, I build in, let in,
or fix the said line of rails, grooves, or sashes, so that the one extremity of the said
line of rails, grooves, or sashes is on a level with the line of the deck of the ship,
and I continue the said line of rails, grooves, or sashes in the skin and down the
sides of the ship, following the shape of the same, and round the bottom, until the
other extremity of the said line of rails, grooves, or sashes extends to and touches
the keel of the ship. I thus have a continuous line of rails, sashes, or grooves
down the sides and round the bottom of the ship, from the deck to the keel; or I
build, let in, and fix the said lines of rails, grooves, or sashes in the skin and along
the sides of the ship from the stem to the stern of the ship; I thus have a con-
tinuous line of rail, sashes, or grooves, from the stem to the stern of the ship.
517

page_text: Now, having as above stated constructed a continuous line of rails, grooves, or
Enshes from the deck to the keel, I at any given distance along the side of the ship
construct, build in, let in, or fix in the skin of the ship a second line of rails, grooves,
or sashes, similar to the first, and running parallel to the said first line of rails,
grooves, or sashes; and at any other given distance from the second line of rails,
grooves, or sashes I construct, build in, or let in, and fix a third line of rails,
grooves, or sashes, similar and parallel to the other two lines of rails, grooves, or
sashes; and 1 construct, build in, let in, and fix at certain given distances from each
other as many more lines of rails, grooves, or sashes, similar and parallel to each
other as may be necessary, so as and until the spaces between the said lines
of rails, grooves, or sashes represent the whole surface of the hull of the ship.
And in the case where I construct, build in, let in, or fix the lines of rails,
grooves, or sashes in the skin of the ship, in a continuous line from the stem to the
stern, I proceed in the same way as above described, that is to say, I construct
other parallel lines of rails, grooves, or sashes, similar to the first, at certain given
distances from each other, until the spaces between the said lines of rails, grooves,
or sashes represent the whole surface of the ship. Now I use certain plates, lengths
of metals, or other material, either plain, pointed, joined together, separate,
mounted on wheels, cogs, chairs, or rollers, according to the shape of the ship and
other circumstances, such plates, lengths of metal, or other material, being con-
structed of sufficient size to extend from one line of rails, grooves, or sashes to the
next. line of rails, grooves, or sashes, so that the said plates, lengths of metal, or
other material shall extend over, cover, and protect the spaces of the hull of the
ship between the said lines of rails, grooves, or sashes; and the said plates, lengths
of metal, or other material, being thus inserted in the grooves, sashes, or rails
already prepared are capable of being pulled, pushed, propelled, carried and con-
veyed to any part requiring such protection.
And I claim as my Invention the above combination and arrangement of
rails, grooves, or sashes and plates, lengths of metal, or other material as already
described.