IMPROVEMENTS IN FERRY BOATS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Heather, of Portsmouth, in the County of
Hants, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FERRY BOATS."
Sealed the 19th Juno 1857, and dated the 23rd December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Heather at the
Offico of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
December 1856.
I, ALFRED HEATHER, of Portsmouth, in the County of Hants, Esquire, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FERRY
BOATS," to be as follows:--
My Invention consists in constructing ferry boats capable of traversing
narrow seas, and rough as well as smooth waters, in such manner, that while
the horses, cattle, carriages, and heavy goods are placed in the bottom of the
boat they shall be protected by a deck or covering, which, together with tho
sides, are suited for passengers:
The bottom of this boat is elliptical from stem to stern, with rounded sides.
It is furnished with a keel running along the central part thereof; or the keel
may be dispensed with. At each end of the keel is a case or trunk, through
which a rudder descends.
The central portion of each end of the boat is made to let down, and form
a stage for passengers, horses, and cattle to walk on board. When the stages

page_text: are drawn up they are water-tight and above the water line. From the
stage the passengers mount by steps one or other of the side decks, and
thence they can obtain access to the upper deck, or deck which forms the
covering for the horses, carriages, and heavy goods. After the horses and
cattle leave the stage they proceed along the boat under the covered deck, and
the space they there occupy may be divided longitudinally by a compartment,
which where required forms an engine room. The boat may be propelled by
paddles, screw, or other means of propulsion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Heather in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
June 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
HEATHER, of Portsmouth, in the County of Hants, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Heather, IIer special licence that I, the said Alfred Heather, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Heather, 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 FERRY
BOATS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Heather,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Alfred Heather, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, reference being bad to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:

page_text: My Invention consists in constructing ferry boats capable of traversing
narrow seas, and rough as well as smooth waters, in such manner, that while
the horses, cattle, carriages, and heavy goods are placed in the bottom of the
boat they shall be protected by a deck or covering, which, together with the
sides, are suited for passengers.
The bottom of the boat is elliptical, or nearly so, from stein to stern, with
rounded sides. It is furnished with a keel running along the central part
thereof; or the keel may be dispensed with. At each end of the keel is a case
or trough, through which a rudder descends. The central portion of each
end of the boat is made to let down, and form a stage for passengers, horses,
and cattle to walk on board. When the stages are drawn up they are water-
tight and above the water line. From the stage the passengers mount by
steps one or other of the side decks, and thence they can obtain access to the
upper deck, or deck which forms the covering for the horses, carriages, and
licavy goods. After the horses and cattle leave the stage they procced along
the boat under the covered deck, and the space they there occupy may be
divided longitudinally by a compartment, which, where required, forms an
engine room. The boat may be propelled by paddles, screw, or other means
of propulsion.
The Drawings hereunto annexed represent an improved ferry boat con-
structed according to my Invention. Figure 1 is plan view; Figure 2 a
vertical longitudinal section; and Figure 3 a transverse vertical section of the
same.
A, A, are hinged stages or gangways, which are lowered down into the
position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2 for allowing passengers, horses,
vehicles, &c. to pass over on entering or leaving the boat, and which are
subsequently raised by any suitable apparatus before the boat is put in motion;
B, B, are the side passages, into which horses, vehicles, &c. are received, and
where they remain during the passage of the boat, passing out over the stage A
at the opposite end of the boat to that at which they entered when the passage
is completed; C, C, are steps, up which foot passengers ascend to the side
decks D, D, on which they can remain during the passage, or from which
they can ascend to the central upper deck E, which forms the covering for
the horses and vehicles; F is a closed compartment or room, dividing the
passages B, B, from each other, and which may be used as an engine room
for containing engines, by which the paddle wheels (or other propelling appa-
ratus if paddles wheels be not used) may be driven.
The engines may,
however, be placed in any other suitable position. G, G, are the rudders of the
boat, which are fitted with racks H, I, by means of which and pinions I, I,

page_text: one or other of the rudders may be drawn up within the cases I', I', in the
bottom of the boat, as may be required, the one which is left in the water being
that which is near that end of the vessel which for the time being is astern;
J, J, are the steering wheels, which are put in connection with the rudders by
the pinions and circular racks a, a, and 6, 6. The landing stages or gangways
under sides with the shape of the
A; A, are formed to correspond upon their
bottom of the boat, and are so fitted that when drawn up into their usual
positions they make water-tight joints...
.. And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed,. I. declare that I claim,-
First, the general construction; and arrangement of ferry boats as herein-
before described, and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Second, the employment; in ferry boats of landing stages or gangways,
formed to correspond upon their under sides with the shape of the bottoms of
such boats.
Third, the construction of ferry boats, with covered passages for horses,
vehicles, &c., and side decks and upper decks for passengers, all arranged as
herein-before-described, and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Heather, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.