IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM
AND OTHER VESSELS."-A communication from abroad by William Mont-
gomery Storm, of New York City, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 5th May 1863, and dated the 1st December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st December 1862.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery. Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM
AND OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of vessels of war and other ships
by covering the framing with a material that will form perfectly water-tight
joints, present great resistance to, and will not splinter by the concussion of,
shot or shell, and will withal be materially lighter than plate iron. To prepare
this plating or covering material, take the commonest paper pulp, such as

page_text: that of the cheapest straw board, mix it with thin marine glue, which is
insoluble in water and unchangeable by time or temperature, (or any other
gum or resin suitable,) and compress the compound in moulds to form sheets
or slabs, say, ten feet square and one foot thick, until it attains the hardness
of oak, or even a greater degree of hardness. Before the sheets or slabs are
dry and set they are to be twisted to the forms required to suit the various
parts of the hull. Thus provided with suitably shaped slabs, the shell, skin,
or covering of the ships may be rapidly built up, two or more thicknesses of
the sheets or slabs being used the one to overlie the other and break joints in
all ways. These layers of covering material ȧré to be bolted and. glued together
to make a firm compact mass.
sweat,"
It will be readily understood that ships thus constructed will never
an important advantage as respects the health of a crew, and great buoyancy
will result, the material used being lighter than water, these improved ships will
form life-boats on a huge scale.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents; 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND OTHER
VESSELS," being a communication to me from abroad by William Mont-
gomery Storm, of New York City, in the United States of America, upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an
instrument in writing 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates to the construction of vessels of war and other ships by covering the
framing with a material that will form perfectly water-tight joints, present
great resistance to, and will not splinter by the concussion of, shot or shell, and
will withal be materially lighter than plate iron.
The following is the mode of preparing this plating or covering material :-
Take the commonest paper pulp, such as that of the cheapest straw board,
mix it with a thin solution of marine glue, which is insoluble in water and
unchangeable by time or temperature, or with any other gum or resin suitable
for insuring the firm adhesion of the pulp fibres, and compress the compound
in moulds to form sheets or slabs, say, ten feet square and one foot thick, until
it attains the hardness of oak or even a greater degree of hardness. Before
the sheets or slabs are dry and set, they are to be twisted to the forms required
to suit the various parts of the hull. Thus provided with suitably shaped slabs,
the shell, skin, or covering of the ship may be rapidly built up, two or more
thicknesses of the sheets or slabs being used, the one to overlap the other and
break joints in all ways. These layers of covering material are to be both
bolted and glued together to make a firm compact mass. To facilitate the
bolting together of the sheets and the securing of the same where necessary to
the ship's framing, it may be desirable to mould the sheets with bolt holes,
thus saving the trouble of boreing or punching out the holes.
It will be readily understood that ships thus constructed will never "sweat,"
an important advantage as respects the health of a crew, and as great buoyancy
will result from this construction of hull, the material used being lighter than
water, these improved ships will form life-boats on a huge scale.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Steam and other Vessels," as communicated to me from abroad,
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be

page_text: understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim
constructing the hulls of steam and other vessels, in the manner above.
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the First day of June, in the year of our Lord 5
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
.A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)