IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEATHING IRON SHIPS, CAISSONS, AND STRUCTURES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robinson Mulley, of Plymouth, in the
County of Devon, Surveyor to Lloyd's Register, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEATHING IRON SHIPS, CAISSONS, AND
STRUCTURES."
Sealed the 11th September 1863, and dated the 11th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robinson Mulley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th March 1863.
I, WILLIAM ROBINSON MULLEY, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon,
Surveyor to Lloyd's Register, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEATHING IRON SHIPS, CAISSONS, AND OTHER
LIKE STRUCTURES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in attaching metal sheathing to iron ships' bottoms,
caissons, and other like structures, as hereafter described. I take two pieces
of double I iron, of angle iron with I on one edge. I prefer the iron to be
Tth inch thick, angle flange 1 inch wide, the two T flanges together, so as to
leave inch projection on each side, I place them vertically and parallel to each
other, about 18 inches apart on the ship's side. I then introduce a length of
say, 1 inch wood sheathing, the grooves in the ends of which correspond with
the projections of the T flange formed to receive them. I fasten one of the
irons by tap screws or rivets, I then lay on the ship's skin, hair, tar, or other
suitable composition; put one end of the wood in its place, then bring the
other iron against the other end, and so on throughout. The ends of the
separate pieces of sheathing meeting on the tops of the irons, the whole presents
a surface as upon a wooden ship. I then caulk and cover it with pitch and
felt, so as to render it perfectly impervious to water.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robinson Mulley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th September 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBINSON MULLEY, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Surveyor to Lloyd's
Register, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Robinson Mulley, Her special licence that I, the said
William Robinson Mulley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Robinson Mulley, 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 SHEATHING IRON SHIPS, CAISSONS, AND OTHER
LIKE STRUCTURES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Robinson Mulley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Robinson Mulley, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
iron ships' bottoms,
My Invention consists in attaching metal sheathing to
caissons, and other like structures, as hereafter described. I take two pieces
of angle iron with I on one edge. I prefer the iron to be in. thick, angle
flange 1 in. wide, the two T flanges together 1 in., so as to leave about in.
projection on each side. I place them vertically and parallel to each other
about 18 ins. apart on the ship's side; I then introduce a length of, say, 1 in.
wood sheathing (between or immediately behind the frames, using a portion

page_text: of their rivets to fasten them on), the grooves in the ends of which correspond
with the projections of the T flange formed to receive them. I fasten one of
the irons by tap screws or rivets; I then lay on the ship's skin, hair, and tar,
or any other suitable composition, put one end of the wood in its place, then
bring the other iron against the other end, always with the flange outwards,
and so on throughout. The ends of the separate pieces of sheathing meeting
on the tops of the irons, the whole presents a surface as upon a wooden ship.
I then caulk it and cover it with pitch and felt, so as to render it perfectly
impervious to water.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front view with parts removed,
and Figure 2 a horizontal section of a portion of a ship's. side sheathed
according to my Invention.
A is the skin of the ship; B, B, are irons of I shape, placed parallel or
otherwise, as may be convenient to each other on the ship's side; C, C, are
lengths of wood sheathing the grooves, in the ends of which correspond, as
shewn, with the flanges of the irons B, B. I fasten one of the irons B by tap
screws or rivets; I then lay on the ship's skin, hair, and tar, orother suitable
composition, put the wood C in its place, one end thereof fitting against the
iron, then bring another iron B against the other end, and so on throughout.
I then, as before stated, caulk the whole and cover it with pitch or marine glue
and felt, so as to render it perfectly impervious to water. I next apply
copper or other metal sheathing D in the ordinary manner of applying metal
sheathing to a wooden ship. The metal sheathing should be carried up to the
load water line, and the wood sheathing C two or three strakes higher.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim sheathing iron
ships, caissons, and other like structures, substantially in manner herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robinson Mulley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three.
W. R. MULLEY. (L.S.)