IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEATHING SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1849

page_text: GRANTHAM, of Liverpool, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth day of July
(One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine), in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Grantham, my exors, adññors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Grantham, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Grantham, my
exors, adññiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of, and in the Islands of
Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEATHING SHIPS AND
VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said
John Grantham, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Grantham, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
'ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had

page_text: thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of so applying copper or other metal sheathing to
iron ships, that such copper or other sheathing shall be affixed to an interposed
sheathing or coating of material, not a conductor of electricity, between the
iron vessel and such metal sheathing.
Secondly, my Invention consists of the employment of external ribs or
projections for the purpose of fixing wood or other sheathing to iron ships.
And, thirdly, my Invention consists of an arrangement of apparatus for
employing hot blast to heat the bottoms of ships when sheathing the same or
preparing therefor.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
Figure 1 shews a plan of part of the side of an iron ship or vessel, having
means of applying sheathing according to the first and second parts of my
Invention Figure 2 shows an external elevation of the side of an iron ship or
vessel partly sheathed; and Figure 3 shows a vertical section of Figure 2.
In these Figures the same letters are used to indicate the same parts.
The first object I have in view in sheathing iron ships and vessels with non-
conducting matter, such as wood or gutta percha, or compounds of gutta
percha or other matter, is to obtain a means of affixing thereon sheathing of
copper or other metal in a manner not to have any conductive communication
between the iron of the vessel and the copper or other sheathing; but such
sheathing of wood, or of gutta percha, or compounds of gutta percha or other
matter, when applied as hereafter explained, by the aid of external ribs or
projections, will be advantageous, without reference to the further sheathing
with metal. In building iron ships or vessels I prefer that the external ribs
or projections a, a, may be so applied as to cover the vertical joints of the
sheets or plates of iron, and then to use angle iron or other bars B on the
inside; but when sheathing iron ships or vessels already built, then I add and
affix suitable ribs or projections a to the outside of the ship or vessel. The
reason for my preferring to use ribs of the section shown at a, a, is that, when
the iron plates or sheets are rivetted thereto, there will be dovetailed grooves
formed between the ribs or projections and the vessel, into which I force wood,
as shown at b, taking care first well to paint or coat the surface of the iron
vessel, and as far as may be to leave no space between the parts and the iron
vessel, and thus, as much as possible, prevent the iron being injured by rust;
c, c, is wood sheathing fixed to the parts b, b; and it is important that if metal
fastenings be used, that they should not pass through b and c, so as to come

page_text: in contact with the iron of which the ship or vessel is constructed; and the
fastenings used for the copper or other metal sheathing should not be of a
length to pass through the sheathing c, c; by this means copper or other metal
sheathing may be applied, without any conducting communication between it
and the iron of which the ship or vessel is constructed.
I have not thought it necessary to give any directions as to the caulking
of the joints of the parts b, c, as the same may be done in the ordinary
manner, but great care is to be taken that there shall not be any spaces left
or passages for the water to enter. I would state that, although I prefer the
section of ribs or projections a to be that shewn, I do not confine myself
thereto, as others may be used; and it is not essential that they should in all
cases be of iron, nor that they should be fixed in the direction shown; so long
as suitable projections or ribs be employed to aid in the fixing of sheathing
to iron ships or vessels; the same will be according to the second part of my
Invention. And I would state, that in respect to the first part of my Inven-
tion it is not essential that the outside ribs or projections should be employed
so long as wood, gutta percha, or compounds thereof, or other nonconducting
sheathing or coating, be employed, and fixed by cementing or melting, or in
such manner that the metal fastenings for fixing the copper or other metal
sheathing will not pass through or come in metallic communication with the
iron of which the ship or vessel is constructed.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which consists of
constructing and employing an apparatus or machine on wheels for obtaining
hot blast, and I call it a portable hot blast machine for ship builders.
Figure 4 is a plan, Figure 5 is a side view, Figure 6, a longitudinal section,
and Figure 7 an end view, of this machine for warming and drying a vessel's
sides while performing any of the operations for coating them with any
adhesive material. A is a double sheet iron cylinder, at one end of which
are applied a small coke fire B and the chimney C, at the other end is
placed a small fan D, which drives air into the outer casing of the cylinder A,
and out at the pipe E, which has a moveable joint F; to this again are
attached a number of thin pipes having several joints to convey the air to
such parts as are required; a pipe G is also led from the chimney C to the
pipe E. The pipe G and chimney C have throttle valves, so that either can
be used at pleasure. H are wheels, in order that the machine may be moved
along the side of the vessel; a fire being made in the furnace B, and the fan
set in motion, a stream of hot air will be driven through the pipes at E,. and
being directed to the vessel's side will dry and warm it ready to receive
a coating, and will aid in keeping the materials in a melted state.
When

page_text: -the-fire-has-burnt clear-the-throttle valve in C may be closed, and that in the
-pipe G be opened, by which means the hot air from the furnace will mix with
the air heated in the external cylinder, and thus assist in the operation of
drying.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details, as herein explained, so long as the peculiar
character of any part of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the applying copper or other metal sheathing to iron ships or vessels
by interposing sheathing or coating of a material not a conductor of
electricity.
Secondly, I claim the applying external ribs or projections to ships or
vessels for the purpose of facilitating the affixing of wood or other sheathing.
And, thirdly, I claim the arrangement or combination of mechanical parts
into a machine for applying hot blast to the sides of a ship or vessel to
I facilitate the application of sheathing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Grantham, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.