AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION FOR FLOATING VES- SELS, HAVING FOR ITS OBJECT THE RENDERING THEM SAFE MEANS OF TRANSIT
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Hyde Astley, of Stratford, in the County
of Essex, Gentleman, and John Figgins Stephens, of De Beauvoir
Square, Kingsland, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION FOR FLOATING VES-
SELS, HAVING FOR ITS OBJECT THE RENDERING THEM SAFE MEANS OF
TRANSIT."
Sealed the 30th March 1853, and dated the 2nd October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Hyde Astley
and John Figgins Stephens at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 2nd October 1852.
We, PETER HYDE ASTLEY and JOHN FIGGINS STEPHENS, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUC-
TION FOR FLOATING VESSELS, HAVING FOR ITS OBJECT THE RENDERING THEM
SAFE MEANS OF TRANSIT," to be as follows, viz.:-
Our Invention consists in or has reference to the construction of
floating vessels in such manner as to increase the buoyancy and floating
power thereof, and also giving them firm hold upon the water, in order
to prevent their being overturned or sunk.
The above is effected by the following change in the construction of
vessels, namely, instead of the bottoms thereof being formed in the
ordinary manner, the same are to have the form of hollow cones or

page_text: Any suitable means of exhausting the air contained in the cone or
conic cavity may be adopted, in, connection with this Invention.
By the above arrangements the vessel will be rendered a much more
safe means of transit, more especially for the preservation of human life.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Hyde Astley and John Figgins, Stephens
in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 2nd April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
Peter Hyde Astley, of Stratford, in the County of Essex, Gentleman,
and John Figgins Stephens, of De Beauvoir Square, Kingsland, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did,. for Herself, Her. heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Peter. John. Hyde Astley and John Figgins
Stephens, Her special licence that we, the said Peter John Hyde Astley
and John Figgins Stephens, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Peter Hyde Astley and John Figgins
Stephens, our 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 AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION FOR FLOATING VESSELS, HAVING
FOR ITS OBJECT THE RENDERING THEM SAPE MEANS OF TRANSIT," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Peter Hyde Astley and
John Figgins Stephens, by an instrument in writing-under, our hands

page_text: and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Peter Hyde Astley and John
Figgins Stephens, do hereby declare the nature of our, said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
The nature of our Invention consists in or has reference to the con-
struction of floating vessels in such manner as to increase the buoyancy
and floating power thereof, and also giving them firm hold upon the
water, in order to prevent their being overturned or sunk. The above
is effected by the following change in the construction of vessels,
namely, instead of the bottom of a vessel being formed in the ordinary
manner, the same is to have the form of a hollow conic cavity or of an
inverted trough (that is; a trough having its opening at bottom, and
towards the water), such trough being most suitable when made to
decrease in width from amidship to the steni and stern. The conic
cavity to have its base more or less open to the water, and its top
should be situateil near the middle of the vessel or thereabouts, or
several conic cavities or inverted troughs may be adopted instead of
one for each vessel; and any suitable and known means of exhausting
or compressing the air contained in the conic cavity or inverted trough
when on the water may be adopted in connection with the Invention.
By the above arrangements the vessel will be rendered a much more safe
means of transit, more especially as regards the preservation of human life.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, we now
proceed to describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to be
performed, wherein we shall refer to the Drawings hereto annexed, and
forming part hereof, by the words, figures, and letters following (that is
to say):
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Drawing No 1, Fig. 1, side elevation of a boat or vessel constructed
according to our said Invention.
ــخـ
1
1

page_text: Drawing No 2, Fig. 3, exhibits a longitudinal section taken at the
line A, B, in Fig. 5, of a boat or vessel constructed according to our
said Invention.
Fig. 4, midship section thereof, taken at the line C, D, in Fig. 5.
This shews the transverse sectional form of the conic cavity or trough,
which, it will be obvious by referring to Fig. 3, is the same throughout
its length, except that its area gradually diminishes from the midship
section the nearer it approaches the stem or stern.
Drawing No 3, Fig. 5, a top plan view of the said boat or vessel,
shewing the interior thereof, and the arrangement of the fittings in
regard to the said conic cavity or trough, the exterior of the top of
which is shewn in this Figure.
Drawing No 4, Fig. 6, a bottom plan or view of a boat or vessel
turned bottom upwards, shewing the base or opening of the conic
cavity or trough, which is towards or in the water when in use.
Boats or vessels constructed according to our said Invention being
in many points of construction and general appearance similar to the
boats or vessels ordinarily in use, as will be readily perceived upon
examination of the accompanying illustrative Drawings, it will be
unnecessary to describe anything more than the points of difference
between ordinary boats or vessels and those constructed according to
our said Invention.
Throughout the said Drawings a, denotes the conic cavity or inverted
trough aforesaid introduced into the construction of a boat or vessel
(the class of vessel adopted for representation is that of a ship's boat,
being that, together with life boats, to which the said Invention may be
most usefully applied). This conic cavity or inverted trough it will be
seen is open to the water at the base, and rises up into the hull of the
vessel, of which it forms an integral part.
The various Figures in the Drawings, as aforesaid, shew the parts
and fittings of the vessel or boat, suitably arranged with regard to the
said conic cavity, so as to occupy as little space in the interior of the
boat or vessel as possibly may be.
In constructing a boat or vessel according to the said Invention, the
conic cavity or inverted trough may be formed either of metal or a
double planking of wood clamped together transversely or diagonally,

page_text: with an interlining of waterproof felt, indian-rubber, or gutta percha,
so as to ensure its being air and water tight.
Although we have shewn by the said Drawings a conic cavity or
inverted trough closed in at top, we might in some cases place a
valve of any known and suitable construction, and connect it with any
known and suitable air or pneumatic apparatus, whereby to exhaust air
from the interior of such conic cavity or inverted trough, the object
being to cause the water to rise up therein, and give the boat or vessel
the utmost hold upon the water; or we make use of such valve as
aforesaid to apply the connected pneumatic apparatus to compress the
air in such conic cavity or inverted trough, whereby the same will
obtain great buoyant power. We might also use a different shaped
cavity or inverted trough, provided it is open to the water at its base,
or differently placed or arranged in the vessel; or we might use two
or more conic cavities or inverted troughs placed in suitable positions ;
or we might place one cavity or inverted trough within the other, the
spaces between each being closed in at bottom, and made air spaces, or
filled with materials of less specific gravity than the water.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we do not claim
the constructing of a vessel with more than one keel, or with a water
channel between the keels; what we do claim being the Invention, the
nature and character whereof is herein-before particularly described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Peter Hyde Astley and John
Figgins Stephens, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
PETER HYDE ASTLEY.
(L.S.)
JOHN FIGGINS STEPHENS. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed in the presence of
F. W. CAMPIN,
Patent Agent, Strand.