A CERTAIN METHOD OR CERTAIN METHODS OF ABATING OR LESSENING THE SHOCK OR FORCE OF THE WAVES OF THE OCEAN, LAKES, OR RIVERS, AND OF. REDUCING THEM TO THE COMPARATIVELY HARMLESS STATE KNOWN BY THE TERM OF BROKEN WATER,' AND THEREBY PREVENT- ING THE INJURY DONE TO AND INCREASING THE DURABILITY OF BREAKWATERS, MOLE HEADS, PIERS, FORTIFICATIONS, LIGHTHOUSES, DOCKS, WHARFS, LANDING PLACES, EMBANKMENTS, BRIDGES, OR PONTOON BRIDGES, AND ALSO OF ADDING TO THE SECURITY AND DEFENCE OF HARBORS, ROADSTEADS, ANCHORAGES, AND OTHER PLACES EXPOSED TO THE VIOLENT ACTION OF. THE WAVES
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
.NEEDHAM TAYLER, of Red Lion Square, Bloomsbury, in the County of
Middlesex, a Captain in the Royal Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Second day of July, in the second year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph
Needham Tayler, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Joseph Needham Tayler, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Needham Tayler, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and 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 "A CERTAIN METHOD
OR CERTAIN METHODS OF ABATING OR LESSENING THE SHOCK OR FORCE OF THE WAVES
OF THE OCEAN, LAKES, OR RIVERS, AND OF. REDUCING THEM TO THE COMPARATIVELY
HARMLESS STATE KNOWN BY THE TERM OF BROKEN WATER,' AND THEREBY PREVENT-
ING THE INJURY DONE TO AND INCREASING THE DURABILITY OF BREAKWATERS, MOLE
HEADS, PIERS, FORTIFICATIONS, LIGHTHOUSES, DOCKS, WHARFS, LANDING PLACES,
EMBANKMENTS, BRIDGES, OR PONTOON BRIDGES, AND ALSO OF ADDING TO THE
SECURITY AND DEFENCE OF HARBORS, ROADSTEADS, ANCHORAGES, AND OTHER PLACES
EXPOSED TO THE VIOLENT ACTION OF. THE WAVES;" in which said Letters Patent

page_text: is contained. a proviso that I, the said Joseph Needham Tayler, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, 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
Joseph Needham Tayler, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
the following description (that is to say):-
In abating or lessening the mischiefs arising from the shock or force of the
waves of the ocean, lakes, or rivers, and reducing them to the comparatively harm-
less state of "broken water," instead of opposing to them, as usual, a solid fixed
resistance, I employ "yielding bodies," partly floating in the water, and partly
resting and vibrating upon their keels, lying on the shores or bottom of the
ocean, lakes, or rivers, or in deep waters, entirely floating, the said yielding
bodies being likewise linked or connected together by any of the usual
and well-known methods, and the consequence is, that the waves, after
flowing over or under the said "yielding bodies," according to the circumstances,
become divided or broken, and are thus deprived of any further mischievous
action. These said "yielding bodies" constitute what I term my "floating
breakwaters," and may be formed in various ways, and built or constructed in
many different forms, and of any fit and proper material or materials, still,
however, retaining this essential principle of "yielding" to the shock of the
waves, instead of opposing them. In order, however, to afford some examples
of methods of carrying my said Invention into effect, I shall proceed to
describe the Drawings which as aforesaid are annexed to this Specification, and
in which Figure 1 is a floating cassoon or breakwater, to be used for deep water,
and, where great buoyancy will be requisite, for carrying the weight of the
necessary moorings. A, the keel; B, the dead wood or keelson; C, C, an eight
inch bottom bolted together, and the streaks next the keel are dovetailed
thereto; D is an iron strap (or staple knee) outside, and E, a similar iron
knee inside, by which the heels of the timbers S, S, are bolted and secured
through the keel and keelson; F, F, are strong fore and aft binders bolted to
the timbers S, S, in a dovetailed ör diagonal direction, and in the strongest
manner; G, G, are athwartship beams connecting the timbers S, S; H is a
small pillar under the beams; I is the keel of this floating cassoon which rests
on the athwartship beams; G, K, is the keelson; L, L, L, L, are the timbers

page_text: of the cassoon; M, M, M, M, is a four-inch red pine plank, rabbeted and
bolted edgeways; N, N, N, N, is a two-inch sheathing put on so as to break
the joints of the four-inch rabbeted plank; O is a knee worked inside, and
bolted to the heels of the casson timbers and an iron knee, and that of the
athwartship beams, and fastened as shewn in the Drawing, which secures the
keel of the cassoon in a proper and scientific manner together; P, P, are fore
and aft binders fastened in the same manner as F, F, F, F; R, R, is like a
keelson fastened to Q, Q, which represents a keel, but lying horizontally, and
is fastened together as shewn in the Drawing through the iron breast-hook
and the knee inside, and through the chocks marked T, T, T, T, between the
timbers S, S, S, S, and the five-inch rabbeted plank as shewn in the Drawing,
and thus connects and secures the middle together; V, the upper part, repre-
sents the knee of a ship laid the reverse way, and secured as shewn in the
Drawing; W is a pillar upon the beam G. Description of the inner bulk-
head at each end of the cassoon, as shown in blue ink in the section of the
cassoon when completed. The diagonal pieces marked 1, 2, are twelve inches
square, and chased in the cassoon timbers at their ends, but let in half and half
in the middle. The main upright timber marked P is tenanted like a pillar,
but in the middle there is an iron plate worked in the inside to connect the
diagonal trusses or timbers 1, 2, together. Out of the cassoon timbers
L, L, L, L, a rabbet is to be taken each way, to secure the ends of the bulk-
head planks and the athwartship planks, and when caulked and secured, as
shewn in the Drawing, will in every respect be waterproof. This floating
cassoon breakwater is eighteen feet beam and thirty-one feet deep, of which
one third floats above the surface of the water.
Figure 2 is an end view of another floating breakwater, which is composed
entirely of red pine timber, so arranged that three fourths of the quantity of
the timber will be immersed in the water, and will thereby give a buoyancy
(after carrying the top weights of ten tons to each length) of ninety-three feet
six inches. Its total altitude will be eighteen feet, it floating twelve feet
below and six feet above the surface of the water, and ten feet beam. A, A,
are the main upright timbers, eighteen feet high, twelve inches by ten inches;
B, B, B, B, the main athwartship beams, ten feet long, twelve inches by six
inches, one on each side of the uprights A, A, and halved into the same one
inch each way. The ends of all these timbers A, A, and B, B, are dovetailed
as shewn in the Drawing, and the ends of the main beams B, B, are filled
solid by six-inch dovetailed chocks. C, C, are double keels, each twelve inches
by eight inches, bolted in a dovetailed or diagonal direction to the upright
timbers A, A, which are four feet apart. These keels are ninety-three feet

page_text: six inches long, and where they are scarfed or joined there is a solid dove-
tailed chock let in between them, so as to give additional strength. D, D, is
the dead wood or keelsons running parallel with the keels, each twelve inches
deep and eight inches broad at top by four inches at bottom. E, E, E, E, are
the timbers, nine inches by six inches, stepped on the keels and keelsons, as
shewn in the Drawing. There are forty of these on each side, which will
leave them twenty-one inches apart; F, F, F, F, are fore and aft binders,.
eight inches by four inches, let in one inch into the heels of the timbers E, E,.
are bolted through the keelsons D, D, and the main upright timbers A, A.
G, G, G, G, are strong fore and aft binders eight inches square, and let into
the timbers E, E, E, E, one inch, but it will be more secure if the binders be
placed inside, and bolted together through the timbers E, E, E, E. H, H, H,
are athwartship beams or braces ten inches by five inches, one on each side of
the upright timbers A, A, being halved therein one inch each way. These
support the fore and aft binders G, G, G, G, G, G, and also the timbers
E, E, E, E. I, I, I, I, are the fore and aft shear planks, each fifteen inches
by six inches, which are bolted in a dovetailed or diagonal direction to the
main athwartship beams B, B. K, K, act as knees or braces for connecting
the upper and lower timbers E, E, E, E, together, into which they are
tenanted. They are ten inches by six inches, and are secured between the
main braces B, B, taking a bearing on the fore and aft shear planks E, E, E, E,
as shewn in the Drawing. L, L, is the line of immersion. The spaces M, M,
between the timbers E, E, and the braces K, K, are to be filled up with
chocks running fore and aft the whole length, through which the timbers E, E,
and the braces K, K, are to be bolted, for greater security, as shewn in the
Drawing. All the bolts and fastenings are shewn by dotted lines. The
floating part above the surface of the water is similar to the lower part, and
will not require further description. The whole will be secured from working
by diagonal braces from shear to shear under the floating or water line, with
the exception of light fore and aft diagonal braces above that line. Should
it be found necessary to encrease the buoyancy of this breakwater, it
will only require hollow wooden trunks made in any convenient lengths,
say from twenty to thirty feet fore and aft, as shewn by the dotted
lines at N, N; a square trunk of one foot in the clear in each side
running the entire length will give an extra buoyancy of five tons, and if
two feet square inside be equal to twenty tons. For attaching the floating
breakwater to its moorings, there are two strong iron braces, seven inches
wide, and one and a half inches thick, made in the form of a T, as
shewn by the dotted lines 0, 0, one on each side of the upright

page_text: timber A, A. These cross the tops of the dead wood or keelsons D, D, and
rest thereon, and are bolted through the timbers E, E.. A double set of these
are placed on the second or third main timbers A, A, from each end of the
breakwater, and the mooring chains are attached thereto by a five-inch bolt
passing through a shackle of sufficient strength.
I shall now describe my improved method of mooring my floating break-
waters or buoys. The present iron mooring chains, if of requisite strength,
would be so ponderous that very great buoyancy would be necessary in the
breakwater d' to float or carry them, thereby greatly increasing their expence;
without adding to their efficacy. It being admitted that straight grained
timber will bear a much greater strain or tension than an equal weight of
iron, I propose chiefly to form my moorings of the former material. For
this purpose I select clean straight grained red fir, larch, or American ash,
in twelve feet lengths. The centre piece, as shewn in Figure 3, and marked
A, A, is nine inches deep and four and a half inches thick, on each side of
which are the picces B, B, each nine inches deep and two and a quarter inches
thick, making the whole nine inches square. Between these pieces I insert
two lengths of vat hoop iron, six inches wide and one eighth of an inch thick.
These are secured at each end of the timbers, to prevent them from drawing
or working, and these two strips of iron will alone bear a strain of twenty-
four tons. These three pieces of plank or timber are united together by
square flat iron hoops E, E, E, E, E, E, which should be driven in. red hot,
in order that they may become perfectly tight by their contraction when cold.
At each end of the centre piece A, A, are three saw cuts, about two feet long.
Into the centre cuts an oak wedge D, D, is to be driven, so as to spread all
the timbers about four inches, and, thus forming a dovetail, as shown in the
Drawing. Before driving these wedges, the strong flat iron hoops E, E.
and the staples F, F, are to be placed in their respective positions, and brought
tight by the wedges. The staples F, F, are made of inch square bar iron,
two feet long, the holes or eyes two inches in diameter, to receive a bolt of
that size. They should be flush, or be let in the timbers. They are turned up
or welded double at the ends, so that they cannot be drawn from the hoops
E, E, without compressing the timbers. These moorings are shackled together.
by a link of common mooring chain, of the requisite strength, between each..
I estimate the specific gravity of these moorings (exclusive of the .connecting.
links) not to exceed twenty hundredweight above that of the water in
which they are immersed. These moorings may also be made with
solid pieces or lengths of square or round timber, shackled or joined.
together, as before described, but I prefer making them in separate.

page_text: thicknesses, with hoop iron inserted therein, for greater strength. Where
the rise or fall of the tide is considerable it will be necessary to have a certain
length of common chain to connect these moorings to the anchors or mooring
blocks, as they are never intended to strike the ground, but merely to act as
an intermediate connection between the breakwater and its fastenings.or
anchorages. For inshore protection, or where the ebb tide leaves the beach
dry for a considerable distance, I employ a similar breakwater as that described
in Drawing No. 3, but of less beam or breadth, and its altitude will depend on
the depth of water as it proceeds from the shore or the rise of the tide. To
secure it in its position, I drive a double row of strong piles in a diagonal
direction, they being four feet apart at top, and eight feet apart at their lower
ends. The heads of these piles are connected by two pieces of strong timber,
halved in each way, and securely bolted together through the pile heads.
These I run out beyond low water. They stand about two feet above the
surface of the beach, and each set are placed about twelve feet apart. In
these the breakwater rides, and it is secured therein by strong iron straps and
bolts, which hold it firmly down, but which do not prevent it from rocking or
vibrating sideways. From the top of each length of this breakwaker are two
lengths of chain or mooring carried out on each side to any convenient
distance, and they are left slack, to allow the breakwater to rock on its keel or
base, and thus yield to the force of a heavy sea.
A, A, A, A, Figure 4, is the chime piece of another floating buoy or break-
water, fifteen inches by eighteen inches, with a rabbet taken out of it, as
shewn in the Drawings. B, B, B, B, are two pieces bolted on each side of
the main piece, marked C, C, for the better security of the ends of the plank.
D is a fore-and-aft piece that crosses every floor, and is let in half and half,
and then a keelson is let down upon it, which connects the whole together in
a fore-and-aft direction. E; E, E, E, E, E, is the framework of the bottom
of the buoy, as well as of the top. F, F, are the timbers that are dovetailed
into the chime piece marked A, but are let in from the inside, and the dovetail
is not allowed any further than as shewn in the Drawing, though they them-
selves
go to the plank, as shewn in the Drawing. The four-inch plank for the
top and bottom is rabetted, and lies fore and aft, but the sheathing lies the
reverse way, and where the chain is proposed to be there must be a staple
standard; that is, where C, C, and F, F, are marked in the Drawing. From
the centre of this buoy there is a mast about twenty feet high stepped on the
deck, which is secured by shrouds and fore-and-aft stays made of round bolt
iron; and rattlings may be added thereto, to enable men to ascend for pro-
tection in case of need. For ballast I propose covering the floor timbers with

page_text: gravel or shingle, and grouting it in with asphalte or any other cement, to
prevent it from shifting, at the same time it will prevent leakage. These
buoys are to be moved by a bridle chain extending from each side of the
bottom chime piece amidships, for which purpose strong iron straps descend
from an athwartship beam on the surface of the deck into which the mast is
stepped, so that no leakage can take place in the body of the buoy from the
working of the bolts or fastenings. These bridle chains descend about twenty
feet where they are connected to the main mooring by a swivel joint; they
will thus prevent the buoy from rolling in a heavy sea. Although I have
given the sizes of the various parts, in order to assist in describing them, yet
I do not mean or intend thereby to limit or confine myself to employ those
sizes only; neither do I mean or intend to limit myself to the employment of
floating breakwaters of the forms here given, but to vary them as circum-
stances may require, still, however, retaining the essential property of
"yielding" to the shocks of the waves, instead of resisting them as usual.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Needham Tayler, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this
day of
in the year
JOSEPH NEEDHAM' (L.s.) TAYLER.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of December,
in the second year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said
Joseph Needham Tayler came before our said Lady the Queen in Her
Chancery, and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every
thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the
Instrument aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made
in the fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the
Inrolled the Twenty-eighth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-eight.