DISCHARGING WATER FROM THE HOLD OF A NAVIGABLE VESSEL
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nehemiah Hodge, of North Adams, of the
State of Massachusetts and United States of America, for the
Invention of "DISCHARGING WATER FROM THE HOLD OF A NAVIGABLE
VESSEL."
Sealed the 21st January 1853, and dated the 3rd November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nehemiah Hodge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,.
on the 3rd November 1852.
I, NEHEMIAH HODGE, of North Adams, of the State of Massachusetts
and United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "DISCHARGING WATER FROM THE HOLD OF A NAVIGABLE
VESSEL" to be as follows:-
It consists in a combination or system of two series of chambers,
connecting pipes, discharging pipe, receiving hole or orifice, and venti-
lating pipes, or mechanical equivalents, so arranged, connected, and
applied to or within the hold of a ship or navigable vessel that by the
rolling or pitching movements of the vessel when at sea they will be
made to elevate water from the hold, and discharge it on the deck of

page_text: the vessel or into the sca. The chambers of each series are arranged
one above the other, and one series is placed in one part of the hold,
while those of the other series are disposed in an opposite part thereof;
that is to say, one may be placed near the bow, while the other may be
placed near the stern. Through the upper part of the side of the
lowest chamber of each of the series one or more openings are made,
and from out of the lower part of the said chamber a pipe is carried
and made to extend to and open into the upper part of that chamber
of the other series, which has its bottom arranged on a level with the
top of the first-named chamber of the first series. Each chamber of
each of the said two series is to be similarly connected with that
chamber (of the other series) which is placed next above its level, and
this by a pipe leading out of the first chamber at or near its bottom,
and into the second chamber at or near its top. Each of the upper
chambers of the two series has a pipe leading out of it near its bottom
and towards the opposite series of chambers, and carried upward above
the said series of chambers. To the upper end of the said pipe a dis-
charging mouth is applied. Each chamber has one or more ventilating
pipes applied to it so as to open out of its upper part, and rise and open
above it nearly or quite on a level with the top of the chamber next
show it
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Nehemiah Hodge in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
NEHEMIAH HODGE, of North Adams, of the State of Massachusetts and
United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Iler reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Nehemiah Hodge, Her special licenso
that I, the said Nehemiah Hodge, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, or such others as I, the said Nehemiah Hodge, my execu-
tors, 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, the Isle of Man, an Invention for ")
"DIECHARGING
WATER FROM THE HOLD OF A NAVIGABLE VESSEL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Nehemiah Hodge, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Scal
Patent Office within six calender months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Nehemiah Hodge, do hereby
declare that the following, taken in connection with the accompanying
Drawings, is a complete Specification of my said Invention, setting
forth the nature thereof, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed:
Of the said Drawings, Figure 1, denotes a longitudinal section of a
navigable vessel, and my Invention as applied thereto. Figure 2, is a
vertical and longitudinal section of the said Invention. Figure 3, is a
transverse and central section of it. Figure 4, is a cross section taken
down through the ventilators of one series of its water chambers.
In opposite parts of the hold of a ship or navigable vessel, that is to
say, at or near the bow and stern or other parts, I arrange two series of
chambers or close cisterns, as seen at A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, H, I,
K, L, M, in Figures 1, and 2. I do not confine my Invention to any
particular number of such chambers in each series, so long as I make
use of such number as shall answer the purpose. The chambers of each
series I arrange the one above the other. Through the upper part of
the side of the lowest chamber of one of the series of theso chambers,
viz., the chamber A, I make one or more openings or holes. a, and
from out of the lower part of the said chamber A, a pipe b,.is to be
carried, and made to extend to and open into the upper part of the
chamber H, of the other series, such chamber.H, being arranged with

page_text: its bottom on or about on a level with the top of the chamber A.
Out of the side of the chamber H, and close down to the bottom of it,
another pipe c, is made to open, and to pass towards and open into the
upper part of the chamber C, or that chamber which in the next series
is situated next above the chamber from the lower part of which the
pipe is led. So with regard to all the chambers. Each chamber of cach
of the said series is to be connected with that chamber of the other
series which is placed next above its level, and this by a pipe leading
out of the first chamber at or near its bottom, and into the second
chamber at or near its top. Each of the upper chambers F, and M,
has a pipe e, or f, leading out of it near its bottom and towards the oppo-
site series of chambers, and carried upwards to some distance above the
said series of chambers, as seen in the Drawings. The said pipe has a
discharging mouth g, or h, applied to its upper end. To cach chamber
one or more ventilating pipes i, is applied, so as to open out of its
upper part, and to rise and open above it nearly or quite on a level
with the top of the chamber next above it, as seen in the Drawings;
the object of such ventilating pipes being to allow air to flow into or
out of their respective chambers without loss of water through such
pipes, and so as to enable the apparatus to perform its functions without
interruption. The opening mouths g, h, should extend above the deck
of the hold or vessel.
During the plunging or rolling motions of the vessel the apparatus
above described will be so thrown out of level that while one series of
chambers are at one moment elevated above the level of the other
series, at another or the next moment the latter series will be raised
above the level of the former. This being the case it will be seen
that when the chamber A, is depressed so as to carry the hole a,
below the level of the water in the hold of the vessel, the said water
will run into the said chamber. Also that when the said chamber A,
is raised by the movement of the vessel above the level of the water
and that of the chamber II, water will run from the chamber A,
through the pipe b, and be discharged by the mere power of gravity
into the chamber H. During the next roll of the vessel in an
opposite direction the chamber H, will be so elevated above the

page_text: chamber C, that this water will run from the chamber II, through
their connecting pipe, aud into the chamber C. During the next
roll or pitch of the vessel such water passes from the chamber C,
into the chamber K. During the next roll in an opposite direction the
elevation of the chamber K, and consequent depression of the chamber
E, causes the said water to flow from the chamber K, into the chamber
E. During the next roll or pitch the water in a like manner will pass
from the chamber E, into the chamber M. During the next roll in an
opposite direction it passes from the chamber M, through the pipe f,
aud is discharged out of its mouth, and upon the deck or into the son.
In regard to the remaining chambers, the lowest one, viz., G, has an
opening m, made through its side near its top, such opening being to
allow water from the hold to pass into it during the rocking or plunging
movements of the vessel. Such water, during the succeeding move-
ments of the vessel, will be caused to flow from the chanıber B, into
the chamber I, and from the chamber I, into the chamber D, and from
the chamber D, into the chamber I, and from the chamber L, into the
chamber F, and, finally, from the said chamber through the pipe e, and
is discharged out of the mouth of the same. Thus water will be taken
from the hold of the vessel, and by the reciprocating rocking or pitching
movements of the vessel and the action of gravity be elevated up to
and be discharged upon the deck, from which it may run through the
scuppers and into the sea.
An apparatus to produce this effect would thus be made to consist of
a system and arrangement of vessels A, H, C, K, E, M, or G, B, I, D,
L, F, and connecting pipes, discharging pipe, and opening into the
lower vessel, and ventilating pipes, as described. Two systems may be
combined, as seen in the Drawings.
It matters not what may be the number of chambers in each series of
the two belonging to the system. This must be left to circumstances, nor
does it matter in what part of a vessel the system is arranged; that is to
say, whether it be made to extend longitudinally or transversely across
the hold, the reciprocating movements of the vessel, combined with the
action of gravity, will produce the elevation and discharge of water
essentially as above stated.

page_text: I do not intend to confine my Invention to the precise form or forms
of its parts, as above described, or as represented, but intend to vary
the same or any of the same in any manner, while I do not change the
principle or novel feature or character claimed as new, or as my said
Invention.
If each tube that connects a chamber of one series with a higher
one of the other, instead of being made to enter into the upper part of
the highest chamber of the two, is made to enter into the lower part of
the said higher chamber, and is provided with a valve opening into the
chamber, the apparatus will operate when under very slight rolling or
pitching of the vessel, as will be readily seen.
What I claim as my Invention is, the combination of a system of
two series of chambers, connecting pipes, discharging pipe, receiving
hole or orifice, and ventilating pipes or mechanical equivalents, as
arranged, connected, applied to the hold of a navigable vessel, and
made to operate during the rolling or pitching movements thereof,
substantially in manner and for the purpose of elevating and discharging
water therefrom, as herein above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nehemiah Hodge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
JOEL BACON.
NEHEMIAH HODGE. (L.B.)