IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANDING STAGES AND IRON SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Evan Leigh, of the City of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANDING STAGES AND IRON SHIPS OR VESSELS,
Sealed the 1st November 1867, and dated the 4th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Evan Leigh at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th May
1867.
I, EVAN LEIGH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
* IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANDING STAGES AND IRON SHIPS OR
VESSELS, ALSO IN PROPELLING AND STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS GENERALLY," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a method of carrying out the Invention described
in the Specification of my Patent, dated October 30, 1861, No. 2720, so.
far as concerns conveying railway trains across narrow seas or straits, and

page_text: more especially as regards taking the trains on board, also a more simple and
cheap way of constructing safety ships generally in numerous water-tight
compartments.
As regards taking the trains on board I employ a bridge hinged to strong
joints firmly fixed to piers on the land side, in such a manner that the
centre of the joints or hinges are in exact line with the upper part of the rails
on which the trains move, the under side of which rails are slightly bevilled
off at the joints, which arrangement prevents the rails opening when the bridge
is elevated or lowered by the varying tides; the other end of the bridge is
fixed to similar joints firmly bolted to a landing stage,
Secondly, the nose or bows of the boat or raft which conveys the trains is
made to fit an indent made in the landing stage in such a manner that the
corresponding rails on the boat are brought up to those on the bridge in a
similar manner.
Thirdly, the bottom part of the indent has a step on which the nose of the
boat rests, such step is bevilled off in front to enable the boat to slide upon
it, which arrangement will compensate for any inequality of draught arising
from any extra loading that may sometimes take place, the object being to
bring together with certainty the ends of the rails on the boat or raft, and
those on the bridge or landing stage by causing the boat to depress the landing
stage a little when it slides on or be elevated itself.
Fourthly, I fix a latch or latches acted upon by springs or weights to the
landing stage, or to the sides of the dock in such a manner that when the boat
conveying the trains comes in dock these latches catch into notches formed in
the sides or bows of the boat and hold it firmly up to the rails, or the
latch or latches may be fixed to any part of the boat, and catch into notches
formed to receive them in the landing stage or dock, the object being for the
boat to fix itself by self-acting machinery as soon as it arrives in dock, so that
the trains can move off or 'on without loss of time and without danger.
The next part of this Invention relates to a cheap and rapid manner of
constructing rafts or ships for conveying trains or other purposes, in which I
prefer mainly to adhere to the mode of construction and shape of vessel shewn
in my former Patent (No. 2720, A.D. 1861), except that I make the air.
cèlls or pontoons forming the under side of the vessel of cast iron with an
adınixture of wrought iron, Bessemer steel, or other metal that will melt, so
arranged that nearly the whole can be cast from one pattern, and conveniently
bolted or rivetted together, forming a dry and safe hull easily put together or
replaced. These castings can have suitable holes either cast or drilled in them

page_text: for wood plugs to nail on an outer coating of zinc or other metal to prevent
fouling.
The fifth part of my Invention relates to ships of war, and consists in
making the iron armour plates, described in my aforesaid Patent, of chilled
cast iron or Bessemer steel, cast and chilled or partly chilled, such plates
being laid flat upon one another, as before described, except that I prefer the
chilled plates to be dovetailed one into another and cramped down so as to be
independent of bolts, or nearly so, the said plates to rest on a shelf formed by
the inner skin of the vessel and to be backed by an inner skin, so that the
partial destruction of the plates would not cause leakage.
The sixth part of my Invention relates to propelling ships, in which I use
paddle wheels with air-tight buckets instead of the usual float boards. When
these buckets dip in the water the air in the upper portion gets compressed and
assists the discharge of the water as the buckets leave it.
The seventh part of my Invention relates to an improved method of steering
ships having two helms fore and aft, as described in my aforesaid Patent dated
October 30, 1861. Instead of connecting the two helms by a cross band, as
therein described, I cause a drum or strong shaft to be fixed about the centre
of the ship, around which the ends of the chains attached to the helmis is
wound in such a manner that an equilibrium of pressure is produced; this
shaft is acted upon by a worm and wheel, the steering handle being fixed to
the worm shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Evan Leigh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EVAN
LEIGH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her,
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the, said Evan Leigh, Her special license that I, the said Evan Leigh, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Evan
Leigh, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree,

page_text: 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 THE CONSTRUC-
TION OF LANDING STAGES AND IRON SHIPS OR VESSELS, ALSO IN PROPELLING AND
STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS GENERALLY," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Evan Leigh, 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 saine 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 Evan Leigh, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Figures on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon (that is
to say)-
This Invention consists in certain improvements for effectually carrying out
the Invention described in the Specification of my Patent dated the Thirtieth
day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
one, Number 2720, so far as concerns conveying railway trains across narrow
seas or straits, and more especially as regards taking the trains on board, and
also a more simple and cheap way of constructing safety ships generally in
numerous water-tight compartments.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 an
elevation, with part in longitudinal section, of a ship or raft as moored in
dock at balf tide, suitable for conveying trains across the straits of Dover or
other narrow seas, and Fig. 3 a cross section of the ship or raft about
midships.
As regards taking the trains on board I employ a bridge a hinged to strong
joints firmly fixed to piers on the land side, in such a manner that the centre
of the joints or hinges are in exact line with the upper part of the rails c on
which the trains move. The under side of the rails are slightly bevelled off at
the joints, as shewn at d, Fig. 4, which arrangement prevents the rails
opening when the bridge is elevated or lowered by the varying tides. The
other end of the bridge is jointed to similar joints firmly bolted to a landing
stage c

page_text: Secondly, the two noses or bows of the ship or raft are of the same form,
and are made to fit an indent f formed in the landing stage in such a manner
that the corresponding rails 9 on the ship are brought up to correspond with
those on the bridge.
.'
Thirdly, the bottom part of the indent has a step i, on which the nose of
the boat rests; such step is bevelled off in front and has a roller k on it to
enable the boat to slide easily into its place, which arrangement will com-
pensate for any inequality of draught arising from any extra loading that may
sometimes take place, the object being to bring together with certainty the
ends of the rails on the ship or raft and those on the bridge or landing stage,
by causing the ship to depress the landing stage a little when it slides on or
be elevated itself.
Fourthly, I attach a latch or latches 1, Fig. 1, with springs or weights to
the landing stage or to the sides of the dock in such a manner that when
the ship conveying the trains comes in dock these latches catch into notches
formed in the sides or bows of the boat and hold it firmly up to the rails,
or the latch or latches may be fixed to any part of the ship, and catch into
notches formed to receive them in the landing stage or dock, the object
being for the ship to fix itself by self-acting arrangements as soon as it
arrives in dock, so that the trains can move off, or on without loss of time
or danger.
The fifth part of this Invention relates to a cheap and rapid manner of
constructing rafts or ships for conveying trains or for other purposes, in which
I prefer mainly to adhere to the mode of construction and shape of vessel
shewn in my former Patent Number 27201 except that I make the air cells
or pontoons forming the under side of the vessel of cast iron with an admixture.
of wrought iron, Bessemer steel, or other metal that will melt, so arranged
that nearly the whole can be cast from one pattern and conveniently bolted-or
rivetted together, forming a dry and safe hull easily put together or replaced.
Fig. 5 shews a plan of the hull with the air cells m, made of cast and wrought
iron or altogether of Bessemer steel or wrought-iron plates, the cell or honey-
comb form being adhered to as giving the greatest possible strength and
safety. Fig. 6 shews a section, and Fig. 7 a plan of the air cells as made of
oblong square hollow castings, the top and bottom apertures of which are
made up with wrought-iron plates rivetted thereon. These castings can be
held together by wrought-iron straps rivetted over the joints, or they may be
In the latter case
cast with projections at the top and bottom as shewn at n.
pieces of wood o, the depth of the projections about three inches, and of

page_text: sufficient length to stretch across, can be inserted between the bottom
projections on which can be nailed zinc plates to make a smooth bottom,
and prevent fouling, and also between the top projections for the floor or
lower deck to be fixed to. When wrought-iron straps are used to fasten
the air cells or chambers together, holes for wood plugs can be cast or
drilled in the cells or straps for the same purpose.
The sixth part of my Invention relates to ships of war, and consists in
making the iron armour plates described in my former Patent of chilled cast-
iron or Bessemer steel, cast and chilled or partly chilled, such plates being
laid flat upon one another as before described, except that I prefer the chilled
plates to be dovetailed and keyed one into another, as shewn at p, Fig. 8,
and cramped down, so as to be independent of bolts or nearly so, the said
plates to rest on a shelf q, Fig. 9, formed by the inner skin of the vessel, and
to be backed by an inner skin, so that the partial destruction of the plates
would not cause leakage.
Seventhly, my mprovements in propelling ships are represented in Figs. 10
and 11, and are also seen on a smaller scale in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Fig. 10 being
an elevation and Fig. 11 a plan. The paddle wheels are made with shrouds and
buckets like a water-wheel, except that they have closed ends like a drum
and are made water-tight. They work in sheaths or cases, and are placed
by preference inside the vessel, as shewn at r, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In boats
of light draught I bring the periphery of the wheel to the bottom of the
boat and scoop out a channel for the water to rise to any given height as
seen at s, Fig. 10. When the paddles or buckets dip in the water they
take in a certain quantity of air which gets compressed in the bottom s
of the buckets and helps to discharge the water, as the buckets leave,
giving at the same time a slight impulse or recoil in favor of propelling the
vessel forward.
The eighth part of my Invention relates to an improved method of steering
ships having two helms fore and aft as described in my said former Patent. S
This part of my Invention is shewn in plan at Fig. 5 and in elevation in
Fig. 12, in which t are the two helms fore and aft, u the drum or capstan
around which a piece of strong chain is wound at each end. In the centre
of this drum is cast a strong worm wheel acted upon by the worm w
which is keyed on the steering shaft a, which when moved operates 3
simultaneously upon the two helms, so that when the front helm is turned a
little to either side (if the ship is in motion) an immense pressure of
water comes against it, the force derived from which is transferred to the

page_text: aft helm and pulls it up on the same side against the pressure of the water,
forming an equilibrium of pressure, and causing the vessel to turn immediately
off its course.
In witness whereof, I, the said Evan Leigh, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Evan Leigh, in the
presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
EVAN LEIGH, (L.S.)