IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND IN MATERIALS FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF IRON SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND IN STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MAC-
GREGOR LAIRD, of Birkenhead, Gentleman, 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 Nineteenth day
of January, One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the thirteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Macgregor Laird, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Macgregor Laird, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said Macgregor Laird, my exors, aditiors, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC SHIPS OR
VESSELS, AND IN MATERIALS FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF IRON SHIPS OR VESSELS,
AND IN STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that I, the said Macgregor Laird, should 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 said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters

page_text: 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
Macgregor Laird, 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 ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists of improvements in constructing ships and other
vessels of sheets of corrugated metal, and in applying hollow trough-like
sheet metal for frames or parts of frames of ships or vessels constructed of
sheet metal.
Secondly, my Invention consists of building metal vessels or boats in
sections, with internal flanches, and also so as with facility to arrange more or
less of such sections into a larger or smaller boat, according to the number of
sections at any time used.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of coating decks of ships or vessels, formed
or partly formed of metal, with asphalte. 'And,
Fourthly, my Invention consists of improvements in the construction of
metal vessels or boats, to render the same more suitable for carrying oil,
grain, or other matters in bulk.
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.
I would state in respect to the first part of my Invention that it has before
been proposed to employ corrugated metal in the construction of ships and
other vessels in order to obtain the greater stiffness of metal. In one case,
the corrugated metal was sheathed externally with flat or plain sheet metal,
in order that the sides of the ships or vessels when so using corrugated metal
should be flush; and another mode, which has heretofore been proposed, has
been to make boats or such like vessels, by causing the sheets of metal to be bent S
in concave and convex moulds in such manner that the act of bending or cor-
rugating from a flat surface to the contour of the vessel or part of a vessel
should take those
цр parts of the metal not necessary to the contour of the boat
or vessel, in which latter case the corrugations would not be regular at different
parts. Now, according to my Invention, I employ corrugated metal for the s
external surfaces of ships or vessels, causing the corrugations to run longi-.
tudinally at the sides of the ships or vessels in a direction from stem to stern.
In constructing ships or vessels according to this part of my Invention, the
frames, when any are used, may be made with angle iron or other bars as
heretofore, and the plates of corrugated iron may be caused to form butt 4

page_text: or lap joints, as when using plain or flat sheets of metal, the corrugations in
the several sheets where they come together being similar in form and
distance apart; and in order to employ sheets with like corrugations from stern
to stern of a boat or vessel, as the plates approach the stem or stern I cause
the edges of the plates to be cut off, in which case the size and form of
corrugations will be the same from end to end of a boat or vessel; or in place
thereof I can cause the plates to be formed by hammering them on or into a
mould, or by rollers, so as to produce corrugations in such manner as to cause
them to decrease regularly from the widest corrugation up to nothing at the
bow. And I also in like manner prepare plates with corrugations as they
approach the stern, the object being to obtain lightness with great stiffness of
construction, and more cheaply and readily than when employing corrugated
plates, every part of the corrugations of which differs from all other parts
thereof, by using concave and convex moulds for every form of boat or vessel,
and for every form of corrugation required, and which convex and concave
moulds heretofore have been considered necessary for the preparation of sheets
of metal for every part of a vessel's sides when building boats or vessels
formed externally of corrugated metal; whereas, according to this part of my
Invention, plates of ordinary corrugated metal, wherein the corrugations are
similar in form and parallel to each other, may run from stem to stern of a
vessel, or such corrugated plates of metal may for the most part be
used, the stem and stern only having plates corrugated with tapering
corrugations regularly decreasing near the stem and stern of a vessel, from
the largest form of corrugation used to the sides to no corrugations
at the stem or stern. And another improvement in building ships or
vessels consists of employing as framing hollow sheet metal to obtain
stiffness with lightness. For this purpose, supposing I wish to give strength
to a ship or vessel (constructed of ordinary sheet metal) in a direction
fore and aft, then I employ either externally or internally sheet metal
frames, each bent into a hollow or trough-like form, with flanches on either
side, and I fix such trough-like framings at intervals apart, by riveting them
to the sheet metal sides, so that they will appear, when outside of a
ship or vessel, like so many projecting convex streaks running fore and aft of
the ship or vessel, or the same may be fixed on the interior of the sheet metal
sides, or such hollow framings may be used inside in place of angle iron or
other bars, and constitute the main framing of the vessel, and have the sheets
of metal rivetted thereto. By this arrangement, in addition to the advantage
of obtaining great stiffness and stability with lightness, as the spaces between
the sheet metal sides and the hollow framing will be enclosed, they will
herefore aid in buoying up the ship or vessel. I would state in respect to

page_text: metal shipbuilding, that I believe in most cases it is advantageous to employ
sheet iron coated with zinc.
In regard to the second part of my Invention I would state, many iron
vessels have been constructed in this country and sent out in parts to
India and other places, but such parts have had to be put together by
rivetting the ends of the plate of which the parts are composed, hence
requiring skilled workmen to be sent out to put the parts together. Now,
according to this part of my Invention, I build boats or vessels in sections
with internal flanges in such manner that they may go together by screw bolts
and nuts or otherwise, so that common or unskilled labour may be employed
abroad to put the parts together; and this part of my Invention also consists
of building boats or vessels in sections or parts, each part having two bulk-
heads or ends, and in such manner that more or less of such sections may be
used in composing a boat at any time depending on the service such a boat
migh for the time being be required to be employed on.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews the plan of a boat; Figure 2 a longitudinal section thereof;
Figure 3 shews a section taken at A, A; and Figure 4 another section on a
larger scale. This boat or vessel is made in eight sections, but the number of
sections of which a boat or vessel may be composed may be varied. The
internal flanches are to be prepared with corresponding holes for receiving
screw bolts, which I believe will be found the most convenient means of
putting such sections together, using vulcanized india rubber or other suitable
matter at the joints to make them water-tight when drawn together by screw
bolts and nuts; by this mode of building metal vessels or boats, the same may
be in section which will admit of close stowage, and may be readily transported
and great expence saved, as the most ordinary labour will be sufficient to put
the parts together.
Figure 5 shews a plan, and Figure 6 a section of a steam boat or other
vessel consisting of eleven sections or parts (which number may however be
varied), each part or section having a bulkhead or flanch, and these come
together and are joined by screws and nuts.
Figure 7 shows a side view of a boat constructed of two sections. Figure
8 shows a longitudinal section of the same boat, having between the stem and
stern sections or parts two midship sections or parts of a boat introduced,
which are shewn separately at Figure 9, and more or less midship sections
or parts may be introduced, according to the service in which such a boat or
vessel may be about to be employed, the size of the boat being readily changed
from time to time according to the requirement for the time being. Each

page_text: section or part of the boat or vessel is to be formed with bulkheads or ends,
with convenience for connecting the same by screws and nuts, or other suitable
means of connection. By this part of my Invention emigrant and other ships
may carry boats of very large dimensions and yet allow of ready stowage, by
reason of the same being readily taken to pieces.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which consists of
rendering a deck of a ship or vessel made of iron flush means of asphalte.
I prefer, in carrying out this part of my Invention, to form the decks with
corrugated iron, and I fill the corrugations, and render the whole flush,
with asphalte, and such is also the case with regard to decks made with
sheets of uncorrugated metal.
I will now describe the fourth part of my Invention. Figure 10 shows a
plan, and Figure 11 a section of what I call a tank ship for carrying oil
or grain or other matter in bulk more safely and conveniently, and consists
in building such metal ships or vessels with longitudinal close or tight
bulkheads upon the line of the keel, to give longitudinal stiffness to the
vessel, and it prevents the cargo shifting; and I build such vessels with
several transverse bulkheads, by which a vessel would be divided as it
were into numerous tanks or separate vessels or chambers which may have
Gommunication with each other, such as by manholes or otherwise readily
capable of being closed.
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 described, but what I claim are, the
improved means of constructing ships or vessels by employing corrugated
metal, as herein explained; and also the employment of, hollow sheet metal
framing, as explained.
Secondly, I claim the building of metal vessels or boats in section with
internal flanches, and also so as with facility to arrange more or less sections
into larger or smaller boats or vessels.
Thirdly, I claim the coating decks of vessels made, or partly made, of metal
with asphalte. And,
Fourthly, I claim the improvements herein described in respect to building
ships or vessels with longitudinal and transverse bulkheads, to facilitate the
carrying cargo in bulk.
In witness whereof, I, the said Macgregor Laird, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
MACGREGOR (L.S.) LAIRD.

page_text: In the Matter of a Patent granted to MACGREGOR LAIRD, of
Birkenhead, Gentleman, for his Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND IN MATERIALS
FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF IRON SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND IN
STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS;" bearing date at Westminster, the
Nineteenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty.
DISCLAIMER proposed to be entered by the said Macgregor Laird,
with the Clerk of the Patents of England pursuant to an Act passed in
the fifth and sixth years of the reign of His late Majesty King William
the Fourth, intituled "An Act to amend the Law touching Letters
Patent for Inventions."
I, the said Macgregor Laird, do declare that, since I obtained the said
Letters Patent I have not been able in the time allowed to mature such parts
of the Invention which were intended to have been described under that part
of the title which is contained in the following words, "and in materials for
coating the bottoms of iron ships or vessels, and in steering ships or vessels,"
for which reason I am desirous and do hereby disclaim all that part of the
title which is contained in the following words, "and in materials for coating
"the bottoms of iron ships or vessels, and steering ships or vessels."
In witness whereof, I, the said Macgregor Laird, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
To the Clerks of the Patents of England.
This is to certify that Macgregor Laird, of Birkenhead, has applied to me
for leave to file with you the above-written Disclaimer of part of the title of
a certain Invention for which Letters Patent were duly granted to him under
the Great Seal, dated the 19th day of January, 1850. I have accordingly
considered the said application, and no objection having been made thereto,
I have accordingly granted leave to the said Magregor Laird to file his said

page_text: Disclaimer, pursuant to the Statute passed in the 6th year of the reign of His
late Majesty, entitled An Act to amend the Law touching Letters Patent
for Inventions.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid Macgregor Laird came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.