A NEW METHOD OF COMBINING TIMBERS, APPLICABLE TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF NAVAL ARCHITECTURE AND ALL PONDEROUS AND LARGE WORKS COMPOSED OF WOOD,
Year: 1795

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPHER
WILSON, late of Scarborough, in the County of York, Master Mariner, but
now of the City and Liberty of Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Christopher Wilson, did, by my Petition, humbly
represent to His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third that I
had, by long study and application, and after much trouble, labour, and
expence, found out and invented "A NEW METHOD OF COMBINING TIMBERS,
APPLICABLE TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF NAVAL ARCHITECTURE AND ALL PONDEROUS
AND LARGE WORKS COMPOSED OF WOOD," which said Invention I, the said
Christopher Wilson, conceived would be of general public utility; that 1,
the said Christopher Wilson was the first and true Inventor thereof, and that
the same was not known nor had ever been used or practiced by any other
person or persons, to the best of my knowledge and belief; I did, therefore,
most humbly pray His Majesty that he would be graciously pleased to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His Majesty's Royal
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain for the sole use, benefit,
and advantage of my said Invention within that part of His Majesty's
Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the term of fourteen years according to the
tenor Statute in that case made and provided; His said Majesty being willing
to give encouragement to all arts and inventions which might be for the.
public good, was graciously pleased to condescend to my request, and therefore
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of October, in the thirty-fifth year of

page_text: His reign, of is especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto me, the said
Christopher Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, solo privilege and authority, that I, the said Christopher
Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of us, by our-
selves or by our deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others ns I,
the said Christopher Wilson, my exccutors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term of years therein and herein-after expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said Invention within
that part of Elis Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to
me, the said Christopher Wilson, iny executors, administrators, and assigns, or
any of us, should in our discretions seem meet, and that 1, the said Christopher
Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might
have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time
to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said Invention,
for and during the term of years therein and herein-after mentioned, to linve,
hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, privileges, and advantages
therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said Christopher
Wilson, my executors, adñiors, and assigns, for and during and unto the full
end and term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent next
and immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the
Statute in such. case. made and provided; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that if I, the said Christopher Wilson, should not par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within one calendar month next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine,
and become void, anything therein-before contained to the contrary thereof
in anywise notwithstanding, as in and by tho said Letters Patent, relation
being thereunto had, more fully and at large appears.
NOW KNOW YE, that in obedience to the said Letters Patent, and the
proviso therein contained, I, the said Christopher Wilson, do hereby describe
and ascertain the nature of my aforesaid Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to bo performed, in manner following (that is to say):
To make masts, beams, or other works composed of wood, by combining

page_text: timbers according to my said Invention, four or more pieces of timber are to be
laid together, as represented by the Figures marked A and B, contained in the
Plan or Drawing annexed hereto, both which show the end view of the
timbers, A containing a combination of four, and B of nine pieces of timber.
To combine these dove-tail or plain mortises are to be cut of a diagonal or
inclined direction, as represented in the four timbers described in the said Plan
or Drawing, and marked C, D, E, and F, half of each mortise to lie in C and
D, and half in E and F, and similar mortises are also to be cut through the
right angle junction of the four timbers, as represented thereon by the
numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, after which the face C and D being laid on E and
1, a dove-tail or plain slott, lock, or bolt, made of wood, is to be driven tight
through each mortise, as exhibited by Figure G, in the said Plan or Drawing,
which represents three of such timbers with the slotts, locks, or bolts driven
therein, the fourth being omitted to shew the direction of the slotts, locks, or
bolts when the four are united. At the extremity of each slott, lock, or bolt.
fox wedges, made of wood or metal, may be driven where deemed necessary.
By this method numerous timbers may in like manner be combined according
and in proportion to the thickness and strength required, the same slott, lock,
or bolt, in every instance, being made to pass diagonally through the diameter
of the whole. In producing long pieces of timber by this method, the end
junctions must be sufficiently sloped and lay over each other, and each union of
ends must be so disposed of throughout the whole length that two end joints
may not be opposite or near each other, and the work may, where necessary,
be rounded off, as described by the circles on the aforesaid Figures A and B,
in the said Plan or Drawing. The same method of driving slotts, locks, or
bolts diagonally into mortises may be practiced with great advantage between
the ribs, timbers, or frames of ships (either in building or repairing), as
exhibited by Figure H in the said Plan or Drawing, and likewise in every
other part of shipping and other large and ponderous works composed of wood,
where strength and durability are required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Wilson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in the thirty-sixth
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the
grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender
of the Faith, &c., and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven
hundred and ninety-five.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twelfth day of November,
in the year above written, the aforesaid Christopher Wilson came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Twelfth day of November, in the year above written.