IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BARGES AND OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Moxon of St Helena Tunbridge Wells in the
County of Kent Gentleman for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF BARGES AND OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Moxon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1882.
EDWARD MOXON of St Helena Tunbridge Wells in the County of Kent
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BARGES AND OTHER
SIMILAR VESSELS
"
My invention relating to the construction of barges and other similar vessels has
reference more particularly to Barges employed in the conveyance of valuable and
other cargoes to and from ships and other vessels and the shore or landing stage
and it has for its object increased buoyancy combined with greater strength of the
Barge and diminution in the liability of damage to or loss of cargo in the event of
injury to the Barge from collision or otherwise and to avoid damage to the cargo
by reason of leakage unknown to those in charge and further to provide means for
keeping the Barge more under control by means of an improved rudder.
In carrying out my Invention in order to effect these objects I construct the
framing of the Barge of Angle iron or steel arranged vertically and horizontally and
connected together at the angles and junctions by plates or bracket pieces of steel
or iron bolted or rivetted thereto To this frame I secure by rivetting or otherwise
the outer skin or shell of the Barge consisting of sheets of steel of a thickness
varying according to the size of the barge to be constructed. At a distance from
the bottom (of say about one fourth of the depth of the Barge) and extending
longitudinally from stem to stern along both sides of the interior thereof I rivet or
otherwise connect steel or iron plates which constitute the inner skin the upper
end of which skin I bolt to the inner edge of the coamings and I thoroughly caulk
the seams and joints so as to form a watertight cell or compartment along both
sides of the Barge. These cells or compartments I fill with cork or other suitbale
buoyant material. I also form at both ends of the hold of the Barge a watertight
DC11

page_text: bulkhead whereby I still further increase the buoyancy and safety of the Barge in
the event of injury thereto so as to cause leakage, and to prevent the cargo being
wetted and damaged by reason of any leakage unknown to the person in charge of
the Barge I provide an electric self acting tell tale fitted under the ceiling of the
barge and so arranged with floats conveniently fixed that the presence of water in
the Barge will raise the floats and complete an electric circuit and so ring a bell
placed in a convenient position which will draw the attention of the person in
charge to the fact that there is water in the barge and the Bell will continue ringing
until the water has been pumped out when the floats will fall and the circuit will
be broken.
In order to provide means for keeping the Barge more under control without
adding to the length I provide a rudder fixed in the "Budget " of the Barge on a
pivot shaft one portion of the blade being before and the other behind the shaft
such shaft passing through the stern sheets and fitted with a tiller or handle which
is provided with means for keeping the rudder in a line with the Barge when not
used in steering and therefore out of the way of injury.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Moxon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th November 1882.
EDWARD MOXON of Saint Helena Tunbridge Wells in the County of Kent
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BARGES AND OTHER
SIMILAR VESSELS
"
My said Invention relating to the construction of Barges and other similar
Vessels has reference more particularly to Barges employed in the conveyance of
valuable and other cargoes to and from Ships and other Vessels and the shore or
landing stage and it has for its object increased buoyancy combined with greater
strength of the Barge and diminution in the liability of damage to, or loss of cargo
in the event of injury to the barge by collision or otherwise and also in the event
of leakage taking place to make known the fact to those in charge of the barge and
further to provide means for keeping the Barge more under control by the
employment of an improved rudder
肇
In carrying out my invention in order to effect the above. objects I construct
the framing of a barge of angle-iron or steel bars .connected together by steel or
iron plates and brackets and I connect to these angle bars the outer and inner
skins of the barge so as to form on both sides thereof a space or cells which I fill
with Cork or other suitable buoyant material-To the inner skin I connect two
transverse bulkheads to form the ends of the hold of the barge-I also provide an
electric signalling device for announcing the presence of water in the hold of the
Barge should a leakage occur unknown to the person in charge of the barge. In
order to obtain a better control of the barge I provide it with an improved rudder.
which I arrange in the " Budget so as not to increase the length of the barge

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be clearly understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer
to the accompanying sheet of Drawings of which figure 1 represents a transverse
section and Figure a longitudinal section of a portion of a barge constructed
according to my invention
The framing of the barge consists of angle-iron or steel bars A arranged
vertically and horizontally and connected together by plates and bracket pieces of
steel or iron B bolted or rivetted thereto-to this frame I secure by rivets or
otherwise the outer skin or shell C consisting of plates of steel or iron of a
thickness varying according to the size of the barge to be constructed At a
distance from the bottom (of say about one fourth of the depth of the barge) as
at D in Figure 1 and extending longitudinally from stem to stern along both sides
of the interior of the barge I rivet or otherwise connect to the angle-iron bars A
steel or iron plates E which constitute the inner skin of the barge and I strengthen
the inner and outer skins by rivetting thereto T iron bars E¹
"
The upper ends of the plate E I connect to the "coaming" F which "coaming'
is also formed of iron or steel plates and is connected to the outer skin C by steel
or iron plates G which form the gangway of the Barge. A space H is thus formed
between the inner and outer skins E and C on both sides of the Barge which spaces
may if desired be divided into Compartments or cells by rivetting plates at suitable
distances apart to the inner and outer skins. These spaces or cells I fill with cork
or other suitable buoyant material and make them watertight by thoroughly
caulking the joints and placing in the bottom at I a mixture of coke and cement or
other suitable waterproof material
The hold of the Barge is formed by the inner skin E and two transverse water-
tight bulkheads K whilst the bottom of the barge is floored with planks K¹
thoroughly caulked and payed. The spaces H are provided with man holes closed
with covers suitably secured by bolts and nuts so to as admit of ready access to the
interior when required-The spaces or cells being filled with cork as described
ensures the buoyancy and safety of the barge in the event of injury thereto by
collision or otherwise as to cause leakage, and in order to prevent the cargo from
being wetted or damaged by reason of any leakage occurring unknown to the
person in charge of the barge I provide an automatic electric signalling device
arranged by preference beneath the flooring K₁ of the Barge-This signalling
device consists in arranging in one or more places by preference in each corner of
the hold of the Barge a disc L of cork or other suitable buoyant material fixed on
the lower end of a rod M fitted to slide in staples or guides N fixed to any suitable
portion of the hold of the Barge-The upper end of the rod M. carries a disc of
copper which is connected by means of an insulated wire P to one of the poles
(for example the negative pole) of an electric battery Z situated in the cabin or
other desired part of the Barge-The opposite (for example the positive) pole of
the battery is connected by a wire b with an electric bell placed in close proximity
to the man in charge of the tiller as at a Immediately above the disc O is fixed
another copper disc Q which is also connected to the electric bell by a wire. R.
Should a leakage occur and water enter the hold of the barge the buoyant disc L
and copper disc will commence to rise and continue to do so as the water
increases until the disc O is brought into contact with the disc Q whereupon an
electric circuit is established which will cause the bell to ring and thus call the
attention of the person in charge to the fact that there is water in the barge. The
bell will continue to ring until the water has been reduced or pumped out whereupon
the float L and the disc O will descend and the circuit will be again broken-The
signalling apparatus is enclosed in a box or cover d to prevent it from being tampered
with and the conducting wires are also passed through pipes to protect them from
injury
In order to provide means for keeping the barge under better control
without adding to the length of the barge I fit in the "Budget" a rudder S
pivoted at T and arranged so that one portion of the blade S is before and the other

page_text: portion behind the shaft U which shaft passes through the stern of the barge and
is fitted with a tiller or handel V for actuating the rudder
The stern post W and the skeg X which are formed of iron or steel-plates rivetted
between angle-irons are strengthened by webs Y connected thereto and to the body
of the barge
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner, mode or
means of carrying the same out in practice I would observe in conclusion that I do
not confine my invention of the signalling device and the rudder hereinbefore
described to barges constructed according to my invention as they are also
applicable to barges and other vessels otherwise constructed but what I claim as
my invention is
First-Constructing iron or steel barges and other similar Vessels with spaces or
cells in the sides for containing cork or other buoyant material substantially
in the manner and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated by my
drawings
Second-The application and use of an automatic signalling device for
announcing the presence of water in a barge or other similar vessel arranged and
operating substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated by
my drawings
"
Third Providing barges and other similar Vessels with rudders arranged in the
Budget" and constructed substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and
illustrated by my drawings
In witness whereof the said Edward Moxon has hereunto set his hand and
seal the twenty ninth day of November in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two