IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND COVERING THE DECKS OF SHIPS AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES."
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward James Harland, Iron Ship Builder and
Engineer, Belfast, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING
AND COVERING THE DECKS OF SHIPS AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward James Harland
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th January 1860.
I, EDWARD JAMES JARLAND, Iron Ship Builder and Engineer, Belfast,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CON-
STRUCTING AND COVERING THE DECKS OF SHIPS AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists in the covering of decks of iron or other material
with a suitable layer of stones, stoneware, earthenware, gravel, tiles, bricks,
or any modifications of the foregoing metal borings, wood, paving blocks, or
any other material that can be adapted to the purpose, which material I.
propose to unite and hold together and to the iron decks beneath by means of
some one of the following materials, or two or more of them combined, as
may be found most suitable, such as asphalte, vegetable pitch, rosin, mineral
pitch, or other bituminous substance, pigments, sulphur, and sand, Roman,
Portland, or other cement, or any other substance capable of uniting or

page_text: binding the aforesaid stones, stoneware, or other material to each other and
to the deck.
In this my Invention I do not confine myself to any particular form or
shape of the material to be employed, but use such as may be most adapted
to the space covered, aud such as may be requisite and necessary to fill in the
part round and adjoining the bulwarks, coamings, skylights, or other breaks
in the decks, and also to form the waterways, coamings, gangways, or scuppers
of such materials; the various materials may also be arranged in ornamental
patterns of one or more colors. Where it is necessary to pass spindles, bolts,
pumps, or other metal or woodwork through the deck, or secure cleats,
winches, or other fittings thereto, I fasten a suitable block or socket of metal
or wood to the deck for that purpose, at least level with the surface of the
covering material, and pass the said spindles, bolts, pumps, or other metal or
woodwork through the same, or fasten the said cleats, winches, or other
fittings to the same, as the case may be.
I also propose to make iron decks of plates either corrugated or made with
projections on or cavities in the surface of any desirable pattern, in which
case I make the tiles, or any of the other covering material as before
mentioned, of suitable shape to suit the corrugations, projections, or cavities
on the said iron deck, or coat the said deck with any of the foregoing
materials.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward James Harland in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
JAMES HARLAND, Iron Ship Builder and Engineer, Belfast, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward James Harland, Her special licence that I, the said
Edward James Harland, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward James Harland, my executors, administrators, 1
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

page_text: Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND COVERING.
THE DECKS OF SHIPS AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES," upon the condition.
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward James Harland, my executors.
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one.
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain 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 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 Edward James Harland, do hereby declare.
the nature of the 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, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in the construction of the decks of ships or other,
floating bodies of iron plates, either corrugated or formed with projections on
or, cavities in the surface of the same of any desirable pattern, which pro-
jections I make higher and cavities deeper than in the plates which have
hitherto been in use for foot plates in engine rooms and such like purposes..
I also fill the cavities in the aforesaid plates and spaces between the projections.
in the same with Portland cement, Roman cement, or other cement, sand,.
and sulphur, asphalte, marine cement, or any other suitable material or com-
bination of materials. I also cover decks formed of iron plates, either plain,
corrugated, or made with projections and cavities as above described, or decks
of any other material, with a suitable layer of stone, stoneware, earthenware,
gravel, tiles, bricks, or any modification of the foregoing metal borings, wood
paving blocks, or any other material that can be adapted to the purpose;
which material I propose to unite and hold together, and to the iron decks
beneath, by means of some one of the following materials, or two or more of
them combined, as may be found most suitable, such as asphalte, vegetable.
or mineral pitch, rosin, or other bituminous substance, pigments, sulphur, and
sand, Roman, Portland, or other cement, or any substance capable of uniting
or binding the aforesaid stone, stoneware, or other materials to each other,
and to the said iron decks.
In this my Invention I do not confine myself to any particular form or
shape of the material to be employed, but use such as may be most adapted
to the space covered, and such as may be necessary to fill in the parts round
and adjoining the bulwarks, coamings, skylights, or other breaks in the said
iron decks, and also to form the waterways, coamings, or scuppers of such

page_text: material; these various materials may also be arranged in ornamental pat-
terns of one or more colours, as in tesselated pavements. Where it is necessary
to pass spindles, bolts, pumps, or other metal or woodwork through the
said iron deck, or secure cleats, winches, or other fittings thereto, I fasten a
suitable block or socket of metal or wood to the said iron deck for that
purpose, at least level with the surface of the covering material, and pass the
said spindles, bolts, pumps, or other metal or woodwork through the same,
or fasten the said cleats, winches, or other fittings to the same in the usual
way, as the case may be.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature of my Invention of
constructing and covering the decks of vessels and other floating bodies, I would
hero remark, in conclusion, that I do not claim the construction of decks either
of plain or chequered iron plates, such as have hitherto been used for foot plates
in engine rooms and such like purposes; but what I do claim is, the decking
over of ships or other such floating bodies with wrought-iron plates, either
corrugated or rolled, and impressed with a ribbed pattern on the surface of the
same so as to suit the regular spacing of rivets or bolts, attaching the same to
the adjoining plates and to the beams, and then filling up of such cavities
formed by this pattern with any one of the previously named substances, or
with a combination thereof, so as to give a smooth and even surface to such
chequered or corrugated iron deck.
I also claim the covering over of such iron decks, or those formed of plain
or chequered iron plates or of wood, in the ordinary manner with pavement as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward James Harland, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our
Lord Ono thousand eight hundred and sixty.
E. J. HARLAND. (L.S.)