Year: 1897

page_text: NEIL MCEACHRON STEVENSON DOUGLAS, Marine Engineer, Mango Grove, Upper
Pazundoung, Rangoon, Burma, India, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to collision mats used on board vessels for stopping the
inrush of water through a hole or fractured plate, and is applied on the outside. The
object of my invention is to produce a collision mat together with a mechanical
device which keeps the mat rolled up during the time it is being lowered over the
vessels side and while being drawn over any part of the vessels hull above or below
the water line, and to be opened out at will by any person on deck. (2) To provide
the mat with an arrangement of stays that will prevent the mat from being sucked
in through the fractured plate into the vessel and becoming useless. (3) By the use
of rollers or wheels on the above stays the mat is easily moved up or down or drawn
over vessels' hulls when spread out. (4) By the use of a belly rope or band which
relieves the mat of the great pressure which collision mats have to bear in their
centre and throwing this pressure on that part of the mat which bears on the edges
of the fractured plate.
This collision mat may be made of any suitable material such as canvas, and of any
size or shape with wood or metal stays or stiffeners. These stays are attached to the
canvas so as to lie across it with their ends projecting over the edges of the mat on
each side sufficiently to allow rollers or wheels to be put on said ends, there may be
one or more of these rods lying parallel to each other.
I will now describe a collision mat with three of these stays one on each end and
one in the centre, the two end stays may be attached to the mat by turning the ends
of the mat over the whole length of the stay and sewing the canvas tightly over them.
But in case of any intermediate stays, they can be passed through rings, loops or eyes
At certain and
in or on the mat near the edges leaving the body of the mat free.
convenient distances from the ends of these stays are fixed collars or pins whose
object is to allow the mat a certain side play and permit it to belly at or near its
centre by the rings or loops on the edges of the mat sliding on the stays as far as the
collars or pins fixed on the stays will allow thus enabling the mat to bag towards its
centre and fits its self to any form the fractured side or plate of the ship may take and
at the same time preventing the mat from being wholly sucked into the vessel and
becoming jammed or useless. The centre or intermediate stays will only have one
roller at each end, but the end stays may have any preferred number of these rollers.
The stays will act as axles for the rollers to run on. The object of these rollers is to
allow the mat to be drawn over the vessel's hull more easily than would be the case
without thein, when the mat is in a spread out condition, and also to make it more
easy to move the mat up or down and adjust it whilst spread over a hole or fractured
plate, with the weight of water pressing on the mat. A rope which I call the belly

page_text: rope is fixed to the upper stay and runs down the centre of the mat and is fixed to
the bottom stay, its object is to partly relieve the mat of the great pressure that
otherwise would be put on the mat while over the fractured plate. By this device
this pressure is made to close the mat round the edges of fractured plates, thereby
tending to the efficiency of the mat as a leak stopper.
A metal
The mechanical device for keeping the mat rolled up during the time it is being
lowered over the vessels side and drawn over any part of the vessels hull above or
below water is as follows. The arrangement is under the control of any one on deck
who has the tripping line in hand, by a pull on this line, the mechanical device
which I call a holdfast is thrown out of gear and the mat released from its grasp
and by pulling on both the end ropes which are usually attached to the ends of
collision mats the mat is easily spread out to its full length over the fractured plate
and made fast on deck in the usual way. I will now describe the holdfast device;
Let us suppose the collision mat to be suspended by the upper end rope and spread
out to its full length and breadth with the stays on it as before described.
eye or ring is screwed or fixed into the top stay at the back part of the mat a short
distance from one end of the stay at or about right angles to the mat's length.
A bar of metal with a ring or eye at one end which I call a slip bar is connected
to the eye on the stay, that is to say, both slip bar and eye are hinged together at
one of their ends, the slip bar being free to swing up or down or sideways. At a
convenient distance from the eye there is a projecting stud screwed or fixed on
the same stay, this stud has a slot in it to engage with the free end of the slip
bar. The free end of the slip bar is now put in this slot and is placed parallel
to the stay, I now fix long narrow straps of canvas or leather or pieces of rope, the
ends of which are made fast to the back of the mat near the upper stay. At the
other ends of these straps are hooks or rings, the mat is now rolled up from
the bottom towards the top, the straps are now brought round under the mat and
the hooked ends are hooked on the slip bar; the straps will now keep the mat in
a rolled up position.
A line with an eye, loop or ring at one end which call a tripping line has its ring
slipped on to and along the slip bar and rests at a point on the bar just between the
stud and the eye, the mat is now ready for use and by lowering it over the vessels
side by the usual end ropes, while the lower end rope is passed round and under the
vessel. The mat can now be placed on any part of the vessels hull above or below
the water in a rolled up condition and when the mat is over the fractured plate a pull
on the tripping line which is attached to the slip bar lifts the end of the slip
bar out of the slot and the ring on the tripping line is drawn clear of the slip bar,
the weight of the rolled up mat being on the slip bar swings the slip bar round and
causes it to take a vertical position and the rings or loops on the end of the straps
slip off the slip bar and release the mat froin the grasp of the holdfast. The end
ropes of the holdfast now being pulled on, spread the mat out over the fractured
plate and the mat is made fast in the usual manner.
Having now described the nature of my invention I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the particular arrangement here described which
may be varied without departing from the essence of the invention, this is particu-
larly so with regard to the holdfast arrangement which holds the mat in a rolled up
position, till required to be opened out. I find that I can do this by one or two
other devices which would give the same result, but I have taken the one here
described as the least complicated.
Dated this 10th day of January 1897
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Agent for Applicant, 97, Newgate Street, London, E.C.

page_text: improvements in Coins for ships au DORTS,
I, NEIL MCEACHRON STEVENSON DOUGLAS, of Mango Grove, Upper Pazna, Rangoon,
Burma, India, Marine Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to collision mats used on board vessels for stopping the inrush
of water through a hole or fractured plate, and is applied on the outside. The object
of my invention is to produce a collision mat together with a mechanical device
which keeps the mat rolled up during the time it is being lowered over the vessel's
side, and while being drawn over any part of the vessel's hull above or below the
water line, and to be opened out at will by any person on deck. (2) To provide the
mat with an arrangement of stays that will prevent the mat from being sucked in
through the fractured plate into the vessel and becoming useless. (3) To enable the
mat to be easily moved up or down or drawn over vessels hulls when spread out, by
means of rollers or wheels on the ends of the stays. (4) To relieve the mat of the
great pressure which collision mats have to bear in their centre, by the use of a belly
rope or band, and thus throw this pressure on that part of the mat which bears on
the edges of the fractured plate.
This collision mat may be made of any suitable material such as canvas, and of
any size or shape, with wood or metal stays or stiffners. These stays are attached to
the canvas so as to lie across it with their ends projecting over the edges of the mat
on each side sufficiently to allow rollers or wheels to be put on said ends, there may
be one or more of these rods lying parallel to each other.
I will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
Fig. 1. shews an elevation of the mat unfolded as when in use.
Fig. 2. shews the mat as folded up, with the fastening device.
Fig. 3. shews an end view of same with the end rollers in place.
The mat shewn has three stays one on each end and one in the centre. The two
end stays may be attached to the mat by turning the ends of the mat over the whole
length of the stay, and sewing the canvas tightly over them.
But in case of any
intermediate stays, they can be passed through rings, loops or eyes such as shewn
at ii in or on the mat near the edges leaving the body of the mat free. At certain
convenient distances from the ends of these stays are fixed collars or pins k whose
object is to allow the mat a certain side play and permit it to belly at or near its
centre by the rings or loops i on the edges of the mat sliding on the stays b b as far
as the collars or pins k fixed on the stays will allow, thus enabling the mat to bag
towards its centre and fit itself to any form the fractured side or plate of the ship
may take, and at the same time to prevent the mat from being wholly sucked into
the vessel, and becoming jammed or useless. The centre or intermediate stays 61
will only have one roller c at each end, but the end stays b may have any preferred
number of these rollers. The stays will act as axles for the rollers to run on. The
object of these rollers is to allow the mat to be drawn over the vessel's hull more
easily than would be the case without them, when the mat is in a spread out condition,
and also to make it more easy to move the mat up or down and adjust it whilst
spread over a hole or fractured plate, with the weight of water pressing on the mat.
A roper which I call the belly rope is fixed to the upper stay and runs down the
centre of the mat and is fixed to the bottom stay. Its object is to partly relieve
the mat of the great pressure that otherwise would be put on the mat while over the

page_text: fractured plate. By this device this pressure is made to close the mat round the
edges of fractured plates, thereby tending to the efficiency of the mat as a leak
stopper.
The mechanical device for keeping the mat rolled up during the time it is being
lowered over the vessel's side, and drawn over any part of the vessel's bull above or
below the water line is as follows:
The arrangement is under the control of anyone on deck who has the tripping
line h in hand, by a pull on this line, the mechanical device fg which I call a holdfast is
thrown out of gear, and the inat released from its grasp and by pulling on both the
end ropes d&e which are usually attached to the ends of collision mats, the mat is
easily spread out to its full length over the fractured plate, and made fast on deck in
the usual way.
I will now describe the holdfast device :-Let us suppose the collision mat to be
suspended by the upper end rope d and spread out to its full length and breadth,
with the stays on it as before described. A metal eye or ring is screwed or fixed into
the top stay b at the back part of the mat a short distance from one end of the stay,
at or about right angles to the mat's length. A bar of metal with a ring or eye at
one end, which I call a slip bar f is connected to the eye on the stay, that is to say,
both slip bar and eye are hinged together, the slip bar being free to swing up or down
or sideways. At a convenient distance from the eye there is a projecting lug or
g screwed or fixed on the saine stay, this stud has a slot g¹ in it to engage with
the free end of the slip bar. The free end of the slip bar is now put in this slot,
and is placed parallel to the stay. I now fix long narrow straps of canvas or leather,
or pieces of rope, h¹ the ends of which are made fast to the back of the mat near the
upper stay. At the other ends of these straps are hooks or rings, h² the mat is now
rolled up from the bottom towards the top, the straps are now brought round under
the mat and the hooked ends are hooked on the slip bar. The straps will now keep
stud
the mat in a rolled up position.
A line with an eye, loop or ring at one end which I call a tripping line h has its
ring slipped on to and along the slip bar, and rests at a point on the bar just between
the stud and the eye. The mat is now ready for use, and this is done by lowering
it over the vessel's side by the usual end ropes d, while the lower end rope e is
passed round and under the vessel. The mat can now be placed on any part of the
vessel's hull above or below the water in a rolled up condition, and when the mat is
over the fractured plate, a pull on the tripping line h which is attached to the slip
bar lifts the end of the slip bar out of the slot g¹, and the ring on the tripping
line is drawn clear of the slip bar, the weight of the rolled up mat being on
the slip bar, swings the slip bar round and causes it to take a vertical position, and the
rings or loops h² on the end of the straps h¹, slip off the slip bar f, and release the
mat from the grasp of the holdfast f g. The end ropes now being pulled, spread
the mat out over the fractured plate, and the mat is made fast in the usual
manner.
In the foregoing description, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the particular arrangement here described, which may be varied without
departing from the essence of the invention, this is particularly so with regard to the
holdfast arrangement which holds the mat in a rolled up position, till required to be
opened out. I find that I can do this by one or two other devices which would give
the same result, but I have taken the one here described as the least complicated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A collision mat for ships consisting of the combination of a flexible material
such as canvas, with end rods or bars and cross stays, with or without rollers thereon
one or more transverse ropes or bands, a catch device and straps for holding said mat
rolled up, and a tripping line for releasing same, and usual hauling ropes, as herein
described and set forth.

page_text: 2. In a collision mat for ships the catch or fastening device fg, the tripping
line h, the end bars and cross stays b, b, and with or without the rollers c and
strengthening ropes or bands l, as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 16th day of November 1897.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Patent Agent, 171, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.