IM- PROVEMENTS IN BARGES OR VESSELS SUITABLE FOR THE NAVIGATION OF CANALS AND RIVERS
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hamond Bar-
tholomew at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 7th February 1862.
I, WILLIAM HAMOND BARTHOLOMEW, of 2, Warwick Villas, Leeds, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BARGES OR VESSELS SUITABLE FOR THE NAVIGATION OF CANALS AND
RIVERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in barges or vessels suitable
for the navigation of canals and rivers. For this purpose I so construci
barges or vessels that they may be coupled together end to end, so as to form
a compound vessel of any desired length. Each of the barges to be employed
as an intermediate section or compartment of such a compound vessel is made
nearly rectangular in plan, but somewhat convex both at stem and stern. In
the centre of the stem of each such barge a projection somewhat similar to
the cutwater of an ordinary vessel is formed: this cutwater, when several
barges are coupled up into a compound vessel, enters a corresponding recess
in the stern of the barge in front of it. The couplings may be of any con-

page_text: venient construction,' and should keep the compartments constantly in contact
the one with the other. They are applied at the centre of the vessel, so as
not to prevent the barges swinging laterally, as far as the convexity of their
ends will admit. In these motions the projections or cutwaters at the front
of the barges are still held by the complings in the recesses in the stems of
the barges in front of them, so that the barges are, as it were, jointed together.
The barge to be used as the leading compartment of the compound vessel is
tapered in front, so as to be resisted as little as possible by the water in
passing through it, and, similarly, the barge to be used as the stern compart-
ment of the compound vessel is so formed as to suit it for this position, and
is fitted with a rudder. The steering of the compound vessel is, however, to
a great extent effected by chains or other connections, which pass along cach
side of the compound vessel from stem to stern; they are each attached at
one end to one of the terminal barges, and at the other they are passed round
a capstan or windlass at the other extremity of the compound véssel, and the
chains or connections are passed through suitable guides on each of the
intermediate barges. By turning the capstan or windlass, the chain on one
side of the compound vessel (supposing a chain to be employed) is wound up,
and the chain on the other side is slacked out to a corresponding extent, and
thus the compound vessel is drawn into a curved form, each barge pivoting
about its projecting cutwater. The capstan or windlass may. if desired, be
mounted in a central compartment. The barges are. by preference, con-
structed of iron, and they are each furnished with a water-tight door or doors
at the inside or bottom, so that when the barges have arrived at their
destination, and are disconnected, they may each be lifted bodily out of the
water, the door or doors opened, and the cargo discharged through it or
them in a similar manner the barges may be loaded. The barge (by pre-
ference one of the terminal ones) may, if desired, be fitted with propelling
apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hamond Bartholomew in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HAMOND BARTHOLOMEW, of 2, Warwick Villas. Leeds, in the County of York,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors. give and grant unto
me, the said William Hamond Bartholomew. Her special licence that I.
the said William Hamond Bartholomew, my executors. administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I. the said William Hamond Bartholomew, my
executors, administrators, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VESSELS SUITABLE FOR THE NAVIGATION OF CANALS AND RIVERS." upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I. the said William Hamond Bartholomew, 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.
BARGES OR
o
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said William Hamond Bartholomew, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is be be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :---
In
This Invention has for its object improvements in barges or vessels suitable
for the navigation of canals and rivers. For this purpose I so construct
barges that they may be coupled together end to end, so as to form a com-
pound vessel of any desired length. Each of the barges to be employed as an
intermediate section or compartment of such a compound vessel is made
nearly rectangular in plan, but somewhat convex both at stem and stern.
the centre of the stem of each such harge a projection somewhat similar
to the cutwater of an ordinary vessel is formed; this cutwater, when several
barges are coupled up into a compound vessel. enters a corresponding recess
in the stern of the barge in front of it. The couplings may be of any con-
venient construction, and should keep the compariments constantly in contact
the one with the other. They are applied at the centre of the vessel, so as
not to prevent the barges swinging laterally as far as the convexity of their
ends will admit. In these motions the projections or cutwaters at the front

page_text: of the barges are still held by the couplings in the recesses in the sterns of
the barges in front of them, so that the barges are, as it were. jointed
together. The barge to be used as the leading compariment of the compound
vessel is tapered in front, so as to be resisted as little as possible by the water
in passing through it, and, similarly, the barge to be used as the stern com-
partment of the compound vessel is so formed as to suit it for this position,
and is fitted with a rudder. The steering of the compound vessel, is, however,
to a great extent effected by chains or other connections, which pass along
each side of the compound vessel from stem to stern. They are each attached
at one end to one of the terminal barges, and at the other they are passed
round a capstan or windlass at the other exiremity of the compound vessel.
and the chains or connections are passed through suitable guides on each of
the intermediate barges. By turning the capstan or windlass. the chain on
one side of the compound vessel (supposing a chain to be employed) is
wound up, and the chain on the other side is slacked out to a corresponding
extent, and thus the compound vessel is drawn into a curved form, each barge
pivotting about its projecting cutwater. The capstan or windlass may, if
desired. be mounted in a central compartment.. The barges are, by preference.
constructed of iron, and they are each furnished with a water-tight door or
doors at the end. side, or bottom, so that when the barges have arrived ai
their destination. and are disconnected, they may each be lifted bodily out of
the water, the door or doors opened, and the cargo discharged through it or
them in a similar manner the barges may be loaded. The barges (by pre-
ference one of the terminal ones) may, if desired, be fitted with propelling
apparatus.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure represents a plan view, and Figure 2 represents a side elevation.
partly in section, of a compound vessel constructed and combined according
to my Invention, consisting of eight barges or vessels A, B, B. B, B. B, B.
and C. These barges or vessels are free to move about on their projections
a, a, a, a, a, a, a, so that the compound vessel will move in a lateral direction.
so as to enable it to assume a curve or curves in horizontal planes in the
direction of the vessel's length. The ends of the barges B. B. B. B. B. B
are made convex in form, the degree of convexity governing the curvature the
compound vessel will be able to assume. For the two-fold purpose of con-

page_text: necting these barges together, and for the purpose of steering the compound
vessel. the apparatus b, which consists of a capstan or windlass, may be
situated in the leading compartment A. or in one of the central compart-
ments B. or in the stern compartment C: in the latter by preference. If,
however, situated in a central compariment, which would be the more suitable
position when the compound vessel is of considerable length, or when it is
desired to form it into more than one curve. in such case a double capstan or
windlass would be used. In all cases the chains which pass round the capstan
or.windlass barrels and b³ are so arranged that they wind on on the one
barrel whilst they wind off the other. From these barrels the chains or other
connections d. d. are carried through the guide rollers c. one set of which are
placed at each corner of the barges or compartments B. B. B. B. B. B: these
chains or other connections. after passing along each side of the compound
vessel from the barge C to the barge A. are secured to the cross head e, which
works in a guide or guides on the deck of the compartment A. and is free in
move in the direction of the vessel's length. From the cross head e chains pass
over the pullies f. f. to the ram of the hydraulic press h. When it is
desired to tighten the chains or connections d. d, a small pump communicating
with the press h is set in motion. the degree of tighiness or fixed tension being
regulated by the valve h. The power necessary for working the capstan or
windlass may be manual, or derived from power required to propel the
compound vessel, or by an independent engine, which latter is preferred. By
these arrangements. it will be evident that, in order to steer or guide the
compound vessel, it will only be necessary to turn the capsian or windlass in
any direction in order to force the head or leading compartment of the
compound vessel in the direction the motion of the capstan or windlass may
act.
Figure 3 represents on an enlarged scale the side elevation of one of the
barges Figure 4 is a horizontal view: and Figure 5a section through the
same. hand represents one of the side doors and frames: these doors
when made of wood are arranged to fit against a narrow metallic surface if
made of metal to fit against a wood or a surface of elastic material, they are
held in position by a chain or chains passing over the pulley i to a capstan or
windlass arrangement. j.
I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement of parts herein-before
described and illustrated for carrying my arrangement into effect, although the
plans described are those I adopt.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in

page_text: which the same is to be performed. I declare that I claim the combined
arrangement of a compound barge or vessel herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said. William Hamond Bartholomew, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. H. BARTHOLOMEW. (L.s)