IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE BOATS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO SHIPS' BOATS, GUN BOATS, AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Hyde Astley, of No. 4, Matthew's Place,
Stratford, Essex, and Crosby Leighton, of. 3, Manby Grove, Manby
Park, Stratford, Essex, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Hyde Astley and
Crosby Leighton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 6th February. 1862.
We, PETER HYDE ASTLEY, of No. 4, Matthew's Place, Stratford, Essex,
and CROSBY LEIGHTON, of 3; Manby Grove, Manby Park, Stratford, Essex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE BOATS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO SHIPS' BOATS, GUN BOATS, AND
OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:-
The bottom of the boat or vessel is formed with a hollow cavity or chamber;
running from stem to stern, enclosed underneath with a perforated bottom.
This hollow cavity will be provided with an inner cone or cavity as a further
protection to the floating power of the boat, both of which can be inflated
from the interior of the vessel by the means of an ordinary air pump. For
coast life-boat purposes two or more axles with wheels attached will be added
to the keels near the stem and stern of the boat. or vessel in order to facilitate:
the removal of the boats from one place to another.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Hyde Astley and Crosby Leighton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, PETER
HYDE ASTLEY, Tailor, of 4, Mathew's Place, Stratford, in the County of Essex,
and CROSBY LEIGHTON, Agent, of 3, Manbey Grove, Stratford, in the County
of Essex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Peter Hyde Astley and Crosby Leighton, Her special licence that we,
the said Peter Hyde Astley and Crosby Leighton, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Peter Hyde Astley and
Crosby Leighton, our 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 "IMPROVING THE
FLOATING OF VESSELS, WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO LIFE BOATS, SHIPS' BOATS, GUN
BOATS, OR FLOATING VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Peter Hyde Astley and Crosby Leighton, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 we, the said Peter Hyde Astley and Crosby
Leighton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The nature of our Invention consists in or has referance to the construction
of floating vessels in such manner as to increase the buoyancy and floating
power thereof, and also giving them firm hold upon the water in order to
prevent their being overturned or sunk. The above is effected by the
following change in the construction of vessels; namely, instead of the bottom
of a vessel being formed in the ordinary manner, the same is to have the form
of a hollow conic chamber or cavity running from stem to stern of the boat or

page_text: vessel, the conic cavity to have its base enclosed with a perforated bottom.
The cone or cavity is built into two outer keels converging from stem to stern
and enclosed at the bottom (which is perforated), and to which is added a
centre keel as an easy means of transit from place to place; axles and
wheels may be attach'd to the keels or otherwise, as occasion may require.
In the centre and on the top of the cone, inside the boat, a stop cock will be
inserted, whereby the boat's buoyancy can be regulated with any known and
suitable air or pneumatic apparatus; or several conic cavities may be adopted
for each vessell, and any suitable and known means of exhausting or com-
pressing the air contained in the conic cavity or cavaties, when on the water,
may be adopted in connection with the Invention. By the above arrange-
ments the vessell will be rendered a much more safe means of transit, more
especially as regards the preservation of human life.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, we now proceed to
describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to be performed, wherein
we shall refer to the Drawings hereto annexed and forming part hereof, by
the figures, words, and letters following (that is to say):-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Drawing, No. 1, Fig. 1, side elevation of a boat or vessel constructed
according to our said Invention; letters f, f, the fender or buffer. Fig. 2
side elevation view of a boat shewing a section of the floating power, the
interior fittings, and construction of the boat; letters a, a, shews the air-tight
compartments in the stem and stern; letters 6, b, the lockers; letter C shews
the cone or floating power running from stem to stern; letter d, stop cock, to
which may be connected any known or suitable air or pneumatic apparatus for
the purpose of ballasting or inflating the boat. Fig. 3, a plan or view of the
boat turned bottom upwards; letters i, i, the perforated bottom which encloses
the cone or cavity; letters j.j, the outer keels; letter e, the centre keel;
letters h, h, h, h, the patent self-acting valves for the purpose of the boat
clearing herself of water. Fig. 4 shews a view of the stem or front of the
boat; letter e, the centre keel; i,j, the side or outer keels; letters f, ƒ,
the fender or buffer. Fig. 5 shews a mid section of the boat; letter C, the
cone or floating power; letter e, the centre keel; letters f, f, the fender or
buffer; letters g, g; the wells; letter d, the stop cock; letters i, i, the per-
forated bottom. The various letters in the Drawings as aforesaid shew the
parts and fittings of the vessel or boat suitably arranged with regard to the
said conic cavity so as to occupy as little space in the interior of the boat or
vessel as possibly may be.

page_text: In constructing a boat or vessel- according to the said Invention the conic
cavity may be formed either of metal or a double planking of wood clamped
together transversely or diagonally, with an interlining of waterproof felt, indian-
rubber, or gutta percha, so as to insure its being air and water tight. We
might also use a differant shaped cavity or trough, or we might use two or
more conic cavities or troughs placed in suitable positions, or we might place
one cavity or inverted trough within the other, the spaces between each being
either partially, or wholly closed and made air spaces or filled with materials of
less specific gravity than water.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we declare that we do claim the constructing of
vessels or boats, the nature and character of which Invention is herein-before
particularly described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Peter Hyde Astley and Crosby Leighton,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this the Sixth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Signed and sealed in the
presence of
COOKE BAINES,
106, Cheapside, London,
PETER HYDE ASTLEY. (L.S.)
CROSBY LEIGHTON.
Commission Merchant.
(L.S.)