IMPROVE- MENTS APPLICABLE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS THE HULLS OF WHICH ARE BUILT WITH METALLIC FRAMES AND WOOD PLANKING, PART OF WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TO VESSELS CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY OF WOOD, OR WITH WOOD FRAMES AND PLANKING AND IRON DECK BEAMS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hunter Holderness and Henry Jordan, both
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS APPLICABLE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR OTHER NAVIGABLE
VESSELS THE HULLS OF WHICH ARE BUILT WITH METALLIC FRAMES AND WOOD
PLANKING, PART OF WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TO VESSELS CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY
OF WOOD, OR WITH WOOD FRAMES AND PLANKING AND IRON DECK BEAMS."
Sealed the 20th October 1864, and dated the 23rd April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hunter Holder-
ness and Henry Jordan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 23rd April 1864.
We, THOMAS HUNTER HOLDERNESS and HENRY JORDAN, both of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR OTHER NAVIGABLE
VESSELS THE HULLS OF WHICH ARE BUILT WITH METALLIC FRAMES AND WOOD
PLANKING, PART OF WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TO VESSELS CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY OF
WOOD, OR WITH WOOD FRAMES AND PLANKING AND IRON DECK BEAMS," to be as
follows (that is to say) :-
The first part of this Invention consists in applying iron or other suitable

page_text: metal in place of timber in the construction of the waterways and bulwarks
to ships or other navigable vessels the hulls of which are built entirely of
wood, or with wooden frames and planking and iron deck beams, or with
metal frames and deck beams, and planked with timber up to the gunwale.
In applying this Invention to vessels built as above stated, a vertical stringer
plate is carried round the outer side of the vessel's frame, the upper edge of
which is in line with the top of the deck beams, or nearly so, and an hori-
zontal longitudinal stringer plate is carried on the top of the deck beams right
round the vessel for forming the bottom of the waterway. These two lines of
the stringer plates are rivitted together by an angle iron, or by having the
edge of one line of plates turned to the required angle. The horizontal
stringer plate has rivitted thereto two L or angle irons, which run parallel to
cach other, one of which line of angle irons may be used to rivit the foot of
the metal bulwarks to, and the other to receive the abutments of the sides and
ends of the deck planks. The lower limbs on the L or angle irons are turned
towards each other, and sufficiently apart to form the waterway. The top of
the bulwarks are turned inwards, or have an angle iron rivitted along the
upper edge, to which can be rivitted or otherwise attached a wooden rail.
The bulwarks are filled internally with metal stays, the feet of which are
secured to the inner line of angle or L iron or other metal; or the plates
forming the bulwarks may be turned in at the bottoms to form the bottom of
the waterway, in which case the outer line of angle iron on the top of the
waterway would be dispensed with; or the bulwark plates may be extended
sufficiently downwards to form the vertical stringers, and be secured to the
frame of the vessel, and the plates of the waterways may be secured to the
bulwarks by angle iron, or by having the outer edges of the waterway plates
turned at an angle to allow of their being rivited to the bulwark plates; or
the vertical stringer plates may be carried sufficiently upwards to allow the
bulwark plates to be rivitted thereto. In place of the bulkwark stays hercin-
before described, stantions of angle or T iron may be used.
By the system of metal waterways and bulwarks herein-before described,
iron or other metal may be used in the construction of the poops and top-
gallant forecastles of ships or other navigable vessels built of wood or with
metal frames and wooden skins.
Herefore it has been customary to attach the wooden planking of iron-
framed vessels to the frames by means of bolts and nuts, the bolts being driven
from the outside, and the nuts screwed on from within. Now this part of the
Invention consists in driving the bolts from the inside and rivitting them on
the outside, which not only facilitates the work of fastening, but is less costly

page_text: than when screwed bolts and nuts are used, and will be found a far superior
mode of fastening, as by this important arrangement the bolts can be the full
size of the holes in the metal frames, whereas the screwed bolts now used are
obliged to be of a less diameter than the holes through which they pass to
prevent the thread of the screw being injured in driving.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Hunter Holderness and Henry Jordan in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
HUNTER HOLDERNESS and HENRY JORDAN, both of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Thomas Hunter Holderness and Henry Jordan, Her special licence
that we, the said Thomas Hunter Holderness and Henry Jordan, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Hunter
Holderness and Henry Jordan, our exccutors, 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 APPLICABLE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR OTHER NAVIGABLE
VESSELS, THE HULLS OF WHICH ARE BUILT WITH METALLIC FRAMES AND WOOD
PLANKING, PART OF WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TO VESSELS CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY OF
WOOD, OR WITH WOOD FRAMES AND PLANKING AND IRON DECK BEAMS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Hunter Holderness and
Henry Jordan, 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 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 we, the said Thomas Hunter Holderness and
Henry Jordan, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say).
:-
The first part of this our said Invention consists in applying iron or other
suitable metal in place of timber in the construction of the waterways and
bulwarks to ships or other navigable vessels the hulls of which are built
entirely of wood, or with wooden frames and planking, and iron deck beams,
or with metal frames, deck beams, and planked with timber up to the gunwale.
In applying this our said Invention to vessels built as above stated, a
vertical stringer plate is carried round the outer side of the vessel's frame, the
upper edge of which is in line with the top of the deck beams, or nearly so,
and an horizontal longitudinal stringer plate is carried on the top of the deck
beans right round the vessel for forming the bottom of the waterway.
These
two lines of stringer plates we rivet together by an angle iron, or by having
the edge of one line of plates turned to the required angle. The horizontal
stringer plate has riveted thereto two L or angle irons, which run parallel to
cach other, one of which line of angle irons may be used to rivet the foot of
the metal bulwarks to, and the other to receive the abutments of the sides
and ends of the deck planks. The lower limbs on the L or angle irons we
turn towards each, and place sufficiently apart to form the waterway. The
top of the bulwarks we turn inwards, or rivet an angle iron along the upper
edge thereof, to which can be riveted or otherwise attached a wooden rail.
The bulwarks we fit internally with metal stays, the feet of which we secure
to the inner line of angle or L iron or other metal; or the plates forming the
bulwarks may be turned in at the bottoms to form the bottom of the water-
way, in which case the outer line of angle iron on top of the waterway would
be dispensed with; or the bulwark plates may be extended sufficiently down-
wards to form the vertical stringers, and be secured to the frame of the vessel,
and the plates of the waterways may be secured to the bulwarks by angle iron,
or by having the outer edges of the waterway plates turned at an angle to
allow of their being riveted to the bulwark plates; or the vertical stringer
plates may be carried sufficiently upwards to allow the bulwark plates to be
riveted thereto. In place of the bulwark stays herein-before described,
stantions of angle or T iron may be used.
By this our improved system of metal waterways and bulwarks herein-
before described, iron or other metal may be used in the construction of the
poops and topgallant forecastles of ships or other navigable vessels built of
wood, or with metal frames and wooden skins.
Heretofore it has been customary to attach the wooden planking of iron-
framed vessels to the frames by means of bolts and nuts, the bolts being

page_text: driven from the outside, and the nuts screwed on from within. Now this part
of our Invention consists in driving the bolts from the inside, and riveting
them on the outside, which not only facilitates the work of fastening, but is
less costly than when screwed bolts and nuts are used, and will be found a far
superior mode of fastening, as by this improved arrangement the bolts can be
the full size of the holes in the metal frames, whereas the screwed bolts now
used are obliged to be of a less diameter than the holes through which they
pass to prevent the thread of the screw being injured in driving.
That this our said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
we have hereunto annexed Drawings illustrating the practical application of
the Invention, like letters marked on the Drawings being used to denote
similar parts.
.
Figure 1 is a vertical transverso section of a portion of a vessel's side and
deck constructed of wood with our improved metallic bulwark and waterways
attached thereto; Figure 2 is a like section of a vessel constructed on the
principle known as Jordan's longitudinal metal frame diagonally planked,
having our improved iron or other metal waterways and bulwarks applied
thereto; Figure 3 is a top view or plan of a portion of the waterway, and
section of the bulwarks taken from a to b, but showing the deck planks
removed, to exhibit the horizontal stringer plate which forms the bottom of
the waterway.
A, external skin or planking of wood applied longitudinally in the ordinary
way; B (Figure 1) is the vertical wood frame; C (Figure 1), iron knee;
D), deck beam, (in Figure 1 of wood, and in Figures 2 and 3 of metal,) to which
is bolted E, the longitudinal stringer forming bottom of the waterway, and to
the outer edge of which is attached F, the vertical metal stringer plate, to the
upper edge of which is riveted G, the iron or other metal bulwarks; II, angle
iron, against which the edge of the deck plank abut, and which is riveted to
the horizontal stringer plate on top of the deck beams, and forms the inner
side of the waterways; I, angle iron, which by means of rivets connect the
horizontal and vertical stringer plate together; K, angle iron riveted along
the top of the bulwarks, and above which is mounted L, a wooden rail;
M, metal stays for bulwarks; N, bolts for attaching the external wooden skin
to the metallic frames, which are driven from the inside, and clenched or
riveted on to a washer on the outside.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this our said
Invention, and how be believe the same may be best carried into practical
effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to tho
precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions, as it will be readily seen

page_text: the same may be considerably varied without departing from the Invention;
but what we claim is,-
First, the application of iron or other suitable metal in place of timber in
constructing waterways and bulwarks to such ships or other navigable vessels
the hulls of which are built entirely of wood, or with wooden frames and
planking, and iron or other metal deck beams, or with iron or other metal
frames and deck beams planked with timber up to the gunwale, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
Secondly, the application of poops and topgallant forecastles, constructed of
iron or other metal, to such ships and other navigable vessels the hulls of
which are built of wood, or with metal frames and wooden skins, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
. And, lastly, in attaching the wooden planking to iron or steel framed vessels,
by driving the bolts from the inside, and riveting them on the outside, in
contradistinction to the driving of the bolts from the outside and riveting them
on the inside, and to screw bolts driven from the outside and having the nuts
applied thereon from the inside, as now commonly practised.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Hunter Holderness and Henry
Jordan, have hereunto, set our hand and affixed our seals, this
Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
THOMAS HUNTER (L.S.)
HENRY
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
HOLDERNESS.
(L.S.) JORDAN.