MENTS IN SHIPS' FENDERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, GEORGE BARNLEY, of Gale Villas, Ambleside, in the County of Westmoreland,
Wesleyan Minister, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHIPS' FENDERS to be as follows:-
I gird, or partially gird, a navigable vessel, with a rope, or cable, of any suitable
material, or with a bar, or rod of metal, along the sides, so as to absorb, or to
diminish the energy of collision.. Or I use two, or more, such appliances at
different levels. The effect of this is that the protection must be broken through,
before serious damage can be done to the structure of the ship. I attach the pro- .
tection, either close to the vessel's side, or I suspend it, by arms, or brackets, at a
distance from the planking. And I make the brackets either rigid, or give them
elasticity by introducing springs, or chambers for atmospheric compression in some
portion of their length. I further prefer to make them in the form of a bow, so
that, should the impact take place at any point where a supporting arm occurs,
that particular arm may be fractured, leaving the cable still in position, by the
support of adjacent arms,-whereas, if the arm were in the shape of a straight rod,
standing out at right angles with the side, it might be driven back into the ship.
And I may furnish the arms, or brackets, with hinges so as to admit of their being
folded, at pleasure, out of the way, almost close to the ship's sides.
I attach the same kind of fender, vertically, along the line of a ship's stem, so
that the shock, in case of a collision, may be diminished to the structure, both of
the vessel striking, and of the vessel struck,

page_text: I, GEORGE BARNLEY, of Gale Villas, Ambleside, in the County of Westmoreland,
Wesleyan Minister, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHIPS' FENDERS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
I protect a ship, or other navigablo vessel, against the effects of collision; by
girding it along the sides, and also round the stem, and stern, horizontally, with a
chain, or rod of metal, or with a cable of wire, or other material. And, further, by
attaching a similar protection to the stem, it being then fixed vertically. In the
manner hereafter described :-viz,—
I. I effect the horizontal girding,
1. By fixing, at intervals, along the sides of the ship, and continuing, if so
preferred, around stem, and stern, a succession of brackets, which may be either
straight rods, or otherwise made of a bow shape. These brackets may be so
hinged as to admit of their being folded close to the ships' sides. The brackets are
furnished with rings, through which I carry a rod, or chain, or cable, and so rigidly
extend, and tighten it, that it offers a resistance, proportioned to its diameter, and
strength, against the force of any other body coming into collision with it. Before
any other ship can touch the structure, so as to injure it, of a vessel so guarded,
the concussion must have its energy much diminished, and in many cases wholly
neutralized.
The space between the outer edge of the Fender, and the sides of the ship, I may
use for the purpose of introducing springs, of any kind, in order to increase the
resistance. I may further cover over with netting, or other material, the said
space, so as to make it answer the purposes of an extended deck, convenient for the
stowage of spars, of boats, or of the rougher portions of a cargo, and thereby afford
additional protection, in cases of collision, to the planking, and timbers, or metal
plating of the ship.
2. The protection may be given by laying a rod, chain, or cable, close along the
sides of the ship, and without using the before mentioned brackets, so making it
impossible for the vessel to suffer injury, by collision, until the guard shall have
been severed. The force to be resisted, instead of tending, by concussion, to
shatter other parts of the ship, at a distance from the point of contact, has rather
the effect of giving additional tightness to a bond which holds the whole together.
3. I may use more than one of the above described appliances to any one ship;
and, where two or more cables are employed, may connect them together vertically,
or horizontally, or in any other direction, by interposing a network, or other
arrangement of suitable material so as to repel more effectually the impact of a
foreign body.
II. I make the stem protection
1. By carrying a rod, cable, or chain, from a fastening on, or near to, the deck of
a ship, so as to make it reach a bolt, or shackle, at the lower part of the stem.
This rod, or cable, is drawn tightly over interposed springs, or brackets, which hold
it as a projection in advance of the stem. In case of collision the elasticity of the

page_text: Fender must be overcome, or the whole appliance be displaced, before the stein can
reach the structure of any other ship, and the energy of contact must be, to that
extent, diminished.
2. By making an endless band, preferably of flat wire rope, which is then
stretched over springs, and fastened to the stem of the ship. The springs are
placed at the upper, and lower ends of a framework which gives stability to the
whole, and are of a strength proportioned to the tonnage of the vessel. Other
springs are interposed within the space between the sides of the band of cable,
and these springs may be either atmospheric, or of steel, and may be made of any
shape.
The following letters, and figures, refer to the Drawings which shew the nature
of the Invention, and which are deposited herewith :—
Fig. I. A. A. A. Cable girding of the ship, shewn as when there is but one
cable used, and when it is held, by brackets, so as to be at a distance from the
vessel's sides.
B. B. B. The brackets by which the cable is held in position.
Fig. II. A. Framework of the Stem Fender.
B. B. Springs, composed of numerous plates of steel, & placed at the extreme
ends of the framework, and inside the endless band of cable.
C. C. The endless band.
D. D. D. D. Atmospheric, or other, springs, which add to the resistance offered
by B. B.
Fig. III. One of the brackets, shewing an arrangement, by jointing, for folding
the Fender against the sides of the ship.
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
The application to a ship's sides, and stem, of a Fender, of cable, or chain, or
other suitable material, which may be backed by springs, so as to absorb the energy
of collision, substantially as shewn, and described.
Dated this onl
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