A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COVERING HOLES IN SHIPS' BOTTOMS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Makaroff, of No. 118, Buckingham
Palace Road, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Licutenant
in the Imperial Navy of Russia, for the Invention of "A NEW AND
IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COVERING HOLES IN SHIPS'
BOTTOMS."
Sealed the 21st August 1875, and dated the 4th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Makaroff at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th March 1875.
I, STEPHEN MAKAROFF, of No. 118, Buckingham Palace Road, West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex, Lieutenant in the Imperial Navy
of Russia, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COVERING HOLES IN SHIPS'
BOTTOMS," to be as follows:-
The Invention consists of an apparatus for covering holes in ships'
bottoms to prevent the sinking of ships, for which purpose two square
pieces of canvass, both of the same size, are sewn together on a kind of

page_text: matting, and bordered with rope like a sail. The matting is manu-
factured expressly for this purpose. This matting will be matted on one
side with a rope yarn, either tarred or not, and will on the other side
have a strong but soft pile made of oakum, cocoa-nut fibre, or any other
suitable material, and either or not be provided with any waterproof
paint or other material. This will be of suitable thickness, and the
pieces will be of different sizes, from five to twenty feet square.
When a ship or any other floating body is struck or springs a leak a
piece of this covering (which must be always in a handy place, with four
ropes, one to each corner, ready attached to it) is brought to the side of
the ship where the leak is. In the meantime two men, standing on each
side of the stem lower a thin rope with a weight in the middle attached
to it down the bow, and running on both sides of the ship, pull it under
the keel to the place where the leak is, when one of the thin rope ends
is fastened to one of the four sheet ropes (No. 1) attached to the piece
of covering. Another thin rope, lowered in the same manner from the
stern, must then be fixed to the second sheet rope (No. 2) attached to
the covering. These two shect ropes are then hauled underneath the
keel of the ship on to the other side, and by means of thin ropes the
covering is pulled on to the spot where the leak is, with the rough side
towards the ship's bottom. The two other ropes connected with the
piece of covering (No. 3 & 4) are previously fastened to the side of the
ship where the leak is, and the first two ropes (No. 1 & 2) fastened in
the same way to the other side. The pressure of the water is so great
that it keeps the covering firmly pressed against the hole, and the
larger the hole is the more effectually it will prevent the water from
coming in.
The principal advantage of this covering is, that in cases of holes
struck in iron ships, either by rocks, collissions, shells, or otherwise, the
material is totally untearable in the water when brought into contact
with the sharp edges of the broken iron, and it can be used over and

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Stephen Makaroff in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
MAKAROFF, of No. 118, Buckingham Palace Road, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Lieutenant in the Imperial Navy of Russia, send.
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Stephen Makaroff, Her special licence that I, the
said Stephen Makaroff, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, tho said Stephen Makaroff, 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 "A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF And
APPARATUS FOR COVERING HOLES IN SHIPS' BOTTOMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Stephen Makaroff, 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 bo
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 I, the said Stephen Makaroff, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This Invention consists of an apparatus for covering holes in ships'
bottoms, whether caused by collission, striking on rocks, or gun shots,
&c., and preventing the sinking of vessels, for which purpose two or
more pieces of canvass of the same size, and either or not coated with
any waterproof paint or similar material, are sewn together on a kind of

page_text: matting from five to twenty feet square, and bordered with ropes like a
sail, and fitted with eylets at the four corners. The matting is manu-
factured expressly for this purpose, and has a strongly woven back mado
of rope yarn, either tarred or not, and on the other sido a thick soft pile
of hemp, oakum, cocoa-nut fibre, or any other like material. Tho
matting will be of suitable thickness, and fitted in the four cyclcts with
slicets or ropes, of about one inch thick and from four to twelve fathoms
in length (according to the size of the mat) for the upper part, and from
twelve to twenty fathoms for the lower.
The principal advantage of this matting is that in case of holes struck
in iron ships, either by rocks, collissions, shells, or otherwise, tho material
is totally untearable in the water when brought into contact with the
sharp edges of the broken iron, and it can be used over and over
again.
The moment a ship or any other floating body is damaged so as to
cause a leak, the mat (which must always be kept in a handy place on
deck) is brought to the side of the ship above where the damage has
occurred. In the meantime four of the most experienced sailors are
detached, two to the bow and two to the stern, to lower a thin line or
chain with a weight attached to the middle, which they pass under the
keel at both ends, and run along the sides of the ship with them to
where the mat is held in readiness. The thin lines or chains are then
fastened to the lower sheets attached to the mat, and the upper sheets
are fastened to the bulwarks, allowing a sufficient length for the mat to
reach the damaged spot. On the order being given the lower sheets are
hauled under the bottom of the ship by means of the thin lines or
chains, and when the mat, aided by the suction of the water has found
its place they are made fast to the other side. The pressure of water is
so great that it keeps the covering firmly pressed against the hole, and
the larger the hole is the more effectually it will prevent the water from
coming in.
STEPHEN MAKAROFF. (L.S.)
4th September 1875.