IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM VESSELS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Louis Winans, of Dover Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, and Thomas Winans, of Baltimore, in
the United States of America, but now residing at Dover Street aforesaid,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
STEAM VESSELS."
Sealed the 4th December 1868, and dated the 20th June 1863..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Louis Winans
and Thomas Winans at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 20th June 1868.
We, WILLIAM LOUIS. WINANS, of Dover Street, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Gentleman, and THOMAS WINANS, of Baltimore, in the United States
of America, but now residing at Dover Street aforesaid, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION.
OF STEAM VESSELS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Steam Vessels"
relates to certain improvements upon an Invention for which Letters Patent
were. granted 19th June 1858, No. 1886, to Ross Winans and Thomas
Winans.
The present Invention consists in making a deck and bulwarks, or an
enclosed cabin or cabins, with upper or hurricane deck on the upper part
of the spindle-shaped hull of the vessel described and shewn in the Speci-

page_text: fication of Ross and Thomas Winans' Patent above referred to. The con-
nection between the bulwarks or enclosed cabin or cabins and the spindle-
formed hull of the vessel is made sufficiently high above the water line or
line of flotation to be out of reach of ordinary waves in ordinary sea weather,
in order that the principle and advantage of that form of vessel may be
mainly retained in combination with the above-mentioned improvements
thereon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
LOUIS WINANS, of Dover Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, and
THOMAS WINANS, of Baltimore, in the United States of America, but now
residing at Dover Street aforesaid, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans, Her special license that we, the
said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as.we, the said William Louis Winans and Thomas
Winans, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF STEAM VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said William Louis Winans and Thomas Winans, by an instru-
ment in writing under our 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 William Louis Winans and Thomas
Winans, 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-

page_text: •
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
Our Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Steam Vessels".
consists in certain improvements upon an Invention for which Letters Patent
were granted 19th June 1858, No. 1886, to Ross Winans and Thomas
Winans, for "A new and useful Improvement in the Form of the Hulls of
Steam Vessels."
The present Invention consists in making a flat or nearly flat. deck sur-
rounded by enclosed bulwarks or open railing, or with an enclosed cabin
or cabins upon it, with upper or hurricane deck on the upper part of the
spindle-shaped hull of the vessel described and shewn in the Specification and
Drawings of Ross and Thomas Winans? Patent above referred to... The
connection between the bulwarks or enclosed cabin or cabins and the spindle-
shaped hull of the vessel is made sufficiently high above the water line or
line of flotation to be out of reach of ordinary waves in ordinary sea weather..
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1, A, A, represents a longitudinal view
of the hull of the vessel.patented by Ross and Thomas Winans above. referred
to, with our present Invention adapted thereto, a flat or nearly flat deck, with
enclosed cabin.and hurricane deck surrounded by a railing, being placed upon
the spindle-shaped hull.
The dotted line:a, a, a, a, Fig. 1, shewn through the cabin, indicates the
upper part of the spindle-shaped hull; b, b, b, b, represents the sides of the
enclosed cabin which is placed thereon; d, d, d, represents the hurricane deck
surrounded by a railing e, e.
Fig. 2 represents a vertical cross section of the spindle-shaped hull taken at
the line B, B, of Fig. 1.
"
a, a, a, represents the hull; c, c, the flat deck; b, b, the sides of the enclosed
cabin; d, d, the hurricane deck; e, e, the railing surrounding the hurricane
deck; ff, the sides of the cabin carried below the deck c and attached to
the side of the hull of the vessel.
Fig. 3 represents a modification of the above, and is also a vertical cross
section of the spindle-shaped hull taken at the line B, B, of Fig. 1.
a, a, a, represents the hull, and c, c, the flat deck. placed upon it; h, h,
shews an enclosed bulwark surrounding the deck c, c. The enclosed bulwarks
may be made low with an open railing placed on the top of the bulwarks if
preferred.
Fig. 4 is another modification, being also a vertical cross section taken at the
D

page_text: a, a, a, represents the hull; c,c, the flat deck placed on the top of it; e, e,
shows the railing surrounding the deck, ced.....
Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent other modifications, being also vertical cross
sections. of the spindle-shaped hüll; but with the top part of the hull.cut off so
as to bring the deck nearer to the line of flotation. The cutting off of the top
part of the hull in many cases. will be found a convenient. mode of applying our
combination of flat or nearly flat deck with enclosed bulwarks, open railing, or
enclosed cabin or cabins to the spindle-shaped vessel.
"
Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section of the spindle-shaped hull, showing, the top
part of the hull a, a, a, cut off at the flat deck line c, c; b, b, the sides of the
cabin built upon the deck c; d, the hurricane deck; e, e, the railing surrounding
the hurricane deck.
Fig. 6 represents the top part of the hull a, a, a, cut off above the flat deck
line c; b, b, shews the sides of the cabin extending below the circular sides
of the hull down to the flat deck line c, c, which is brought lower down than
in Fig. 1; dis the hurricane deck; e, e, the railing surrounding the hurri
cane deck.
.....
Fig. 7 represents the top part of the hull a, a, a, cut off at the flat deck
line c, c, which is surrounded.by.the.enclosed bulwarks h. ge
Fig. 8 represents the top part of the hull a, a, a, cut off at the flat deck line
c, c; b, b, shows the sides of the cabin extended down below the deck and
attached to the side of the hull a, a, a; d is the hurricane deck, and e, e, .the
railing surrounding the latter.
"
d
r
From the above description, it will be obvious that the present improvements
upon Ross and Thomas Winans' original Invention, affords great facility and
security to passengers and crew for getting down into the vessel at any part of
its length over which the flat or nearly flat deck extends.; it also gives greater
space for light, airy, and comfortable saloons, cabin, or cabins, with a promenade
or hurricane deck. The advantages of the flat or nearly flat deck without
enclosed cabin or cabins, but with enclosed bulwarks, are, that it affords greater
facility and security for getting down into the. vessel, and for working. the sails
and the general management of the vessel, giving comparatively a dry, deck in
all ordinary sea-going weather, and offering .but little resistance to the wind:
When open bulwarks are used, the resistance caused by the wind is of course
reduced to a minimum.
***
./I
Having now described our Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise modes herein described for applying the flat deck, bulwarks, open railing,
or cabins, so long as the peculiar character or principles of our Invention be

page_text: retained; but what we do claim as our Invention, and desire to secure by
Letters Patent, is, a flat or nearly flat deck surrounded by enclosed bulwarks
or open railing, or with an enclosed cabin or cabins with upper or hurricane
deck on the upper part of and in combination with the spindle-shaped vessel
above referred to.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Louis Winans and Thomas
Winans, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth day
of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three.
W. L. WINANS.
(L.B.)
THOMAS WINANS. (L.S.)