IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION, LINES, AND FORM OF VESSELS, AND PARTICULARLY OF STEAM VESSELS."
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicholas D. Spartali, of Liverpool, in the County.
of Lancashire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION,
LINES, AND FORM OF VESSELS, AND PARTICULARLY OF STEAM VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicholas D. Spartali at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd October 1878.
I, NICHOLAS D. SPARTALI, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancashire,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION, LINES, AND FORM OF VESSELS, AND PARTICULARLY OF STEAM
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct vessels and especially
steam vessels of such a form as will while affording great capacity for
the stowage of cargo, at the same time facilitate the attainment of a
high speed, and give great stability of structure. For this purpose I
construct the under side of the hull of the vessel with a channel or
waterway on each side of the keel. These channels may extend aft from
about one-fourth or one-fifth the length of the vessel, or they may be

page_text: continued from stem to stern; or in lieu of the two channels I propose
to cut away the under part of the stern of the vessel, so as to form a
projecting counter of some fifty or sixty feet length in a vessel measuring
say 500 feet.
The propeller (preferably one of screw type) I mount in the space so i
formed, or between the channels, and I am thus enabled to bring the
propeller nearer to midships than has been heretoforo practicable, and
thus to counteract the tendency to "racing" now experienced in rough
seas, and consequently to remove the liability of breaking the blades of
the propeller.
A number of vessels thus constructed may be secured together, either
longitudinally or abreast of each other, or in both ways, with the object
of forming in effect one largo vessel, sufficient space being left between
the hulls for the water to pass through, and thus relieve them from
undue strain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Nicholas D. Spartali in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NICHOLAS
DEMETRIUS SPARTALI, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty- 2
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Nicholas Demetrius Spartali, Her special
licenco that I, the said Nicholas Demetrius Spartali, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Nicholas Demetrius
Spartali, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time a
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

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION, LINES, AND FORM OF VESSELS, AND PARTICULARLY OF
STEAM VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Nicholas Demetrius Spartali, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 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 I, the said Nicholas Demetrius Spartali, 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):
--
The object of this Invention is to construct vessels and especially
steam vessels of such a form as will while affording great capacity for
the stowage of cargo, at the same time facilitate the attainment of a
high speed, and give great stability of structure.
For this purpose I
construct the under side of the hull of the vessel with a channel or
waterway on each side of the kecl.
about one-fourth or one-fifth the
continued from stem to stern.
These channels may extend aft from
length of the vessel, or they may be
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 shows in side
clevation, and Fig. 2 in longitudinal section the lines of the hull of a
steam vessel constructed according to this Invention; and Figures 3, 4,
and 5 are cross sections taken respectively in the lines 1, 1, 2, 2, and 3, 3,
of Fig. 1. The cross sections Figures 3 and 4 show clearly the form of
the channels made in the hull on either side of the keel at the stern of
the vessel, and Fig. 2 shews the run of these channels. A somewhat
similar arrangement is made at the bows of the vessel, and for the like
purpose, which purpose will be presently explained.
In the Drawing two screw propellers A, A², are shown, the one being
situate towards the bows, and-the-other-at-the-after-part-of-the vessel;
These propellers work in the channels formed on either side of the keel,
as indicated by the red circle in Fig. 3. The facility thus provided-of-
mounting the propellers enables me to bring then nearer to midships

page_text: than has been heretofore practicable, and to render their action moro
efficient in consequence of their working in "solid" or unbroken water;
thus the tendency to racing now experienced in rough seas is avoided,
and the liability of injury to the blades and propeller shaft is greatly
.decreased.
A modified form of the channeled bull is shown in Shoot II. of the
Drawings, where Fig. 6 is a side elevation, and Fig. 7 a longitudinal
central section of the same. In this case the channels are continued
from stem to stern of the vessel. Their changes of form are sufficiently
indicated by the cross sections Figures 7, 8, and 9, which are respectively 1
taken in the lines 4, 4, 5, 5, and 6, 6, of Fig. 6. The Drawing shows
the vessel provided with three screw propellers B, B, B, one near the
bows, and two at the after part of the vessel, but any one of theso
propellers may be omitted if thought desirable.
A number of vessels constructed on the lines shewn in the Figures 1
above referred to may be secured together, either longitudinally or
abreast of cach other, or on both ways, with the object of forming in
effect one large vessel, sufficient space being left between the hulls for
the water to pass through, and thus relieve them from undue strain.
In licu of the screw propellers I may apply single or double-acting 2
hydro-pneumatic pumps, for discharging volumes of water foro and aft
under the vessel's lincs.
Fig. 10 is a plan view, Fig. 11 is a side elevation, and Fig. 12 a cross
section in the line 7, 7, of Fig. 10, of four hulls secured together, both
longitudinally and abreast of cach other. These hulls are connected
together, and the space between them is bridged over by strong iron
girders, which are covered by deck planking. The keels are mado
continuous, and of greater strength than usual to give stability to the
structure, and a course is left clear between the hulls for the passage of
water to and from the propellers.
In Fig. 10 two propeller shafts are shown, cach carrying two pro-
pellers C, C, but in this as in the before-mentioned cases the propelling
apparatus may be modified as desired.
+
Vessels thus coupled together may be used as magazines, store ships,
or as lines of batteries for offensivo or defensive purposes.
Having now sot forth the nature of my Invention of "
'Improvements
in the Construction, Lines, and Form of Vessels, and Particularly of
"
3

page_text: Steam Vessels," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First. Forming the hulls of vessels with channels or waterways
extending on either side of the keel, and for the whole or a portion of
the length of the vessel, in the manner and for the purpose above
described.
Secondly. Combining two or more of such hulls together so as to form
one rigid structure, as illustrated in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicholas Demetrius Spartali, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the First day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.