IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BOYDELL, of Oak Farm Works, near Dudley, Iron Master, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen. Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of November, in the ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Boydell, my exors, adñors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said James Boydell, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Boydell, my
exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BUILDING OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS;" in which said Letters. Patent is con-
tained a proviso, that I, the said James Boydell, shall. cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and. immediately after.the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference.
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE. that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Boydell, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
James Boydell, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being bad
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to ady
My Invention consists,―
First, of a mode of building ships and other vessels with iron and wood. And,
Secondly, my Invention consists of a mode of building-ships and other
vessels with iron.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me...
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
7
Figure 1 shews a horizontal longitudinal section of so much of the side of
a ship or vessel as will enable me to describe the first part of my Invention.
a, a, are two of the ribs of the vessel, which are made with angle iron of the
form shewn. To the inner surfaces of these ribs the plates of iron b, b, are
fixed by rivets, then the spaces between the ribs are filled in with wood c, c,
the grain of the wood running in a direction fore and aft the vessel, so as to
produce a flush surface with the outer surfaces of the iron ribs, and over the
wood cand the iron ribs a. 'The sides of the ship or vessel are to be planked,
as shewn at d, d, and then copper or other sheathing is to be applied. The
planking and other woodwork are to be made tight at the seams by caulking,
as is well understood. By this mode of combining iron and wood in ship
"building great facility of construction will be obtained and great strength of
'structure.
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention. Figure 2
shews a 'horizontal longitudinal section of part of a ship's side, constructed
according to this part of my Invention. e, e, are two of the ribs of a ship or
vessel. In each rib is formed a groove, and, in place of rivetting the sheets of
iron to the ribs as heretofore, the sheets f,f, are bent up at right angles at
their ends, and these bended parts enter the grooves formed in the ribs, and
they are wedged tightly therein by wedge-formed "bárs g, which are fastened by
keys h driven through. By this mode of combining the parts much time will
be saved by rendering the rivetting of the sheets to the ribs unnecessary.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do no
'

page_text: confine myself to the exact details, so long as the peculiar character of either
part of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the mode of constructing ships or vessels by combining ribs a, a, with
iron plates b, and wood c, d, as above described. And I also claim the.
applying copper or other metal sheathing in combination with wood planking
applied to an iron-built ship or vessel.
Secondly, I claim the mode of fastening the plates of iron to a ship's side by
having grooves in the ribs and bending the plates, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Boydell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.