IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MASTS AND SPARS OF SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robb, Timber Merchant, and Laurence Hill,
Ship Builder, both in the Parish of Greenock, and County of Renfrew,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MASTS AND SPARS OF SHIPS AND
VESSELS."
Sealed the 29th May 1855, and dated the 17th February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robb and Laurence
Hill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 17th February 1855.
We, JOHN ROBB, Timber Merchant, and LAURENCE HILL, Shipbuilder,
both in the Parish of Greenock, and County of Renfrew, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MASTS AND SPARS
OF SHIPS AND VESSELS" to be as follows:-
Whereas masts and spars, when not made of timber in the common way,
have been made by forming them for their whole length either of a malleable
iron tube or of long flat plates of iron, having long pieces of wood fixed to and
along said plates: masts so constructed, though possessing many advantages,
have this disadvantage, that should it be found necessary to cut away the
masts, it would be very difficult to do so. Now, we propose to build the lower
part of the mast of iron, from the step to the upper deck, or to a short distance
above, and to make the upper part of the mast from or near the deck same as

page_text: the corresponding portion of a wooden mast made in the usual way, and fix it
into the top or upper end of the lower and iron portion of the mast. Masts so
constructed can be cut away with the usual facility, and if cut or carried away
they can be easier replaced than common masts, or than masts constructed
wholly of iron, or having iron plates running throughout the entire length, as the
wooden part of the mast will be cut away or will break off above the iron part
which is at or above the deck, and all the iron portion will remain secure in
the hold, and the cargo will thus not require to be disturbed. Moreover, the
cost will be less, as shorter and smaller timber only will be required. We do
not confine ourselves to any particular form for the iron part, but prefer that of
a hollow iron tube, which form facilitates the fixing of the wooden part into it,
and has other advantages. The iron portion of the mast may either be built
into and form part of the vessel, or it may be built as a separate piece, and be
fixed in the usual way. We propose to form the spars or yards by making
the central portion of the length of cach spar or yard of or with a hollow iron
tube, say five or six feet in length, but longer or shorter, according to
circumstances, and by making the remaining portions or ends of the spar
or yard, by inserting into each end of the hollow iron tube a piece of wood, same
as the corresponding portion of a wooden spar or yard, made in the usual
manner; such pieces of wood can be casily fixed in the tube in a very secure
Yards. particularly when of large dimensions, when properly con-
structed in this manner, will be cheaper in first cost, stronger, and more easily
repaired than those made in the ordinary way.
Our claim is for the combination of a frame, case, or tube of iron for the under
part, with a wooden spar or mast for the upper part of a vessel's masts; and
also for the combination of an iron tube for the centre, and of wooden spars
for the ends of vessel's yards, all as and for the purposes above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Robb and Laurence Hill in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the. 10th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
ROBB, Timber Merchant, and LAURENCE HILL, Shipbuilder, both in the Parish
of Greenock, & County of Renfrew, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Robb & Laurence Hill, Her special license that we,
the said John Robb & Laurence Hill, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Robb and Laurence Hill, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, & no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, & vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, &
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MASTS AND SPARS OF SHIPS
& VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
Robb and Laurence Hill, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand & seal of one of us, should particularly
describe & 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 John Robb and Laurence Hill, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
Our Invention consists of the improvements in constructing masts & spars of
ships and vessels, herein-after described. We build the lower part of a mast
of a ship or vessel of iron from the "step" to the upper deck, or to a short
distance above the upper deck, and we construct the upper part of the mast
from or near the deck in any of the ways usually adopted in the construction
of a wooden mast, and we fix it in the upper end of the lower or iron portion,
already described, of the mast. Masts so constructed can be cut away with
the usual facility, and if cut or carried away they can be more easily replaced
than common masts, or than masts constructed wholly of iron, or having iron
plates running throughout the entire length; inasmuch as in our improved
masts the wooden part of the mast can be cut off above the iron part which is
at or above the deck, and all the iron portion will remain secure in the hold
or body of the ship or vessel, and the cargo will thus not require to be disturbed
in order to repair or replace an injured mast. Moreover, in making masts
according to our Invention the cost will be less, as shorter and smaller timber
for a given size of mast will be required, by reason of forming the lower
portion of a mast of iron. We prefer that the form of the iron part of a mast
should be that of a hollow iron tube, which form facilitates the fixing of the

page_text: wooden part into it, but we do not confine ourselves to that form. The iron
portion of the mast may either be built into & form part of the vessel,
which we prefer to be the case, or it may be constructed as a separate
piece, & be fixed in the way in which a mast is now usually fixed in a ship
or vessel.
In constructing the spars of ships & vessels according to our Invention, we
make a portion of the length of each spar of a hollow iron tube made of sheet
iron, say five or six feet in length, for a spar of about forty feet long, but
longer or shorter for other lengths of spars, and we construct the remaining
portions or ends of the spar by inserting into each end of the hollow iron tube
a piece of wood of the same construction as the corresponding portion of a
wooden spar made in the usual manner. Yards & other spars, particularly
when of large dimensions, when constructed in this manner will be cheaper
in first cost, stronger, & more easily repaired than those made in the
ordinary way.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, & the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not claim
generally to construct masts & spars of ships & vessels partly of iron &
partly of wood, but only the doing so in the manner herein described, by
employing a frame or tube of iron for the lower part of a mast, & constructing
the upper part of wood, as explained; and in the making of spars of ships &
vessels we claim the combination, in the manner herein-before described, of
iron tubes for the centre parts of the spars and wood for the two ends thereof,
as explained.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Robb & Laurence Hill, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
TAHTNT
מחבד
JOHN ROBE. (..)
LAUR. HILL. (L.S.)