IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE FORMATION OF HARBOURS OF REFUGE, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS A WAVE SCREEN IN OTHER SITUATIONS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Killwick Calver, of Sunderland, Master in
the Royal Navy, and Admiralty Surveyor, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE FORMATION OF HARBOURS OF REFUGE, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE AS A WAVE SCREEN IN OTHER SITUATIONS."
Sealed the 18th June 1858, and dated the 19th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Killwick Calver
at the Office of the Commissioners of, Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th April 1858.
I, EDWARD KILLWICK CALVER, of Sunderland, Master in the Royal Navy,
and Admiralty Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF HARBOURS OF REFUGE, WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS A WAVE SCREEN IN OTHER SITUATIONS," to be as
follows:
Harbours of refuge as at present constructed are obtained by the erection of.
sea walls of masonry to separate the open sea from that forming the harbour.
Such walls are objectionable on account of the comparative stillness thereby
produced to the waters enclosed by them, by which the particles of matter
(held in suspension whilst the waters are in motion) become deposited, and
thereby accumulate with a tendency ultimately to fill up such harbours.
At the same time the first cost of such walls is not only very great, but
upon any alteration being required thereto for enlargement or otherwise, an

page_text: even increased cost is incurred consequent upon the necessity for the destruc-
tion of the one, and the re-formation of the new arrangement.
Various arrangements of floating breakwaters have also been introduced,
but to the best of my belief without any practical result.
Now, the object of my Invention is the formation of harbours by the use of
open screens, adapted especially to deep water, where the waves are, as is well
understood, simply undulations, possessing no horizontal percussive force, and
where the effect of the waves at some depth below the surface, partakes more
of the character of a disturbance than of a direct force, and which screens,
whilst they will have the effect of reducing the magnitude or undulations of
the waves acted upon by them, say, to about one half, those undulations will
only be reduced, and sufficient motion will remain to the waters within the
screen to keep the particles of floating matter therein from separating and
depositing, or to any extent accumulating. I form these screens (which by pre-
ference I call wave screens) by a series of posts arranged in a row, with their
lower ends forced into the bed of the waters to a depth sufficient for their
secure holding, whilst their upper ends extend to a height above that of the
waves at high water. The lower parts of these posts may be formed of pine,
studded with scupper nails, or of pine cased in green heart, and their upper parts
above the water of cast iron, or altogether of malleable iron-cylinders, but I do
not confine myself to the use of such materials; they are held together at the re-
quisite distance apart by connecting ties, and supported to resist the incumbent
weight and surface stroke by inclined stays, one, two, or more to each post,
according to the height required for them, with chains or other stays, to add
stability to these inclined stays. The inclined stays may be formed of the same
material as the lower parts of the upright posts, or partly so and partly of
metal, their upper ends being connected by eyes and bolts to the posts, whilst
their lower ends pass into the bed of the water, at which part they are fur-
nished with inclined shoes or palms of iron to facilitate their firm resistance
within the soil. The upright posts are also joined together by link bars.
I prefer that the distance between the respective posts be such that the
undulations of the waves in passing the screen formed by them, from a direc-
tion abreast, will be reduced to about one half, and that the line of posts
forming the wave fence or screen, correspond with the course of the current
so as not to disturb its action upon the bottom of the space enclosed. The
posts may also support a stage or gangway, or other walk.
In addition to the simplicity and economy of the adaptation of such system,
may be added the facility it affords for any subsequent alterations to it, as
experience may dictate.

page_text: Screens thus formed will insure the almost unobstructed passage of the
tidal streams, the destruction of the "surface breakers," and the interception.
of only so much of the deep water undulation as may be found necessary for
the security of the vessels anchored within their protection.
Wave screens of the character referred to, are also applicable to other
situations.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Killwick Calver in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I EDWARD
KILLWICK CALVER, of Sunderland, Master in the Royal Navy, and Admiralty
Surveyor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Killwick Calver, Her special licence that I, the said
Edward Killwick Calver, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Killwick Calver, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF HARBOURS OF REFUGE, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS A WAVE SCREEN IN OTHER SITUATIONS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Killwick Calver,
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 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 Edward Killwick Calver, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: Harbours of refuge as at present constructed are obtained by the erection of
sea walls of masonry, to separate the open sea from that forming the harbour.
Such walls are objectionable on account of the comparative stillness thereby
produced to the waters enclosed by them, by which the particles of matter
(held in suspension whilst the waters are in motion) become deposited, and
thereby accumulate with a tendency ultimately to fill up such harbours. At
the same time, the first cost of such walls is not only very great, but upon any
alteration being required thereto for enlargement or otherwise, an even increased
cost is incurred consequent upon the necessity for the destruction of the one,
and the re-formation of the new arrangement.
Various arrangements of floating breakwaters have also been introduced,
but, to the best of my belief, without any particular result. Now, the object
of my Invention is the formation of harbours by the use of open screens,
adapted especially to deep water, where the waves are, as is well understood,
simply undulations, possessing no horizontal percussive force, and where the
effect of the waves at some depth below the surface partakes more of the
character of a disturbance than of a direct force, and which screens, whilst
they will have the effect of reducing the magnitude or undulations of the
waves acted upon by them, say to about one-half, those undulations will only
be reduced, and sufficient motion will remain to the waters within the screen
to keep the particles of suspended or floating matter therein from separating
and depositing, or to any extent accumulating. I form these screens (which
by preference I call wave screens) by a series of posts arranged in a row, with
their lower ends forced into the bed of the waters to a depth sufficient for their
secure holding, whilst their upper ends extend to a height above that of the
wayes at high water. The lower part of these posts may be formed of pine
studded with scupper nails, or of pine cased in green heart, or of solid green
heart, and their upper parts above the water of cast iron, or altogether of
malleable iron cylinders, but I do not confine myself to the use of such
materials. The posts are held together at the requisite distance apart by
connecting ties, and supported to resist the incumbent weight and surface
stroke by inclined stays, one, two, or more to each post, according to the
height required for them, with chains or other stays, to add stability to these
inclined stays. The inclined stays may be formed of the same material as the
lower parts of the upright posts, or partly so, and partly of metal, their upper
ends being connected by eyes and bolts to the posts, whilst their lower ends
pass into the bed of the water, at which part they are furnished with inclined
shoes or palms of iron to facilitate their firm resistance within the soil. The
upright posts are also joined together by link bars. I prefer that the distance

page_text: between the respective posts be such that the undulations of the waves in
passing the screen formed by them from a direction abreast, will be reduced
to about one-balf, and that the line of posts forming the wave fence or screen,
correspond with the course of the current or tide stream, so as not to disturb
its action upon the bottom of the space enclosed.
The posts may also support a stage or gangway, or other walk. In addition
to the simplicity and economy of the adaptation of such system, may be added
the facility it affords for any subsequent alterations to it as experience may
dictate, or for whole or partial removal. Screens thus formed will insure
the almost unobstructed passage of the tidal streams, the destruction of the
"surface breakers," and the interception of only so much of the deep water
undulation as may be found necessary for the security of the vessels anchored
within their protection. Wave screens of the character referred to are also
applicable to other situations.
But that the nature of my improvements may be more fully understood, I
will proceed to describe the Drawing annexed in each of the Figures, of which
the same letters indicate like parts wherever they occur.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a back view, Figure 2, a sectional end view, and Figure 3
a sectional plan of a wave screen constructed according to my Invention.
The line a represents the surface of the bed of the sea; the line b the low-
water level; and c the high-water level; d, d, are a series of upright posts, the
lower ends of which are forced into the bed of the sea to a depth sufficient to
obtain a firm hold therein. The parts from 1 to 2 may be formed of pine,
studded with scupper nails, or of pine cased in green heart, or of solid green
heart; and the parts from 2 to 3 are of cast iron, though these posts may be
formed entirely of cast or other iron cylinders; these posts d, d, are secured
together by cross ties d¹, d¹, formed with moveable flanges, to provide against
irregularities of distance apart; e, f, are inclined stays for the purpose of aiding
in resisting the outward thrust; these inclined stays are formed in a similar
manner to the upright posts d, and they are connected thereto by the cross
ties d', but the means of connection may be varied. Their lower ends are
furnished with heavy shoes or palms g, g, which I prefer to be fitted so that
their plane surface 4 may be perpendiculer to the bed of the sea; h is a stage
or gallery, which may be used, if required, and have lights or other signals
applied to it. In place of the stays e, f, being inclined so as to rest against
the posts d, and thereby give support to them, thay may be placed at a

page_text: distance behind the posts d, and connected thereto by cross ties, or both posts
d, and e or f, may be inclined.
I prefer to form the various posts and stays cylindrical in their cross
section, in order that they may thereby the better resist the broken crests
of deep water waves, or the battery of artillery. It will be found desirable in
most cases for the direction of the line formed by the screen to correspond
with the line of the tidal stream at its greatest strength, so far as that direction
may be consistent with affording the required shelter to the vessels.
;
A refuge harbour, constructed in the manner above described, will not afford
the still water which is necessary in a dock for trading purposes; but it will
afford sufficient stillness and shelter from the tempest. Such a refuge harbour
may possess ample space and be so projected that vessels of the larger class
would be enabled to enter and ride safely in it, under all circumstances of tide,
wind, and weather, and present equal facility for quitting it. A refuge harbour,
formed by a screen constructed according to my improvements, would furnish
a roadstead like that at Yarmouth, without the objectionable features of the
latter for, whereas the roadstead in question is only comparatively smooth
towards low-water when the breakers expend themselves upon the covering
sands, the refuge harbour would be equally affected at every period of the tide,
from the uniform operation of the screen; and it would also have an advan-
tage over Yarmouth roadstead in affording less space for the surface crest to
re-form. Entrance to a refuge harbour thus formed may be either round the
ends of the screen, or through an interval left in it, according to circumstances;
in the latter case, vessels taking refuge will have the advantage of being able
to pass into the body of the harbour without touching brace or sheet, instead
of having to present their broadsides to the sea. The nature of the screen
would allow of this central entrance being narrowed or widened, and even its
aspect changed, by the addition, removal, or re-disposition of a few of the posts
on either side, a manifest advantage over the system at present pursued, where
a mistake in projection is irremediable, and a large wave admitted by such an
interval in the screen, would be almost immediately destroyed by the interior
expanse.
Figure 4 is a Diagram of one of our harbours to illustrate one method of
arranging a wave screen according to my Invention. The dotted lines i
represent the wave screen; j, an opening in the middle thereof, for the passage
of vessels; and the arrows k indicate the line of current or tide stream.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not

page_text: confine myself to the precise details referred to, as these may be varied; but
what I claim as the Invention intended to be secured by the said Letters
Patent, is, the construction of harbours of refuge, and the protection of frontage
exposed to the waves of the ocean, by means of wave screens arranged and
adapted as above.described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Killwick Calver, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
0 Witness,
EDWIN C. DAVISON,
Sunderland.
EDWARD KILLWICK CALVER. (L.S.)