Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887
Complete Left, 4th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 4th May, 1888
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows :-
In consequence of the great velocity which it is required to impart to modern ships
without reduction in the weight of the equipment or change of motive power builders are
limited to very light or thin hulls so that in certain classes of vessels such as torpedo
boats the plates are only about four millimetres thick. Therefor in order to preserve
the hulls from the action of the water it is necessary to haul them ashore when not
required for service.
But to leave aground vessels of light build the frame of which has not the necessary
solidity is attended with another drawback as the joints and fastenings may become
loose through improper strains and the building of the vessel in general impaired,
accidents that might seriously impair the efficiency of the vessel for action and incur
continual expenditure for repairs. There are also many inconveniences in maintaining
the ships afloat on account of the oxidation of the iron or steel plates so that the
problem relating to the preservation of vessels during the time that they are out of
service has yet to be solved and this we propose to do by the application to the hull of
the vessel of a cover or coat consisting of a kind of shirt or cover made of a flexible
impermeable substance which may if desired be elastic having the form and dimensions
of the bottom of the vessel to which it is applied.
This coat or cover will serve to cover the exterior surface of the bottom of the
vessel so that it may he so to say cased therein but only that part of the vessel that
remains under water need be so covered. By means of this shirt or cover the sea
water is prevented from coming in contact with the vessel so that the latter is preserved
from oxidation as well as from any hogging or cambering an accident which can easily
happen when a vessel is on the stocks; the vessel being afloat is equally sustained on
all sides on the surface of the sea water.

page_text: 1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described' and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In consequence of the great velocity which it is required' to impart to modern ships
without reduction in the weight of the equipment or change of motive power, builders
are limited to very light or thin hulls, so that in certain classes of vessels such as
torpedo boats the plates are only about four millimetres thick. Therefore in order to
preserve the hulls from the action of the water it is necessary to haul them ashore
when not required for service.
But to leave aground vessels of light build the frame of which has not the necessary
solidity is attended with another drawback, as the joints and fastenings may become
loose through improper strains and the building of the vessel in general impaired,
accidents that might seriously impair the efficiency of the vessel for action and' incur
continual expenditure for repairs.
There are also many inconveniences in maintaining the vessels afloat on account of
the oxidation of the iron or steel plates so that the problem relating to the preservation
of vessels during the time that they are out of service has yet to be solved, and this
my correspondent proposes to do by the application to the hull of the vessel' of a cover
or coat consisting of a kind' of sack of an impermeable flexible textile fabric which
may if desired be elastic, having the form and dimensions of the bottom of the vessel
to which it is applied.
This coat or cover will' serve to cover the exterior surface of the bottom of the vessel
so that it may be so to say cased therein, but only that part of the vessel' that remains
under water need be so covered. By means of this cover or coat the sea water is
prevented from coming into contact with the vessel, so that the latter is preserved
from oxidation. as well as from any hogging or cambering, an accident which can
easily happen when the vessel is on the stocks, the vessel when afloat being equally
sustained on all sides on the surface of the sea-water.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
The method of preserving the bottom of vessels, consisting in the application to the
said bottom of an envelope or casing made of any suitable impermeable elastic or non-
elastic material which fits or adapts itself exactly to the plates of the hull for the
purpose of protecting it against improper strains or oxidation.
Dated this 4th day of April 1888.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.