A NEW METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING THE BOTTOMS OF MERCHANT SHIPS, AND PLACING THE PUMPS SO AS TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE CARGOES BY THE BILGE WATER
Year: 1823

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TAYLOR, of Raven Row, Mile End, in the County of Middlesex, Master
Mariner, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Fourth, in and by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixteenth day of January, Onc thousand eight hundred and
twenty-three, for Himself, His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto me,
the said James Taylor, His special licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Taylor, my exors, admors, and assigns, and
every of them, by myself and themselves, and by my and their deputy or
deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said James Taylor, my
exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years therein
unexpired, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"A NEW METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING THE BOTTOMS OF MERCHANT SHIPS, AND PLACING
THE PUMPS SO AS TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE CARGOES BY THE BILGE WATER;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the
said James Taylor, by an instrument under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His

page_text: Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calender months next and
immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Taylor, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by the plan or Drawing
annexed to these Presents, and the following description thereof, that is
to say :-
My new method of constructing the bottoms of merchant ships, and placing
the pumps so as to prevent damage to the cargoes by the bilge water, consists
in forming the bottoms something sharper than usual, and constructing gutters
and watercourses under the flooring, by which means, however much the
ship lies out of her perpendicular position (not exceeding five streaks), the
bilge water will run toward the centre, and be always in a situation to bo
operated upon by the pumps; on the contrary, in the ordinary construction of
merchant ships, the bottoms are so flat that upon a small inclination of the
vessel the bilge water runs to the side, leaving the pumps dry, and frequently
causing considerable damage to the cargo. This inconvenience is perfectly
removed by my new method of construction, and a vessel so built is capable
of combining great additional strength and capacity for stowage with perfect
security to the cargo from the washing of the bilge water. The Drawing
Figure 1 is the main section of a vessel, that half to the left of the centre or
keelson is precisely upon the old construction, that half to the right of the
keelson is according to my new plan of construction; both being drawn to the
scale of one inch to a foot, by which the comparative advantages of the latter
will be clearly seen; the respective letters referring to the corresponding parts
as far as they exist in each construction. A, A, is the keel; B, B, B, B, the
floor timbers; C, the keelson; D, choaks; E, E, E, gutters running fore and
aft; F, F, F, F, the bottom or external planking; G, G, the ceiling or cover-
ing in of the floor timbers; H, H, limber streaks; I, I, the pumps; K, K,
the floor ends; L, L, the thick stuff; M, two and a half plank side keel. In
the old construction the dead rise is usually about half an inch to a foot across
the floor, which on a floor of fourteen feet at twenty-six to twenty-eight feet
beam would be seven inches, the timbers being reduced on the outside towards
the floor heads two inches, would leave five inches inside rise, which is the
usual bottom of vessels from three to four hundred tons, built for stowing well.
To such a vessel I propose giving a wider floor with the same proportion of
rise, so that the floor being increased to sixteen feet between the sirmarks,

page_text: will give eight inches outside and six inches inside rise, with an additional
security to the bottom and safety to the cargo.
Figure 2 is a plan of the bottom of the vessel. C, C, the keelson; B, B, B,
the floor timbers; D, D, D, the choaks; E, E, the fore-and-aft gutters or
watercourses, the thwart gutter e, formed by perforation cut through the
choaks D, under side; I; the pump.
Fig. 8 is a representation of the timbers as seen on the under side, with the
gutters or watercourses E, E, running fore-and-aft, and also the cross gutters e, e.
Referring again to Figure 1, a, a, is the sirmark in each construction of vessel;
b, b, dotted lines, shewing the difference in the rising of the two bottoms c, c,
the respective levels at which water must stand to enable the pumps to draw;
d, d, angle of five streaks list in each construction of bottom; e, c, the thwart
gutters in the new construction, as before mentioned; f,f, the line at which
the vessels would respectively take ground; 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, hogsheads of sugar
stowed; h, h, the comparative level in each vessel when there is twelve inches
of water in the well; i is the height to which the water must rise before it
could damage the cargo.
In constructing my improved vessel, I propose to bring on horizontal
plank choaks or dead woods on the timbers before bringing on bottom
planks, which gives eight inches.more outside rise by the following method:
-The first choak to be seven inches deep on the edge next the keel, and
placed seven inches off, so as to allow for a two and half inch plank on tho
side of the keel, forming a watercourse of four and a half inches, and thinned
down with a small curve upwards to about four inches; the second choak
will be about three and half inches thick, placed three inches from the first,
thinned down to about two inches; the third and last will be only a furring,
thinned off to notching, and placed two inches from the second. Supposing
these.choaks or planks to run twenty-five feet forward, and thirty-five feet abaft
the main frame, and twelve inches broad cach, they will cover the floor
timbers on the flat about half way to the floor heads, and excepting the thick
edge of the first choak, require only temporary fastenings until the proper
bottom comes.on, which must be well secured, being double towards the
centre, and the vessel almost solid for seven feet, and to have many metal
fastenings through, in room of treenails. The second choak to be left open at
the pump well, between the timbers and that room or opening where the
pumps are to be let down, to be eight inches larger than the others. The
pumps are to be lowered to within four inches of the outside skin, and being
four inches below the level of the floor timbers, the water lying in a corner,
with an upward curve to retain it, the vessel may at all times be kept. perfectly.

page_text: dry, and the choaks being placed open of each other, as before described;
will form so many watercourses, and having also many thwart gutters, the
water will run to this well or reservoir in all directions. This bottom will
form a hollow not easily perceivable, except to the eye of a shipwright, and the
addition of eight inches, being sixteen inches dead rise (one inch to a foot) is
considered a sharp bottom, best calculated for holding a good wind, and well.
adapted for taking the ground, as with such a bottom the keel will not require
to be so deep by two inches, and having thick bulge streaks outside the vessel,
will take the ground nearly in the usual manner of full built ships with a
strong curved bottom to sustain the pressure, on the principle of an arch.
The combined advantages of this Invention must appear at once evident to.
any person at all acquainted with the properties of a ship, by giving strength.
in the centre equal to a ship of one thousand tons, and not only giving
increased strength and security to the bottom, but obviating the necessity of
placing the safety of cargoes and lives on bulge pumps, which are often out of
order; the danger of perishable goods being damaged in the bulge from
washing is also prevented, as the choaks and openings will act as so many stop
waters; the important object of holding a good wind is also obtained, and the
stowage not in the least diminished, but rather improved, while the draught of
water will not be increased more than two inches, as the keel may be
diminished outside, and the bottom have a greater spread; great advantage
must appear evident from the pumps being placed below the level, similar to
draining a mine, and preventing any accumulation of water, for, as they will
stand in a corner near the keel, the smallest quantity of water will instantly
appear on the sounding rod. There is scarcely any situation in which a ship
can be placed at sea, except being thrown on her beam ends, which can
prevent the water from finding its way to the centre, consequently to the
pumps, as a diagonal line drawn from the exterior end of the thwart gutters
shews that a loaded vessel must be gunwale under before the water can rise
over two inches of dunnage in the bulge, and in the event of leaks towards the
ends of the vessel, the outward openings would receive the water in almost
any position. The quantity of water estimated to be contained in the whole
of the gutters and well in a ship of four hundred tons is about three hundred
gallons, no part or which can have the least wash whatever, the whole being
below the upper surface of the choaks.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
JAMES TAYLOR. (L.s.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1828, the aforesaid James Taylor came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and everything therein contained and specified in form
5 above written. And also the Specfication aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.