A NEW METHOD OR MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE SHIFTING OF CARGOES ON BOARD STEAM SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS AT SEA
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Goudie, of East Hartlepool, in the County of
Durham, for an Invention of "A NEW METHOD OR MEANS FOR PREVENTING
THE SHIFTING OF CARGOES ON BOARD STEAM SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS AT
SEA."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Goudie at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1880.
JOHN GOUDIE, of East Hartlepool, in the County of Durham. "A NEW METHOD
OR MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE SHIFTING OF CARGOES ON BOARD STEAM SHIPS
OR OTHER VESSELS AT SEA."
This Invention has for its object the application of means or appliances to
prevent the shifting of cargoes of every description in ships or vessels of all kinds
at sea, whether propelled by sails, steam, or other motive power.
The method or means I employ in carrying my Invention into practice consists
of a moving or shifting deck to cover the entire cargo, such deck being attached to
the upper deck by screw stanchions which pass vertically through and are actuated
from the upper deck, so that the movable deck can be screwed up or down as
required by levers attached to the top of the screws on deck, or otherwise.
This movable deck may be advantageously made of light plates and angle irons,
and when not required can be screwed tight up to the upper deck.
The screw stanchions can be made in two or more lengths, so that they need not
stand too high above the upper deck.
When the ship is loaded the movable deck can be screwed tight down on to the
cargo, no matter whether the ship is fully or partially loaded.
This movable deck can be constructed in sections of about twenty feet long
to cover the entire breadth of the ship by means of five or other suitable number
of screw stanchions, as required, to each section, one in each corner and one in the
centre.
Suppose, for example, that the hold is one hundred feet long the movable or
adjustable deck may be divided into five sections of twenty feet each, with the
above number of screws (more or less) in each section, which when screwed down

page_text: would effectually prevent the cargo from shifting, no matter what the cargo was
composed of, and would preclude the possibility of a ship ever foundering by the
shifting of her cargo, for should the ship be thrown on to her beam ends the cargo
would still remain fixed.
This movable or adjustable deck can be fitted either with or without shifting
boards, but advantageously without, as shifting boards and grain bags would only
be a needless expense.
In double-decked vessels, the hatchways being made in the lower deck, and left
open when loading, so that in the case of a grain or seed cargo settling in the lower
hold, the vacancy could be filled in from the 'tween deck, or in other words no
vacancy could occur, as the lower hold would be fed from above, the screws being
tried occasionally at sea to keep the movable or adjustable deck tight down onto
the cargo.
The cargo when secured by the above means would resemble an ordinary copying
press with a book screwed firmly into it.
I do not limit myself to any number of sections or parts of the movable or
adjustable deck, nor to any number of screw stanchions to be used in securing
cargoes on board ships at sea in accordance with my Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Goudie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th June
1881.
JOHN GOUDIE, of East Hartlepool, in the County of Durham. "A NEW METHOD
OR MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE SHIFTING OF CARGOES ON BOARD STEAM SHIPS
OR OTHER VESSELS AT SEA."
This Invention has for its object the application of means or appliances to prevent
the shifting of cargoes of every description in ships or vessels of all kinds at sea,
whether propelled by sails, steam, or other motive power.
The method or means I employ in carrying my Invention into practice consists
of a moving or shifting deck to cover the entire cargo, such deck being attached to
the upper deck by screw stanchions, which pass vertically through and are
actuated from the upper deck, so that the movable deck can be screwed up or
down as required by levers attached or applied to the tops of the screws on deck or
otherwise.
This movable deck may be advantageously made of light plates and angle irons,
and when not required can be screwed right up to the upper deck.
The screw stanchions can be made in two or more lengths, so that they need not
stand too high above the upper deck.
When the ship is loaded, the movable deck can be screwed tight down on to the
cargo, no matter whether the ship is fully or partially loaded.
This movable deck can be constructed in sections of about twenty feet long, to
cover the entire breadth of the ship by means of five or other suitable number
of screw stanchions as required to each section, one in each corner and one in
the centre.
Suppose, for example, that the hold is one hundred feet long; the movable or
adjustable deck may be divided into five sections of twenty feet each, with the
above number of screws (more or less) in each section, which, when screwed down,
would effectually prevent the cargo from shifting, no matter what the cargo was
composed of, and would preclude the possibility of a ship ever foundering by the
shifting of ber cargo, for should the ship be thrown on to her beam ends the cargo
would still remain fixed.
This movable or adjustable deck can be fitted either with or without shifting
boards, but advantageously without, as shifting boards and grain bags would only
be a needless expense.
In double decked vessels, the hatchways being made in the lower deck, and left
open when loading, so that in the case of a grain or seed cargo settling in the lower
hold, the vacancy could be filled in from the 'tween deck, or, in other words, no
vacancy could occur, as the lower hold would be fed from above, the screw
stanchions being tried occasionally at sea to keep the movable or adjustable deck
tight down or to the cargo.
The cargo when secured by the above means would resemble an ordinary copying
press with a book screwed firmly into it.
I do not limit myself to any number of sections or parts of the movable or
adjustable deck, nor to any number of screw stanchions to be used in securing
cargoes on board ships at sea in accordance with my Invention.
And in order that my Invention may be more readily understood and carried
into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed; Figure 1
(Sheet 1) of which shows part of a plan of the after part of a ship or vessel filled
with a movable or shifting deck and apparatus arranged in accordance with my
Invention; Figure 2 is a transverse section, and Figure 3 is a separate view of one
of the stanchions; Figure 4, (Sheet 2) is a longitudinal section.

page_text: a, a, is the movable deck, and b, b, are the screw stanchions or stays which fix it
firmly down upon the cargo c to prevent it from shifting.
It will be evident that the dimensions and strength of the parts will greatly
vary in accordance with the size and construction of the vessel to which it is
applied, but as an example, assuming that the after or stern length of the deck a
is 30 feet long, with five stanchions, the next or middle length would be about
20 feet long with 4 stanchions, portable pieces being used for the hatchways.
The two lengths of the movable deck are connected or secured together by
any convenient means, so that one portion can be arranged to hold down the
other.
Railway and other iron bars or general cargo of any kind can be effectually
secured from shifting by the application of a movable deck firmly screwed down
upon the cargo as previously described, any number of screw stanchions being used,
which may be required for the purpose.
Hand levers are employed to actuate the screws, which levers can be removed at
sea, being portable.
The screw nuts of each stanchion are fitted with stuffing boxes to prevent water
from passing into the bold, and also to lock the stanchions so that they may not
move by great pressure from beneath. The stuffing box would not require a fixed
lever, but would be worked by a key.
The stanchions would be secured to the movable deck by "forlocks" or screw
nuts, so that they can be easily removed when required.
I find it advantageous to make the screw stanchions of about 4 inch iron,
varying according to size of ship, so as not to be liable to bend or break by any
thing coming into contact with them. The nuts or dies fixed to the deck in which
the screw stanchions work are about 9 inches high or deep, plumbago and grease
being used to lubricate the screws and fill up all vacant places in the nut, and thus
with the stuffing box above described would prevent the water from passing
through into the hold, a strengthening plate being placed underneath the deck
round the hole.
I place the stanchions as near the bulwark as the working of the levers will
allow, so as to be out of the way of the deck traffic.
The midship stanchions will not be in the way, and short stanchions can be
used alongside the hatchways so as not to be in the way of working cargoes.
The screws require to be well greased and packed (covered with tarred canvas)
when at sea to prevent them from corroding, but would not require any other
covering.
The fitting of the movable or shifting deck would depend upon its stanchions by
which it would be suspended, being secured to it by universal joints, and it could
be fitted round the midship gear, such as masts, pumps, stanchions, ladder, or any
other vertical fittings. A special arrangement would be required for the masts, as
they do not stand upright, which condition is provided for by a sliding plate fitted
round the mast and attached to the movable deck by slides and grooves so as to
move forward and aft as the deck moves up and down.
The movable deck would not require to be close to the sides of the ship by
several inches, in order that it may work clear of the sides.
In order to prevent grain or loose cargo from collecting on the top of the deck
mats are placed all round the ship's sides and round the masts, pumps, stanchions,
bulk-heads, and under the joinings of the deck, so that when the deck is screwed
down no part of the cargo could possibly move.
The hatchways are arranged with a portable deck fitted under and screwed down
along with the shifting deck.
The movable deck can be fitted to any part of the ship's hold, whether under
the bridge or cabins by using plain stanchions either painted or covered with brass
or other suitable metal or material, that portion only of the stanchion which
passes up through the upper deck requiring to be formed with a screw thread,

page_text: nothing else being required in the ship's hold to prevent the shifting of cargoes but
the movable deck.
With regard to cost of fitting the various parts I would remark that once fitted
they will last as long as the vessel itself.
The stanchions passing through the deck for securing the cargo or for any other
purpose, whether screw or plain stanchions, also all the screw or plain nuts secured
to the moving or fixed deck, would be permanent, except in special cases, such as
loading deck cargo.
If desired telescope screw stanchions can be used in order to obtain sufficient
length of atanchion without joining.
The nuts may be bushed with brass or white metal to prevent corrosion.
The movable deck will be fitted with preventer bolts and nuts, or " forlock " or
sliding bolts, buttons, or catch hooks, or other suitable contrivance, so that the
stanchions and nuts can be easily removed in case the ship should carry deck
cargo.
Tap bolts are used to fix the nuts to the deck, so that they can be easily removed.
Plates are fitted to cover the holes in the deck when the nuts are removed.
Much risk and loss, both of life and valuable property, will be prevented by the
use of my Invention, and, in addition to the saving of life and property, much time
will be saved in loading and discharging cargoes. The vessel will also carry more
cargo by dispensing with the use of shifting boards.
No ship or vessel is safe or seaworthy that is sent to sea with her cargo
unsecured, and no other means have hitherto been devised that will secure all kinds
of cargoes which are more or less liable to shift where there are any empty spaces
left in the hold, but as my movable deck leaves no empty spaces the cargo fixed
under it cannot shift.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, I would remark that I do not claim any of the
parts separately, which are well known and in common use; but what I
claim is,
The new or improved method or means for preventing the shifting of cargoes on
board steam ships or other vessels at sea by fitting them with movable or shifting
decks or surfaces capable of being screwed or otherwise fixed down upon the grain,
seed, or other cargoes, substantially in the manner herein before described and
represented in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Goudie, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN GOUDIE. (L.S.)