IMPROVED APPLIANCES OR APPARATUS TO BE ADOPTED IN SHIPS CARRYING GRAIN CARGOES FOR BETTER ENSURING SAFETY THEREOF.
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Patrick Clarke at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 11th June 1880.
PATRICK CLARKE, of Tyne Plate Glass Works, South Shields, in the County of
Durham, "IMPROVED APPLIANCES OR APPARATUS TO BE ADOPTED IN SHIPS
CARRYING GRAIN CARGOES FOR BETTER ENSURING SAFETY THEREOF.'
"
This Invention for grain laden ships or vessels consists mainly of shifting or
movable partitions, dividing the hold into different chambers or compartments
running the whole length, fore and aft. The partitions may consist of any number
from one to about six. They may be placed in any position to resist the force or
weight of the grain, as the strain would come on the partitions gradually and be
equalized uniformly over the surface.
The
The partitions can be made of strong canvas or light sheet iron, but where the
fastenings would occur in the partitions same would be made stronger.
canvas partitions are made fast and held together by strong ropes passing through
the partitions, and holding them at parallel distances from each other by means of
a bight or loop in a rope or suitable material.
These ropes should run athwart the hold, and are made fast to ring bolts screwed
into the ribs of the ship if a wooden vessel; if an iron vessel, they are easily
attached to the angle iron or iron ribs by means of shackles. The ring bolts are
made long enough to project through the temporary wooden lining or "dunnage,"
as it is sometimes called, that is put up to keep the grain dry. These ring bolts
can be made so as to fall close to the side when the wood lining is taken down and
the ship is used for other sort of cargo. They also have rings at the end to make
the cross ropes fast to. One end of the rope has a hook, and by hooking it onto
the ring time is saved. At the other end the rope is made fast to the ring; this
ring is attached to a screw that works round with a swivel bolt, said screw
tightening the rope and holding the partitions firmly in position. The distance
between the cross ropes can be arranged with the partitions sufficient
check the weight of the grain and keep the vessel from listing over towards her
beam ends.
to
These partitions can, it is evident, be run down to the floor of the hold if required.
The up-and-down ropes are reeved through pulleys underneath the deck.
means the partition is lowered down and drawn up.
By this
When the grain rises in the hold as far as the bottom of the partition, the

page_text: partition is then lowered from beneath the deck where it is clewed up like a sail,
and the first row or tier of cross ropes is run through the partitions, made fast and
screwed up tight. When the grain rises to the next tier of ropes, the cross ropes are
made fast again, and so on up to the deck. The upper edge of partition is made
so that the grain will not leak over with the rolling of the ship; and for additional
strength, might have a strong cord netting attached on the outside.
Drawing cords may be introduced and fastened at the top of the canvas a few
yards apart, and run through loops attached to the side from the top edge of the
canvas to the bottom, and passed under the cross ropes to tuck or draw the
canvas tighter together. These are the principal points in connection with the
Invention of canvas partitions. When iron partitions are employed they are in
sheets of suitable length. They may be notched out about an inch or so in the
edges to fit on to the cross ropes; this would give them a bearing.
They would overlap each other at the ends as well as the sides, so that nothing
could pass through between them. On each side of the partition there would be a
hole in the rope, the ropes being of wire. Two strong iron pins put into these
holes would keep the partitions firmly in their places.]
They could also be put together with iron rods or stays hooked in between them
and hooked onto the ring bolts at both sides of the ship. The iron sheets might be
about 1/10 of an inch thick, but where the fastenings are placed might be made
stronger by rivetting on pieces of thin plate iron. The upper edge of the partition
should be of canvas, of about, say, a foot or fifteen inches deep; this would allow
the men to come out over the top of the partition when the grain was all stowed or
trimmed. The canvas could then be made fast to rings for the purpose.
These partitions, like those of canvas, can be made any depth or run right down
to the bottom of the hold if need be.
They can also be placed at any distance
from each other that is thought best.
When not in use they could easily be stowed away upon hangers or iron rods
run across underneath the deck for the purpose. These hangers can be made to
lower at one end, so that it would be easier to stow the plates away. The great
advantage this Invention would have is that these partitions when not in use could
be easily stowed away. They would likewise be very light and take up scarcely
any room.
Another form of my arrangements consists of a light iron framework, fitted up
for the canvas to be attached to by means of rings when the framework is fixed.
When in its place the canvas is drawn down to a cross rope that is fixed to receive
the bottom ends of the upright rods. The canvas as it rises is fastened to angle
rods by loops or other suitable means.