A METHOD TO STRENGTHEN SHIPS OR FLOATING VESSELS, IN BUCH A MANNER AS MAY OFTEN PROVE THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY
Year: 1803

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STUARD, of London Street, in the Parish of Saint Dunstan, Stepney, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of
July, in the forty-third year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said
James Stuard, His especial licence that I, the said James Stuard, during
the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "A METHOD TO STRENGTHEN SHIPS OR FLOATING VESSELS, IN BUCH A
MANNER AS MAY OFTEN PROVE THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said James
Stuard, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within one calendar month after the date of the said Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Stuard, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described in the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following description thereof (that is
to say) :-
The use of my Invention is to preserve life and property, by making a ship
much stronger than on the common construction, so that should she, by stress
of weather, be drove on shore, she will keep upright, and be better able to
resist the threatening danger. I lay a keel on each side the middle line, dis-
tant from it, including the thickness thereof, one sixth of the average breadth
at loading draft of water, or a little more or less, according to the fulness or
sharpness of the ship, which keels may be bolted through the floor timbers or
futtocks, or both, and through keelsons on the inside; to have no keel on the
middle linc, except for a short length to connect the stem and stern post where
the side keels end. The keels are marked, A, A, B, B, C, C, Figure 1, the
short keels to be bolted through the dead wood and keclson D, D, and the
intermediate part of that keelson through the floor timbers, and through a
piece of thick stuff, which butts between the short kcels, the position of the
keels as they bear on the ground, as shewn at Figure 2; or if the ship is either
of very large dimensions or exceeding sharp, the plan Figure 3 may be most
suitable. The distance of the side keels from out to out is found by dividing
the half breadth draft, Figure 4, into eight equal parts on the middle line, and
take the measure therefrom to the load draft of water hire on the seven dotteḍ
lines; add them together, and divide by seven, give the average half breadth,
one third of which is the distance required, which being put on the timbers
Figure 5, gives the different depths, which put on B, B, Figure 1, and draw a
fair line, gives the curve of the upper side of the side keels, which keels not
only prevent the ship from straining, by keeping her upright when on shore,
but strengthening her at all times, make a good foundation for a double row
of pillars under the beams, and are advantageous to her sailing, as is evident
by Figure 6. Where heeling to an angle of twenty degrees, the lee keel is one
foot six inches deeper in the water than if it was on the middle line, conse-
quently must make her more weatherly, which may enable her to clear a lce
shore. Ships on this construction may be built without shoring up, and
launched without having bilge pieces fitted on their bottom, whereby the cop-
pering may be completed on the stocks, every beam may be strengthened,
and the hull kept from racking or being overstrained with carrying sail, by
having diagonal carlings between the beams, as Figure 7, which, though drawn
for an upper deck, is equally serviceable for any deck, or the decks may be
laid as Figure 8. Those parts where the beams are not covered to be laid

page_text: fore and aft. Also, instead of working the ceiling planks in the common
way, if they are done as Figure 9, the weight of both ends is thrown on the
middle, which must tend to prevent hogging. Figure 9, by being bent at two
or three strakes from the kcelson, will show one side and half of the bottom.
The bottom of barges or any other vessels may be strengtliened by diagonal
pieces, as represented at Figure 10, which pieces may be either short, to go
between the floor timbers, or long and scored out about half the thickness, to
let them down between the floor timbers; also the sides may be strengthened
in the same manner, see Figure 11. Boats with keels on this construction
aro better adapted for loading on a beech, carrying a large gun, or landing
troops; are easier hauled up or launched, and have the same advantage in
sailing as ships. The ends of all diagonal pieces to be let in with abutment, as
Figure 12.
Thus have I, either by words or drawn Figures, specified my Invention; but
the form of vessels being so various, it is impossible every particular can be so
described as to suit all, but from the above, and the Drawings annexed, any
person of ordinary capacity cannot fail to make a proper application.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Stuard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and three
Inrolled the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year above written.