IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF FLOATING SEA BARRIERS OR ARTIFICIAL BEACHES, BREAKWATERS, AND BATTERIES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adderley Willcocks Sleigh, of Mansell Villas,
Wimbledon Park, Knight of the Ancient and Most Noble Order of the
Tower and Sword, Captain late Royal Navy and Her Majesty's Land
Transport Corps, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF FLOATING SEA BARRIERS OR ARTIFICIAL BEACHES, BREAKWATERS,
AND BATTERIES."
Sealed the 21st January 1859, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chan-
cellor and dated the 7th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adderley Willcocks Sleigh
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th July 1858.
I, ADDERLEY WILLCOCKS SLEIGH, of Mansell Villas, Wimbledon Park,
Knight of the Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Tower and Sword,
Captain late Royal Navy and Her Majesty's Land Transport Corps, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF FLOATING SEA BARRIERS OR ARTIFICIAL BEACHES. BREAKWATERS, AND
BATTERIES," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in making the floating caisson on which the
inclined plane rests of a triangular shape, of which the base line which floats
on the water is the longest, by which means much greater buoyancy of the
whole structure is obtained, and the caisson is moored on each side without
[Price 8d.]

page_text: revolving on a centre of motion. The inclined plane extends, however, beyond
the triangular body on which it is formed, or fixed both at its upper and lower
edges.
The inner side of the caisson may also, by still further elongating its base,
be so constructed as to form a platform for landing on from boats or ships.
This will be found extremely serviceable where iny sea barriers are used to form
a small harbour connected with the shore. This mode of construction of the
base also is adapted for laying an inclined plane on the inner side in open
exposed situations, where the wind is likely to operate on the sea on both
side of the barriers.
.
Another improvement is in adapting these caissons for floating batteries or
fortifications of various sizes and shapes. I illustrate this by suggesting a
circular battery formed by a circular caisson of the nature referred to, with a
very broad base, and with the inclined plane resting on it all round, and on
the summit a sunken deck is formed for guns and men. If cased on the out-
side with plates of iron, and with the assistance of other well known con-
trivances of defence, it would be found almost impregnable. They may be
stationed on any part of the sea required to be defended, and moored on every
side, so as to become fixed, and the interior may be fitted up for the crew.
The same kind of batteries may be of course formed in a straight line by
the double inclined plane before described. My floating sea barriers would
be usefully terminated at either end with such rounded caisson, the deck of
which would be useful for guns or lighthouses, or other purposes.
Another important improvement is that I unite each section of the sea
barrier or artificial beach by a cable passing throughout the whole range of the
barriers through ring bolts in the bottom of each, and by four legged bridles
of chain or hemp attached by their ends to spare shackle bolts in the barriers,
these are all brought to one point at a ball-and-socket joint by means of a
screw collar. thus preventing any jerk or unequal strain.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Adderley Willcocks
Sleigh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st January 1859. :
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I. ADDERLEY
WILLCOCKS SLEIGH, of Mansell Villas, Wimbledon Park, Knight of the
Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Tower and Sword, Captain late Royal
Navy, and Her Majesty's Land Transport Corps, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Adderley Willcocks Sleigh, Her special licence that I, the said Adderley
Willcocks Sleigh, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Adderley Willcocks Sleigh, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING SEA BARRIERS OR ARTI-
FICIAL BEACHES, BREAKWATERS. AND BATTERIES" upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Adderley Willcocks Sleigh, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within. six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Adderley Willcocks Sleigh, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement.
In the Specification to the Letters Patent granted to me on the Eighth day
of February. One thousand eight hundred and forty-two, I claimed the
original idea of the construction of sloping platforms supported by floating
hollow caissons to form sea and wind barriers for sheltering vessels from heavy
seas and gales of wind.
. I now claim as my Invention, certain modifications of my original idea as
improvements thereto. In the first place, my improvements consist in making
the floating caisson on which the inclined plane or sloping platform rests of a
triangular shape, of which the base which floats on the water is the longest,
by this means a considerably greater buoyancy of the whole structure is
obtained. This inclined plane, sloping platform, or artificial beach extends
both below and above the caisson on the seaward side, as described in .my
original Specification.
This caisson is moored on each side, and does not revolve on a centre of
motion. As regards moorings, the strength and solidity of which are of the
greatest moment, I should use powerful one-flued anchors, backed by a

page_text: cradle of iron attached to a short arm in the anchor, which cradle would be
armed with deep flues, to hold in the ground, and the whole filled in with
masses of heavy stone, as weighty as might be required, or the cradle could
be screwed down by long broad flanged screws, or in rocky bottoms a bed
would be blasted out for the purpose, and an ample quantity of stone shot
down on the anchors thus embedded. I should prefer an endless chain
passing through the ring of the anchor, so that the whole of it may be hauled
round for examination without disturbing the moorings. I should, in some
cases, when I might think it expedient to case the drag on the moorings, and
still preserve that elasticity in the movement of the floating barriers and
caissons, to which I attach so much importance, suspend heavy weights at
certain intervals along the mooring chains, which would require to be tautened
by considerable power before the strain would commence on the anchors an
cradles. I would also, in some cases, moor the inclined planes or sea barriers
to the bottom by means of piles of timber attached to the lower end of the
inclined plane, and extending thence to the bottom, where the lower end of
them being shod with a bal would be inserted into a socket attached to the
moorings, and would then work easily with the action of the surface water,
and oscillate.
By still further elongating the base of the caisson, it will be found easily
practicable to form a platform on the inner or shore side of the barrier, on
which persons could land, or boats be drawn up. This will be found extremely
serviceable where my sea barriers are used to form a small harbour connected
with the shore.
The Drawings attached hereto, No. 1 will illustrate this, and the firstly
stated improvement.
It will also be obvious that in situations where there may be exposure to
seas on both sides of the barriers, it will be practicable to lay another inclined
plane, extending as the other does, both some feet below and some feet above
the caisson on the opposite or shoreward side of the caisson, by which means
protection would be afforded on both sides of the barrier.
Another improvement in my principle is, the adaption of these caissons with
inclined planes to floating batteries or fortifications of various sizes and shapes
moored as before described, but capable of being shifted from place to place,
and propelled by steam, if necessary. For moveable batteries, they may be
oval, pointed at one or both ends, to allow of easy motion ahead. The same
inclined planes may be adopted to ordinary shaped ships for use as batteries.
The inclined planes may be cased with iron plates of requisite thickness, and
the guns mounted on a deck, and the ports may be readily made to close with

page_text: slides, so as to expose the gun only when in the act of being fired. Such
floating batteries might be so made almost impregnable.
The same kind of batteries may, of course, be formed in a straight line on
my sea barriers. My floating sea barriers would be usefully terminated at
either end with a rounded caisson, the deck of which would be useful for guns
or a lighthouse, or other purposes.
Another important improvement is, that I unite each section of the sea
barriers or artificial beach by a cable passing throughout the whole range of
the barriers through ring bolts in the bottom of each, and by four legged
bridles of chain or hemp attached by their ends to spare shackle bolts in the
barriers; these are all brought to one point at the ball-and-socket joint by
means of a screw collar, thus preventing in a great degree all jerk or unequal
strain.
ADDERLEY WILLCOCKS SLEIGH. (L.S.)