IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING BARGES, SHIPS, AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bethell; of 38, King William Street, in the
City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BUILDING BARGES, SHIPS, AND OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 22nd September 1865, and dated the 5th April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bethell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
April 1865.
I, JOHN BETHELL, of 38, King William Street, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BUILDING BARGES, SHIPS, AND OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in building barges, ships, and other vessels consist in
building them in the manner heréin-after described.
I select wood planks of the most porous materials, such as beech or porous
fir, and I force into them, under very heavy pressure, as much as possible of
the heavy oil obtained by the distillation of gas tar; the pores of the wood
will thus become filled with a bituminous fluid, which will in time set into a
solid. For this purpose I intend to use the pressure cylinders now generally
used for creosoting purposes, but they will be worked at a much higher
pressure. Such wood will become perfectly waterproof, and will resist the
attacks of all sea worms.
In building barges or ships I use ribs of angle or T-iron, and on the outside
I first fasten one plank (prepared as above named) by means of screw bolts and

page_text: nuts; such plank may be either 2 or 3 inches thick or any other thickness that
may be desired. Then over this plank I fasten by means of copper or mixed
metal nails or screws another thin plank, which may be one inch or three
quarters inch thick, prepared with the tar oil as above named; over this thin
plank copper sheathing can be placed, which will not be touched by the iron
bolts, and not affected thereby. Or instead of placing the planks in the manner
above described I place two bitumenized wood planks of about two inches
thick diagonally one over the other, and pass the bolts above described through
both planks and through the iron ribs, and I then cover over the outside with
another thin bituminized wood plank as above described, to protect the heads
of the iron bolts from corrosion, and over this thin plank copper sheathing can
be placed; but for barges and some small ships I do not intend to use the
copper sheathing. Between these planks I place some marine glue which
cements the planks together, and which, with the aid of the outer one-inch
plank, prevents the heads of the bolts from being moistened and rusted by sea
water. The bituminized. wood preserves the iron bolts from corrosion, and
the bituminious matter consolidating by time acts as an asphalte or cement,
and holds thein most firmly in their places.
I do not claim the mode of preparing the wood as above described, but I
only claim the use of this bitumenized wood for building barges, ships, and
other vessels, but not for other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Bethell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BETHELL, of 38, King William Street, in the City of London, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Bethell, Her special licence that I, the said John Bethell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Bethell, 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,

page_text: and yend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BUILDING BARGES, SHIPS, AND OTHER VESSELS," нpon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Bethell, my executors or administrators, 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 John Bethell, 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:-
My improvements in building barges, ships, and other vessels, consist in
building them in the manner hereafter described.
I select wood planks of the most porous materials, such as beech or porous
fir, and I force into them, under very heavy pressure, as much as possible of the
heavy oil obtained by the distillation of gas tar; the pores of the wood will
thus become filled with a bituminous fluid which will in time set into a solid.
For this purpose I intend to use the pressure cylinders now generally used
for creosoting purposes, but they will be worked at a much higher pressure.
Such wood will become perfectly waterproof, will resist the attacks of all sea
worms, and will not be affected by dry rot.
'
In building barges or ships, I use ribs of angle or T-iron, and on the
outside I first fasten one plank (prepared as above named) by means of screw
bolts and nuts; such plank may be either 2 or 3 inches thick or any other
thickness that may be desired. Then over this plank I fasten by means of
copper or mixed metal nails or screws another thin plank, which may be
1 inch or inch thick, prepared with the tar oil as above named; over this
thin plank copper sheathing can be placed, which will not be touched by the
iron bolts and not affected thereby. Or instead of placing the planks in the
manner above described I place two creosoted planks of about 2 inches thick
diagonally one over the other, and pass the bolts above described through
both planks and through the iron ribs, and I then cover the outside with
another thin creosoted plank as above described to protect the heads of the
iron bolts from corrosion, and over this thin plank copper sheathing can be
placed; but for barges and some small ships I do not intend to use the copper
sheathing. Between these planks I place some marine glue which cements the
planks together, and which, with the aid of the outer one-inch plank, prevents

page_text: The
the heads of the bolts from being moistened and rusted by sea water.
creosoted wood preserves the iron bolts from corrosion, and the bituminous
matter consolidating by time acts as an asphalte or cement, and holds them
most firmly in their places. In some cases when a very strong ship is not
required I use merely a thick plank of wood prepared as above described
fastened on to the outside of the iron ribs.
I claim as my improvements the building of barges, ships, and other vessels
with iron ribs and wood prepared as above described, I only claim the use of
this bituminized wood for building barges, ships, and other vessels, but not for
other purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bethell, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
A. H. HOSKING,
Clerk to J. Bethell,
38, King William Street,
London Bridge.
JNO. BETHELL. (L.s.)