188 METHOD OF SECURING A SHIFTS BEAMS* 



The models I have sent will, I trust, clearly explain to 

 the Committee every circumstance, which will be thought 

 necessary. 



I am, Sir, 

 Your respectful humble servant, 



GEORGE WILLIAMS. 



Description of Mr. Williams's Method of connecting the 

 Beams of Ship's Decks to their Sides, Plate VI, Fig. 1 , 

 2, and 3. 



Explanation Fig. 1 is a horizontal plan of a portion of a ship's side i 

 cf the plate, the planks of the deck being removed, to show the ends of 

 two of the beams A A, which extend across the vessel, 

 B B is the outside planking of the ship; C C the section* 

 of the timbers or ribs: and to these the beams A A are 

 fastened by beaten iron triangular braces a a, similar in 

 form to the Roman capital letter A. These are let into 

 the beams, and attached there at the angle by three bolts 

 going through them. Fig. 2 is a front view of only one 

 beam, where the spectator is supposed to be looking to- 

 wards the ship's side; and fig. 3 is part of a cross section of 

 the vessel's side; the same letters are used as in the other 

 figures. By inspecting these, it will be seen, that the ends 

 of the brace a a are turned up and bolted to the timbers of 

 the ship's side by two bolts passing through each end, and 

 through the timbers and the outside planks; by which 

 means the beams are secured from lateral motion : and t* 

 brace them in a vertical direction the wooden block H, 

 fig. 3, is fitted in beneath them, and two iron straps bolted 

 on them ; One end of each of these straps is attached to the 

 deck beams by the same bolts as the upper brace a n ; the 

 other ends are bolted against the inside planking, and an 

 oblique bolt A, fig. 3, passes through the middle of each 

 strap and the ship's side; / / /, fig. 1, are the small inter- 

 mediate beams, answering to the joints of a floor, to which 

 the planks of the deck are spiked down; m, fig. 1, repre- 

 sents one of the planks, and the dotted lines show the joints 

 of the others. In rig. 3, these planks are shown, and the 

 other beams to make all sound and linn, which were re- 

 moved in the other figure to show the braces. 



VII. 



