Henslee's Sinking Ship Saver - Tennessee 1919

Beautiful certificate from the Henslee's Sinking Ship Saver issued in 1919. This historic document was printed by Goes and has an ornate border around it with an overprint of the company's patented invention. This item has the signatures of the Company's Inventor and Patentee and is over 88 years old. There is also a brochure and patent copy describing the company's product.


Brochure Cover

Below is a section from the brochure:

HENSLEE'S SINKING SHIP SAVER

Invented and Patented C. STEWART HENSLEE, of 203 Barton Avenue, North Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Patent Issued March 26, 1918. No. 1260978.

The cone-shaped buckets are made of rubberized canvas, which are automatically adjusted by the force of the water to the shape of any opening through which they pass, as they will collapse and pass through openings of a smaller diameter.

The Closing Disc is made of super-posed circular steel plates, immensely strong in the center, with the necessary flexibility at the edge. The inner or contact side is covered with a thick layer of compressible material, which is pressed into and over the uneven surfaces of the hull, such as bolt heads, etc. The outer side is overlaid with a rubberized canvas covering of much larger circumference than the steel structure. The edge of this covering is very flexible, and when sucked or pressed very tightly against the hull of the vessel by the suction or pressure of the water, adjusts itself to the uneven surfaces of the hull that may surround the opening.

BEING APPLIED TO A SINKING SHIP, HOW THE INVENTION IS APPLIED

The instant the hull is pierced, the sailors lower the cone-shaped bucket attached to the end of the chain to any depth desired and pull it through the water along the outside of the hull until it reaches the vicinity of the opening, where it is caught by the current and carried through the opening into the vessel's hull, causing a pull or jerk on the chain, which is notice to the sailors that the opening has been located, when they immediately lower the Closing Disc, attached to the other end of the chain, simultaneously lowering the string of cone-shaped buckets attached to the Closing Disc, which are also caught by the current and carried one after another into the hull, until the last one, which is attached to the Closing Disc, stops in the opening, the Disc having caught on the outside of the hull, over the opening, automatically and effectively closing the same, where it is securely held by the pressure of the water against the hull.

All sizes, from small ones to very large ones are carried on deck. Two or more can be employed in closing oblong or long-narrow openings. In case a Disc is applied to a hole bigger than the Disc, it would be sucked through the hole when it would be necessary to apply a larger Disc....