Improvements in Hulls and Keels for Steamships.
Year: 1890

page_text: Improvements in Hulls and Keels for Steamships.
I, ANDREW HENERY LUCAS, of No. 3006, Thomas Street, in the City of St. Louis,
State of Missouri, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in steamships, and it consists in the novel
construction and arrangement of the parts of the same which will be more fully
hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
The object of my invention is to provide a steamship having a drop or adjustable
keel and supplemental hulls, the several parts of which are simple and effective in their
construction and operation, strong and durable, readily understood and operated, which
adapts the vessel for navigation either in rivers of shallow depth or in open ocean,
and are so arranged as to guard against and prevent injury to the mechanism for
controlling and operating the several parts.
I attain this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
wherein like letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views and in
which :
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved steamship showing the
drop-keel lowered and the controlling mechanism therefor.
Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a detail view in sectional side elevation of a portion of the drop keel and
its attachments removed from the hull.
Fig. 4 is a rear elevation showing a slightly different arrangement of the supple-
mentary hulls and cylinders.
Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the keel made in sections.
A indicates the upper or bulwark portion of the vessel which may be of the ordinary
form and construction or otherwise preferably constructed. The lower portion of
the vessel, which is immersed is provided with supplemental hulls B B arranged
on each side of and connected to or formed with the main hull A¹.
The two hulls B B may be constructed of desirable dimensions and proportions and
are united at their forward ends by a single bulk-head A².
It will be readily seen that in the formation and provision of these hulls B B on
each side of the main hull A an open space is provided between the hulls B, in which
the propellers may be suitably mounted and protected from the attack and injury of
the shots and shells of an enemy. The hulls B are constructed as storage-holds, to
carry cargoes of any material put therein and may support a part of the mechanism
requisite for use in connection with steam-vessels. The said hulls B may also be
provided with small stationary keels 6 which materially aid in the propulsion of the
vessel and the resistance thereof against pitching and tossing in high-running seas and,
being united by a single bulk-head A² are rendered strong and durable.
In the center of the under part of the hull A¹ my improved adjustably mounted
drop-keel C is situated.
This keel C consists, essentially of a beam C¹ extending the entire length of the ship
and of suitable width and connected at predetermined regulated intervals to uprights
or posts C³ which pass up through and are adapted to vertically move in upright
cylinders Chaving elongated openings c formed in their sides as shown in Fig. 3.
Instead of constructing the keel of a single continuous beam C¹, it may be formed
in sections as shown in Fig. 5, whereby I reduce the weight of the keel, and yet adapt
the latter for all practical purposes each of the sections of the keel being connected
to an upright or post C² as shown.
The cylinders C are securely fastened to and supported in the center of the hull A¹
and project to such a distance upwardly therein as to have their upper open ends at an

page_text: elevation above the level of the water to prevent an inflow through the same into the
hull.
The posts C are constructed in the form of rack bars, and have cog-teeth c¹
formed with one side thereof, which move in a line with the slots c in the cylinder C³
and through said slots c spurs or pinions D revolve and engage with the rack-surface c¹
of the posts C². The spurs or pinions Dare mounted upon suitable shafts & which are
revolved and in connection with the engine-shaft of the vessel, which connection may
be made by any well-known mechanical means; and it will be understood that the
series of pinions D are adapted to be run together and at the same rate of speed, so
that there will be no cramping of the posts C in the cylinders C³.
The said posts C² and cylinders C³ will be relatively mounted and stationarily fixed
as regards their position.
In Fig. 4, I have shown the hulls B as being arranged somewhat closer together
'than the hulls shown in Figs. 1, 2 & 3, whereby I reduce the amount of space between
said hulls. The cylinders shown in said figure, do note xtend below the main hull
but have their lower ends flush with the bottom of said hull.
The manner and effect of the operation of the keel and the advantages of my inven-
tion are readily appreciable.
The propellers, working between the hulls, are thoroughly protected from the
enemy's shot and protected against the ordinary accidents of the sea. By my con-
struction the great breadth of beam, in proportion to the height of the decks above
water, would of itself give unusual steadiness, but this is supplemented in my improve-
'ment by an adjustable drop-keel which can be raised or lowered by proper machinery
in the space between the hulls to any depth required up to twice the ordinary
immersion of the loaded ship, that is to say, suppose the ordinary draft of the loaded
vessel, with her guns, armor, coal and stores all in place, should be seven feet, at which
condition she could navigate shallow streams or rivers at nearly all ordinary stages of
water, and when she is called upon to go to sea, or to meet rough weather, her false
keel can be lowered to fourteen feet below the line of the normal draft, giving her a
total practical immersion of twenty-one feet with corresponding resistance to storm
or wind pressure above.
It is obvious that many minor changes in the construction and arrangement of the
parts might be made and substituted for those shown and described without in the
least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a ship, the combination of the main hull A, the parallel supplemental hulls B,
arranged under and supporting the same, said hulls being at a suitable distance apart,
and the vertically-movable keel C, suspended from the center of the main hull, sub-
stantially as described.
2. In a ship the combination of the main hull A, the parallel supplemental hulls B
. arranged under and supporting the same, said hulls B being at a suitable distance
apart and the vertically-movable keel C, said keel being constructed in sections which
are suspended from the main hull, as described.
3. In a ship, the combination of the main hull A, the parallel supplemental bulls B
arranged in close proximity to each other beneath the main hull, the vertical open-
ended cylinders C³ arranged in line in the center of the main hull, their lower ends being
flush with the bottom of said main hull, the vertically-movable keel arranged
under the main hull and constructed in sections, the posts connected. thereto and
extending up through the cylinders, and means, substantially as set forth to raise and
lower the said posts and sections substantially as described.
·Dated this 10th day of I
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.