Improvement in Ship Construction.
Year: 1893

page_text: ate of Application, 27th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Ship Construction.
I, WILLIAM VON SCHIRACH of 3,118 Shenandoah Street, St. Louis, Mo.
U.S.A., 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 has relation to improvements in ship construction and the object
thereof is to construct a ship which, as it floats, will confine for a suitable portion
of its length and along the bottom of the ship, a column of water in such relation
to the remaining parts of the ship as to resist any tendency on the part of the ship
to lose its equilibrium in a rough sea, the said water column counteracting any wind
pressure that may tend to drive the vessel from its normal course. The principle
of construction is embodied by the employment of two side keels running the length
of the ship said keels being depressed from five to seven inches below the bottom of
the ship; and a modification of the construction is embodied by the employment in
some cases of a centre keel depressed below the bottom of the ship but slightly
elevated above the side keels and running back to the centre beam.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ship showing the side keel depressed below the
bottom;
Figs. 2 and 3 are modifications each introducing a centre keel running to the
centre beam also depressed below the bottom;
Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is a rear elevation, and Fig. 6 is a detail of the steering apparatus.
Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the lower deck or water line and 2, 2, the
side keels. The side keels are disposed equidistant from the centre line of the ship
(that is, the line running lengthwise of the ship) said distance between the side
keels being variable but it should not exceed one-third the length of the main
beam of the ship. The bottom of the ship is flat, and at a point where the curved
timbers of the side lines of the ship meet or merge with the flat bottom, the side
keels begin. This point is designated by the numerals 3, 3, in the drawings. From
these points the side keels have a gradual drop until a maximum of perhaps seven
or eight inches below the flat bottom is reached this being best shown in Fig. 1.
The flat bottom is to be confined to the space between the side keels, and in front
of the same to the space between two strong beams 4, 4, which are to connect the
side keels and keelsons with the stem. These bottom beams 4, 4, may reach down
to the bottom and to a level with the same; and outside of and joined to these
beams and the side keels the curved timbers of the side lines begin to rise upward
and outward as in the ordinary construction of ships. The side keels are gradually
to increase in depth until they reach a level of from two to seven or more inches
below the bottom. They are to extend to the stern straight along the whole length
of the ship and at the end of each side keel provision is made for a stern post 5, 5,
as best shown in Fig. 4. The stern posts are to support rudder posts of which this
class of ships will have two. Propeller shafts with screws 6 attached may be made
to project out of the space between the stern posts and in order to prevent the
screws and rudder blades from interfering, the rudders may be arranged so that
each of them turns only outward. The propeller shafts being confined within the
space between the rear ends of the side keels are secured against drift wood,
floating debris, and the like and is a decided advantage. The parts before the
two stern posts may be used to place two propeller shafts and screws 7, 7, with
straight back action where the construction of single keel steamers admits of
only one.

page_text: At a distance from and before the stern posts-to be determined by the length of
the ship and the height of the water line-a centre beam 8 will be made to rise
gradually from a point 9 on the centre length line of the bottom, upwards to the
stern frame. Strong bottom timbers 10, 10 are to connect the stern posts with this
point. The bottom of the ship is to be raised in connection with this centre beam
and in continuance with the side keels until the inner sides are joined to the
stern posts, the timbers for the support of the inner sides to rest on the bottom
timbers.
In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown modifications wherein a centre keel is introduced.
It is designated by the numeral 11, and in both modifications the bottom is raised
at the stem above the centre keel and gradually lowers until reaches its lowest
level a short distance beyond the line where the side keels begin to show below
the bottom. In these cases of course the centre keel shows up most at the stem
and gradually disappears into the bottom toward the stern of the ship. In Fig. 3
the lowering of the bottom begins at some distance from the stem merging with
the centre keel some distance beyond the point where the side keels begin to lower
from the bottom.
Keelsons are to be placed on the keels and on the bottom beams where required.
If these and the lateral connections of the three keels or of the two side keels
with the centre beam along the centre length line are sufficiently strong, false keels
will not be necessary; the side keels will part the ship into three divisions length-
wise, furnishing bases for support of the deck beams and for partitions lengthwise;
the two stern posts and the prolongation of the centre keel serve to support the
stern frame.
For purposes of navigation on the high seas and on inland waters, ships con-
structed in accordance with the above description have decided advantages over
those of the single keel construction. The side keels being several inches below
the centre keel will confine between themselves and the bottom of the ship a body
of water whose volume will be equal in cubic feet to the distance or number of feet
throughout which the side keels are below the centre keel, multiplied by the area
of the triangle whose base is the distance between the side keels and whose
altitude is the shortest distance between a line joining the lower edges of the side
keels and the point where the bottom meets the centre keel, or where there is no
centre keel, the highest point of the bottom. This volume may in many instances
amount to several hundred cubic feet, and as water is substantially incompressible,
this number of cubic feet thus confined will act as a rigid bar and will resist any
pressure that has a tendency to shove the ship sideways or from its normal course;
and as the side keels themselves perform in this respect the same duties that are
incumbent upon single keel ships, it follows that double keel ships of the con-
struction here described will move steadier and better adhere to their course.
course, this column of water confined between the side keels has a limit and ought
not to be made too deep as it may impair the steering power of the ship. By my
construction ships will be enabled to run at sea with less depth below the water
line than sea-going single keel ships; and the same ships may with full cargoes
enter shallow waters and run up along streams and over lakes into which single
keel ships carrying the same cargo could not enter. They will resist side pressures
by winds and waves more effectually, and thus suffer less loss due to strains and
shaking; they may be built at less expense; the side keels offer facilities for the
construction of compartments to prevent the shifting of the cargo and for the
protection of boiler rooms; the metacenter of gravity need not be set so far back,
and the ship need not be so balanced as to cause the metacenter to reach too far or
near the bottom.
Of
In Fig. 6 I have shown a steering apparatus that is applicable with my present
construction of the ship. The pilot wheel 12 has secured to the shaft thereof a
wheel 13 which has a series of cogs disposed along only a portion of its circum-
ference. By this construction when the said wheel is turned in either direction it
will engage ouly one of the two pinions 14, 14, the shafts of which are connected

page_text: by the usual chains 15, 15, to the rudders 16, 16. By this construction one or the
other of the rudders can always be directed for the proper position for steering.
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. A ship having a flat bottom and side keels adapted to confine for a portion of
the ship's length a body of water of suitable volume, substantially as set forth.
2. A ship having a centre keel, and suitable side keels disposed on either side
thereof, the said side keels being depressed below the centre keel, substantially as
set forth.
3. A ship having a centre keel extending from the stem rearwardly to a suitable
distance from the stern, thence upwardly inclined until it meets the stern frame;
side keels disposed equidistant on either side thereof and extending from a point
where the curved timbers of the side lines merge with the bottom to the stern,
substantially as set forth.
4. A ship having a centre keel and two side keels, stern posts at the rear end of
the side keels, and a space between the rear ends of the side keels for suitable
propeller shafts, substantially as set forth.
5. A ship having side keels, stern posts at the rear end of each keel, rudder
posts carrying rudders at each stern post, a pilot wheel, a wheel having cogs
disposed only on a portion of its circumference, pinions gearing with the cog
portion of said wheel, and chains extending from the shafts of said pinions to the
rudder posts, for operating one rudder at a time, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 27th day of April 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.