AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR DEFENDING SHIPS, FORTS, AND OTHER VESSELS OR STRUCTURES AGAINST INJURY FROM PROJECTILES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sir Frederick Sykes, of Isenhurst, in the County
of Sussex, Baronet, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND
APPARATUS FOR DEFENDING SHIPS, FORTS, AND OTHER VESSELS OR STRUCTURES
AGAINST INJURY FROM PROJECTILES."
Sealed the 6th July 1869, and dated the 12th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sir Frederick Sykes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th January 1809.
I, Sir FREDERICK SYKES, of Isenhurst, in the County of Sussex,
Baronet, do hereby declare the naturo of the said Invention for "Ar
IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR DEFENDING SHIPS, FORTS, AND OTHER
VESSELS OR STRUCTURES AGAINST INJURY FROM PROJECTILES," to be as follows:—
The Invention comprises the defending floating or land structures by
a curtain or curtains of chain armour suspended or supported by the
structure and clear of same, and with or without the intervention of
packing.

page_text: An ordinary armour-plated ship when struck by a projectile has to
sustain the concussion and entire weight of the projectile, and by its
non-yielding resistance to stop the velocity and momentum of the
projectile. It is the object of the Invention to overcome these dis-
advantages by the buffer-like effect of the apparatus employed, the
resistance employed of itself being, or by its suspension or support
being, of a somewhat yielding character. The attachment and suspension
of the armour may be made in any convenient manner. It is contem-
plated to suspend it from davits fixed on hinges to the ship's side, and
aided by the ship's rigging (but other means may be employed) in such
proportion that should the one-half of the davits be damaged in action
the remainder may suffice to sustain the load and strain upon them,
Now in the event of a shot striking the outer suspended curtain of
the improved flexible chain armour, the part struck would at once
yield to the force expended on it, and the projectile would lose probably
half of its effective force, and should it even penetrate the first curtain
it would even then have to encounter other curtains whose powers
of endurance for resisting penetration would prove effectual. The
distance of the chain armour from the ship's side should be as far
as is consistent with the allowing of three or even four tiers of suspended
armour each apart from the other. The curtains when not required
for action can be stowed in special places in the ship's hold acting
there as ballast, and can be placed easily in position for action by
simple machinery. When in action water can be admitted into tanks
in the ship's hold to supply the place of the missing ballast, and it
can be pumped out at will when the armour is required to be placed
below. For forts the same system applies viz. the suspension of
flexible chain armour wherever required for defensive purposes. With
reference to ships of war it will be seen that the now discarded
handsome and fine seagoing ships (wooden) will be again not only
available for use, but it is not unlikely that they will be by far the
most proper and economical ships that can be employed for war purposes,
for it is apprehended that as fast as the thickness of the present armour
is increased on the existing system of protection so fast will that
special gun make its appearance which is destined to give it a quietus.
Also the Invention comprises the defending floating or land structures
by a moveable curtain of armour (whether ordinary or other iron
armour including chain armour), and either with wood or indian rubber

page_text: or other backing to same or without backing, the curtain being
suspended or supported at intervals by a number of powerful hydraulic
buffers or presses fixed to or carried by the structure for (when required)
pushing the curtain from its "home" position next to the side of
the structure to a convenient distance apart or away from same.
This improvement is moro particularly intended for application to
ordinary iron clad ships of war to afford them an increased or additional
protection. When the hydraulic buffers are empty the outside armour
will rest against the ship's side and by simple mechanical contrivances
can be firmly secured and attached to the same. When required
for action water is to be pumped by hand or steam engine into the
buffers, and these being filled, will force the piston rods with armour
attached some six or eight feet from the ship's side.
In combination with either of the improvements above set forth
|and described, mattresses or double curtains of chain armour filled
with cork or indian-rubber or other elastic material may be hung
and used as fenders against the side of the ship or structure to be
defended. Also powerful steel springs, spiral or otherwise, may be
adjusted between the two skins of armour. The effect of the first con-
cussion from a projectile will by this improvement be broken by the
resistance and yielding of the hydraulic buffers and springs. And
if the first or outer armour is penetrated it has again to perforate
the fenders of chain mail filled with india-rubber, &c., &c., as already
spoken of, and should these fail the ship has its usual armour to resist
the remaining or unspent force of the projectile.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Sir Frederick Sykes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th July 1809.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SIR
) FREDERICK SYKES, of Isenhurst, in the County of Sussex, Baronet,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-

page_text: first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Sir Frederick Sykes, Her special
licence that I, the said Sir Frederick Sykes, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Sir Frederick Sykes;
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, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR DEFENDING SHIPS, FORTS, AND OTHER
VESSELS OR STRUCTURES AGAINST INJURY FROM PROJECTILES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Sir Frederick Sykes, 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 Sir Frederick Sykes, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say :-
The Invention comprises the defending floating or land structures by
a curtain or curtains of chain armour suspended or supported by the
structure, and clear of same, and with or without the intervention of
packing.
An ordinary armour-plated ship when struck by a projectile has to
sustain the concussion and entire weight of the same, and by its non-
yielding resistance to stop the velocity and momentum of the projectile.
It is the object of the Invention to overcome these disadvantages
by the buffer like effect of the apparatus employed, the resistance
employed of itself, or by its suspension or support being of a some-
what yielding character. The attachment and suspension of the
armour may be made in any convenient manner. It is contemplated
to suspend it from davits fixed on hinges to the ship's side and aided
by the ship's rigging (but other means may be employed) in such
proportion that should the one-half of the davits be damaged in.
action the remainder may suffice to sustain the load and strain upon.

page_text: them. Now in the event of a shot striking the outer suspended
curtain of the improved flexible chain armour the part struck would
at once yield to the force expended on it and the projectile would
loso probably half of its effective force, and should it even penetrate
5 the first curtain it would even then have to encounter other curtains
whose powers of endurance for resisting penetration would prove
effectual. The distance of the chain armour from the ship's side
should be as far as is consistent with the allowing of threo or even
four tiers of suspended armour cach apart from the other. The
O curtains when not required for action can be stowed in special places
in the ship's hold, acting there as ballast, and can be placed casily in
position for action by simple machinery. When in action water can
be admitted into tanks in the ship's hold to supply the place of the
missing ballast, and it can be pumped out at will when the armour
is required to bo placed below. For forts the same system applies,
namely, the suspension of flexible chain armour whercover required
for defensive purposes. With reference to ships of war it will be
seen that the now discarded, handsome, and fine seagoing ships
(wooden) will be again not only available for use, but it is not
O unlikely that they will be by far the most proper and economical
ships that can be employed for war purposes, for it is apprehended
that as fast as the thickness of the present armour is increased on
the existing system of protection so fast will that special gun make
appearance which is destined to give it a quietus.
its
Also the Invention comprises the defending floating or land structures
by a moveable curtain of armour (whether ordinary or other iron armour
including chain armour), and either with wood or indin-rubber, or
other backing to same, or without backing, the curtain being suspended
or supported at intervals by a number of powerful hydraulic buffers or
presses fixed to or carried by the structure for (when required) pushing
the curtain from its "homo," position next to the side of the structure
to a convenient distance apart or away from the same.
This improvement is more particularly intended for application to
ordinary iron clad ships of war to afford them an increased or additional
protection. When the hydraulic buffers are empty the outside armour
will rest against the ship's side and by simple mechanical contrivances
can be firmly secured and attached to the same. When required for
action water is to be pumped by hand or steam engine into the buffers

page_text: and there being filled will force the piston rods with armour attached
some six or eight feet from the ship's side.
In combination with either of the improvements above set forth and
described mattrasses or double curtains of chain armour filled with
cork or india-rubber, or other elastic material may be hung and used 5
as fenders against the side of the ship or structure to be defended.
Also powerful steel springs, spiral or otherwise, may be adjusted between
the two skins of armour. The effect of the first concussion from a
projectile will by this improvement be broken by the resistance and
yielding of the hydraulic buffers and springs. And if the first or outer 1
armour is penetrated it has again to perforate the fenders of chain mail
filled with india-rubber and so forth as already spoken of, and should
these fail the ship has its usual armour to resist the remaining or
unspent force of the projectile.
The accompanying Drawing further illustrates the Invention by the 1
representation of portions of three ships having the improvements
adapted thereto.
Figure 1 shews a cross section through the porthole of a wooden
ship of war with three tiers of the improved defensive armour applied.
The tiers are marked a, and may be one or more, or all of them either 2
plain blankets or surfaces of chain mail, or, as intended by the figure,
may be bags or mattrasses of chain mail filled with cork, india-rubber,
or other elastic material. They are suspended from davits 6 the outer
ends of which are stayed by cords or chains leading to the mast or
the rigging of the ship. It will be noted from the difference of the 2
characteristics employed that the mattrasses are shewn at the lower
part in section, but not so at the upper part which is intended to shew
openings through them for the passage of projectiles from the guns.
This exposure of the porthole d is remedied or partly so by an additional
small mattrass or mantlet e likewise constructed of chain mail and a
filled as before, and suspended from the outer ends of separate davits 6*.
When it is required to load or fire this mantlet must be swung or
removed, as represented, from the perpendicular position in which it
would otherwise hang and which may be done by tackle f, as shewn
in the Figure; g is the ordinary porthole cover which may be closed a
when the gun is run back.
Figures 2 and 3 are cross sections through the side of an armour clad
ship (which may be a cupola or turret ship, or one intended for firing

page_text: guns from the deck only) illustrating the application of a curtain of
armour to be pushed forward and retired against the ship's side (as may
bo required) by the improved hydraulic buffers or presses. The Figure 2
shows the improved additional armour m in the "home"
position when
not in use, and Figure 8 in the protruled position; n, n, are the
hydraulic buffers or presses by which the armour is moved, the rams
or pistons rods n*, n*, of the presses being at their outer extremities
fitted into sockets on the armour and affixed by bolts o, o, so as to admit
of disconnection when required by pulling the cords o* which may be
led to any convenient place in the ship; for the support of the armour
nced not necessarily be from the said rams or rods, but if desired from
wrought-iron beams sliding out of the side of the ship as shown at the
upper parts of the Figures, and the rams or rods may be used either
only for forcing out and retiring the armour, or if wished can be used
in combination with the said beams. These beams with the apparatus
in connection are intended to receive and resist or transmit the con-
cussion directly received by the armour m, and as represented are
constructed as follows:-p is a case containing air and also some india-
rubber buffing blocks q; e is a hollow plunger with crosshead **
(capable of sliding a short distance in a race or guide t), and with
valve s³ for closing the air passage. Behind the crosshead a block u is
fitted in the race and held down by a fixing screw when the armour m
is protruded (see Figure 3,) but the block is removeable both to allow
the plunger to be entirely withdrawn from the case p for cleaning or
repair, and also to permit the "home" position of the armour and the
beams and apparatus (see Figuro 2); w, wc, are two stout cross beams,
between the ordinary deck beams to receive the shock which the sliding
beams transmit. The double provision of an air chamber and india-
rubber blocks is intended to cause a more perfect buffing action the
compression of the air firstly taking placo and afterwards that of the
india-rubber. In addition to the armour ma mattrass of chain mail
filled as herein-before described may be suspended from the sliding
beam as represented in the Figure, from which it will be gathered that
the lower part of the mattrass must be made in strips or otherwise;
provision must be made for the rams or rods n" to pass the mattrass
if the mattrass and the rods are both required to be in use together. If
preferred one or more plain blankets or surfaces of chain mail may be
substituted for the mattrasses.

page_text: I would remark that although I have not represented in the Drawings
the application of my Invention to land defences or forts it is evident
that these may be provided with apparatus of a similar description to
that represented as applicable to ships and as herein particularly
described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which it may be and is to be performed, I claim as of my
said Invention the general arrangement and construction of parts and
apparatus and the combination of parts and apparatus herein above set
forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sir Frederick Sykes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
FREDERICK SYKES, BARONET. (L.S.)