IMPROVEMENTS IN CON- STRUCTING AND ARMING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS OR FLOATING BODIES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Addis Jackson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th October
1864.
I, ADDIS JACKSON, of Aynscomb House, Orpington, in the County of Kent,
do hereby declare the nature of the. Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CON-
STRUCTING AND ARMING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS OR FLOATING BODIES," to be as
follows:-
The war ship or vessel is so constructed as to have three separate keels.
The two outer keels may either extend along the entire length of the middle
or centre keel, or they may terminate at any distance short thereof. Around
the entire ship or vessel is a casing of woodwork. This casing, which is
divided into numerous compartments, extends downwards to the two outside
keels, and upwards vertically to the line of floatation; it then inclines inwards
towards the armour plating, the angle of such inclination being suitable for
allowing the guns immediately above to be depressed to a greater extent than
has hitherto been practicable in any ships or vessels of war. The armour
plates are placed perpendicularly, and extend 'upwards from the inclines. a
sufficient distance to allow guns of the very largest description to be worked
within them from between the upper and second deck, and they extend down
to about five feet below the water line. In the event of an armour plate
becoming injured, the compartment opposite the plate so injured would have
the pieces of cork or any other suitable buoyant material with which it is filled
removed therefrom in order that such plate may be removed, which may

page_text: then readily be done by withdrawing the bolts or screws, such compartment
of the outer casing then serving as a place for the men to work in, the
pieces of cork having been deposited in a boat during the time of the removal
of the injured plate, which when free by the removal of all the screws or bolts
is drawn out by the ship's windlass or other suitable tackle, and a fresh
armour plate may then be inserted in its place.
It should be stated that all the armour plates are of precisely the same
form and dimensions, and are all precisely perforated with the same number
of screw or bolt holes, so that any one. plate may be substituted for another.
The exterior casing at the stern of the ship or vessel extends considerably
over or outside of the rudder, so as to protect it from injury by vessels being
driven into it or otherwise. Around the outer casing is a strong strip or
girdle, which acts as a "fender" to the ship or vessel; it is so placed as to
bear upon solid portions of the timber of which the ship is composed..
The large guns are mounted on carriages which work on inclined tramways
suitably formed with grooves or recesses for the axles of the gun carriages to
work in, thus preventing the possibility of the guns and their carriages
becoming displaced either in rough weather or from any other cause. The
gun carriage wheels are flanched, and would also be skidded to aid in resisting
the recoil; the tramways are also inclined with the same object.
The port holes for working the large guns, according to this Invention,
although only of sufficient width to allow of the free passage through of the
muzzles of the guns are of much greater length vertically to enable t'e guns
to be considerably more elevated or depressed than any guns hitherto employed,
the lateral movement of the guns being governed by the movement of the
vessel by means of the rudder and side screws. The port hole, when not in
use for firing, is enclosed by a plate of similar dimensions to the other armour
plates, but is hinged at the upper portion thereof so as to be capable of
opening outwards; this opening out of the port hole doors may be caused
by means of an arm extending upwards from the door itself, and cords or
chains with counterbalance weights or a toothed sector and pinion, or worm
and worm wheel may be used in lieu thereof if preferred. The perpendicular
armour plates are perforated, by preference, at their junction a suitable height
from the second deck. to allow of riflemen using them to fire through, these
holes or openings being formed conically to allow of aim being taken, they
also aid in ventilating the ship; there are also numerous holes formed in
the upper deck for a similar purpose.
The upper surface of the upper deck is formed into ridges and furrows by
ribs or pieces placed equidistant apart from each other. The openings are

page_text: formed in the ridges, whilst the furrows serve to carry off water. The upper
deck is surrounded with light stanchions to carry cither ropes or chains to
serve as a gunwale. There is a tower, which it is preferred should be slightly
conical; it is provided with numerous slotted taper openings to enable a look
out to be kept, and beneath this tower the helmsman and steering wheel are
stationed, so that the look-out man may, by means of a speaking trumpet
give the necessary instructions to the men at the steerage wheel as well as to
the engine men. The tower is composed of strong timber bound together by
iron hoops or bands like a pail inverted, and is plated with perpendicular
plates, similar to those already described, and the top or deck of the tower is
also similar to the top deck already described with ridges and furrows.
The ship or vessel is propelled by two screws on the same screw shaft, each
screw consisting, by preference, of two blades; they are placed a considerable
distance apart from each other, and in the circle they move in they are so
arranged as to be 90° in advance of each other. In addition to these two
screw propellers on the same shaft, two other screw propellers are employed,
arranged one on each side of the middle keel, and working in the spaces
between the middle and outer keel; these two propellers work in an opposite
direction to the others. They also assist in steering the vessel, they being
worked by separate engines. Two other propellers are also employed; they
are placed about midway between midships and the bow of the vessel. The
axis of these last-named propellers, instead of being parallel with the centre
keel, are placed at an angle thereto, the one on each side thereof; this is for
the purpose of assisting the turning of the ship, and also to assist in
increasing the speed of the vessel when moving forward to act as a ram or
otherwise.
The constructing a vessel as described with an outer casing filled with cork
or other buoyant material, and the outer strip or fender projecting beyond
entirely around the vessel, and the water being allowed to flow into the casing
filled with cork or other buoyant material, great steadiness and floating power
to the vessel is ensured; the prow of the vessel is formed with a strong spike
or spur inclining upwards, so that by being run end on to a vessel the spur or
spike would tear open and do considerable mischief to the bottom of the vessel
run into. The upright or stern is formed serrated or toothed in such manner
that anything being struck thereby would almost inevitably be cut in two.