Year: 1887

page_text: JOHN HENRY BELL, Monkwearmouth Iron Works, Sunderland Iron Manufacturer,
WM. ROCKLIFFE of 11 Sunderland Street Sunderland Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to strengthen and stiffen Plates used for shipbuilding
by forming or causing all kinds of impressions thereon such as flanging the Plates on
the edge or edges, or causing impressions imitating paneling and ornamental work,
either rolled, pressed or stamped. This will greatly strengthen and stiffen the plates,
especially those used for deck casings, such as deck houses, bulkheads, and all kinds of
partition crecting. To explain the merits of our invention we give the following
description of the old and the Improved Plates, and the economical advantages of the
improved plates:-The plates now used for the above named purposes are plain and
flat, rolled either of steel or of iron in various lengths, breadths and thicknesses. For
instance those used are about 6 to 9 feet long, 3 to 6 feet broad and of an
inch to of an inch thick and on account of their thinness are very troublesome by
times owing to being buckled, or warped.
In erecting partitions, owing to the plates being flat, and having to overlap one
another a vacancy is caused which must be filled up with packing bars on account of
the plates not laying flat against the cross beams. Another method :-The plates are
laid flat against the cross beams edge to edge, which must be secured by butt-straps
running from top to bottom which causes the use of a lot of extra material and labour.
Bars have also to be rivetted from top to bottom in the centre of these plates to
stiffen them which again causes the use of extra material and labour. The Improved
Plates dispenses with much labour and material, they are so flanged that when over-
lapped, they lay flat against the cross-beams, and they may be flanged in more than
one way, so as to dispense with the use of packing bars and buttstraps, and saving a
great amount of rivets, rivetting and labour.

page_text: By the plates having rolled, pressed or stamped impressions they will be so
strengthened and stiffened that stiffening bars may be dispensed with. When laying
the decks with the Improved flanged plates, packing bars are also dispensed with,
shorter rivets required, and a great amount of labour saved. This is also applicable in the
forming of Tank tops, Tank webs, or Tank partition's, and floors and other parts.
Dated this 97th day of October 1887.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Plates for Shipbuilding and other Purposes.
We, JOHN HENRY BELL, iron manufacturer and WILLIAM ROCKLIFFE, Engineer,
both of Monkwearmouth Iron Works, Sunderland, in the County of Durham 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in the plates used for shipbuilding and
other kindred purposes. Hitherto in shipbuilding and works of a like nature it has
been the practice to use "packing plates" in those places where in the course of con-
struction gaps or vacuities occurred in the work by reason of the shape or section of
the plates used.
The filling in of all such gaps or vacuities of course greatly increases the quantity
of material as well as the labour and consequent cost of the structure. Moreover the
use of packing plates apart from the weight of the plates themselves necessitates the
use of longer rivets and extra punching or drilling of holes all of which circumstances
point to the want of improved forms of plates. Further by the adoption of our
improved rolled or pressed flanged plates the use of butt straps is in part diminished
for the flanged edges of our improved plates when rivetted together and caulked are
sufficiently strong and secure to obviate the use of butt straps in places where they
are now frequently adopted.
In fig. 1 is shown one of the modes of construction hitherto adopted on ships'
decks and the like in which A is the packing plate inserted between the plates A' A'
and between the plate A2 and beam A³ simply to give solidity of structure.
The methods by which we avoid this undue waste of material and labour are shown
in figs. 2. 3. 4. and 5 hereto annexed which represent sections according to our inven-
tion of plates of iron or steel or other suitable material e.g. Delta metal rolled in
1

page_text: rolling mills or pressed by hydraulic or other pressure. By the use of the double
flanged plate shown in fig. 2 it is obvious that only every other plate need be a flanged
plate the intermediate plates being plain plates.
In fig. 3 is shown a single flanged plate rolled or pressed and in figs. 4 and 5 are
shown sections rolled according to our invention. The use of the sections shown in
figs. 2. 3. 4 and 5 to a great extent abolishes the expenses attending the use of packing
plates as above described.
The improved plates may be manufactured of any suitable sizes and thicknesses. The
plate flanges may be dimensioned to suit the sizes of rivets used and by the use of
packing bars being by our invention well nigh abolished it will be found that
corrosion at the jointed surfaces is also considerably reduced.
In fig. 6 is shown a rolled or pressed plate section specially applicable for use in
partition work and figs. 7. 8. 9 and 10 represent sections of plates of iron or steel or
other suitable material e.g. Delta metal rolled or pressed according to our invention
whereby the use of stiffening bars may be minimised. Figs. 2 to 5 are specially
applicable for deck plates and tank work while figs. 6 to 10 are better adapted to
partition work; figs. 7 to 10 may be used inter alia as panelled doors, great strength
as well as ornamentation being here combined and in every case plates manufactured
according to our invention may be checkered or plain plates as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The use in shipbuilding of plates of iron or steel or other material as equally
adapted therefor rolled or pressed substantially of the sections shown in figs. 2. 3. 4.
and 5 as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
2. The use in shipbuilding of plates of iron or steel or other material as equally
adapted therefor rolled or pressed substantially of the sections shown in figs. 6. 7. 8. 9.
and 10 as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 20th day of July 1888.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
2, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle on Tyne,
Patent Agent for Applicants.