Improvements in the Construction of Armour Plates.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Armour Plates.
I JOSEPH RUSHTON TURNOCK Steel Iron and Tinplate Manufacturer Yspitty Works
Loughor South Wales do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
-
A compound plate composed of layers of sheets preferably previously coated with a
suitable metal either tin, lead, zinc or alloys of such or similar metals. These sheets
to be built up in any desired form or thickness and consolidated by means of heat and
the necessary pressure. Upon the plate thus formed may be placed one or more
Armour Plates made in the usual way either of wrought iron cast or chilled iron soft
or hard steel or suitably shaped blocks or lumps of metal may be laid; these plates or
blocks having preferably been prepared by coating with a suitable alloy may then by
means of heat and the necessary pressure be firmly fixed to the "backing" without
the use of bolts or screws.
If desired the process may then he continued by "facing "the hard armoured
surface with any desired thickness of plate composed in the manner described for the
"backing" and without requiring any further fastening there would be no possibility
of the face of the armour falling away besides which the soft "facing" would protect
the hard plate from the violent direct impact of the attacking projectile. A plate of
this description is unlimited as to size thickness or shape. Capable of being dove-
tailed tenoned and tongued and further, of being consolidated by means of suitably
applied heat either with the metallic framing at the back or the adjacent plates on
either side. The whole protecting armour becoming practically one continuous plate
incapable of cracking or falling away independent of all bolts or other loose fastenings
and if pierced above water line extremely easily rendered watertight again. It is
evident also that any existing metallic defence may be strengthened and further
protected by the above" facing."
A modification of the above named process is to build up the plate in the following
manner. Suitable sheets or layers of sheets are laid down, upon these are placed
lengths of iron or steel bars (previously coated) on their edges forming in this
manner any desired number of cells or honeycomb spaces, upon these bars another
layer of sheets is placed and the whole consolidated as before described. We have
now a buoyant plate and plates may be made containing any number of similar layers
the whole forming at once an iron or steel clad protection and affording an immense
amount of buoyancy when immersed. If desired the spaces or some of them may be
filled with cork, cocoanut fibre, "woodite," felt or any desirable material which being
hermetically sealed would be indestructible and would materially assist in deadening
the direct blow of a hostile projectile.
The manufacture of the above compound plates has the immense advantage of
being able to be carried out almost entirely on the site required for erecting the
protection and even in one unjointed plate over the whole surface whether for land or
ship defence:
Doted this 19th das of Now 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Armour Plates.
I JOSEPH RUSHTON TURNOCK Steel Iron & Tinplate Manufacturer Yspitty Works
Loughor South Wales 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:-
A compound plate composed of layers of sheets preferably previously coated with a
suitable metal either tin, lead, zinc or alloys of such or similar metals. These sheets
to be built up in any desired form or thickness and consolidated by means of heat
and the necessary pressure. Upon the plate thus formed may be placed one or more
Armour Plates made in the usual way either of wrought iron cast or chilled iron
soft or hard steel or suitably shaped blocks or lumps of metal may be laid, these
plates or blocks having preferably been prepared by coating with a suitable alloy
may then by means of heat and the necessary pressure be firmly fixed to the
'backing" without the use of bolts or screws.
"
If desired the process may then be continued by "facing" the hard armoured
surface with any desired thickness of plate composed in the manner described for
the "backing" and without requiring any further fastening there would be no possi-
bility of the face of the armour falling away, besides which the soft "facing" would
protect the hard plate from the violent direct impact of the attacking projectile. A
plate of this description is unlimited as to size thickness or shape. Capable of being
dovetailed tenoned and tongued and further of being consolidated by means of suit-
ably applied heat either with the metallic framing at the back or the adjacent plates
on either side. The whole protecting armour becoming practically one continuous
plate incapable of cracking or falling away independent of all bolts or other loose
fastenings and if pierced above water line extremely easily rendered watertight again.
It is evident also that any existing metallic defence may be strengthened and further
protected by the above "facing."
A modification of the above named process is to build up the plate in the following
manner Suitable sheets or layers of sheets are laid down, upon these are placed
lengths of iron or steel bars (previously coated) on their edges forming in this
manner any desired number of cells or honeycoomb spaces, upon these bars another
layer of sheets is placed and the whole consolidated as before described. We have
now a buoyant plate and plates may be made containing any number of similar layers
the whole forming at once an iron or steel clad protection and affording an immense
amount of buoyancy when immersed. If desired the spaces or some of them may
be filled with cork, cocoanut-fibre, "woodite," felt or any desirable material which
being hermetically sealed would be indestructable and would materially assist in
deadening the direct blow of a hostile projectile.
The manufacture of the above compound plates has the immense advantage of
being able to be carried out almost entirely on the site required for erecting the
protection and even in one unjointed plate over the whole surface whether for land or
ship defence.
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 :-
1st. The use of thin sheets or plates of coated metal for the purpose of forming
plates suitable for armour protection as above described.
2nd. The use of bars or divisions for forming the honeycoomb plates above
described.
3rd. The enclosing of armour plates of solid iron or steel between plates of the
compound nature herein described.

page_text: 4th. The use of the blocks of light or tough material in the way and for the
purpose herein described.
5th. The application of the plates herein described as a strengthening or reinforce-
ment of existing armour.
6th. The construction of the buoyant armour plate as herein described.
J. RUSHTON TURNOCK.