IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND HYDRAULIC RAMS USED IN NAVAL WARFARE
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Brown, of Portsmouth, in the County
of Southampton, Wine Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND HYDRAULIC RAMS USED IN NAVAL
WARFARE."
"
Sealed the 22nd December 1870, and dated the 24th June 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th June 1870.
I, WILLIAM BROWN, of Portsmouth, in the County of Southampton,
Wine Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND HYDRAULIC RAMS USED IN
NAVAL WARFARE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to rams used in naval warfare for the destruc-
tion of iron clad and other ships of war, and the demolition of fortifica-
tions built in deep water.

page_text: The improved ram consists of a small sloop fitted with a turret,
strongly armour-plated, and which will be the only part visible when
the sloop is in action. A strong ramming shaft of hardened steel
projects or is worked from the bow of the sloop and is attached inside
the ship to a piston working in a cylinder. This cylinder is supplied
with steam of high pressure from an auxiliary boiler, or it may be
supplied from the boilers used to propel the sloop. The piston and shaft
can be driven at a rate of five hundred to one thousand strokes a minute,
although from two to three hundred strokes would I think be ample,
and as the ram will weigh about thirty tons it is assumed that a blow
would be struck on any object which the sloop was run against sufficient
to destroy it. The upper deck and turret or pilot house are the only
portions armour-plated, they therefore can be plated extremely heavy to
resist the effects of close fire. The vessel will be made with an inner
skin, and the space between the inner and outer skins to be filled with
water so as to bring the ramming shaft below the armour plate of the
enemy's ships when going into action, and so only leave the pilot house
through which the funnel and ventilating shaft pass exposed to the
enemy's fire.
The aforesaid sloops machinery is to be so arranged that she can
steam at a very high rate of speed for a few hours, which would be quite
sufficient for her to run into an enemy's fleet and destroy it, she could
also be used to run into an enemy's harbour, passing the fortifications at
its mouth, and quickly destroy a fleet and run out again; but the most
efficient quality of the ram would be the defence of harbours and pre-
venting the landing of an hostile force, as the ram could remain in
shallow water until an opportunity occurred of running at one of the
enemy's ships, which could not escape owing to the superior speed of
the ram, and one moment's contact would be sufficient to completely
smash in her side.
The propelling engines may be on the hydraulic pan principle, so as to
give great facility in steering and also to pump out the water necessary
to sink the ram to her fighting level.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th December 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BROWN, of Portsmouth, in the County of Southampton, Wine Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me,' the said William Brown, Her special licence,
that I, the said William Brown, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Brown, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM AND HYDRAULIC RAMS USED IN NAVAL WARFARE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Brown,
my exccutors 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
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
".
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Brown, 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 :-
This Invention relates to rams used in naval warfare for the demolition
of iron-clad and other ships of war and the demolition of fortifications
built in deep water.
The improved ram consists of a small sloop fitted with a turret
strongly armour-plated, and which will be the only part visible when
the sloop is in action. A strong ramming shaft of hardened steel
projects or is worked from the bow of the sloop and is attached

page_text: inside the ship to a piston working in a cylinder. This cylinder is
supplied with steam of high pressure from an auxiliary boiler, or it may
be supplied from the boiler used to propel the sloop. The piston and
shaft can be driven at a rate of five hundred to one thousand strokes a
minute, although from two to three hundred strokes would I think be be
ample, and as the ram will weigh about thirty tons it is assumed that a
blow would be struck on any object which the sloop was run against
sufficient to destroy it. The upper deck and turret or pilot house are
the only portions armour-plated; they therefore can be plated extremely
heavy to resist the effects of close fire. The vessel will be made with
an inner skin, and the space between the inner and outer skins to be
filled with water so as to bring the ramming shaft below the armour
plate of the enemy's ships when going into action, and so only leave the
pilot house through which the funnel and ventilating shaft pass exposed
to the enemy's fire.
The aforesaid sloop's machinery is to be so arranged that she can
steam at a very high rate of speed for a few hours which would be quite
sufficient for her to run into an enemy's fleet and destroy it. She could
also be used to run into an enemy's harbour, passing the fortifications at
its mouth and quickly destroy a fleet and run out again; but the most
efficient quality of the ram would be the defence of harbours and
preventing the landing of an hostile force as the ram could remain in
shallow water until an opportunity occurred of running at one of the
enemy's ships which could not escape owing to the superior speed of the
ram, and one moment's contact would be sufficient to completely smash
in her side.
The propelling engines may be on the hydraulic principle, so as to give
great facility in steering and also to pump out the water necessary to
sink the ram to her fighting level.
And in order to explain this Invention more fully I will now procced
to describe the means by which it may be carried into practical
effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing accompanying
these Presents, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, as
follows:

page_text: vessel or floating body containing the ramming mechanism; B, turret ;
C, ramming bar or rod of hardened steel fitted and working water-tight
through the bow of the vessel. The rod C is connected to a piston at
D working in a steam cylinder E firmly fixed to the vessel's bottom like
the cylinder of a steam engine fitted with a slide valve for regulating the
entrance and exit of the steam at the proper times. The vessel A. is
formed with a double bottom or two bottoms H, I, the space between
which at is to be filled more or less with water for sinking the ram
to her proper fighting position or level below the surface of the water of
flotation. K, K, mark hydraulic pumps of the ordinary kind for filling
or discharging the water from the space between the vessel's bottoms;
L is an air funnel for ventilation; M, steering wheel connected with the
rudder N by ropes or chains at a, a; O is a steam boiler of the ordinary
kind.
Having now. fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention for "Improvements in the Construction of Steam and
Hydraulic Rams used in Naval Warfare," together with the best means
I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion that what I claim as my Invention and
desire to secure by Letters Patent is, constructing a floating battering
ram with a steel shaft working water-tight through the bow of a vessel;
also making the vessel with an inner skin and filling the space between
the two skins with sufficient water to sink or submerge the ram to
the required depth, substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Brown, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the
WILLIAM BROWN. (L.S.)