IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dunkin Lee, of Northwood Park, and John
White, of Medina and Thetis Docks, West Cowes, both in the Isle
of Wight, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 14th January 1873, and dated the 8th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dunkin Lee
and John White at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th November 1872.
We, JOHN DUNKIN LEE, of Northwood Park, and JOHN WHITE, of
Medina and Thetis Docks, West Cowes, both in the Isle of Wight, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
:—
The novelty of our Invention consists in giving a concave form to the
bottom of the vessel instead of a convex, making a single channel for
the water, having no keel amidships. By this arrangement the principal
element of displacement are transferred to the sides or bulges, thus

page_text: securing the greatest amount of stability that can be obtained, and
comprising the properties of two ships in one fabric.
This Invention is applicable to ships of all sizes and description, either
to be propelled by steam, sails, or any other motive power. This form
being curvelinear, the element of strength is incorporated in itself, not
requiring the introduction of girders or extraneous strengthening. These
vessels can be constructed upon the composite principal of iron and
wood, or of iron alone, or of wood upon the diagonal plan. Being one
fabric only they are designed for combining all the symetry and beauty
of the handsomest steam or sailing ships afloat. They are particularly
intended for steam channel service, where a beam sea generally prevails,
their peculiar form preventing the excessive rolling which is so dis-
tressing to the passengers and detremental to the ship. These vessels
are particularly adapted for men of war, the arched form of the bottom
giving the greatest strength for carrying heavy guns on the broadside or
in turrets, their stability preserving the steadiest platform. The con-
struction of these vessels render them easily divided into water-tight
compartments.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Dunkin Lee and John White in the Great 2
Seal Patent Office on the 5th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
DUNKIN LEE, of Northwood Park, and JOHN WHITE, of Medina and
Thetis Docks, West Cowes, both in the Isle of Wight, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John Dunkin Lee and John White, Her special
licence that we, the said John Dunkin Lee and John White, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Dunkin Lee and John White, our 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

page_text: lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND
VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
Dunkin Lee and John White, our executors, or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said John Dunkin Lee and John
White, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
The novel features of this Invention consist in giving a concave form
to the bottom instead of the usual convex shape of ships and other
vessels, and in having a single longitudinal central arched channel or
passage for the water to run free fore and aft, and having no keel amid-
ships; the principal elements of displacement are thereby transferred to
the sides or bulges, thus securing the greatest amount of stability that
can be obtained, and combining the properties of two ships in one fabric.
By the employment of the tri-curved form of wrought-iron transverse
frames, as we prefer to do in the manner shown in the Drawing,
throughout the main length of the vessel, the element of strength is
thoroughly incorporated, thus rendering unnecessary the introduction of
any transverse girders or other extraneous strengthening; whilst the two
bodies forming the extreme sides act so as to prevent or check the rolling
action, just as external bilge or bulge keelsons (or bilge logs) do in ships
of the ordinary convex or well rounded form of bottom, and for which
purpose they are so applied. Vessels of this form may be run aground
without danger of capsizing or "heeling over " to any extent. These
vessels are specially adapted for passenger steamers to be employed for
channel service, where a beam sea generally prevails, and for which
purpose they are more particularly intended; their peculiar form and
the disposition of the two bodies or bulges preventing the excessive

page_text: rolling which is so distressing to the passengers, whilst their steering
qualities are greatly superior to the ordinary form of steam ships,
whether propelled by paddles or screw, by reason of the water acting
directly upon or against the rudder. These vessels are particularly
adapted for war ships, the arched form of bottom giving the greatest
strength for carrying heavy guns on the broadsides or in their turrets;
the stability of such a form of vessel insuring the steadiest platform.
The form and construction of the hull of such vessels enables them to be
readily divided into water-tight compartments by means of bulk-heads
continuously riveted to the tri-curved T and L sectioned frames.
The tri-curved transverse frames may be formed of T, L, I, or of any
other suitable cross section of rolled or combined iron, welded together
end to end, or butt jointed at the ends and joined by a cover or lapping
plate riveted thereover, so as to form each as a continuous and unbroken
frame extending round from top side to top side, or from bulwark to
bulwark; and these may be secured and framed together by longitudinal
stringers and ribbon pieces running fore and aft in the ordinary or usual
way of framing up iron ships. By means of the deck beams the two
upright ends of the T, L, or other section of frames employed are
connected together, and these, in conjunction with the longitudinal
stringers and plates "frame up" the hull of the ship in the strongest
and most substantial manner, leaving the skin, whether the same is to be
of iron plating alone or of horizontal planking of wood alone, or of iron
and wood in conjunction, to be put on in the most suitable manner. The
long curved form of the longitudinal section of each body whilst giving
the middle body or central portion of the length of the ship the requisite
depth for the machinery and other internal requirements of the hull,
leaves a considerable portion at each end cambered or curved up, and
with but little hold of the water, so that the manœuvreing of the vessel
in narrow channel ways or guts of harbours can be much more readily
and rapidly effected than in vessels of the ordinary or almost any other
form in use. These vessels may be fitted with paddle wheels, or a screw
propeller or propellers, and with both screw and paddles.
screws are employed, one should be fitted to each body.
propellers may be applied and operated at the same time, one in the
central arched channel, and one in each of the bodies.
Where two
Three screw
From the peculiarity of the transverse and longitudinal sections, and
the form of the two bottoms, three screw propellers may be fitted at each

page_text: end, the vessel being made alike at both ends, or double headed, so as to
avoid the necessity of turning when going into and out of harbour.
In the accompanying Sheet of illustrations of our Invention, we have
shown the following views, viz.-Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2,
a transverse midship section; and Figure 3, a deck plan (without the
paddle boxes) of a combined paddle and twinscrew steamer, constructed
according to our Invention; Figure 2, showing the peculiarity of the
form of cross section of the hull; Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of
the hull only, showing the bottom of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is an end
view of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a diagram to an enlarged scale, showing a cross section of
a combined paddle and three-screw steam ship, and Figure 7 is a side
view (to a smaller scale) of the stern portion only, showing the arrange-
ment and disposition of three screws.
Having now described our Invention of " Improvements in the Con-
struction of Ships and Vessels," and having also illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings some of the modes in which we prefer
to put the same into practice in the construction of steamers, more
particularly for making cross channel passages and for passenger
carrying, the application of the Invention to the construction of ships
and other vessels intended for other services will be readily understood
therefrom.
In witness whereof, I, John White, on behalf of John Dunkin
Lee, and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Third day of May One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
1
Witness,
WILLIAM SMITH, C.E.,
19, Salisbury St.,
Strand,
London.
JOHN WHITE. (L.S.)