IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR AND OTHER VESSELS."
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Lungley, of Deptford, in the County of
Kent, Ship Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR AND OTHER VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Lungley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
December 1863.
I, CHARLES LUNGLEY, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Ship Builder,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR AND OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:-
I construct ships with iron frames with iron plating worked inside to form
a water-tight skin inside the frames, to which it can be secured in a similar
manner to that in which the iron frames are secured by the ordinary method
when the skin is worked outside the frames. Inside the skin or plating inside
the frames the vessel can be divided by horizontal and vertical bulkheads or
diaphragms, as required, either to make the vessel unsinkable, or for any
other purpose. The frames, which are worked outside the iron. skin or
plating, can be fitted with floor plates, intercostal keelsons, and reversed'
frames, as required. In the ease of ordinary mercantile ships or steamers

page_text: wood pieces can be secured to the sides of the frames or between the frames,
to which either a single or a double thickness of planking can be secured to
form an outer skin, which can be fastened with copper or yellow metal screws
or bolts, and can be sheathed with copper or yellow metal, as an ordinary
copper fastened wood bottomed ship.
In building ships where great strength is required, or to carry armour plates
for war purposes, the frames which are worked outside of the inner water-
tight skin plating, I make into web frames by a plate of iron with either
single or double angle irons on inner edge and outer edge, so as to leave space
enough to allow a workman to go down between the inner skin of iron and
the outer skin of wood, to screw nuts on to the points of bolts in building or
for rivetting, in repairs, and also for cleaning and painting the surface of the
ironwork, and otherwise. In working the outer planking the ordinary system
of working the wood planking of a single thickness can be adopted, or the
system of working two thicknesses of planking with diagonal straps let into
and between them, as specified in the Specification of a Patent granted to me
1st Oct 1852, No. 103, can be carried out with great facility when an
extraordinarily strong ship is required.
In building ships for defensive purposes, to be shell or shot proof for foreign
or durable service, the armour plating can be worked directly on to the web
frames, which can have a set in at the place required below the line of flota-
tion; for that purpose the inner thickness of outside planking with the
diagonal straps or plates can be bolted by bolts passing through the straps,
plank armour plate, and angle irons, on outer edge of web frames. Any
required amount of backing of wood or other material for the armour plates
can be worked between the web frames and the armour plating before the
armour plating is worked, and be secured by the same bolts as the diagonal
straps, inside planking, and armour plates; the outer thickness of planking can
be secured by copper or yellow metal screw bolts to the inside planking.
In building armour-plated ships for great defensive power I make the
frames with stout bar iron, instead of thin web plates at the back of the
armour plates or frames, secured at the lower end to the web plates below the
armour by rivets or bolts, and to the inside skin by double angle irons rivetted
to inner edge and to the inner skin. The bar iron of frames to be forged
large or made with a swell on each side where bolts are required to pass
through edgeways for securing the armour plating; the bolts for the security
of armour plating to be about the same diameter as the armour plate is thick,
the part which passes through the bar frame to be made with a cut square
thread for screwing. The part through the armour plate to be turned of such

page_text: a shape as to appear like a number of collars, gradually increasing in diameter
from the inner edge to the outer edge. When the armour plate is fitted, a
rough hole having been made before it is put up, and a rough hole having
been made in the bar frame, a screw cutting boring bar bores the hole out to
a perfect fit for the bolts, which can be made with a square point standing
through the inner skin for heaving up tight. The inner planking of the outer
skin to be secured to the armour plate by small bolts tapped into the armour
plate by a plug tap about as deep as the bolt is large in diameter, the outer
planking of outer skin to be secured to the inner planking by copper or
yellow metal screws. The floors in these ships, as in ordinary vessels, need a
watercourse for the water to reach the pumps. The pumps being fitted in
water-tight trunks, so that ordinary leakage water never gets to the inside of
inner skin, which can be kept perfectly clean and free from the effects of bilge
water, and any kind of arrangement for available and accessible water-tight
compartments can be fitted according to my Invention patented 23rd Oct* 1860,
No. 2584, to make the ship both unsinkable and fire-proof. I also place the
armour plates in some cases so far back as to cover them over with wood
planking, and bring up the covering of wood to any required distance, and
thus shew the wood flush, and I bring on in this case one skin to be fastened
on first, and then another skin over the first to be fastened on with metal or
copper bolts to the first skin, the straps or binders of iron may run up and be
let into the planks in the same way as into the bottom planks. I adopt this
plan for the iron plated and iron ships, that is, to cover the parts over with
one skin of wood secured on to the plating or ironwork with rivets or bolts,
and then to bring on another skin of wood to be secured on to the first skin
with metal or copper screws or bolts, so as to enable the ship to be kept free
from the action of copper on the ironwork. I also work the rudder with Z or
double crank, or guides, or rods, or screws, the connections to be made
through the ship by a water-tight trunk or tube. I place the rudder on a
wide post as far from the aperture for screws as possible, and place the
connections for steering as near the body of the rudder as possible.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Charles Lungley, Her special licence that I, the
said Charles Lungley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Lungley, 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 SHIPS OF WAR AND OTHER
VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Lungley, my executors 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 Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Lungley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
I construct ships with iron frames with iron plating worked inside to form
a water-tight skin inside the frames, to which the plating can be secured in a
similar manner to that in which the iron frames are secured by the ordinary
method when the skin is worked outside the frames. Inside the skin or
plating inside the frames the vessel can be divided by horizontal and vertical
bulkheads or diaphragms, as required, either to make the vessel unsinkable, or
for any
other purpose. The frames, which are worked outside the iron skin or
plating, can be fitted with floor plates, intercostal keelsons, and reversed frames,
as required. In the case of ordinary mercantile ships or steamers, wood
pieces can be secured to the sides of the frames, or between the frames, to
which either a single or a double thickness of planking can be secured, to
form an outer skin, which can be fastened with copper or yellow metal screws
or bolts, and can be sheathed with copper or yellow metal, as an ordinary
copper fastened wood-bottomed ship.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a transverse section, and

page_text: Figure za norizontal section of a portion of the
as first described.
a, a, are the iron frames, and 6 the water-tight skin worked inside the iron
frames, to which it is secured by rivets or otherwise; c, c, are wood pieces
secured to the sides of the frames a, a; and e, f, are two thicknesses of
planking screwed or bolted to the wood pieces c, c, to form an outer skin.
The planking may be sheathed with copper or yellow metal if desired in the
ordinary manner.
In building ships where great strength is required, or to carry armour plates
for war purposes, the frames which are worked outside of the inner water-tight
skin plating I make into web frames by a plate of iron, with either single or
double angle iron on inner edge and outer edge, so as to leave space enough
to allow a workman to go down between the inner skin of iron and the outer
skin of wood to screw nuts on to the points of bolts in building, or for rivetting
in repairs, and also for cleaning and painting the surface of the ironwork and
otherwise. In working the outer planking the ordinary system of working
the wood planking of a single thickness can be adopted, or the system of
working two thickness of planking with diagonal straps let into and between
them, as specified in the Specification of a Patent granted to me, 1st October
1852, No. 108, can be carried out with great facility with an extraordinarily
strong ship is required. This method of construction is represented in
transverse section in Figure 3, and in horizontal section in Figure 4. a, a, are
the web frames, formed with double angle-irons on both the inner and the
outer edge; 6 is the inner iron skin, and c the outer skin, or wood planking.
In building ships for defensive purposes, to be shell or shot proof, the armour
plating can be worked directly on to the web frames, which can have a set-in
at the place required below the line of flotation; for that purpose the inner
thickness of outside planking with the diagonal straps or plates can be
bolted by bolts passing through the straps, plate, armour plate, and angle
iron on outer edge of web frames. Any required amount of backing of wood
or other material for the armour plates can be worked between the web
frames and the armour plating before the armour plating is worked, and may
be secured by the same bolts as the the diagonal straps, inside planking, and
armour plates; the outer thickness of planking can be secured by copper or
yellow metal screw bolts to the inside planking. This method of construction
will be understood by reference to Figures 5 and 6. a, a, are the web frames;
b, the inner iron skin; c, d, the two thicknesses of outside planking; and e the
armour plating. Where armour plating is to be applied, the outer edges and

page_text: a portion of the ribs of the web frames are dispensed with or cut away to an
extent equal to the thickness of the armour plating, in order that the plating
may have a set-in, as shewn, and angle irons fare secured to the ribs of the web
frames to which the armour plating is bolted; g is a backing of wood or other
suitable material between the armour plating e and frames a, a.
passed through the planking c, armour plating e, angle iron f, and into or
through the backing g. The outer thickness of planking d may be secured to
the inner thickness c by copper or yellow metal screw bolts.
Bolts are
In building armour-plated ships for great defensive power, I make the
frames of stout bar iron instead of thin web plates at the back of the armour
plates or frames, secured at the lower end to the web plates below the armour
by rivets or bolts, and to the inside skin by double angle-iron rivetted to inner
edge and to the inner skin. The bar irons of frames are forged large, or
made with a swell on each side, where bolts are required to pass through
edgeways for securing the armour plating. The bolts for securing armour
plating should be about the same diameter as the armour plate is thick; the
part which passes through the bar frame is made with a square cut or square
thread for screwing. The part through the armour plate is turned of such a
shape as to appear like a number of collars, gradually increasing in diameter
from the inner edge to the outer edge. When the armour plate is fitted, a
rough hole having been made before it is put up, and a rough hole having
been made in the bar frame, a screw-cutting boring bar bores the hole out to
a perfect fit for the bolts, which can be made with a square point standing
through the inner skin, for heaving up tight.
Figure 7 is a transverse section, and Figure 8 an outside view of a portion
of the hull of a ship, showing the manner in which I prefer to construct an
armour-plated ship for great defensive power as just described. Where the
armour plating is to be applied I make the frames a, a, of stout bar iron, and
secure them at their lower ends to the web plates or frames below the armour
by rivets or bolts, and to the inside skin c by double angle irons d as shown.
I forge the bar irons a, a, with swells or enlargements e, e, where the bolts f
are required to be passed through them edgewise to secure the armour
plating g; h, h, are brackets or frames, which may be secured by bolts behind
the junction of two armour plates to break joint. One of the bolts f for
securing the armour plates is shown detached in Figure 9. The part i, which
passes through the bar frame a, is made with a square-cut thread for
screwing, and the head k, which passes through the armour plate, is turned so
as to appear like a number of collars as shown. The bolts f may either be

page_text: made to pass through the inner skin c, as shown in Figure 7, or they may be
made to pass only partly through the frames a, which are formed with aper-
tures, as seen in Figure 10, so that the bolts may be screwed up from the
inside. Figure 11 shows the bar frames a, a, with the enlargements or
swells e, e, formed as required for zig-zag bolting.
Sometimes I secure the inner planking of the outer skin to the armour
plate by small bolts tapped into the armour plate by a plug tap about as deep
as the bolt is large in diameter. The outer planking of the outer skin is then
secured to the inner planking by copper or yellow metal or other screws, bolts,
or nails.
Figure 12 shows the inner planking a of the outer skin secured to the
armour plating b by small bolts tapped into the armour plate as just
described. The outer planking c is secured to the inner planking by screws,
bolts, or nails.
The floors in these ships, as in ordinary vessels, need a watercourse for the
water to reach the pumps, the pumps being fitted in water-tight trunks, so
that ordinary leakage water never gets to the inside of the inner skin, which
can be kept perfectly clean and free from the effects of bilge water; and any
kind of arrangement for available and accessible water-tight compartments
can be fitted according to my Invention patented 23rd October 1860,
No. 2584, to make the ship both unsinkable and fire-proof.
I also place the armour plates in some cases so far back as to cover them
over with planking, and bring up the covering of wood to any required dis-
tance, and thus shew the wood flush; and I bring on in this case one skin to be
fastened on first, and then another skin over the first to be fastened on with
metal or copper bolts to the first skin; the straps or binders of iron may run
up and be let into the planks in the same way as into the bottom planks.
I adopt this plan for the iron plated and iron ships, that is, to cover the
parts over with one skin of wood secured on to the plating or ironwork with
rivets or bolts, and then to bring on another skin of wood to be secured on
to the first skin with metal or copper screws or bolts, so as to enable the ship
to be kept free from the galvanic action of copper and iron.
I also work the rudder with Z or double cranks actuated by guides, or
rods, or screws, the connections being made through the ship by a water-tight
trunk or tube. I place the rudder on a wide post as far from the aperture
for screws as possible, and place the connections for steering as near the body
of the rudder as possible.
Figure 13 is an elevation of the stern of a ship fitted with a rudder and

page_text: parts for working the same, as just described. Figure 14 represents the
Z crank and rudder head on a larger scale.. a is the rudder, and b a Z or
double crank for working the same. The crank 6 passes through bearings c,
carrying trunnions d, free to move in bearings e on the rudder head. The
crank b is worked by a rod or other connection f carried through a water-
tight trunk
9, which may be horizontal, as shown, or vertical or inclined. The
rudder head works in a stuffing box in the trunk g.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, constructing ships and vessels with a water-tight iron skin inside the
iron frames, and with wood pieces secured to the sides of or between the
frames, to which wood pieces a single or double thickness of wood planking
is secured to form the outer skin substantially as herein-before described and
represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second, constructing ships and vessels where great strength is required,
or for receiving armour plating with an inner water-tight iron skin web
frames, and a single or double thickness of wood planking substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Third, constructing shell and shot proof ships and vessels with an inner
water-tight iron skin, and with web frames, which have a set-in where the
armour plating is applied, and with one or two thicknesses of outside
planking, whether such vessels be formed with or without a backing of wood
or other material between the web frames and the armour plating, all sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, constructing armour-plated ships and vessels with frames behind
the armour plating formed of stout bar iron, with or without enlargements
or swells where the bolts are passed through for securing the armour plating
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 10,
and 11 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth, securing the inner planking of the outer skin of armour-plated
ships and vessels to the armour plating by bolts tapped with the armour
plating, and fastening the outer planking to the inner planking by bolts, nails,
or screws, as herein-before described and illustrated in Figure 12 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
Sixth, the improved form of bolt for securing armour plating represented in
Figure 9 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Seventh, working rudders with a Z or double crank actuated by a rod or
other connection carried through a water-tight trunk or tube substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Lungley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
CHARLES LUNGLEY. (Ls.)