IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING COPPER SHEATHING TO SHIPS A DOIROX
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Louis Roux, of No. 27, Rue Laffitte,
Paris, in the Empire of France, Captain in the Imperial Navy and
Officer of the Legion of Honour, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING COPPER SHEATHING TO SHIPS
A DOIROX"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said François Louis Roux:
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 26th January 1866, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
LOUIS ROUX, of No. 27, Rue Laffitte, Paris, in the Empire of France, Captain
in the Imperial Navy and Officer of the Legion of Honour, send greeting.
"
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING COPPER SHEATHING TO SHIPS CON-
STRUCTED OF OR PLATED WITH IRON," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the
first and true Inventor thereof.
(17
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said François Louis Roux, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the Invention, and the manner in

page_text: which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the Figures of the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters marked thereon, that is to
say:
My Invention relates, firstly, to a peculiar mode of applying copper sheathing
to iron and iron plated ships or vessels in combination with insulating
materials for the prevention of voltaic action between the two metals.
And, secondly, to improvements in the tools or apparatus by aid of which
the said sheathing processes are or may be carried into effect.
Preliminary Operations.-The portions of the hull intended to be sheathed
are first carefully cleaned and dressed so as to clear off all traces of oxide of
iron, all the cavities existing therein being also cleared out and stopped with
minium cement. This done, the surface is covered with a coat of minium
paint. The sheets of copper are then adjusted to the positions they are
intended to occupy on the vessel, and are afterwards shaped by means of a
shearing apparatus, the rivet holes being marked off at the desired points and
thereafter punched out in the ordinary way. The sheathing is then temporarily
attached to the hull and the centre of each rivet hole is marked on the latter
by the pointer shewn in Fig. 1. This done, it is withdrawn, and the traces of
the pointer are enlarged by the punch, Fig. 2, so as better to determine the
centre of the hole, and to facilitate the piercing which is afterwards effected by
the boring bits, Fig. 3. The holes thus pierced being brought to uniform
diameter by the opening bit, Fig. 4, set in a suitable brace, are countersunk
by means of the spring branch tools seen in Figs. 5, 6. These tools, the
extremities of which are closed by pincers, are successively worked in the holes
in the same manner as the opening bit, each operation being indicated by a
distinct external sign so as to avoid the possibility of error. The centre of
each hole is then finished off by the tool, Fig. 7, and is stopped by the frieze
or other similar washer R, O, Fig. 8; after which a second coat of minium
paint is applied to the whole surface.
Application of the Insulating Material.-The operations above described
being completed the hull is covered to the depth of, say, about one-eighteenth
(s) of an inch with a coat of insulating matter, such as the cement for
which Letters Patent were granted to me in Great Britain under date
of 23rd March 1864, No. 728, or any other plastic compound of like nature
possessed of insulating, adherent, and elastic properties combined with
inalterability when exposed to the action of sea water. In order to ascertain
and clear out the rivet holes concealed by the cement the sheets of copper are
again set in position, and the piercer, Fig. 9, is forced through the cement at
the points corresponding with the punching. In the cavity formed by this

page_text: piercer is driven the punch, Figs. 10, 10bis, by which the cement is cut out
from the hole down to the washer R, O, set at the bottom, and the holes are
finally cleared out by the double worm shewn in Fig. 11.
Application of the Rivets and Sheathing. Figs. 12, 12b, represent the
details of the rivets and corresponding setting tool. The rivets are formed of
copper, and are composed of the head P, the collar Q, Q', and the basement R
hollowed out below. Under the collar Q, Q', is set a washer M, N, made
from an alloy of seven parts of tin to three parts of lead. The head of the
rivet is inserted in the cavity of the setting tool S, T, U, and the stalk being
passed into the hole pierced in the hull is secured by hammer strokes applied
to the head of the tool. In this operation the metallic washer M, N, sinks
into the cement, while the collar Q, Q', sinks into the washer, thus forming a
perfectly water-tight adjustment. As a further precaution against the ad
mission of the sea water, which alone can give rise to destructive voltaic action,
a second coating of cement is applied to the hull, so as to cover the entire
surface with the exception of the rivet heads. If so desired the rivets above
described may be replaced by copper or other metallic screws. The length of
the rivet heads, as also the form of the metallic washers and setting. tools, are
variable according to the position occupied by the rivet in the sheathing, but
the length of the stalk remains always the same. At those points of the
sheathing where three sheets of copper are in juxtaposition I make use of the
rivet, washer, and setting tool represented in No. 1, Fig. 13. When two
sheets only are in question I employ the rivet, washer and tool, shewn in
No. 2, Fig. 14. The rivet, washer, and tool shewn in No. 3, Fig. 15, are
specially intended for the holes formed in the interior of the sheets. The
rivets situated on the overlapping lines of the sheathing are covered with a
thin strip of lead, and each middle rivet is fitted with a leaden washer of about
one-fiftieth (3) of an inch in thickness previously pierced at the centre,
The strips are pierced when being set in position by the tool shewn in Fig. 16.
Both strips and washers are made to adhere to the cement by a hot mixture
of eight parts of vegetable tar to two parts of dry pitch. The surfaces thus
prepared are then covered with large thin sheets of lead or other malleable
metal, which are made to adhere by the same means as the leaden strips
above mentioned. Finally, each sheet of copper is set in its place, commencing
at the top of the after part of the bull, and the rivet heads are closed down in
the ordinary. way.
In order to render perfectly intelligible the action of the tools in the different
processes above described I refer to Figs. 17, 17, which shew in plan and
vertical section the successive transformations of one of the middle rivet Loles

page_text: from the first stroke of the pointing punch down to the final heading and
closing down of the rivet.
1
Fig. 18 represents on a scale of one-half a portion of the sheathing of an
iron vessel constructed of plates set edge to edge. In this plate the successive
operations are so clearly defined as to dispense with the necessity of 'detailed
description.
Application of Sheathing to Vessels constructed with Overlapping Plates:-
As a matter of course the most perfect adjustment of the sheathing is obtained
on vessels constructed of plates set edge to edge, but as this mode of con
struction involves additional cost and weight, I have endeavoured; as hereafter
described, to remedy the disadvantages resulting from the overlapping of the
metal of the hull. To this end I adapt to each seam, Figs. 19, 19, a series
of wooden laths of prismatical form M, N, O, set end to end, and secured to
the hull by strips P, Q, of the soft metal alloy before mentioned spaced by
about twenty inches from each other. These laths are covered with cement
and sheet lead, over which is placed the sheet of copper, which is fixed by the
rivets R, I, to the parts corresponding with the 'wooden fittings. The hulls
sheathed by this process present an undulating surface, which however offers
less resistance to fluids than the edges of the overlapped plates. When so
desired, the rivets above described may be substituted to a certain number of
ordinary rivets at the overlapping lines of the sheathing, by which means the
workmanship may be considerably reduced without affecting the solidity of
the structure.
:
Armour-plated Vessels. The bulls of armour-plated vessels constructed of
iron, are treated in the same way as above described for ordinary iron-plated
ships, extreme care being taken in coating with cement the upper surfaces of
the streaks and the interstices of the plates so as to prevent infiltration of the
water from within.
..
With wooden hulls the sheathing is applied to the armour plating from
about three feet above the water line to about four or six inches below the
armour ünder water, beyond which the sheathing is continued over the bottom
in the ordinary way. As in iron hulls the horizontal and vertical seams
formed by the plates are carefully caulked and coated with cement, which
should even extend over the two first'strakes next the armour.
General Details applicable to Hulls of every Description: The rudder and
braces, as also the screws of iron vessels intended to receive copper sheathing,
should be constructed of cast bronze. The main piece may be formed of
wrought iron from about three feet above the water line. The stem should
be covered with two or three superposed sheets of copper of,
say, one twenty-

page_text: fifth (), one-twelfth (1), and one-fifth (+) of an inch in thickness, Figs.
20, 20, to enable it to resist the friction of the chains. A sheet of lead
should be set between each of these sheets of copper. The keel after being
sheathed with copper in the usual way is fitted underneath with the wooden
mountings M, N, O, P, Figs. 22, 23, 24, set end to end and secured by the
straps R, S, T, Figs. 21, 22, 28, of soft metal. These mountings of an
average thickness of about two and a half inches are covered with cement and
sheet lead, over which are laid sheets of copper I, J, K, Figs. 22, 23, 24, of
about one-twelfth (1) of an inch in thickness, which are rivetted together at
the points corresponding with the wood. Neither nails or screws of any kind
should penetrate to the mountings, which form a false keel especially intended
to protect the keel from injury in case of the vessel taking the ground.
The sheathing applied as above described offers the double advantage of
preserving the sailing qualities of iron or armour-plated vessels and of pro-
tecting the hull from external injury. In order to protect the interior surfaces
from oxidation a layer of cement is applied within to the bottom of the vessel,
as also to those parts of the inner walls which correspond with the coal
bunkers. The surfaces thus prepared are afterwards covered with Portland
cement, a layer of from one-half to two-thirds of an inch being sufficient for
the coal bunkers. The bottoms, however, should receive a solid bed of this
cement to the height of the fashion pieces, a channel way being formed in the
middle to carry off the water.
Special Tools. With a view to facilitate the sheathing process, I have
modified, as hereafter described, the construction of the braces and ratchet
keys employed therein, and have combined in one tool all the requisites for
the proper action of the boring bits.
=
Figs. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, represent different views and details of an iron
brace, and Fig. 30 a ratchet key, each provided with the but plate A, B,
(seen apart in Figs. 27, 28,) and moveable bracket C, D, shewn in Fig. 29.
By this arrangement both tools are enabled to drill in a normal line to the
surface of the hull, even when this surface happens not to be parallel with the
resting point of the toothed face of the plate A, B.
The boring apparatus shewn in Figs. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, is composed of
the body A, B, C, adjustable to an ordinary hand brace and serving as mount
to the following tools:-
1stly, a boring bit D, E, F ; 2dly, the pincers G, H, I;, 3dly, the brush
J, K, L, A', for cleaning the teeth of the boring bit, fitted to an iron rod
provided with a spiral spring; and, 4thly, the pad M, N, O, for the white,
paint with. which the position of the holes is marked. This pad, which is

page_text: adjusted in the same manner as the brush, is of a circular form as in P, Q, R,
Fig. 36, when used with the first bits, and of a crescent form, as in S, T, U,
Fig. 37, of larger diameter when used with the others.
It is scarcely necessary to observe that although I have obtained the best
practical results from the tools above described they may, if so desired, be
replaced by others in the application of my mode of sheathing.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said im-
provements, and the manner of carrying them into effect, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise working details above
laid down, as these may obviously be modified, according to circumstances
without deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but
what I. claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
Firstly, the application of copper sheathing to ships or vessels constructed
of or plated with iron in combination with interposed layers of insulating
material, in manner and for the purposes substantially as herein set forth and
represented in Figures 17 to 24 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly, the improved construction of braces, bits, and other mechanical
appliances by aid of which the sheathing processes are or may be executed
efficiently and economically, substantially as herein specified and shewn in
Figures 1 to 16 and 25 to 35 of the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Louis Roux, have here to
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
F. L. ROUX. (LS.)