IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OUTWARD FORM AND INTERNAL CONSTRUCTION OF SEAGOING SHIPS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM HARVEY at the Office of Mess" William Grice & Co N° 89. in the
Wool Exchange N° 25 Coleman Street London E.C. in the County of Middlesex
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE OUTWARD FORM AND INTERNAL CONSTRUCTION OF SEAGOING SHIPS and in
what manner the samo is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
"
The object of my invention is to apply the finally exact ratios of pure circular
Geometry to the outward form and internal construction of Seagoing Ships in such
a manner that they shall each he perfect in form as adapted to each particular sort
of trade; and be strongest with the most economical use of material; thus having
the largest possible carrying capacity compatible with perfect safety; and the
quickest and easiest motion for their Tonnage, combined with the smallest possible
surface of outer skine.-Only by such means as my Invention fully de cribed by
this Complete Specification and relative drawings can the interests of the Public
and of the Shipowners in the use of Scagoing Ships be entirely harmonized and
identified; and the action of the Government in the interests of both be rendered
easy, specific and certain.
In the drawings the black lines are skeleton lines merely, of position, direction
and surface showing only contour and not size or scantling of material. The
spaces enclosed by these skeleton lines represent true areas including tl.at occupied
by the size or scantling of material where any such will intervene.
Figures 1. and 2. are drawn to the scale of one tenth of one inch to Twenty feet.
They shew the method by which I obtain a mean circular ratio of breadth to
length throughout every part of the outer skin surface of a Seagoing Ship round
from the Starboard side of the upper deck by the keel to the Port side of the
upper deck right fore and aft of two different types of Ship. Figure 1 shews the
shape of the outer skin of a Ship of 120 feet long and 40 feet broad in extreme
midship cross section well suited to the North Sea fishing trade. Figure 2. shews
the shape of the outer skin of a ship 520 feet long and 40 feet broad in extreme
midship cross section well fitted for a very swift European and New York, Calcutta,
or Melbourne, passenger and measurement cargo Trade Liner.-The circle and its
circumference being the origin of all angular measurement; and the 47th Proposition
of the First Book of "Euclid's Elements" being the final test of the accuracy of all
square and angular ratios and lengths of right lined sides of right angled Triangles,

page_text: 68
68
"
28
the Rule the application of which is my discovery and invention in proportioning
the length of a Seagoing Ship to its breadth is "That the Square of the central
"half length shall-being the perpendicular of a right angled Triangle-be exactly
equal to the sum of the length of the sides of the base and hypotenuse of the
Right angled Triangle of which it is the perpendicular; and that the arc of the
hypotenuse used as a radius with the centre in the junction of the base and
hypotenuse shall be the exact line of the whole outer skin of the Ship from end
"to end, and from the upper Surface of the upper deck on the Starboard side
"round by the keel to the upper surface of the Upper deck on the port side; and
"that the chord of this arc shall be the whole central length (that is the two
"half lengths) of the ship right fore and aft." This Rule is true for all ratios of
breadth to length and entire outer skin of hull in the building of Seagoing Ships;
and the shapes in Figures 1. and 2. are only two examples which approach the
extreme of its application in the opposite directions.-In Figure 1. each half length
of the Ship from B. to C. C. is the perpendicular of a right angled Triangle the
altitude or length being three tenths of an inch of which of course the Square is 9;
the length of the base B AA of the right angled Triangle of which B. C. is the
perpendicular is four tenths of an inch, and the hypotenuse A A. to C. C. is five
tenths of an inch in length, the sum of the lengths of the base and hypotenuse of
the right angled Triangle of which B. C. is the perpendicular being thus equal to 9.
or the square of the length of the perpendicular.-The same description is
applicable to the four right angled Triangles of Figure 1.-These with the centres
at A. A. and the hypotenuse A C.-A. C. as radii the two circular ares C. C. are
struck; giving the finally true form of the whole outer skin of the ship in which
there is not one square foot of absolutely flat surface; and the length is to the
breadth in every part of the outward form in exact ratio to the greatest strength
and capacity, true displacement and, freeboard, and to the required speed of the
Ship. In Figure 2. similarly the perpendiculars B. C. C. of the four right angled
Triangles C. B. A. are each thirteen tenths of an inch in length the square of
which is 169.-The base B A is eighty-four tenths of an inch long and the
hypotenuse A C. is eighty five tenths of an inch long the sum of which lengths is
169. or equal to the square on the perpendicular B. C.-Then as in Figure 1. with
the centres in A. A. and the hypotenuse A. C. and A. C. as radii the two circular
arcs C. C. are struck of which the two perpendiculars C. B. C. become the chord
and at the same time the central length of the Ship right fore and aft.-The ratio
of breadth to length in Figure 1. is three breadths in one length; and in Figure 2
thirteen breadths in one length.
The description of Figures 1. and 2. having fully explained the application of my
Rule in designing Seagoing Ships in so far as their true, proportions of outward
skin form throughout their whole length and breadth is conceined; I now pass on
to the determination of the true circular ratio of depth to length and breadth, or
in other words to the position of the upper deck of the Ship right fore and aft;
and the true circularly rationic loadwater line, or displacement waterline of the
ship right fore and aft when fully and properly loaded,-The positions of these
two lines have to do, the first with the limit of interior capacity, and deduced
therefrom, the second marks the limit of draught of water or displacement Tonnage
line when fully and properly loaded. This last ought to be the only true Register
of the Tonnage of Seagoing Ships for the purposes of Government; for the safety
of crew and passengers; and for the levying of dock, light, and other dues.-
Following these lines, the true circularly rationic position of the main and lower
decks, the floor of the lower hold, and the longitudinal Backbone, and longitudinal
Stringpieces or Ties have to be determined; and it will be found that the true
circularly rationic and strongest position for all these is where they are most
conveniently placed for the working of the Ship.-Figure 3. will explain
all this. It shews both the whole midship section in breadth, and above
it the whole longitudinal section fore and aft of a Ship of the shape of
that described in Figure 1.-The scale throughout Figure 3. is one tenth of

page_text: 'one inch to one foot so that the Ship would be 40 feet broad in extreme of
midship cross section and 120 feet in extreme length. The same midship
cross section can be applied to the shape of the ship shewn in Figure 2 but
the size of the drawings under the Patent Act does not permit the longitudinal
section being shown on the same scale, as it would extend to 52 inches in actual
length. Now referring to Figure 3. with the centre in A. and radius A. B. I draw
the semicircle B. C. the diameter being shewn by the imaginary broken line B. C.;
I then draw the right lines B. D and C. E. each equal to the radius of the semi-
circle and tangent of it at B. and C-In the centres H. and I. and with the radius
A. B. I next draw the two circles F. and G. tangent of the seinicircle B. C. at the
points B. and C.-I then draw the two right lines J. L. and J. L. tangent of the
circles F. and G. at JJ.-I then join the points M. E. and M. L. by right lines
intersecting the circumference of the circle F. at N and O.-With the radius M N.
in the centre M. I then strike the circular are N. O. and draw its chord N. O.-
Tangent of the summit of this are at P. I draw the right line Q. R. extending it
to S. on the right line B. D.-The right line R. S. is the upper surface of the upper
deck in midship cross section of the ship, and so fore and aft; and the continued
line R. C. T. B. S. is the outer skin of the Ship in midship cross section from
Starboard by the keel to port. The area within the line R. S. B. T. C. R. is thus
made exactly equal to the circle of diameter B. C.-The right lines R. E. and S. D.
represent the taffrail round the upper deck of the ship-I then. with the radius
M. U. tangent of the chord N. O. and with the centre in M. draw the circular
arc V. W. extending it to the right lines C. E. and J. L. tangent of the circle F.
and draw its chord V. W. The line of this chord W. X. continued on the midship
cross section of the Ship in broken line is the fully loaded water line or displace-
ment water line which on the Rule of continued mean circular proportional areas
and ratios given above the ship ought to have fore and aft, nothing less and nothing
more, when she is, as all seaworthily and fully loaded ships ought to be on an
even keel. The vertical spaces between the lines W. X. aud R. S. shews the true
and proper, so called, freeboard of the ship. I now on circle G. describe the
enclosed equilateral Triangle of that circle Y. Z A. and with the radius Y. Z. in
the centre Y. strike the circular arc Z A' continuing it to the right lines B. D.
and J. L. tangent of the circle G. at B. and J and draw its chord B¹. C'.—This
chord B¹. C. continued on the midship cross section to D¹. is the upper surface of
the maindeck of the ship at midship cross section and so fore and aft.-Then with
the radius Y. E. tangent of the chord Z. A. and with the centre in Y. I strike the
circular arc F. G. continuing it to the right lines B. D. and J. L. tangent of the
circle G. at the points B. and J. and draw its chord F. G-This chord continued
on the midship cross section of the ship to H. is the upper surface of the lower
deck of the ship at midship cross section and so fore and aft.--The proper level of
the bottom of the lower hold is shewn by the intersections of the two broken
lines H. T. and I. T. with the outer skin of the cross section of the ship at I.
and J. The proper positions of the longitudinal strengthening Stringpieces or
ties of the ship in midship cross section are determined as follows.-That at T is the
central vertical Backbone of the ship running below the upper deck from Stem to
stern in its longitudinal central line. It must be of Plate iron or steel of sufficient
scantling for each type of ship continued from the keel at T without perforation
of any sort until it crosses the line of the maindeck at C'. D¹, which is well above
load water line W. X. From there it will be continued to L' at the top of the
houses on the upper deck with such perforations only as are necessary for the
working and traffic of the ship and for the whole length of the houses on deck.―
The position of the other two strug pieces is fixed in midship cross section by the
intersections of the broken lines B. M'. and C. N. with the outer skin of the ship
at O' and P-They are to be bolted to the skin of the ship where they touch it
right fore and aft. They run quite parallel to the Backbone, are to be of solid
Plate iron or steel without perforation up to the Maindeck C'. D'. and will have as
few perforations above that as possible. Above the upper deck they form the

page_text: sides of the houses on deck throughout their whole length. The intersections of
the broken lines B. M' and C. N' with one another in midship cross section at Q'.
determines the very material point of the proper centre of gravity of the whole
ship and cargo when fully and properly loaded down to the displacement water
line W. X. and on an even keel fore and aft as already described. The Watertanks
are shewn at T¹. T. T. T. ten in all; the larger ones near the keel divided into
three sections fore and aft; and the smaller outer ones each into two lengths for
convenience of trimming the Ship. In a long ship like that in Figure. 2, there
will be 14 watertight compartments fore and aft made of solid iron or steel plate
without any perforation up to the main deck and athwart the ship. Ten of these
will be inside of the two longitudinal Stringpieces and between their junctions fore
and aft with the outer skin of the ship, one at each end of the ship, and two long
ones between the two Stringpieces and the sides of the ship.-The upper portion
of Figure 3 shews in longitudinal section by the same letters as in cross section
what has been explained in working out the apportionments of form and strength
in the midship cross, section of the Ship.-L'. is the top of the houses on deck;
E. D. the line of the taffrail; R S. the upper surface of the upper deck; W. X. the
fully loaded displacement Water line; C. D¹. the upper surface of the main deck;
GH. the upper surface of the lower deck; T. J. the floor of the lower hold.
The Watertanks T. and the Watertight compartiments are not and do not require
to be shewn. The keel of the ship shewn fore and aft at V¹. V. which could not
be shewn in the midship cross section of the ship may either be of solid plate iron
or steel, or, preferably an open latticed longitudinal girder, which last would
facilitate quick steering, especially in a long ship. The ship will have a rudder at
each end W. W¹. of a size suited to each type of ship. These rudders will be
connected with each other by suitable machinery and traverse freely round and
round upon spindles at X' X', acting together on opposite sides of the ship
simultaneously just as the head fin and tail of a fish do; thus causing the least
possible strain on the steering gear and the power attached to it. It will be seen
that the ship can in consequence of the arrangements described move with the
same ease in either direction and does not require to turn, though she could do
this more quickly than any other form of ship. The rudders at both ends of the
ship will be strongly protected outside of their circular traverse by iron cages as
shewn at Y¹. Y¹.
84
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is,"
1. The exclusive application in practice to the outward form and shape in the
building of Seagoing Ships of the exact Rules of pure circular Rationic Geometry
which I have discovered; and in the manner substantially as described.
2. The exclusive application in practice of the proportions deduced from the
same rules to the internal construction of Seagoing Ships in fixing the positions of
the upper, main, and lower decks, of the floor of the lower hold and of the load
water line or Displacement load water line; also the position of the longitudinal
vertical Backbone and longitudinal Stringpieces or Ties the invention and use of
which in strengthening Sengoing Ships fore and aft I also claim; all substantially
as described.
Dated this first day of January 1884.