Improvements in Cargo-carrying Vessels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Cargo-carrying Vessels.
I, EMIL HUGO OSCAR ROBERT ROPNER, the Younger, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the
County of Durham, Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows: ---
One object of this invention is the construction in an economical way of efficient
sea-going vessels which shall possess larger carrying capacity in proportion to their
register tonnage (calculated according to tonnage rules) than is the case with
vessels of ordinary builds.
For this purpose the hull of a cargo-carrying vessel according to this invention
is constructed with framing which is or may be of ordinary kind and with deck
beams and plating adapted to form an upward central extension with part decks
at each side thereof according to my previous Patent No. 10680 of 1895, or to
No. 10954 of 1895 but fore and aft, or both fore and aft, of a certain part of the
ship, I make the upwardly extending portions of the deck beams of different
lengths, and so relatively arrange the said beams that the greater the length of
the upwardly extending parts of the beams, the further forward or further aft
(as the case may be) such beams are located in the ship, in such a manner as to
give to the part decks at the respective sides of the upwardly extending central
space formed by the deck beams and their plating, more or less shear or downward
curve or slope towards the corresponding end of the ship, the plating of the
upwardly extending portions of the deck beams being correspondingly increased
in depth as the end of the upward central extension is approached. In some cases
I make the tops of tanks in the cellular bottom of the vessel with rise towards one
or both ends or sides of the vessel.
Sometimes I construct the top of the central upward extension (on which the
hatches, ventilators, winches and other accessories are placed) with a shear forward
or aft or both, in an upward or a downward direction. In some constructions the
vessel has bulwarks or rails with shear corresponding or approximately so to
that of the central upward extension. In other cases the bulwarks or rails are
sheared and the ton of the central upward extension is flat.
For
I sometimes build vessels according to my present invention for the conveyance
of oil or other liquid cargo in bulk either alone or in addition to other cargo.
the conveyance of liquid cargo my construction is peculiarly well suited, the
necessary expansion chambers or upper portions of the tanks which I then embody
in the structure being constituted partly by the walls and top of the central upward
extensions of the deck. Pumps and other necessary accessories are in such cases
provided and suitably arranged.
For the conveyance of cattle I construct vessels according to this or my said
previous patents with carrying accommodation arranged at the respective sides of
the central upward extension on the part decks, pens being then constructed, and
if desired, shade decks being provided to these which constitute lateral extensions
of the deck formed by the top of the central upward extension whereon also

page_text: accommodation is or may be provided for the conveyance of sheep or other
animals.
Dated this 9th day of February 1897.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
I, EMIL HUGO OSCAR ROBERT ROPNER, the Younger, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the
County of Durham, Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
One object of this invention is the construction in an economical way of efficient
sea-going vessels which shall possess larger carrying capacity in proportion to their
register tonnage (calculated according to tonnage rules) than is the case with
vessels of ordinary builds.
For this purpose the hull of a cargo-carrying vessel according to this invention
is constructed with framing which is or may be of ordinary kind and with deck
beams and plating adapted to form an upward central extension with part decks
at each side thereof according to my previous Patent No. 10680 of 1895, or to
No. 10954 of 1895 but fore or aft, or both fore and aft, of a certain part of the
ship, I make the upwardly extending portions of the deck beams of different
lengths, and so relatively arrange the said beams that the greater the length of
the upwardly extending parts of the beams, the further forward or further aft
(as the case may be) such beams are located in the ship, in such a manner as to
give to the part decks at the respective sides of the upwardly extending central
space formed by the deck beams and their plating, more or less shear or downward
curve or slope towards the corresponding end of the ship, the plating of the
upwardly extending portions of the deck beams being correspondingly increased
in depth as the end of the upward central extension is approached. In some cases
I make the tops of tanks in the cellular bottom of the vessel with rise towards one
or both ends or sides of the vessel.
Sometimes I construct the ton of the central upward extension (on which the
hatches, ventilators, winches and other accessories are placed) with a shear forward
or aft or both, in an upward or a downward direction. In some constructions the
vessel has bulwarks or rails with shear corresponding or approximately so to
that of the central upward extension. In other cases the bulwarks or rails are
sheared and the top of the central upward extension is flat.
I sometimes build vessels according to my present invention for the conveyance
of oil or other liquid cargo in bulk either alone or in addition to other cargo." For
the conveyance of liquid cargo my construction is peculiarly well suited, the
necessary expansion chambers or upper portions of the tanks which I then embody
in the structure being constituted partly by the walls and top of the central upward
extensions of the deck. Pumps and other necessary accessories are in such cases
provided and suitably arranged.
For the conveyance of cattle I construct vessels according to this or my said
previous patents with carrying accommodation arranged at the respective sides of
the central upward extension on the part decks, pens being then constructed, and
if desired, shade decks being provided to these which constitute lateral extensions
of the deck formed by the top of the central upward extension whereon also

page_text: animals.
accommodation is or may be provided for the conveyance of sheep or other
will be used in referring to the
In the following description the term " trunk
above mentioned central upward extension.
"
Referring to the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vessel
according to this invention. The vessel is constructed with a weather deck of the
kind described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me
No. 10680 of 1895, but with the upwardly extending portions 1 of the weather
deck beams or stiffeners of different lengths, said beams being so arranged that
at each side of the vessel the side portions 2 of the weather deck will have a down-
ward inclination from or about the middle of the ship towards the ends. The
capacity of the hold space below the weather deck is thus gradually reduced, the
tonnage areas at the respective frames becoming smaller by degrees towards the
vessel's ends, the height from the tank top 3 (see dotted lines Fig. 1) to the weather
deck being gradually reduced. If desired, the beam of the vessel may also be
proportionately reduced towards the ends of the vessel. The gunwale 4 may be
rounded, and the tank top 3 may rise towards the ends of the vessel as shown, or
towards one end of the vessel, and may also rise towards the sides of the vessel as
shown in Fig. 2, which is a body plan of a vessel according to this invention, the
lines a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m and n representing half transverse sections of
the vessel taken at intervals; the upper parts of these sections show at the
points a, b, c, d, e¹, f¹, g¹, h¹, i¹, j', k¹, l', m', and n¹, the juncture of the hull
with the weather deck, from which it will be seen that the hull side gradually
decreases in height towards the ends of the vessel. This figure also illustrates a
trunk the sides of which are of greater height towards the ends of the vessel, and
the areas contained within the sections of the vessel will vary to a corresponding
extent according to their position. The lines o¹, 03, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 0º, & 010
represent the level of the top of the tank or cellular bottom at the several sections.
The tank top 3 may be made lower towards the ends and sides of the ship than it is
at the middle portion of the ship, if desired.
In a vessel constructed as above described, the cargo space or capacity is reduced
at those parts of the vessel least adapted for the convenient stowage of cargo and
is increased at other parts of the vessel where it is most advantageous to have con-
siderable capacity with a view to enabling the cargo to be easily handled. More-
over, the tonnage measurements of a vessel thus constructed will be low in com-
parison with its carrying capacity.
Fig. 3 shows a part deck plan of a vessel constructed according to this invention,
and Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a part cross section and a part side elevation
of the same.
The side portion 2 of the weather deck at the base of the trunk
sides 1 are available for cattle, shade decks 4ª being fitted on each side of the trunk
at the level of the trunk top. 5, 5 are the hatchways.
In one arrangement cattle pens are fitted upon the side portions 2 of the weather
deck between shelters 6 (which may be upward extensions of the ship's sides) and
the sides of the trunk. The shelters 6 are approximately vertical but may have
tumble home and are situated at the gunwale or bulwark of the vessel. They may
be made of wooden boards or planks attached to angle irons secured to the bulwark
by gussets or knee plates, or of steel or iron plates secured to iron or steel angle
bars or stanchions secured to the gunwale or upper edge of the topmost hull plates
which latter arrangement could be more easily fitted in the case of a vessel having
rails instead of bulwarks. These vertical shelters may, if desired, be built up from
the side portions of the main deck the vertical spars or angles employed being
attached to the gunwale plate, and having iron or steel plates or wooden planks
attached to them. The shade decks 4" may be used as promenade or navigating
decks or may be fitted with additional cattle pens, or accommodation spaces.
In the example illustrated in Figs. 3, 3 and 4 the shade decks 4° are of wood
planking laid in any ordinary manner upon angle iron beams 7 extending at
intervals from the trunk side and connected thereto by gusset plates or knees 8 or

page_text: other suitable attachment. The beams are supported at their outer ends by vertical
angle irons 9 connected to them by knees, gusset plates or other suitable attach-
ments 10; or each angle iron may be bent so as to form in one piece a vertical
stanchion and horizontal beam, (in which case rounded corners may be desirable),
a knee or gusset plate securing the end of the angle iron to the trunk top plating
or angles. The vertical angle irons or stanchions may be attached to the hull
plating or the bulwark, and to the weather deck or main deck plating by gusset
plates, knees or palms 11. The trunk sides may be inclined as indicated by dotted
lines 1 in Fig. 3 so as to permit of more room for cattle.
In vessels according to this invention cattle and sheep pens and the like may be
arranged, if so desired in tiers one above the other; the pens being kept clear of
the hatches so that cargo may be easily loaded or unloaded into or out of the cargo
hold. If desired, cattle may be carried on the trunk top as well as on the shade
decks at the sides in which case the hatchways and their covers will be suitably
arranged so that cattle pens and cattle can stand on the hatches;, clear passage
ways will also be provided between the rows of cattle pens at different levels Inside
of the trunk of a cattle ship in accordance with this invention spaces for the storage
of fodder, stores etc. may be provided by dividing up the trunk with bulkheads or
partitions, suitable doors being fitted where required and a deck being laid across
the base of the trunk so as to separate it from the main cargo space; cattle might
also be carried inside the trunk. There may also be one or more continuous passages
or alley ways, either extending centrally through the trunk or along the sides
thereof, or both along the centre and sides thereof. Storage spaces for fodder,
stores and the like may also be placed on any or all of the decks and each tier of
decks may be provided with bulwarks or rails; weather boards and awnings may
also be fitted between or partly between one deck and another. Hatchways may
be fitted in each deck corresponding in position with the hatchways in the deck
above or below and these hatchways may be trunked between one deck and another,
either permanently or by means of wooden or iron portable plates with devices for
supporting and securing same. I preferably so arrange the trunk that the cattle
can walk round its ends or through it from one side of the vessel to the other,
according to the side of the vessel from which the cattle are being loaded or
unloaded. In a cattle steamer according to this invention most of the cattle are
carried in pens or compartments fitted on the decks, these compartments are not
closed in in the sense of ordinary cargo spaces, and are not taken into consideration
in calculating the tonnage, which does not vary in proportion to the capacity or
capability of the vessel to carry deck cargoes, such as cattle.
Fig. 5 is a part midship section showing the upper part of a vessel fitted with a
weather deck of my construction, with cattle pens on each side of the trunk, with
a passage way A, between the cattle pens and the trunk side; B is a sheath deck
above, fitted on each side of the trunk. Fig. 6 is a midship section showing spaces
for cattle fitted on each side of the trunk with passage way A on each side of the
trunk. There is a second tier of cattle spaces above, and a shelter deck above these
additional spaces. Cattle spaces C are shown above the hatchways also. In
Fig. 5, there is an ordinary hatch and hatch coaming fitted on top of the trunk;
in Fig.
the hatch opening is so constructed that when the hatches are on and
made tight, cattle may be placed thereon. Fig. 7 shows a similar arrangement
to Fig. 6 with erections for cattle spaces built principally in angle bars with wood
battens D and wood decks. In Figs.
and 6, the erections for cattle are built
partly of wood and partly of iron angle bars. At the same time I design the hull
of the cattle vessel, so that she will have a low tonnage so as to reduce the charges
which are levied on tonnage such as dues etc., and so keep down the cost of carry-
ing cattle and the working expenses.
Fig. 8 shows the midship section of a vessel adapted to carry liquid cargoes
such as petroleum and the like. The gunwale may be of ordinary construction as
shown to the right hand of this figure but is preferably formed with a flanged
plate 12 as shown to the left of the figure, a similar flanged plate 13 also being

page_text: fitted at the junction of the side portions 2 of the weather deck with the trunk
sides; this construction permits one seam or landing edge of plating, and the use
of an angle iron to be dispensed with. There are also flanged plates 14 at the top
of the trunk which inay be of any desired width and height, so that its capacity
be suitably proportioned to that of the hold space below, in order that the level of
the liquid cargo may rise and fall therein as it expands and contracts with changes
of temperature. The tanks formed in the hold space may be divided longitudinally
by means of a centrally placed fore and aft bulkhead 15 which may be stiffened in
any suitable manner both vertically and horizontally, and secured by knees or
gusset plates 15 and 15 to the floors and it may be to the top of the trunk. If
the vessel is fitted with ballast tanks or cellular double bottom the bulkhead is
similarly connected to the ballast tank top. The machinery for pumping into
and exhausting from the tanks oil or gases may be placed in the ordinary positions
or may be arranged in one or more compartments or spaces formed within the
trunk by dividing off one or more portions of it and forming the portions with
floors or decks fitted across them; or they may be arranged in one or more houses
built on the top of the trunk with suction and discharge pipes arranged to lead to
the different tanks or divisions of the hold. Hatches 17 which can be made
perfectly tight, are placed on the top of the trunk, as shown in plan Fig. 8 on each
side of the central bulkhead; there may be one or more to each tank, and there
may be man-holes at intervals, either placed on the top of the trunk or side portions
of the weather deck.
.Since my construction of weather deck lends itself to the use of flanged plates,
laps in the plate and seams of rivets may be avoided where possible, and the number
of caulking edges also reduced thereby effecting a considerable saving in the
initial cost and in the maintenance of the vessel; the expensive collars such as are
usually fitted round beams and knees are also partly dispensed with.
It is to be understood that although I have only described in detail such portions
of a vessel as are necessary to enable my invention to be properly understood by
shipbuilders I do not intend to omit those necessary parts of a vessel which may
not be mentioned herein, as for example, bulkheads, web frames, stringers, strong
beams, and many other details of like description, and such details or their equiva-
lents will be fitted, where necessary, and I may fit between decks below the weather
decks. The drawings serve to illustrate by way of example only a vessel according
to this invention having a poop, bridge and forecastle of ordinary construction,
but I do not limit myself to vessels having such erections and it is to be understood
that my invention is applicable to vessels of various types and constructed with
or without some or all of the common erections. Thus, the bridges, poops and
forecastles may have open ends, and not be closed in in front or at their ends as
shown. Such erections may be arranged partly for the purpose of accommodation
and cargo, or entirely for accommodation or stowing cargo or cattle. Cargo skids
may be fitted on each side of the vessel for loading or unloading cargoes, or for
navigating the vessel &c. In some vessels, especially those designed for carrying
oil, extra bulkheads would probably be fitted, such bulkheads extending in cases
of need from the bottom of the vessel up to the main deck, and thence upwards
inside of the trunk to its top and stiffened and made oil-tight at the scams, and at
their edges and points of attachment to the vessel's sides, trunk sides and trunk
top. Further in case of need extra strong beams and extra webs might be fitted
to strengthen the trunk sides and any type of vessel built according to this inven-
tion may be strengthened by fitting extra bulkheads or tween decks in case of need.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A cargo-carrying vessel constructed with deck beams and plating adapted to
form an upward central extension or trunk with part decks at each side thereof
according to my previous Patent No. 10680 of 1895 or to No. 10954 of 1895, but in

page_text: which fore or aft, or both fore and aft, of a certain part of the ship, the upwardly
extending portions of the deck beams are of different lengths, and so relatively
arranged that the greater the length of the upwardly extending parts of the beams,
the further forward or further aft (as the case may be). such beams are located
in the ship, in such a manner as to give to the part decks at the respective sides of
the trunk more or less shear or downward curve or slope towards the corresponding
end of the ship, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
2. A cargo-carrying vessel constructed with deck beams and plating adapted to
form an upward central extension or trunk with part decks at each side thereof
according to my previous Patent No. 10680 of 1895 or to No. 10954 of 1895, but
in which fore or aft, or both fore and aft, of a certain part of the ship, the upwardly
extending portions of the deck beams are of different lengths, and so relatively
arranged that the greater the length of the upwardly extending parts of the beams,
the further forward or further aft (as the case may be) such beams are located
in the ship, in such a manner as to give to the part decks at the respective sides of
the trunk more or less shear or downward curve or slope towards the corresponding
end of the ship, and in which the tops of tanks in the cellular bottom of the vessel
are made with rise towards one or both ends or towards the sides of the vessel as
described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. A vessel provided with a trunk and having at the respective sides of the said
trunk on the part decks pens for animals and with or without shade decks which
constitute lateral extensions of the deck formed by the top of the trunk substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
4. A vessel for carrying oil or other liquid cargo in bulk, either alone or in
addition to other cargo, having a trunk and in which the necessary expansion
chambers or upper portions of tanks embodied in the structure are constituted
partly by the walls and top of the trunk substantially as described and illustrated.
5. The several constructions respectively described with reference to and illus-
trated by Figs. 3, 3 and 4; Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 of the accompanying
drawings.
11
31