IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON. SHIPS FOR THE. PURPOSE OF AFFIXING THEIR SHEATHING, AND IN THE. MODE OR MEANS OF AFFIXING.. THEIR SHEATHING
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Benjamin Bell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
November 1868.
I, BENJAMIN BELL, of No. 2, Park Village East, Regent's Park, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON. SHIPS FOR THE.
PURPOSE OF AFFIXING THEIR SHEATHING, AND IN THE. MODE OR MEANS OF AFFIXING..
THEIR SHEATHING," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the arranging or fixing of the plates
of iron ships in combination with a filling of wood or other material in
such manner as to facilitate the fixing to such ships of the zinc or other
metal sheathing which is employed for the preservation of the iron
plates from corrosion or fouling. In the ordinary plan of building iron
ships the plates are fitted to the frames alternately as inside and outside
plates, the inside plates being fitted close to the frame, and the outside
plates so fitted that their edges overlap the inside plates to which they

page_text: are rivetted, hollows being left between the strakes of outside plates,
such hollows being equal in depth to the thickness of the outside
plates.
My improvements consist, firstly, in increasing the depth of the
hollows just mentioned by the introduction of a strip of iron or other
metal or material between each inside and outside plate for the purpose
of filling the enlarged hollows thus formed, and in filling these hollows
with wood planking or other material of such a thickness as to make
the exterior of vessel a flush surface. I then coat such flush surface
with sheets or plates of zinc or other metal sheathing of such a breadth
or size as to overlap and entirely cover the exterior iron plates, and I
fasten such sheathing sheets. or plates into the wood planking. The
filling of wood planking or other material may be jammed into the
hollow space formed as herein-before described, or it may be fastened
with screw bolts passing through the inside plates and secured by nuts,
or it may be retained in position by screws tapped into but not passing
through the plates. The edges of the wood filling may be caulked, and
the edges of the outside plates may be perpendicular or at any angle
to the inside plates. The metal sheathing may be fastened with nails,
and its laps may be soldered together, it may also be fastened to the
outside iron plates by screws tapped into such plates.
My improvements consist, secondly, in constructing some ships or
such parts of ships as it may be desirable that when the inside plates
are brought close together their butts are covered by a narrow outside
plate of increased thickness, that is to say, of a thickness greater than
has heretofore been used, so as thereby to give the requisite depth to the
hollows in the ship's side for the reception of the filling of wood
planking or other material.
In order to illustrate clearly the nature of my said Invention, I
deposit with this Provisional Specification a Sheet of Drawings, in which
Figures 1 and 2 refer to the first part of my Invention; Figure 1 being
a section, and Figure 2 an outside view of part of a ship with such of
my improvements applied. The inside plates are marked a, the outside
plates b, and c represents the strips for increasing the depth of the
hollows. The filling is marked d, and the sheathing e.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the second part of my Invention, Figure 3

page_text: being a section, and Figure 4 an outside view of a portion of a vessel
with my improvements applied. a represents the inside plates; b, c, the
outside plates or butt strips. d, the filling; and e, the sheathing.