IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ARMOUR PLATED VESSELS AND ARMOUR PLATES OR BARS."
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Ridley Oswald at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd May 1877.
THOMAS RIDLEY OSWALD, of New Place House, Southampton, in the County of
Hants. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ARMOUR PLATED VESSELS AND
ARMOUR PLATES OR BARS."
My Invention relates to utilizing the defensive armour in the construction of a
war vessel, so as to add to instead of taxing the strength of the structure, also to
giving armour such a form as to increase its resisting power and at the same time
reduce its weight, and further to a special form of vessel for war purposes.
I construct the armour plates or bars (which may be of any length, breadth, or
thickness), in parallel strips or frames bent to take the form of the vessel and battery,
and bolted, rivetted, or dowelled together, laterally or otherwise. These plates or
bars can be of either steel or iron, and can be either rolled flat or with a ribbed or
troughed or diamond pointed surface, the ribs or troughs to be of any number, size,
or form. Two sections of the trough bars or plates are shown as examples in the
Drawing annexed.
The advantages claimed for the ribbed or troughed armour of this construction are
that it is self-supporting, self-contained, and that it, assists in rendering a vessel
enormously strong, with greater resisting power against strains, shot, shell, rams,
and torpedoes, with materially less weight, much greater cheapness in first cost, and
greater simplicity of construction than has as yet been attained. This armour can
be applied to either broadside, turret, oblong or other shaped batteries or vessels, the
ribs or troughs being filled in below the water line with wood, cement, or other
composition to form a smooth surface, this again being planked or sheathed with
wood if desired. It is also applicable to land batteries, and can be used with or
without backing.
I further propose to build all war ships of the same type of various sizes, but
giving greater length to the fastest class. I would build them with oblong and
curved batteries, masked with moveable bulwarks, the battery to be from two to
three-fifths more or less of the length, and the whole or any less part of the breadth
of the vessel. This would give a large and open fighting deck, with ample room
to work and use safely the largest guns. The oblong battery would be constructed
of parallel section throughout its whole length, and the formation lines of the bow
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page_text: and stern would be formed entirely from the foremost and aftermost point of the
battery. This battery, with the sides, bilge, bottom, and parts of the vessel below
and in way of it would be protected by my ribbed plate armour, and the ends
of the battery would be cut off from the ends of the vessel by similar plates or
bars.
The fore end I would construct entirely independent of armour protection,
(although partial protection could be applied if necessary) and in water-tight com-
partments; the after end I would partially protect and would construct in water-
tight compartments. The engines and boilers would be under the battery deck, with
only the smoke stacks coming up through the gun deck.
Throughout the battery I would construct wing bulkheads inside the armour
plating, and when necessary for the greater support of the armour plates I should
connect them with fore and after stringers, keelsons, and such like or any more
advantageous mode.
Vessels built on my design would be quite safe and handy under both steam and
sail, with an easy motion and steady gun platform, and with greater power to carry
coal.