IMPROVEMENTS, IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, AND IN SHIELDS OR ARMOUR FOR SHIPS AND BATTERIES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bush, of Tower Hill, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS, IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, AND IN SHIELDS OR ARMOUR FOR SHIPS AND
BATTERIES."
Sealed the 18th November 1862, and dated the 21st May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bush at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st May
1862.
I, WILLIAM BUSH, of Tower Hill, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, AND IN SHIELDS OR ARMOUR FOR SHIPS AND
BATTERIES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing ships intended chiefly as ships of war
as hereafter explained.
I form the ribs and girders of angle irons bolted together, and with timber
between every two irons, each rib being composed of two angle irons with
timber between them; instead of angle iron bar iron may be used. The
outside or hull of the ship may be of timber or of iron, or partly of timber and
partly of iron, rivetted or otherwise secured to the ribs. Between the outside
or hull and the skin or inner lining of the ship, which I prefer to be of iron,
there is a space, into which and between the ribs I insert movable iron or

page_text: steel armour blocks or plates which may be made to slide up and down
in the said space to enable the blocks to be inserted and removed as required.
Under the port-holes on each side of the ship the blocks are connected to an
oscillating platform which carries the gun and carriage. The gun, after
discharge, recoils, causes the platform to tilt, and thus brings up the block to
close and shield the port-hole. I fit a turntable for the gun carriage to run
on, so that, if required, the gun may be turned and run out to be fired' on the
opposite side of the ship. Or it may be again run out on the same side, its
forward motion causing the shield to lower and open the port-hole. A space
between the armour block and the outside of the ship may be filled with felt,
kamptulicon, or other suitable material.
My Invention also consists in constructing armour or shields for ships and
batteries, however the ships or batteries may be otherwise built, by connecting
armour plates or blocks to an oscillating platform, which may be made to
work armour or shields at both ends, so that while the port-holes on one side
are shielded the shields are removed from the port-holes on the opposite
side.
My Invention further consists in constructing ships with hollow metal keels
for the purpose of containing fresh water and other provisions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bush in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BUSH, of Tower Hill, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, - send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Bush, Her special licence that I; the said William Bush,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Bush, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,.
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
'

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, AND IN SHIELDS OR ARMOUR FOR SHIPS AND BATTERIES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Bush, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
5 or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office;
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Bush, do hereby declare the-
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto, annexed, that is
to say:
My Invention consists in constructing ships intended chiefly as ships of war.
and floating batteries, as hereafter explained.
I form the ribs and girders of angle irons bolted together, and with timber
between every two irons, each rib being composed of two angle irons, with
timber between them. Instead of angle iron, bar iron may be used. The
outside or hull of the ship may be of timber or of iron, or partly of timber
and partly of iron rivetted or otherwise secured to the ribs. Between the
outside or hull, and the skin or inner lining of the ship, which I prefer to be-
of iron, there is a space into which and between the ribs I insert moyable:
iron or steel armour blocks or plates, which may be made to slide up and
down in the said space to enable the blocks to be inserted and removed as.
required. Under the port-holes on each side of the ship the blocks are con--
rrected to an oscillating platform which carries the gun and carriage. By the
employment of an oscillating platform one-half of the usual complement of guns.
and men may be dispensed with. The gun after discharge recoils, causes the
platform to tilt, and thus brings up the block to close and shield the port-hole.
I fit a turntable for the gun carriage to run ou, so that if required the gun
may be turned, and run out to be fired on the opposite side of the ship.; or it.
may be again run out on the same side, its forward motion causing the shield
to lower and open the port-hole. A space between the armour block and the
outside of the ship may be filled with felt, kamptulicon, or other suitable
material. The cupola is pierced with holes for rifles.
My Invention also consists in constructing armour or shields for ships and
batteries; however, the ships or batteries may be otherwise built by con-
necting armour plates or blocks to an oscillating platform, which may be inade:

page_text: to work armour or shields at both ends, so that while the port-holes on
one side are shielded, the shields are removed from the port-holes on the
opposite side.
My Invention further consists in constructing ships with hollow metal keels
or keelsons, and with water-tight compartments for the purpose of containing
fresh water and other provisions, as well as for affording stability to the ship,
and for "heeling" her over.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a horizontal section of so much
of a ship's side as will be necessary to illustrate the manner in which I carry
the first part of my Invention into effect. a, a, are the angle irons; b, b, are
the steel armour blocks or plates. At each of the ports, one only of which is
shown, the armour blocks b, b, are connected to oscillating platforms b', b', on
which the gun and carriage run, as will be more fully explained hereafter.
c is the outer skin of the ship, made by preference of iron, but it may bé
made of wood; d is the inner skin made of wood, but it may be made of iron;
e, e, are filling up pieces of, by preference, kamptulicon (a substance composed
of cork and caoutchouc), and f, f, are blocks of wood inserted between each
pair of angle irons a, a, which are secured together by bolts or rivets. Some-
times I dispense with the kamptulicon, aud fill up the space by adding to the
blocks b, b.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of an armour-plated ship, fitted with a shot-
proof cupola, according to my Invention, and Figure 3 is a horizontal section of
a portion of the same. In this view the angle irons a, a, are made of a some-
what different shape to those shown at Figure 1. 6, 61, are the oscillating
platforms before referred to they are connected at each end, as shown at g, g,
to movable steel armour blocks or plates b, b, which are free to rise and fall
with the oscillating platform in such manner that when a port on one side
of the ship is open, that on the other side is closed, or they may be all closed
up by pins or wedges. At Figure 2 the port h is open, and the port h¹ closed;
the gun i is run out ready to be discharged, its recoil causes it to run back on
the platform, which action partially closes the port h, and partially opens the
port h. If the next discharge is to take place from the opposite side of
the ship, the gun is turned on its carriage and run out at the port h', the
traversing of the gun along the platform & closing the port h, and opening
the port h¹.
By this arrangement of the oscillating platforms I am enabled to discharge
my guns at an angle of 45°, and to prevent the ports opening more than
necessary to admit the gun, I place in the port slide a loose block, which moves
with it; k is the main deck. The movable armour plates or shields are so

page_text: fitted one above the other in the sides of the ship that they may be lowered,
and if necessary, removed from the sides, where, for example, it may be
required to reduce the top weight. Each plate is a counterpart of another, so
that if one is injured it may be replaced; is the cupola supported by and free
to oscillate about the shaft m. I prefer to make this shaft hollow for the
reception of steam; it is fitted with hose, whereby steam may be conveyed in
any direction against an enemy, in case, for example, in an attempt being made
to board the ship or fort; n is a capstan, by which oscillating motion. is com-
municated to the cupola; o is the platform in the cupola on which the gun
rests. The movable armour plates of the cupola are united at bottom to an
oscillating beam p, whereby the ports are opened and closed alternately as.
before described; q, q, shows the hollow metal keel and keelsons for containing
fresh water; r, r, are water-tight compartments in the bottom of the ship,
fitted with valves s, s, whereby water is admitted or forced out; the object of
these compartments is to enable the ship to be heeled over to any desired
angle, according to the quantity of water admitted or repelled; and to render
this as effective as may be, several of these compartments are formed along
the whole length of the bottom of the ship. The valves are worked by rods
passing through the bottom flooring t. Water is forced out from the com-
partments by driving compressed air in.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of a ship fitted with my shot-proof cupola,
showing how my apparatus for opening and closing the ports may be applied
to old-fashioned ships. The movable steel armour blocks b, b, are united to
beams ', free to oscillate on bearings beneath the main deck k. The gun
runs on the main deck, and on whichever side of the ship the gun is to be dis-
charged, so that port is opened and the opposite port closed. The construc-
tion and action of the cupola is similar to that last described.
Figure 5 is a vertical, and Figure 6 is a horizontal section of a shot-proof
land fort, in which I have shewn twelve port-holes; but this number may be
aried. The ports are opened and closed by oscillating beams b', 6', set below
the platform k; t is a turntable in the centre of the platform, whereby the.
gun is turned in whichever direction required. Figure 6*, 7, is a vertical section
of shot-proof fort of a somewhat similar construction, to be used as a floating
fort or battery; it is fitted with a cupola as before described, the ports being
opened and closed in the manner described with reference to Figures 5 and 6.
To cilitate the moving of the fort from place to place, I fit at the lower
part threof, and extending through it two or more cylinders v, v, in which
valves o screws may be fitted and made to work, and the fort thus propelled
and guide at one and the same time. If required, a rudder may also be em-

page_text: ployed. In addition to the cylinders being employed as a medium for propel-
ling the fort, the water contained in them materially tends to steady the fort
in a big sea. In time of peace batteries constructed in this manner may be
fitted with lanterns, and used as light vessels.
Figure 7 is a view in plan of a gun and rocket boat, fitted with oscillating
platforms and shields, according to my Invention. Figure 8 is a partial side
elevation and partial section of the same, the view being taken through the
line x, y, y, of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a section through the line x, y, x, and
Figure 10 is a section through the line 2, 2, both of Figure 7. The hull of
the ship
prefer to construct of ribs and angle irons, as described with
reference to Figure 1, and in two distinct parts or compartments a, b, united
by beams c and bridges d, the latter extending round the whole frame of the
ship; e, e¹, is the oscillating platform or platforms free to move on the bolts f
inserted in and passing through the uprights g, which are stepped in the beams
c, and are free to move thereon within certain limits. The platforms carry a
gun on each side as shown at h, h', Figure 10, and are so balanced that when
one of the guns h is run out of the porthole, or all the guns on that side of
the ship, as shown at Figure 7, are run out of their respective port-holes, then
those guns on the other side are run back, and the effect is to cause the
ship to heel over sufficiently to enable the shots from the guns h to be fired
over the ship at the enemy, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 10, and
so soon as the discharge has taken place the guns recoil, and the ship
is "righted." The port-holes, instead of being on the outside of the ship, are
inside, and opposite one another, and although the apparatus is not shewn in
the Drawing, yet the ports may be fitted with armour blocks, free to rise and
fall with the oscillating platforms as before described, for opening and closing
the port-holes, to protect one side while the guns are being discharged from
the other. is a space extending the whole length of the bottom of the ship,,
the bow and stern of which are alike. There is a propeller k at each end, and
driven by separate engines placed in the engine rooms 1, 1,
one only of whick
is seen; 1, 1, are ventilators at bow and stern; m, m, m, are cupolas, one t
the bow, another midships, and a third at the stern, each being fitted with
oscillating platforms for working the guns therein, as herein-before described;
n is a rudder and steering apparatus, one at each end of the ship, so tha she
need not be turned when required to be moved in a contrary direction.
By dispensing with the oscillating platforms, cupolas, and other appliances
necessary for naval warfare, ships of the description just described ae parti-.
cularly suitable for mercantile purposes, for conveying goods in shallow waters
and against swift currents, the propelling power at each end enabing me to

page_text: obtain much greater speed than has hitherto been accomplished in steamers of
the ordinary construction.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Im-
provements in the Construction of Ships, and in Shields or Armour for Ships
and Batteries,"
First, the construction of armour-plated ships with angle-iron ribs and
girders, with or without timber between, and iron or steel blocks between the
ribs, the outer and inner skin being composed of iron or wood, with or without
kamptulicon between the outer skin and the iron or steel blocks, as herein-
before described..
Second, connecting armour plates or blocks to oscillating platforms, whereby
the ports on each side of the ship or shield are alternately opened and closed,
as herein-before described.
Third, the construction of ships with hollow keelsons or metal keels, and
with water-tight compartments, in manner and for the purposes herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, the construction of ships particularly as horein-before described,
with reference to Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bush, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
WILLIAM BUSH. (L.S.)