AN IMPROVED METHOD OF FIXING OR ATTACHING ARMOUR PLATES TO VESSELS, FORTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Kirk, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent,
Contractor, and John Batstone, of the City of Westminster,
Surveyor, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF FIXING OR
ATTACHING ARMOUR PLATES TO VESSELS, FORTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER
STRUCTURES."
Sealed the 16th March 1869, and dated the 21st September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Kirk and John
Batstone at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 21st September 1868.
We, JOHN KIRK; of Woolwich, in the County of Kent, Contractor,
and JOHN BATSTONE, of the City of Westminster, Surveyor, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
FIXING OR ATTACHING ARMOUR PLATES TO VESSELS, FORTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER
STRUCTURES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to afford a means of affixing armour
plates to vessels, fortifications, and other structures requiring such pro-
tection in such a manner that the exterior shall present. an even

page_text: unbroken surface with flush joints, and that there shall be no bolt
heads or other fastenings visible.
The Invention consists mainly in attaching a lighter plate (say about
one-fourth the thickness) to the back of the armour plate, by means of
eye bolts, and passing the shanks of the holding bolts through this back
plate, the heads of the holding bolts being countersunk into the back
of the armour plate, and the shoulder of the bolt head abutting against
the front of the back plate.
In carrying out our Invention we take an armour plate of the requisite
thickness, and slot or recess the back at intervals to receive the heads of
a series of eye bolts, these slots being so arranged that a long bolt
passing either lengthwise or transversely through the armour plate shall
also pass through the eye of each bolt, and so secure all the eye bolts
into the back of the plate.
The back plate is secured to the armour plate by the shanks of these 1
eye bolts, and, as above described, the shanks of the holding bolts for
fixing the armour plates on to the vessel or fortification pass through
the back plate, and their heads are countersunk into the back of the
armour plate, washers of india-rubber or other suitable material being
interposed between the head of the holding bolt and the armour plate, 2
and also between the shoulder of the same and the back plate to
prevent the admission of water. Thus it will be evident that the holding
bolts do not pass through the armour plate, but are firmly secured to
the back of the same, and hence the exterior of the armour plate
presents an even unbroken surface at the same time that the whole 2
structure is much stronger than ordinary, and there are no perforations
to weaken the armour plate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Kirk and John Batstone in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
KIRK, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent, Contractor, and JoHN
BATSTONE, of the City of Westminster, Surveyor, send greeting.

page_text: year
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Kirk and John Batstone, Her
special licence that we, the said John Kirk and John Batstone, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
John Kirk and John Batstone, our 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF FIXING OR ATTACHING
ARMOUR PLATES TO VESSELS, FORTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Kirk and John
Batstone, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 we, the said John Kirk and John Batstone,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, and on reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to afford a means of affixing armour
plates to vessels, fortifications, and other structures requiring such
protection in such a manner that the exterior shall present an even
unbroken surface with flush joints, and that there shall be no bolt heads
or other fastenings visible.
The Invention consists mainly in attaching a lighter plate (say about
one-fourth the thickness) to the back of the armour plate by means of
eye bolts, and passing the shanks of the holding bolts through this back
plate, the heads of the holding bolts being sunk into the back of the
armour plate, and the shoulder of the bolt head abutting against the
front of the back plate.

page_text: In carrying out our Invention we take an armour plate of the requisite
thickness, and mortice or recess the back at intervals to receive the
hoads of a series of eye bolts, these sinking's being so arranged that pins
or dowels passing either lengthwise or transversely through the armour
plate shall also pass through the eye of each bolt, and so secure all the
eye bolts into the back of the plate.
The back plate is secured to the armour plate by the shanks of these
eye bolts, and, as above described, the shanks of the holding bolts for
fixing the armour plates on to the vessel or fortification pass through
the back plate, and their heads are sunk into the back of the armour
plates, washers of cork or other suitable material being interposed
between the shoulders of the holding bolt.and the back plate to prevent
the issue of water. Thus it will be evident that the holding bolts do not
pass through the armour plate, but are firmly scoured to the back of the
same, and hence the front of the armour plato presents an even unbroken
surface at the same time that the whole structure is much stronger
than ordinary, and there are no perforations to weaken the armour
plate.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention for "An
Improved Method of Fixing or Attaching Armour Plates to Vessels,
Fortifications, and other Structures," we will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same
may be distinctly understood we have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are- plan
views of our improved fastening, showing the upper side and front of
the same; Figures 3 and 4 are plan views of a modification of the
fastening, also.showing the upper side and front; and Figures 5 and G
are similar views of another modification.
The Invention consists mainly in attaching the armour plate 6 to a
lighter plate a, the said plates being kept apart by rigid intervening
blocks. The armour plate is recessed at convenient distances, and the
heads of the holding bolts d (fitting accurately) are placed in these

page_text: recesses, and pins or dowels e are then passed through the whole serics
of eye bolts, thus firmly fixing them to the armour plate: The back
plate a is morticed, the mortices being opposite to the recesses in the
armour plate b, and. the shanks fof the eye bolts inserted and passed
5 through these mortices in the back plate. The shanks f are slotted
flush with the back of the back plate, and are secured to; the back of
the same by a ratchetted wedge and cotter g; thus the armour plate is
firmly and securely attached to the back plate without any bolt heads
or other fastenings being visible from the outside. Figures 3 and 4
represent a modification of the fastening. In this case the head of the
bolt is passed into a dovetailed recess in the armour plate, but it is
secured thereto by means of two pieces (with enlarged bases) being
passed into the recess in the armour plate; these pieces are rivetted to
the tongue of the bolt k between the armour plate and the back plate,
so that the bolts cannot be wrenched from the armour plate on account
of the enlarged bases of the pieces which would have to pass through
a recess, the area of which would be much smaller than the area of the
base of the fastening. The shank of this bolt is secured to the back
plate in the same way as that of the eyc bolt.
f.
Figures 5 and 6 represent another modification of our Invention.
This bolt is employed for fastening the back plate a to the end plates;
an angle fastening d' is used, which is rivetted to the end plate e¹, and
fastened to the back plate a in the same manner as those of the bolt
fastenings hercin-before described.
In all of these bolts washers i of india-rubber, cork, or other suitable
elastic material may be interposed between the shoulder; of the holding
bolt and the back plate.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention for
"An Improved Method of Fixing or Attaching Armour Plates to
Vessels, Fortifications, and other Structures," together with the manner
in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, we would remark in conclusion that we claim as our Invention
the improved method or means substantially as herein-before set forth
of firmly attaching armour plates to vessels, fortifications, and other
structures by means of the bolts or fastenings herein-before described and
illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, so that there will

page_text: be no bolt heads or other fastenings visible from the outside, thereby
adding considerably to the strength of the armour plate.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Kirk and John Batstone,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred t
and sixty-nine
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Patent Agent and Solicitor,
1, Serle Street,
Lincoln's Inn.
(L.S.)
JOHN KIRK.
JOHN BATSTONE. (L.S.)