IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Oswald Papengouth, of No. 46, Russell*
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 2nd January 1866, and dated the 8th July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Oswald
Papengouth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th July 1865.
I, CHRISTOPHER OSWALD PAPENGOUTH, of No. 46, Russell Square, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing ships and
vessels. In order to render ships and vessels more secure against the effect
of shot, shells, and other projectiles, the sides and other parts of a ship or
vessel which are to be protected by armour plating are, according to this
Invention, formed in the following manner:-The whole surface is covered
by the ends of metal tubes, by preference of the best wrought iron, and of a
circular section, either cylindrical or somewhat conical, generally somewhat
conical. These tubes are rivetted together where they come in contact. The
framing of the body of a ship or vessel interior of the system of the armour
plating and means of defence may be of any convenient construction, and
may be plated over or be covered with teak, or with both; or my system of
protection and armour plating may be applied to ships or vessels already
constructed. The larger or outer ends of these tubes, when conical, should

page_text: be about five or six inches diameter, but the diameter of the tubes may be
varied. At or near the inner end of each tube is an internal rib or ring
securely formed or fixed, against which the inner end of a strong coiled spring
rests, whilst the outer end of such spring comes against a plug composed of a
composition of india-rubber and gutta percha, or of other suitable elastic
material. This elastic plug is drawn into the outer end of the tube by a chain
which is fixed to a spring within the plug, whilst the other end of the chain
is drawn inwards by a screw nut on a screw attached to the chain, which
passes through a plate which closes the inner end of the tube. By these
means the water is prevented getting into the interior of a tube by reason of
the tube being closed at its outer end by the elastic plug above mentioned.
The plug at its outer end protrudes beyond the outer end of the tube, whilst
the inner end of the elastic plug rests against the outer end of the spring,
which is within the tube. Each elastic plug receives against its outer surface
the angles or corners of four rectangular armour plates or blocks which are
of comparatively small size, but they are made of any desired thickness, and
each such armour plate or block is, at its ungles, resisted by and rests against
four elastic blocks, so that when any one of the armour plates is struck by a
projectile it will be resisted by four elastic plugs, one at each angle or corner,
and such plugs at the same time will be resisted by four springs within four
of the tubes above described. In making these armour plates or blocks the
grain of the iron of the central portion of each block or plate is at right
angles to the outer and inner surfaces thereof, whilst in the inner and outer
surfaces of cach plate or block the grain is parallel with these surfaces; but
the inner and outer surfaces and the central portion of each block or plate
are welded together and form a solid block or plate possessed of greater
power to resist impact than if the grain of the iron were all in one direction,
whether such direction be at right angles to or parallel with the outer and
inner surfaces of a block or plate. Through the centre of each block or plate
is formed a hole, in the direction from front to back, to receive a bolt with a
conical outer end or head, the hole in the armour block or plate towards its
outer surface being made conical to receive and fit such outer end or head of
the bolt. The inner end of the bolt is connected to one end of a short chain,
and the other end of such chain is connected to a screw bolt, by which, and
by a screw nut on the screw bolt, the armour plate or block is drawn tightly
towards the ends of four of the tubes above mentioned, so that the four
corners or angles of the block or plate press against four plugs in the ends of
the four tubes.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Christopher Oswald Papengouth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPHER
OSWALD PAPENGOUTI, of No. 46, Russell Square, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Christopher Oswald Papengouth, Her special licence that I, the said
Christopher Oswald Papengouth, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Christopher Oswald Papengouth, 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, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS AND
VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said Christopher
Oswald Papengouth, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, 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 Christopher Oswald Papengouth, do
hereby declare.the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing ships and
vessels. In order to render ships and vessels more secure against the effect.
of shot, shells, and other projectiles, the sides and other parts of a ship or
vessel which are to be protected by armour plating are, according to this
Invention, formed in the following manner:-The whole surface is covered
by ends of metal tubes, by preference of the best wrought iron, and of a
circular section, either cylindrical or somewhat conical, generally somewhat
conical. These are rivetted together where they come in contact. The
framing of the body of a ship or vessel interior of the system of the armour.

page_text: plating aud means of defence may be of any convenient construction, and
may be plated over or be covered with teak, or with both; or my system of
protection and armour plating may be applied to ships or vessels already
constructed. The larger or outer' ends of these tubes, when conical, should
be about five or six inches diameter, but the diameter of the tubes may be
varied. At or near the inner end of each tube is an internal rib or ring
securely formed or fixed, against which the inner end of a strong coiled spring
rests, whilst the outer end of such spring comes against a plug composed of a
composition of india-rubber and gutta percha, or of other suitable elastic
material. This elastic plug is drawn into the outer end of the tube by a
chain which is fixed to a spring within the plug, whilst the other end of the
chain is drawn inwards by a screw nut on a screw attached to the chain,
which passes through a plate which closes the inner end of the tube. By
these means the water is prevented getting into the interior of a tube by
reason of the tube being closed at its outer end by the elastic plug above
mentioned. The plug at its outer end protrudes beyond the outer end of
the tube, whilst the inner end of the elastic plug rests against the outer end
of the spring which is within the tube. Each elastic plug receives against
its outer surface the angles or corners of four rectangular armour plates or
blocks which are of comparatively small size, but they are made of any desired
thickness, and each such armour plate or block is, at its angles, resisted by and
rests against four elastic blocks, so that when any one of the armour plates is
struck by a projectile it will be resisted by four elastic plugs, one at each
angle or corner; and such plugs at the same time will be resisted by four
springs within four of the tubes above described. In making these armour
plates or blocks the grain of the iron of the central portion of each block or
plate is at right angles to the outer and inner surfaces thereof, whilst in the
inner and outer surfaces of each plate or block the grain is parallel with these
surfaces; but the inner and outer surfaces and the central portion of each
block or plate are welded together and form a solid block or plate possessed
of greater power to resist impact than if the grain of the iron were all in one
direction, whether such direction be at right angles to or parallel with the
outer and inner surfaces of a block or plate. Through the centre of each
block or plate is formed a hole, in the direction from front to back, to receive
a bolt with a conical outer end or head, the hole in the armour block or plate,
towards its outer surface, being made conical to receive and fit such outer end
or head of the bolt. The inner end of the bolt is connected to one end of a
short chain, and the other end of such chain is connected to a screw bolt, by
which and by a screw nut on the screw bolt, the armour plate or block is

page_text: drawn tightly towards the ends of four of the tubes above mentioned, so that
the four corners or angles of the block or plate press against four plugs in the
ends of the four tubes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a portion of the exterior surface of the side of a ship or
vessel protected by armour plating according to my Invention; Figure 2
shows a longitudinal section thereof; Figure 3 shows a view of the ends of
the series of tubes with which the side of a ship or vessel is clothed or formed
in order to receive the armour plating; and Figure 4 is another longitudinal
section showing the tubes, the elastic plugs, and the armour plates, secured to
the skin or to the framing of the ship or vessel, which framing may be of any
desired construction, and may be plated over before affixing the ends of the
tubes to the framing. The tubes are each of a circular section, but generally
somewhat taper, in order that they may be built on to the surface or frame of
the body of a ship and preserve the desired lines.
The armour plating consists of iron or steel in sections or blocks a, a, a,
which are of small dimensions as compared with the masses of armour plating
heretofore employed. These blocks or sections may be of any desired thick-
ness, and they are each to be clothed or coated with vulcanite, which is, as is
well known, a compound of india-rubber and sulphur, which is subjected to
heat till the compound is rendered very hard, and each metal block or section
of the armour plate is to be coated on all sides with the compound when it is
in a plastic state, and this is best done in suitable metal moulds. This coating
of vulcanite need not be thick, but by reason of thus moulding the surfaces
great accuracy of fitting of the blocks or sections is obtained, whilst the metal
blocks or sections may be made only roughly to the desired form, leaving the
precise and exact surfaces which come or butt together to be obtained by the
vulcanite. The metal blocks so coated, and whilst in the moulds, are sub-
jected to the heat necessary to produce the change of the compound of india-
rubber and sulphur into vulcanite. In some cases gutta percha is used in the
manufacture of vulcanite with or without india-rubber, but india-rubber with
sulphur it is believed produces the best product, and for that reason I prefer
to use it; but if desired, gutta percha and india-rubber and sulphur may be
used in coating the blocks or sections of armour plating. Each of the tubes,
at its outer end, receives a plug h of elastic material which, where it enters
the tube is conical, whilst its outermost end is of a square form, and the edges
of the neighbouring plugs form butt waterproof joints which press elastically
against each other. Each of these square-ended plugs is arranged to receive

page_text: the angles of four blocks or sections of the armour plating a, a, against it,
whilst the centre of each such block comes opposite the end of the space left
between four of the tubes. The plugs each contain a coiled helix of steel,
constituting a metal spring, within the elastic body of the plug, and such
elastic body is composed of vulcanized india-rubber formed in a mould, within
which the steel spring is placed, so that when the plastic compound of india-
rubber and sulphur is introduced into a mould it surrounds and fills all parts
and embeds the steel spring within the body of the plug, which is then, whilst
in the mould, subjected to heat in the ordinary manner to produce the change
known as vulcanization. The plugs bare each drawn into its tube by a chain
which at one end is fastened to the end of the steel spring, and at the other
end to a screw and nut, and by them to the skin or plating, or to the framing
of the ship. Each of the blocks or sections a, a, of the armour plating has a
bolt a through it, or its bolt may be formed with the block or section a, a.
The end of each bolt is fixed to a chain, the other end of which is fixed by a
screw and nut to the ship in the manner just described in respect to the
elastic plugs. The Drawings do not show any teak or other backing, but
backing may be used between the ends of the tubes when desired.
Figure 5 shows a section of part of the side of a ship or vessel wherein
certain modifications of my Invention, other than what are above described,
are shown. In this arrangement and construction the tubes are dispensed
with. Figure 6 shows a horizontal section taken through the line A, A, in
Figure 5. By these Figures the form of girders or framing of a ship which
I prefer will be readily understood, but it should be stated that other forms
of framing may be used when constructing a ship or vessel which is to be
protected by armour plating according to my Invention.
Figure 7 shows a front view, and Figure 8 a horizontal section, showing
one armour plate a and the elastic blocks and other parts used therewith, by
which it will be seen that each armour plate is, when struck, supported by
four plates, which I call washer plates, and then each of these washer plates
is supported by four elastic spring blocks, which, as before described, are
moulded blocks of vulcanized india-rubber having within each of them a steel
spring. Figure 9 shows a side view of one of the armour plates separately.
In these Figures a, a, are the armour plates, and a', a', their stems, which
In
it is preferred should be forged with and form part of the blocks a, a.
the construction shown in these Drawings the inner ends of the stems a¹, a¹,
pass through a plating or skin fastened to the framed girders or ribs con-
stituting the framing of the ship or vessel, and the ends are then keyed at the
backs or inner surface of such plating or skin, washers of vulcanized india-

page_text: rubber being used where the stems pass through the skin or plating, but other
means of securing the ends of the stems a¹ of the armour plates a to the skin
or plating, or to other parts, may be employed. The construction of the
framed body of a ship or vessel may be varied according to the judgment of
the designer and builder, and the means of applying my Invention may be
varied as each case may require, all which will readily be done by any
competent shipbuilder.'
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Oswald Papengouth, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
CHRISTOPHER OSWALD PAPENGOUTH.
L.S.)