Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888
I, JOHN CHAMPNEY BOTHAMS, of Church Field Road, Fisherton Anger, in the
County of Wilts, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The construction of armour (for vessels of war) having its surfaces which are
exposed to projectiles, so arranged, that it will more frequently deflect projectiles, or
more frequently prevent their points touching its surface, than the armour hitherto
used.
In carrying out my Invention, I construct the armour in the form of corrugated
plates, or of plates having that surface corrugated which is exposed to projectiles. I
also construct Ribbed Armour, formed of plates, plain, or corrugated, or having that
surface corrugated which is exposed to projectiles; each of the three varieties having
projecting parallel ribs on the side exposed to projectiles; the two latter varieties of
plates having the ribs formed on and along the ridges of the corrugated surface.
Each form of armour to be applied according to the position of the part of the
vessel to be armoured and the requirements of each case.
To the upright or nearly upright sides or other upright parts of a vessel to be
armoured, I fix the armour plates with their corrugated surface outwards and with the
parallel ridges in a horizontal direction-as shewn in the accompanying Drawing
Figs. 1, 2, 3.
To the deck or other part of a vessel to be armoured and which is horizontal or is
sloping in the direction of the length of the vessel, I apply armour plates corrugated,
or having the upper surface corrugated, and placed with the ridges of the corrugated
surface in the direction of the length of the vessel-as shewn at B. C. Fig. 4.
To the horizontal or inclined or upright surface of parts of a vessel to be armoured,
I also fix ribbed armour formed of armour plates corrugated, or having the outer
surface corrugated, and with a projecting rib formed along on each ridge of the
D

page_text: corrugated surface exposed to projectiles-as Figs. 7 and 8 or armour plates plain
and having parallel ribs on the side exposed to projectiles, as Fig. 9-or armour plates
having parallel grooves on the side exposed to projectiles, as Fig. 10 A. A. in each of
which grooves is placed a rail or rib of hard metal, as Fig. 10 R. R. R; which is
secured in its place by the rolling down or the forcing down of the metal between the
grooves against the sides of the ribs, as Fig. 11-or the rails or ribs of hard metal
may be secured in the grooves by keys or wedges of metal or other suitable material,
as Fig. 12. K. K.
The use of the ribs being, that in most instances, a projectile will strike with its
shoulder or side on a rib or ribs, before its point touches the armour.
Dated this Ninth day of February 1888.

page_text: "
side exposed to projectiles, in each of which grooves is placed a rail or rib of hard
metal, as R. R. R. which is firmly secured in its place by the rolling down or forcing
down of the metal at T. T. between the grooves against the sides of the rails or ribs, as
shewn completed, by Fig. 11-Or, the rails R. R of hard metal may be secured in the
grooves, as shewn by Fig. 12, by the spaces K. K. at the side of the rails R. R. being
run in with molten lead and set up or caulked, or by keys or wedges of metal or
other suitable material, or by some suitable composition placed in the spaces K. K. or
by other simple means, so as to admit of the rails or ribs being easily renewed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim is.
1-The construction of Armour for Vessels of War and their appliances, in the
form of corrugated plates, or of plates having that surface corrugated which is
exposed to projectiles; so that in the case of the armour being fixed on a surface
upright or Dearly so, it will offer to the projectile, surfaces, whose normals form larger
angles with the direction of the projectile, than the latter will form with the normal
to the surface on which the armour is fixed; so as to increase the tendency to deflection
of the projectile, when its direction is horizontal or within several degrees of
horizontal.
2-In the case of the armour with the corrugated surface being fixed on a deck or
other surface horizontal or nearly so; a projectile striking it in a direction across the
ridges of the corrugated surface and at an inclination within several degrees from the
horizontal will strike the side of the ridge of the armour with its shoulder or part
behind the point; and in the case of the armour being applied to a horizontal deck,
it will offer throughout its width a better angle to the general direction of a projectilo
and greater resistance than is offered by the near outer part of a much curved deck
having an equal weight of ordinary armour.
8-The construction of armour with projecting parallel ribs of hard metal on the
side exposed to projectiles so that when struck by a projectile in the direction or
within several degrees of the direction of the ribs, and at an inclination within several
degrees from the plane of the tops of the ribs; the projectile will more frequently
strike a rib or ribs by its shoulder or part behind the point; and its point will more
frequently be prevented touching the base plate of the armour; than by the armour in
ordinary use.
4-The construction of Ribbed Armour formed of a base plate of tough metal, having
parallel grooves on the side exposed to projectilos, in each of which grooves is placed
the lower part of a rail of hard metal, the upper part of which forms the projecting
rib;
the rails may be in short lengths and be secured in the grooves by simple means,
so as to admit of their being easily renewed.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1888.