IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Betteley, of Liverpool, Naval Architect, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING."
Sealed the 6th July 1865, and dated the 16th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Betteley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
January 1865.
I, JOSEPH BETTELEY, of Liverpool, Naval Architect, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ship-building. For these
purposes when constructing ships with angle iron framing, and such framing is
planked externally with wood, it is desirable to employ deck and other beams
of wood, and to improve the means of connecting the lower parts of the vertical
iron framing with the timber flooring of such ships. For these purposes, in
applying wood beams, and connecting their ends with the angle-iron framing
metal gusset plates are employed, which are rivetted to the angle-iron frames
and are fastened to the ends of the wood beams by bolts passing from side to
side of the wood beams and through the gusset plates. When the ribs or
vertical framings are of double angle iron, it is preferred that two gusset plates
should be used, and that the width of the wood beams should be reduced at

page_text: When
the ends, so that the ends may enter between the two side flanges of the double
angle iron, or it may be two single angle irons, or the ends of the wood beams
may be notched out to allow the side flanges to enter, in which case the gusset
plates pass round outside of the angle-iron ribs or upright framings.
using T-iron or ordinary angle iron, a single gusset plate is employed, rivetted
to the angle iron or to the stem of the T-iron, and the central portion of the
wood beam is cut away or notched out to receive the gusset plate in a central
position, and the bolts are passed through the wood and through the gusset
plate to fix the parts together. In addition to the gusset plates in some cases
I use fore and aft stringers or shelves fixed under the ends of the wood beams.
In connecting the floor timbers and the iron vertical ribs or framing, similar
gusset plates are used, which are rivetted to the angle-iron framing and bolted
to the ends of the floor timbers, by which those parts of a ship where the two
systems of construction come together are made more secure and more capable
of enduring strains.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Betteley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
BETTELEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Naval Architect, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Betteley, Her special licence that I; the said Joseph
Betteley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Betteley, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN SHIP-BUILDING," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Joseph Batteley, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: 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 Joseph Betteley, 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 ship-building. Hereto-
fore, in constructing what are commonly called or known as "composite
ships, or ships built with an iron frame and planked with wood, iron beams have
been used. Now, according to one part of my Invention, the beams instead
of being of iron as heretofore are to be of wood, and to be connected with
the iron framing by means of metal gusset plates rivetted or bolted to such
framing; and, according to another part of my Invention, the lower parts of
the vertical iron framing are to be connected with the timber flooring of such
ships by means of metal gusset plates rivetted or bolted to the iron framing.
For these purposes, in applying wood beams and connecting their ends with
the angle-iron framing metal gusset plates are employed, which are rivetted
to the angle-iron frames and are fastened to the ends of the wood beams by
bolts passing from side to side of the wood beams and through the gusset
plates. When the ribs or vertical framings are of double angle iron it is
preferred that two gusset plates should be used, and that the width of the
wood beams should be reduced at the ends, so that the ends may enter
between the two side flanges of the double angle iron, or it may be two single
angle irons, or the ends of the wood beams may be notched out to allow the
said flanges to enter, in which case the gusset plates pass round outside of the
angle-iron ribs or upright framings. When using T-iron or ordinary angle
iron, a single gusset plate is employed rivetted to the angle iron or to the
stem of the T-iron, and the central portion of the wood beam is cut away
or notched out to receive the gusset plate in a central position, and the bolts
are passed through the wood and through the gusset plate to fix the parts
together. In addition to the gusset plates, in some cases I use fore and aft
stringers or shelves fixed under the ends of the wood beams. In connecting
the floor timbers and the vertical iron ribs or framing similar gusset plates are
used, which are rivetted to the angle-iron framing and bolted to the ends of
the floor timbers, by which those parts of a ship where the two systems of
construction come together are made more secure and capable of enduring
strains.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
Fig. 1 shews a midship section of a ship. a is the iron frame; 6 is the
wood planking; c is the wood floor; d shews the wood beams connected
with the angle-iron frame; e are the gusset plates rivetted to the frame and
bolted to the beams; f shews the bolts connecting the gusset plates to the
frame; g is a stringer; h shews shelf pieces fixed under the wood beams;
i shews a gusset plate connecting the floor timbers and the vertical iron ribs
when rivetted to the side of frame; k shews a gusset plate placed at the
front and back of frame.
Fig. 2 shews 2 gusset plates with the wood beam reduced to allow it to
enter between.
Fig. 3 shews a single gusset plate connected to a T-iron frame, with the
gusset plate in a central position.
Figs. 4, 5, 6, shew different modes of connecting the beams by means of
gusset plates to the iron frames; and Figs 4 and 6 also shew the shelf pieces.
The same letters of reference refer to the same parts.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Betteley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Vת מיתס TACEDE
JOSEPH DENTELEV
(2.5.)