Improvements in the Construction of Iron or Steel Ships, Barges or other Floating Bodies, and Metal Structures.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 2nd June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Iron or Steel Ships, Barges or
other Floating Bodies, and Metal Structures.
NICOL SINCLAIR ARTHUR, 25 Cambridge Gardens, Leith, Midlothian,
Engineer and Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of the hull of vessels
and other structures, and has for its object, firstly, to roll press or flange the shell
plates at their longitudinal edge or edges or to manufacture them to take the place
of ordinary framing, combined with shell plating, these plates may be wrought on
one edge in the form of Z the bottom web forming the outer shell plate, while the
inner web takes the place of the ordinary reverse bar. The adjoining strake laps
outside and is connected to the flanged side of the first strake this enables these
strakes to be rivetted together by hydraulic or other mechanical power, other
sections may be used such as channel, angle & etc. these sections may have bulbs
rivetted to their flanges, or flat plate with bulb angle or other sections rivetted to
their longitudinal edges. Light or thin plates may be set or flanged cold.
Secondly, to simplify the work by laying off the shell plates and to substitute
parallel strakes right fore and aft of the same breadth as far as practical, instead
of the present practice of tapering the same.
This enables us to punch the bulk of the shell plates from a standard template
or by automatic machinary. I find by running parellel and proporinate flat strips on
the ordinary model of a proposed vessel that I can cover in the whole of a fair model,
the edges of the strips being close together, except a small portion of the ends and
the bilge. The edges of these strakes or strips are drawn in and transfered to the
moulding loft with the necessary butts, stations, and etc. taking from the model.
An expansion of each strake and plate theirof with the requisate curves and
perticular is obtained whereby the plates may be punched and set to fit their
respective places on the ship, commencing at the keel each strake may be fitted
together complete and rivetted by machines, including bulkheadsland other internal
connections. The adjoining strakes can then be fitted and so on upwards to the
sheerstrake.
The decks and bulkheads can be formed and rivetted in the same manner as the
shell plating. When the channel section is rolled the heels are made to fay close
for caulking.
In large vessels flanged or rolled floor plates may be combined and rivetted to
the ribs or flanges of shell plates.
Stealers are introduced at the ends of vessel and may be formed of plate and
angles rivetted to their edges to conform to the midship section of the strake.
ليوم
Ր . Ա. 1000
NICOL SINCLAIR ARTHUR.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Iron or Steel Ships, Barges or
other Floating Bodies, and Metal Structures.
I, NICOL SINCLAIR ARTHUR, 25 Cambridge Gardens Leith, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of iron or steel ships,

page_text: barges or other floating bodies and metal structures and it has for its object by
using shell and framing plates rolled pressed or flanged in a particular manner to and
combining or building them up together as hereinafter described to economise
workmanship and to afford a structure having greater strength and lightness than
can be produced with ordinary methods of procedure.
The plates are set to a form having a web from the edges of which flanges
project at right angles in opposite directions, that is to say, the plates approximately
resemble an Zone of the horizontal arms being much longer than the other. The
longer arm constitutes the outer shell plate of one strake whilst the shorter one
takes the place of or is the substitute for the ordinary reverse bar. The end of
the longer arm of the adjoining strake laps outside at the junction of the web and
longer arm of the first mentioned strake and is connected thereto by rivetting and
so on the construction being such that hydraulic or other mechanical rivetting
machines may very conveniently be employed. By this arrangement the material
of which the vessel is composed is combined in such a manner as to give great
structural strength with lightness and economy of workmanship and the bottom,
sides and deck of the vessel have a series of solid and continuous girders running
throughout their length the ordinary transverse frames, floors, reverse bars and
beams being dispensed with.
To simplify the works the shell plates are laid off in parallel strakes fore and
aft instead of being tapered as heretofore practised and I am thereby enabled to
punch the rivet holes in the said plates from a standard template or by automatic
machinery.
"
The strakes are made of the same breadth as far as practicable and I find
by running them parallel I can cover in the whole of a fair model excepting a
portion of the ends and the bilge. At those parts the edges of the plates or
strips are drawn in, and transferred with the necessary "butts," "stations etc.,
from the model to the moulding loft where an expansion of each plate and strake
with the requisite curves is obtained and thereby the plates forming the strakes
at these parts can be punched and set to fit their respective places on the vessel.
Each strake commencing at the keel may be fitted and rivetted completely by
machinery the next upper strake being by the same means rivetted to the one
previously built and so on, the decks, bulkheads and other interior connections
being built in the same way.
With this method of construction less cement is required there being no frame
rivets to cover up above the bottom and the bilge water has a clear run to the
pumps and can be drained completely dry whilst increased deadweight capacity on
a given displacement is obtained.
The method of practising the invention is illustrated under several modifications
on the accompanying drawings of which
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a transverse vertical section, a longitudinal
section and a plan of a barge, the shell plates of which are wrought or rolled in
Zform. The longer arm a of each plate determines the breadth of the strake
and constitutes part of the shell whilst the inner arm or flange takes the place
of the ordinary reverse bar. The longer arm a of one strake of plates overlaps
the like arm of another at the web c and is rivetted thereto by hydraulic or other
mechanical means.
C
Instead of employing plates rolled or worked into Z section as at Figures 1,
2 and 3, plates of channel section with the edges flanged or bent outwards may be
used as shown in transverse vertical section at a¹ Figure 4 in the construction of
the bottom of the barge or vessel these plates being joined together. by ordinary
flat plates rivetted to them.
In the construction of the sides similar plates may also be used in the strakes
but as shewn by the figure the channel plates c have only one edge bent over to
constitute a flange for rivetting them to the frames d.
Figure illustrates a half transverse section of the hull of an ordinary vessel
the plating and straking of which is practically the same as set forth with reference

page_text: to Figure 4. The deck plates e which constitute longitudinal beams secured to
each other by hydraulic or other rivetting machines rest upon transverse web
frames f
•
Figure 6 is a similar view to Figure 5 and shews a section of a cellular type of
vessel having the shell g, deck h, and tank top plates i flanged at their longi-
tudinal edges these plates on constructing the hull being secured as hereinbefore
described.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of a bulkhead similarly constructed.
Figure 8 is a transverse section of part of a vessel with a tank bottom and
Figure 9 a similar section of part of the bottom of an ordinary vessel shewing
different sections of flanged plates which may be used in the construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
The system of building iron and steel ships, barges and other floating bodies
and metal structures consisting in the employment of longitudinally flanged plates
built parallel upon each other strake by strake to constitute at the same time the
shell of the vessel and longitudinal strengthening girders and whereby hydraulic
or other power machines can be employed to rivet the plates and strakes together
substantially as described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 27th day of April 1893.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.