IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR AND COAST DEFENCE VESSELS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER SHIPS, BOATS, AND VESSELS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bathurst Hanna, Captain, Staff Corps, Assistant
Quarter-master General, of 55, Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR
AND COAST DEFENCE VESSELS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE
TO OTHER SHIPS, BOATS, AND VESSELS,”
Sealed the 2nd June 1876, and dated the 16th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bathurst Hanna at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th March 1876.
HENRY BATHURST HANNA, Captain, Staff Corps, Assistant Quarter-master
General, of 55, Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR AND COAST DEFENCE VESSELS, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER SHIPS, BOATS, AND VESSELS."
This Invention of improvements in the construction of ships of war and coast
defence vessels, part of which improvements is applicable to any ship, boat, or other
vessel, relates to the construction of. the sides of ships of war in such a manner that
in the event of such ship being penetrated by ram or shot the vital portion of the
ship will still remain intact. To do this I propose surrounding the ship proper
with an outer casing or glacis divided by bulkheads into water-tight compartments;
this glacis in fact forms the bulwark of the ship, and is constructed as in land
fortification with an exterior slope. In these compartments will be placed light
but strongly constructed frames covered with thick felt or other substance of a like
nature, hinged into the bottom of the true side of the vessel in such a manner as
that when both glacis and ship itself are damaged by ram, shot, or torpedo this
moveable framework will rise and close such hole, and thereby prevent water
issuing into the vital part of the ship. The water on entering into the glacis is
conducted by a shield or conductor below the moveable frame, which rises by the
pressure of water aided by floats, or by direct mechanical means.
My improvements in propelling consist in constructing the bottom of vessels with
shallow channel or water runs, open at bottom, gradually widening out as they
approach either end of vessel; in fact, delineating on the ship's bottom the outline
[Price 6d1

page_text: of two, three, or more ships, according to the number of channels so laid down.
Into these channels at any point and in any number are sunk right through the
ship wells of a circular, elliptical, or rectangular form, whose sides are some feet
higher than the water line of the vessel, and only of sufficient size to allow freedom
of motion to the propellers which are placed therein. These channels in fact take
the place of feed pipes in the turbine, and to facilitate the flow of water through
them, and to impede the speed of the ship as little as possible. These water runs
may be constructed with a gentle slope, commencing from midships and sloping
upwards to either end. In order, however, to further assimiliate them to the
turbine proper I purpose running a pipe or pipes of considerable diameter from
either end of the ship, some few feet below the water line into the said wells, at
such an inclination that while furnishing water to the propeller to accelerate the
speed of the ship. These wells themselves may be connected together by similar
pipes. All such pipes would be fitted with slide valves to cut off the supply of
water at any moment. I also purpose fitting these wells with large lateral pipes
opening out into the sea on either side of the ship. These pipes while further
enhancing the supply of water to the propellers may be employed in steering the
vessel; for to accomplish this it would be only necessary to close the port valves,
with which the pipes would be fitted in one well, and cut off the water supply from
the starboard side of the other well. This would tend to draw the fore-and-aft part
of the ship in opposite directions, and thus by this means only she might be com-
pletely swung either to right or left at pleasure; in fact, this method of steering
would be just the reverse of the actoin of jet propulsion, for in this case suction-would
be the motive power. By letting two such channels into bottom of ship, and by
sinking two or more wells in each channel, which may or may not be worked by
separate shafts and engines, no further steering apparatus would be necessary; for
if the separate pairs of propellers were set in notion in opposite directions the ship
would at once swing in the required direction; or if only a slight change of direction
was required one set of propellers would be stopped for a minute or two. This
mode of steering is particularly applicable to circular ironclads and other coast
defence ships.
In connection with these wells I purpose having hydraulic hoists or lifts for
raising and lowering guns and moving other heavy material. These hoists would
be fed direct from the sea by a valvo opening into the bottom of the ship, and
another valve opening into a pipe connected with the propeller wells would carry off
the waste water.
These wells may be also employed in carrying off the bilge water through self-
acting valves opening out from the ship into the said wells. To facilitate this
I purpose fitting these wells with large slide valves or doors to close the water
runs, and thereby direct the full power of the propellers to the pumping of the
ship.
I also purpose steering these ships when not provided with two or more water
runs, as referred to above, with an improved modification of Caudwell's plan of
steering by paddle wheels, described in the Specification, No. 1107, 1865. Instead
of completely submerging the said wheels and covering them in purpose placing
them in a trough within the ship, open at either end, running transversely through
the sides of the ship, having free access to the water, and only immersed at a
sufficient depth to give the needful water supply to one or more paddle wheels
coupled together and moved by the engine, or by other mechanical means. These
troughs may be placed at both ends of ship, and the water entrances may be fitted
with slide valves to cut off the water supply when necessary.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Henry Bathurst Hanna in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
September 1876.
HENRY BATHURST HANNA, Captain, Staff Corps, Assistant Quarter-master
General, of 55, Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR AND COAST DEFENCE VESSELS, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER SHIPS, BOATS, AND VESSELS."
1. This Invention relates to the construction of the sides of ships of war or
other vessels, in such a manner that in the event of such vessels being penetrated
by ram, shot, or torpedo, the vital portion of the ship will still remain intact.
To do this I purpose surrounding the ship proper with an outer casing or " glacis,"
divided by bulkheads into water-tight compartments. In these compartments
will be placed light but strongly constructed frames covered with thick felt, india-
rubber, or other like substance, and hinged on to the true side of vessel, or the.
inner side of the "glacis," in such a manner as that when both the "glacis" and
the side of the ship proper are damaged by ram, shot, or torpedo this moveable
framework will rise and close the damaged portion, and thereby prevent water
issuing into the vital parts of the ship, vide Figure 8. The water on entering this
glacis is conveyed by a shield or conductor (a) below the frame (b), which then
rises by the pressure of water, aided, if necessary, by a float (c) or by direct
meclianical means. As a further protection a second shutter (d), which might be
made to drop by its own weight, might be hung from the upper part of the true
side of vessel, or with a view to reduce the width of "glacis" a combination of
both might be employed. In most cases I prefer fitting vessels with a clear space
of from 1 foot to 3 feet between the outer and the inner skin of ship (vide
Figures 3 and 4), and this open spaco I would fit with a moveable skin of leak
matting working freely on a supply and receiving drum (a and b respectively), the
supply drum containing as many yards of this matting as may be deemed necessary
might be placed right under the bottom of ship, to afford protection to that part of
vessel, and to be itself safe away from the damaging effects of ram, shot, and fish
torpedo. When the vessel has been pierced at any point by the above weapons a
sufficient quantity of leak matting is wound off the supply drum on to the receiver,
or in other words the "moveable skin" of ship is shifted, until the damaged part
is fairly covered by the leak matting. This process may be performed any number
of times, and repairs to matting carried out simultaneously; in time of course
the upper drum would become the supplier and the lower drum the receiver. This
glacis" would have, as in land fortifications, an exterior slope, and the deck would
be placed some feet below the crest, thereby affording an efficient protection to
the guns and men employed in the navigation of the ship. The centre of gravity
of ships so constructed would be much lower, consequently their stability would
be considerably greater (vide Fgures 1 and 7). A better system of ventilation,
especially in circular vessels, might be carried out with a sunken deck of this
description, as it might with greater safety be fitted with cowl head ventilators
and larger hatchways; better protection too would be afforded to the boats. In
the Russian circular ironclads, the boats are left on an open deck exposed to the
ravages of an enemy's guns. Now this sunken deck would obviate these very
serious disadvantages, and with a view to protecting them against the air concus-
sion due to the fire from heavy guns, and the grains or cubes of unburnt powder, I
purpose placing them behind traverses which will ward off these evils (vide Figure
12). I may add that in such vessels I would place slide doors in the space
between the crest of "glacis" and the deck, with the object in the case of damage
occurring to side of vessel of introducing canvas bags filled with cotton or
other substance into the interior of the "glacis, "which may be drawn in by ropes
running on pulleys fixed at the bottom or to bulkheads of the said. water-tight
"

page_text: compartments; such bags would materially aid in nullifying the fatal effects of such
damages.
2. My improvements in propelling consist in constructing the bottoms of vessels
with shallow open channels or water runs some eight or twelve feet wide and four
or six feet deep, gradually widening out as they approach either end of the vessel,
in fact delineating on the ship's bottom the outline of two, three, or more ships,
according to the number of channels so laid down. Into these channels at any
point and in any number are sunk right through the ship wells of a circular,
elliptical, or rectangular form, whose sides are higher than the load water line
and reach the deck of vessel. These wells may be open or capable of being opened
for the purpose of draining the deck, or for the purpose of raising when necessary
the propellers placed therein. These channels or water runs take in fact the place
of the feed pipes in the turbine proper, and to facilitate the flow of water
through them and to impede the speed of the ship as little as possible, they
may be constructed with a gentle slope commencing from midships and sloping
upwards to either end of ship. In some cases the water channels might be closed
in at bottom only leaving the space immediately below the propeller wells open in
order to give free access to the water for the screws. This plan if the channels
were still further widened out would aid in protecting the bottoms of ships from
torpedo attacks. But as a rule I prefer the open channels for by closing them in
there would be a loss of power by friction and a more limited supply of water,
which would be a natural sequence to such an arrangement. To further assimilate
them to the turbine proper I purpose running pipes of considerable diameter from
either end of vessel situated some feet below the water line into the said wells
to enhance the supply of water. When a vessel is constructed with two or more
wells I purpose connecting such wells with pipes running parallel with the
propeller shaft, so that when the ship is in motion the aft wells may reap the full
benefit of any surplus water which may accumulate in the forward well. All these
pipes should be fitted with slide valves in order to cut off the supply of water at
any moment, I also purpose fitting these wells with large lateral pipes opening out
into the sea on either side of ship. The special object of these pipes would be to
steer the vessel, and to accomplish this it would only be necessary to close the port
valves in one well, and cut off the water supply on the starboard side of the other
well, or vice versa; this would tend to draw the fore-and-aft part of the ship in
opposite directions, and thus by this means alone she might be completely swung
round either to the right or left at pleasure (vide Figures 2 and 8, g and h), in fact
this method is just the reverse of steering by the hydraulic jet. By letting two
channels or water runs into the bottom of a vessel and sinking two or more wells
into such channels, which may or may not be worked by separate shafts and
engines, no further steering apparatus would be requisite, for if the separate pairs of
propellers were set in motion in opposite directions the ship might be swung on her
centre, or if only slight change of direction were required it would only be necessary
to reverse or stop one set of propellers for a moment. This method would be par-
ticularly applicable to circular ironclads and other coast defence ships. In vessels
of deep draught I purpose forming the screw into what I shall call here a "crank
propeller," in order that such propellers may be hung much lower and thereby
receive a larger supply of water. The manner in which I purpose doing this is by
bisecting the boss of the propellers and forming it into a crank, or by connecting
two propellers by a crank, as shewn in Figure 5. Such propellers might be
revolved by a beam engine and hung as low down in the channels as may be
deemed requisite (vide Figure 5, a). The advantages I anticipate from this arrange-
ment of propellers are as follows:-(1). Increase of power from 20 or 30 per cent.
as the propellers would be working in "solid" water little or no positive slip
will occur. (2.) A further increase of power due to the action of the water driven
down the channel by the forward propeller on to the blades of the propellers
situated aft, the water thus impinging on the blades of the aft propellers will
enhance their grip, and thereby increase their efficiency. (3.) No tendency to

page_text: "racing" or "churning" as the propellers will always be in and have a full supply
of water. (4.) Absolute protection from all injuries of an external nature, and even
in the case of the ship grounding or running into shoal water, the propelling appa-
ratus would remain intact. (5.) No keel will be necessary and consequently a
decrease in the draught of the ship. (6.) Every facility will be afforded for raising
and shifting the propellers. (7.) I anticipate a considerable increase of speed due
to reduction of bow wave, which these channels and pipes will tend to diminish.
(8.) Finally I anticipate a total absence of vibration.
3. In connection with these wells I purpose having hydraulic hoists or marine
lifts for raising and lowering the heaviest ordnace or loading and unloading vessels
(vide Figures 1 and 7). These hoists would be fed direct from the sea by a valve
opening into the bottom of ship, and another valve connected with a turbine pump
set in motion by shifting bevel gearing attached to propeller shaft, as shewn in
Figure 6. This pump again empties itself into the propeller well, and, as will be
seen, by the bevel gearing (a and b) may be used irrespective of the direction the
vessel may be taking.
4. These turbine pumps and propeller wells, from which the water will be driven
when the screws are in motion, may also be employed in carrying off the bilge
water through valves opening out from the ship into the turbine pump (c) or direct
into the wells themselves. To further facilitate this I purpose fitting these wells
with large slide valves or doors, worked by rack and pinion or other simplo
mechanical means, to close or partially close the channels or water runs, and thereby
direct the full power of the propellors to the pumping of the ship.
3. I also purpose' steering these ships when not provided with two or more
channels or water runs, as referred to above, with an approved method of steering
by paddle wheels, consisting of a trough open at either end running transversely
through the sides of ship, having free access to the water at either side, and
immersed at a sufficient depth to give the needful supply to one or more paddle
wheels coupled together and moved by the engine or other mechanical means (vide
Figure 2, a, a,). These troughs may be placed at both ends of the ship, and the
water entrance may be fitted with slide valves to cut off tho water supply when
necessary. By reversing the direction of the paddle wheels in opposite troughs the
ship might be pivotted on her centre with or without way, or moved bodily to the
right or left.
6. I also purpose furnishing these ships with two or more powerful camera
obscura, so that the enemy's motions might be observed without unnecessarily.
exposing any portion of the officers and crew.
7. Finally, it is evident that the boats of such vessels, owing to this "glacis" or
outer casing, could not be lowered by ordinary davits. I therefore purpose lowering
them by means of a double elongating lever fitted with counterpoise and guide rod,
as shown in Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12. It will be seen by Figures 9 and 12 that
when the ship was in action the lowering apparatus would be safe under cover of
the "glacis."
I claim,―
First. An arrangement of shutters which will rise or fall automatically, or be
raised and lowered by direct mechanical means, as shewn in the first part of this
Specification.
Second. Also the arrangements by which a ship is permanently fitted with a
moveable inner skin of leak matting, which may be shifted upwards or downwards
at pleasure by means of drums, in order to cover any hole or damaged part of the
ship. This is also fully set forth in paragraph 1 of this Specification.
Third. Also the sunken deck with slide doors opening into water-tight compart-
ments for the better protection of the crew and boats which be placed thereon; the
boats would be covered by a traverse to protect them from the air concussion of
the heavy guns and unburnt cubes of powder.
.
Fourth. I claim the arrangement of letting down propeller wells at any part of
the ship's bottom into bilge channels, as fully shewn in paragraph 2 of this Specifi-

page_text: cation, and placing screws therein for the purpose of propelling the vessel. I also
claim the arrangement of connecting such wells together with pipes and also with
lateral pipes opening out into the sea, which may be employed in steering the ship,
as shewn in this same paragraph.
Fifth. I also claim the arrangement of bisecting the boss of the screw and con-
necting it by a crank pin, or by connecting together two small propellers with a
crank pin, and working them by means of a beam engine, as fully shown by plans
in the last part of paragraph 2 and Figure 5.
Sixth. I claim the arrangement of hydraulic hoists for guns or cargo, as shewn in
paragraph 3 of this Specification, and also the manner of lowering it by a turbine
pump worked by bevel gearing attached to the propeller shaft.
Seventh. I claim, this turbine pump worked as above as a bilge pump for draining
the ship.
Eighth. I also claim the improved steering apparatus by paddle wheels, as fully
shewn in paragraph 5.
Ninth. I claim the adoption of a revolving camera obscura for observing the
movements of an enemy without exposing crew.
Tenth. I also claim the improved steering apparatus explained in paragraph 7 of
this Specification, and shewn in Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12.
In witness thereof, I, the said Henry Bathurst Hanna, havo hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.