IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS OF AND Doon WAR, AND IN PROPELLORS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George William Hart, of No. 9, Stanley Terrace,
Southsea, in the Parish of Portsea, in the County of Hants, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS OF
AND
DoonnezANG BAD
23
Sealed the 12th April 1861, and dated the 22nd October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George William Hart
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd October 1860.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM HART, of No. 9, Stanley Terrace, Southsea, in the
Parish of Portsea, in the County of Hants, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
VESSELS OF WAR, AND IN PROPELLORS FOR THE SAME," to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention relates to that part of vessels of war called
the ports, being spaces through which the guns are fired, and the plan upon
which I construct them is as follows:-In lieu of the present shaped ports,
which are rectangular, 1 make circular apertures in the sides of the vessel,
into which I fix either entire spheres or such parts of spheres as are most
Suitable for the purpose, and which spheres work and are capable of being
revolved, and are held within the said circular apertures by what is commonly
known as the ball-and-socket joint; and I make a suitable perforation through
the said sphere for the purpose of running the gun through and firing through
Price 8d.]

page_text: the said aperture in any direction without permitting shot or shell from with-
out to enter. And for the further purpose of security I so construct the funnels
of such ships of war that no shell can be thrown down them, which purpose I
effect by inserting in the said funnel or chimney at or about the height of the
deck a series of tubes, scrolls, sheets, bars, or plates of iron or other metal, in
any suitable form which shall effectually prevent a shell from being thrown
down the said funnel into the interior of the ship, where the explosion of it
would probably cause an explosion of the boilers and the consequent loss of
the vessel.
And further, in order to prevent damage to the rudder or rudder post by shot, I
cause the upper portion of the rudder to be carried though a shaft at the stern
part of the vessel in such way that it is protected from damage by shot; and
in some cases, where required, I prefer to hang the rudder within the dead
wood of the vessel instead of attaching it to it in the usual way.
The screw propellor I prefer to make of such form as that the portion of
each blade nearest the shaft shall merge gradually into the circumference of
such shaft instead of forming a radius to it as at present, and the outer end of
each blade or the part furthest from the shaft shall recede gradually from such
shaft and the face of such blade, at the same time gradually rising from being
parallel to the shaft, until at the termination of the blade it forms a radius to
the shaft either at right angles or inclined towards the stern or forward part.
of the shaft, as preferred.
SPECIFICATION
in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George William Hart in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 22nd April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, GEORGE
WILLIAM HART, of No. 9, Stanley Terrace, Southsea, in the Parish of Portsea,
in the County of Hants, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George William Hart. Her special licence that I, the said George
William Hart, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George William Hart, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at

page_text: 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 THE CONSTRUCTION IN VESSELS OF WAR, AND IN PROPELLORS FOR
THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George William
Hart, 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 George William Hart, 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:-
The first part of this Invention relates to those parts of vessels of war called
the ports, being spaces through which the guns are fired; the plan upon which
I construct them is as follows;--In lieu of the present shaped ports, which
are rectangular, I make circular apertures in the sides of the vessel, into
which I fix either entire spheres or such parts of spheres as are most suitable
for the purpose, and which spheres work and are capable of being revolved
and are held within the said circular apertures by what is commonly known
as the ball-and-socket joint; and I make a suitable perforation through the
said sphere for the purpose of running the gun through and firing through the
said apertures in any direction without permitting shot or shell from without
to enter.
Figure shews a section of the ball-and-socket port, constructed as above
described. A is the framing of the ship's side, with timber packing: B is the
outer skin, with the angle iron; C, are brackets, stays, or knees, which are
placed one on each side of each frame or rib and bolted through it: D is
the iron socket. made for convenience in three rings, and bolted together
as shewn E and F. linings of brass or gun metal: the outer one is made up
in segments, so as to yield to any inequality on the surface of the ball: G is
the iron sheathing of the ship; H. an additional protecting ring of iron. The
segmental ring F is backed by a yielding packing, or may be made elastic by
a backing of metal springs. Figure 2 is a front view of the same arrange-
ment. with the ring H and iron sheathing G removed. In this Figure
A. A. A. A. shews the timber packing between the frames; B, B, B. are the
frames or ribs C, C, C, are the brackets, stays, or knees, which are bolted, as

page_text: shewn, through the ribs and to one another; D, D. D. is the iron socket.
which is conveniently made octagonal on the outside; E, E, are pivots, on which
the ball rests, and which traverse in the grooves G, G: F, F, are rollers on
the pivots E. E. It is sometimes preferred to bring the upper parts of the
brackets C, C, in front of and without the iron sheathing G, which is then
recessed for the reception of such brackets. Figure 3 is a horizontal section.
taken through the ball and pivots. For the further purpose of security I so
construct the funnels of ships of war that no shell can be thrown down them,"
which purpose I effect by inserting in the said funnel or chimney at or about
the height of the deck a series of tubes, scrolls, sheets, bars, or plates of iron
or other metal, in any suitable form which shall effectually prevent a shell from
being thrown down the said funnel into the interior of the ship, where the
explosion of it would probably cause an explosion of the boilers and the com-
sequent loss of the vessel. Figure 4 is a horizontal section of a funnel
constructed according to this part of my Invention; and Figure 5 is a vertical
section of the same. In this view the obstruction to the entrance of shells
consists of concentric pipes C, C, C, C, supported by the cross bearers B. B.
by this means no aperture is left sufficiently large for the passage of a shell or
anything that would damage the engines or boilers of a 'sicam ship. In lieu
of these tubes I sometimes place a series of plates parallel to each other within
the funnel, or the plates may be convoluted, or the tubes differently arranged,
or the passage may be obstructed by a series of cross bars, or more than one
set of cross bars may be employed, the different sets being then placed at
intervals apart in the funnel; but it is not necessary to describe these by
Drawings as they will be sufficiently understood. It is preferred to place the
obstruction on a level with or a little above the uppermost deck of a ship.
Further, in order to prevent damage to the rudder or rudder post by shot, L
cause the upper portion of the rudder to be carried through a shaft at the
stern part of the vessel in such way that it is protected from damage by shot,
and in some cases, where required. I prefer to hang the rudder within the
dead wood of the vessel instead of attaching it to it in the usual way. Figure 6
is a view of the stern of a ship. shewing the position of the two rudders A, A.
one on either side of B, the dead wood of the ship: Figure 7 is an elevation
of same.
A is the rudder; B, the dead wood: C. a timber rudder post with
a rabit, into which the planking E is laid; D is an iron rudder post, in the
shape of a band passing down one side under the keel and up the other side of
the dead wood, serving at once to hang the rudder on, and also to strengthen
the dead wood of a timber ship, where it is at present so much weakened by
the channel, for the propeller shaft. The rudders are hung in the usual way.

page_text: Figure 8 shews the position of the rudders in relation to the water lines on
the half-breadth plan of the ship: Figure 9 shews a plan of the position of the
rudders when laid fore and aft, or not in action. The same letters refer to the
same parts. Figure 10 shows the like, with one rudder in action; Figure 11
is a plan, shewing the method adopted for steering with two rudders, as
described; A, A, indicate the positions of the rudders; B, B, are rudder heads.
passing through the shafts b. b; C, C. tillers, having a groove in each. in
which the pieces D slide; E is a metallic plate with a slot, which also slides
along the pins D: F. are the tiller ropes, which are worked in the nsual
manner; Figure 12 is an elevation of the same. Now, it is evident from
the position of the rudders and their respective tillers in connection with
the plate E, that on the plate E being drawn to the right the pin D will be
moved by it in the same direction, carrying with it the tiller C and throwing
the rudder A outwards, whilst the pin D' will not he affected, but the slide will
pass along it, consequently the tiller C¹ and rudder A' will remain stationary;
on the motion being reversed the converse movements will be made.
The screw propeller I prefer to make of such form as that the portion of
each blade nearest the shaft shall merge gradually into the circumference of
such shaft instead of forming a radius to it as at present, and the outer end of
each blade or the part furthest from the shaft shall recede gradually from such
shaft and the face of such blade, at the same time gradually rising from being
parallel to the shaft, until at the termination of the blade it forms a radius to
the shaft either at right angles or inclined towards the stern or forward part
of the shaft. as preferred. Figure 13 shews the screw propellor; the entering
part A is parallel to the shaft, but the following edge B forms a radius to the
shaft, and is inclined forwards or aft, as preferred, or may be at right angles to
it: Figure 14 is a view of same from behind.
In witness whereof, I, the said George William Hart, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
GEO. W. HART. (.s.)