IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GUN BOATS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joachim David Hinsch, of Saint Paul's Church-
yard, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF GUN BOATS."
Sealed the 15th June 1860, and dated the 17th December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joachim David Hinsch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th December 1859.
I, JOACHIM DAVID HINSCH, of Saint Paul's Churchyard, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GUN BOATS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in so constructing gun boats as that the floating or
buoyant part thereof shall be capable of being submerged in water so as to
either partially or entirely conceal it; and also in forming the battery thereof,
or that part in which guns are fixed or mounted so that it shall resist the force
of heavy shot or balls.
The following is the mode proposed to be adopted in constructing gun boats
according to this Invention; that is to say, I employ two long hollow cylinders
of metal each formed conical at one end, which constitutes the head of the boat
or twin-boat; the other and opposite end of one or both of such said cylinders,
constituting the stern, is fitted with a screw propeller actuated by suitable
machinery inside one or both of such said cylinders; or one cylinder may be

page_text: appropriated for carrying the mechanism or engine boiler and fuel necessary
for working the propelling screw, and the other cylinder may be appropriated
for ammunition, and also for the hands or crew of the boat. Midway of the
length of the aforesaid cylinders two double wedge-shape metal tubes are firmly
built to the crown of each of such said cylinders, said tubes inclining inwards
towards each other at top, so as to maintain the aforesaid floating cylinders at
some feet asunder according to the size of the boat; the aforesaid tubes extend
some few feet above the top or crown of the aforesaid cylinders, and to the
top of said tubes an open double wedge-shape hollow chamber or battery of
metal is fixed; the sides of this said chamber it is proposed to form of very thick
plates of metal or metal in combination with any elastic or yielding substance
or material capable of destroying or lessening the effect of shot or balls;
through the wedge-shaped ends of the aforesaid chamber or battery two guns
are passed, one pointing to the head and the other to the stern of the boat;
access may be had to the battery from either of the aforesaid .floating cylinders
through the aforesaid tubes, said tubes serving also for ventilation and the
passage of atmospheric air into the aforesaid cylinders, so that when such said
eylinders are entirely submerged the battery only is above the surface of the
water; the chimney of the engine may also pass up into the chamber of the
battery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joachim David Hinsch in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOACHIM
DAVID HINSCH, of Saint Paul's Churchyard, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight bundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joachim David Hinsch, Her special licerce that I, the said Joachim
David Hinsch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Joachim David Hinsch, 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

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GUN BOATS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Joachim David Hinsch, 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 Joachim David Hinsch, 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 follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in so constructing gun boats as that the floating or
buoyant part thereof shall be capable of being submerged in water, so as to
either partially or entirely conceal it, and also in forming the battery thereof,
or that part in which guns are fixed or mounted, so that it shall resist the
force of heavy shot or balls.
The following is the mode proposed to be adopted in constructing gun
boats according to this Invention, that is to say, I employ two long hollow
cylinders of metal, each formed conical at one end, which constitutes the head
of the boat or twin boat; the other and opposite end of one or both of such
said cylinders, constituting the stern, is fitted with a screw propeller, actuated
by suitable machinery inside one or both of such said cylinders, or one
cylinder may be appropriated for carrying the mechanism or engine, boiler,
and fuel necessary for working the propelling screw, and the other cylinder
may be appropriated for ammunition, and also for the hands or crew of the
boat. Midway of the length of the aforesaid cylinders two double wedge-
shape metal tubes are firmly built to the crown of each of such said cylinders,
said tubes inclining inwards towards each other at top, so as to maintain the
aforesaid floating cylinders at some feet asunder, according to the size of the
boat. The aforesaid tubes extend some few feet above the top or crown of
the aforesaid cylinders, and to the top. of said tubes an open double wedge-
shape hollow chamber or battery of metal is fixed. The sides of this said
chamber it is proposed to form of very thick plates of inetal, or metal in com-
bination with any elastic or yielding substance or material capable of destroying
or lessening the effect of shot or balls. Through the wedge-shaped ends of
the aforesaid chamber or battery two guns are passed, one pointing to the
head and the other to the stern of the boat. Access may be had to the battery
from either of the aforesaid floating-cylinders through the aforesaid tubes, said

page_text: tubes serving also for ventilation and the passage of atmospheric air into the
aforesaid cylinders, so that when such said cylinders are entirely submerged,
the battery only is above the surface of the water. The chimney of the engine
may also pass up into the chamber of the battery.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved gun boat; Figure 2, a top
plan view thereof; and Figure 3, an end view of the same. At each of the
foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote corresponding
parts in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of such said Figures
respectively.
A, A, are two long hollow cylinders of metal, formed conical at the fore
end, and connected together at a certain distance from each other by tie
rods B, B; C, C, are the sterns of the cylinders A, A, fitted each with a
screw propeller at D, D; E, E, are two double wedge-shaped metal tubes,
firmly connected by their lower ends to each of the cylinders A, A, and by
their upper ends to an open double wedge-shaped battery G; H, H, are guns,
pointing fore and aft; I, I, are stairs or ladders for establishing a communi-
cation between the interior of the cylinders A, A, and the battery G.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Gun Boats," together
with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I hereby declare my Invention to
consist in, and I claim, constructing gun boats in the manner above described
and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joachim David Hinsch, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOACHIM DAVID HINSCH.
(L.S.)