IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WAR AND MERCHANT SHIPS
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Hugh Bowlsby Willson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
February 1863.
I, HUGH BOWLSBY WILLSON, of Quebec, Lower Canada, but now residing at
Montague Place, Russell Square, in the County of Middlesex, Barrister-at-
Law, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF WAR AND MERCHANT SHIPS," to be as follows:-
The main object of this Invention is so to construct war and merchant vessels
that although built of large capacity they shall be able to navigate shallow
waters and obtain high speed with moderate power. To this end I form the
hull of a vessel in midship cross section of a figure approaching that of a
parallelogram, the lower immersed angles being rounded off to mitigate
resistance and the more readily to deflect wave undulations, and for the same
reason I also curve the bottom or floor downwards from a few feet on each
side of the keel, which thus becomes enclosed inside the ship's skin from end
to end. The rest of the floor is made long and level to give buoyancy and
prevent the ship from pitching deeply into the seas. This enables me to give
a finer entrance and run, which I prefer to be slightly hollowed to lessen
resistance. The longitudinal as well as the general strength of the ship I
secure by carrying a central wall, constructed in the same manner as the side

page_text: walls, from the keel, to which it is fastened at all points, up to the main deck
so far fore and aft as may be necessary to obtain adequate strength; and in
cases where the necessary stiffness cannot be thus gained I spring an arch
nearly from one end of the vessel to the other, so as to make it constitute a
part of the structure of the central wall, which arch may be carried above the
upper deck in merchant vessels to such height as may seem needful. This
central wall also adds security to the ship by dividing it into two longitudinal
and equal water-tight compartments. The transverse girders extend from
either side the vessel's framing to the central wall or great longitudinal girder,
and are firmly secured thereto, by which means the central wall or girder
remains unbroken and unimpaired in strength.
In order to steer ships of war constructed in this manner, and more especially
such as are intended to go either end foremost, and to be used as rams, I
provide two rudders, which are placed in a line with the ship's keel between
the ends of the great central girder and the vessel's ends, mounting them so
that they may be raised into chambers in order that only one may be used at
a time if desired, or into which they will be pressed upwards in case of
coming in contact with the bottom. Rudders so placed under the ship's
bottom have always a uniform action on the water and are free from accidents
in action, and by using both on such occasions great command over the ship
is obtained. Each rudder is mounted on a pendent vertical spindle or stock
which passes down from the wheel house and is suspended by weights which
nearly counterbalance it. This spindle turns freely in a bottom bearing that
works in vertical guides in the chambers intended to receive the rudder.
When, therefore, the rudder meets an obstruction, the bottom bearing, with
the spindle and rudder, being nearly balanced by the weights, will be pushed
upwards by a small degree of pressure. The weights are prevented from
oscillation when the ship rolls or pitches by vertical guides.
When building this improved construction of ship for war purposes I
propose to render them applicable for carrying one or more of the largest-sized
mortars or guns by providing mortar beds of timber, which shall so distribute
and neutralize the shock of the recoil as to protect the ship from injury.
Across that part of the hull intended to carry the mortar or heavy gun I throw
transverse arched girders, which are firmly secured to the walls of the vessel
(in addition to the middle deck girders) which pass through the spaces to be
left between the timbers; and within the spaces circumscribed by these arches
and the outer walls and floor I place layers of timber arranged alternately
transversely and longitudinally, leaving spaces, between the baulks of each

page_text: layer equal to the dimensions of the timbers. These timbers I bolt firmly
together, and thus make a massive framing or bed for receiving the mortar or
gun, which, when fired, can only affect the ship's structure through the dead-
ening influence of this elastic bed; such beds being placed between water-tight
compartments may be filled with water to prevent ignition from hot shot
should they find their way into them. Where the central wall is used the
mortar beds must be made to conform to its position and duties.