IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Scott, of No. 26, Parliament Street, West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS OR VESSELS."
Sealed the 17th January 1865, and dated the 26th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Scott at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
July 1864.
I, MICHAEL SCOTT, of No. 26, Parliament Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS OR VESSELS," to be as follows:―
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing ships or
vessels. It has been proposed to construct ships or vessels with a complete
skin of iron, and to apply wooden planking both externally and internally,
this planking being secured by bolts through the whole. This method of
construction has not come into use, and is objectionable principally because the
vicinity of the copper sheathing to the iron bolts will cause the rapid
destruction of the bolts.

page_text: Now one part of my Invention consists in substituting trenails for the bolts
above-mentionedI employ an iron structure, and combine therewith external
and internal planking, which I secure by means of wooden trenails driven
through both the plankings and through the iron structure, the iron structure
having holes or openings in it to allow the trenails to pass through; the two
plankings are thus drawn together, and nip the iron structure firmly between
them. The planking is caulked both externally and internally. As respects
the lower portion of the vessel from the keel for some distance up on each
side, and also as respects the parts of the vessel at the bow and stern, the iron
structure I prefer to employ is an ordinary skin supported on ribs or frames.
The butt plates of the skin I place on the outside, and then I make a flush
surface for the planking by filling in between the butt plates with thin boards;
these thin boards are also useful in preventing the trenails and outer planking
working on the iron structure.
The central portion of the vessel from where the skin above-mentioned
terminates up to some distance above the water line, I prefer to make
according to another part of my Invention. Here the iron structure is made
up of a latticework of iron bars crossing each other diagonally; the bars are
rivetted at their lower ends to the upper edge of the skin, before-mentioned,
and they are also rivetted the one to the other and to the ribs or frames where
they cross. The ribs or frames, which are made stiffer and are placed further
apart than is now usual, are firmly tied together by the diagonal bars. The
spaces between the bars are filled with thin planks of wood applied in two
layers each of the same thickness as the iron bars. The planking within the
ship is applied vertically between the ribs or frames, and it may be in com-
paratively short lengths, and the joints are caulked so that the timber becomes
firmly jammed in between the ribs or frames. It is preferred to apply the
internal planking between the ribs in two layers breaking joint. The external
planking is applied as before, and the whole is trenailed through the trenails
passing the openings in the frame of diagonal bars.
The caulking or jamming the inside planking between the ribs or frames is
an important feature of my Invention, as it gives great stiffness to the vessel,
and is more especially useful when the structure connecting the ribs or frames
is not a complete skin by a latticework of bars, as above described. The
internal planking may, if desired, be iron fastened to the iron structure or
diagonal frame, and the external planking where it comes over the diagonal
frame may be copper fastened in place of or in addition to being trenailed to
the internal planking, the bolts passing in the intervals of the diagonal frame.

page_text: Copper or mixed metal sheathing may be applied in the usual manner over
the timber planking. The upper works of the ship from a short distance over
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
Scorr, of No. 26, Parliament Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Michael Scott, Her special licence that I, the said
Michael Scott, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
J, the said Michael Scott, 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 Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS OR VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Michael Scott, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Michael Scott, 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 fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing ships or
vessels. It has been proposed to construct ships or vessels with a complete
skin of iron, and to apply wooden planking both externally and internally, this
planking being secured by bolts through the whole. This method of con-

page_text: struction has not come into use, and is objectionable principally because the
vicinity of the copper sheathing to the iron bolts will cause the rapid
'destruction of the bolts... :
Now one part of my Invention consists in substituting trenails for the bolts
above-mentioned. I employ an iron structure, and combine therewith
external and internal planking, which I secure by means of wooden trenails.
driven through both the plankings and through the iron structure, the iron
structure having holes or openings in it to allow the trenails to pass through;
the two plankings are thus drawn together, and nip the iron structure firmly
between them; the planking is caulked both externally and internally. As
respects the lower portion of the vessel from the keel for some distance up on
each side, and also as respects the parts of the vessel at the bow and stern, the
iron structure I prefer to employ is an ordinary skin supported on ribs or
frames. The butt joint covering plates of the skin I place on the outside,
and then I make a flush surface for the planking by fitting in between the
butt joint covering plates with thin boards; these thin boards are also useful
in preventing the trenails and outer planking working on the iron structure.
The central portion of the vessel from where the skin above-mentioned
terminates up to some distance above the water line I prefer to make
according to another part of my Invention. Here the iron structure is made.
up of a latticework of iron bars crossing each other diagonally; the bars are
rivetted at their lower ends to the upper edge of the skin, before-mentioned,
and they are also rivetted the one to the other and to the ribs or frames,
where they cross. The ribs or frames, which are made stiffer, and are placed
further apart than is now usual, are firmly tied together by the diagonal bars.
The spaces between the bars are filled with thin planks of wood applied in
two layers each of the same thickness as the iron bars. The planking within
the ship is applied vertically between the ribs or frames, and it may be in
comparatively short lengths, and the joints are caulked so that the timber
becomes firmly jammed in between the ribs or frames. It is preferred to
apply the interval planking between the ribs in two layers breaking joint.
The external planking is applied as before, and the whole is trenailed through
the trenails passing through the openings in the frame of diagonal bars.
The caulking or jamming the inside planking between the ribs or frames
is an important feature of my Invention, as it gives great stiffness to the
vessel, and is more especially useful when the structure connecting the ribs or
frames is not a complete skin by a latticework of bars, as above described.
The internal planking may, if desired, be iron fastened to the iron structure

page_text: or diagonal frame, and the external planking where it comes over the diagonal
frame may be copper fastened in place of or in addition to being trenailed to
the internal planking, the bolts passing through the intervals of the diagonal
frame, copper, or mixed metal sheathing may be applied in the usual manner
over the timber planking. The upper works of the ship from a short distance.
over the water line I prefer to construct as an ordinary iron ship.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to.
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
.
manner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a vessel constructed with a complete.
skin of iron such as is made when building an iron vessel in the ordinary
The skin is supported by the transverse ribs or frames a, and also
by longitudinal ribs b, b; on each side of the skin is a wooden planking, and
these are secured by wooden trenails c, c, driven through both the plankings
and through the iron skin; this is, by preference, done in the following
manner-Holes are formed through the iron skin at the requisite distance.
apart; the inner planking of wood is then erected in its place, the planks of
wood being placed parallel with the transverse ribs a, and being wedged in
between thein; holes are then bored through the planking from the exterior
to correspond with the holes in the iron skin. The outer planking is after-
wards applied with the planks of which it is composed placed at right angles
to the inner planking, and holes are bored through it from the interior of the
vessel to correspond with the holes already made in the inner planking, and
in the iron skin wooden trenails are then driven in and secured in like
manner to that employed for securing the planking of a wooden vessel; both
the internal and external plankings are afterwards caulked. Before applying
the external and internal wooden planking to the iron skin, the surface of the
skin is, by preference, made even by means of thin boards fitted in. between
those plates that project beyond the others, and also between the butt plates
which cover the joints where the ends of the plates come together. Below
the water line copper or mixed metal sheathing is applied to the outer
planking of wood in the usual manner of sheathing wooden vessels.
Figure 2 is a section of part of the side of a vessel, shewing another
example of an external and internal planking applied to an iron structure in
like manner to that above described in this vessel; the inner and outer
planking of wood is only applied to the lower portion of the iron skin of a
vessel, and is continued up so as to come just above the water line; the upper.
portion is made like an ordinary iron vessel.

page_text: Figure 8 shews a side view, and Figure 3* a transverse section of another
example of a vessel composed of an iron structure, the upper portion of which
is suitably formed for carrying armour plates, and the lower portion of which
is covered with an internal and external planking of wood in the manner
above described, and is sheathed with a yellow metal or copper sheathing.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 shew views of part of a vessel in which a portion of
the iron structure is composed of a latticework of bars, according to another
part of my Invention. Figure 4 is a vertical section, and Figure 5, a hori-
zontal section of the vessel. The lower portion of the iron structure is shewn
to be composed of an ordinary iron skin supported by suitable ribs; the
central portion is made up of a latticework of iron bars crossing each other
diagonally, and above the water line the vessel is constructed like an ordinary
iron vessel, the latticework framing might, however, if preferred, be carried
up to the top of the vessel. Figure 6 shews a portion of a side view of the
same with some of the planking removed. In these Figures a, a, are the
ribs or frames which are transverse of the vessel; these ribs are of T-iron,
and are made deeper than is usual, and are also placed wider apart from each
other than usual, whereby the weight of the framing of the vessel is not
increased; by preference they are placed at a distance of three feet apart.
To the lower portion of these ribs are connected a skin of iron plates b, and
from the edge of this skin to a short distance above the water line a lattice-
work of iron bars c, or this latticework of bars may be continued higher up
the vessel if preferred, and above this to the top of the sides of the vessel a
skin of iron plates d is attached to the ribs, as in an ordinary iron vessel. At
the extremities of the bow and stern of the vessel the ribs are covered with a
skin of iron plating, as in an ordinary iron vessel. The bars of which the
latticework is composed are rivetted together at the points where they cross
one another, and are also rivetted at their ends to the skins of iron plates
which are at the top and bottom of the vessel, and are also rivetted to the
iron ribs a. On the exterior and also on the interior of the iron structure is
placed a planking of wood; the internal planking is, by preference, applied
as is shewn in two layers, the planks of the two layers being arranged to break
joint. The planks forming each layer are fitted between the ribs or frames,
and are parallel with them, and each layer is caulked, by which the planks
become firmly wedged between the ribs; this inner planking may also, if desired,
be fastened by bolts to the iron structure, but this is not essential where the
iron ribs are covered with a skin of iron plating; the external and internal
plankings are applied and fixed in their places in the manner above described
with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3. When the iron ribs have the lattice-

page_text: work connected to them the spaces between the bars of the latticework are
filled in with two sets of boards d and e, each of the thickness of the bars of
which the latticework is composed; an even surface is so formed for the
inner and outer, planking to rest against. These boards are fitted into their
place after the internal planking has been applied,, as above described, and as
each layer of boards is put in its place it is payed over with tar, pitch, or other
suitable material; the external planking is then applied and fastened to the
inner planking by bolts passing through the intervals of the lattice frame;
these bolts may be of copper, or wooden trenails may be employed, or if iron
bolts are employed the heads of the bolts should be countersunk below the
surface of the wooden planking, the bolts or trenails being passed through the
external planking and also through the boards filling the spaces in the lattice
frame, and also through both the layers of the inner planking; the outer layer
of planking is afterwards caulked. The boards composing the outer layer of
planking are, as in the arrangement first described, placed longitudinally of
the vessel. At the top edge of the external planking is placed an angle iron f,
as is shewn, and above this the vessel is constructed like an ordinary iron
vessel. Over the outer planking of wood is fixed a copper or mixed metal
sheathing; this sheathing is not carried up quite so high as the angle iron, in
order to avoid galvanic action.
g
Figures 7, 8, and 9 shew the manner in which I prefer to apply the stern
post to a vessel constructed as above described, the stern post shewn being so
formed as to allow of a screw propeller being employed. The iron structure
at the stern of the vessel is, as before stated, covered with a skin of iron
plating g, and to this is connected the frame h, in the central opening of which
the screw works. The iron plating 9 is covered with an internal and external
covering of wood, as is shewn, the planking being secured in the manner
before described. At the extreme end of the stern the wooden planking is
secured by wooden trenails passing through the outer plaukings on both sides
of the vessel and also through the iron structure, or the bolts may simply be
driven through into the internal filling pieces of wood. The outer copper or
mixed metal sheathing is not continued up to the iron frame h, but is stopped
at the point k, as is shewn. The iron structure at the stem of the vessel is
composed of a skin of iron plating, and is covered with an internal and
external planking of wood in the same manner as at the stern.
A sectional view of the stem is shown at Figure 10. The planking on
both sides of the vessel is continued in front of the iron structure, as is shewn,
and the projecting ends of the two plankings are securely bolted together; in

page_text: some cases the planking may in a similar manner be continued beyond the stern
of the vessel..
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Scott, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
MICHAEL SCOTT. (L.B.)