A NEW OR IMPROVED WAR SHIP AND METHOD OF STEERING THE SAME
Year: 1885

page_text: We THOMAS CORNISH of 6 Jewry Street London E.C. Mining Engineer and
BENJAMIN FINCH of 18 St. Maur Road Fulham Consulting Mechanical Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED WAR
SHIP AND METHOD OF STEERING THE SAME" to be as follows:-
"
This Invention relates to a peculiar form and general construction of War Ship
suitable either as a Gun Ship or boat alone, or as a Ram or as a combined Ram
and Gun Ship whereby the crew are protected from shot or shell and the Ship is
readily steered or manoeuvred during action.
That portion of the ship above water line is so formed that it shall present an
inclined or slightly curved surface arched both transversely and longitudinally in
order to divert the shot or shell the outline of this portion resembling the back of
a turtle but rounded at the outer edges at the water line and specially armoured
or protected at those parts for a space of some feet below and above water. line.
This inclined slightly convex outer shell roof we make of steel of suitable
resisting strength and provide beneath it at a height of say 10 feet above water line
a gun deck. At the water line itself a main deck is provided so arranged and
constructed as to form the main transverse stay of the ship. The submerged
portion of our said improved Ship consists of a double hull somewhat after the
form of a Twin Ship having a clear fore and aft water passage extending down
from water line to the lowest part of the Hull. At the bow a Ram or Spur is
provided at or about the water line and at the stern two screw propellers are
situate one on each portion of the Hull on the opposite sides of the fore and aft
passage way for the purpose of propelling the Ship said propellers being worked
independently by engines of their own. The armour plates are secured to an
outer casing of wood backed by the steel shell of the ship which is again backed
by a stratum of cork or equivalent material of any suitable thickness behind which
are situate the coal bunkers extending about 10 feet above water line down to the
engine and stoke hole floor say 10 feet below the water line thus affording safe
protection to the boilers and machinery. The usual water tight bulkheads would
of course be provided.
The steering or manoeuvring of the said ship is effected by jets of water supplied
by the propelling engines which are made to eject water at pressure from either

page_text: bow or stern of the two portions of the double hull in such way that by dis-
charging water simultaneously from the Starboard Bow and Larboard Stern or
vice versa the ship can be made to revolve on an axis within her own length in
either direction or on the other hand if either of the jets be discharged alone from
either of the two stern portions of the hull the course of the ship will be directed
as with an ordinary rudder, but without the resistance offered by a rudder whilst
at the same time the steering jet or jets assist more or less in propelling the ship.
The discharge water from the engines may be utilized for this purpose when
under way.
This power of retation would greatly enhance the utility of the said gun boats
when in action and enable them to maintain a perpetual fire of guns in rapid
succession and in any required direction.
The usual light outside upper deck or platform will be provided on the arched
roof of the ship, and a suitably protected "conning" or pilot house for the steers-
man who will have control of the several water jets hereinbefore referred to.

page_text: де ваше.
We THOMAS CORNISH of 6 Jewry Street, London, E.C. Mining Engineer and
BENJAMIN FINCH of 18 St. Maur Road, Fulbam, Consulting Mechanical Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to a peculiar form construction and arrangement of War
Ship suitable either as a Gun Ship or Boat alone, or as a Ram, or as a combined
Ram and Gun Ship, whereby. the crew are protected from shot or shell and the
ship is readily steered or manoevred during action.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed is a central longitudinal vertical section of
our improved War Ship arranged as a combined Ram and Gun Ship and showing
also the method of propelling and steering or manevring the same.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section thereof taken partly just above the Gun deck
and partly immediately beneath the main deck.
Figure 3 is a mid-ship transverse section of the improved War Ship.
α
That portion of the ship above water line is so formed that it shall present an
inclined or slightly curved surface arched both transversely (see figure 3) and
longitudinally (see figure 2) in order to divert the shot or shell, the outline of
this portion resembling the back of a turtle but rounded at the outer edges at the
water line and specially armoured or protected at those parts as shown more clearly
in Figure 3 for a space of some feet below and above water line.
This inclined slightly convex outer shell roof a we make of steel of suitable
resisting strength and provide beneath it at a height of say 10 feet more or less
above water line a gun deck b. At the water line itself a main deck c is
provided so arranged and constructed as to form the main transverse stay of the.
Ship. The submerged portion d of our said improved Ship consists of a double
Hull somewhat after the form of a twin ship having a clear fore and aft mid-
water-way or passage e extending down from about the water line to the lowest
part of the Hull which passage is closed in at the top e¹ so as to connect the two
portions d d of the Hull. At the Bow a Ram or Spur ƒ (figure 1) is provided at
or about the water line and at the stern two screw propellers g g are situate one on
each portion of the Hull on the opposite sides of the fore and aft passage way e for
the purpose of propelling the ship said propellers being worked independently by
separate engines of their own. The armour plates at h h are secured to an outer
casing of wood backed by the steel shell of the ship which is again backed by a
stratum of cork or equivalent material (Figures 2 and 3) of any suitable thickness
behind which are situate the coal bunkers extending about 10 feet above water line
down to the engine and stoke hole floor say 10 feet more or less below the water
line thus affording safe protection to the boilers and machinery.. The usual water
tight bulkheads would of course be provided.
The steering and manevring of the said ship is effected by jets of water through
pipes i fitted one in each longitudinal half or twin portion d d of the Hull and

page_text: supplied by the propelling engines which are made to eject water at a pressure
from either bow or stern of the two portions d d of the divided Hull in such way
that by discharging water simultaneously from the Starboard Bow and Larboard
Stern or vice versa the ship can be made to revolve on a vertical axis within her
own length in either direction or on the other hand if either of the jets be
discharged alone from either of the two stern portions of the Hull the course of
the ship will be directed as with an ordinary rudder but without the resistance
offered by a rudder whilst at the same time the steering jet or jets assist more or
less in propelling the ship. The direction and the number of jets in action at a
time is controlled by the Steersman by the aid of suitable regulating valves or
cocks as will be readily understood. The discharge water from the engines may
be utilized for this purpose when under way.
This power of rotation on its own vertical axis greatly enhances the utility of
the said gun boats when in action and enables them to maintain a perpetual fire of
guns in rapid succession and in any required direction.
We are aware that it has been proposed to manoeuvre ships and boats by the aid
of water jets and therefore we do not claim broadly and as a separate part of our
invention such method of manoeuvring.
The usual light outside upper deck or platform k will be provided on the arched
roof of the ship, also a suitably protected "conning" or pilot house for the Steers-
man as is well understood. who will have control of the several water jets herein-
before referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. A War Ship Gun Boat or Ram having a closed roof or covering arched or
inclined transversely and longitudinally and presenting sufficient resistance to
deflect shot or shell and a Hull the submerged portion of which is divided
longitudinally by a fore and aft mid-water-way extending from the water line to
the bottom of the Hull as specified.
2. The combination with the aforesaid divided submerged portion of the Hull of
a War Ship, Gun Boat or Ram of two independently driven screw propellers
situate respectively in the two portions of the divided Hull on opposite sides of
the fore and aft mid-water-way as specified.
3. The mode of steering and manoeuvring War Ships, Gun Boats, or. Rams
formed with a fore and aft mid-water-way in the submerged portion of the Hull
by submerged water jets situate at the bow and stern on opposite sides of the said
water-way and under the control of the Steersman as specified.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1886