IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARMOUR PLATES FOR SHIPS, FORTS, AND BATTERIES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wheatley, Captain in the Royal Navy, of
No. 9, Glücks Strasse, Munich, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARMOUR
PLATES FOR SHIPS, FORTS, AND BATTERIES."
Sealed the 27th May 1863, and dated the 2nd December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wheatley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd December 1862.
I, JOHN WHEATLEY, Captain in the Royal Navy, of No. 9, Glücks Strasse,
Munich, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARMOUR
PLATES FOR SHIPS, FORTS, AND BATTERIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of ships
of war, and in the manufacture of armour plates for ships, forts, and batteries.
For these purposes in constructing a ship of war according to my Invention,
I form the bow with a sharp projecting grub or crab, at an angle of about 25°
with the keel, and propel the vessel by paddle wheels and screw or by screws,
the wheels when used working independently, so as to steer the vessel thereby.
The rudder is to be supported by chocks acting like a common vice. In order
to be able to mount guns of large calibre and power (say thirteen inches and

page_text: twenty tons weight, smooth bore,) in or near the centre of the vessel, pointing
in a line with the keel, I construct a glacis plated over with armour plates,
and over the whole fore part of the vessel, and extending to the front of the
paddle boxes.
Another part of my Invention consists in a mode of manufacturing armour
plates, for which purpose the armour plates are to be rolled or formed with
external parallel projecting ribs. or latticework at a distance apart less than
the diameter of a shot or projectile which would be thrown against a ship,
fort, or battery, protected or coated with armour plates, with the knowledge
that the same would pass through the plating if of the ordinary construction.
I believe it will be found, as a general rule, that balls or other projectiles less
than four inches diameter cannot be used with effect against armour plates
such as are now employed, and therefore if the parallel projecting ribs or
latticework have a minimum space between them of less than four inches,
when using a like quantity of iron in each square foot of the plating, no shot
or other projectile which would be used could enter between two neighbouring
ribs or lattice opening, so as to strike the surface of the plate on which the
projecting ribs or lattices are formed, without first injuring one or both of two
neighbouring ribs. In practice, when working according to my Invention,
the thickness of the plates on which the projecting parallel ribs are formed, and
the thickness of the plate where 'the ribs or lattices are situated, may be greatly
varied, depending on the quantity of iron to be used in each square foot of the
armour plates; thus, supposing about the same quantity of iron is to be
employed for each square foot as is now employed in making armour plates
four and a half inches thick, then according to my Invention I should prefer
to make the thickness of the plates intermediate of the ribs about three inches
thick, with spaces between the ribs or lattices of about three and three quarter
inches, then where the ribs or lattices come the thickness should be about six
inches. These dimensions, and also the quantity of iron used for each square
foot of the armour plating, may, as above stated, be varied, keeping in mind,
however, at all times that the projecting ribs or lattice openings shall not be
at such a distance apart as will admit a ball or projectile (which would be
capable of penetrating the thickness of the armour plates between the ribs) to
pass between two neighbouring ribs or lattice bars.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Wheatley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd June 1863.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WHEATLEY, Capt in the Royal Navy, of No. 9, Glücks Strasse, Munich,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said. John Wheatley, Her special licence that I, the said John
Wheatley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Wheatley, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF ARMOUR PLATES, FOR SHIPS, FORTS, AND BATTERIES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Wheatley, 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 John Wheatley, 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of ships
of war, and in the manufacture of armour plates for ships, forts, and batteries.
For these purposes, in constructing a ship of war according to my Invention, I
form the bow with a sharp projecting grab or crab bow at an angle of about
25° with the keel, and propel the vessel by paddle wheels and screw, or by
screws, the wheels when used working independently, so as to steer the vessel
thereby. The rudder is to be supported by chocks, acting like a common vice.
In order to be able to mount guns of large calibre and power (say, thirteen

page_text: inches and twenty tons weight, smooth bore) in or near the centre of the
vessel, pointing in a line with the keel, I construct a glacis plated over with
armour plates, and over the whole fore part of the vessel and extending to the
front of the paddle boxes.
Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a side view partly in section; and Figure 35
is a transverse section taken at the line 1, 1, Figure 1, of the fore part of a
war vessel, constructed according to my Invention, and adapted to be pro-
pelled by paddle wheels, acting either in conjunction with a screw or screws or
otherwise. It will be seen that the guns are placed a little forward of the
centre of the vessel, where a casemated battery is formed, rendered shot-
proof by armour plates. The guns are mounted on slides, so as to fire through
embrasures; they are placed parallel the one to the other, and have no power
of training the guns, being laid on to the mark by the steerage of the ship.
The form given to the fore part of the ship will cause it on running into
another vessel to rise on striking the blow, and then the weight of the ship
tends to force under the adverse vessel, and will do so if the blow be struck
with sufficient power. The armour-plated glacis will deflect off any shots
which may strike it, and will in most cases throw them up clear of the
battery, as before mentioned. I employ two screw chocks, one on each side of
the rudder; these being screwed will nip or hold the rudder in a central
position, or will support it in any desired position, the chocks being more or
less screwed up as may be required.
a
Another part of my Invention consists in a mode of manufacturing armour
plates, for which purpose the armour plates are to be rolled or formed with
external parallel projecting ribs or latticework, at a distance apart less than
the diameter of a shot or projectile which would be thrown against ship, fort,
or battery protected or coated with armour plates, with the knowledge that
the same would pass through the plating if of the ordinary construction. I
believe it will be found as a general rule that balls or other projectiles less
than four inches diameter cannot be used with effect against armour plates
such as are now employed, and therefore if the parallel projecting ribs or
latticework have a minimum space between them of less than four inches when
using a like quantity of iron in each square foot of the plating, no shot or
other projectile which would be used could enter between two neighbouring
ribs or lattice openings, so as to strike the surface of the plate on which the
projecting ribs or lattices are formed, without first injuring one or both of two
neighbouring ribs. In practice, when working according to my Invention, the
thickness of the plates on which the projecting parallel ribs are formed, and the
thickness of the plate where the ribs or lattices are situated, may be greatly

page_text: varied, depending on the quantity of iron to be used in each square foot of the
armour plates. Thus, supposing about the same quantity of iron is to be em-
ployed for each square foot as is now employed in making armour plates four
and a half inches thick, then, according to my Invention, I should prefer to make
the thickness of the plates intermediate of the ribs about three inches thick,
with spaces between the ribs or lattices of about three and three-quarter
inches, then where the ribs or lattices come the thickness should be about six
inches. These dimensions, and also the quantity of iron used for each square
foot of the armour plating, may, as above stated, be varied, keeping in mind,
however, at all times, that the projecting ribs or lattice openings shall not be
at such a distance apart as will admit a ball or projectile (which would be
capable of penetrating the thickness of the armour plates between the ribs) to
pass between two neighbouring ribs or lattice bars.
Figure 4 shews a transverse section of a portion of an armour plate, formed
as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wheatley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN WHEATLEY. (L.S.)