IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-- STRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Beaujour Sardy. at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents,. with his Petition, on the 13th May.
1862.
I, JOHN BEAUJOUR SARDY, of the City, County, and State of New York,.
now residing in the City of London,. Merchant and Shipowner, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON--
STRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR AND OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:--
The first part of said Invention relates to a novel construction of war ships
and other vessels, for the purpose of giving them greater carrying capacity, a
higher rate of speed, a much lighter draft of water, and additional strength.
and safety.
While this form of construction is applicable to vessels of all descriptions it.
is especially adapted and designed for iron or steel-clad ships of war propelled.
by machinery.
In order to obviate the difficulties heretofore experienced in the attempts to-
construct iron-clad steam ships carrying powerful machinery and formidable-
armament, which greatly increases their draft of water, three or more keels.
may be used, according to the size of the vessel, and two or more stern posts,.
having between each a central keel and "run," inclining from the after body of
the ship and terminating at the main transom. By this arrangement a very
flat bottom with easy bilges to the hull and good sailing lines can be obtained
with a greater width of beam than usual, extending very far aft, and the stern.

page_text: extending in one body above and abaft the rudders and screws to protect them,
and to be constructed for the purpose of a "battering ram" if required.
While this form of construction greatly decreases the draft of vessels as
compared with those now in use, it affords facilities for applying additional
propelling and steering apparatus. The advantage of using two or more
screw propellers or other motors to increase the speed, and having two or
more rudders with a much lighter draft of water, as secured by this mode of con-
struction, is especially desirable in vessels of war.
The second part of said Invention relates to the use of a "battering
"built on one or both ends of the said vessel for the purpose of acting
against other vessels or structures.
These battering rams are constructed with and form a part of said vessels,
thereby making them of great strength and firmness, tapering to a point, and
terminating either above, at, or below the water line, as may be desirable. If
constructed of wood they should be heavily clad with iron or steel.
I propose in building vessels of war to have their sides and ends incline
towards the centre from their water line upwards at a proper angle to glance
shot, and also to throw the weight over the centre of motion. I also propose
to attach extra timbers fore and aft, clad with iron, or to attach extra thick-
nesses of iron plates to the sides of the said vessel, if constructed of iron, at the
water line and proper angles, to prevent other vessels crushing the same. I
further propose to have the sides and deck as well as the "battering ram" or
of the said vessel suitably clad with iron or steel armour, in order that
the entire ship shall be invulnerable to shot and shell.