Improvements in the Construction and Fitting of Steam and other Ships.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction and Fitting of Steam and
other Ships.
I GEORGE BURTON HUNTER of Wallsend in the County of Northumberland
Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
:―
The main objects of this invention are to produce a form and construction of
steam ship or other vessel which may be more economically constructed, propelled
and worked, and which will be durable and accessible for repairs and possess greater
safety; also to allow of the use of machine-flanged plates and the application of
machinery for rivetting the plates together in situ, and the substitution of iron, steel
or other metal, or increased thickness or strength of iron, steel or other metal as
a substitute for wood ceiling or limber or covering. boards and for cement or asphalte
or other protecting composition.
According to my invention I construct the vessel square or nearly square in
transverse section and without sheer, with straight or nearly straight frames, floors
and beams and hollow bilge keels.
The vessel may have either a complete or partial cellular double bottom, say for
water ballast, or it may have an ordinary bottom, as may be deemed most desirable
for the object to be obtained in each particular case.
If a cellular bottom hereinafter called a tank is required I preferably construct
it with a well or wells or channel or gutter keel or keels at or near each bilge, in
which I rivet the tank side plates, the bottom of these plates having preferably a
horizontal flange through which rivets are passed into and through the bottom of
the keel. A well is this formed on each side to drain the tank and the holds
separately. By this construction together with increased thickness of the bottom
the cement usually required to protect the platings for filling up the usual hollows
will be dispensed with.
I preferably add a central false keel which with the side keels will give a good
base on which the vessel may rest when docked or beached.
A hollow or gutter keel in the centre or thereabouts may be adopted in lieu of
this central false keel, and in this case I preferably continue one of the side plates
forming such keel to above the bottom plating, so that the central keelson may be
attached to it; or I extend the central keelson to the bottom of the hollow keel
and flange and rivet it thereto, and I increase the thickness of the iron, steel or
other metal of which the hollow keel or gutter is formed in order to give it the
requisite strength.
To avoid or diminish broken stowage by stringers and keelsons I preferably place
them on the outside of the vessel, whereby I form fenders combined with stringers
and keelsons, thus giving the necessary strength to resist side compression and
other strains. These fenders and external stringers or keelsons may be formed by
angle irons combined with a plate stringer or wood fender, or by a channel iron and
angle irons or by flanged plates combining channel and angle irons, or by flanging
the vessel's plating so as to be united to channel iron or steel; but of course if these
external stringers or keelsons are not desired internal stringers and keelsons can be
fitted as usual.
The cellular bottom may be formed by longitudinal keelsons secured to the
bottom plating and tank-top,-by flanging preferred,-and to which floor plates are
rivetted spaced either as usual or as I prefer alternately, that is to say the floor
plates between two keelsous come between or as it were break joint with those
between the next adjoining keelsons. If in this alternate arrangement the floor
plates are placed far apart there may be intermediate brackets, knees or other

page_text: stiffeners for the bottom and the tank-top. Or the plating of the ship's bottom and
tank top can be thickened to compensate for want of the usual intermediate floor
support and the absence of wood ceiling and protective compositions before
referred to.
I preferably dispense with frames and reverse frames in the tank wholly or
partially and flange the floors and connect them by that means to the ship's plating
and tank-top.
I preferably carry the central keelson through the tank-top which may be flanged
upwards to connect to it. The central keelson can then be secured to the pillars or
to a central bulkhead.
For strength and simplicity of construction it is preferred that the vessel be
without sheer as already hereinbefore stated.
For the better protection of the crew it is preferred that the look-out be from a
tower forward which will also protect the windlass and capstan and may also give
access to the men's quarters below, and that entrance to the engine space, cabins
and officers' or crew's quarters when at sea or in bad weather may be from the top
of high casings above the engine space or at the after end of the vessel, and that
the vessel be steered and navigated wholly or partly from the said top of casings.
It is preferred to carry a high gangway at centre line of the vessel from the said
casings to the top and fore part of the vessel, and such gangway may form an
integral part of the structure or framework of the vessel.
It is preferred that the machinery be placed well aft and that twin screw
propulsion be resorted to, as it is not intended to depend on sails for propulsion.
In order that the screw propellers may be kept as far aft as practicable without
exposing them unnecessarily it is preferred to have a rudder of the balanced
description.
With the object of dispensing with wood work as far as practicable 1 in some
instances dispense with wood ceiling by thickening the tank top except perhaps.
immediately under the hatches, where ceiling may be fitted.
To prevent the cargo getting into the side channels, gutters or hollow keels I
cover them by a plate or plates hinged or not hinged as may be found more
desirable, but capable of being lifted to allow of cleansing the channels and pump
strums &c. I have holes in the said plate or plates through which water may pass
from the cargo and engine compartments to the said channel &c., and preferably I
fit the said plate or plates below the level of the inner bottom so as to hold drainage
water and prevent it washing from side to side. In some cases I fit over the said
holes covers controlled from above the load water line of the vessel so that the
holes may be closed when desirable for the safety of the vessel. The plates above
described for covering the side channels or hollow keels should preferably be below
the level of the tank top so as to more readily receive and intercept any water on
the tank top and to more effectually drain the compartments of the vessel.
To facilitate the fitting and removal of the shifting boards it is preferred to form
the pillars of channel iron or L-iron, in the grooves or sides of which the shifting
boards may be fitted.
In order that the operations of loading and discharging the cargo may be
rendered as simple and expeditious as possible, I preferably make the hatches or
hatch coamings continuous or nearly so, and preferably provide the hatches with
portable metal hatch covers made watertight by india rubber or other suitable*
material, so dispensing with tarpaulins, and in order that the hatch covers may be
strong I preferably make them of iron, steel or other metal and dish or cone them
upwards. Guides or lugs may be fitted to these covers and project below the water-
tight case on the coaming for their protection, and also to guide the covers when
being shipped into their places.
I preferably raise the central part of the deck between the side hatches so as to
be level or nearly so with the top of the hatch coamings.
To simplify the anchoring arrangements it is preferred to fit the hawse pipe or
pipes in the hull or bottom of the vessel so that the anchor or anchors may be lifted i

page_text: and housed inside a suitable recess or recesses formed in the hull, and so that the
anchor may be worked from within the tower forward which has been already
described.
The forward part of the vessel is preferably inclined upward, and the recess or
recesses in which the anchor or anchors are housed should be at approximately right
angles to this inclination.
As it will be desirable to fit fore and after gangways which will be by preference
placed at the centre of the ship, continuous side hatches (instead of or in addition
to centre line hatchways) may be conveniently arranged. The gangways may be
made portable if found desirable.
If it is intended to adapt the vessel for passenger traffic the deck carrying the
cabins and promenade spaces may be built above the hull, leaving space for the
water to wash underneath and for the cargo or coaling hatchways and winches and
other apparatus of the vessel to be kept clear of the space required for passengers.
Dated this 6th day of January 1892.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction and Fitting of Steam and
other Ships.
1, GEORGE BURTON HUNTER of Wallsend in the County of Northumberland
Shipbuilder, 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 :-
The main objects of this invention are to produce a form and construction of
steam ship or other vessel which may be more economically constructed, propelled
and worked, and which will be durable and accessible for repairs and possess
greater safety; also to allow of the use of machine flanged plates and the appli-
cation of machinery for rivetting the plates together in situ, and the substitution
of iron, steel or other metal, or increased thickness or strength of iron, steel or
other metal as a substitute for wood ceiling or limber or covering boards and for
cement or asphalte or other protecting composition.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I annex a sheet of drawings
illustrative of a steam ship in the construction and fitting of which some of my
improvements are embodied and also illustrating several modifications or alternative
constructions of various parts. In these drawings
Figure A is a longitudinal section of the ship.
Figure B a deck plan.
Figure C a partial mid-ship section showing a tank with false keel, and
Figure D a sectional plan on the line a b.
Figure E is a cross section of a tank with gutter keel and centre keelson
attached to the keel.
Figure F is a sectional plan on the line c d of Figure E.
Figure G is a cross section of the middle portion of a tank with gutter keel
and keelson in centre of same.
Figures HI and J are sections of several forms of outside stringers.
Figure K is a cross section showing a side or bilge keel, tank, tank knees &c.
According to my invention I construct the vessel square or nearly square in
transverse section and preferably without sheer and with straight or nearly
straight frames, floors and beams and with hollow keel or keels.
The vessel may have either a complete or partial cellular double bottom, say
for water ballast, or it may have an ordinary bottom, as may be deemed most
desirable for the object to be obtained in each particular case.

page_text: If a cellular bottom, generally called a tank, is required I construct it with a
well or wells or channel or gutter side keel or keels as seen at 1 in Figures C
and K, in which I rivet the tank side plates 2 the bottom of these plates having
preferably a horizontal flange through which rivets are passed into and through
the bottom of the keel. A well 3, 4 is thus formed on each side of the tank side
plates to drain the tank and the holds separately. By this construction together
with increased thickness of the bottom the cement usually required to protect the
platings for filling up the usual hollows may be dispensed with.
I add a central false keel 5 (Figure C) which with the two side keels will give
a good base on which the vessel may rest when docked or beached.
A hollow or gutter keel in the centre as illustrated at 6 in Figures E and G may
be adopted in lieu of the central false keel 5, and in this case I preferably extend
the central keelson to the bottom of the hollow keel 6 as seen at 9 in Figures E F
and G and flange it and rivet it thereto, and I increase the thickness of the iron,
steel or other metal of which the hollow keel or gutter is formed in order to give
it the requisite strength.
To avoid or diminish broken stowage by stringers I according to another. part
of my invention place the stringers on the outside of the vessel whereby I form
fenders combined with stringers, thus giving the necessary strength to resist side
compression and other strains. These fenders and external stringers may be formed
by angle irons combined with a plate stringer or wood fender as shown at 10 in
Figure C; or by a channel iron and angle irons as shown in Figure H; or by
flanged plates combining channel and angle irons as shown in Figure I; or by
flanging the vessel's plating so as to be united to channel iron or steel as shown in
Figure J.
The cellular bottom may be formed by longitudinal keelsons as shown at 9, 11,
and 12 (Figures C, D, E, F and G) secured to the bottom plating and tank-top
by flanging or otherwise and to which floor plates 13 are rivetted. These floor
plates I space alternately, as seen in Figures E and F, that is to say the floor
plates between two keelsons come between or as it were break joint with those
between the next adjoining keelsons. If in this alternate arrangement the floor
plates are placed far apart there may be intermediate brackets, knees or other
stiffeners 14 for the bottom and the tank-top. The plating of the ship's bottom
and tank-top can be thickened to compensate for want of the usual intermediate
floor support and the absence of wood ceiling and protective compositions before
referred to.
1 preferably dispense with frames and reverse frames in the tank wholly or
partially and flange the floors and connect them by that means to the ship's plating
and tank top as seen in Figure C.
I may carry the central keelson see 11 Figure C through the tank-top which
may be flanged upwards to connect to it. The central keelson can then be secured
to the pillars as shown or to a central bulkhead.
For strength and simplicity of construction it is preferred that the vessel be
without sheer as already hereinbefore stated and as shown in Figure A, but sheer
may be given if desired.
For the better protection of the crew it is preferred that the look-out be from
a tower forward (see 15 Figures A and B) which will also protect the windlass or
capstan and may also give access to the men's quarters below by means of a
ladder 16, and that entrance to the engine space, cabins and officers' or crew's
quarters when at sea or in bad weather may be from the top of high casings above
the engine space or at the after end of the vessel as indicated at 17 in Figures A
and B and that the vessel be steered and navigated wholly or partly from the said
top of casings as indicated at 18. I carry a high gangway 19 at centre line of
the vessel from the said casings to the top, and fore part of the vessel, and such
gangway forms an integral part of the structure or framework of the vessel and
is used to assist in supporting or staying the appliances for working the cargo.
As will be well understood on reference to Figure C the gangway 19 is supported

page_text: by diagonal or inclined struts 19* permanently fixed to the coamings or to the
deck.
It is preferred that the machinery be placed well aft and that twin screw
propulsion be resorted to as it is not intended to depend on sails for propulsion.
With the object of dispensing with wood-work as far as practicable I in some
instances dispense with wood ceiling by thickening the tank top except perhaps
immediately under the hatches, where ceiling may be fitted.
To prevent the cargo getting into the side channels, gutters or hollow keels l
cover them by a plate or plates as shown at 22 in Figures C, E and K and these plates.
may be hinged or not hinged as may be found more desirable, but capable of being:
lifted to allow of cleansing the channels and pump strums, &c. I have holes in the
said plate or plates through which water may pass from the cargo and engine com-
partments to the said channel, &c., and preferably I fit the said plate or plates
below the level of the inner bottom as is seen in Figures C, E and K so as to hold
drainage water and prevent it washing from side to side. In some cases I fit over
the said holes covers 23 Figure K controlled from above the load water line of the
vessel so that the holes may be closed when desirable for the safety of the vessel.
Or the plates 22 may be fixed and have holes in them some of these holes being
normally closed by covers which can be removed when it is necessary to clear the
bilges while others are normally open but can be closed by covers controlled from..
above the load water line as and for the purpose already described..
In order that the operations of loading and discharging the cargo may be rendered
as simple and expeditious as possible, I preferably make the hatches or hatch.
coamings 25 Figures B and C continuous or nearly so, and preferably provide the
hatches with portable metal hatch covers 26 made water tight by india rubber or
other suitable material, so dispensing with tarpaulins, and in order that the hatch
covers 26 may be strong I preferably make them of iron, steel or other metal and
dish them or cone them upwards as seen in Figures A and C. Guides or lugs may
be fitted to these covers and project below the watertight case on the coaming for
their protection, and also to guide the covers when being shipped into their
places.
I preferably raise the central part of the deck between the side hatches so as to
be level or nearly so with the top of the hatch coamings, see 27 Figure C.
To simplify the anchoring arrangements I according to another part of my
invention fit the hawse pipe or pipes in the hull or bottom of the vessel (see 28.
Figure A) so that the anchor or anchors 29 may be lifted and housed inside a
suitable recess or recesses 30 formed in the hull, and so that the anchor may be.
worked from within the tower 15. The forward part of the vessel is preferably
inclined upward as seen in Figure A and the recess or recesses 30 in which the
anchor or anchors are housed should be at approximately right angles to this
inclination, as illustrated.
As it will be desirable to fit fore and after gangways which will be by preference.
placed at the centre of the ship, continuous side hatches (instead of or in addition
to centre line hatchways) may be conveniently arranged. The gangways may be
made portable if found desirable.
In constructing a vessel for passenger traffic I according to another part of my
invention build the deck carrying the cabins and promenade spaces above the hull at
a sufficient height to leave space not only for the water to wash underneath but also-
for the cargo or coaling hatchways and winches and other apparatus of the vessel
to be fitted below this deck and therefore kept clear of the space required for
passengers. This part of my invention is illustrated in Figure C but I have shown
it in dotted lines because the particular form of vessel represented in this figure is
not one to which I would apply this part of my invention. 31 is the deck, and
32, 32 the cabins or deck houses. The deck is supported by beams 33 carried by
stanchions 34 and is protected by rails 35. There are rails 36 to the main
leck 38. 37 illustrates by way of example a crane being one of the many cargo.

page_text: appliances which are or may be carried on the main deck 38 and worked in the
space between that and the cabin deck 31.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim in respect of the construction and fitting of steam and other ships is :-
1. Constructing ships square or nearly square in transverse section and with
hollow or gutter side keels and with a false or hollow central keel, the side keels
and the central keel together constituting a base upon which the vessel may rest
when docked or beached, substantially as herein before described.
2. Constructing ships with a double well at each bilge the one part of such well
forming a portion of and serving to drain the tank and the other part being outside
the tank and serving to drain the holds, the tank side plates constituting the division
between the said parts, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination with hollow or gutter keels or wells at or near the bilges, of
covering plates situated at or below the level of the tank top these plates having.
holes for drainage with or without covers to these holes controlled from above the
load water line, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The construction of ships with a hollow or gutter central keel and a central
keelson extending to the bottom of said keel, where it is flanged and to which it is
rivetted, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The construction of a cellular bottom with longitudinal keelsons and with
Hoor plates between these keelsons spaced alternately that is to say so that the floor
plates between two keelsons come between or break joint with those between the
next adjoining keelsons substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. In the construction of ships the combination substantially as herein before
described of hollow side keels a false or hollow central keel, and a cellular bottom
formed with longitudinal keelsons and alternately spaced floor plates as set
forth.
7. The construction of ships with external stringers substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
8. The construction of ships with the hawse pipe or pipes in the hull or bottom
and with one or more recesses in the hull to house the anchor or anchors whereby
the anchor or anchors can be worked through the bottom of the vessel, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
9. The construction of ships with a high permanent gangway constituting an
integral part of the structure or framework of the ship, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
10. Constructing ships with a deck above the hull the said deck having cabins
and promenade spaces as herein before described whereby space is left for the water
to wash underneath and the cargo or coaling hatchways and winches or other
apparatus of the vessel can be kept clear of the space required for passengers.
Dated this 7th day of November 1892.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent.Agent.