Improvements in Spindle Shaped Ocean Steamers.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spindle Shaped Ocean Steamers.
I, WILLIAM LOUIS WINANS of 15 Kensington Palace Gardens, in the County
of London, Gentleman 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:-
In the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to Ross Winans, Thomas Winans
and to me, William Louis Winans, descriptions and illustrations are given of
various forins of hulls for steam vessels, differing in detail, but similar in principle.
Reference may be made to Letters Patent No. 1386 dated 19th June, 1858 (granted
to Ross Winans and Thomas Winans) and No. 1555, dated 20th June 1863,
(granted to Thomas Winans and to me). Vessels of this type have been termed
generically "spindle-shaped," as they are either true spindles, or approximate
closely to the outline of a spindle. This term, with the significance given to it in
the art of ship-building, will be employed herein.
My present invention relates to the construction of vessels of this type, and the
object thereof is to construct, for ocean navigation, a vessel, of moderate draft and
displacement, capable of a very high rate of speed, having large capacity for freight
and passengers, and great coal endurance, and which will not appreciably roll, or
pitch, or receive injurious shocks, when moving, or stationary, amongst the largest
waves encountered in an ocean voyage.
The result of several hundred experiments, which I have conducted amongst
waves of different heights in the development of vessels of this type, shews that a
vessel formed and proportioned as hereinafter described, will neither roll nor pitch
appreciably amongst waves such as are frequently encountered upon the Atlantic,
that it will be capable of a much higher rate of speed than that attainable by
passenger vessels as now constructed, and that there will be no appreciable
diminution of speed among the highest and largest waves.
My present invention consists in making the spindle-shaped hull much longer in
proportion to breadth of beam than the hulls of vessels are now made, or than it
would be possible to make them upon the model followed in the construction of
ocean steamers of the ordinary type, this element of greatly increased length in
proportion to beam being found essential to the accomplishment of the objects above
set forth.
It is well known that ocean steamers as now built, are not made longer than about
nine times their beam, that it is not possible to increase this proportion materially,
and that, owing to the great weight of the ends of the vessel, the materials at the
middle, even at this length, are often strained up to their full calculated resistance.
It is also known that vessels built upon the present accepted models, and with the
dimensions designed to produce the best results that can be obtained with these
models, will roll and pitch, even in moderate waves, to an extent sufficient to
produce discomfort to passengers, and to subject the vessel to shocks and strains.
On the other hand I have determined by observation and experiment, (1), that a
vessel having a hull of spindle-shape may be made, with moderate displacement and
draft, of a length in proportion to beam greater than fifteen to one; and, (2), that
a vessel of spindle-shape so proportioned and otherwise properly constructed, will
not appreciably roll, or pitch, or suffer shocks, or diminution of speed, in waves of
the largest size.
The absence of pitching in a vessel so constructed and proportioned, is due..
principally to the great length thereof in proportion to the distance between the
crests of the waves. In a vessel made according to my invention, as hereinafter
explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is found to be practical

page_text: to make the length as high as twenty-seven times the beam, and by this, with
sufficient beam, entirely to prevent pitching. In such a vessel if the beam be sixty
feet the extreme length would be about 1620 feet, or about three times the length
of the longest ocean vessels. Owing to the peculiar formation of the conical bow
and stern portions, and the largely diminished weight of the ends, and of the
materials used throughout, the displacement of such a vessel would be about
36,000 tons or thereabouts.
On the other hand, if it were attempted to increase a vessel of the ordinary type
to three times its length, the other dimensions thereof would have to be increased
proportionately so that the beam would be about 180 feet, and the displacement,
(which increases as the cube of the other dimensions), about 324,000 tons.
The absence of rolling among waves, in a vessel constructed according to my
invention, is due partly to the fact that the natural period of roll, or vibration, of a
vessel having the proportions herein specified, is greatly in excess of that of the
waves which it encounters. Other reasons for this fact, which are indicated by my
observations under different conditions, need not be here detailed, that fact itself
having been demonstrated conclusively.
Other advantages attending the use of my invention are higher speed, (especially
amongst waves), increased capacity in proportion to draft, increased comfort and
safety to passengers and freight, and economy in construction, and in propelling
power.
Having obtained a form and proportion of vessel which will not pitch, or roll, or
be otherwise disturbed in its course by the action of the waves, it results that the
weight of materials may be reduced throughout, thereby lessening the displacement
and affording greater capacity for engines and fuel. This is one element in the
attainment of higher speed. Less power is required in the propulsion of the vessel
because, amongst other reasons, it does not change its course by yawing about, or.
require constant motion of the rudder to prevent yawing, which in ordinary vessels
adds greatly to the resistance which the engines have to overcome. The absence of
pitching makes it possible to propel the vessel at the same speed in rough water as
in smooth, so that in an ordinary voyage the aggregate gain in time, from this cause
alone, would be considerable.
Figure 1, of the accompanying drawing, represents in side elevation a spindle-
shaped vessel constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figures II and III are cross-sections, taken respectively on the lines II and III,
and on the same scale as, Figure I, and
Figure IV is a central cross section (on the line IV) on a larger scale.
The proportions indicated in these drawings are those designed for a vessel
1620 feet in length, and having a beam of 60 feet. The middle portion A of the
hull, being about two-thirds of its entire length, is occupied by the deck and
cabins B, and is preferably subdivided and arranged in the manner shewn in
Figure IV, though the arrangement may be much modified. The cross sections of
the bow and stern portions C, D, which taper to a point fore and aft of the deck
and cabin portions, are circular throughout. The hull A, beneath the decks and
cabins, is, in cross section, a portion of a circle, the top part of the spindle being
cut off, as shewn, and the outer walls continued vertically upward; but the deck
and cabin portion B can be combined with the spindle-shaped hull in any of the
ways pointed out in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 1555, of 1863, herein-
before referred to, and may be flattened at the bottom, to decrease the draft, as
shewn in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 1651, dated
May 7, 1873. This construction gives a great depth from the top deck to the
bottom of the spindle-shaped hull, for about two-thirds of the middle part of the
vessel, and, since tension and compression of the materials composing the top and
bottom of the vessel are decreased proportionately to this depth, a saving in weight
and cost of materials is effected in constructing these parts of the vessel.
It will be evident that, in the construction of spindle-shaped vessels for ocean
mavigation, the proportion of length to beam may be varied within certain limits.

page_text: To insure practical stability of the vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, in all conditions
of wind and sea, the vessel should not be of less length than about sixteen hundred
and twenty feet. This length, with a displacement of about thirty six thousand tons,
and about thirty feet draft of water, can be obtained with a vessel of sixty feet
beam by making it twenty-seven times longer than its beam. With a vessel of
eighty feet beam this length, with a displacement of about sixty four thousand
tons, and about forty feet draft of water, is obtained by making the vessel twenty
and one quarter times longer than its beam. With a vessel of one hundred
and eight feet beam, this length, with a displacement of about one hundred and
eight thousand tons, and about fifty four feet draft of water, is obtained by making
the vessel fifteen times longer than its beam. With a vessel of one hundred and
eighty feet beam, this length, with a displacement of about three hundred and
twenty four thousand tons, and about ninety feet draft of water, is obtained by
making the vessel nine times longer than its beam. These examples shew how
useful it is to increase the length, in proportion to beam, to a greater extent than
fifteen to one for making a vessel of moderate draft and displacement sufficiently
long to ensure practical stability of vessels in the Atlantic Ocean, in all conditions
of sea, and realizing the other objects of my invention.
As will be clear from the foregoing description the hull, to obtain the results
specified, must have a certain actual length, as well as a certain length relative to
the beam. I have specifieri a breadth of sixty feet as the ordinary beam. This is
about the minimum required for stability and very high speed to meet the conditions
often encountered upon the North Atlantic Ocean. The beam may, however, be
somewhat less. For navigating upon oceans where the maximum distance from
crest to crest of waves is less than it is upon the North Atlantic Ocean, vessels of
forty feet beam having the required length in proportion to length of waves, would
practically accomplish the objects of the invention. Forty feet may therefore be
taken as the minimum beam; but in every case the actual length should not be less
than about the length of three waves of maximum size, measured from crest to
crest, in the sea for which the boat is built. The invention, being designed only
for ocean navigation, has no relation to torpedo boats and similar craft; and I
disclaim all submarine vessels.
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 is :-
The herein described spindle-shaped hull for ocean-going, self-propelled, surface-
navigating, vessels, having a length from extreme point to point of not less than
ix hundred feet, in conjunction with a beam, or extreme diameter, of not more
han one-fifteenth of the length, and not less than forty feet, substantially as
pecified.
Dated this 29th dar of August 1802
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.