IMPROVEMENTS IN ARMOUR CLAD AND OTHER STEAM SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND IN THE NUMBER OF THE SCREWS EMPLOYED FOR PROPELLING THE SAME, AND IN STOWING AND LAUNCHING SHIPS' BOATS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Griffiths and Walter James Griffiths, both of
Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ARMOUR CLAD AND OTHER STEAM SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND IN THE NUMBER
OF THE SCREWS EMPLOYED FOR PROPELLING THE SAME, AND IN STOWING AND
LAUNCHING SHIPS' BOATS."
Sealed the 22nd August 1876, and dated the 13th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Griffiths and Walter
James Griffiths at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th May
1876.
ROBERT GRIFFITHS and WALTER JAMES GRIFFITHS, both of Bayswater, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARMOUR CLAD AND OTHER STEAM
SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND IN THE NUMBER OF THE SCREWS EMPLOYED FOR PRO-
PELLING THE SAME, AND IN STOWING AND LAUNCHING SHIPS' BOATS."
This Invention relates, first, to the improved construction of arinour clad ships,
steam ships, and other vessels, in order to afford increased strength in such struc-
tures, and also to provide space for water, ballast, stowage of coals, or other fuel,
masts, spars, and other tackle. For this purpose we construct a ship with the
upper or deck part either round, square, or any other suitable form, from one to ten
or inore feet thick with under part or parts similar to the immersed part of an
ordinary ship, and of such displacement as will carry the top or deck portion,
arinour, guns, or other load.
In order to strengthen the ship or vessel, we propose to construct a longitudinal
division or hollow girder extending from the keel to the water line or upwards to
strengthen or brace the ship from stem to stern. This division or girder may be
hollow with sufficient width between its sides to admit of the stowage of coals or
other fuel or cargo, the upper part being so arranged that the spars, sails, and other
tackle may be stowed therein flush with the upper deck or otherwise. By theso
means great strength may be imparted to vessels of war employed as rams or
otherwise.
In vessels constructed with an inner and outer skin or shell the space between
the skins may be utilized according to our improvements for stowing coals or other
fuel or other material, as well as for a receptacle for containing water when
required to bring down the vessel when going into action to within about a foot

page_text: of the surface of the water, and as a protection against the action of torpedoes, or
other submarine missiles.
When the vessel is constructed with three immersed parts under the upper body
the two outside parts will be made no wider than necessary to contain the small
engines and screws that will be placed in them to maneuvre and assist in pro-
pelling the vessel; and when the vessel is constructed with only one immersed part
under the upper body, we propose to have on each side of the immersed part one or
two screws or longitudinal flaps hinged to the under side of the projecting parts of
the upper body, so that when they are let down their lower edges will be on a level
with the keel of the immersed part to protect the ship from torpedoes, and also to
support the upper body when the ship is on the ground or placed on a gridiron for
cleaning or otherwise; we also secure netting or other material to these flaps to
extend forward and backwards to protect the ship from torpedoes and other destruc-
tive missiles.
In order to reduce the surface that requires to be protected with thick armour,
we propose to make the outside edges of the upper body only one foot or more
thick, tapering from the edge underneath to the centre or immersed body, where it
is from 6 feet upwards thick, which will be protected by plates of such thickness
as will resist the action of shot.
In order to afford greater facility, security, and convenience in stowing and
launching ships' boats according to our improvements they are connected with and
placed upon down behind the bulwarks on bars or davits lying on the deck, which
at such parts are hinged or joined to the deck of the vessel. By simply turning
over or righting the boats they become suspended from the bars over the side of
the vessel from which they can be readily lowered and released when required.
According to another part of our improvements two, three, four, or more screw
propellers may be employed arranged to act in tunnels either at the stem or stern,
or both, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Robt.
Griffiths, dated 22nd November 1873, No. 3817, the number of such screw pro-
pellers depending upon the breadth of the ship or vessel, its draft of water, and
power employed, so that when the ship or vessel is of very light draft and wide
beam the number of screws at each end is increased.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Griffiths and Walter James Griffiths in the Great Seal Patout
Office on the 13th November 1876.
ROBERT GRIFFITHS and WALTER JAMES GRIFFITHS, both of Bayswater, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARMOUR CLAD AND OTHER STEAM
SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND IN THE NUMBER OF THE SCREWS EMPLOYED FOR PROPELLING
THE SAME, AND IN STOWING AND LAUNCHING SHIPS' BOATS."
These improvements relate, first, to the construction of war and other steam
ships, in order to afford increased strength in such structures with a steady plat-
form upon which the turret or turrets, guns, torpedoes, and other missiles will be
placed, and also to provide space for water ballast, in order to bring down the
vessel when in action or otherwise, so that the ends may come level with the
surface of the water more or less as may be required, such vessels being also con-
structed so as to afford space for the stowage of fuel, masts, spars, and other tackle.
For this purpose we construct the ship with the upper or deck part either round,
square, oval, or any other suitable form, from one to ten or more feet thick with
the under part or parts similar to the immersed part of an ordinary ship, and of
such displacement as will carry the top or deck portion, armour turrets, guns, and
other loads.
In order to strengthen the ship or vessel, we propose to construct a longitudinal

page_text: division or hollow girder extending from the keel to the water line or upwards, and
from the stem to the stern, in order to strengthen and brace the ship. This division
or girder may be hollow with suflicient width between its sides to admit of the
stowage of coals or other fuel or cargo, the upper part being so arranged that the
masts, spars, sails, and any other tackle may be stored therein flush with the upper
deck, or otherwise. By these means great strength may be imparted to vassols of
war employed as rams or otherwise.
In vessels constructed with an inner and outer skin or shell the space between
the skins may bo utilized according to our improvements for stowing fuel or other
materials, as well as for a receptacle for containing water when required to bring
down the vessel when going into action, and as a protection against the action of
torpedoes, and any other submarine missiles.
In order to secure netting or other materials to protect the vessel from torpedoes
or other missiles, we arrange bars at each end and the middle of the ship, hinged
to the sides and ends of vessel, which can be lowered when required for either
securing the netting or other materials, and also for supporting the ship when
beached or in dry dock.
In order to reduce the surface that requires to be protected with thick armour,
we make the outside edges of the upper body or deck only one foot or more thick,
tapering from the edge underneath to the immersed body, where it is from six
feet or upwards thick, which we protect by plates of suitable thickness to resist shot.
In order to afford greater facility, security, and convenience in stowing and
launching ships' boats according to our improvements they are connected with and
placed behind the bulwarks on bars or davits lying on the deck, which are hinged
to the deck of the vessel by suitable arrangements for turning over or righting
the boats, whereby they become suspended from the bars or davits over the
side of the vessel, from which they can be readily lowered and released when
required.
According to another part of our improvements two, three, four, or more screw
propellers may be employed arranged to act in tunnels either at stem or stern of
the vessel, or both, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to
Robert Griffiths, dated 22nd of November 1873, No. 3817, the number of such
screw propellers depending upon the breadth of the ship or vessel, its draft of
water, and the amount of power employed, so that when the ship or vessel is
of light draft and wide beam the number of screws at each end is increased
accordingly.
And in order that our improvements may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent a deck plan, a side view, an end view, and a
transverse section of a steam ship arranged and constructed in accordance with our
improvements.
The oval deck A, A, is carried by the ship form of body B, B, which is built
with a double bottom C and a hollow girder D down the centre (see Figure 4).
These spaces formed by the double bottom and hollow girder D may be used for
stowing water, ballast, cargo, fuel, or other materials; the hollow girder D may
also be so arranged that the masts E, F, which are hinged at G and H respectively
may be lowered down and stowed away in it when not required, or when the ship
is going into action.
In some cases we construct the top part of the ship of great width carried by
three ship-form immersed bodies, the centre one constructed as shewn in the
Drawings, and the other two placed at the outward edge of the top part, the outside
half bodies being formed similar to the centre immersed part (except at the outer
projecting sides) cut in longitudinal halves, so that each flat side face of each of
such half bodies will be towards the central body, leaving sufficient space between

page_text: them and the centre one for the free passage of the water. The outside immersed
bodies will be much smaller than the centre one, or in proportion to the weight that
will be required to be carried by them. Each of these outside bodies are to have
engines and propellers, which can be used when required for propelling the ship, or
maneuvring and steering it.
The foremast E is so arranged that when it is raised up a bolt K, Figure 2, can
be pushed into its end to hold it in its proper position. The boats L, L, are placed
on deck behind the bulwarks on bars or davits M, M, which, together with the
bulwarks, are hinged to the edge of the deck, so that by turning over the boats they
become suspended over the side of the ship from the bars or davits M, M, from
which they can be readily lowered when required. The bars N, N, N, are attached
to the ship's side by joints, so that they may be raised up out of the water or let
down as required, and they may be used for attaching netting to as a protection
from torpedoes, and also for propping up and steadying the ship when she is beached
or placed on a gridiron.
Having thus described the nature of our improvements, and the manner of
performing or carrying the same into practice, we would have it understood that
we do not limit ourselves to the exact details herein described, so long as the sub-
stantial features of our Invention are retained, at the same time we do not claim
any of those parts which are well known and in common use; but what we
claim is,-
First. The improved construction of steam ships and vessels of war or otherwise
with the upper parts of such form as to give greater stability for the turrets and
guns, and with the lower or immersed parts or bodies of the ordinary ship form for
supporting the same, substantially in the manner herein-before described and
represented in the Drawings annexed; we also claim the improved construction of
ships or vessels having three immersed ship-form bodies underneath the top part
of the ship arranged with engines and propellers in them, which can be used for
propelling, steering, and manœuvring the ship when required, substantially as
herein described.
Second. We claim the improved construction of steam ships or vessels with a
hollow girder along the longitudinal centre of the ship or vessel, and utilizing the
same for stowing fuel or other materials, and for water ballast, the upper part being
used for stowing the masts and other tackle, substantially as herein described and
shown in the Drawings.
Third. We claim the improved method of stowing the ship's boats on the deck
upon bars or davits, which, together with part of the bulwark, are hinged to the
ship's sides, so that when they are turned over the side of the vessel they are sus-
pended ready for lowering, substantially in the manner herein described and shewi
in the Drawings annexed.
Fourth. We claim the arrangement and application of bars jointed to the ship's
side, so that they can be lowered when req uired for securing netting or other
suitable materials for protecting the ship from torpedoes or other inissiles, or for
supporting and steadying the ship when beached or in dock, substantially as herein
described and shown in the Drawings.
Fifth. We claim the improved arrangement and application of three or inore
screw propellers working in tunnels at either end of the ship, or of two or more
screw propellers working in tunnels at either end of the ship, and with one or more
screws working in tunnels at the other end of the vessel, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter James Griffiths, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
WALTER JAMES GRIFFITHS. (L.S.)