AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CON- IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON SHIPS, BOATS, AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Lamb, of Southampton, in the County of
Hants, Engineer, and John Ronald's, of the same Place, Ship-builder and
Naval Architect, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CON-
"
Sealed the 15th July 1856, and dated the 1st February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Lamb and John
Ronald's at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 1st February 1856.
We, ANDREW LAMB, of Southampton, in the County of Hants, Engineer,
and JOHN RONALD'S, of the same Place, Ship-builder and Naval Architect, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF IRON SHIPS, BOATS, AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES," to be as,
follows:
Our Invention consists in uniting or joining the plates, which form the skin
of the ship or vessel, by strips, commonly called butt strips, placed outside the.
skin, whereby I dispense with the "liners" of fitting pieces, which are used
when the plates are joined on the inside for filling up the spaces between
the frames and skin of the vessel, and whereby I bring the whole of the skin
or plating of the vessel in immediate contact with the vessel's frames.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Andrew Lamb and John Ronald's in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st August 1856.,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ANDREW
LAMB, of Southampton, in the County of Hants, Engineer, and JOHN
RONALD'S, of the same Place, Ship-builder and Naval Architect, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen. Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Andrew Lamb and John Ronald's Her special licence that, we, the said
Andrew Lamb and John Ronald's, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said-Andrew Lamb. and John Ronald's, our 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 AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE, CONSTRUCTION OF IRON
SHIPS, BOATS, AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES,, upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Andrew Lamb and John Ronald's, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Andrew Lamb and John Ronald's,
do hereby declare the nature of our 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; reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto "annexed; that is to say:
Our Invention consists in uniting or joining the plates, which form the skin
of the ship. or vessel, by strips, commonly called butt-strips; placed outside of
the skin, whereby we dispense with the liners or filling pieces, which are
ordinarily used for filling up the spaces between the frames and the skin of
the vessel, and whereby we bring the whole of the skin or plating of the ship
or vessel in immediate contact with the frames thereof.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed we have represented two of the usual
methods employed for uniting the said plates, and also our improved inethod.

page_text: f,
Figure 1 is a transverse half section of a ship, the plates P, P, of which
overlap each other, and have placed between them and the frames F, F, the
tapering filling pieces f. f. Figure 2 is a traverse half section of a ship,
the plates P1, P1, of which are parallel to the frames F¹, F¹. These plates
P1, P1, lie alternately against the frames F¹, F', and partially against cach
other, as shewn. Behind the overlapping plates parallel filling pieces f¹ƒ³,
are placed upon the frames to fill up the space between the two.
Now, by our Invention, the filling pieces f. f. Figure 1, and f¹, ƒ³,
Figure 2, are altogether dispensed with, as will be seen on reference to
Figure 3, which represents a transverse half section of a ship, shewing our
method of combining and fastening the plates. F", F", are the frames;
P, P, the plates; and S, S, the strips, with which the joints are covered.
The plates P, P", lie in immediate contact with the frames, and the strips
S, S, are rivetted upon the plates, after the manner of the ordinary butt strips.
For the purpose of affording additional strength, the width of the butt strips
may be increased to any desired extent, and the upper strip may be extended
so as to finish at the gunwale. In Figure 4 we shew the butt strips extended
so far as to unite, and in this state they form a double outside flush plating to
the vessel.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim the uniting or
joining of the plates which form the skin of ships, boats, and other similar
structures by strips placed outside of the skin and rivetted thereto, as herein-
before described, and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Lamb, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, for myself and on behalf of the said John Ronald's, this
Eleventh day of July, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
ANDREW LAMB. (L.S.)