IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON STEAM SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward: Alfred John Buckland, of Northfleet,
in the County of Kent, Engineer, and William Simpson, of
Gravesend, in the County of Kent, Esquire, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON STEAM SHIPS AND OTHER
VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Alfred John
Buckland and William Simpson at the Office of the Commissioners
.. of Patents, with their Petition, on the 21st April 1874.
We, EDWARD ALFRED JOHN BUCKLAND, of Northfleet, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, and WILLIAM SIMPSON, of Gravesend, in the County
of Kent, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON STEAM SHIPS AND OTHER
VESSELS, "to be as follows:-
--
In lieu of the ordinary vertical angle iron frames or ribs extending
from keel to gunwale we employ longitudinal frames or girders of H or

page_text: other approved section running in a fore and aft direction placed at
convenient intervals in the vessel's girth, and to these frames or girders
we attach by longitudinal seams of rivets the outside and also a second
skin or inside plating, leaving an intervening space between the two said
platings equal in width to the depth of the aforesaid longitudinal ribs or
girders extending over the whole or part of the vossel's surface. We
use this
space
in steam ships as a surface condenser, the outside plating
forming the condensing surface, thus dispensing with the ordinary
condenser and circulating pumps, and affording a greatly increased
capacity and surface to the said condenser.
In some cases we construct the upper deck in a similar manner to the
hull, that is to say, of an outer and inner plating rivetted to longitudinal
frames or girders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Alfred John Buckland and William 3
Simpson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st October
1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
ALFRED JOHN BUCKLAND, of Northfleet, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, and WILLIAM SIMPSON, of Gravesend, in the County of Kent,
Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Edward Alfred John Buckland and William
Simpson, Her special licence that we, the said Edward Alfred John
Buckland and William Simpson, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Alfred John Buckland
and William Simpson, 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

page_text: Great Britain and Ireland; the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON STEAM SHIPS AND
OTHER VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Edward Alfred John Buckland and William Simpson, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of 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 Edward Alfred John Buckland
and William Simpson, 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 accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
In lieu of the ordinary vertical angle iron frames or ribs extending
from keel to gunwale we employ longitudinal frames or girders
of H
or other approved section running in a fore and aft direction
placed at convenient intervals in the vessel's girth, and to these frames
or girders we attach by longitudinal seams of rivets the outside skin and
also a second skin or inside-plating, leaving an intervening space between
the two said platings equal in width to the depth of the aforesaid longi-
tudinal ribs or girders extending over the whole or part of the vessel's
surface. We use this space in steam ships as a surface condenser, the
outside plating forming the condensing surface, thus dispensing with
the ordinary condenser and circulating pumps, and affording a greatly
increased capacity and surface to the said condenser.
Our Invention will be fully understood on reference to the accom-
panying Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a midship section of an iron
steam ship constructed according to our improvements; Figuro 2, a
portion of a transverse section on a larger scale than Figure 1; and
Figures 3 and 4 respectively a longitudinal section and a horizontal
section on a smaller scale than Figure 1.
A, A, are the longitudinal frames or girders of section running
5 in a fore and aft direction, and placed at convenient intervals apart;

page_text: B, B, is the outside skin attached to the frames or girders A by longi-
tudinal seams of rivets C, C, as seen in Figure 2; D, D, is the inside
skin or plating, likewise secured to the frames or girders A by longi-
tudinal seams of rivets E, E. The frames A, A, at the opposite sides of
the vessel approach each other at the stem and stern, and we prefer to
connect them together there after. the manner known as "steelers.".
G, G, are the exhaust pipes from the engines leading into the space
between the two skins B and D, as seen in Figure 1, in order that the
exhaust steam may be condensed by coming in contact with the outer
skin B, which is kept cold owing to the sea water outside. Holes as
represented at H, Figure 2; are formed in the girders A at sufficient
intervals to allow the steam and condensed water to circulate between
the two skins; I, I, are pipes carried along the lower part of the
condenser and communicating with the air pump suction pipes K, K,
which draw off the water of condensation.
•
.
In some cases wo construct. the upper deck in a similar manner to
the hull, that is to say, of an outer and an inner plating rivetted to
longitudinal frames or girders.
By constructing vessels according to our Invention we obtain increased
strength, comparative unsinkability, increased facility and simplification
of workmanship, decrease of total weight in structure, the dispersing
with floor plates, reverse frames, keclsons, stringer plates and angle
irons, and all excrescenses, the vessels presenting a perfectly fair surface
both inside and out; "there is a disposition of material in the structure
giving the maximum of strength for the subjected strains with a
minimum of weight, while in steam ships we save the weight, room,
and cost of the existing complicated surface condensers and their
attendant circulating pumps with a freedom from galvanic action upon
the boilers and a largely increased condensing ability.
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,—.
First. Constructing iron steam ships and other vessels with an inner
and an outer skin or plating. upon longitudinal frames .or girders,
substantially as herein-before described and represented in the annexed
Drawings.
Sonond Constmeting steam shine in anch manner that the space

page_text: between an outer and an inner skin or plating is utilized as a surface
condenser, substantially as herein-before described and represented in
the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Simpson, on behalf of
myself and the said Edward Alfred John Buckland, liave here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twentieth day of October One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.