IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS OF WAR, FORTS, AND OTHER DEFENCES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cowper Phipps Coles, of Ventnor, in the Isle of
Wight, Captain in the Royal Navy, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS OF WAR, FORTS, AND OTHER DEFENCES."
Sealed tho 20th November 1866, and dated the 22nd May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cowper Phipps Coles at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd May 1866.
I, COWPER PHIPPS COLES, of Ventnor, in the Isle of Wight, Captain in the
Royal Navy, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS OF WAB, FORTS, AND OTHER
DEFENCES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, first, in constructing and fitting, as hereafter
described, a circular bulkhead or fixed turret round the lower part and
turning apparatus of a revolving turret or gun platform, for the
purpose of
protecting the same. This circular bulkhead in the case of ships is supported
upon the main deck, to which angle irons are secured, and the outside of the
lower part of the circular bulkhead rests against these angle irons. The
bulkhead reaches up to about the level of the upper deck, and between the
bulkhead and the ring which connects the upper deck beams I leave an
annular space of about six inches in thickness, more or less, into which I
force wedges or filling pieces. The angle irons before mentioned and these

page_text: wedges dispense with the necessity of employing bolts or other fastenings for
the circular bulkhead plating. For forts and other like defences the fixed
turret or circular bulkhead may be supported upon the foundations of the fort
or otherwise, and may be constructed within or have formed round it a glacis
of earth or masonry. Between the circular bulkhead and the socket of the
central pivot of the revolving turret or platform I construct radial bars or
arms which hold and support the socket.
The next part of my Invention is for the object of dispensing with tho
necessity of removing a large portion of the upper deck for the revolving
turret or platform to work in. This part of my Invention consists in fitting
the rollers upon which the turret or platform revolves below the upper deck,
so that sufficient of the rollers projects through apertures in the upper deck
for the turret to revolve upon. The rollers may be supported by carlines or
small beams below the upper deck, or otherwise. The apertures for the
rollers and the central aperture for the socket are all the openings that
require to be formed in the upper deck for the turret or platform.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Cowper Phipps Coles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, COWPER
PHIPPS COLES, of Ventnor, in the Isle of Wight, Captain in the Royal Navy,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Cowper Phipps Coles, Her special licence that I, the said Cowper Phipps
Coles, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Cowper Phipps Coles, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS OF WAR, FORTS, AND OTHER DEFENCES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Cowper Phipps Coles, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,

page_text: 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 per-
formed, 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 I, the said Cowper Phipps Coles, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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:-
My Invention consists, first, in constructing and fitting, as hereafter
described, a circular bulkhead or fixed turret round the lower part and
turning apparatus of a revolving turret or gun platform, for the purpose of
protecting the same. This circular bulkhead in the case of ships is supported
upon the main deck, to which angle irons are secured, and the outside of the
lower part of the circular bulkhead rests against these angle irons. The
bulkhead reaches up to about the level of the upper deck, and between the
bulkhead and the ring which connects the upper deck beams I leave an
annular space of about two inches in width, more or less, into which I force
wedges or filling pieces. The angle irons before mentioned and these wedges
dispense with the necessity of employing bolts or other fastenings for the
circular bulkhead plating. Between the circular bulkhead and the socket of
the central pivot of the revolving turret or platform I construct radial bars or
arms which hold and support the socket.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a transverse section of a ship of
war constructed according to the first part of my Invention; Figure 1
represents on a larger scale a portion of what is shown in Figure 1.
a is the main deck, and b the level of the upper deck; c is a revolving
turret supported on rollers d, d, and on a central pivot e; f, f, are the
turning apparatus for the turret. Around this turning apparatus and the
lower part of the turret I construct a fixed turret or circular bulkhead g, for
the purpose of protecting the same. This bulkhead g is supported upon the
main deck a, to which angle irons h are secured, and the outside of the lower
part of the bulkhead rests against these angle irons. Between the bulkhead g
and the ring i which connects the upper deck beams I leave, as before
mentioned, an annular space, into which I force wedges or filling pieces j.
The angle irons h and wedges or filling pieces ; secure the circular bulkhead
plating, and dispense with the necessity of employing bolts or other fastenings
for that purpose. Between the bulkhead g and the socket k of the central

page_text: pivot I construct radial bars or arms 1, which hold and support the socket;
these bars are themselves partly supported by the pillars m and by pieces n.
For forts and other like defences the fixed turret or circular bulkhead may be
supported upon the foundations of the fort or otherwise, and may be con-
structed within or have formed round it a glacis of earth or masonry.
The next part of my Invention is for the object of dispensing with the
necessity of having a large hole in the upper deck of a vessel or in the
surface of a fort or other like defence to receive the base or lower part of
the revolving turret or platform. This part of my Invention consists in
fitting the rollers upon which the turret or platform revolves below the
upper deck or surface of the fort or like defence, so that sufficient of the
rollers projects through apertures in the upper deck for the turret to revolve
upon. The rollers may be supported by carlines or small beams below the
upper deck, or in suitable frames, or otherwise. The apertures for the rollers
and the central aperture for the socket are all the openings that require to be
formed in the upper deck or structure of the fort or defence for the turret or
platform.
Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, showing this part of my Inven-
tion applied to a fort; Figure 3 is a plan with the turret and gun platform
removed.
a, a, are the rollers upon which the turret or platform revolves; they are
fitted below the surface b of the fort in such manner that sufficient of them
projects through apertures c, c, in the surface b for the turret or platform to
revolve upon.
The rollers a, a, are supported below the surface bin suitable
frames, or otherwise; d is the central aperture for the socket. The apertures
c, c, and d are all the openings formed in the surface 6 for the turret or
platform.
The application of my improvements to defences other than vessels of war
or forts will be fully understood without further explanation.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in the construction of vessels of war, forts, and other defences,-
First, constructing a circular bulkhead or fixed turret round the lower part
and turning apparatus of a revolving turret or gun platform, substantially in
manner and for the purpose herein-before described and represented in
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second, securing the plating of the said circular bulkhead or fixed turret
by wedges or filling pieces forced into an annular space between the bulkhead
and the ring which connects the upper deck beams, substantially as herein-

page_text: before described and represented in Figures 1 and 1 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Third, constructing radial bars or arms between the said circular bulkhead
and the socket of the central pivot, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described and represented in Figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth, fitting the rollers upon which a turret or gun platform revolves
below the upper deck of a vessel, or the surface of a fort, or other like defence,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and represented
in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Cowper Phipps Coles, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six.
COWPER P. COLES. (L.S.)