IMPROVED ARMOUR FOR
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT Joseph Thomas Parlour, of Brooklyn, New York,
United States of America, now of No, 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, Shipwright, for the Invention of "IMPROVED ARMOUR FOR
"3
Sealed the 2nd June 1874, and dated the 6th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Thomas Parlour
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th December 1873.
I, JOSEPH THOMAS PARLOUR, of Brooklyn, New York, United States
of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Shipwright,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVED ARMOUR
FOR SHIPS, FLOATING BATTERIES, FORTS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES," to be as
follows:-
My said Invention relates to a method of applying armour for the
protection of ships, and for other like purposes, and consists chiefly
in applying to the ships' sides or other surfaces to be protected plates of
steel or iron connected with mechanism which gives to the said plates a

page_text: rapid and continuous vibrating motion longitudinally or vertically, or in
both directions, so that a projectile striking any part of the said armour
plates will be thrown out of the line of penetration and will glance
harmlessly or nearly so from the armour.
By this Invention therefore I provide an efficient protection to the
ship or other structure at a very slight cost as compared with that of the
ordinary armour, and provide ships with armour of the required strength
with very little weight.
My improved method of armour plating ships is carried into practise
as follows:-I provide the outside of the portions of the ship to be
protected with a strong frame of iron or steel. This frame has a number
of sockets into which I insert the ends of short metal pieces to form ball-
and-socket joints. I take plates of steel or other suitable metal of the
proper dimensions, and shape and provide them with similar sockets on
their inner sides for the reception of the outer ends of the said short
metal pieces.
These pieces therefore form the means whereby the
armour plates are attached to the under frame by a series of ball-and-
socket joints, which hold the said plates securely but permit them to
move a short distance to and fro either longitudinally or vertically upon
the ship's side. Instead of ball-and-socket joints I may use other suitable
joints. When the ship is not in action the said plates may be made
immovable by screws, wedges, keys, or other means provided for that
purpose.
For giving to these armour plates the required to-and-fro motion I
connect them by ball and socket or other suitable joints or couplings with
levers, which extend inward toward the centre of the vessel where their
fulcrums are supported to work freely in suitable bearings securely
attached to any sufficiently strong supports. The inner end of each of
the said levers is extended to a cam wheel, excentric, or crank on a shaft
extending along the centre of the vessel, and operated by a steam engine
or by hydraulic power, or by other suitable means; the said cams;
excentrics, or cranks impart to the levers a rapid to-and-fro motion
which is communicated to the armour plates. The said plates are
arranged between strong vertical bars or frames which are made V shaped
in cross section to prevent only a sharp edge to the projectiles. These
frames are made inclined or taper from the lower to their upper ends,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Thomas Parlour in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
THOMAS PARLOUR, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America,
now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Shipwright, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, Her special
licence that I, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Thomas
Parlour, 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
"IMPROVED ARMOUR FOR SHIPS, FLOATING BATTERIES, FORTS, AND OTHER
STRUCTURES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: Joseph Thomas Parlour, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 I, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, my 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming a part of this Specification.
My Invention relates to a novel method of applying defensive
armour for the protection of ships and other structures, and consists
chiefly in applying to the ships' sides or other surfaces to be protected
plates of steel or iron connected with mechanism which gives to the:
said plates a rapid and continuous vibrating motion longitudinally or
vertically, or in both directions, so that a projectile striking any part of
the said armour plates will be thrown out of the line of penetration and
will glance harmlessly from the side of the ship or other structure.
By this Invention it will be seen that I am enabled to provide an
efficient protection for a ship or other structure without encumbering
the same with an enormous mass and weight of metal, as in the ordinary
method of armour plating vessels, and at a cost very slight compared
with that of the defensive armour heretofore used for such purposes.
The manner in which I carry my improved method of armour plating
ships into practise is clearly illustrated in the accompanying Drawings
which I will now proceed to describe, and in which,―
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are midship sections of a portion of a vessel
provided with armour according to my Invention.
Figure 5 is a vertical section illustrating a modification of the devices
shewn in Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a horizontal section shewing some of the details of my
Invention.
I provide the ship or vessel, on the portions to be protected, with a
strong frame a of iron or steel to which the armour plating 6 composed

page_text: of iron or steel plates is attached with a capability of movement thereon
by means of the various contrivances herein-after described and shown
in the Drawings, or by other suitable devices. In Figure 1 the armour
plates 6 are secured to the framing a by the links or arms c, which are
connected to lugs or projections formed on the said plates and frame by
strong bolts or pins d. These links or arms connect the armour plates
securely to the frame with a capability of a vertical to-and-fro move-
ment which will have the effect of diverting from its line of penetration
any projectile that strikes it in the manner illustrated in the Drawings.
In Figure 2 the armour plating 6 is connected to the frames a by pins
or bolts e with ball-and-socket joints f. For this purpose I form in the
frame a number of sockets into which I insert the balls formed on one
end of the bolts or metal pieces e. In the inner sides of the plates 6 I
also form sockets for the reception of the balls at the other end of the
said bolts or pieces e. These hollow pieces therefore form the means
whereby the armour plates 6 are attached to the under frame a by a
series of ball-and-socket joints which hold the said plates securely but
with a capability of a vertical, longitudinal, or compound movement
upon the ship's side, which movement causes the divergence of any shot
or projectile that may strike the same.
In Figure 3 the armour plates 6 are held at the top and bottom by
strong plates which are solidly attached to the ship's sides by bolts
or otherwise; and to give the required freedom of movement to the
plates 6 I interpose between the same and the frame or plates a anti-
friction rollers has shown.
For giving to these armour plates the required to-and-fro motion I
connect them by ball and socket or other universal joints with levers ¿
which extend inward toward the centre of the vessel where their
fulcrums are supported upon any suitable portions of the same. The
plates 6 are connected to the levers by rods or shafts " which pass
through slots in the ends of the said levers, and through guides fixed
on the aforesaid frame. The inner end of each of the said levers is
extended to a cam k or an excentric or crank on a shaft ƒ¹ extending
along the centre of the vessel and operated by a steam engine or
hydraulic power, or by other suitable means. The cams, excentrics, or
cranks impart to the said levers a rapid to-and-fro motion, which is

page_text: communicated to the armour plates 6 as above described. When the
ship is not in action the said plates may be made immovable by wedges,
screws, keys, or other means provided for that purpose.
In order that the plates 6 may be protected at their edges without
impairing their freedom of to-and-fro movement upon the ship's sides the
said plates are arranged between strong vertical bars or frames & which
are made V or T shaped on the part *, or curved, as shewn in
Figure 6, so that they present only a sharp or round edge to the
projectiles. These frames are wide at their lower ends and narrow at
their upper ends, that is to say, they are inclined or taper from the
bottom upwards; and the vertical edges of the armour plates 6 bear
against the edges of these frames 7, therefore the said plates in their
vertical motion will follow the inclination of the edges of the said
frames and will, as they are moved up and down by the levers 7, be
caused by the said frames to assume an oblique instead of a vertical
motion. I pack the spaces under the frames with india-rubber, as shewn
at P.
The aperture m in the ship's side through which the levers & pass are
packed with india-rubber or other suitable material to prevent the
entrance of water. .
In some instances I use compressed cotton, cork, or paper o quilted or
otherwise fastened to the outside of the armour plating 6, and which
will to a great extent destroy the effect of the projectiles upon the metal
✓ plates; I also place wood or similar materials between the frame a
and plates as shewn in various parts of the Drawings at o*.
In Figure 7 I have shewn a convenient method of attaching the
plates 6 to the frame a by ball-and-socket connections. The bolts c have
balls formed on them and fitted into sockets a* at one end, and they are
screwed into balls fitted in sockets 6* at the other end, the said bolts
being provided with square or hexagonal pieces c¹ to which a key or
spanner is applied in screwing or unscrewing them.
Figures 8, 9, 10, are transverse sections of portions of a ship illus-
trating modifications of my Invention. In Figures 8 and 9 the inner
plates 6º are movable by the levers ¿ in the manner above described, and
the outer plates 63 are stationary; between these plates and between the
plates 6 and the side of the vessel I interpose pressed cotton, cork, or

page_text: paper o. In Figure 10 the outer plates 6 are moved up and down by
the rocking arms p which are actuated by the excentrics q on shafts r,
extending longitudinally through the ship.
Figure 11 shows part of a ship's side provided with armour according
3 to another modification of my said Invention; and Figure 12 is a trans-
verse section on the line x, x, Figure 11. 8, s, are discs or circular plates.
In this application of my Invention these discs form the moving portions
of the armour, and for this purpose they are secured upon rotating
shafts and balls &², or rollers are interposed between them and the
O plates a to give them a solid bearing, and at the same time permit them
to rotate freely upon the said plates. The portions of the armour plating
between these discs are composed of angular metal pieces t secured by
bolts f¹.
Figures 13 and 14 illustrate the manner in which the cotton, cork,
5 paper, or other material may be secured upon the metal plates. In
Figure 13 64, 64, are bosses formed on the plates 6; 65 is a thin metal
plate, and o is the cotton or other substance placed outside of the same;
o¹, o³, are screws which screw into the said bosses and secure the said
cotton or other substance to the plates; o³, 0%, are straps or lacings of
O iron wire passed through and over the cotton, and whereby the latter is
secured to the plates 6º. In Figure 14 u is a thin iron plate placed
between two layers of cotton o and secured to the bosses 6 of the armour
plates. The cotton is quilted to the said plates by straps or lacings of
iron wire as above described.
Figure 4 illustrates the application of cotton, cork, paper, or other
like substance to armour plating which is fixed or stationary upon a
ship or other structure.
My Invention may be readily applied to existing ships, forts, and
other structures.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practise, I
wish it understood that I claim,—
First. Providing ships, forts, batteries, and other structures with
defensive armour, consisting of metal plates movable upon the sides of
0

page_text: Second. Attaching the said movable plates to an inner frame by
means of ball-and-socket connections or other suitable devices, as herein
set forth.
Third. Imparting the required movements to the said armour plates
by the rocking arms and cams, or other devices herein specified.
Fourth. The application of cotton, cork, paper, or other like substance
in combination with metal plates for the defensive armour of ships, forts,
batteries, and other structures.
Fifth. The method of securing the said cotton or other substance
upon the metal plates, as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
JOSEPH T. PARLOUR. (L.S.) .