IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS OR VESSELS FOR WAR AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Patrick St. George Græme at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
May 1864.
I, PATRICK ST. GEORGE GRÆNE, of No. 9, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall;
in the County of Middlesex, Captain, R.A., do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS OR VESSELS FOR WAR AND
OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in one part in constructing the hull of a ship or
vessel of an elliptic or other similar flat transverse sectional form, in such a
manner that the dimension of the width of the vessel will be considerably in
excess of that of its height. Both ends of the vessel terminate in points,
being formed of an approximating comical shape, and may in some cases be
arranged to act as rams. The centre of the hull of the vessel, for about one-
third of its length, is sunk to such an extent below the bottom surface of the
other part as to serve with the engines and water compartments as a counter-
poise to the cupolas or turrets and armour plating that may be placed above
the upper surface of the hull, whereby the centre of gravity of the vessel is
lowered to such an extent as greatly to obviate the enormous strain to which
armour plated vessels as at present constructed are subject, as also to increase
the stability of the vessel. This construction of vessel may also be applied
with advantage to vessels for mercantile purposes.
The vessel is propelled by preference by means of apparatus such as
described in the Specification to certain Letters Patent, for which application

page_text: is now being made by myself and Hugh Forbes, bearing date the 18th day of
January 1864, (No. 187,) which apparatus propels the vessel in one direction
or another by drawing in water through one or more passages, and discharging
the same through one or more other passages, and these passages, the apertures
of which are in the ends or sides of the sunken part of the hull, are so arranged
and connected to the above-mentioned apparatus by means of valves, that the
water may be drawn in through a passage on the larboard side, and dis-
charged through an opposite passage on the starboard side, or vice versa,
thereby effecting either the turning of the vessel in whatever direction may
be required, or a side motion of the same. The vessel is by preference
entirely closed in, and when intended for war purposes is provided with one
or more turrets or cupolas, either fixed or revolving, and is covered above
water line, and to a certain extent below the same, with armour plating, which
owing to the obliqueness of the surface of the vessel, and the consequent flat
angle at which projectiles would strike, the same need only be of a slight
thickness at the top of the vessel, and may gradually increase in thickness
towards the sides of the same. The shield with which the vessel is covered
by preference is composed of a layer of teak or other suitable material lying
on the outside of the skin of the ship, on which is placed a cellular iron
structure, the cells of which may be plugged with any suitable hard wood or
other substance, and the whole is covered by a plate of rolled or wrought iron,
which may be steeled in from the outside if found desirable. The armour
plating may be put on either in the form of flat plates, or in the form of ribs
having a circular, semicircular, or triangular transverse sectional form, either
solid or hollow, and filled in with wood or other suitable materials, which ribs
run in a transverse direction over the vessel. Or the shield may be formed
of water enclosed in an india-rubber or other suitable casing, which may be
backed or covered with wood, iron, or other suitable materials. The steering
of the vessel is effected by means of one or more rudders placed in such
positions as may be found most desirable for the proper management of the
vessel in water, and projecting below the bottom of the vessel, by preference
to a rather less extent than the before-mentioned sunken portion of the hull;
the lower pivots of the rudders are supported by means of a framing attached
to the bottom of the vessel, or they are placed in apertures left for that
purpose in the keel, which runs fore and aft of the sunken portion of the hull,
and the rudders are so formed that the pivots upon which they turn are placed
in a line that passes through the centre of gravity of the rudder or nearly so,
so that the pressure of the water upon them is always nearly in equilibrio in
whatever position they are placed, and they are consequently worked with

page_text: great ease. This, together with the position in which they can be placed out
of the immediate action of the waves and floating bodies, will greatly protect
the pivots from being broken, and the rudders from being otherwise damaged.
If the vessel is provided with a central turret or cupola for war purposes, I
arrange the chimney from the engine room to pass through the centre of the
same, and there surround it by an outer casing covered with armour plating
that will both protect the chimney and serve as a cover to protect the guns
and men in the turret. At the top of the turret or turrets I propose to fix a
series of wrought-iron bars, either solid or hollow, or partially so, and so
formed and arranged as in a great measure to protect the men and guns in
the vessel from an enemy's fire, as also to serve as a framing for a covering in
unfavourable weather.
I also propose to construct "iron clad borer boats," in contradistinction to
iron clad gun boats, on the principles above described, such being armed with
a powerful rotating steel borer projecting from one or both ends of the same,
such borer being by preference of an oval or spherical form, the surface of
which would be covered with a series of sharp points or teeth, or the borer
may be of a pyramidal or conical form, with sharp projecting edges running
from the apex to the base. These borers are for the purpose of boring holes
through the sides of vessels below the water line, the propeller of the boat
being put in motion the while for the purpose of obtaining the necessary
pressure for doing so. Should the borer bits be found liable to break when
in the vessel, it is proposed to connect the same by means of a wire rope to
the borer shaft, so as to draw the broken pieces out on the retreat of the
borer boat.