A NEW OR IMPROVED CASING FOR SHIPS TORPEDO BOATS OR TO BE WORN ON THE. PERSON.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Leslie Stanley Leighs of No. 113, Borough Road,
in the Borough of Southwark, Engineer, for an invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED CASING FOR SHIPS TORPEDO BOATS OR TO BE WORN ON THE.
PERSON.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Leslie Stanley
Leighs at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th April 1882.
ALFRED LESLIE STANLEY LEIGHS of 113 Borough Road, Southwark in the
County of Surrey Engineer, A NEW OR IMPROVED CASING FOR SHIPS TORPEDO
BOATS OR TO BE WORN UPON THE PERSON.
It is necessary to mention the following in order to describe the particulars of
my present application for a Patent.
In a former application for a Patent deposited by me and allowed on the
26th day of July 1876 No. 3007 for a new and improved casing the edges ends
and sides of every material to the surface when more than one such material was
used in the manufacture of armour casing for the purpose of rendering any ship
fort or other object impenetrable to projectile and damage by torpedo.
In consequence of a Letter from Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen of Great
Britain and Ireland advising the said Inventor and discoverence of importance of
use of combined hard and soft metals in such manufacture of armour then only
known used or manufactured of one penetrable material or substance to accept the
offer which had been made by Vernon Lushington and W. G. Romaine behalf
of Her Most Gracious Majesty's Government to file together with further details
and modes of manufacture to attain the same object prevent steel from cracking and
diminish penetration for further reference and upon adoption or benefit to the
public had arisen from the said information claim was established for which
Admiralty and War Office Official Receips have from time to time been received
for compensation is the cause of not proceeding with such Patent.
Her Most Gracious Majesty's Government has been pleased to make use of the
design of ship for Her Majesty's Ship Polyphemus, the new plan of Port Holes
closing and the prevention of damage by Torpedo together with use of combined
use of materials in lieu of armour of one substance for Her Majesty's ship

page_text: Inflexible Ajax and other new vessels. On account of simplicity of manufacture
using the sides of such armour shown and illustrated upon my drawing filed
in 1876 by me omitting the most important fact whereby half the thickness would
have sufficed.
Having received promise of future share of Contracts as the original inventor
my object will be to personally superintend the manufacture of compound material
for Her Majesty's Government.-Therefore I wish to secure that part of my
invention which has not been taken advantage of by Contractors, suggested used
adopted or manufactured from any said information or instruction viz-proof
surface, impenetrable armour which I attained in 1876.
Now know ye that I the anid Alfred Leslie Stanley Leighs do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is
manufactured and performed to be particularly described in and by the following
statement, that is to say,—
I wish it to be understood that I make no claim for any separate species of
material steel iron or other distinct substance in hard or soft or other temperature
or to any particular tools or other appliances known used or manufactured for
purpose of armour previous to my information. The edges or ends of such material
to the surfare of my invention of casing when for ships or the edges ends or sides
of such material when manufactured as a casing for protection of the person or
Torpedo honts has not been suggested used or manufactured for that particular
object. The fact of uniting two penetrable materials hard and soft is preferable
into one apparent solid body at such inseparable blend weld join or other inter-
mixture of such materials may be termed. Any thickness may be so joined or
united according to the ability of workmen and appliance used. The perfection
arrived at in tampering the former is principle. One workmen will complete a
casing with half thickness of material for same resisting power as another with the
same appliance and material Contractors have not attained efficiency I did
in 1876.
It is easier and requires less superintendence merely uniting two plates together
but when such casing is required for ships, I prefer as many alternate layers of
hard and soft metal as possible for efficiency-not merely on account of penetrating
of projectiles which hereafter will not crack the surface but the number of actual
blend weld or contacts of such metals may be termed being as specified on my
former application No 3007-20 times more. Resisting power tougher and capable
of withstanding more jar or concussion than any actual material of which every
Engineer is or ought to be acquainted.
My plan of manufacture of such casing when to be worn upon the person will be
to turn out such easing as light as possible combined with efficiency for the purpose
intended vis. to provent entry of Snider or other Rifle projectiles or for the
protection of assassination with or without washers.
I may mention that in the new mode of protoction in warfare submitted by me
to Her Majestys Government the total weight of such impenetrable casing is not
for a Soldier to exceed eight ounces in weight and will keep out Snider and other
Ritle projectiles.
Having explained main cause of such superiority of combination to work
by and skill combined to perfect, it matters not how the hard and soft
materials are united provided the tempering in or after such combination has
taken place. I intend to submit my invention of casing of more than one material
made by pressure, by moulding, by hammering out, shaped on a block either in
soft iron or steel in hard iron or steel or other materials-for one purpose I profer
two hard or two soft materials with an extra outer casing which can be at surface
ground away or remain.
1 accomplish this by shaping on a block the pattern I wish to complete either
separate or together. Either cutting or forming the said shape to the thickness
required or reducing the same afterwards or by filling a mould as necessary to
form the entire casing in the furnace completing such jointure weld blond contact

page_text: or whatever term may be thought necessary to designate it in the said furnace.
Completing such jointure with exception of polishing or ornamentation therein.
Another method of accomplishing the same object is to place the plate intended
for back in furnace when properly heated pour molten steel into the cavity left in
such mould of sufficient space to unite the plate or to form the plate intended for
front or surface of such casing.
Having particularly described the nature of my said application and invention
and in what manner the same is manufactured and performed to arrive at such
proof quality.
I wish it to be understood that I claim.
1st. The edges or ends of such material when united together so as to form the
surface of such casing if for ships or other large objects.
2. The originality of use of more than one metal in the manufacture of my new.
and improved casing if for protection of the person or Torpedo boats which has not
been suggested previously adopted used or manufactured.
3. Originality of polishing surface of such armour.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent & of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Alfred Leslie Stanley Leighs
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th October 1882.
ALFRED LESLIE STANLEY LEIGHS, of 113 Borough Road in the Borough of
Southwark, Engineer. "A NEW OR IMPROVED CASING FOR SHIPS, TORPEDO BOATS,
OR TO BE WORN ON THE PERSON."
My invention relates to an improved casing or armour composed of iron and
stel plates and designed to be used for the protection of ships, forts torpedo boats
and other structures or to be worn upon the person, or to be used as a screen for
war or other purposes.
According to one part of my said invention I manufacture the improved casing
or armour as hereinafter described, that is to say, I take a steel plate of suflicient
thickness to prevent its being destroyed when heated to a welding-heat in a furnace
and I weld the said steel plate to an iron plate or backing, I then reduce or
partially remove the said steel plate by first grinding and then hammering, or by
other suitable means preferably leaving only a very slight thickness of steel, (say
one fiftieth part of an inch) upon the iron.
By this means I expose the weld or the steel adjacent thereto and thus provido
the said casing or armour with an extremely hard surface which I still further
barden by polishing it with an emery wheel and then with a polishing buff In
some cases tempor the surface by iny suitable neaus and again polish the same,
to increase its capability of resisting penetration by projectiles.
For heavy armour I employ very thick iron plates with a thin facing of steel
upon one side thereof. For light armour, screens, helmets, tilts and similar pro-
tective articles, I employ very thin iron and steel plates and I reduce both of these
plates by grinding or otherwise, until the said plates are say one fiftieth of an inch
thick, in some cases only the weld being left. Arinour constructed in this manuer
is very light and offers great resistance to projectiles.
In the provisional specification filed by me and dated 20th July A.D. 1876,
No. 3007, I have described the construction of armour for ships forts and other
structures which armour is composed of iron and steel platos placed alternately
side by side the edges of the said plates forming the surface of the armour, the
object of this mode of construction was to obviate the cracking of the steel so
common in armour plates as formerly constructed, and to provide arinour inoro
diflicult of penetration by projectiles than that formerly employed.
According to another part of my present invention I construct armour of this
class in the manner hereinaftor described, that is to say I form the said armour of
a number of small blocks (say not more than twelve inches square and of any
desired thickness) made up of a series of iron and steel plates arranged alternately
and welded together, these blocks I manufacture as hereinafter described, that is to
say, take a mould or box of wrought iron steel or other suitable material of the
requisite size, in this mould I arrange the steel and iron plates alternately, I then
place the mould in a furnace until a welding-hent is imparted to the said mould
and plates, when thus heated I withdraw the mould, and weld the said plates by
means of a hammer or by pressure, either retaining the plates within the said
mould so that the latter will form part of the block, or removing them therefrom
previous to welding them.
When the block is thus formed, I reduce by grinding or other suitable means the
edges of the platos on that side of the block which is to form the surface of tho
armour, until the welds are exposed, and I then polish the surface of the block

page_text: with an emery wheel and polishing buff. In some cases I harden tho said surface
by tempering and again polish it. These blocks are provided with pins, bolts or
other suitable devices for attaching or securing them to the side of a ship, fort or
other structure, to form the casing or armour therefor. The casing or armour when
constructed in this manner presents a considerable number of welds to the action
of a projectile of large size and therefore has more resisting power than the armour
heretofore employed.
Another method of manufacturing my improved casing or armour consists in
placing the iron plate or backing in a furnace in a suitable mould which is of such
depth that, when the iron plate is placed therein, a space equal to the desired
thickness of the steel plate romains above the iron plate. When the latter is
brought to a welding-heat I fill up the mould with molten steel, I then either roll
or hammer the two plates thus combined, to properly weld the same, and I reduco
the steel by grinding or otherwise and polishing as above describod.
I can employ a similar method in manufacturing the blocks hereinbefore referred
to, that is to say, I construct an iron mould having a number of divisions of
suitable thickness forming compartments cach of the size desired for one of the
steel plates, this mould placed in a furnace and brought to a welding-heat and
molten steel is then poured into the said compartments, the blocks thus formed are
then hammered to weld them and reduce by grinding or otherwise and polished as
above described.
It is obvious that I may employ other methods of manufacturing the improved
casing or armour without departing from my said invention.
Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I Claim:-
First: The improved casing or armour manufactured according to the methods
above described or according to any method the essential characteristics of which
are the reducing or removing of the steel or of the steel and iron, by grinding or
otherwise, to expose the weld or the steel adjacent thereto, and the subsequent
polishing and hardening of the surface, as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Second-The improved casing or armour, above described, composed of a
number of blocks formed of steel and iron plates arranged alternately and welded
together, the welds being exposed by grinding or otherwise upon that side which
is to form the surface of the casing or armour, and the said surface boing
subsequently polished and hardened, all substantially as above set forth and for
the purpose specified.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Leslie Stanley Leighs have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty sixth day of October in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.