A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING A TUBULAR FORMATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND BOATS
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOHN LEES of 4 Water Park Terrace South Town in the County of Suffolk
Gentleman of no occupation and JOHN EDWARD LEES of Church Lane Oldham in the
County of Lancaster Solicitor do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING A TUBULAR FORMATION IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND BOATS to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in the application of several Tubes for the construction
of Ships and Boats (girded together in a manner we will shortly describe)
containing carrying space within their limits and affording carrying space above
with the object of diminishing the transverse sectional area of displacement and
supplying flotation stability and speed.
These objects are accomplished in a vessel of our construction of similar
displacement to that of a vessel of the ordinary type by having the tubes which
form its floating base of very great length in proportion to their width and depth
and by having them placed at intervals from each other so as to secure the
stability. In a very small vessel of our construction the tubes may however be of
insufficient size to allow of their containing carrying space within their limits.
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The tubes which may also be described as "tubular bottom" "tublar hulls"
"floats" or runners may be of steel or iron or other metal or substance of
adequate strength or of a combination of the same of a circular oval rectangular or
any other sectional shape or of varied shapes and of uniform or of tapering diameter
and with either blunted sharpened or pointed ends.
Two or any greater number of tubes may be employed and they may be of
different sizes.
The tubes are placed in a fore and aft direction at any given distance from each
other according to the breadth of the beam that is required and the strength of
girding that is attainable and form the base or substructive of the vessel and its
floating part.
In vessels of large size the tubes may be of rectangular form as the perpendicular
sides have great strength to resist the longitudinal tensile and compressive strains.
Moreover this strength can be increased by flanges on the upper and lower edges of
the sides which will afford a means of securing the tops and bottoms of the
rectangular tubes.
The Tubes are secured to each other and to the superstructure or body of the
vessel by means of girders and our invention consists in the combination of such
tubes with the particular form of girders we will describe. The tubes may be but
need not necessarily be of equal length and may but need not necessarily project
fore and aft of the superstructure.

page_text: Where the tubes project or are uncovered by the superstructure their upper sides
are covered in.
Where the tubes are covered by the superstructure their upper sides or portions
thereof may be left uncovered to allow room for the girders and access for cargo.
The girders must be of steel or iron and are constructed and applied so as to
resist the transverse longitudinal perpendicular and horizontal strains and all
oblique strains of the several tubes against each other it being our object to attain
the utmost possible rigidity.
The power of resistance to meet the transverse strains is attained by placing
metal plating on edge at right angles to the direction of the tubes.
The power of resistance to meet the longitudinal strains is attained by placing
metal plating on edge parallel to the direction of the tubes.
The metal plating applied to resist the transverse strains we term Girder
Bridges.
The metal plating applied to resist the longitudinal strains we term Girder Arches.
The power of resistance to meet all oblique and other strains is attained by the
combined effect of the Girder Bridges and Girder Arches in continuity.
The plating forming a Girder Bridge stands upon the bottoms of the tubes and
raised above the level of the water spans the intervening spaces so as to connect
the several tubes. It may be strengthened with a flanged edge which serves the
double purpose of resisting the compressive and tensile transverse strains and of
affording a means of securing the girder bridge in its place.
The Girder arches may be built up from the tubes so as to form an upward
continuation of the tubes and are placed at right angles to and connect with the
Girder bridges.
.
In the construction of the Girders it may be found of advantage to introduce.
latticing in lieu of or as an auxilliary to the metal plating.
In the construction of the Girder Bridges however the application of metal
plating is desirable for the purpose of dividing the vessel into water tight
compartments.
The Girder Bridges and Girder Arches may be secured together by rivets and
angle irons and they may be rivitted to or wedged against the sides of the tubes in
a variety of ways.
The height of the arching of the Girder Bridges and Girder Arches is regulated
by the position of such girders.
The Girders placed aft and amidships will not require so great a height of
arching as those placed forward-Cut waters may be placed fore and aft of the
superstructure on the several tubes.
Our invention is applicable to all classes of ships and boats.
Dated this Second day of January 1884.

page_text: We, JOHN LEES, of 4 Water Parke Terrace, South Town, in the County of
Suffolk, Gentleman, and JOHN EDWARD LEES, of Church Lane Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
"A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING A TUBULAR FORMATION IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND BOATS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention relates to the construction of ships and boats, and consists
essentially in making a ship or boat with two or more tubular or trough-shaped
portions arranged longitudinally or fore-and-aft, and parallel to each other, to form
the floating base or substructure of the said ship or boat, and rigidly united by
means of plates or girders placed on edge to resist transverse and longitudinal
strains or stresses, as hereinafter set forth.
Our said invention is designed to diminish the transverse sectional area of
displacement and to increase the buoyancy, stability and speed of the ship or boat.
These objects are accomplished, in a vessel of our construction, by making the said
tubular or trough-shaped portions of great length in proportion to their width and
depth, and by placing the same at suitable distances apart according to the width
or beam requisite to obtain the desired stability of the vessel.
In large vessels, the spaces within the said tubular or trough-shaped portions
can be utilized for carrying passengers or cargo or for other purposes, suitable
hatchways, companion-ways or doors being formed to permit access to the interior
of the said tubular or trough-shaped portions from the deck above or from the
adjacent portions. But in some vessels these portions will be of insufficient
dimensions to permit the space within them to be thus utilized.
The said tubular or trough-shaped portions, are made of steel, iron or other metal,
or of wood or other suitable material or combination of materials. They may be
of circular, oval, rectangular or other desired form in transverse section, and either
taper or of uniform dimensions in transverse section throughout their length, and
their ends may, if desired, be pointed, or formed like the stem and stern of an
ordinary ship. The said portions may either be all of the same depth, or the
central one may be of greater or less depth than the side ones.
In vessels of large size, it is desirable that the said tubular or trough-shaped
portions should be of rectangular form in transverse section, as their perpendicular
sides then offer great resistance to longitudinal, tensile and compressive strains or
stresses, the corners at the upper parts of the spaces between the said portions, as
well as those at each side of the upper deck being rounded, if desired; their
strength can, moreover, be increased, if desired (in the case of iron vessels) by
providing flanges on the upper and lower edges of the sides of the said tubular or
trough-shaped portions, which flanges may be formed by bending the plates or by
means of angle-iron, and which afford the means for securing to the said sides the
top and bottom parts of the said tubular or trough-shaped portions, or the plates
uniting the said portions.
The girders must be of steel or iron, or of wood with metal plates on each side
of it, and are so constructed and applied as to resist the various strains or stresses
that may have to be borne by the ship.
For instance, the resistance to transverse or perpendicular strains or stresses
(caused, for example, by the tendency, when the ship is rolling, of one side thereof
to fall by gravity and of the other side to be raised by the pressure of the water),

page_text: is obtained by placing metal plating, or what we term transverse girders, on edge
or in a plane at right angles, or nearly so, to the direction of the tubular or trough-
shaped portions. The resistance to longitudinal or horizontal strains or stresses
(caused, for example, by the tendency of one tubular or trough-shaped portion to
be moved forward or backward relatively to the other portions) is obtained by
placing metal plating, or what we term longitudinal girders, on edge or in a
horizontal plane parallel, or nearly so, to the direction of the said tubular or
trough-shaped portions.
The resistance to all oblique and other strains or stresses is obtained by the
combined effect of the transverse and longitudinal girders.
In the construction of the said girders, it may be found advantageous to introduce
lattice-work in lieu of, or as an auxiliary to, the metal plating. In the construction
of the transverse girders, however, the application of metal plating is desirable for
the purpose of forming bulkheads and dividing the vessel into. water-tight
compartments.
In the accompanying drawing, we have shewn how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation,
Figure 2 a plan, and
Figure 3 a transverse section, of an iron vessel made in accordance with our
invention.
Figure 4 is a section on the line x, x, Figure 2.
Figure 5 shows one of the transverse girders formed with flanges.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of part of the said vessel.
Like letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures.
a, a are the tubular or trough-shaped portions, three of which are employed in
the vessel shown in the drawing. bis the upper deck, which is formed of plates
rigidly united to each other and to the plates forming the sides of the vessel.
c, c, are the transverse girders which constitute bulkheads and are made to
correspond in shape with the transverse section of the vessel, so that they extend
from side to side of the vessel and also downward from the upper deck b and
between the sides of the portions a to the bottoms of the said portions.
d is the lower deck, which is formed of plates rigidly united to each other and
to the sides of the vessel, and also secured by rivets or otherwise to the sides of the
portions a at their upper ends. It will be seen that, when this lower deck is
employed, these portions are in the form of rectangular tubes, the tops of which are
formed by the said lower deck. The upper and lower decks constitute what we
term the longitudinal girders. When a lower deck is not used, longitudinal
girders are employed consisting of horizontal plates uniting the parts a at their
upper ends.
The said transverse girders are sometimes made, as shown in Figure 5, with
flanges c' to which the upper deck b and the sides and bottoms of the portions a,
and also the lower deck d, or the horizontal plates forming the longitudinal girders
for uniting the said portions at their upper ends, are secured by rivets or otherwise.
Or the said girders may be provided with angle-iron for this purpose.
In Figure 3, we have indicated how the paddle-wheels of a steam-vessel
constructed according to our invention may be arranged. The engines are placed
either within or above the portions a.
These portions may be of equal or unequal lengths and may, if desired, project
forward or aft, or forward and aft, of the superstructure or upper deck; when
they thus project and are not covered by the superstructure or upper deck, their
ends are covered in at the top by any suitable means. The said portions may, if
desired, be provided with cut-waters. The girding of the portions a is effected
above the water-line so that, in smooth water, only a part of each of the said
portions will be immersed.
Our improved method of construction has the following advantages -over the
methods heretofore adopted,.viz:-the ship, especially when rectangular tubes are

page_text: employed, can be made of great length without its strength being materially
affected, it can, therefore, have great carrying capacity. It can, moreover, be made
of considerable width or beam with small resistance and light draught, it is,
therefore, very stable and can travel at a high speed. The vessel is not so liable to
roll heavily as a vessel of the ordinary type, by reason of the position of its centre
of buoyancy relatively to its centre of gravity, a tube placed on that side to which
the vessel inclines tending to resist such inclination by its buoyancy, and a tube
placed on the side from which the vessel inclines also tending to resist such
inclination by the force of gravity.
Vessels constructed in the manner above described can be propelled by steam
power at a very high speed and will carry a large surface of sail, by reason of their
great length and width.
In small boats we sometimes use a lower deck and dispense with an upper deck,
and employ transverse strengthening plates placed horizontally above the
transverse girders so as to form seats in the boat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
A ship or boat constructed with two or more longitudinal, tubular or trough-
shaped portions rigidly united by means of plates or girders, substantially as, and
for the purposes, set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicants.