AN IMPROVED MODE OF BUILDING SHIPS AND FLOATING BATTERIES, APPLI- PRO APPLICABLE ALSO IN PART TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF FORTI- PICATIONS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jasper Wheeler Rogers, of Peat House, Roberts-
town, County Kildare, in the Kingdom of Ireland, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF BUILDING SHIPS AND FLOATING BATTERIES, APPLI-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jasper Wheeler Rogers
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th July 1861.
I, JASPER WHEELER ROGERS, of Peat House, Robertstown, County
Kildare, in the Kingdom of Ireland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF BUILDING SHIPS AND
FLOATING BATTERIES, APPLICABLE ALSO IN PART TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF FORTI-
PICATIONS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is so to combine wood and iron in the building
of ships and floating batteries, and in the covering of fortifications as to render
them impervious to shot, and in the case of the floating shot-proof structures,
materially to increase their buoyancy.
In building a ship of war, according to my Invention, I commence with the
keel, making first a longitudinal iron core of plates of wrought iron, cruciform
in cross section. The plates are bolted to angle iron fitted into the four angles
of the cross, and running from end to end of the core. The lower angle of

page_text: the cross I fill in with parallel plates of iron set up on edge and alternated by
planks of teak or oak. This filling I secure in place by lateral screws and
bolts and nuts. Upon this keel I build up the hull of the vessel, forming it
of lines of iron plates set edgewise, so that the breadth of the plates will give
the thickness of the hull, and alternate with planks of teak or oak. These lines
of plates and planks will take the varying curves of the cross sections of the
vessel and extend from the keel to the bulwarks, their inner ends filling the
upper angles of the core of the keel. The plates and planks are secured
together in groups by short screws passed through them, and also by the nuts
of long screw tie bolts, which are placed at various elevations, and run through
the plates extending in a kind of break joint arrangement from stem to stern
of the vessel, so as to tie together all the parts that go to form the hull. Upon
the inner face of the bottom of the hull and across the keel I arrange wrought-
iron taper beams, which extend athwart ships to any required height, and
these I slot to receive the tapped ends of screw bolts, which are formed with
eyes at their other ends to permit of their being strung upon the longitudinal
screw bolts before mentioned. Across these beams, lengthwise of the ship, I
arrange angle iron girders, and I pass the eye bolts through these girders and
secure them with binding nuts. These internal longitudinal girders I also
place against the sides of the vessel at suitable elevations, and secure them in
position by eye bolts projecting inwards from the longitudinal tie bolts before
mentioned.
The decks I construct on the same compound principle as the hull, and
continue them partly or wholly through the hull so as to make a strong bond,
strengthening the junction by longitudinal angle iron girders. Over the trans-
verse iron beams, and in a line with the keel, I lay a compound beam of wood
and iron, and pass bolts through the keel and through this beam, so that it
forms virtually an internal projection of the keel. By this means of piling
together iron and wood, I am enabled to gain an enormous resisting power in
ships of war, to greatly reduce the cost of constructing shot-proof vessels, and
materially to increase their buoyancy.
I would remark that in order to ensure water-tight joints in the hulls and
decks of vessels constructed on the principle of this Invention, I may find it
desirable to interpose a coating of tar or tarred paper between the plates and
planks at the time of putting them together, the binding nuts when applied
will then bring the abutting surfaces into close contact. Where the port-holes
and hatchways occur I propose to introduce a frame of iron, which I secure in
place by bolts.
This mode of constructing war vessels is also applicable to the building of

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jasper Wheeler Rogers in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JASPER
WHEELER ROGERS, of Peat House, Robertstown, County Kildare, in the
Kingdom of Ireland, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Jasper Wheeler Rogers, Ier special license that I, the said Jasper Wheeler
Rogers, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Jasper Wheeler Rogers, 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
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF BUILDING SHIPS AND FLOATING BATTERIES, APPLICABLE ALSO
IN PART TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF FORTIFICATIONS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Jasper Wheeler Rogers, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, 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 Jasper Wheeler Rogers, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is so to combine wood and iron in the building
of ships and floating batteries and in the covering of fortifications as to render
them impervious to shot, and in the case of floating shot-proof structures
materially to increase their buoyancy.

page_text: My Invention is based on the fact that the resisting power of iron plates
and planking is enormously increased when the same are set edgewise to
receive the concussion, force, or weight, against which they have to contend in
place of presenting a flat side to the strain. As an illustration of the mode of
applying iron and wood according to this principle of resistance to the
building of a ship of war, I may state that I commence with the keel,
making first a longitudinal iron core of plates of wrought iron, cruciform in cross
section. The plates are bolted to angle iron fitted into the four angles of the
cross and running from end to end of the core. The lower angles of the cross
I fill in with parallel plates of iron set up on edge, and alternated by planks
of wood, such as teak or oak. This filling I secure in place by lateral screws
and nuts. Upon this keel I build up the hull of the vessel, forming it of
lines of iron plates set edgewise, so that the breadth of the plates will give
the thickness of the bull, and alternated with planks of teak or oak. These
lines of plates and planks will take the varying curve of the cross sections of
the vessel, and extend from the keel to the bulwarks, their inner ends filling
the upper angles of the core of the keel. The plates and planks are secured
together in groups by short screws passed through them, and also by the nuts
of long screw tie bolts, which are placed at various elevations, and run
through the plates and planks, extending in a kind of break joint arrangement
from stem to stern of the vessel, so as to tie together all the parts that go to
form the hull. Across the ship and along the bottom and sides I arrange
angle iron girders, and secure them in position by eye bolts projecting inwards
from the longitudinal tie bolts before mentioned.
The upper deck I construct on the same compound principle as the hull,
and continue it partly or wholly through the hull, so as to make a strong
bond strengthening the junction by longitudinal angle iron girders. In a line
with the keel I lay a compound beam of wood and iron, and pass bolts through
the keel and through this beam, so that it forms virtually an internal projec-
tion of the keel. By this means of placing together iron and wood, I am
enabled to gain an enormous resisting power in ships of war, to greatly reduce
the cost of constructing shot-proof vessels, and materially to increase their
buoyancy.
This mode of constructing war vessels is also applicable to the building of
ships for commerce, batteries, and fortresses, the arrangement of the walls
and internal bracings being adapted to suit the different circumstances of
resistence.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1, shews in vertical cross section a
portion of the hull of a ship of war, constructed according to my Invention;

page_text: Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the hull and upper deck in cross
section, shewing the mode of connecting the deck with the sides of the ship;
Fig. 3 is an inside view of the same, shewing the mode of binding together
the plates and slabs of wood, and of stiffening the hull of the ship with longi-
tudinal beams; Fig. 4 is a sectional view, shewing the mode of locking the
parts composing the deck into the sides of the ship; Fig. 5 is a portion of the
interior of the ship, on a somewhat smaller scale, shewing the manner of pro-
viding for the construction of port-holes without impairing the strength of the
hull; Figures 6 and 7 are views, shewing a somewhat different arrangement
from that exhibited at Fig. 3, for binding the metal plates and slabs of wood
together to form a rigid shot-proof combination. By reference to these several
Figures it will be seen that the keel, decks, bottom and sides of the ship are or
may be alike composed of plates of iron (rolled or hammered) and slabs of wood
arranged alternately throughout the structure. The breadth of the plates of
iron and of the planks or slabs, which determine the thickness and consequent
strength of the hull and of the decks respectively must be determined by the
size and destined service of the ship intended to be built, and the relative
thickness of the plates, and the wooden slabs or planks will also be determined
by the same circumstances; a light draught requiring a diminished proportion...
of metal.
In Fig. 1, A is the keel, composed of a cruciform arrangement of plates a, a,
the upper angles of which are filled in by the compound structure of wood and
iron forming the bottom of the vessel, while the lower angles are filled in with
plates of iron and interposed slabs of wood firmly bolted together. In place
of this arrangement for the keel I may adopt the modification shewn at Fig. 8,
which allows of the compound structure forming the bottom of the vessel
passing horizontally through the keel. In either arrangement the slabs and
plates forming the keel are set on edge and run longitudinally from stem to
stern of the vessel. The slabs and plates forming the bottom of the ship are
arranged transversely to the keel, and are continued up to the gunwale,.
forming a compact mass without break except at the port-holes, where a rect-
angular frame 6 is introduced, as shewn at Fig. 5, for the purpose of main-
taining the strength of the ship's sides at those parts. In order to bind
together this compound mass of alternate wood and iron, of which the whole
keel, bottom, and sides are formed, I build up the same upon bars of iron
c, c, made in lengths of from twenty to thirty feet, more or less. These bars
(made by preference round), run from stem to stern of the ship, and by means
of keys inserted into them at given distances apart the plates and slabs are
drawn tightly together. In addition, I also propose to use screw bolts d, d,

page_text: which will serve to connect groups of the plates and slabs together, as shewn
best at Fig. 3. For the purpose of strengthening the hull I apply thereto a
series of ribs e, e, which (in place of being set transversely or vertically, as at
present) run longitudinally through the ships. These ribs (see Figures 2
and 3) are formed of angle iron bolted together, as shewn, or they may be
made of T-iron. For securing them to the ship's sides and bottom the bolts
ff, are employed, which are strung on to the bars c, as the plates of iron and
planks or slabs of wood are being laid together. The inner ends of the tie
bolts are tapped to receive a nut, & as the longitudinal ribs are applied the
tie bolts will project through holes made for that purpose in the ribs, and by the
application of the nuts the ribs will be firmly secured in position. Between
each slab and plate forming the bottom, sides, and deck of the ship I place,
as the construction of the vessel progresses, a thick coating of marine glue or
other waterproof cement, and when a given number of the plates and slabs
are thus brought together I secure them in position by keying thereto the
bars b, which run longitudinally through the plates and slabs, as already
described, by means of wedges, which are driven through the bars c, so as to
draw the group of plates and slabs closely together. The use in addition of
the screw bolts d, will make the whole one solid mass perfectly impervious to
water, and not requiring at any time to be caulked.
I would here remark that if the side of a ship be constructed on my
improved principle with plates of malleable iron, say, of twelve inches in
breadth by half inch thick, and supported by slabs of oak or teak, it will be
found that the plates being placed at such distance apart as will ensure the
concussion of a shot being received by the edges of at least two plates, a
resistance will be presented equal to the resistance of a solid body of iron, say,
twelve inches thick. .The main deck is formed upon the same principle as the
sides and bottom of the ship, and either with or without longitudinal ribs, and
the lower decks may also, if desired, be similarly constructed. The end of the
plates and slabs are let in between the plates and slabs of the sides at their point
of junction, as shewn in the plan view, Fig. 4, the longitudinal bars c passing
through the ends of the deck plates and slabs as well as through the plates
and slabs of the sides. By this means the deck and sides become part and
parcel of each other, and if so desired, a similar arrangement may be
adopted for forming the ship into distinct waterproof compartments.
the deck slightly rises from the sides to the middle the plates for that pur-
pose, as well as those for the rounded portions of the bottom and sides
of the vessel, may be drawn from the rollers in the exact shape required,
or otherwise brought to the desired shape. The longitudinal bars c, €,
As

page_text: passing from stem to stern throughout the bottom, sides, deck, and keel
of the ship are formed with a head, which bears against an iron plate,
and they are so arranged with respect to adjacent bars that the joints in
the lines of bars are properly distributed throughout the structure. The
modified form of longitudinal tie bar, shewn at Fig. 7, consists of a threaded
rod c, on which are strung a series of nuts c². These being applied, when-
ever it is desired to secure a group of plates and slabs in position, will
bind them together in the same manner as the keys c¹ of Fig. 3. The iron
used is, by preference, galvanized, and as the marine glue or other waterproof
coating between the slab totally excludes moisture no injurious action, which
might otherwise result from the corrosion arising from the contact of iron and
wood, can take place, whilst at the same time all expense and trouble of
caulking is entirely avoided, and the ship must be at all times staunch. When
applying the Invention to the construction of floating batteries the same
system of building up and strengthening the vessel is to be employed; but in
order to secure the greatest buoyancy I may wholly, or in part, rivet the plates
of iron from the bottom of the vessel, increasing to a proportionate degree
the width of the planking to secure the requisite amount of strength to resist
the shocks to which the floating battery may be exposed. The mode of apply-
ing the Invention to the construction of a protecting covering for the walls of
fortifications will be obvious to any practical mechanic from the preceding
description, the tie bolts being in this case the means of attachment employed.
I would further remark, as regards the application of the Invention to ship
building, the advantages appear to be as follows:-Firstly, greatly increased
strength with considerably greater floatage than according to the present
system; secondly, facility of construction in consequence, as almost any
separate part of the ship will be exactly alike, and therefore may be supplied
to the ship yard ready for being put together, namely, plates, slabs, bolts,
&c. &c., each ready to go into its position; thirdly, the total saving of caulk-
ing, it being impossible that leakage could take place through sides or
bottoms formed as described; fourthly, all the fastenings are within the ship,
and no concussion from without can affect them.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Mode
of Building Ships and Floating Batteries; applicable also in Part to the Con-
structing of Fortifications," and baving explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, I claim,-
First, the construction of ships and floating batteries by combining wood

page_text: and iron in the manner and for the purpose above set forth, whereby not only
am I enabled to form a hull impervious to shot, but also to render the same
far more buoyant than iron-plated hulls, as at present constructed.
Secondly, I claim constructing the walls or the outer coverings of the walls
of fortifications of wood and iron united together, in the manner above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jasper Wheeler Rogers, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JASPER W. ROGERS. (L.s.)