IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND APPLYING DEFENSIVE ARMOUR, AND ALSO BULLET-PROOF PORTHOLE COVERS FOR THE DEFENCE OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, FORTS, BATTERIES, AND OTHER FORTIFICATIONS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Berney, of Bracon Hall, in the County of
Norfolk, Clerk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING
AND APPLYING DEFENSIVE ARMOUR, AND ALSO BULLET-PROOF PORTHOLE COVERS
FOR THE DEFENCE OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, FORTS, BATTERIES, AND OTHER
FORTIFICATIONS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 16th July 1867, and dated the 25th January 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Berney at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
January 1867.
I, THOMAS BERNEY, of Bracon Hall, in the County of Norfolk, Clerk, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CON-
STRUCTING AND APPLYING DEFENSIVE ARMOUR AND ALSO BULLET-PROOF PORTHOLE
COVERS FOR THE DEFENCE OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, FORTS, BATTERIES, AND
OTHER FORTIFICATIONS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing and applying
defensive armour, and also bullet-proof porthole covers for the defence of ships

page_text: and other vessels, forts, batteries, and other fortifications, parts of which
improvements are applicable also to other purposes. For these purposes when
constructing defensive armour for ships and other vessels, forts, batteries, and
other fortifications in place of the armour plating heretofore generally employed
hollow shells of wrought iron are used in conjunction with cast iron in the
following manner :-In casting each block for the construction of defensive
armour for a ship or vessel, or for a battery a shell of iron is used of the
external form of the block required, which shell is introduced into a suitable
metal or other mould, and cast iron is run into such shell. In some cases
the shell may be in more than one piece, and in some cases a cup of iron is
used corresponding in form externally with the required after part of the said
block of the armour; which cup is introduced into a suitable metal mould,
while the form of the fore part will be received from the form of the mould,
so that while the base and sides, or some part of them will be cased by the
cup, or by the cup and boops which may be used with it, the forward end of
the block will be composed only of cast iron of the form given by the metal
mould; these armour blocks may be varied in form, but I prefer that they
should be hexagonal, and in some cases made tapering to enable them to be
fitted to curved structures, and with semicircular or with conoidal forward or
outward ends; and each of such blocks is to be formed with interlocking
corresponding parts on their sides, the interlocking parts being alternately
concave and convex on the succeeding sides, and the sides of the interlocking
parts are inclined at any suitable angles, and by preference at any angles of
45 degrees, or more or less; by thus
interlocking at the several sides, the
striking such defensive armour will be
area and mass of the defensive armour.
blocks arranged together may be supported at the portholes and at the sides
of such extents by blocks, into which they would also by preference interlock,
and which may be made upon similar principles to that of the blocks described,
but their form in other respects may be varied according to circumstances,
the principal object being to give the requisite lateral support, which however
may be given by other suitable meaus instead of the above. These armour
blocks may be fixed to a ship, or vessel, or battery by recesses formed in the
back or base of the aforesaid shells or cups, and in some cases by sockets
projecting therefrom to receive the ends of bolts or other fastenings, which
plan of recesses and projecting sockets is applicable to the fastening of other
kinds of armour, whether the said sockets form part of the same, or be infixed
by screw or otherwise thereto. In some cases through bolts may be inserted at
having cast blocks, and by their thus
shock or impact of a projectile when
diffused or distributed over a large
An extent of armour formed of such

page_text: their respective angles, or some of them, for which allowance in the form of
the blocks would in that case have to be made. When these armour blocks
are used on ships or vessels, or batteries, and where their outward ends are of
a rounding, a conoidal, or projecting character, the outward surface of the
ship or vessel or battery may be coated or plated so as to produce a flush
or uniform surface. In constructing backing in order to apply such and
other defensive armour I construct outside of what may be called the base or -
back plate of the said backing to armour for a ship or vessel, or battery,
bars of iron of a form for these purposes of a transverse section, thus
•IT.
or more or less, each of such bars having two flanges on one side, and one thicker
flange on the other side, which thicker flanges in arranging pairs of such bars
abut against each other thus
In arranging these bars to form
backing a succession of pairs of such bars are used parallel to each other,
and in some cases these pairs of bars are supported by other pairs of such
bars, which are caused to incline in an opposite direction, and by preference
these sets of pairs of bars should be inclined, or should cross each other at
angles of about 60 degrees or 30 degrees with the perpendicular according to
whether the armour blocks are arranged with one of their sides, or one of their
edges or angles upwards. Thus the inner set of these bars come against
the back or base plate before mentioned, while the bases of the armour blocks
rest on or against the outer surfaces of the outer pairs of bars or against the
plate laid over them, and it is preferred that the pairs of the outer bars, and
in some cases of the others also should be at a distance apart from centre to
centre equal to 3 of the smaller width or diameter of the armour blocks,
so that the back end of each such block will be supported by two pairs of
bars; the space between the bars or back plate before mentioned and the plate
which is interposed between the back ends or bases of the armour blocks and
the pairs of bars is to be filled with water at the time when a ship or vessel is
going into action, so as together with the construction above described to
form an efficient backing to the defensive armour above described, and it
may be used in the backing for other forms of defensive armour, and for
whatever structure to be defended. The use of the water however is not
essential to this proposal.
And further this Invention has for its object improvements in the con-
structing and applying defensive armour the introduction and construction
scale armour as curtains to the
of a new system of bullet-proof shield and

page_text: portholes and other opening in fortifications for the purpose of affording
protection against bullets of small arms.
The improvement consists in linking rings of suitable size, substance, and
form together in such manner, by preference, that the lower bows of each
alternate row of rings sball project on one side and those of the other rows
on the opposite side so as to form a fabric or chain work (the principle of
which is here used by application) capable of extension and contraction, and
then in fastening to the rings which protrude downwards on the one side and
otherwise suitable iron plates as shields to face the enemy, and in such
.manner that each shield shall overlap the one above it, and to those on the
other side other plates as scales or shells so as to form a system of shield and
scale armour, the parts being made of such dimensions as to admit of some
contraction of the fabric. The form preferred for the plates intended to be
used as shields is that of a straight-sided shield with its
margins somewhat raised, and with the field of it creeced
or grooved to represent party per pale gules and azure, and
having over all a cross ingrailed ermine raised above the field.
The preferred form for the plates at the back is somewhat
like that of the upper shell of a small tortoise, with its inner
margins slightly overhanging the cavity. Its concave side is
to be hung facing the chainwork. The centre of the cavity is preferred to be
protected by bars in the form of a cross reaching from side to side and with
its acute edges outwards. Its convex side is preferred to be ornamented
with an embossed ducal coronet with five ostrich feathers displayed; these
shells or scales are hung so as to cover the spaces disclosed between the
shields before mentioned when the chain fabric is extended, and by these
means a system of shield and scale armour is formed which, when extended, is
proposed to be impenetrable to bullets of small arms. These plates may be
of wrought iron or of iron casehardened, or of steel hardened and tempered,
or they may be of cast iron cast wholly or in part in a shell of iron of any
desired form; and other forms and other arrangements than those above
described both of the chainwork and of the iron plates respectively may
be used instead of them. And this bullet-proof shield and scale armour is
applicable also to ships and other vessels, and to forts, batteries, and other
fortifications, for the protection of embrasures and other openings assailable
by bullets of small arms.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Berney in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BERNEY, of Bracon Hall, in the County of Norfolk, Clerk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Ber Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Berney, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Berney, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Berney, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTING AND APPLYING DEFENSIVE ARMOUR, AND ALSO BULLET-PROOF PORT-
HOLE COVERS FOR THE DEFENCE OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, FORTS, BATTERIES,
AND OTHER FORTIFICATIONS, PARTS OP WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE
TO OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Berney, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Thomas Berney, 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing and
applying defensive armour and also bullet-proof porthole covers for the
defence of ships. and other vessels, forts, batteries, and other fortifications,
parts of which improvements are applicable also to other purposes. For these
purposes when constructing defensive armour for ships and other vessels,
forts, batteries, and other fortifications, in place of the armour plating
heretofore generally employed, hollow shells of wrought iron are used in
conjunction with cast iron in the following manner :-In casting each block

page_text: for the construction of defensive armour for a ship or vessel or for a battery,
a shell of iron is used of the external form of the block required, which shell
is introduced into a suitable metal or other mould and cast iron is run into
such shell. In some cases the shell may be in more than one piece and
in some cases a cup of iron is used corresponding in form externally with the
required after part of the said block of the armour, which cup is introduced
into a suitable metal mould while the form of the fore part will be received
from the form of the mould, so that while the base and sides or some part of
them will be cased by the cup or by the cup and hoops which may be used
with it; the forward end of the block will be composed only of cast iron of
the form given by the metal mould. The iron which I prefer to use is the
white or spathic iron, though any suitable iron properly annealed may be
used. These armour blocks. may be varied in form but I prefer that they
should be hexagonal, and in some cases made tapering to enable them to
be fitted to curved structures and with semicircular or with conoidal forward or
outward ends; this form I prefer to use not only for the purpose of lightness
but on the expectation that it will have a tendency to cause projectiles to
glance from it; and each of such blocks is to be formed with interlocking
corresponding parts on their sides, the interlocking parts being alternately
convex and concave on the succeeding sides, and the sides of the inter-
locking parts are inclined at any suitable angles, and by preference at any
angles of 45 degrees, or more or less. By thus having cast blocks and
by their thus interlocking at the several sides the shock or impact of a
projectile when striking such defensive armour will be diffused or distri-
buted over a large area and mass of the defensive armour. An extent of
armour formed of such blocks arranged together may be supported at the
portholes and at the sides of such extents by blocks, into which they would,
also by preference interlock, and which may be made upon similar principles
to that of the blocks described, but their form in other respects may be
varied according to circumstances, the principal object being to give the
requisite lateral support, which, however, may be given by other suitable
means instead of the above. These armour blocks may be fixed to a ship or
vessel or battery by recesses formed in the back or base of the aforesaid
shells or cups and in some cases by sockets projecting therefrom to receive
the ends of bolts or other fastenings, which plan of recesses and projecting
sockets I prefer to use, and it is applicable to the fastening of other kinds of
armour, whether the said sockets form part of the same or be infixed by
screw or otherwise thereto. These bolts are to be inserted into these sockets
through the backing plate from the inside of the vessel or fortification.
In

page_text: some cases through bolts may be used inserted at their respective angles or some
or one of them, for which allowance in the form of the blocks would in that
case have to be made.
modified are brought together, and such bolt being omitted I thus form a
5 rifle battery. Plugs should be inserted in the holes when not in use for
such purpose or for the purpose of ventilation. But I prefer also to form
rifle batteries by constructing loop holes where required, by forming a recess
down the face of one of the concave sides of a block and a corresponding
recess down one of the convex sides of another block so as to pass through
the projecting interlocking part and by bringing them together, and in such
manner as shewn in the Drawings at n, both at Fig. 2 and also at Figures 8
and 10, or otherwise. When these armour blocks are used on ships or
vessels or batteries, and where their outward ends are of a rounding or
conoidal or projecting character, the outward surface of the ship or vessel
or battery may be coated or plated so as to produce a flush or uniformi
A single angle of each of three blocks suitably
surface.
In constructing backing in order to apply such and other defensive armour
I construct outside of what may be called the base or back plate of the said
backing to armour for a ship or vessel or battery, bars of iron of a form for
these purposes of a transverse section, thus
777777
'
or more or less, each of
:
such bars having two flanges on one side, and one thicker flange on the other
side, which thicker flanges in arranging pairs of such bars abut against
each other, thus
IT.
In arranging these bars to form backing a
succession of pairs of such bars are used parallel to each other, and in some
cases these pairs of bars are supported by other pairs of such bars which are
caused to incline in an opposite direction, and by preference these sets of
pairs of bars should be inclined or should cross each other at angles of about
60 degrees or 30 degrees with the perpendicular according to whether the
armour blocks are arranged with one of their sides or one of their edges or.
angles upwards; thus the inner set of these bars come against the back or
base plate before mentioned, while the basis of the armour blocks rest on or
against the outer surfaces of the outer pairs of bars or against the inter-
mediate plate laid over them, and it is preferred that the pairs of the outer
bars, and in some cases of the others also, should be at a distance apart from
centre to centre equal to 3 of the smaller width or diameter of the armour

page_text: blocks, so that the back end of each such block will be supported by two
pairs of bars. The space between the bars or back plate before mentioned
and the plate which is interposed between the back ends or bases of the
armour blocks, and the pairs of bars is to be filled with water at the time
when a ship or vessel is going into action, so as together with the construction
above described, to form an efficient backing to the defensive armour above
described, and it may be used in the backing for other forms of defensive
armour, and for whatever structure to be defended. The use of the water
however is not essential to this proposal.
And further this Invention has for its object improvements in constructing
and applying defensive armour by the introduction and construction of a new
system of bullet-proof shield and scale armour as curtains to the portholes
and other openings in fortifications, for the purpose of affording protection
against bullets of small arms.
The improvement consists in linking rings of suitable size, substance, and
form together in such manner by preference that the lower bows of each
alternate row of rings shall project on one side, and those of the other rows on
the opposite side, so as to form a fabric or chain work (the principle of which
is here used by application) capable of extension and contraction, and then in
fastening to the rings which protrude downwards on the one side and
otherwise suitable iron plates as shields to face the enemy, and in such
manner that each shield shall overlap the one above it, and to those on the
other side other plates as scales or shells of iron, so as to form a system of
shield and scale armour, the parts being made of such dimensions as to admit
of some contraction of the fabric.
The form preferred for the plates intended to be used as shields is that of a
straight-sided shield with its margins somewhat raised, and having embossed
in relief the arms royal arms of Great Britain and Ireland, and with the field
of it creased or grooved to represent its proper color.
The preferred form for the plates at the back is somewhat like that of the
upper shell of a small tortoise with its inner margin slightly overhanging the
cavity. Its concave side is to be hung facing the chain work; the centre of
the cavity is preferred to be protected by bars in the form of a cross, reaching
from side to side, with its acute edges outwards. Its convex side is pre-
ferred to be ornamented with an embossed figure representing the British
lion rampant. These shells or scales are bung so as to cover the spaces
disclosed between the shields before mentioned when the chain fabric is
extended, and by these means a system of shield and scale armour is formed
which when extended is proposed to be impenetrable to bullets of small arms.

page_text: These plates may be of wrought iron, or of iron casehardened, or of steel
hardened and tempered, or they may be of cast iron cast wholly or in part in
a shell of iron of any desired form. And other forms and other arrangements
than those above described, both of the chain work and of the iron plates
respectively, may be used instead of them. And this bullet-proof shield and
scale armour is applicable also to ships and other vessels, and to forts,
batteries, and other fortifications for the protection of embrasures and other
openings assailable by bullets of small arms.
Now having described my Invention the Drawings may be thus described.
Figure 1 is an elevation of an armour block of my Invention of hexagonal
form with semicircular rounded outer end, and shewing also the interlockings
by which they are combined together, d being convex, and e concave, formed
with the angles as previously described; s is the projecting socket into which
the screw bolt, Figure 9 is to be inserted; Figure 2 is a plan of the same
armour block Figure 14; Figure 1* is a vertical section of Figure 1A; c is the
wrought iron shell; s, the socket shewing the screw thread for the screw bolt,
by which each block is secured to the ship or fort; Figure 2* is a transverse
section of Figure 1ª from A to B; Figure 3 is an elevation of Figure 1ª in
its widest side with the interlocking projections d and cavities e as before;
Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a vertical section of Figure 3 it
shews the wrought iron shell containing the cast iron; Figure 6 is a transverse
section of Figure 3 from f to d; Figure 7 is a plan. A number of the
armour blocks are here placed together showing the way in which they are
combined by their interlocking parts, so that if the armour block A be struck
by a projectile, the blow will be imparted also to the six surrounding blocks
b, c, d, e, f, g, and through them the shock and impact is spread immediately
over the twelve blocks surrounding, with which they are combined and thus
receiving from them lateral support; Figure 8 is also a plan, it represents seven
armour blocks interlocked together, which are seated on a skin of metal
through which the sockets s are inserted. The whole are supported by two
successions of pairs of bars of the forms berein-before described and which
are placed one upon the other, the inner course of bars h are to be com-
bined with or secured to the backing plate and to its flanges, the flanges
of the outer course of bars k rivetted; to this also the metal skin is rivetted,
and the sockets of the armour blocks are passed through holes formed in the
skin to receive them, and in this position they are to be secured by the screw
bolts, Figure 9, which are to be passed from the inside of the ship or fort through
the backing plate and inserted into the sockets s; Figure 10 represents the
preferred arrangement and formation of the before described porthole covers,

page_text: the rings of which interlaced as shewn, or otherwise afford the means of
contraction and extension, and to these the shields Figure 10* are secured as
previously described.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Constructing
and Applying Defensive Armour, and also Bullet-proof Porthole Covers for the
Defence for Ships and other Vessels, Forts, Batteries, and other Fortifications,
Parts of which Improvements are applicable to other Purposes," and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I should observe
although the arrangement and construction of parts herein shewn and described
are those which I prefer and consider most advantageous and advisable for
carrying out the object of the Invention, I do not mean or intend to confine
myself thereto as the construction and form and arrangement of parts, and
also the means of actuating the working parts admit of considerable variation
and modification without departing from the nature of the Invention or the
principle upon which it is founded.
I therefore reserve to myself to adopt such means and modifications in form
or otherwise as may be found most convenient and effective to carry out the
object of the Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Berney, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
CLAIMS.
The improvements which I claim and disclaim in this Invention consists of,
as follows:
I do not claim the Invention of the use of wrought iron or cast iron for the
construction of defensive armour, but I make the following claims :-
1st, in the combination of wrought iron and cast iron for such purpose in
the forms and otherwise, and in the manners herein-before described.
2nd, I claim the use of cast iron, and by preference of spathic or white iron
to be contained in wrought iron shells or cups, and cast in moulds or otherwise,
so as to form blocks of any form.
3rd, in these blocks being preferred to be of an hexagonal sectional form
parallel with their base or of a duodecagonal i.e. with the six angles, or some

page_text: or one of them taken off or omitted, which by suitable modification affords
room for bolts or loop holes.
4th, also I claim the manner of constructing rifle batteries where required
by forming a recess down the face of one of the concave sides of a block, and
a corresponding recess down one of the convex sides of another block, so as
to pass through the projecting interlocking part, and by bringing such parts
together in the manner described so as to form loopholes, as shewn at n in
the several Drawings, or otherwise.
5th, in the middle portions of their sides being formed alternately concave
and convex so as to interlock into each other alternately, and at an angle, by
preference, of about 45° or other angle, so as to spread the impact of a pro-
jectile over a large mass of the surrounding blocks of the armour.
6th, in such blocks being formed with sockets projecting from their base so
as to receive screwed or other bolts, as shewn at Figure 9. This claim is
only made as far as may be consistent with the claim made by me for bolts
for fastening on heavy armour plate in the Patent for improvements in the
construction of ships and other vessels, granted to me and bearing date
September 6th, 1866.
7th, in the said armour blocks being fastened by such screw bolts from the
inside of the ship or battery and inserted into such sockets.
8th, in the form of the bars of iron used in the backing to support the said
armour.
9th, in the said bars being arranged to cross each other, by preference, at
angles of or of about either 30° or 60° with the perpendicular, or with each
other, also in that each block of the armour is supported by two pairs of such
bars if necessary.
10th, in such bars being applicable for use in the construction of ships for
stringers and for some of the members of the girders, and also for other
purposes in ships.
11th, in water being used to fill up the space within the backing so as
to to assist in spreading the impact of projectiles over a larger area, though its
use is not essential.
12th, in the armour blocks being secured by sockets projecting from the
back or base of the aforesaid shells or cups, and in some cases by recesses
formed in the same to receive the ends of bolts or other fastenings, which plan
of recesses and projecting sockets is applicable to the fastening of other kinds
of armour, whether the said sockets form part of the same or be infixed by
screw or otherwise thereto.

page_text: 13th, in a system of bullet-proof shield and scale armour formed of chain
work capable of extension and contraction as the fabric to which plates of
metal are fastened, so as to form a defence against bullets or small arms.
14th, in two particular preferred forms for the metal plates respectively
though other forms may be used.
THOMAS BERNEY.