IMPROVE- MENTS IN SHIPS and Boats, and in APPLIANCES RELATING THERETO.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Betteley, of 166, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Naval Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHIPS and Boats, and in APPLIANCES RELATING THERETO.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Betteley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th November 1875.
-
.
I, JOSEPH BETTELEY, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Naval Architect, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS AND BOATS, AND IN APPLIANCES RELATING
THERETO," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of ships and boats, their
bolts or fastenings, sheathing, and appliances for producing galvanic
action upon their exterior for keeping the submerged portion clean and
from worms, also a method of fitting propeller blades.
In constructing an iron or metal plated ship, planked with wood, I

page_text: fasten the plank to the metal skin by means of metal screw bolts coated
with white metal, such as tin, or tin and its alloys, or zinc. These I
pass through the iron skin of. the ship from the inner side partly into or
through the planking on the outer side, and by this means I am enabled
to draw it close to the metal plating.
I also form bolts of a large diameter under their heads for the
purpose of filling the holes in the plates, or forming a screw thereon
for the purpose of attaching it to the iron skin or plating of the
ship.
I also form bolts of wood with rings and a fastening pin passing
through them. These I drive through the wood planking from the
outside, and through the metal skin on the inner side, and they are there
fastened by a ring and pin, thus preventing the ring from slipping off
from any cause.
When the iron vessel is constructed with a wood keel or stem and
stern post, I form a groove or rabbet in them for receiving the planking,
to which I fasten the planks by means of bolts..
By these means I am able to construct iron ships of great strength
and buoyancy with economy, and which are thus qualified to be
sheathed with copper or other metal sheathing.
I form a galvanic sheathing to wood planked ships or vessels by first
covering the planking with felt or paper in the ordinary manner, over
which I place thin strips of iron or a negative metal (galvanically) to
zinc or zinc and its alloys, over these I place sheets of white metal com-
posed of malleable zinc or zinc and its alloys, which combination when
immersed in or covered with sea water produces a galvanic action,
causing an exfoliation on its surface and prevents worms from attacking
the wood plank, and to a great extent prevents fouling on or to the
ship's bottom.
I prefer to connect the whole or chief portion of the metal sheathing
to wood or iron ship's planking by means of butt joints covered by thin
strips of soft metal through which the nails can be driven, the holes for
the nails being pressed out of the metal.
For the purpose of fastening the sheets to the wood planking I use
zinc nails, which I prefer to have with convex or round heads, thus I

page_text: ships.
In constructing metal boats or small vessels, I form them with
double sides in compartments, that is, of an inner and outer plating.
The outer plating I make of a convex form, the ends are also formed
of iron, and in compartments; their bottoms are formed of wood
planking or iron, and are connected to the double iron sides by means
of an angled iron rivetted thereto and fastened by means of screw bolts,
nuts, or rivets.
I also, by preference, form the thwarts or seats of iron in chambers
as lockers, thus I make a vessel of great strength and buoyancy.
When I construct an iron or metal steam vessel, I form an aperture
for the propeller between the body, stern post, and the screw or pro-
peller post, both of which are bushed to receive the screw shaft which
protrudes beyond the screw post. On the inner side of this I place a
single bladed propeller, and a similar one on the outside.
I also fix single bladed propellers to a shaft, they being segments of a
circle forming an elliptical curve or single-threaded screw. When I
form these in separate parts I fasten or connect them to the boss or
shaft by forming the blades with shanks or separately from the boss
(by preference of malleable iron) and attach them to the boss or
shafting by means of screw bolts and nuts or fastenings. By this
means the blades become movable, and in case of accident or otherwise
can be taken off or put on without removing the boss.
I also construct steam vessels by forming them with a tube under
each of their hiloes on each side of the vessel for receiving a propeller

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Betteley, Her special
license that I, the said Joseph Betteley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Betteley, my exe-
cutors, 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 SHIPS AND BOATS, AND IN APPLIANCES RELATING THERETO,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Betteley,
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 Joseph Betteley, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The first part of my Invention is represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3,
Sheet 1, of the annexed Drawings, and consists in constructing or
strengthening iron plated ships. For this purpose I, by preference,
build the iron-plated ship with wooden keel a, stem b, and stern post c,
in which I form a rabbet or groove for receiving the planks. Over this
keel I place a strong iron plate d to receive the iron framing or
plating e. The metal plating e of the vessel I cover with wood
planking for doubling, which I fasten to the iron skin or plates of the
ship by means of metallic screw bolts, shown in Figure 4 (having a
wood screw thread), coated with a white metal, such as tin or its alloys
or zinc and tin to prevent the acid in the wood destroying them. The
neck h of these bolts is larger than the diameter of the screw for the
purpose of filling the hole in the iron plating, and when screwed into

page_text: the planking from the inner side of the ship, they form their own
matrix; on being turned into the wood they do not penetrate through
the planking but stop short. By these means I am able to draw the
planking close to the iron plating e. Into the bolt holes in the wood
planks I put marine glue or bituminous or resinous material as a non-
conductor of metallic galvanic action, and I cover the iron ship with a
similar material before planking. The bolts are placed at a distance
apart according to the rules for planking ships.
The planks I prefer to be of a thickness about six times that of the
iron ship's plating, as in Figure 5, and the metal screwed bolts in
diameter under their heads about one-fourth of the thickness of the
plank. By these means I obtain great strength and rigidity.
I also fasten planking to iron-plated ships by means of wooden bolts i
driven from the outer side of the ship, as in Figure 6, Sheet 1, the bolts
having tapered heads ; and their points provided with rings k, through
which and the bolt a pin is passed for securing each of them in place.
I sheath the planks after caulking to prevent moisture reaching the iron
ship's plates.
I also place felt or prepared paper upon the planking, thus the
vessel is prepared for sheathing with copper, yellow metal, or other
sheathing.
The second part of this Invention is also shown on Sheet 1, Figure 7,
and relates to forming a galvanic sheathing on metal or wood built
ships by the following means:-In the case of a metal ship I first cover
the ship's skin plating e with planking f, which I then caulk and cover
with felt or prepared paper 7. Over this I place thin strips of iron m
in separate parts or pieces, which I embed into the felt. Over these I
place zinc sheathing plates n of extra thickness, for durability; these
when immersed in sea water will produce a galvanic action, causing an
exfoliation of the zinc, preventing worms from attacking the planks,
and will to a great extent prevent fouling.
I prefer to place the iron strips or other negative metal near the edges
or at the butts of the plates..
The zine sheathing plates I prefer to butt the joints, and to fasten by
zinc nails with convex heads, for durability and strength.
I also cover the butt joints of the sheathing by means of thin strips

page_text: of lead p. By this means I am able to sheath an iron ship or iron
fastened ship without detriment to the iron and at a moderate cost.
When I apply this sheathing to a wooden ship I first caulk its
planking, after which I cover it with felt or prepared sheathing paper,
over which I place thin strips or pieces of iron or other metal negative
to zine, and over these I place zinc sheathing plates which I nail
through the felt to the wood planking. I also place felt on the wooden
stem, stern, and keel, on which I place strips of iron, and over these I
place the zinc sheathing. By this means I am able to form a galvanic
sheathing on the bottom of a wooden ship for the purpose of preserving
it from fouling.
The third part of this Invention relates to the construction of
metallic boats or vessels, and is represented in Sheet 2 of the annexed
Drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. I form the boats with double sides
or compartments a, b, that is, of an inner and outer plating or skin, the
outer one being in form convex and the inner vertical. The ends c, d,
arc of a similar formation. The bottom e is by preference formed of
wood planking and connected to the double iron sides a, b, by angle
iron g being rivetted to the lower sides, and the planks are fastened to
it by means of screw bolts.
I sometimes construct these boats with iron thwarts h or seats of
iron forming chambers i perfectly water-tight, and can be used as
lockers for provisions when used as lifeboats.
By these means I am able to construct a metal boat of great
buoyancy and strength, and which from the bottom being flat, as in
Figures 3 and 6, Sheet 2, can be easily launched from ways on the ship's
deck.
The fourth part of this Invention is represented in Sheet 3 of the
annexed Drawings, and relates to placing a single-bladed screw pro-
peller a before and another 6 aft of the ship's stern c or screw post, as
in Figure 1 of said Drawing.
According to the fifth part of my Invention I construct propellers in
the following manner, and as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, on
Sheet 3-Their bosses d, d, of cast metal are constructed separately
from the blades a, b, which by preference are made of malleable iron or
steel. The bosses d, d, have holes in them for receiving the iron shanks

page_text: or stems e, e, of the blades a, b; these stems are made to pass through
the bosses, and also through the shaft fon which they are placed, and
by means of strong screw nuts g are drawn close into their places.
The bosses d, d, are prevented turning by a key h to fasten them. By
this means they can be replaced in case of accident, the wrought-iron
blades being also easier of construction under the hammer. The screw
pin i serves to regulate the angle of each blade for the pitch.
.
The sixth part of this Invention is shown in Sheet 4 of the annexed
Drawings, and relates to the construction of steam vessels with.
propellers placed under their bilges, with tubes for receiving the
propellers.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, Sheet 4, show a vessel a with tubes b, b, set
at an angle from the sides of the vessel, through which tubes the
shafts c of the propellers d, d, pass, so that their inner ends can be
driven from the inside of the vessel, and the outer ends carry pro-
pellers d, d, which rotate in covers e, e, and under the bilges f, f, of the
vessel, the bilge parts of the sides being hollow for the purpose of
receiving them. The hollows where the propellers work die off fore
and aft that the water may enter and leave with little agitation and yet
furnish sufficient water for the propellers to act upon or against for
moving the vessel.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Betteley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
JOSEPH BETTELEY. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLOUGHBY DE QUINCY SEWELL..