Improvements in or relating to Vessels and Ships.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Vessels and Ships.
A communication from PAUL MANCHIN and LOUIS Boudreaux, Engineers, of
Paris, in the Republic of France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
-
The present invention relates to the construction of ships or means applicable
to existing ships whereby they may be rendered insubmergible and consists
essentially in the arrangement in the interior of such ships or vessels of a series
of safety compartiments which are perfectly water-tight and insubmergible in
themselves and are calculated to prevent the complete sinking of the vessel even
when the hull is leaking in every part.
This can be effected while not interfering in any way with the present system
or construction of ships, consisting of a series of compartments communicating
with each other by doors of a construction more or less perfect.
The upper portions of these ".floats" or water-tight chambers form a series
of platforms which may be connected by a series of gang-ways or the like and
are made use of as regards their interior space in the same way as the vessel
itself. They offer therefore in case of danger a refuge for the passengers and
the crew.
The necessary provisions can be provided for an emergency together
with signalling devices by which to attract the notice of any vessel passing by,
without the necessity of abandoning the vessel or of putting out in small boats.
In order to render the description more easily understood one of the many
modifications of which the invention is capable of application is represented in
the accompanying drawing by way of example.
Figure 1 is a schematic view in longitudinal elevation of a vessel provided
with means for securing its insubmergibility.
Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front sectional view of the same.
In these three figures the vessel is represented as floating in the usual way.
Figure 4 is another front view like that represented in Figure 3, but illus-
trating the vessel when submerged in consequence of an accident, and kept from
sinking by the means referred to.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 correspond to the foregoing Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrating
the manner in which the interior or the floats can be made use of, as well as the
arrangement of the steps and gang-ways by which means all on board can take
refuge either on the platforms or in the interior of the floats in case of accident.
As will be easily understood from an examination of the drawings, the essential
feature of the invention consists in the arrangement-without interfering with
the shape of the vessel a-in the interior of the vessel a number of high metallic
water-proof "floats or chambers firmly connected to the vessel itself.
These floats which are closed on all sides and the bottoms of which rest on

page_text: the bottom of the vessel rise vertically through the various decks of the vessel
and end in superstructures c above the upper deck dat a height calculated to
be sufficient to ensure the displacement of the volume of water necessary for
flotation in case of a complete immersion of the vessel.
The device therefore involves the necessity of providing as a superstructure,
a series of floats b, with a displacement at least equal to that of the vessel when
fully charged.
This system of securing the insubmergibility of a vessel forms therefore a
second means of flotation replacing that of the wrecked vessel itself. It allows
the floats to be equal in cubic contents with the vessel containing them, by
replacing in height above the deck the cubic contents lost in the interior of
the vessel.
The floats may be of any number and arranged in any manner required,
as long as they do not interfero with the essential principle of the invention,
which is common to all the modifications, and which consists in an elevated'
construction of superstructure, that is a structure passing above or projecting.
beyond the upper deck of the vessel.
By their united capacities the various floats will be sufficient, at least, to hold
in suspension under water, the whole weight of the submerged vessel.
As regards shape, the floats 6 will be generally rectangular with such modifica-
tions as may be required: the shape being adapted more or less to the sliape of
the vessel.
The floats can be placed in one or two rows along the sides of the longitudinal
axis of the vessel at a convenient distance from the shell of the vessel's hull 80
as to offer some security against harm being done to the floats in case of collision
or damage to the ship as well as to leave a space for communication in the
interior of the vessel whilst also preserving the arrangement of passenger's cabins
and port holes as found in ordinary packet and other boats.
The floats or hollow chambers may be arranged at either regular or irregular
distances from each other so as to allow between them sufficient room for the
various necessary apparatus and furnishing of the ship, such as, for instance,
see Figure 1, the engines at e, boilers at f, saloons and store-rooms at g etc.
Some of them will, while still preserving their character of super-structures,
only descend to the water line so as to leave the space beneath for the boilers,
for instance, or to avoid the slanting sides of the hull at the bow and at the
stern, but in this case the deficiency in volume or cubic contents must be made
up by the other floats.
The front float b may have a triangular shape and also be otherwise inclined
and sliaped in cross section and longitudinal section, so as not to present a
perpendicular surface to the waves.
The rearmost float b may have its volume increased by an addition in the
form of an extension close to the upper deck which increase, owing to its increased
displacement of water, will greatly help, in case of accident, to keep afloat the
stern of the vessel, which generally is heavily weighted by the engines.
The floats may also have their sides, projecting above the upper deck, inclined
and the angles rounded off so as to offer the least possible resistance to the wind.
In the interior the floats may be partitioned in any suitable manner by
horizontal or longitudinal or transverse partitions.
The number of the floats will depend upon the type of the vessel' which is to
be provided with them, and the sections of the various parts of the same vessel:
but it may be observed here that the security of the arrangement is greater with
a greater number of small floats than with a smaller number of large floats in
an accident in which any of them should happen to be damaged or rendered
useless.
As regards the dimensions and the volume of the floats it may be observed that
by fixing their height, for instance, at three times the depth of the hold of the
vessel beneath the water line, it will be sufficient to reserve for them in the

page_text: interior of the vessel as regards area, one third of the area of the hold at the water
line by which means the cubic contents or the volume of the floats will be about
equal to the total displacement of the vessel when fully loaded.
Thus a packet boat having a hold under the water line 6 metres deep, will be
provided with floats 18 metres high and will leave for the interior arrangements
of the vessels such as saloons, cabins etc., engines, boilers, store rooms and cargo
room two thirds of the surface.
The
This height of 18 metres for the floats can be easily attained in new packet
boats with twin screws, which are considerably larger than the old ones.
said floats will therefore only project about 2 metres above the ordinary super-
structures of a packet boat, and this only for about half the length of the whole
vessel, admitting the air to the spaces between, and not affecting in the least the
stability of the vessel.
These proportions, as indicated above, are only given by way of example, the
essential point being that the cubic contents or volume of the floats should be
sufficient for the purpose, whatever their height may be.
It was stated above that the volume of water displaced by the whole of the
floats should be equal to the displacement of water by the whole vessel when
loaded. To be exact the volume of the floats should be greater than the dis-
placement of the vessel, in practice however advantage may be taken of the
considerable decrease of weight of the vessel and of its cargo resulting from
their complete immersion in the water. The volume indicated above of the
floats will therefore be found sufficient to keep their tops above water to the extent
of several metres while at the same time holding in suspension the submerged
vessel, (Fig. 4). The floats. being of great dimensions may be so arranged in the
interior, while not interfering with their water-tightness, as to house in them
a number of the passengers and to store their luggage, as well as part of the
cargo, living stores, etc., so that the space occupied by the said floats in the vessel
is thus partly recovered and utilised.
The interior of these floats will also serve as has already been said, in case of
serious leakage in the hull of the vessel, as a refuge for the passengers and crew.
As regards the outer appearance of the floats their upper parts will form a
series of platforms surrounded by balustrades and connected by gang ways or
bridges thus forming above the vessel an immense safety gallery (Figs. 5 and 6).
On the outside of the floats steps may be provided to give easy access to them
by the passengers.
Inasmuch as the floats have to be absolutely water-tight they can be provided
with doors or the like only on the upper platform (Figure 5). These entries
may be supplied with double closing doors which can be rendered self-closing.
These water-tight closing devices will allow of a damaged float being partly
used as an air bell and in case of need to compress the air in the interior so
as to drive out the water; to the level of the breach or hole.
The floats may be provided in the interior with fresh air by any mechanical
means of ventilation.
A few permanently sealed ports are arranged on the upper part of the floats
see Fig. 5 to admit light to the interior. The stories or Hoors underneath the
upper one are lit by electric lamps or the like.
As to the submergible part of the vessel the system of ordinary water tight
compartments as has been stated before, may still be employed in which case
the transverse sides of the floats b may be employed: it will be sufficient for
this purpose to connect the free sides of the floats with the corresponding walls
of the vessel.
The floats offer this advantage that a certain amount of the hold of the vessel
which cannot be occupied by water retards and diminishes by so much the sinking
of the vessel in case of accident.
The hull of the vessel even when damaged serves as a protecting shield for the
floats to such an extent that the latter could rarely be damaged.

page_text: For this reason a vessel striking on the rocks will not sink or will sink very
slowly thus giving time to arrange for the saving of life and property while an
ordinary vessel would sink very rapidly in spite of its water tight compartments.
In times of war a single projectile will not be suflicient to sink a merchant
vessel. To do this the vessel will have to be struck many times. Even a torpedo
may leave a number of floats intact sufficient to keep the vessel afloat.
Finally, the floats would allow of a damaged vessel being re-floated on the
high seas by the means available on board by patching up the leaks which are
susceptible of such treatment by divers and then pumping out one compartment
after the other as far as it is possible. Of course it will be necessary to bear
this possibility in mind at the time of constructing the vessel and provide for
the hermetic closing of all the communications between the different decks and so
prevent the water from re-entering the vessel and also to provide the latter with
the means necessary for re-floating.
The floats thus form safety platforms and can be as such applied in a general
manner to fishing boats, light ships, sailing vessels, yachts, packet-boats etc. and
to the navy generally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
"
1. A vessel provided with a series of hermetically closable "float chambers
connected to the hull of the vessel and rising above the deck so as to form super-
structures above the deck, said "float chambers" being of such combined capacity
as to keep the vessel afloat when damaged substantially as described.
2. A vessel provided with a series of float chambers" connected to the hull
of the vessel and rising above the deck so as to form superstructures, means for
entering and hermetically closing said "floats," and gangways between the tops
of adjacent float-chambers, substantially as described:
3. A vessel provided with means to render it unsinkable substantially as
described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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