IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEA GOING VESSELS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEA GOING VESSELS a communication to me
from abroad. by John L Eshelman of Leadville, Lake County, State of Colorado,
United States of America Gentleman to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to an improved construction of sea-going vessels possessing
greater strength and buoyancy than vessels heretofore constructed with the same
amount of material.
The hull is of tubular construction being built of series or layers of steel tubes
placed side by side with steel skins interposed between the different series of tubes
and secured on the outside and inside of the whole. The tubes of one row rest on
the row beneath them, so that the hull from keel to main deck is built up of tubes.
The diameters and lengths of the tubes are comparatively small and they are joined
together end to end at measured intervals by plugs so that each tube forms a water
tight compartment. These plugs may be made hollow or solid as desired. The
cylindrical plugs are used to join two tubes where no ribs are employed between
them and the plugs having cylindrical heads connected by a neck are used to join
the tubes at their junction with the rib the heads of the plug being inserted in the
opposite adjacent tubes the neck of the plug passing through the hole in the rib
which is formed of two parts bolted together the tubes and rib being flush with
each other, and the skins being secured to the outer and inner faces of the tubes
and ribs. The outer tubes are made thinner than the inner tubes, as is also the
outer skin and the other tubes and skins gradually increase in thickness from the
outside to the inside of the hull, making the hull strongest on its inner surface to
resist pressure thereon.
The keel, keelson, and sister keelson, before being laid, are made hollow and
plugged at measured intervals, and the stern post is made hollow to ensure greater
buoyancy. The knees, beams, and carlings consist of hollow tubes plugged at
suitable intervals. The decks and transoms of the hatchways are constructed of
[Price 6d 1

page_text: tubes and are provided with wooden coverings. The steel skins and tubes connected
with the keel, commencing with the garboard-streak, are made much heavier than
the upper sides of the vessel, to give greater weight to the vessel near its bottom,
so that it will always float keel downward.
In plan the vessel is in the form of an ellipse pointed at the front end or bow of
the vessel. The keel is also curved on an elliptical line from the bow to the stern
the radius being shorter at the one end than at the other and the vessel thus has the
shape of a semi-ellipse pointed at one end, the flat side of the semi-ellipse being
the deck of the vessel. It is well known that a body having an ellipsoidal shape
moves about twenty times as fast, under the same impulses and the same resistance,
as a circular body, and moves about three times as fast as a body having the usual
shape of the bow of vessels. As this improved-sea-going vessel is a semi ellipsoid,
that is the parts that are subjected to friction by the air and water are made
ellipsoidal it will move much faster than any other vessel constructed heretofore.
This improved vessel is also provided with an armor, and in order to make the
armor as effective as possible and at the same time very light it is formed of steel
chains the links of which are made hollow. The said armor is held in place by
some suitable means. I prefer to make the hollow links about three inches wide,
but this size may be increased or decreased as circumstances may require. The
chains are arranged vertically from the spardeck to the water line, and there may
be one or more layers of chain cables, as may be desired. Three layers of this
improved hollow steel chain cable will be able to resist the largest projectiles
thrown by modern artillery.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEA GOING VESSELS" (a communication to me
from abroad by John L. Eshelman of Leadville, Lake County State of Colorado,
United States of America) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of sea going vessels possessing
greater strength and buoyancy than vessels heretofore constructed with the same
amount of material.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification in which the same letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the
figures.
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a side view of the vessel parts being broken out
and others shown in section in the latter figure. Figure 3 is an elevation of a
series of tubes connected at their ends by plugs passing through orifices in a rib.
Figure 4 is a side view of a rib.
Figure 5 is a transverse section of a series of tubes and skins interposed between
them forming a section of the hull of the vessel.
Figure 6 is an elevation of a series of plugs of two forms adapted to be inserted
in the tubes.
Figure 7 is a side view of part of the armour chain.
Figure 8 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation of one of the links of the same.
The material used in the construction of the bull N, is steel. The bull is built
of series or layers of tubes A placed side by side with steel skins B interposed
between the series of tubes and secured to the outside and inside of the whole as
shown in figure 5. The tubes of one row rest on the row beneath them so that
the hull from keel to main deck is built up of tubes A. The diameters and lengths
of the tubes are comparatively small and they are joined together end to end at
measured intervals by plugs D D¹ so that each tube forms a water tight com-
partment. The plugs D D¹ may be made hollow or solid as desired. The
cylindrical plugs D are used to join two tubes where no ribs are employed between
them and the plugs D¹ having cylindrical beads d d connected by a neck c are used
to join the tubes A Figure 3 at their junction with the rib R, the heads d of the
plugs D¹ being inserted in the opposite adjacent tubes A and the neck of the plug
passing through the hole K in the rib R. Bolts are inserted in the holes i of the
ribe, the tubes A and the rib R being flush with each other and the skins B being
secured to the outer and inner faces of the tubes A and the ribs R. The outer
tubes A are made thinner than the inner tubes as is also the outer skin. B, and
the other tubes and skins gradually increase in thickness from the outside to the

page_text: inside of the hull making the bull strongest on its inner surface to resist pressure
thereon.
The keel, keelson, and sister keelson, before being laid, are made hollow and
plugged at measured intervals and the stern post is made hollow to ensure greater
buoyancy. The knees beams and carlings consist of hollow tubes plugged at
suitable intervals. The decks and transoms of the hatchways are constructed of
tubes and are provided with wooden coverings. The steel skins and tubes
connected with the keel commencing with the garboard-streak, are made much
heavier than the upper sides of the vessel, to give greater weight to the vessel near
its bottom, so that it will always float keel downward.
In plan the vessel is in the form of an ellipse pointed at the front end or bow of
the vessel as represented in figure 1. The keel is also curved on an elliptical line
from the bow to the stern, that is the radius is shorter at the stern than at the
bow;
and the vessel thus has the shape of a semi-ellipse pointed at one end, the
flat side of the semi-ellipse being the deck of the vessel. It is well known that a
body having an ellipsoidal shape moves about twenty times as fast under the same
impulses and the same resistance, as a circular body, and moves about three times
as fast as a body having the usual shape of the bow of vessels As this improved
sea going vessel is a semi-ellipsoid that is the parts that are subjected to friction by
the air and water are made ellipsoidal it will move much faster than any other
vessel constructed heretofore.
This improved vessel is also provided with an armor, and in order to make the
armour as effective as possible, and at the same time very light it is formed of stee
chains T, the links T¹ of which are made hollow as shown in Figures 7 and 8. The
said armour is held in place by some suitable means. I prefer to make the hollow
links about three inches wide, but this size may be increased or decreased, as
circumstances may require. The chains are arranged vertically from the spardeck
to the water line and there may be one or more layers of chain cables, as may be
desired. Three layers of this improved hollow steel chain cable will be able to
resist the largest projectiles thrown by modern artillery.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The hull of a vessel built up entirely of a series of longitudinal tubes resting
on each other from the keel to the bulwarks and longitudinal skins secured to the
tubes and on the outer and inner faces of the outer and inner tubes substantially
as herein shown and described.
2. The hull of a vessel built up of a series of tubes and skins, the said tubes and
skins gradually increase in thickness from the outer toward the inner side of the
hull substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The combination with longitudinal cylinders of plugs formed of cylindrical
heads connected together by smaller cylindrical parts, substantially as herein shown
and described.
4. The combination with a series of tubes and double headed plugs of ribs R
having holes K, and of the skins B, substantially as herein shown and described.
5. The hull of a vessel built up entirely of series of tubes resting on each
other from the keel to the bulwarks, substantially as herein shown and described.
6th. A sea going vessel having the shape of a semi-ellipsoid pointed at one end,
the flat side of the semi-ellipsoid being the deck of the vessel substantially as
herein shown and described.
. 7. A sea going vessel having plan view of an ellipsoid pointed at one end,
substantially as herein shown and described.
8. A sea going vessel having one continuous elliptical line extending from the
top of the stern along the keel to the top of the bow, substantially as herein shown
and described,

page_text: 9. An armour formed of hollow links, substantially as herein shown and
described.
10. An armour chain having its links made out of tubes so as to combine
lightness with strength substantially as herein shown and described.
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