IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward James Reed, Knight Commander of the Batli,
Member of Parliament, of Broadway Chambers, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, Naval Constructor for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward James Reed at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1883...
EDWARD JAMES REED, Knight Commander of the Bath, Member of Parliament,
of Broadway Chambers, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Naval
Constructor. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR
The object of my Invention is to give to Ships of War a great increase of
protection against shells striking near the Water-line or below it and, at the same
time to give them a much larger measure of defence against the action of Torpedoes
than any vessels of war hitherto constructed possess. These objects I accomplish
by placing the Magazines, Boilers and the steam-containing and other more or less
delicate portions of the Propelling Machinery higher up in the ship than they have
hitherto been placed in armoured ships of war, and protecting them from beneath
by means of an armoured deck through which the piston rod or rods, or the con-
necting rod or rods work downward either vertically or otherwise upon the shaft :
or shafts of the Screw Propeller or screw Propellers. In combination with this
armoured deck or inner bottom, I employ a lightly constructed external bottom,
mainly to make up the necessary amount of buoyancy, and being so subdivided
into numerous compartments as to be capable of undergoing, with more or less
impunity, a succession of explosions of shells or torpedoes, and still leave sufficient
buoyancy in the armoured ship above and in the remaining portion of the
unarmoured bottom to keep the ship floating and, by preference, with ample
stability for keeping her upright in the damaged condition. With the last named
object in view, it is desirable to give the armoured part of the vessel containing
the Magazines, Boilers and Engines such a form viz:-circular or elliptical in
section or approximating therto as will enclose the largest practicable amount of

page_text: .
buoyancy and afford the largest practicable amount of stability with the least
extent of armoured surface. My Invention, therefore, further consists in the
combination of such a form above the water as is just described with the usual or
other modified form of vessel but of less breadth and greater length below the
water in order that while great stability is obtained by virtue of the arinoured
form (both before and after injury to the unarmoured bottom) a form favourable to
high speed may nevertheless be given to the unarmoured lower portion of the ship,
thus combining in large degree the advantages of such vessels as the Russian
"Popoffka with the advantages which facilitate fast steaming with ordinary
forms of hull below water. The portion of the hull exterior to the armoured
enclosure may exceed the armoured portion in length and in depth, and may itself
be partially protected with armour.
In carrying my invention into effect, I prefer to give both the armoured deck
above the water and the armoured deck below. the water great convexity of form
(upwards and downwards respectively) in order the better to accommodate the
Engines, Boilers and Magazines within the armoured structure, such convexity
being either transverse or longitudinal or both as may be desirable under the
circumstances of each case, and 1, sometimes, but not always, separate these convex
armoured decks by a belt of thicker armour placed either wholly or partly above
the water, the object being to gain increase of stability from the armoured form
when the ship is injured below water, and when the armoured form, therefore,
becomes immersed or further immersed, as the case may be. In combination with
the arrangements of armoured decks previously described, I employ armoured
trunks projecting from the same, for the better protection of piston or connecting
rods &c.
By the above means, either singly or in combination, I am able to produce ships
of War possessing far greater security against shell fire and torpedo fire than any
existing ironclad ships, and to effect this object with considerable economy of
Construction, and without material interference with the speed of ships of given
displacement and horse power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward James Reed in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th November 1883.
EDWARD JAMES REED Knight Commander of the Bath Member of Parliament of
Broadway Chambers Westminster in the County of Middlesex Naval Constructor
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR
The object of my Invention is to give to Ships of War a great increase of
protection against shells striking near the Water line or below it and at the same
time to give them a much larger measure of defence against, the action of
Torpedoes than any vessels of war hitherto constructed possess. These objects I
accomplish by placing the Magazines, Boilers and the steam-containing and other
more or less delicate portions of the Propelling Machinery higher up in the Ship
than they have hitherto been placed in armoured ships of war and protecting them
from beneath by means of an armoured deck through which the piston rod or
rods or the connecting rod or rods work downward either vertically or otherwise
upon the crank or cranks shaft or shafts, of the Screw Propeller or Screw
Propellers. In combination with this armoured deck or strong inner bottom I
employ a lightly constructed external bottom mainly to make up the necessary
amount of buoyancy and being so subdivided into numerous compartments as to
be capable of undergoing with more or less impunity a succession of explosions of
shells or torpedoes and still leave sufficient buoyancy in the armoured ship above
and in the remaining portion of the unarmoured bottom to keep the ship floating
and by preference with ample stability for keeping her upright in the damaged
condition. With the last named object in view and for the purpose of enabling
the thickest practicable armour to be carried it is usually desirable but not always
necessary to give the armoured part of the vessel containing the Magazines Boilers
and Engines such a form viz:-circular or elliptical in section or partially so or
approximating thereto as will enclose the largest practicable amount of buoyancy
and afford the largest practicable amount of stability with the least extent of
armoured surface. My Invention therefore further consists in the combination of
such a form above the water as is just described with the usual or other modified
form of vessel but of less breadth and greater length below the water in order
that while great stability is obtained by virtue of the armoured form (both before
and after injury to the unarmoured bottom) a form favourable to, high speed may
nevertheless be given to the lower unarmoured portion of the ship thus combining.
in a large degree the advantages of such vessels as the Russian "Popoffka" with
the advantages which facilitate fast steaming with ordinary forms of hull below
water. The portion of the hull exterior to the armoured enclosure may greatly
exceed the armoured portion in length and in depth and may itself be partially
protected with armour.
In carrying the first part of my invention into effect I prefer usually to give the
armoured deck below the water great downward convexity of form in order the
better to accommodate the Engines Boilers and Magazines within the armoured
structure such convexity being either transverse or longitudinal or both as may be
desirable under the circumstances of each case and I sometimes but not always
separate this convex armoured deck from the armoured deck above which may be
convex upwards (but the upward convexity of which I do not claim as part of my
invention) by a belt of thicker armour placed either wholly or partly above the
water the object being to gain increase of stability from the armoured portion
when the ship is injured below water and when the armoured portion therefore
becomes immersed or further immersed as the case may be. In combination with

page_text: .
the arrangements of armoured decks previously described I employ when necessary
armoured trunks or depressions projecting downwards from the same for the better
protection of piston or connecting rods cranks &c.
By the above means either singly or in combination I am able to produce ships
of war possessing far greater security against shell fire and torpedo fire than any
existing ironclad ships and to effect this object with considerable economy of
construction and without material interference with the speed of ships of given
displacement and horse power.
The manner in which I carry this part of my invention into effect is illustrated
by the accompanying drawings Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal sectional views
and figures 3 and 4 corresponding sectional views of two ships designed to carry
out the invention in the case in which the armoured space is of less length than
the light external hull. and of so much less depth below water as to make it
necessary to fit armoured trunks projecting downward (shewn in ticked lines)
for the protection of the crank shafts &c. The sections 3 and 4 are both taken
on one side through the midship section and on the other through the turret of
a ship with two turrets. The height between the armoured deck or inner bottom
and the upper armoured deck is nevertheless sufficient to conveniently accommodate
the engines boilers and magazines. In the former design-Fig 1 and Fig 3 the
armour of the enclosed space the decks of which approach each other towards the
ends (as shewn in Fig. 1) is supplemented by a sloping armoured deck forward,
and a partly sloping armoured deck aft but these supplementary decks are not
novel and form no part of my present invention. It is obvious that where the
armoured underwater deck or inner bottom for torpedo defence &c. is placed
sufficiently low down as it may be to lie beneath the shaft and cranks the pendent
armoured trunks may be dispensed with. The lightly constructed external bottom
which makes up the necessary buoyancy and gives the desired form to the hull
is shewn clearly with its watertight divisions and subdivisions in the figures. In
Figures 2 and 4 in lieu of the sloping armoured deck forward an armour belt with
thick deck above coincident with the top thereof is introduced as first employed
by me in certain of Her Majesty's ships in 1862-3. In this design the armour
decks protecting the machinery, magazines &c are kept at a uniform distance apart
throughout their length the security of the space which they protect being
completed by armoured bulkheads at both ends as shewn. The foregoing figures
serve to illustrate in some degree the carrying out of the second portion of my
invention which has for its object the combination of an armoured space giving
great stability with an underwater form favourable to high speed. In Figure 3
the breadth of the armoured ship is in excess of the usual proportion the thin
bottom being carried out above the waterline to the extreme breadth. This
arrangement serves to give an unusual amount of stability which however will be
prevented from rendering the ship unsteady at sea partly by the lowness of the
external armour deck over which the sea would in rough weather roll, and partly
by bilge keels loose water &c. The advantage of carrying the thin bottom out to
the full breadth in this manner (Fig 3) is that it keeps torpedoes from coming
into contact with the lower armour deck. In Fig. 4 is shewn a plan which I
sometimes adopt in preference to Fig. 3 and which keeps the breadth of the thin
bottom well within the extreme width of the armoured part of the ship, the load
waterline falling at or near the top of the thin bottom. There are cases in which
I prefer to carry this projection of the armoured part much farther beyond the
breadth of the thin bottom, as shewn in Fig 5 and Fig 6, and even to much greater
projections: This system is especially applicable to inland waters where the
projection would be less objectionable than at sea on account of the reduced
exposure to the blows of waves.
In any or all of the above cases I extend the thin hull of the vessel towards the
ends as much beyond the armoured part as I find necessary for the speed
required employing belts or sloping decks or level decks of armour, or not
employing them as may be most convenient for the particular purpose in view.

page_text: In all such cases as those indicated by Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the full width of
armoured ship does not ordinarily encounter the resistance of the sea. When
by means of shells or of the explosion of torpedoes or the blows of rams or
by any other cause the thin external bottom of the ship is injured and the sea
is admitted to some of its compartments, the armoured portion of the ship
becomes more immersed and greater resistance to speed is encountered but at the
same time the stability of the ship becomes increased and a great amount of
injury underwater may be sustained with no other result than a proportionate
diminution of the vessels speed.
In all the figures shewn on the drawings I have given by preference great
convexity, both upwards and downwards to the armoured decks in order to
accommodate the engines boilers and magazines with a moderate extent of
protected surface; but I do not confine myself to this or any other of the
dispositions of armour shewn in the drawings as it is manifest they may be
varied in an indefinite number of ways without departing from the substance of
my invention.
And having now described the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that I do not limit my claim to any or all
of the forms and dispositions of armoured and unarmoured parts shewn in the
drawings which are intended only as illustrative examples of the ways in which
my invention may be applied and carried out and by aid of which competent
designers may be made fully acquainted with the nature of my invention and the
manner of performing it, but I claim
First. The placing of the Magazines, Boilers and the steam-containing and other
more or less delicate portions of the propelling machinery, or any of the same
higher up in the ship than they have hitherto been placed and protecting them
from beneath by means of an armoured deck or inner bottom of thick plating or
of other material suitable for their protection in combination with a lightly
constructed external hull or bottom, and this I claim whether the said armoured
deck or inner bottom be concave or convex or horizontal or otherwise and whether
it be complete or partial only.
Second. The method of constructing ships of war by the combination of an
armoured portion of great breadth situated mainly or largely above the load water
line with an unarmoured portion of less breadth below the water in the manner
and for the purposes herein before described.
.
Thirdly. The combination of an armoured portion of a ship for containing the
machinery with armoured trunks or depressions projecting therefrom downwards
for the protection of parts thereof in the manner and for the purpose herein before
described.
In Witness wherof [sic] I have hereunto put my hand and seal this twelfth day
of November in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and eighty
three.