IMPROVED MEANS OF PROTECTING SHIPS, BATTERIES, AND OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS OR BUILDINGS, FROM THE EFFECTS OF PROJECTILES OF VARIOUS KINDS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Lodge, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF PROTECTING
SHIPS, BATTERIES, AND OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS OR BUILDINGS, FROM THE EFFECTS
OF PROJECTILES OF VARIOUS KINDS."
Sealed the 8th September 1859, and dated the 10th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Lodge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th March
1859.
I, HENRY LODGE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF
PROTECTING SHIPS, BATTERIES, AND OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS OR BUILDINGS FROM THE
EFFECTS OF PROJECTILES OF VARIOUS KINDS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to form protecting plates for batteries or
ships by combining several sheets of any one or of several metals. Instead
of seeking for increased strength in increased thickness of plate, I obtain with
more certainty the desired object, first, by the form of plate, which will be
grooved or corrugated; and second, by placing several of such sheets or
plates one above the other. The grooved or corrugated form of construction
has two important advantages, viz., it presents not one inch of flat surface to
the concussion of shot.or shell, and it distributes the force of such concussion
over one or more plates, while on a flat surface the concussion is concentrated
on the point struck, and the result of two hard bodies coming into such fierce.

page_text: contact is the almost inevitable smashing and splintering of both shot and
plate. I construct my battery plates of a number of thin sheets or plates of
the above form, all the plates being made to fit closely and compactly together,
of which the form of the grooves or corrugations will readily admit. The
advantages of this mode of construction aro manifold; firstly, the metal is in
the strongest form that it can receive, as it presents the longitudinal strength
of the fibre to the shock, instead of the transverse strength of the fibre;
secondly, the number of sheets forming a plate have a greater resisting power
than a single plate of solid metal of corresponding thickness. By using sheets
instead of plates 1 get a succession of surfaces, securing equal strength
throughout the plate. The weight per superficial square foot of a solid plate
4 inches thick, is about 180 lbs.; I can obtain by my new battery plates
greater strength with a maximum weight of 100 lbs. to the square foot. By
using two or more metals, say, for example, steel and iron sheets alternately, I
obtain a degree of elasticity which will be found of the utmost importance, as
it allows the plate to yield to the percussion or force of the shot or shell with
which it may be struck, and the force of the shot is thereby partially weakened.
The external plates or sheets of each battery plate may be either of copper,
yellow metal, zinc, galvanized iron; or other metal, having the property of
resisting the action of salt water, which will preserve the plates from corrosion.
Battery plates for fixing below the water line might be constructed entirely of
yellow metal, copper, zinc, or galvanized iron or steel plates. The grooves or
corrugations may vary in depth according to the strength of the plate required.
These grooves or corrugations being wide at the top and tapering down to the
bottom offer a powerful lateral resistance to the shot or shell with which thoy may
be struck, so that if the shot penetrates to the bottom of the groove its power will
be too much expended to break through the mass of sheets or plates of which
the battery plate is formed. The number of sheets or plates composing a
battery plate will vary according to the thickness of the sheets or plates
employed and the strength required. The battery plates may be fixed so that
the grooves or corrugations may run either parallel with the length of the
vessel or battery that is cased in this manner, or parallel with the height, say.
from water line or below to top of bulwarks. The grooved or corrugated
battery plates can be fastened by strong bolts to the side of any vessel or battery,
or be attached by chains, the grooves offering more facilities and better security
in this respect than any other description. The battery plates will also be very
effective as a protection to the decks of vessels or gunboats, and also to form
an invulnerable rampart around the gunners. From the uniformity in size of
the finished battery plates, they can be laid on the deck of a vessel or any flat

page_text: surface as a protection when required, and can be transferred to the hold of
the vessel with the rest of the stores when no longer in use. Damaged plates
can be removed and replaced with great despatch, even while the vessel is at
sea. For some cases I propose to place behind the battery plates strong
metallic springs, which will increase the elastic resistance of the plates.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Lodge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS, SHALL COME, I, HENRY
LODGE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send. greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Lodge, Her special license that I, the said Henry
Lodge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Henry Lodge, 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 "IMPROVED MEANS OF PROTECTING SHIPS, BATTERIES, AND OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS
OB BUILDINGS FROM THE EFFECTS OF PROJECTILES OF VARIOUS KINDS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Lodge, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Henry Lodge, 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, reference being bad to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked. thereon. (that is to say).:-
My Invention of "Improved Means of Protecting Ships, Batteries, and
other Constructions or Buildings from the Effects of Projectiles of various

page_text: Kinds," consists in forming protecting plates for batteries or ships by combining
several sheets of one or more metals of moderate thickness, so as to form a
compound plate. Instead of seeking for increased strength in increased
thickness of plate, I obtain with more certainty the desired object, first, by
grooving or corrugating the plates; and second, by placing several of such
grooved or corrugated sheets or plates one above the other, and combining
them so as to form a single plate. The grooved or corrugated form of con-
struction has two important advantages, viz., first, not one inch of flat surfaco
is presented to the concussion of shot or shell; and secondly, such plates aro
not so liable to splinter as flat plates. The form, depth, and dimensions of the
grooves or corrugations to be made in the plates, admit of considerable variation.
I do not therefore intend to confine myself rigidly to any particuliar form and
dimensions, but in the accompanying Drawings have shewn a mode of
constructing my improved protecting plates, which I have found to answer the
intended purpose. Fig. 1 is a front view of a compound protecting plate;
and Fig. 2 is an edge or sectional view of the same, shewing several thin
steel or other metal plates combined together, and having between some of
them layers of strong felt or shects of vulcanized india-rubber, or other
suitable elastic compound or material, and shewing also the manner of adapting
the compound plate to the ship's side. It will be seen by the Drawing that I
construct my battery plates of a number of thin grooved or corrugated shects
or plates, all the plates being made to fit closely and compactly together; the
form of the grooves or corrugations readily admitting of all the plates or
sheets fitting snugly together. The advantages of this mode of construction
are manifold; firstly, the metal is arranged in the strongest form in which it
can be made, as it presents the longitudinal strength of the fibre instead of
the transverse strength of the fibre to the shock of any projectile, such as a
cannon ball, that may strike it; secondly, the number of sheets forming a plate
have a greater resisting power, owing to the multiplication of surfaces, than a
single plate of solid metal of corresponding thickness. By using a number of
thin sheets instead of single thick plates, I get a succession of surfaces, and I
thus secure equal strength throughout the compound plate. The weight per
superficial square foot of a solid plate four and a half inches thick is about one
hundred and eighty pounds. I can obtain by my new battery plates greater
strength with a maximum weight of one hundred and twenty pounds to the
square foot. By using two or more metals, say, for example, steel and iron
sheets alternately, I obtain a degree of elasticity which will be found of great
importance, as it will allow the plate to yield to the percussion or force of the
shot or shell with which it may be struck, and the force of the shot is thereby

page_text: partially weakened. The external plates or sheets of each battery plate may
be either of copper, yellow metal, galvanized iron, or other metal having the
property of resisting the action of salt water. The grooves or corrugations
may vary in depth according to the strength of the plate required, and the
grooves or corrugations being wide at the top and tapering down to the bottom,
as shewn in the Drawing, they will offer a powerful lateral resistance to the
shot or shell with which they may be struck, so that if the shot penetrates to
the bottom of the groove its power will be too much expended to enable it to
break through the mass of sheets or plates of which the battery plate is formed.
The number of sheets or plates composing a battery plate will vary according
to the thickness of the sheets or plates employed and the strength required.
The strength intended to be given to the battery plates having been determined,
and the number of thin plates required to attain the desired result having been
decided, the thin sheets are placed in a pile one above the other, with sheets
of felt, vulcanized india-rubber, or other suitable elastic material interposed in
any desired order. The pile of sheets is then subjected to pressure by being
passed between a pair of corrugated or grooved rollers, and the compound
plate is thereby not only grooved or corrugated, but is also rendered moro
compact. The grooving or corrugating of the plates may, if preferred, be
effected by stamping with a grooved die instead of passing it between grooved
or corrugated rollers; but whether this operation be effected by stamping or
rolling, it will be found advisable to press the prepared plate into a proper
form to fit the side of the ship or other structure; this having been effected,
the several thin sheets are secured together by pins or screw bolts. Holes
must also be made to receive the bolts, whereby the compound plates are
attached to the sides of the ship, as shown in Fig. 2, which is a sectional view
of a portion of a ship's sile, with a number of my protecting plates adapted
thereto. The battery plates may be fixed so that the grooves or corrugations
may run cither parallel with the length of the vessel or battery that is cased in
this manner, or parallel with the height, say from water line or below to top of
bulwarks. The grooved or corrugated battery plates can be fastened by strong
bolts to the side of any vessel or battery, as shewn in Fig. 2, or they may be
suspended or attached by chains. It will be found convenient to attach the
compound metal plates to a wooden or other template, which is grooved or
corrugated on one side, and is plain on the other, so that it will lie flat against
the side of the ship or battery, as shewn at a in Fig. 2. The battery plates
will also be found very effective, as a protection to the decks of vessels or
gunboats, and may also be used to form an invulnerable rampart around the
gunners. From the uniformity in size of the finished battery plates, they can

page_text: be laid on the deck of a vessel or any flat surface as a protection, when
required, and they can be transferred to the hold of the vessel with the rest of
the stores when no longer in use. As the compound plates are composed of
'any suitable number of separate sheets, secured together by screw bolts, any
damaged sheets can be removed and replaced by now ones with great despatch,
even while the vessel is at sen, simply by unscrewing the screw bolts which
hold them together.
For some purposes it will be found advisable to place between or beneath
the sheets which form the battery plates, sheets of asphalte or sheathing felt, or
'some elastic compound, composition of india-rubber, or other similar clastic
material, which will increase the elastic resistance of the plates, as before
mentioned; but this interposed material may be dispensed with, if desired.
Having now described my Invention of improved means of protecting ships,
batteries, and other constructions or buildings from the effects of projectiles of
'various kinds, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,
constructing plates for protecting ships, batteries, and other constructions or
buildings of several sheets of metal with grooved or corrugated surfaces com-
bined together, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Lodge, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, the Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.