Improvements in the Construction of Ships.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
CODELELE STECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Ships.
I, ROBERT ALFRED HARDMAN, of 8 Maygood Street, Barnsbury, London, N.,
Metal Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 improvements in the construction of ships, and has for
objects (1) to increase the buoyancy of the vessel, (2) to render same practically
unsinkable even when portions are crushed through by collision, concussion, or
otherwise; (3) to strengthen the ships, and (4) in the case of armour clad ships to
add to the defensive powers of the vessel against shot, shell, or ram. Further, in
accordance with this invention, the ship is constructed with a brake apparatus of
great power and efficiency which may be brought into use upon emergency, and
will bring the ship to a stand still when required almost instantaneously; and by
the provision made for carrying and supporting the armour plates a great economy
of time and labor is effected in the fixing thereof compared with the present cost
of the operation in ironclad vessels. Further advantages attained by this invention
are increased stability of the vessel and less rolling and pitching; the head of ship
is prevented from dipping under water as now so frequently occurs in heavy seas,
and the ship is much lighter in running; and, an auxiliary rudder being provided
in the keel or deadwood of the vessel aft, the operation of steering is greatly
facilitated.
And in order that this my invention may be fully understood I will describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a midship
section looking aft of the port side of an ironclad of the "Victoria" type, but in
which the improvements in construction in accordance with this invention are
shewn, Figure 2 is a longitudinal elevation of the same partly in section the better
to illustrate portions of this invention, and Figure 3 is a front elevational view of
the emergency brake apparatus above referred to. Similar letters of reference
indicate like parts in each of the figures.
These
Now, in accordance with this invention I have a hollow metal belting a, arranged
from stem to stern upon the exterior of each side of the vessel at or about the load
water line. This belting is suitably shaped or flanged to lay well upon the water,
and will tend to greatly increase the buoyancy of the vessel to which it is fitted, as
well as to strengthen or stiffen the ship generally. Arranged internally within said
belting a I have a series of air tight tubes or casings b cd.
These I arrange
preferably in three rows, two of such rows b and c being side by side, as shewn,
with their centres upon the water line, and the third row d just below same.
tubes or casings b c d I preferably make in short lengths of say about 12 feet each,
and of a diameter to conveniently be accommodated in the manner aforesaid within
the metal belting a. Said tubes or casings are each enclosed at both ends, as seen
particularly in Figure 2, and are perfectly air and watertight, and are for the
purpose of minimising the extent of damage effected by collision and the like by
providing an external bulwark of considerable resistance which has to be cut
through before the hull of the vessel is reached. Said hull of the vessel I make
double bottomed and divide into separate water tight compartments bringing all
bulkheads up to the main deck e and providing water-tight doors as and where
necessary. For the purposes of this invention I have a longitudinal bulkhead g
running centrally from stem to stern of the vessel, and extending upwards as
aforesaid to the main deck e, thus dividing the ship completely into port and

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starboard halves. From each watertight compartment of the one side and near the
floor level have a communicating pipe, see hik Figure 1, leading to the
corresponding compartment of the other side. Hence should the ship be bilged
upon one side and water flow into one or more of the watertight divisions of that
side of the ship it will find its way through the communicating pipe or pipes to the
corresponding compartment or compartments upon the other side, and thus trim the
ship, and avoid any list to the side injured, and obviate all risk of the vessel
turning turtle." Suitable air tubes and connections are provided to each of the
compartments into which the ship is divided. In the case of an armour clad vessel
such as herein illustrated I prefer to continue the shell proof deck m m m
downwards, and carry same around as shewn to n Figure 1, say within about 18 feet
of the midships perpendicular line in a vessel of 70 feet beam, and thus add
considerably to the defence offered against shot or shell penetrating to a vital part
of the ship. And to obviate the necessity existing at present of drilling the
-armour plates to enable same to be bolted to the ship I arrange within the
collision belting a above described, and against the sides of the vessel (which of
course are suitably backed with teak, oak, or the like,) longitudinal brackets or
supports o in which the armour plating p may be carried, thus effecting a great
economy as compared with the present cost of fixing armour to the ship's side.
To construct a ship in accordance with this invention with the marine brake
bereinbefore referred to I, at a suitable distance aft from the stem of the vessel,
and as shewn particularly in Figure 2 of the drawings, have two transverse
bulkheads 99 completely dividing that portion of the ship forward from the other
portion aft, and working between these two bulkheads I have a vertically sliding
door which drops downwards, when required, beneath the bottom of the vessel, as
shewn in dotted lines Figures 2 and 3, and presents a brake surface which effectually
checks any $6 way "there may be upon the ship and brings her to a standstill
almost instantaneously. This door or brake I form, as shewn in face view
Figure 3, with a central slot or opening to allow of same dropping over the keel s
of the vessel. For raising or lowering this brake hydraulic, steam, or other, power
may be employed all as most convenient or desirable.
To facilitate the steering operations upon vessels constructed in accordance with
this invention I arrange in the keel or deadwood aft of the vessel an auxiliary
rudder t, worked by power or hand, which even when the main rudder has been
shot away or in any other way disabled will enable the ship to be handled safely.
f in the drawings represent watertight door positions; is the lower deck, and
f the spar deck. uu represents the position of the backing to the ships' plates;
shews a broadside gun port, and * a portlight. are watertight compartments
for stores or coals, are coal bunkers divided longitudinally by passage and
partition, wow are the water ballast tanks; xx the boiler rooms, y openings for
smoke stacks, light, and air, and z spare spaces which may be utilized for the
storage of coal or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
. 1. The improvements in the construction of ships substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. In ships the collision belting a with internal air tight tubes b c d constructed
and arranged substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
shewn.
3. In ships the construction, combination, and arrangement, of central longitudinal
bulkhead, and communicating pipes leading from each watertight compartiment on
one side of the ship to its corresponding watertight compartment on other side of
ship, substantially as, and for the purposes, herein before described and shewn.
4. In ironclad ships the arrangement of brackets o upon the sides of the vessel
for carrying the armour plates p.; substantially as and for the purposes herein before
described and shewn.

page_text: 5. In ships the brake apparatus constructed, arranged, and operating, substantially
as hereinbefore described and shewn.
6. In ships the auxiliary rudder t arranged in the keel or deadwood aft of the
vessel; substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn.
Dated the 13th day of June 1894.
R. A. HARDMAN.