An Improvement in the Bottoms of Warships, Steamers, or other Floating Vessels, to Reduce the Rolling Motion at Sea.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 31st Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Bottoms of Warships, Steamers, or other
Floating Vessels, to Reduce the Rolling Motion at Sea.
JAMES MUIR, 2 Dingle Lane, Liverpool, Marine Superintendent, JAMES
ERNEST MUIR 1 Maxwell Street, Partick, Glasgow, Engineer and Ship Inspector,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in the formation of a channel, water-way or keelway, in
the centre, (and) or on both sides of the bottom of warships, steamers, or other
floating vessels, subjected to a rolling motion at sea.
The keelway, or keelways, being constructed as part of the hull of said vessel,
in such a position & of such dimensions as may be found desirable, doing away
with the depth of keel, & the projecting bilge keels, or rolling chocks, at present
in common use.
Dated this Fourth day of May 1894.
JAS. MUIR.
JAMES ERNEST MUIR.
An Improvement in the Bottoms of Warships, Steamers, or other
Floating Vessels, to Reduce the Rolling Motion at Sea.
We, JAMES MUIR, Marine Superintendent, and JAMES ERNEST MUIR, (late
of 1 Maxwell Street, Partick, Glasgow) Engineer and Ship Inspector, both of
2 Dingle Lane, Liverpool, in the County of Lancashire, 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 the formation of a keelway, waterway, or channel, or
keelways, waterways, or channels, running in a fore-and-aft direction along the
centre, (and) or on both sides, of the bottoms of warships, steamers, or other
floating vessels, subjected to a rolling motion at sea; the said "keelway," or
"keelways," being constructed as part of the hull of the vessel, in such a position,
and of such dimensions, as may be found desirable, doing away with the depth of
the bar keel, and the projecting bilge-keels, or rolling chocks at present in
common use.
The keelway, or keelways, may be constructed of ordinary flat plates with
angle-bar connections: of flanged plates of dished and flanged plates: or of steel
castings in duplicate and suitable lengths, having a flange, or other form of
connection between the various lengths as may be found desirable.
The "centre keelway" would extend either the whole length of the vessel,
having a suitable connection at each end for the stern-post and stem: or would be
made any required length, and finish off at each end with a gradual slope until it
reaches the plating of the vessel's bottom.
The side, or "bilge keelways," would be inade of suitable length, and would
finish off at each end with a gradual slope until they meet the shell plating of
vessel

page_text: In order to clearly describe our invention, we annex illustrations showing some
of the forms and methods in which our invention would be carried out, we do not,
however, confine ourselves solely to the methods of construction herein described,
as it is evident the methods in which both the "centre keelway," and the "bilge
keelways," may be devised, built up, or cast, are too numerous to mention.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Fig. 1. represents a cross section of the centre keelway, as built into the centre
of the bottom of the vessel, and constructed of ordinary flat plates with angle bar
connections; C. is the keelway, made up of the keelson plates A. A., and the top
plate B., which latter is connected to the keelson plates (A. A.) in a fore-and-aft
direction by the angles D. D., and by the plate E. and angles F. F. F. in a vertical
and athwartship direction, these latter being so spaced as to correspond with the
frame spacing; the floors are connected to the keelson plates in the ordinary way,
and the garboard strakes G. G., to the keelson plates (A. A.) by means of the
fore-and-aft angles H. H. Manholes and other details would be fitted As
required.
Fig. 2. shows the centre keelway in cross section, as constructed of dished and
flanged plates. The keelway C., is formed by the dished and flanged plate .J.
which is connected to the garboard strakes at K. K., and has the usual keelson
plate L. with fore and aft angles M. M., the floors and other connections being
made in the ordinary manner, the connection between the successive lengths of
keelway plates (J.) may be of the lap, butt, or flanged form.
Fig. 3. represents a cross section of the centre keelway, as formed of steel
castings in duplicate and suitable lengths, having a flange, or other form of
connection between the various lengths. C. is the keelway, which may or may not
be divided in a fore-and-aft direction by the bar-keel N., this latter affording
additional resistance to a rolling motion, and adding to the steering qualities of
the vessel, without any projection beyond the skin of the ship. The garboard
strakes G. G. are riveted to the flanges O. O., the floors being riveted to the
flanges P. P., which are spaced to correspond with the frame spacing; and, in the
case of a cellular bottom vessel, the tank top would be riveted to the flanges Q. Q.
Manholes are formed in the castings as required, and the space R. (see also R. in
Fig. 1.) may be used as a place in which the bilge suction, or other pipes, may be
led in safety.
Fig. 4. represents a cross section of one "side," or "bilge keelway," as fitted to
each side of the vessel about the line of the bilge, in lieu of the ordinary projecting
bilge keels, or rolling chocks. It is here shown as a steel casting, but it may also
be constructed of ordinary flat plates, of flanged plates, or of dished and flanged
plates, as already described. The keelway is here marked S. and is connected to
the shell plating by means of the flanges T. T., the floors are connected to the
flanges U. U., and if the vessel be of the cellular bottom type the tank top would
be riveted to the flange V.
Referring to vessels of the cellular bottom type, the centre keelway plating, or
castings, forms a watertight division throughout the vessel in a fore-and-aft
direction, giving increased safety in the event of damage, better control over the
trim of the vessel, and incressed facilities for repairs; in order however, to make
the two sides-as divided by the keelway-common to each other when required,
we provide a suitable valve, in each complete tank, which can be opened or closed
as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
In an improvement in the bottoms of warships, steamers, or other floating vessels,
to reduce the rolling motion at sea.
1. The formation of a keelway, waterway, or channel or keelwars waterwovo

page_text: or channels, running in a fore-and-aft direction along the bottoms of such vessels,
in such a position, and of such dimensions as may be found desirable.
2. The bar-keel N. as described in Fig. 3. cast on as shown, or formed of a bulb
beam riveted to the top of the centre keelway.
Dated this 30th day of January 1895.