IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORM AND CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND OF ARCHED RIBS FOR ROOFS, DOMES, AND BRIDGES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Fowler Jones, Architect, York, and James
Jones, Architectural Carver, York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE FORM AND CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND OF ARCHED RIBS
FOR ROOFS, DOMES, AND BRIDGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Fowler Jones and
James Jones at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 11th May 1861.
We, GEORGE FOWLER JONES, Architect, York, and JAMES JONES, Archi-
tectural Carver, York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORM AND CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND OF
ARCHED RIBS FOR ROOFS, DOMES, AND BRIDGES," to be as follows:-
Firstly, the outward form of iron vessels of war, particularly as applicable
for floating batteries or gun boats, the intended vertical sections of such
vessels being oval, so as to present a receding surface in all positions to the
action of shot discharged against it.
Secondly, the construction of iron vessels, whether of war or commerce, and
of arched ribs for roofs, domes, or bridges; such construction consisting of plates
of a box form, flanged and bolted or rivetted together at the sides in longi-
tudinal succession for ribs, and concurrently therewith in lateral succession for
broad surfaces, and honey-combed, ribbed, or plain on the inner surface; by

page_text: which means great resisting power is obtained with diminution of weight; the
flanges, bolts, rivets, and fastenings are easily got at; the action of the water
on rivet heads and holes is avoided, a smooth surface is presented outwards,
and superior facility is secured for renewing damaged plates. The plates, as
regards their length, may be laid horizontally, perpendicularly, or diagonally,
but any way to break joint, and to be so arranged as that their ends bear
solidly against ribs or other framework.
Thirdly, the object of the form and construction of vessels of war and com-
merce herein set forth is, the making their exterior entirely of iron, and the
object of manufacturing the plates variously, as specified, is the adapting them
as regards their resisting power to the forces acting variously on the different
parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Fowler Jones and James Jones in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
FOWLER JONES, Architect, York, and JAMES JONES, Architectural Carver,
York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said George Fowler Jones and James Jones, Her special licence that we,
the said George Fowler Jones and James Jones, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Fowler Jones and James
Jones, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORM AND
CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND OF ARCHED RIBS FOR ROOFS, DOMES, AND
BRIDGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George
Fowler Jones and James Jones, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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

page_text: in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Fowler Jones and James
Jones, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings
(that is to say)—
Our Invention consists in making the vertical section of. vessels of war, such
as gun boats or floating batteries, of an oval form, such form of construction
giving to all parts the greatest amount of strength, and presenting a large
receding surface to the action of shot discharged against it, and this form of
section being continuous, the gun deck is under a domed shot-proof cover, thus
protecting both the men working the guns, and the latter from exposure on an
open deck. The form of oval may be varied as required, either to obtain a
flatter or more arched deck cover, as indicated in Diagrams No. 1 and 2;
Drawing No. I. In No. 1 the construction is shewn giving the sectional
arrangement of the outer plates; these are laid longitudinally as to the ship's
length and breaking joints, and the sides or flanges bolted or rivetted together,
and strengthened by inner ribs formed of a single or double row, or, more, of
similarly formed plates placed transversely to the length of the outer plates,
and arranged to take the bearing of each end of these; see Drawing No. II.,
Diagrams 9, 10, 11, 12. These sections also shew the framework of transverse
and longitudinal bulkheads constructed in the same manner of like plates, the
gun deck and lower ditto to be of similar construction covered with wood;
thus the whole outer surface and inner construction would be made of wrought
and rolled iron, malleable cast steel, or of both combined. The bows and stern
would be of similar form and construction, with just so much added beyond
each to make out the proper lines and cut water, and to give surface for
floatation, these parts also to be made of similar plates, but not to partake
entirely of the same outward section, that the bulwarks (A, A, Diagram 8) of
these projecting ends may be lowered into the sides, which are to be made
hollow for that purpose, so that guns of a large calibre may be used at these
points in cases of chase. For use when under sail or steam, moveable bulwarks
and outer decks are provided, and made in compartments of lighter metal;
hinged to the oval sides, and easily lowered when in action, when the supports
for the same, with the deck and bulwarks, would rest evenly on the surface
of the hull, as indicated by the dotted lines on these sectious, or permanent
bulwarks, could be erected with these plates without dispensing with the oval
form of vertical section.

page_text: Drawing No. II., Diagram No. 1, represents the arrangement of the plates
for the outer construction of ships; these plates are of a box form, shewing
the rivetting or bolting together of the flanges, and also the centre supports
A, A, A, to these to give a solid bearing for the bed plates on the back of
inner ribs or framework; Diagrams 2 to 7 are sections of various plans of box
flanged supports, section of a plate without ends, and one of two box plates
bolted together; Diagram 8, the method of uniting plates together without
ends; Diagram 9, section of outer plates with a single rib of two box plates
bolted or rivetted together back to back; Diagram 10, elevation of plates,
shewing bulkhead, bed plate, and ribs, with two plans 10% of ditto; Diagramı 11,
section of outer plates with bed plate and double rib; Diagram 12, section of
outer plate and bed plate screwed on to the flanges of these.
Drawing No. III., Diagram No. 1 and 2, horizontal section and interior
elevation, shewing the construction of a ship's side with double plates, one
within the other; the space between can be filled with any elastic substance,
or with wood, or the plates could be placed close together; Diagram 3 is a
section and elevation of box plates, bolted back to back, for girders, framing,
or bulkheads; Diagram 4, the same, with thin diagonal iron battens introduced
between for situations where greater strength is required; Diagrams 5 and 6
are sections shewing armour plates of similar form, but with rebated edges to
fit on to flanges bolted to the side of a vessel not built entirely shot-proof,
and where, if the armour plates were damaged, the vessel would still be
intact Diagram 7 is another arrangement, employing three separate thick-
nesses of metal; Diagrams 8 and 9, sections of plates, shewing method of
attaching them to the sides of wooden ships, by means of large clips clinching
the ends and centre of each plate, and passing through to the inside of the
woodwork, where these flanges would be bolted together to a flanged socket
plate secured to the woodwork, the armour plates would in this case be placed
vertically as to their length. The other Diagrams on this Drawing are
different sections shewing how these box plates may be formed; Diagram 10,
section of the metal as proposed to be rolled, the ends and sides of the centre
or thickness of plate to be grooved or plain, then heated, and the sides and
ends turned up, and the angles welded to give the required form; Diagram 11,
the box form, obtained by screwing on angle iron; Diagram 12, the box plate,
formed either by compression or by sinking out the centre from a solid mass
of metal; Diagrams 13 and 18, the plate to have dovetailed grooves on the
edges for inserting the flanges, then to be heated and hammered together;
Diagram 14, ditto, with the inner surface honey-combed by drilling to gain
lightness without diminution of strength; Diagrams 15 and 15, the plate to

page_text: be rolled as a trough with thin ends, and these afterwards heated, turned
up, and welded to the sides; Diagram 16, the plate to be rolled in two thick-
nesses of the same or different metal, heated together, and the sides and ends
turned up; Diagram 17 and 17ª, the plan and section of a plate shewing
a dovetailed groove on the inner face for inserting the dovetailed angle
iron flanges to form the box plate; Diagram 18, a section of plate with the
sides turned up similar to 15%; Diagram 19, a plate with the side flanges
screwed on to the rebated edges of same; Diagram 20, another method of
making No. 18, the plate being rolled with a curved outer face, and when the
flanges are placed in the dovetail grooves to be heated and hammered to the
form required; Diagram 21, this plate to be formed by turning up the flanges,
as in No. 16, to clip an inner perforated plate. All these box plates to be
planed or ground on their edges to fit together with the necessary packing to
suit the form required, their sides or flanges drilled for bolting or rivetting
together, and to be made of the size, form, and thickness requisite for the
various purposes for which they are intended.
Drawing No. IV., Diagrams 1, 2, 3, and 4, section and plan of thin plates;
Diagram 5, plan for making a double box plate out of one piece of metal by
passing a groove all round the edge, cutting out the angles, and turning up
the two thicknesses to form a box with a. centre division in it; when these
thin plates are used or plates without ends, the joints to be fished and the
angles strengthened by angle iron, as in Diagram 6; Diagrams 7 and 8 repre-
sent a section and plan of a dome formed of box plates, whereby the covering
and construction are one and the same. 7° shews another mode of jointing
with rebated edges, and 1-piece for strengthening; a similar arrangement is
applicable for arched roofs.
The following Diagrams on this Drawing represent the application of this
form of plate to the construction of bridges or arched ribs, 9 and 10 being the
elevation and section of an arch, with box plate ribs in addition to the box
plate arch; Diagrams 11 and 12, elevation and section of an arch with box
plates only; Diagram 13, the section of an arch formed of single box plates,
bolted together side by side.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim as secured to us under the above in part recited
Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the oval vertical sectional form for vessels of war, such as gun boats.
or floating batteries.
Secondly, the construction of these by means of box plates, with or without

page_text: ends, and the fastening together of these by their side flanges, which being on
the inside they are easily got at for the purposes of repair. The plates being
made of the best wrought iron or of soft malleable steel, or both united, the
object sought to be obtained being a perfect shot-proof vessel, having its
strength and resisting powers in its outer case, thereby saving expensive and
heavy wood backings, and being almost entirely, except as to fittings, of one
material, more durable and capable of being made at comparatively less cost.
Thirdly, the application of this form of plate to other purposes, such as
ordinary ships, and for arched ribs for roofs, domes, and bridges; the plates
may be either of cast or wrought iron or of cast steel.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Fowler Jones and James
Jones, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-one
GEO. FOWLER JONES. (L.s.)
JAMES JONES.
(L.S.)
Witness to the signature of George Fowler Jones,
H. B. FFARINGTON, Sol.,
12, Pancras Lane,
London, E.C.