Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 15th Apr.,
1899
I, ALEXANDER MACLAINE, of No. 1, Queens Elms, Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Shipowner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
I construct ships of war with two or more screw or other propellers capable
of turning the ship independently of rudder or rudders adapted mainly for
fighting end on to the foe and on such ships I construct a central citadel by
preference the whole width of the ship, with heavy armoured ends made secure
as possible against disablement from raking fire of enemy's guns and in that
citadel I place heavy guns pointing forward and aft through the armoured ends
of the citadel with a minimum of right and left training, the greater part of
the right or left training of the guns being effected by turning the ship by
means of the propellers.
I construct the central citadel aforesaid with more or less side armour by
preference to its full height, and I construct the main body of the ship, before
and abaft the central citadel, with more or less side armour to a minimum
height of a few feet above the water line and covered across from side to side
with a strong steel deck made by preference perfectly secure and seaworthy
against fire from enemy's heavy guns and above this steel deck, I construct light
topsides by preference of steel made seaworthy for the occupation of the crew
in time of peace but so constructed that they may be shot away by the enemy
when in action without material injury to the ship or crew, as all the
crew may then be in the central citadel.
.
I by preference construct such ships of war of large dimensions with heavy
armour and a great number of heavy guns to point forward and aft from the
central citadel as aforesaid, and also as many guns as possible on the sides of
said citadel and by preference I construct said ships of war with a double bottom
and water ballast, to give stability if required and enable ship to be kept low
in the water when in action. I by preference fit heavy port covers moved by
hydraulic or other power to the port holes in ends of central citadel as aforesaid
and I do not limit myself to the exact description as aforesaid.
Dated this Eleventh day of July 1898.

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement; -
I construct ships of war with two or more screw or other propellers capable
of turning the ship independently, of rudder or rudders, adapted mainly for
fighting end on to the foe, and on such ships I construct a central citadel, by
preference the whole width of the ship, with very heavily armoured ends made
secure as possible against disablement from raking fire of enemy's guns, and in
that citadel I place heavy guns pointing forward and aft, through the very
'heavily armoured ends of the citadel, with a small right and left training the
greater part of the right or left training of the guns being effected by turning
or revolving the ship by means of the propellers. I construct the central citadel
aforesaid with more or less side armour, by preference to its full height, and I
construct the hull or main body of the ship, forward and aft of the central citadel,
to only the small height of a few feet above load water line, fitted with side
armour and covered over from side to side with a strong steel deck, made by pre-
ference perfectly secure and seaworthy against fire from enemy's heavy guns;
and above this steel deck I construct light topsides, by preference of steel about
seven feet high, made efficient and seaworthy for the occupation of the crew in
time of. peace, but so constructed that they may be shot away by the enemy
when in action without material injury to the ship or crew; as all the crew may
then be in the central citadel.
I construct said ships of war of large dimensions, not less than four hundred
feet. long and not less than seventy feet wide, with heavy armour and a com-
paratively great number of heavy guns pointing both forward and aft through
the very heavily armoured ends of the central citadel aforesaid; and I may also
place guns on the sides of said citadel, and by preference. I construct said ships
of war with a double bottom, fitted with water ballast, to give great stability
for carrying heavy guns in a central citadel high above water and enable ship,
if required, to be lowered in the water when in action; and in order that my
said invention may be more fully understood, I shall now proceed to refer to
the drawings upon the sheet hereunto annexed the same letters of
reference indicating the same or corresponding parts throughout. Fig. 1
is a sheer plan of a twin screw ship of war (as an example of my
system of construction) five hundred feet long and eighty-three feet wide,
Fig. 2 a half breadth plan, and Fig. 3 a cross section of same at
ends of central citadel, in which a is a central citadel two hundred feet long,
with very heavily armoured ends bb, carried across the whole width of the ship,
for protection from raking fire of enemy's guns; c are low ends of hull
forward and aft of central citadel reaching about four feet above load water
line; dd side armour on citadel and also on low ends of hull; ee strong steel
decks over low ends of hull made secure against fire from enemy's heavy guns;
ff light steel topsides about seven feet high, constructed on these strong steel
decks, made efficient and seaworthy for the accommodation of the crew in peaceful
times, but so constructed that they may be shot away by the enemy when in
action without material injury to the ship or crew; as all the crew may then be
in the central citadel; g g second steel decks constructed over these light top-
sides, made sufficiently strong to withstand concussion from heavy guns fired
over them from the central citadel and fitted with hinged bulwarks or movable
stanchions, if required, at h h-i i is a cellular double bottom, arranged for
about three thousand tons of water ballast, to give great stability for carrying
heavy guns in a central citadel high above water and enable ship, if required,
to be lowered in the water. when in action; .K. K eight twelve inch guns, four
pointing forward and four pointing aft through the very heavily armoured ends
of the central citadel, with an equal number of similar guns on the other side
of the ship, all arranged with small, right and left training (say about
ten degrees each way) the greater part of the right and left training

page_text: of the guns being effected by revolving the ship by means of the twin
screws, SO that revolving turrets are not required, and I utilize the
great space that would be required for them to enormously increase
the end on fire of the war ship and make her immensely more powerful than
possible with revolving turrets, when fighting end on to the enemy in the strongest
position for both attack and defence.
Having now described the nature of my said invention and the manner in
which same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. The construction of war ships of large dimensions, not less than four
hundred feet long and not less than seventy feet wide, with a water ballast
double bottom substantially as described.
2nd. The construction of war ships of large dimensions, not less than four
hundred feet long and not less than seventy feet wide, without a water ballast
double bottom, but in other respects substantially as described.
Dated at Belfast 13th March 1899.