US1885198A - Hull structure - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 1, 1932. w. L. HALE 1,885;198

HULL STRUCTURE Filed June 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 11v VENTOR 1444225 1. Mn 5 WITNESS A TTORNE VS" Nov. 1, 1932. w. HALE HULL STRUCTURE Filed June 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Shget 2 WITNESS mwmm Nov. 1, 1932. w. L. HALE HULL STRUCTURE Filed Jun 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR P/fl/P/PfA/L #4 45 A TTORNE YS WITNESS 5m w. L. HALE HULL STRUCTURE Nov. 1, 1932.

' Filed June 28, 195a 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITED STAT ES. .PATENT OFFICE WARREN L. HALE, OF EASTHARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASS IGNOR 'I'O #ALE MARINE CORPORATION, OI NEW YORK, N. YL, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK HULL STRUCTURE Application filed June as, 1930. Serial No. 464,483.

nature, presence or absence of motive power.-

The princinal purpose is to very greatly reduce the weight and cost and at the same .time greatly increase the strength, durability, and speedin proportion to engine power ofhulls of characteristically wooden construction as compared with previous types of wood hulls, and this. is accomplished principally instead of the usual planking, an outer covering or shell consisting of a very small number of sheets or panels suitably coated with waterproof plastic material and firmly secured to the frame at a multiplicity of points by bolts or rivets, so that there are in the entire skin or shell structure an exceedingly small number 7 of joints or seams,.and the completed hull is a practically unitary, stable and approximately stiff bu resilient structure, as compared with the common types of wood hulls in which there is no adequately complete, rigid, or self-sustaining frame aside from the connection of parts such as keel or keelson,

bulkheads, ribs, etc., to the multiplicity of planks, and which are therefore relatively unstable and undesirably flexible, heavy, expensive and perishable.

Metal hulls will not be further referred toat length since they are radically distinct from typically wood structures and for any comparable classes of craft involve some or all of the disadvantages of greater weight, cost, deterioration by corrosion, etc.,'as well understood by marine designers. This com-.

ment applies especially to vessels of motorboat dimensions.

The improved hull difi'ers' radically from existing wood structures, which in general principles of design have notchanged in any fundamental respect since ancient times, principally because the planked wood hull consisting of a multiplicity'of separate planks or strakes with a corresponding immense total length of caulked seams, depends upon watersoaking and swelling of the planking for water-tightness and to a great extent for strength and stability, and is at the same time subject to various disadvantages, resulting from water-logging or excessive soaking, such as increase of hull weight and loss of speed, so that (noticeably in a speed boat) the speed is immensely-decreased by excessive absorption of water, and in Wood boats of any class, deterioration commences practically immediately and. progresses rapidly, requiring constant repairs es'pecially caulking to prevent leakage and practical disintegration;

While in my construction the complete shell proper consists of an immensely smaller number of practically integral or unitary piecespractically only five, with practically only four seams, which require no repair or other attention for indefinite lengths of time, and no caulked seams whatever in the ordinary sense;

As otherwise described, planked boats, being dependent on water soaking for tightness, are of variable weight, lack sufiicient rigidity, and are subject to an indefinite extent to twisting and bending (a phenomenon usually referred to as weaving) and these disadvantages are greatly increased by the modern practice of using high powered engines and high speeds, so that the strains caused by engine vibration and wave impacts bring about rapid deterioration and especially require caulking practically after every cruise of a utility boat, while speed boats require constant attention. In contrast to this, the improved boat is a practically rigid and permanently stable structure (although sufficiently resilient to resist strains without breakage); is not d'epehdent at all upon water soaking for water tightness or structural stability, as there are only. three longitudinal seams or joints and these are praca ing on the frame.

structure the total seam length is hardly more than one hundred feet.

The old structures are moreover such that individual fabrication by highly skilled labor is a practical essential, since the planks or strakes must be individually matched to the rib contour or mold form of the hull and shaped in situ by elaborate operations, and mass or interchangeable construction is practically impossible, while in the invention design all parts of the hull including the frame consisting principally of bulkheads, ribs, battens and keelson, and the shell consisting of a small number of sheets or panels, for any selected design and dimensions of hull, may be produced in quantities on a mass production and interchangeable plan, as in automobile manufacture, and the hulls may be assembled at oneor a number of convenient locations and not necessarily at the site of production of the individual parts,

and by relatively unskilled labor, so that the great reduction in cost, amounting in many cases to as'much as 50%, is due in great part to the methods of manufacture and assembly and reduction in labor cost permitted by the improved design.

The sheets or panels constituting the shell or skin structure are preferably laminar, or of the nature of ply wood, consisting of a plurality of sheets of any suitable woods with the grain in adjacent sheets in crossed relation, connected by a suitable adhesive material and molded to proper shapes before plac- Sometimes, and especially in the claims, the shell pieces will be referred to as molded sheets or panels, and this means more particularly that the sheets as applied to the frame are made to conform with the predetermined shape of the hull, although also the panels may be in one convenient method of production, be pre-shaped in a mold or press.

These shell panels are therefore much stronger and tougher, and more resistant to all normal strains and collision impacts than single or double planking of much greater thickness and Weight and require no caulking. If any number of the lamina less than all in a panel are cracked or broken there will be no leakage and unless the parts broken or torn away are of large area; the structural strength is not materially impaired; also damaged parts may be cut out and new pieces patched or spliced in to restore the panel to practically original strength and appearance.

Preferably, although not necessarily in all cases, a layer of waterproofing material d stinct from the wood or ply-wood laminae of the panels is applied on the inside of the shell and this layer or waterproof coat is, applied to the inside face of the first wood lamina before the same is set. Thisinner or lining'coat may be of various plastic materials, such as a cellulose compositlon or other suitable material having waterproofing functions.

On the outer surface of the panels a layer of suitable thickness of a m aterial'or composition other than natural wood is applied, and this is preferably a plastic compositiom. such as the material generally known as plastic wood, or cellulose or asbestos with a binder. One suitable composition consists of wood flour or asbestos flour, silica, acetone, toluoland alcohol.

In those cases in which the plastic layer is applied to the panels as a part of the panel fabricating and molding operations and the panels are bored to receive the fastening rivets, the surface layer may be cut away or counterbored to enable the rivet or bolt heads to be seated against the outer face of the outer wood lamina and fresh plastic material of the same character maythen be applied to fill up the holes in the surface layer,

facing treatment the following are mentioned: A durable and reliable protecting and waterproof surface is provided for the ply-wood, which makes the use of the latter possible inithe type of water craft to which this invention more particularly relates. The compositions may be produced in any desired color so that in many cases painting is unnecessary. Scratches or other minor injuries are relatively unnoticeable and scratched portions may be rubbed or scraped down and varnished, or major injuries may be repaired by application of new plastic. Suitable coating layers including some of those mentioned are tougher and stronger than wood of the same thickness and the outer layer is therefore Very resistant to injuries and adds to the structural strength of the shell, and of course is completely waterproof so that there is no possibility of leakage or absorption of atmospheric moisture through the skin.

The present structure is especially well suited to V-bottom models and is so repre:

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sented in the structure chosen as a specific I show representative embodiments. After frame in one form.with shell panels com-f the stem poststructure ready for placing( considering these examples, skilled persons Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a boat em-v bodyingthe inventionin one form.

Fig. 2 is a top plan. v 7 Fig. 3 is a perspective of the completed 'pleted. and located in approximately correct positions, readyfor application to the frame.

Fig. 4, is a side elevation of the bow por- 'tion oftheframe prior to placing of the,

side and bottom panels and with one part of Fig.5 is a similar view'showing the side and bottom panels applied and the outer ,or cut-water portion of the stem post ready for placing.

Fig. 6 the stemconstruction.

Fig. 7 is a section at 77, Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of akeel connecting or filler piece.

Fig. 9 is a section at 9-9,' Fig. 2. 1

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail section at any one of several longitudinal locations, of the parts adjacent the chine line.

Fig. 11 is a similar'section showing a modified construction.

Fig. 12 is a transverse section of the bottom structure.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary, perspective and sectional detail of a shell panel. 4 a

Fig. 14 is a' similar view of a modified panel structure.

The frame 1 is shown in practically complete condition in Fig. 3, except that the bulkheads are there omitted to avoid obscuring other parts. It includes (see also Figs. 4 to 7 and 9 to 12). a keelson 2 extending practically the entire length of the hull, any desired number of bulkheads 3, bottom ribs 4 extending from the keelson to the-chine line, and side ribs 6 extending from the chine to the tops of the sides. Preferably,-the ribs in boththe bottom and the sides of the hull are alternately sawed and bent to shape, providing in the one case for the desired contour and in the other, greater strength. On the bottom, longitudinal battens 7 are placed, preferably so close together as to provide practically a sub-planking, but also preferably, as shown,'w-ith their adjacent edges spaced-slightly apart'sufficient to prevent any distortion of the hull shape which might or bronze rivets.

otherwise be caused by wetting and swelling of the battens. On the sides are other longitudinal battens such as 8 and 9 which may be of different suitable widths and may be spaced farther apart than the bottom battens. The battens are secured is an enlarged detail plan view of tothe ribs by copper The stem structure may be varied, but in a preferred form for larger. craft, as shown, it consists principally of three strips or-plates of angle metal, including an inner piece 10,-

intermediate piece 11 and outer piece-or cutwater 12, of which only'the outer piece need be, preferably, of brass or bronze, while the others may be of steel or iron. In smaller crapt the inner piece 10 may be dispensed wit 1.

bottom battens as in Figs. 4 and 6 and thereafter the intermediate piece 11 is applied and secured by bolts over the ends ofthe battens,

which are cut away or dapped to allow for intermediate piece 11 and the front faces of v with waterproof 35 the battens 8 is shown filled material 20a similar to that used at 20.

The stern structure may vary. As shown, it includes stern posts or corner posts 13 with battens 14 secured thereon or in some cases these may be continuations of the side battens.

As so far described, and practically as shown in Fig. 3, the frame is of approximately rigid, complete and self-sustaining form and is ready to receive the shell panels which take the place of planking. For a boat of the shape shown, these may be only five in number including two bottom panels 15, two side panels 16 and a stern panel 17, each consisting of a plurality of sheets 18 of suitable wood or ly wood adhesively associated and shaped either in a moldor press to the desired mold form or simultaneously with" their application to the frame. Preferably on the inner face of the inner wood-ply of each panel is a layer 19 of suitable waterproofing material such as one of those previously referred to, which is applied to the wood-ply'before the same is mounted on the frame. Preferably also, on the outer surface 1 of the-panels I provide a layer 20 of suitable plastic material or composition such as one of those above referred to. In any case the panels are fastened at a multiplicity of points by rivets 21 passing through the ribs and battens, and having rivet heads 22 engaging the ply wood 18, and covered and concealed by application of plastic material, the same as the skin layer 20.

The keel 28 which may be in one piece, or

as shown in Fig. 1, of two pieces 23 and 24, serves ordinary keel functions especially to protect the bottom and act as. a longitudinal beam reenforcing the keelson, and it also serves to close and protect the narrow space along the bottom at the adjacent edges of the bottom panels 15. The 'upperface of the keel is V-shaped as at 26, the angle of the channel varying along its length in accordance with that of the panels. Preferably a 13 0 The inner piece 10, when used, is 75 bolted to the forward ends of the side and 28. The keel is secured by any suitable numher of bronze bolts 29 passing through the keel or keel pieces and the keelson. n the smaller type of boats the keel may obviously be dispensed with.

The longitudinal joints between the side and bottom panels are finished as follows:'

As in. Fig. 10, a sealing or finishing strip 30, which may be a bronze casting, is applied over the meeting edges of the panels and is secured by bolts 31 passing through 1t and through strips or blocks 32 placed between the ribs. In some cases 32 ma be a continuous strip similar to the chine log customarily employed in V-hottom hulls; otherwise the pieces 32 may be simply filler pieces acting as abutments for the nuts. The strip 30 has a part-circular or rounded outer contour and .its inner face is of substantial V-forni and has at the edges shallow inwardly projecting ribs or beads 33, which, when the nuts are tightened, bite into the outer coating of plastic material and make a perfectly watertight joint.

For smaller boats, or in cases where less strength is required, the chine finish may be as shown in Fig. 11, in which strips or blocks such as 32 are not depended on as a part of the outer oint structure, which consists of an angle strip 34 of bronze or copper overlying a gasket strip 35 similar to snap 27 previously mentioned; and the statedcstrips are secured by screws 36 passing through half round bronze moulding strips 37 overlying strip 34 at its edge margins. The screws need not penetrate deeper than part-way through the battens.

The seam between side and bottom edges of the stern panel 17 and the rear edges of the side and bottom panels may be finished substantially as in either Fig. 10 or 11.

Preferably, a separate keel piece or filler block 38 (Figs. 5, 7 and 8) is placed at the front end of the keel 23. This may be wood, or a bronze casting, and has a contour corresponding to the keel, that is it fits the V-form of the bottom and tapers to an edge 39 at the front end and is secured as by one or more bolts 40 to the keelson. Preferably, the aft end 41 of the filler piece is slanted ofl rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, to prevent lodging of weed, etc. The outer stem piece or cutwater 12 is then applied with its lower end overlapping the front end of the filler piece and secured by rivets.

The advantages of the structure and its radical distinction from previous forms have been sufiiciently referred' to inthe general description.

The order of operations in assembling the hull may be varied considerably. In describing the structure one order of operation has been quite fully explained- For boats of any reasonable size it is usually preferred to perform the earlier operations while the hull is in inverted position, and this may be done on a runway or continuous conveyor for most economical mass production, as practiced in the motor vehicle art. When started in inverted position a suitable number of bulkheads and the inner stem piece 10 are set up in a suitable or erecting frame; the side battens and sawed ribs are inserted and secured by rivets; the keelson is placedbet ween the ends of the bottom ribs; the bent ribs are placed and secured, then the bottom subplanking; the intermediate stein piece 11 is placed and secured; the bottom panels are applied and secured by rivets and the keel is set in place and bolted through to the keelson. The boat is then turned right side up to rest on its keel, the side panels and stern panel are attached and cutwater 12 is placed and secured by its bolts. The edge or joint finish at the chines and stern may be applied at any convenient time after the panels are placed and before or after the hull is turnedto upright position. i

These improved hulls may be built with strength and durability greatly superior to existing forms and at considerable saving in .both Weight and cost over other types.

I claim:

1. A boat hull comprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame, and a shell secured thereon and consisting of a small number of pre-formed panels of the general character of wood, the frame including a keelson, ribs and longitudinal battens, and a stem structure comprising a plurality of angular stem strips, one of which is secured to the keelson and battens, an intermediate one is secured over the forward ends of the battens, and an outer one constituting the cutwater is secured over the front margins of certain of the panels.

2. A boat hullromprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame, and a shell secured thereon and consisting of a small number of pre-formed panels of the general character of wood, the frame including a keelson, ribs and longitudinal battens, and a stem structure comprising a plurality of angular stem strips, one of which is se- 3. A boat hull comprising a substantially complete frame including bulkheads, ribs, longitudinal battens and a keelson, and a shell consisting of a small number of 'pre molded laminar panels secured tothe frame by rivets, each vpanel being constituted ofmae terial of the order of ply wood coated at least on the .Water side thereof with a hardened waterproof plastic of the plastic wood type, said panels including bottom panels having adjacent longitudinal edges, a waterproofing filler between the edges, a keel having an upper contour to fit the panel margins, and bolts securing the keel to the keelgitudinal strip'overlying the panel margins at' the meeting edges andsecured to the frame structure.

5. A boat hull comprising a substantially I complete frame including bulkheads, ribs, longitudinal battens and a keelson, and a complete frame including bulkheads, ribs,

shell consisting of a small number of premolded laminar panels secured to the frame by rivets, the panels including side and botp tom panels meeting at a chine line, and a longitudinal metal strip contoured to fit the panel margins, the strip having bead edges biting into the skin material of the panels, and bolts securing the strip" in position.

6. A boat hull comprising a substantially longitudinal battens and a. keelson, and a shell consisting of a small number ofpremolded laminar panels secured to the frame by rivets, the panels including side and bottom panels meeting at a chine line, and a longitudinal metal strip contoured to fit the panel margins, the strip having bead edges biting into the skin material-of the panels,

bolts passing through the strip and panel edges, and interior blocks through which the bolts pass and acting as abutments for the bolt nuts. v

7 A V-bottom type boat comprising'a substantially stable frame and a shell secured to the frame by rivets, the shell proper consistlarge area and the sides and'bottom consisting of only fourlongitudinal panels, the

panels being of laminar structure ofthe'general character of ply wood.

8. boat hull comprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame, and a shell having the partsthereof closely inter-' fitted and substantially free of absorbed water secured thereon and consisting of a small number of panels of the general character of ply-wood having on the water-side thereof a continuous coating of a hardened waterproof plastic of the plastic wood type. 9.

boat hull comprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame, and a shell secured thereon and consisting .of a

small number of laminar-molded panels having'on the water-side 'thereof a continuous coatingof a hardened waterproof plastic of the plastic wood type. r

10. A boat hull comprising a substantially complete and self-sustainingframe including transverse r1bs and long tudinal battens,

and ashell secured directly to such battens to form a rigid structure with'the parts composing the frame, and consisting of a small number of ply-wood panels and having on the water-side thereof a continuous coating I ofa hardenedwaterproof-plastic ofthe plastic wood type. 11. A boat hull comprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame including transverse ribs and longitudinal battens, and a shell riveted to said battens and having on the water-side thereof a continuous coating of a hardened waterproof plastic of the plastic wood 'type covering the rivet heads.

12. A boat-hull as set forth in claim 10 hav- 1 ing a layer of waterproofing material of the plastic wood type on the inner face ofthe anels.

acter of wood, anda continuous coating of plastic wood onthe outer faces of the panels.

14. A boat hull comprising a substantially acter of wood, certain longitudinal panel 13. A boathullcomprising a substantially .complete and self-sustaining frame, and a shell secured thereon and consisting of a small number of panels of the general charjoints being finished by externally applied metal strips, and a filler block fitted against a the adjoining inner faces of the frame sections meeting at the joint.

15. A boat hull comprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame, and a shell secured thereon and consisting of a smallqnumber of panels of the general character of wood, certain longitudinal panel joints being finished by externally applied V ing of a small number of panels of relatively metal Stnps wlth Water-proofing fibrous packing between the strips and the panel faces, and a filler block fitted against the ad joining inner faces of the" frame sections free of absorbed moisture, and a coatingof a fibrous waterproof plastic of the plastic wood type on said panels.

17. boat hull comprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame, and a shell secured thereon and comprising four panels, two such panels forming the bottom of the hull and meeting at the keelson, and the othertwo of said panels forming the sides of the hull and meeting the first mentioned panels at the chine, each of said panels consisting of ply-wood coated at least on the water-side thereof with a continuous coating of a hardened waterproof plastic of the plastic wood type.

18. A boat hull comprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame, and a shell secured thereon and comprising five panels, two of such panels forming the bottom of the hull, two of such panels forming the sides of the hull, and meeting the first mentioned two panels at the chine, and the fifth panel forming the stern of the hull, each of said panels consisting of ply-wood coated at least on the water-side thereof with a continuous coating of a hardened waterproof plastic of the plastic wood type.

19. A boat hull comprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame, a shell secured thereon and consisting of a small number of panels of the general character of ply-wood coated at least on the water-side thereof with a hardened waterproof plastic of the plastic wood type, the frame including a keel, ribs and longitudinal battens, a outwater at the bow of the hull, and a filler piece between the front end of the keel and the lower end of the cutwater.

20. A boat hull of the general V-bottom type comprising a substantially complete and self-sustaining frame, and a shell secured thereon and consisting of a small number of pro-formed panels of the general character of wood, the frame including a keelson, ribs and longitudinal battens, and a stem structure comprising a plurality of angular stem strips, one of, which is secured to the keelson and battens, an intermediate one is secured over the forward ends of the battens, and an outer one constituting the cutwater is secured over the front margins of certain of the panels.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WARREN L, HALE.

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