US3822661A

US3822661A - Ship{40 s hull

Info

Publication number: US3822661A
Application number: US00294884A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Simpson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-10-02
Filing date: 1972-10-04
Publication date: 1974-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-09
Also published as: CA956847A

Abstract

A ship''s hull having a flat plate mounted above a keel-like portion formed of a rounded bow section, a cylindrical main section, and a conical stern section. The method of fabricating and assembling the hull.

Description

United States Patent July 9, 1974 Simpson SHIPS HULL [76] inventor: Robert Simpson, PO. Box 159, [561 References CM Lantzville, British Columbia, UNITED STATES PATENTS Canada 3,133,130 6/1964 Morgan .1 115/39 [22] Filed: Oct. 4, 1972 Primary Examiner-George E. A. Halvosa [21] Appl 294884 Assistant Examiner-Sherman D. Basinger Attorney, Agent, or Firm -Fetherstonhaugh & C0. [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 0C1. 2, 1972 Canada 152973 [57] ABSTRACT 'A ships hull having a flat plate mounted above a keel- [52] US. Cl 114/56, 1 14/56, 11114406613, c portion formed f a rounded b Section, a li drical main section, and a conical stern section, The [51] lnt.Cl B6311 1/04 B63b l/l2 th d ff d th h IL [58 Field 61 Search 114/56, 61, 6 3, 65 R, 40, me o a mg assem mg 6 u 4 (Ilaims, 9 Drawing Figures mmmm 3.822.661

SHEH 2 (IF 2 SHIPS HULL My invention relates to an improved hull design and particularly to an inexpensive and effective method of constructing same.

A vessel used for towing normally is provided with a hull of fairly conventional design which often lacks some of the characteristics needed in a boat intended for pulling heavy loads, usually at relatively low speeds, and frequently in rough or at least choppy water. Such vessels are costly to build and operate and should be provided with above average stability since there is always the danger that they might be capsized by their tows.

My hull design allows the engine and other weighty components of the vessel to be mounted so as to ensure a very low center of gravity which provides maximum stability. The hull has a keel portion constructed to reduce friction and provide a maximum flow of water over and around the propeller which decreases propeller slip and results in greater manoeuvrability. The design lends itself to manufacture by a simple cutting and welding process which elminates the need for costly lofting, cutting and assembling as in conventional construction methods.

In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a vessel provided with a hull in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the vessel,

FIG. 3 is a plan taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3,

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are vertical sections taken respectively on the lines 5-5, 66 and 77 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the assembly of parts of the hull, and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of the hull.

The numeral 10 indicates generally a small tug provided with a hull 12 which forms the basis of the pres ent invention; the hull comprising two major parts, a bottom plate 14 and a keel portion 16.

Plate 14 is formed of metal, preferably steel, which may be one and one quarter inches or more in thickness and this flat plate is cut or shaped so as to have approximately the same outline when viewed in plan as the deck of thetug 10. Suitably secured to circumferential edge 18 of the plate 14, is an upstanding flange 19 which encloses the underside of the deck structure and which connects with the bulwarks of the vessel. The bottom plate 14 is provided with an elongated opening 20, see particularly FIG. 3, which opening is formed in the center of the metal plate to extend rearwardly from a point close to bow end 21 of the plate to a point spaced a suitable distance from stem end 22 of said plate.

The hollow keel portion 16 comprises a bow section 30, a main section 31, and a stern section 32. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the metal bow section 30 is substantially triagnular when viewed from the side and is trans versely curved in cross-section. Thus, section 30 has an upper edge 34 and a rear edge 35, the latter edge being disposed at right angles to longitudinal axis 36 of said section. A

Main section 31 is a metal cylinder, see particularly FIGS. 4 and 6, with a portion cutaway to provide the sides of the section with upper edges 38 both which are disposed at the same acute angle to longitudinal axis 39 of the section. Front edge 40 of section 31 slopes rearwardly at an oblique angle to axis 39 while rear edge 41 of said section is perpendicular thereto. It should be noted that bow section 30 and main section 31 have substantially the same radius of curvature.

The tubular metal cone used to form the stern section 32 has an upper portion cut away to provide a curved upper edge 45 which is parallel to longitudinal axis 46 of said section. Front edge 47 of the section 32 is normal to axis 46 and so is rear edge 48 which defines the small, open end of the conical section 32.

The

edges

35 and 40 are welded together to form a strong, watertight seal therebetween. Similarly the

edges

41 and 47 are joined together. The

upper edges

34, 38 and 45 of the three sections making up the keel portion 16 define an opening 50 (FIG. 8) having a marginal edge 51 which conforms in shape to marginal edge 52 of the opening 20, and these two marginal edges are securely welded together again to form a strong, watertight seal. The axis 36 of the bow section is disposed at an obtuse angle to the axis 39 of the main section. Preferably, axis 39 is disposed at an acute angle to the plate 14 so as to extend downwardly and rearwardly therefrom.

The hull 12 contains the engine for the tug 10, the engine being shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1 enclosed by and suitably mounted in the main section 31. Propeller shaft 61 of the engine 60 extends rearwardly through the stern section 32 and is properly sealed and journalled therein, this shaft being fitted with the usual propeller 62. A keel strip 64 is secured to the underside of the main section 31 to extend rearwardly therefrom and the rear end of this strip, plus the bottom plate 14, rotatably supports a rudder 65.

As the tug 10 is driven forward through the water by the propeller 62, the rounded and enlarged bow section 30 breaks through the water and causes it to flow around the cylindrical main section 31 as well as over and around the conical stern section 32 whereby near maximum driving efficiency is achieved by the deeply immersed propeller. There is relatively little interruption in water flow beneath the plate 14 and longitudinally of the keel portion 16 and this reduces friction to a minimum. The water flow is such that the rudder 65 is extremely effective and therefore the vessel is particularly easy to maneuver with the water flowing across and over the conical stem section 32 to ensure a very short turning radius. Since the tug 10 has a low center of gravity due to the engine 60 being mounted in the main section 31, the vessel is exceptionally stable and cannot readily be capsized.

A ships hull of the above described design is exceptionally easy to construct by a process which will now be described. Referring to FIG. 8,. a length of cylindrical tube is used to form the

sections

30 and 31. An oblique cut is made across the tube 70 at an angle of approximately 70 to the longitudinal axis of said tube, and this provides a short length 71 and a long length 72 of tubing. The short length 71 is rotated about its longitudinal axis and the two out edges (35 and 40) are then welded together. The rear edge 41 of the main section and the front edge 47 of the stern section are also welded together and this completes the construction of the hull portion except'for the provision of the top opening 50 which subsequently is formed by cutting away the surplus metal from the three sections. The keel section 16 is then joined to the bottom plate 14 and the marginal edges of the two

openings

20 and 50 are welded together to provide the above described hull.

Referring to FIG. 9, the numeral 80 indicates generally another vessel having a hull 82 comprising a bottom plate 83 and two transversely spaced keel portions 84. The portions 84 are constructed in the above described manner to provide a hull having twin keels as is desirable in some types of vessels.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent I have provided a hull design which has the stability, water flow, and other characteristics which are desirable particularly in a vessel using for purposes of towing such as is shown in FIG. 1, or for a ferry such as is shown in FIG. 9. Construction costs are considerably reduced over those of conventional tug and ferry building methods due to the unique method of assembling the present hull.

I claim:

1. A tug boat having a rounded, blunt, bow and including a hull comprising:

a flat bottom member extending across the full width of the boat from one side to the other;

a keel portion depending from said flat bottom member extending longitudinally of the boat and comprising a plurality of edge welded tubular sections each of which extends longitudinally of the boat including: a substantially cylindrical tubular bow section having a longitudinal axis sloping downwardly rearwardly from said bow and secured to said bottom member in a manner presenting a blunt rounded bow; a substantially cylindrical main section secured to said flat bottom member rearwardly of said bow section having substantially the same radius of curvature as said bow section, having a front end secured to the rear end of said bow section, and having its longitudinal axis disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said bow section and downwardly rearwardly at an acute angle with respect to said flat bottom member; and a conical stem section secured to said flat bottom member rearwardly of said main section. the forward end of said conical stern member having substantially the same radius of curvature as the rear end of said main section and being secured thereto; said keel portion forming with said flat bottom member a marginal edge, the marginal edge of said bow section of said keel portion having a portion having a transverse dimension greater than that of the remainder of said marginal edge.

2. A boat according to claim 1 wherein said flat bottom member has a longitudinally extending elongated opening formed therein and having a marginal edge and wherein said keel portion has a longitudinal opening having a marginal edge substantially conforming to the marginal edge of said flat bottom member, said edges being in register.

3. A ships hull as claimed in claim 2, in which said marginal edges of the elongated opening and the longitudinal opening are welded together.

4. A ships hull as claimed in claim 1, in which said flat bottom plate has a circumferential edge fitted with an upstanding flange enclosing part of the deck struc ture of the vessel.

Claims

1. A tug boat having a rounded, blunt, bow and including a hull comprising: a flat bottom member extending across the full width of the boat from one side to the other; a keel portion depending from said flat bottom member extending longitudinally of the boat and comprising a plurality of edge welded tubular sections each of which extends longitudinally of the boat including: a substantially cylindrical tubular bow section having a longitudinal axis sloping downwardly rearwardly from said bow and secured to said bottom member in a manner presenting a blunt rounded bow; a substantially cylindrical main section secured to said flat bottom member rearwardly of said bow section having substantially the same radius of curvature as said bow section, having a front end secured to the rear end of said bow section, and having its longitudinal axis disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said bow section and downwardly rearwardly at an acute angle with respect to said flat bottom member; and a conical stem section secured to said flat bottom member rearwardly of said main section, the forward end of said conical stem member having substantially the same radius of curvature as the rear end of said main section and being secured thereto; said keel portion forming with said flat bottom member a marginal edge, the marginal edge of said bow section of said keel portion having a portion having a transverse dimension greater than that of the remainder of said marginal edge.

3. A ship''s hull as claimed in claim 2, in which said marginal edges of the elongated opening and the longitudinal opening are welded together.

4. A ship''s hull as claimed in claim 1, in which said flat bottom plate has a circumferential edge fitted with an upstanding flange enclosing part of the deck structure of the vessel.