US39788A - Improvement in the construction of war-vessels - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER ANDREW, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WAR-VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,788, dated September 8, 1863.

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Be it known that I, PETER ANDREW, of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Vessels of War to be used as Rams and Gunboats; and I hereby declare that the following is a full and sufficient description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of the specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawings which illustrate my improvement, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vessel, showing the gun-deck and deckplank as braces abutting against the beam, sides, and port-holes; Fig. 2, perspective view of a modification of the beam, showing shaft E; Fig. 3, perspective view of the gun and carriage Eig. 4, a perspective View of the gun and guiderails attached; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the circular shutter for the porthole.

My invention is embraced in the following several devices: first, the peculiar construction ofthe gun deck ,I second, the form and ar rangement ofthe port-holes; third, the arrangement and adaptation ofthe deck-plank, with the central timber or beam, C, bracing each other fourth, thecombination of the beam and decks for giving strength to the vessel used as a ram by means of lock-pieces g.

A represents the sides of the gun-deck; B, the port-holes; C, the beam forming the eX- treme end of the bow, from stem to stern, through the middle ofthe vessel, to serve as a battering-ram; D, planks ofthe deck and bottom for bracing in time of collision 5 E, shaft that can be screwed ont of the bow end of the beam when the vessel is used as aram; F, the

gun G, wheels upon the trunnions ofthe gun; H, side rails of gun-carriage; 1, projection from front cross-rail for attaching the gun-carriage to the port-hole; J, guide-rails for guiding the gun in time of recoil; K, projections from guide-rails, through which the trunnions of the gun pass for fastening it to the carriage; L, pin passingthrough projection I, for attaching gun-carriage to the port-hole and holding the gun in position, so that the muzzle may be run out at any change in the range of the gun.

Letter a represents projections from guiderails sliding in slot b, which is adapted to said projection; c, wheel and screw for elevating and depressing the muzzle ofgun; d,crossrail and journals through which screw ofc passes; g, pieces inserted in the beam or the seams to prevent the beam-pieces of timber from sliding on each other during collision h, capstanhead on shaft E t, nuts inserted in the beam through which the shaft is screwed; j, wheels formoving the gun-carriage 7c, opening in the beam for access to the stuffing-box.

The sides ofthe gun-boat diverge from apoint in the middle of the vessel near the bow, and run obliquely across the deck backward and outward in a direct line toward the stern to the outside of the hull, and may extend a little beyond it, forming a halfcircle at the stern, or, instead of a half-circle, it may be formed wedge-shaped, as by the meeting of two right lines at an angle of eighty or ninety degreesthus The drawing shows the semicircular form. This arrangement of the sides gives the deck a wedge form. At a few feet from the extreme point the sides diverge at right angles for giving room for a gun to be used pointing directly over the bow. This gun will have a lateral range from the side port-holes as great as that of other guns. The aft side B of the port-holes projects from the side of the vessel. The projection begins opposite the gun, and being for the length of the gun, or a little more, depending upon' the diameter of the gun in part, and also in part on the Obliquity of the sides of the hull, as compared with the medial longitudinal line. The gun, when discharged toward the bow, lies in this projection, which extends upward from the deck a little above the gun, except at the opening, where it is contracted to the size of the porthole. The shutter is hinged to the projecting side, or a circular shutter, such as shown in drawings, Fig. 5, may be used, which may probably answer the purpose better. This will be turned into the vessel when the port is opened. Other devices may be used. The beam c runs through the vessel from stem to stern, eX- tending from the gun-deck downward to the bottom of the vessel, constructed of heavy pieces of timber bolted together, and having pieces g inserted at the seams to prevent them from slipping atthe time ofcollision. The deck and bottom plank will beheavy, extending horizontally, but obliquely, from the medial line to the sides of the vessel. This arrangement of the planks makes them braces, and causes the whole Weight of the vessel to be thrown on beam at the moment of collision, each plank of the deck and bottom bearing a portion of the Weight and distributing it throughout the Whole length of the beam. Doorways, with heavy frames, are made through the beam. Beams may be made, as shown in Fig. 2, solid from top to bottom, except at intervals.

For the purpose ot' reaching the weakestpart of the hold of the opposing vessel and making a hole in it below the water-line, the iron shaft E is used. This shaft passes through a copper cylinder, having a stufingbox to prevent leakage. The cylinder is inserted in the bow end of the boats beam. The outer end ofthe shaft is wed ge form, corresponding to the bow of the vessel. The inside end has a screw upon it working in nuts, which are inserted in the beam. The capstan-head h upon the shaft is for screwing it out when required. The engine and boilers should be, as far as practicable, fastened to the beam. The guncarriage is arranged to accupy as little space as possible, and is in other respects adapted to the porthole. It is simple in its construction. Two parallel horizontal rails, H, connected at each` end by cross-rails, the one toward the muzzle of the gun having projection I, connecting the gun-carrie ge to the port-hole by pin L. Wheels for moving the cannon are placed upon the trunnions, said wheels having lianges which traverse the parallel rails H, tol prevent the gun at the time of recoil from being thrown from the carriage. The guide-rails J, having projections a, which slide in slot b, are ararranged, or there may be langes at the upper and lower edges, passing over the edges of rails H, While the trunnions of the gun pass through projections from the guide-rails. These guide-rails are also connected by crossrails at each end, one near the breech of the gun, havingjournals which pass through the guide-rails. This rail is enlarged in the center, where the screw for elevating and depressing the muzzle of the gun passes through it.

-aimed at the same spot.

The advantages claimed for `the construction of avessel like that above are, that, when making an attack with her bow toward the opposing vessel or fort, the vessel attacking presents no surface that can be eft'ectually struck by a shot, and While in this position all the guns on both sides can be discharged at an object at the same time,and every gun may be While pursuing an enemy she can constantly discharge her guns from both sides without changing her course, and can also do so when she is used as a ram.

The advantage claimed for the vessel'as a ram is in the beam and the arrangement of the deck and bottom planks as braces, causthe Whole Weight of the vessel at the time of collision to be thrown upon the beam throughout the entire length of it. By this arrangement a crushing blow can be dealt without injury to the attacking vessel.

Having now described the nature of the invention and the mode ot' constructing and using the same, I will proceed to state the claims.

What I cla-im as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Constructing the gundeck of oblique plank, in combination with the gun-battery to be used thereon, substantially as and for the pur-` pose set forth.

2. Constructing port holes with' projecting sides, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of beam c with the deck plank, when the same are locked together and braced, substantially in the manner andv tor the purpose set forth herein.

4. The lockpiece, g g, in combination with the ram part or the beak' of the vessel, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

PETER ANDREW.

Witnesses:

WM. F. KELLY, G. C.' HARDING.

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