US473406A - norton - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. L. NORTON, Deod.

B. L. FAmcHILn, Excutor. VESSEL.

No. 473,406. l PatenlApr. 19, 1892. I

FIG Il f-J- n "72 IIHIHHIHIII J (No Model.) i 3 ShetS--Sheet 2.

- P. L. NORTON,' Deod.

B. L. FAmcHILD, Exeeutor. VESSEL.

No. 473,406. P 19, 1892.

(No Mode-1.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

F. L. NORTON, Deod.

B. L. FAIBcHxLD, Exeoutor.

aeented Apr..19, 1892.

VESSEL FIG we naam PETERS co.. vnormwno., wAsHmmoN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

FRANCIS L. NORTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.; BEN L. FAIRCHILD EXECUTOR OF SAID FRANCIS L. NORTON, DECEASED.

VESSEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,406, datedApril 19, 1892. Application tiled .Tnne 14, 1889. Serial No. 314,248. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FRANCIS LAY NoEToN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for its object improvements in the construction of yachts, merchant vessels, and vessels of war, in order to render them safer, to decrease and minimize the danger of their foundering at sea from any dainage to their hulls from collision or otherwise, and to increase their stability, buoyancy, and speed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a vertical longitudinal section of a passengership embodying my invention. Fig. II is a vertical longitudinal section of a war-ship embodying my invention. Fig. III is a transverse section, on a larger scale, of apassengership constructed with a double frame and skin terminating at the main deck. Fig. IV is a transverse section of a passenger-ship, showing the double frame and skin extending to the upper deck. Fig. V is a transverse section of the war-ship, also on a larger scale. Fig. VI is a transverse section of a vessel, showing a modification hereinafter described.

In carrying my invention into effect I construct the vessel with two distinct frames l 2 and with a double skin 3 4f. The space between these two skins or frames for the whole or greater part of the vessels length, commencing from amidships and extending to or toward each end, I subdivide by means of transverse and longitudinal bulk-heads 5 6, forming thereby a number of separate Watertight cells or compartments 7 S. I also construct my vessel With a double bottom 3@ 4, subdivided into numerous compartments or cells, forming thereby a number of water-ballast chambers 9. I also provide my vessel with a center keelson l0, running from stein to stern and made water-tight in the doublebottom and of suihcient height to support the ioor of the inner bottom 4a. All iioors I construct solid and water-tight between levery two or more frames, as may be desirable. All bulk-head plates are properly stitened and made carefully water-tight, whereby in the event of injury to the outer skin or frames the vessel would, when constructed as herein described, still have a suliicient buoyancy for safety, and these frames and skins or plank- 5 5v The vessel may be constructed upon any 6o model selected by the designers. The waterballast chambers 9 may be formed with comparatively narrow arms 9, extending to a greater or less distance around the bends of the vessel outside the close air-cells 7, or the said water-ballast chambers may be formed straight across the vessel from .frame to frame,

as illustrated in Fig. VI, without the rising arm 9, as above described.

To render the water-ballast system auto- 7o matic, I provide external openings ll in the bottom in line with and close to the keel on each side. There may be one or more of such longitudinal openings into each ballast-chamber. These openings vary from six to eighteen .75 inches in transverse width, or thereabout, according to the size of the vessel. I connect with the top plate of each of the said ballast# chambers an air-pipe l2, which passes up vertically and is connectedwith an air-valve v13, 8o placed above the water-line, for the escape of the air which is in the chambers when the water enters, thereby enabling such ballastchambers to immediately receive their waterballast and preventing any reflux of air into the chambers or consequent escape of water therefrom. The frames and plating forming the top of these ballast-chambers must be made carefully water-tight and of sufficient strength to support and ioat the vessel. The 9e openings in the bottoms of these ballastchambers are, except in very small vessels, of sufficient size to be used as man-holes and entered for the purposes of cleaning and painting.

A vessel so constructed will on being launched into the water receive her water-ballast through the openings ll into the chambers 9 9;L of her double bottom, the air displaced from the chambers 9 escapingthrough Ico the valve-guarded pipes l2, while that which is imprisoned within the rising arms 9a is comof torpedoes, as the water lying between the two skins operates as a cushion for the protection of the inner bottom, even should the outer bottom be largely torn or blown out; In constructing passenger-ships I preferably end the double frame or hull at the main deck, as shown in Fig. III. This affords ample room in the lower hold for the carriage of machinery, coal-bunkers, dre., while leaving the entire decked-in space or spaces above the main deck for the accommodation of passengers and other requirements. In all other respects I construct my vessel as shown and delineated in the drawings or approximately thereto. The essential peculiarities of this form of construction extend only to the double frames and plankings and skins, in combina.

tionwith the cellular bottom and water-ballast chambers.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire' to secure by Letters Patent:

The vessel constructed with the outer skin and the inner skin, the space between the two skins being subdivided by means of transverse and longitudinal bulk-heads arranged about midships and extending toward each end, and with the center keelson extending from stem to stern and forming the s'upport for the floor of the inner bottom, the valved air-pipes communicating with the air-V compartments and the bottom water-inlets, all constructed and arrangeds'ubstantially as set forth.

FRANCIS L. NORTON.

Witnesses:

OoTAvIUs KNIGHT, EMMA ARTHUR.

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