USRE1608E - Augustus walkeb - Google Patents

Description

a UNITED STATES 'PATENT FFICE.

lAUGUSTUS WALKER, or BUrrALo, New YORK.

MPRovEMENT |N THE CONSTRUCTION 0F STEAM AND SAILINGl vtsstLs For NAVAL AND MERCHANT SERVICE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,708,datcd May 23, 1863,' Reissue No. 1,608, dated January 19,1864.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS WALKER, of the city of Bualo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a ecrtain new and useful improvement in steam and sailing vessels, both for naval and merchant service, and in mode of arming and working the same 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be afull and exact description of the same, reference bein g had/to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view ot' a vessel illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a stern View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan thereof. Fig.v 4 is a central longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 5 is a transverse section thereof on the line l l. Fig. 6 is' a transverse section on a larger scale in the same plane, illustrating more clearly some peculiar features hereinafter described. Fig. 7 is a transverse sect-ion on the line 2 2, on the saine scale as Fig. 6.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Mysaid invention consists, first, in the use of one or more arches or truss-frames, applied longitudinally in the center of the hull for the purpose of strengthening the latter; second, in the combination of a series of central longitudinal arches with a bottom of peculiar form third, in a peculiarly constructed prow, employed for the purpose of a ram 5 fourth, in

, devices for ventilating the interior of the ship without danger of the-entrance of Water or projectiles, fifth, in a peculiar manner of mounting and sustaining a revolving turret; sixth, in a peculiar construction of movable pilot-houses and devices for raising and lowering the same, seventh, in devices for working the anchors. f y

In order that others skilled in the art to whichmy invention appertains may be enabled to fully' understand and use the same, I will` proceed to d'es'cribe its construction, and op-I `veration.V v .A

" A A A2 A3 A4 represent various parts of the framing of the ship. The bottom B is made injdo'uble concaveforni, as shown in Fig. 5, tera-.ninatingv in a central keel, C. v

i' D D are respectively a direct and an in-L verted arch.'terminating at each end at'thev king-posts A2 A3, and extending vertically from the deck-beams E to the keelson C. The

arches D Dl a-nd the'vertical frames A, near D2 represents an additional arch extending from one of the central/frames, A4, to the eX- treme bowfand inclosing and sustaining a prow, D3, constructed of iron ,or steel, arched both vertically'ad.horizontally, so as to give it great strength. The orm of the outl'ine Vof the said prow in itsgyertitl section is clearly shown in Fig; if.' In its hihz gitudinal center in fmt of one of the stanch ions A4, as before explained. To ada-pt it to resist a crushing strain, and at the'saine time avoid unnecessary Weight, the interionof the prow is filled with timber. This peculiar construction of prow does not interfere inA any manner with the -correct lines of the ship or change her external form in anydegree.

The entire deck and sides of the vessel (above and to the required distance below the waterline) are protected by metallic-armor of peculiar construction. plates, F F', (Fig. 7,) with a corrugated plate, F2, between them. The corrugations in the plate F2 are filled with indiafrubber or any elastic material. This peculiar construction of armor is adapted'by its yielding nature to resist' projectilesy very effectually, and hence is not required to be of great weight.

G represents a shot-proof turret, supported upon or within a casing, H, withinrwhich. the guns are mounted. The ,top of the turret may be stationary and permanently secured tp the casing or foundation H, :and pierced with ports at suitable distances, or the entire turret or the floor upon which the guns are mounted may be revolved within the casing H. The said casing consists essentially of a circular arch, h, as shown in Fig. 6, giving it great strength both vertical'lv and horizontally, which arch may be surmountcd bya rabbet, h', to support the revolving parts. vThis struct-ure affords bntal ..seti0u it follows lrount'lfrom the stern in \contact with" the skin of the Alessel terminating at the lon It consists of two straight directionl to the interior of thecasing E, where.

y they may be twelve inches square.

g g g represent a series of apertures in the turret, which communicate with theinner ends of the tubes I in such amanner as to permitthe ingress of fresh airiu any position of thc turret. Any requisite number of the tubes I may be employed, converging from both sides forward and abaft the turret, as well as directly alongside thereof. The form and inclination of the tubes preventthe possibility of the entrance of shot or water, Aand adapt them to create a forcible and constant draft of air. The top of the turret is dome-shaped, and the Whole upper deck is of convex form, and the sides are inclined inward, so that no part of the ship above the 'water-line presents a perpendicular surface to receive the direct impactof an enemysshot.

I 12` are Ventilating-tubes for admitting air and light to the cabins and hold. The tubes I' incline upward from the outside, and under ordinary circumstances will in this way be protected from the entrance of water. The tubes, I2, by which the cabins and staterooms are ventilated, may be closed by shotproof caps t to exclude water and projectiles in rough weather or when in action.

J J represent sliding stanchions, which, while L `to the position shown in Fig. 7, and thus constitute plugs which close the tubes l 12. A lifeline or chain rove through eyes or rings at the tops of the stanchions serves as a rail or guard while they are in their upper positions. r

K K represent dome-stopped pilot-houses adapted to slide up and down in the upper deck, and constituting the only way of access below decks. While the ship is under way' the said pilot-houses being raised to their upper positions by windlasses L, and there sustained by spring-catches, pawls, or any other suitable means, afford additional means of ventilation and a full and free lookout. When in action, the pilot-houses are lowered, so that only their convex tops will remain above-the deck, and thus afford no available niark for the enemys shot. The roofs are pierced with narrow slits, att'ording sufficient lookout for steering or other purposes, and at the same time preventing the entrance of large or small `shot.

M M represent circular ilukcd anchors at. tached to cables N, running out through hawseholes u at the bow. To weigh the anchor, it

is rst hove up to the hawse-holes in the usual manner, after which a stopper, I?, leading from a port, n', is rove through the ring and the anchor drawn back, while the cable is paidv out from vthe hawse-hole. When the anchor approaches the anchor-port n', a block and tackle let down from a crane, O, is hooked to a smaller ring attached to the crown of thc anchor, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, and the anchor, being thus elevated to a horizontal position, is hoveinboard by the stopper VP, which is attached to a capstan, p, for this purpose. When thus hovein, the circular fluke of the anchor completely closes the port. These anchor-ports are on an inclined plane',` being reduced to one-fourth the size of the outer diameter, extending inboard to its terminus. From the peculiar construction of this anchor-port the anchorgoes overboard from its own weight as soon as the ring-stopper is let go. Should the vessel be in action while at anchor, these ports may be .closed in any suitable manner.

rEhe relative posit-ions of the hawse-holes n and ports n are shown-in Fig. 1. .By this `mode of stowing away the anchor the bow is left clear and the anchor preserved from danger of injury in the event of collision. The cranes O may'likcwise be employed as davits for raising the ships boats and depositiu g them in suitable receptacles on deck.

Q Q represents smoke-stacks adapted to slide down to a level with the deck during action.

It represents a propeller, of `which there may be one, as shown in Fig. 5, or two, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The said propeller may be driven by a pair of oscillating engines, S S, so arranged as to avoid deadcenters on the cranks.

T T represent the boilers.

The coal-bunkers will be located in the lower hold and filled through dumpers protected by shot-proof gratings. rIhe side frames, A A', are placed alternately in inclined and vertical positions to afford the requisite strength. All anchors and moorings are worked from within the vessel between decks. '.lhe turret G, containing the guns, is operated through the meof the engines, which are located in the I am aware that it has before been proposed to strengthen ships hulls with longitudinal trussframes of diiierent construction from mine, and likewise that various forms of more or less concave bottoms. have before been devised, located at a greater or less distance from the center of the hull; but I am not aware that a vessel of any form or for any purpose has before been constructed with a vertical truss-frame extending longitudinally through the center of the hull.

The-principal advantage' of thus locating the said longitudinal truss-frame in the center of the hullis that it affords greater strength than when otherwise located. It 'will also be apparent that in keel-vessels a greater verti.`

1,608V t Y v :i

cal depth is aorded for the frame in the cen- I and sailing vessels for naval and merchant ter than elsewhere, and also that greater l service, ocean and inland. strength may be secured by framing' the truss Having thus described my invention, what or arch directly into the keel or keelson. I claim as new therein, and desire to secure The advantages of' my peculiar combination by Letters Patent, is of truss framing and dcubleconcave bottom 1. Constructing a vessel with one or more are, first, to combine strength, seaworthiness, longitudinal arches or truss-frames, applied and a high rate of speed, the arches being of in vertical position to the center of the hull, great vertical depth and the displacement of for the purposeof strengthening it, substanwater lchieiiy near the surface, while at the tially as set forth. same time the keel extends to a su'cient 2. Thecombinationof the central longitudt" depth 5 second, to protect the screws from nal truss-framing or arch and double-concave injury and admit the power to be applied 1n bottolmconstructed substantially as described. solid water below the main displacement of- 3. The doubly-arched prow or ram D3, con-ll the ship; third, Athe interior of the concave i structed and supported as described. bottom above the keelson alfords a safe and 4. The ventilatingtubes Il .12, closable by convenient location for the magazine well beythe stanchions J J, substantially as described. low the water-line and beyond danger of in- ,l 5. The casing H, constructed with a circular jury. j arch h for sustaining the turret G, substan- The vessel is comely in her model, affords l tially as specified. n ample and well-ventilated apartments for oiil 6. In connection with a vessel ofthe above cers immediately below the upper deck, and; construction, the sliding pilothouses K K, Y in every way adapted to constitute a most elevated and sustained in any way substantif'ormidable ship of war. The movable pilotally as described. houses are the only means of ingress to the 7. The described position and means ot' interior, and when these are lowered, prepara- I working the anchors. tory to action, the ship is impossible to board, Witnesses: AUGUSTUS WALKER. no foothold or place of' entrance being left.. j OCTAVIUS KNIGHT,

The invention is applicable to both steam i (3H/ls. D. SMITH.

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