Nov. 4, .1947. D. H.

WELSH, SR 2,430,380
SHIP HULL
Filed NOV. 8, 1943
Patented Nov. 4, 1947 2,4303%

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,430,380
SHIP HULL
I David H. Welsh, Sn, Duluth, Minn.
Application November 8, 1943, Serial No. 509,507
4 Claims. (Cl. 11457)
2
This invention relates particularly to a ships to taper the hull both fore and aft for best results
hull and to that class of ship which may aptly be during high speed navigation of the instant novel
referred to as a relatively high speed, light draft shape of hull.
cargo and/or passenger ship. At this critical point indicated by the line I-! ,
The principal object of the improved shape of, the hull is rectangular in cross-section except that
hull and impeller installation is to lessen as much the main deck I is stepped downwardly adjacent
as possible the skinfriction of the hull when being the two opposite sides of the hull forming the fore
propelled through the water. most tapered end l5 of the trunk [6, the deck
Another object is to so shape the hull that the 2 of which covers the entire trunk, and 3 repre
minimum of labor and skill in shaping and ?tting sents the relatively small poop deck.
the material in the construction of same is re Upon opposite sides of this tapered portion of
quired. . the trunk, the main deck is gradually inclined up
Still another important object is to provide such pardly till merging with the flat portion 4 of same
a hull having a normal tendency to lessen the over the forward approximately one-half of the
draft in the fore part of the ship as the forward 15 forward portion of the hull where both main and
speed thereof increases simultaneously with con trunk decks merge, and it is to be noted that this
?ning and directing the least disturbed water stepping of the main deck not only provides a rel
directly to the impellers of the ship at the stern atively short inclined runway ll upon each side
thereof. of the forward end of the trunk, but has the ad
A further important object is to provide a shape 20 vantage of increasing the headroom therebe
of hull that will have the minimum of tendency low and the strengthening of the entire hull
to displace water laterally therefrom when be structure and also provides the short triangular
ing navigated forwardly therethrough, but rather strip of bulwark l8 for the inclined runways by
to keep it as ?rm and level as possible and within the extension of an integral part of the sides
predetermined de?ned channels under the after 25 of the hull.
portion of the hull when beingso navigated. Forwardly of this trunk construction the hull is
Other objects and advantages will appear in reinforced in a somewhat similar manner by
the further description of the invention. the depending forefoot portion 5 for initial en
Referring now to the accompanying drawings gagement with the water as the ship is navi
forming part of this application and in which like 30 gated therethrough and while this forefoot por
reference characters indicate like parts: tion seems to take on a somewhat skeg-like shape,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the hull of a there is no thwartship line through the outer
ship embodying my invention, having the after surface thereof which is concave in any sense,
portion of the near skeg broken away. thus conserving throughout the advantages of the
Figure 2 is a main deck plan view showing the resistive properties of a convex surface where the
relative position of the trunk deck. wave abuse is greater.
Figure 3 is the outline of an enlarged transverse Then for the double purpose herein after de
sectional view on the line 3-3 Figure l, and scribed, there is provided the plurality of thin,
Figure 4 is a similarly enlarged combined bow ?ne-like spaced skegs 6'l89 and la de
elevation on one side thereof and the other side pending from and forming an integral part of
an outlined transverse section on the line 44 the bottom of the entire after part of the hull
Figure 2. to beneath the poop 3, and below which each
The entire hull is substantially rectangular in is equipped with a rudder blade H controlled in
cross section, though with somewhat varied forms any suitable manner, not shown, from the in_
of flat surfaces or facets with a view of using as 45 terior of the ship.
large a proportion as possible of mill run con~ Within each channel-like conduit thus formed
struction plates and with as little shaping as pos intermediate of each pair of these skegs and just
sible. forwardly of a plane with the rudder pivots is
As is well known for ideal results in boat navi installed a propeller wheel 12 driven in any de
gation, especially in the smaller type of ship con 50 sired manner, also not shown, from the interior of
struction, the major cross-sectional area of the the ship.
vessel is at a point, approximately one-third of It is to be noted that the lower line of these
the length thereof from the bow and which I have skegs is parallel with the trunk deck and that the
learned by actual experiments with a large self bottom I3 of the hull which is perfectly ?at, is in
propelled model to be the ideal point from which 55 clined upwardly from the critical point previously
 2,430,380
3 4
referred to, aft to some little distance forwardly verse area of said hull and forwardly of midship
of the propeller wheels l2 where it inclines up thereof and extending to near the after end, a
wardly more rapidly as at l4 to provide better plurality of ?n-like skegs depending from said
accessability of water to the propellers l2, and to ?at inclined portion and extending from the be
prevent backward suction of the stern of the ship ginning of the flat portion nearly to the after end
which otherwise would occur. of the hull substantially the full length thereof,
It is well known that where a rudder is in thus forming intermediate of each pair of said
stalled rearwardly, through intermediate of two skegs, a long tapered tunnel-like conduit under
propellers instead of directly behind them, the the inclined bottom of said hull, a propeller
vibration causedlby the propeller and'transmitted 10 mounted within the after>terminus of each of said
to the ship is mu'chle'ss, and in this respect the conduits and a V-shapedsub'stantially straight
instant arrangement has proven ideal; further stemmed forward under portion extending aft
more the control of the ship, where con?ned v0l_~ and merging with said flat portion under said
umes of water are thus fed to each propeller is greatest transverse area of said hull.
exceedingly effective at all times and almost 15 3. A ship hull as set forth in claim 2 further
wholly regardless of the Wave condition of water characterized by said bottom being in two dis
being navigated. tinct planes rearwardly from said greatest trans
The strongly skegged fore foot'?rst to engage verse area of said hull, the shorter one being di
any wave condition, does so with the least po's-' rectly under the stern of said hull.
sible retarding of motion to the hull and being 20 4. In a form of ship hull having a plurality of
instantly followed by the widev inclined ?aring propellers beneath the bottom thereof and having
?at bottom upon either-side of the medial line of the upper portions of its sidewalls aft of the
the hull and the sharp angle formed by the junc greatest transverse dimensions thereof ?at
ture of the ?at sides and convex fore foot surfaces throughout, a slightly'c'onvex'forefoot of V-shape
seems to level off and quiet the disturbance of 25 with the sides of the V vslightlyconv'ex'commen
the parting of the water most effectively. This cing at a point approximately one-third of the
occurs simultaneously with- over-balancing the total'length ofthe'hull from the stem thereof
after part of the ship and augmentingits hold in and extending forwardly to said stem and a ?at
the water-where itis so vital for the propellers to upwardly and rearwardly inclined bottom extend
accomplish their bestresul-ts. 30 ing from said point to near theextreme stern
In fact sucha-ship-l-seemsto resemble the ac where it turns mo'reabruptly to said'stern and
tion of alCaterpillar- tractor in not only laying, over said propelling means, said bottom having
but forming its ownrtrack in the water, besides depending therefrom a vplurality ofspac'ed depend
markedly leveling-oiffthe waveeeffect initially ing ?n-like skegs extending its entire length form
at the bow and- materially. preventing rolling of 35 ing elongated tapered channels, one for each of
the ship, by con?ning thelarge volume of water saidpropeller means and each of said skegs ter
beneath the after major portion thereof I and in minating in'a rudder." '
termediate of "the conduit formingskegs.
Having thus described my invention, what I DAVID H; WELSH; SR.
claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 40 REFERENCES CITED
1. In- a ship hull- substantially rectangularly
shaped-in cross section throughout the aftermost The following referen'ces'are of record in the
two-thirds thereof, aplurali'ty of fin-like skegs file of this patent:
depending from thebottom of saidehulland in UNITED STATES PATENTS
creasing in depth towards the stern thereof from 45
a point where they merge-with a?at bottom por Number Name Date
tionoflsaid hullgsaidipointTbeing approximately 2,346,505 Preus's- __________ __ Apr. 11, 1944
at theg-reatest transverse areaof said hull, said 1,514,695 Grenier _________ __ Nov.- 11, 1924
skegs forming intermediateof each pair thereof 1,412,517 Goldson ____ ______ __ Apr. 11, 1922
achannel-like conduit terminating beneath and 1,408,270 Christiansen _____ __ Feb; 28,- 1922
adjacent-the stern of saidhull, a propeller within 352,709 OGrady _________ __ Nov. 16, 1886
andv at the after end of each-conduit, aHV-shaped 116,024 Clenny __________ __ June 20, 1871
forefooton said hullmergingat its after ter 1,070 Jackson _________ __ Jan. 18, 1839
minus with. the flat bottom thereof at a point co FOREIGN PATENTS
incident with the mergingo?the forward termi 55 Number
nus of said skegs and the fiatb'ottom-r ofsa-id hull. Country Date
2. In a ship hull of the character described 13,792 Denmark _-_'_1___'__ June 10, 1909
having a'b'ottom including la ?at portion inclined 448,076- Great Britain ____ __ June 2, 1936
upwardly and rearwardly from the greatest trans