282 EaLplanatlon of certain Improvements 



wtli a view to counteract these evils inherent in every ship, and 

 bv which the hves of so maiiv brave men have been lost, con- 

 sists in employing oblique timbers. Mr. Seppings, who is the 

 author of this improvement, fills the spaces between the frame 

 timbers nearly to the h.eight of the orlop or lov.er tier of beams, 

 so as to make this part of the fabric solid ; and omitting the in- 

 side plank, he places innnediately over the frame timbers oblique 

 riders, at an angle of about 45 degrees, (instead of placing them 

 at right angles with the keel, as in the common construction,) 

 and so disposed that the direction in the fore is contrary to 

 that in the after part of the shi]), and their distance asunder from 

 six to seven feet or more ; the upper ends abutting against the 

 fchclf-pieces (answering to the clamps of the comuion construc- 

 tion) which support tlic beams of the deck and the lower ends 

 against the limber strakes. He next places two series of timbers 

 longitudiuidly upon the joints of the frame timbers at the floor 

 a:id first futtock heads, their ends dowelled to the sides of the 

 riders. The framing thus formed by the oblique riders and lon- 

 gitudinal pieces represents two tier of compartments from the 

 head of the floor tiuibers to the underside of the orlop deck, 

 each compartment being of the figure of a rhomboid, in which 

 is introduced a diagonal timber with an inclination opposite to 

 that of the riders, thereby dividing it into two parts. Mr. 

 Seppings also substitutes for the internal planking of the sides 

 obiicjue braces placed in ships of war between the ports, the 

 raking direction of these braces being lowest towards midships, 

 and in the space on each side the centre port' are placed two 

 braces crossing each other. These comprise the principal im- 

 provements made by Mr. Seppings. Some others have also 

 been introduced by him, but not necessary to be here noticed. 



Dr. Young has iniblished in the Philosophical Transactions 

 his remarks upon this construction. He allows the use of oblique 

 timbers to be good in jirinciple. His arguments sufliciently 

 prove their general utility, in tending to resist a change of figure 

 ill the ship ; but he seems to donI)t of the complete efficacy of the 

 ob!i(jue riders and framing in the hold, when employed for tlie 

 thick stuff of the ceiling. The filling in, however, appears to 

 him V. lioijy unexceptionable, and the braces between the ports 

 to he decidedly more beneficial than the planks for which they 

 are substituted. 



Excepting Mr. Seppings's improvements, I know of none of 

 any importance th.at have been introduced into naval architectme 

 for ages ; but valuaijle as they arc, there was rooui left for further 

 im')roveinent, and a remedy for hogging still remained a desi- 

 deratum. Having, as I conceive, contrived n)cans for cffectuajly 

 obviating this defect in all ships, and having obtained His Ma- 

 jesty's 



