33:
88:
thin ends together, while the third was a vertical wedge fitting in and supported by the lower pair. The result was that it became possible in a comparatively short time to remove these supporting structures by knocking out the side wedges, when the workmen gained free access to the whole of the keel, the vessel remaining suspended by the shores. Soon, his creation became commonly known as "Seppings Blocks." For this invention
Seppings received £1000 from the Admiralty, and in 1804 was promoted to be a master shipwright at
96:
353:
109:. Quoted as saying "partial strength produces general weakness", Seppings significantly improved the strength and seaworthiness of the Navy's fleet. He improved the design of the bow and the stern, but his greatest influence on ship design was in the introduction of 'diagonal bracing' into the construction of the hull. He first experimented with the idea in 1800 when he retrofitted the frigate
99:
Plan of a ship (HMS Daedalus of 1826) incorporating the
Seppings designed 'round stern', this strengthened the structure of the stern, made it more resistant to enemy fire and allowed more guns to fire directly aft and to the stern quarters. It was, however, unpopular on aesthetic grounds, being soon
149:
Seppings was also instrumental, along with other innovators, in the introduction of iron elements into ship construction, reducing the need for 'grown timbers', which were in increasingly short supply (grown timbers were structural elements, such as 'knees', that needed timber grown to shape in the
134:
of the hull, improving a ship's sea worthiness and, more importantly, allowing longer hulls to be built without the drawback of excessive hogging (drooping of the hull at the bow and stern, where buoyancy is at its lowest). This meant that the rigging had better anchor points to take the force of
87:
when compared with the laborious process of lifting then in vogue. His plan was to make the keel of the ship rest upon a series of supports placed on the floor of the dock and each consisting of three parts - two being wedges arranged one on each side of the keel at right angles to it, with their
104:
At
Chatham, in spite of the repugnance to innovation displayed by the naval authorities of that period, he was able to introduce important innovations in the methods of ship-construction. Seppings innovations were probably influenced by the work of William May, shipbuilder for the Dutch Navy in
153:
These stronger designs offered better protection than the old forms to the crews against the enemy's fire, permitted a powerful armament to be fitted, and better allowed the ships to be kept on-station during bad weather, since the vessel would be more able to resist the stresses consequently
339:
It is with sincere regret we have to announce the death of Sir Robert
Seppings, F.R.S., M.R.I., &c., for so many years Surveyor of the British Navy. He died in this town, on Saturday, the 25th instant, aged 72
426:
368:
154:
reducing wear on the hull and subsequent leaks and salt water damage (especially insidious and dangerous to a ship where wood and iron were in contact).
419:
373:
871:
520:
412:
846:
841:
83:
assistant in the yard, he invented a device which greatly reduced the time required to repair the lower portions of ships in
861:
162:
17:
716:
728:
866:
396:
246:
Lemmers, Alan (2013) "Shipworm, Hogbacks and Duck's Arses: The influence of
William May on Sir Robert Seppings,"
856:
321:
55:
naval architect. His experiments with diagonal trusses in the construction of ships led to his appointment as
851:
664:
616:
390:
139:
forces along the hull in rough seas opening and closing the joints between hull planking. This caused the
536:
135:
high cross-winds, while 'working' of the hull was lessened. Working was the term used for the result of
604:
464:
692:
876:
37:
636:
568:
32:
504:
680:
656:
456:
197:
180:
In June 1795 he married
Charlotte Milligen (1770–1834). They had six daughters and four sons.
696:
528:
106:
67:
Seppings was born to Robert
Seppings (1734–1781) and his wife Lydia Milligen (1740–1821), at
836:
831:
808:
704:
488:
158:
56:
8:
752:
672:
644:
110:
800:
75:, on 11 December 1767 and was baptised three days later. In 1782 he was apprenticed in
389:
776:
724:
612:
792:
744:
588:
512:
472:
117:
768:
760:
708:
684:
652:
287:
On The Great
Strength Given To Ships of War by the Application of Diagonal Braces
274:
On The Great
Strength Given To Ships of War by the Application of Diagonal Braces
121:
404:
544:
146:
between the planks to become ineffective, thus leading to problematic leaking.
223:
Norfolk, England, Church of
England Baptism, Marriages, and Burials, 1535-1812
100:
replaced by the 'elliptical stern', which was more conservative in appearance.
825:
784:
632:
580:
576:
448:
364:
359:
89:
76:
48:
95:
496:
480:
435:
289:, From The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Bulmer, pp. 6-8
136:
624:
552:
308:
377:. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 652.
276:, From The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Bulmer, p. 1
80:
736:
596:
131:
84:
68:
358:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
169:
72:
52:
143:
140:
165:
in 1813, and held that office till his retirement in 1832.
51:(11 December 1767 – 25 April 1840) was an
116:
with the trusses. The method was first introduced to a
150:
living tree, in order to give the required strength).
130:
The use of the diagonal trusses greatly increased the
168:Seppings received a knighthood in 1819. He died at
320:
298:Nautical Research Journal, Volume 49 (2004), p. 87
434:
250:, 99:4, 410-428. DOI:10.1080/00253359.2013.844537
235:The Line of Battle: The Sailing Warship 1650-1840
823:
420:
329:. Taunton, Somerset. 29 April 1840. p. 7
263:. (Smith, Elder, & Company), pp.249–250.
400:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
337:– via The British Newspaper Archive.
327:The Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser
427:
413:
120:in 1805 with the refitting of the 74-gun
79:. In 1800, when he had risen to be master
363:
94:
59:in 1813, a position he held until 1835.
31:
14:
824:
307:"The new science of strong materials"
237:, Conway Maritime Press, London, p. 23
408:
27:English naval architect (1767–1840)
24:
313:
25:
888:
382:
397:Dictionary of National Biography
351:
261:Dictionary of National Biography
198:"Sir Robert Seppings, 1767-1840"
872:19th-century English architects
322:"Death of Sir Robert Steppings"
847:Recipients of the Copley Medal
729:Jacques Charles François Sturm
301:
292:
279:
266:
253:
240:
227:
216:
190:
13:
1:
665:Giovanni Antonio Amedeo Plana
183:
157:Seppings was appointed joint
36:Robert Seppings (1767–1840) (
842:Fellows of the Royal Society
62:
7:
862:18th-century English people
233:Lavery, Brian (ed.) (1992)
10:
893:
204:. National Maritime Museum
443:
175:
391:"Seppings, Robert"
867:Architects from Norfolk
693:Antoine César Becquerel
521:Benjamin Collins Brodie
374:Encyclopædia Britannica
259:Stephen, Leslie (1897)
202:Royal Museums Greenwich
457:William Hyde Wollaston
101:
41:
857:Surveyors of the Navy
697:John Frederic Daniell
569:Hans Christian Ørsted
529:William Thomas Brande
285:Seppings, R. (1818)
272:Seppings, R. (1818)
107:John May (shipwright)
105:Amsterdam and son of
98:
35:
852:People from Fakenham
809:Peter Andreas Hansen
705:Carl Friedrich Gauss
681:Jöns Jacob Berzelius
657:Siméon Denis Poisson
489:Thomas Andrew Knight
369:Seppings, Sir Robert
248:The Mariner's Mirror
159:Surveyor of the Navy
57:Surveyor of the Navy
753:Jean-Baptiste Dumas
673:William Snow Harris
645:George Biddell Airy
45:Sir Robert Seppings
18:Sir Robert Seppings
801:Roderick Murchison
172:on 25 April 1840.
102:
42:
819:
818:
777:Urbain Le Verrier
725:Justus von Liebig
436:Copley Medallists
16:(Redirected from
884:
877:Knights Bachelor
812:
804:
796:
793:John Couch Adams
788:
780:
772:
764:
756:
748:
745:James MacCullagh
740:
732:
720:
712:
700:
688:
676:
668:
660:
648:
640:
628:
620:
608:
600:
592:
589:William Buckland
584:
572:
564:
556:
548:
540:
532:
524:
516:
513:Edward Troughton
508:
500:
492:
484:
476:
473:Smithson Tennant
468:
465:Richard Chenevix
460:
452:
429:
422:
415:
406:
405:
401:
393:
378:
357:
355:
354:
343:
342:
336:
334:
324:
317:
311:
305:
299:
296:
290:
283:
277:
270:
264:
257:
251:
244:
238:
231:
225:
220:
214:
213:
211:
209:
194:
118:ship of the line
21:
892:
891:
887:
886:
885:
883:
882:
881:
822:
821:
820:
815:
807:
799:
791:
783:
775:
769:Theodor Schwann
767:
761:Carlo Matteucci
759:
751:
743:
735:
723:
715:
709:Michael Faraday
703:
691:
685:Francis Kiernan
679:
671:
663:
653:Michael Faraday
651:
643:
631:
623:
611:
603:
595:
587:
575:
567:
561:Robert Seppings
559:
551:
543:
535:
527:
519:
511:
503:
495:
487:
479:
471:
463:
455:
447:
439:
433:
388:
385:
367:, ed. (1911). "
352:
350:
347:
346:
332:
330:
319:
318:
314:
306:
302:
297:
293:
284:
280:
271:
267:
258:
254:
245:
241:
232:
228:
221:
217:
207:
205:
196:
195:
191:
186:
178:
65:
38:William Bradley
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
890:
880:
879:
874:
869:
864:
859:
854:
849:
844:
839:
834:
817:
816:
814:
813:
805:
797:
789:
781:
773:
765:
757:
749:
741:
733:
721:
713:
701:
689:
677:
669:
661:
649:
641:
629:
621:
613:François Arago
609:
601:
593:
585:
573:
565:
557:
549:
545:David Brewster
541:
533:
525:
517:
509:
501:
493:
485:
477:
469:
461:
453:
444:
441:
440:
432:
431:
424:
417:
409:
403:
402:
384:
383:External links
381:
380:
379:
365:Chisholm, Hugh
345:
344:
312:
300:
291:
278:
265:
252:
239:
226:
215:
188:
187:
185:
182:
177:
174:
64:
61:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
889:
878:
875:
873:
870:
868:
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
835:
833:
830:
829:
827:
810:
806:
802:
798:
794:
790:
786:
785:John Herschel
782:
778:
774:
770:
766:
762:
758:
754:
750:
746:
742:
738:
734:
730:
726:
722:
718:
714:
710:
706:
702:
698:
694:
690:
686:
682:
678:
674:
670:
666:
662:
658:
654:
650:
646:
642:
638:
634:
633:William Prout
630:
626:
622:
618:
614:
610:
606:
605:John Brinkley
602:
598:
594:
590:
586:
582:
581:John Herschel
578:
577:Edward Sabine
574:
570:
566:
562:
558:
554:
550:
546:
542:
538:
534:
530:
526:
522:
518:
514:
510:
506:
505:William Henry
502:
498:
494:
490:
486:
482:
478:
474:
470:
466:
462:
458:
454:
450:
449:Astley Cooper
446:
445:
442:
437:
430:
425:
423:
418:
416:
411:
410:
407:
399:
398:
392:
387:
386:
376:
375:
370:
366:
361:
360:public domain
349:
348:
341:
328:
323:
316:
310:
304:
295:
288:
282:
275:
269:
262:
256:
249:
243:
236:
230:
224:
219:
203:
199:
193:
189:
181:
173:
171:
166:
164:
163:Joseph Tucker
160:
155:
151:
147:
145:
142:
138:
133:
128:
126:
125:
119:
115:
114:
108:
97:
93:
91:
86:
82:
78:
77:Plymouth Dock
74:
70:
60:
58:
54:
50:
46:
39:
34:
30:
19:
717:Robert Brown
637:Henry Foster
617:Peter Barlow
560:
497:Everard Home
481:Humphry Davy
395:
372:
338:
333:11 September
331:. Retrieved
326:
315:
303:
294:
286:
281:
273:
268:
260:
255:
247:
242:
234:
229:
222:
218:
206:. Retrieved
201:
192:
179:
167:
156:
152:
148:
129:
123:
112:
103:
66:
44:
43:
29:
837:1840 deaths
832:1767 births
625:James South
553:Henry Kater
537:James Ivory
438:(1801–1850)
309:J.E. Gordon
826:Categories
184:References
161:alongside
81:shipwright
737:Georg Ohm
597:John Pond
132:stiffness
122:HMS
111:HMS
63:Biography
144:caulking
113:Glenmore
85:dry dock
69:Fakenham
362::
170:Taunton
90:Chatham
73:Norfolk
53:English
811:(1850)
803:(1849)
795:(1848)
787:(1847)
779:(1846)
771:(1845)
763:(1844)
755:(1843)
747:(1842)
739:(1841)
731:(1840)
719:(1839)
711:(1838)
699:(1837)
687:(1836)
675:(1835)
667:(1834)
659:(1832)
647:(1831)
639:(1827)
627:(1826)
619:(1825)
607:(1824)
599:(1823)
591:(1822)
583:(1821)
571:(1820)
563:(1818)
555:(1817)
547:(1815)
539:(1814)
531:(1813)
523:(1811)
515:(1809)
507:(1808)
499:(1807)
491:(1806)
483:(1805)
475:(1804)
467:(1803)
459:(1802)
451:(1801)
356:
340:years.
176:Family
208:8 May
141:oakum
137:shear
335:2014
210:2020
124:Kent
371:".
49:FRS
828::
727:/
707:/
695:/
683:/
655:/
635:/
615:/
579:/
394:.
325:.
200:.
127:.
92:.
71:,
47:,
428:e
421:t
414:v
212:.
40:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
,_by_William_Bradley.jpg)
_RMG_J3697.jpg)