22:
77:
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
85:
342:
98:. 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
88:
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
138:
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
123:
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
76:
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
93:
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
142:
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
328:
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
415:
357:
143:
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).
408:
362:
860:
509:
401:
835:
830:
72:
assistant in the yard, he invented a device which greatly reduced the time required to repair the lower portions of ships in
850:
151:
705:
717:
855:
385:
235:
Lemmers, Alan (2013) "Shipworm, Hogbacks and Duck's Arses: The influence of
William May on Sir Robert Seppings,"
845:
310:
44:
naval architect. His experiments with diagonal trusses in the construction of ships led to his appointment as
840:
653:
605:
379:
128:
forces along the hull in rough seas opening and closing the joints between hull planking. This caused the
525:
124:
high cross-winds, while 'working' of the hull was lessened. Working was the term used for the result of
593:
453:
681:
865:
26:
625:
557:
21:
493:
669:
645:
445:
186:
169:
In June 1795 he married
Charlotte Milligen (1770–1834). They had six daughters and four sons.
685:
517:
95:
56:
Seppings was born to Robert
Seppings (1734–1781) and his wife Lydia Milligen (1740–1821), at
825:
820:
797:
693:
477:
147:
45:
8:
741:
661:
633:
99:
789:
64:, on 11 December 1767 and was baptised three days later. In 1782 he was apprenticed in
378:
765:
713:
601:
781:
733:
577:
501:
461:
106:
757:
749:
697:
673:
641:
276:
On The Great
Strength Given To Ships of War by the Application of Diagonal Braces
263:
On The Great
Strength Given To Ships of War by the Application of Diagonal Braces
110:
393:
533:
135:
between the planks to become ineffective, thus leading to problematic leaking.
212:
Norfolk, England, Church of
England Baptism, Marriages, and Burials, 1535-1812
89:
replaced by the 'elliptical stern', which was more conservative in appearance.
814:
773:
621:
569:
565:
437:
353:
348:
78:
65:
37:
84:
485:
469:
424:
278:, From The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Bulmer, pp. 6-8
125:
613:
541:
297:
366:. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 652.
265:, From The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Bulmer, p. 1
69:
725:
585:
120:
73:
57:
347:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
158:
61:
41:
132:
129:
154:
in 1813, and held that office till his retirement in 1832.
40:(11 December 1767 – 25 April 1840) was an
105:
with the trusses. The method was first introduced to a
139:
living tree, in order to give the required strength).
119:
The use of the diagonal trusses greatly increased the
157:Seppings received a knighthood in 1819. He died at
309:
287:Nautical Research Journal, Volume 49 (2004), p. 87
423:
239:, 99:4, 410-428. DOI:10.1080/00253359.2013.844537
224:The Line of Battle: The Sailing Warship 1650-1840
812:
409:
318:. Taunton, Somerset. 29 April 1840. p. 7
252:. (Smith, Elder, & Company), pp.249–250.
389:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
326:– via The British Newspaper Archive.
316:The Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser
416:
402:
109:in 1805 with the refitting of the 74-gun
68:. In 1800, when he had risen to be master
352:
83:
48:in 1813, a position he held until 1835.
20:
813:
296:"The new science of strong materials"
226:, Conway Maritime Press, London, p. 23
397:
16:English naval architect (1767–1840)
13:
302:
14:
877:
371:
386:Dictionary of National Biography
340:
250:Dictionary of National Biography
187:"Sir Robert Seppings, 1767-1840"
861:19th-century English architects
311:"Death of Sir Robert Steppings"
836:Recipients of the Copley Medal
718:Jacques Charles François Sturm
290:
281:
268:
255:
242:
229:
216:
205:
179:
1:
654:Giovanni Antonio Amedeo Plana
172:
146:Seppings was appointed joint
25:Robert Seppings (1767–1840) (
831:Fellows of the Royal Society
51:
7:
851:18th-century English people
222:Lavery, Brian (ed.) (1992)
10:
882:
193:. National Maritime Museum
432:
164:
380:"Seppings, Robert"
856:Architects from Norfolk
682:Antoine César Becquerel
510:Benjamin Collins Brodie
363:Encyclopædia Britannica
248:Stephen, Leslie (1897)
191:Royal Museums Greenwich
446:William Hyde Wollaston
90:
30:
846:Surveyors of the Navy
686:John Frederic Daniell
558:Hans Christian Ørsted
518:William Thomas Brande
274:Seppings, R. (1818)
261:Seppings, R. (1818)
96:John May (shipwright)
94:Amsterdam and son of
87:
24:
841:People from Fakenham
798:Peter Andreas Hansen
694:Carl Friedrich Gauss
670:Jöns Jacob Berzelius
646:Siméon Denis Poisson
478:Thomas Andrew Knight
358:Seppings, Sir Robert
237:The Mariner's Mirror
148:Surveyor of the Navy
46:Surveyor of the Navy
742:Jean-Baptiste Dumas
662:William Snow Harris
634:George Biddell Airy
34:Sir Robert Seppings
790:Roderick Murchison
161:on 25 April 1840.
91:
31:
808:
807:
766:Urbain Le Verrier
714:Justus von Liebig
425:Copley Medallists
873:
866:Knights Bachelor
801:
793:
785:
782:John Couch Adams
777:
769:
761:
753:
745:
737:
734:James MacCullagh
729:
721:
709:
701:
689:
677:
665:
657:
649:
637:
629:
617:
609:
597:
589:
581:
578:William Buckland
573:
561:
553:
545:
537:
529:
521:
513:
505:
502:Edward Troughton
497:
489:
481:
473:
465:
462:Smithson Tennant
457:
454:Richard Chenevix
449:
441:
418:
411:
404:
395:
394:
390:
382:
367:
346:
344:
343:
332:
331:
325:
323:
313:
306:
300:
294:
288:
285:
279:
272:
266:
259:
253:
246:
240:
233:
227:
220:
214:
209:
203:
202:
200:
198:
183:
107:ship of the line
881:
880:
876:
875:
874:
872:
871:
870:
811:
810:
809:
804:
796:
788:
780:
772:
764:
758:Theodor Schwann
756:
750:Carlo Matteucci
748:
740:
732:
724:
712:
704:
698:Michael Faraday
692:
680:
674:Francis Kiernan
668:
660:
652:
642:Michael Faraday
640:
632:
620:
612:
600:
592:
584:
576:
564:
556:
550:Robert Seppings
548:
540:
532:
524:
516:
508:
500:
492:
484:
476:
468:
460:
452:
444:
436:
428:
422:
377:
374:
356:, ed. (1911). "
341:
339:
336:
335:
321:
319:
308:
307:
303:
295:
291:
286:
282:
273:
269:
260:
256:
247:
243:
234:
230:
221:
217:
210:
206:
196:
194:
185:
184:
180:
175:
167:
54:
27:William Bradley
17:
12:
11:
5:
879:
869:
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
838:
833:
828:
823:
806:
805:
803:
802:
794:
786:
778:
770:
762:
754:
746:
738:
730:
722:
710:
702:
690:
678:
666:
658:
650:
638:
630:
618:
610:
602:François Arago
598:
590:
582:
574:
562:
554:
546:
538:
534:David Brewster
530:
522:
514:
506:
498:
490:
482:
474:
466:
458:
450:
442:
433:
430:
429:
421:
420:
413:
406:
398:
392:
391:
373:
372:External links
370:
369:
368:
354:Chisholm, Hugh
334:
333:
301:
289:
280:
267:
254:
241:
228:
215:
204:
177:
176:
174:
171:
166:
163:
53:
50:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
878:
867:
864:
862:
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
818:
816:
799:
795:
791:
787:
783:
779:
775:
774:John Herschel
771:
767:
763:
759:
755:
751:
747:
743:
739:
735:
731:
727:
723:
719:
715:
711:
707:
703:
699:
695:
691:
687:
683:
679:
675:
671:
667:
663:
659:
655:
651:
647:
643:
639:
635:
631:
627:
623:
622:William Prout
619:
615:
611:
607:
603:
599:
595:
594:John Brinkley
591:
587:
583:
579:
575:
571:
570:John Herschel
567:
566:Edward Sabine
563:
559:
555:
551:
547:
543:
539:
535:
531:
527:
523:
519:
515:
511:
507:
503:
499:
495:
494:William Henry
491:
487:
483:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
443:
439:
438:Astley Cooper
435:
434:
431:
426:
419:
414:
412:
407:
405:
400:
399:
396:
388:
387:
381:
376:
375:
365:
364:
359:
355:
350:
349:public domain
338:
337:
330:
317:
312:
305:
299:
293:
284:
277:
271:
264:
258:
251:
245:
238:
232:
225:
219:
213:
208:
192:
188:
182:
178:
170:
162:
160:
155:
153:
152:Joseph Tucker
149:
144:
140:
136:
134:
131:
127:
122:
117:
115:
114:
108:
104:
103:
97:
86:
82:
80:
75:
71:
67:
66:Plymouth Dock
63:
59:
49:
47:
43:
39:
35:
28:
23:
19:
706:Robert Brown
626:Henry Foster
606:Peter Barlow
549:
486:Everard Home
470:Humphry Davy
384:
361:
327:
322:11 September
320:. Retrieved
315:
304:
292:
283:
275:
270:
262:
257:
249:
244:
236:
231:
223:
218:
211:
207:
195:. Retrieved
190:
181:
168:
156:
145:
141:
137:
118:
112:
101:
92:
55:
33:
32:
18:
826:1840 deaths
821:1767 births
614:James South
542:Henry Kater
526:James Ivory
427:(1801–1850)
298:J.E. Gordon
815:Categories
173:References
150:alongside
70:shipwright
726:Georg Ohm
586:John Pond
121:stiffness
111:HMS
100:HMS
52:Biography
133:caulking
102:Glenmore
74:dry dock
58:Fakenham
351::
159:Taunton
79:Chatham
62:Norfolk
42:English
800:(1850)
792:(1849)
784:(1848)
776:(1847)
768:(1846)
760:(1845)
752:(1844)
744:(1843)
736:(1842)
728:(1841)
720:(1840)
708:(1839)
700:(1838)
688:(1837)
676:(1836)
664:(1835)
656:(1834)
648:(1832)
636:(1831)
628:(1827)
616:(1826)
608:(1825)
596:(1824)
588:(1823)
580:(1822)
572:(1821)
560:(1820)
552:(1818)
544:(1817)
536:(1815)
528:(1814)
520:(1813)
512:(1811)
504:(1809)
496:(1808)
488:(1807)
480:(1806)
472:(1805)
464:(1804)
456:(1803)
448:(1802)
440:(1801)
345:
329:years.
165:Family
197:8 May
130:oakum
126:shear
324:2014
199:2020
113:Kent
360:".
38:FRS
817::
716:/
696:/
684:/
672:/
644:/
624:/
604:/
568:/
383:.
314:.
189:.
116:.
81:.
60:,
36:,
417:e
410:t
403:v
201:.
29:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
,_by_William_Bradley.jpg)
_RMG_J3697.jpg)