Robert Seppings

Sir Robert Seppings (* 1767 in Fakenham (Norfolk ), † September 25, 1840 in Taunton ) was a British ship designer.

In 1782 he began training in the Navy Yard, Plymouth. In 1800, when he ascended to the Master Shipwright Assistant, he invented a device that significantly shortened the works carried out in the dry dock repairs to the lower parts of the vessel. Through a multi-part wedge construction in dry dock it was possible to chip away many wedges after setting the repaired ship, so that it was held by the remaining wedge system, the workers thus but had free access to the entire keel and could therefore faster to carry out their repairs. For this invention Seppings received £ 1,000 from the Admiralty and was promoted accordingly. In 1804 he was appointed Master Shipwright of the royal dockyard at Chatham.

Despite the prevailing aversion of Marine Administration before innovations, he managed to push through major improvements in the methods of shipbuilding. In particular, he was able to achieve a greater longitudinal strength of his ships by the installation of a system of diagonal braces. He also modified the design of the stern and the bow, so that they were structurally stronger over older methods of construction and the tail could be better armed.

Seppings 1813 was appointed Surveyor of the Navy. In 1818 he was awarded for his services, the Copley Medal, an award presented by the British Royal Society, highly endowed award for scientists of all disciplines.

In 1819 he was appointed Knight. He perceived the office of Surveyors, until he retired in 1832. He died on 25 September 1840 in Taunton.

Swell

• Shipbuilder
• Carriers of the Copley Medal
• Briton
• Born in 1767
• Died in 1840
• Man