Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 27th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
| hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
I form a light wooden frame of transverse beams to which are attached longitudinal
slats or splines with short spaces between them. To the outer edges of this frame
underneath attach two floats or pontoons which may be constructed of cork or of
wooden boxes built in compartments or otherwise, filled with air tight metal or other
tanks to preserve the buoyancy or the said floats or pontoons may be constructed
entirely of hard rolled copper, galvanized iron, steel or other metal. I make the
form of these floats or pontoons preferably as follows:-The inner edges
are rounded off or scooped out so that when the raft above described is turned bottom
upwards & placed on the deck of the Torpedo boat or other vessel a boat can be
placed in between the two floats, the keel of the boat resting on blocks attached to
the centre of the raft frame and the sides of the boat resting on the inner sides of the
floats as aforesaid.
The size of the raft and floats will consequently depend upon the size of the boat
intended to be carried within it, but for a torpedo vessel the raft would be about 9 feet
long and 5 feet wide & the floats each about 12 inches deep and 10 inches wide-
being flat at the sides rounded at the ends and flat or rounded at the bottom as
desired.
The raft above described may be fitted with seats for rowing attached to metal
stanchions about 14 inches high. The lower ends of these stanchions fitting into a
metal socket in the upper sides of the raft and the upper ends of the stanchions being
fitted with rowlocks, the seats aforesaid are supported by round metal bars extending
at right angles from the stanchions aforesaid about 3 inches from the top and working
in eye plates or staples under the seats so as to enable the stanchions when not in use
to he folded under the seats for convenience of stowage the seats and stanchions
can then be easily removed and lashed to the raft till required. The seats aforesaid
can also be supported by brackets if necessary, the raft can be fitted if desired with
the rings for lashing and securing it to the deck with socket to carry the boat's mast,
and with life lines.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improved Life Saving Rafts for Torpedo Boats and other Vessels.
I EDWARD STEPHENS COPEMAN of No. 4 Victoria Street Westminster, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement -
I form a strong light wooden frame with transverse beams to which are attached
longitudinal slats or splines with short spaces between them. To the outer sides of
this frame underneath I attach two floats or pontoons which may be constructed of cork
or other buoyant material or materials or of wooden boxes built in compartments or
otherwise filled or fitted with air tight, metal or other tanks to preserve the buoyancy.
Or the said floats or pontoons may be constructed in air tight chambers formed of
hard rolled copper, galvanized iron, steel or other metal of any shape size or
dimension.
I make the form of these floats preferably as follows:-
The inner edges are rounded off or scooped out so that when the raft above described
is turned bottom upwards and placed on the deck of the Torpedo boat or other vessel
a ship's boat can be placed in between the two floats the keel of the boat resting on
blocks attached to the centre of bottom of the raft frame and the sides of the boat
resting on the inner sides of the floats as aforesaid.
The size of the Raft and floats above described will vary and depend upon the size
of the ship's boat, intended to be carried within it, but for a torpedo vessel the plat
form or deck of the raft would be about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide and the floats
each about 12 inches deep and 10 inches wide being fat at the sides rounded at the
ends and flat or rounded at the bottom as desired.
The platform or deck of the raft above described may be fitted with seats for rowing
attached if desired to metal stanchions about 14 inches high. The lower ends of
these stanchions fitting into metal sockets at intervals along the outer edges of the
deck of the raft. The upper ends of the stanchion may be fitted with rowlocks. The
seats aforesaid may be supported by round metal bars extending at right angles from
the Stanchions aforesaid about 3 inches from the top and working on staples or eye
plates under the seats, so as to enable the stanchions when not in use to he folded
under the seats for convenience of stowage.
Or the seats may be merely wooden forms or boxes which can be lashed or secured
to the deck of the raft. And the metal stanchions above described will then only be
required to form the sockets and supports for the crutches and to carry ridge ropes
rails or other suitable devices to form the protection along the outer edges and across
the ends of the raft.
The raft can be fitted with rings for lashing and securing it to the deck also with
a step for a mast and with life lines.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a top view of the raft. Fig. 2 is a sido
view when the raft is placed bottom upwards on the deck with a ship's boat stowed in

page_text: it. Fig. 3 is an end view of the raft in the same position with a boat in it and Fig. 4
is a view of the raft bottom upwards ready to receive a boat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. Constructing rafts substantially as described so that they can when placed bottom
upwards on the deck or other suitable place on board ship form the chocks or supports
for a ship's boat to rest and be stowed in.
2. Fitting a raft substantially as described with chocks and supports on the under
side to receive the keel and sides of a ship's boat when placed on deck as aforesaid.
And with detachable stanchions rails, ridge ropes rowlocks step for mast and seats or
any of these fittings so that the platform or deck of such a raft can if required lie flat
on deck when turned bottom upwards and when launched in the water with the floats
downwards can be navigated and used for carrying persons on board.
Dail: 101 1
C
D
EDWD. S. COPEMAN.