Improvements in Ships' and other Berths.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' and other Berths.
We EDWARD LAWSON of Charlotte Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Bedstead Manufacturer and HENRY LEA of 38 Bennett's Hill, Birmingham aforesaid,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists in so arranging the parts of a turn up berth that while
each end of the berth frame is supported and turns upon one gudgeon only, the
berth frame performs all the movements necessary to cause its inner side to descend
and the berth frame itself to approach the bulkhead or back of the cabin as much as
may be, while leaving sufficient space for the bedding.
We will describe the mechanism of one end only of the berth, that of the other end
being a counterpart. We employ a bracket bolted to the bulkhead and projecting
therefrom. At the upper and outer end of the bracket we make a hole in which the
gudgeon of the berth frame turns. From the said hole we form a slot sloping
upwards towards the rear of the bracket. Upon the inside face of the bracket and
below the slot we form a stop projecting towards the end bar of the berth frame.
When the berth frame is being turned up by raising the front of it by hand it turns
upon the gudgeon, which rests in the lower end of the inclined slot, until the inner
portion of the end bar of the berth frame in its descent comes into contact with the
stop upon the bracket, which takes place when the front bar of the herth frame has
performed about two-thirds of its upward motion. During this period the back of
the berth has been descending. After coming against the stop the further turning up
movement of the berth frame causes the gudgeon to traverse the inclined slot in an.
inward and slightly-upward direction until the berth-frame-when-vertical, or nearly
vertical, has reached a position which is just about sufficient to leave the required
space for the bedding between it and the bulkhead.
The berth frame may then be locked by a hook or a catch in our ordinary and well
known manner.
When it is desired to turn down the berth frame the hook or catch is first released,
and the front bar is then drawn outwards by the hand. During the first portion of
the movement the gudgeon slides down the inclined slot by virtue of its own weight,
thereby withdrawing the berth from the bulkhead sufficiently to allow the back or
inner side to clear the bulkhead during the remainder of its movement, which is a
movement of rotation upon the gudgeon as an axis while the gudgeon rests in the
lower end of the slot. When fully turned down the inner side of the berth frame
"is prevented from tilting by means of a stop formed upon the bracket for that
purpose.
Dat his fll
1 1007
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' and other Berths.
We EDWARD LAWSON of Charlotte Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Bedstead Manufacturer and HENRY LEA of 38 Bennett's Hill Birmingham aforesaid
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
inanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists in so arranging the parts of a turn-up berth that while each

page_text: end of the berth frame is supported and turns upon one gudgeon only, the berth
frame performs all the movements necessary to cause its inner side to descend and the
berth frame itself to approach the bulkhead or back of the cabin as much as may be
desired while leaving sufficient space for the bedding. We will describe the mechanism
of one end only of the berth, that of the other end being a counterpart. We employ
a bracket bolted to the bulkhead and projecting therefrom. At the upper and outer
end of the bracket we make a hole in which the gudgeon of the berth frame turns.
From the said hole we form a slot sloping upwards towards the rear of the bracket.
Upon the inside face of the bracket and below the slot we form a stop projecting
towards the end bar of the berth fraine. When the berth frame is being turned up
by raising the front of it by hand it turns upon the gudgeon which rests in the lower
end of the inclined slot, until the inner portion of the end bar of the berth frame in
its descent comes into contact with the stop upon the bracket, which takes place when
the front bar of the berth frame has performed about two-thirds of its upward motion.
During this period the back of the berth has been descending. After coming against
the stop the further turning up movement of the berth frame causes the gudgeon to
traverse the inclined slot in an inward and slightly upward direction until the berth
frame when vertical or nearly vertical has reached a position which is just about
sufficient to leave the required space for the bedding between it and the bulkhead.
The berth frame may then be locked by a hook or a catch in any ordinary and well-
known manner.
When it is desired to turn down the berth-frame the hook or catch is first released
and the front bar is then drawn outwards by the hand. During the first portion of
the movement the gudgeon slides down the inclined slot by virtue of its own weight
thereby withdrawing the berth from the bulkhead sufficiently to allow the back or
inner side to clear the bulkhead during the remainder of its movement which is a
movement of rotation upon the gudgeon as an axis while the gudgeon rests in the
lower end of the slot. When fully turned down the inner side of the berth frame
is prevented from tilting by means of a stop formed upon the bracket for that.
purpose.
The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate our invention. Figure 1 is a
transverse sectional elevation of part of a berth frame in its normal or turned down
position and of the bracket upon which it turns. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional
elevation of the same. Figure 3 is the same as Figure 1 but showing the berth frame
turned up. Figure 4 is a plan of a bracket and of part of the berth frame. The
same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
Only one bracket and one end of the berth frame are shown. The arrangements
at the other end are similar.
A is a bracket bolted to the bulkhead B and projecting therefrom. C is the berth
frame supported by and turning upon a gudgeon C. In the bracket A is a hole A¹
(Figure 3) in which the gudgeon turns. Sloping upwards and rearwards from the
hole A as shown is a slot A2 having an opening A³ near its upper end.
D is a stop
projecting from the inner face of the bracket as shown in Figures 2 and 4.
When the berth frame is turned down for use it is preserved in a horizontal
position by the corner C² resting against the underside of the part A' of the
bracket A.
When the berth frame is to be turned up out of use the front or outer side (not
shown) is raised by hand. The berth frame then turns upon the gudgeon C¹ until it
comes into contact with the stop Das shown by the dotted lines in Figure 3. During
this period the back of the berth frame has been descending. During the remainder
of the movement of turning up the gudgeon Ctraverses the inclined slot A² until
when it arrives at the top of the slot as shown in full lines in Figure 3 the berth
frame has attained a vertical or nearly vertical position, in which position it may
be held by an ordinary hook or by a drop catch constructed in any suitable manner
as is well understood.
It will be seen that the berth shown is one in which the rear side drops during the
action of turning up. By our invention although the horizontal distance E Figure 1

page_text: from the bulkhead to the centre of the gudgeon is by scale nine and one-fourth inches
which ensures a suitable drop, yet when the berth frame is turned up the horizontal
distance F Figure 3, which is the space allowed for the bedding, is only six inches
by the scale, which is the proper distance for the purpose. We do not, however,
restrict ourselves to the exact proportions shown in the drawings as the same may be
varied without departing from the nature of our invention.
G is one of several lugs or arms attached to the rear side of the berth frame for
supporting the bedding when the berth frame is turned up as in Figure 3.
The object of the opening A3 at the top of the inclined slot A2 is to allow of the
berth frame being unshipped by simply lifting it out so that the gudgeon C³ escapes
through the opening A³.
When the cabin is only a very little longer than the berth we omit the back A³ of
the bracket A and also the portion A below the dotted line in Figure 1 and we bolt
the remaining portion of the bracket to the end bulkhead of the cabin instead of to the
hack thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim in respect of ships' and other berths is —
1. A turn-up berth frame having only one gudgeon at each end in combination
with a supporting bracket so constructed that while the frame is being turned up the
gudgeon automatically approaches the bulkhead or back of the berth and while the
frame is being turned down the gudgeon automatically recedes from the bulkhead or
back of the berth, the inner side of the frame having a descending movement
during the turning up process substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
2. The combination of the gudgeon C, the inclined slot A', and the stop D,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
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