Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing Boats from Capsizing.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing Boats from Capsizing.
I, CARL ALEXANDER JACOB BIEN, of 14, Michaelkirchplatz, Berlin, in the
German Empire, Carpet Merchant and Decorator, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for preventing boats from capsizing.
According to my invention instead of causing the counterpoise to act upon the
surface of the water surrounding the boat, as has heretofore generally been the
practice, I cause the counterpoise, in the form of a pendulum, to sink below
the surface of the water and when the danger is over, raise it again into its previons
position along the keel of the boat, the pendulum for this purpose swinging กท ค
hinge secured to the bottom of the boat, and by its weight, as well as by the
resistance which its lateral surfaces offer to the water, serving to prevent the boat
from capsizing.
To set the pendulum at any desired angle, or to turn it up beneath the body of
the boat, I provide a toothed sector jointed to the rod of the pendulum.
The toothed sector, the teeth of which are upon its upper side, passes through a
slot in the flooring of the boat into an arcuate closed casing which is attached to
the floor of the boat. This casing carries at its upper part a pinion which can be
set in rotation by a crank and can be secured in position by a check-wheel and check-
cone, whilst the teeth of the pinion engage with the teeth of the toothed sector, and
give rise to the upward and downward movement of the latter. The hinge is
protected by a casing attached to the keel of the boat, which also acts as a stop for
the rod of the pendulum when the latter is let down.
Dated the 30th day of October 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co..
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing Boats from Capsizing.
1, CARL ALEXANDER JACOB BIEN, of 14, Michaelkirchplatz, Berlin, in the
German Empire, Carpet Merchant and Decorator, 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:-
My invention relates to apparatus for preventing boats from capsizing.
Such apparatus has consisted hitherto of lee boards or centre boards which in
stormy weather are let down from the keel of the boat and are designed to prevent
the latter from capsizing by their weight and the resistance offered by their
surface. Apparatus of this kind, however, does not provide against the shock of
the waves on the flat surface of the boards, which shock tends to force the boat
downwards.

page_text: Now according to my invention I provide a pendulum arranged underneath the
boat in the centre of the same and having a broad bob or weight which hangs to a
considerable depth below the surface of the water and is therefore practically not
acted upon by wind and waves.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :—
Figure is a longitudinal section of a boat provided with my improved
apparatus:
Figure 2 is a plan; and,
Figure 3 a section of the same.
In the middle of the boat A. I arrange the pendulum B underneath the keel and
hanging freely in the water, the rod b of the said pendulum being pivoted at its
upper end to a hinge c attached to a stay or support o encircling the boat. To
enable the pendulum to be placed lengthwise along the keel when not in use
I provide a sector D hinged at e to the pendulum rod b. This sector D is toothed
on its upper side and passes through a slot or opening in the bottom of the boat
into a correspondingly curved closed casing or sheath E which is fixed to the
bottom of the boat, the joint between the sheath and the boat being made water-
tight. The sheath E is provided at its upper end with a pinion gearing with the
toothed sector D and adapted to be rotated by a handle and to be locked in position
by a ratchet wheel h and a pawl i.
The hinge is protected by a cap S attached to the keel of the boat, the
said cap serving also as a stop for the pendulum rod b when the latter is let
down.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
In smooth weather the pendulum is raised to the position shewn in dotted lines in
Figure 1, the rod 6 lying along the keel and the upper half of the bob or weight of
the pendulum lying in a recess in the keel.
When the boat inclines to one side or the other from any cause whatever and
there is danger of capsizing, the pawli is released from the ratchet wheel thereby
setting free the pendulum which at once drops and assumes the vertical position
shewn in the drawing. The rod offers no resistance to the waves, which glide
under the keel whilst the broad weight B, which hangs in comparatively smooth
water, prevents the boat from still further inclining to one side or capsizing. As
soon as the danger is over the pendulum is again raised into its normal position
along the keel by means of the handle g.
If the pendulum should come into contact with the ground when let down it
would not interfere with the passage of the boat because the rod would give at the
joint and the weight B would slide along the ground until deeper water was reached
or until the pendulum was raised.
It is evident that the weight of the pendulum, the lateral surface of the bob or
weight B and the length of the rod 6 can be made to suit the boat to which the
apparatus is to be applied.
It is obvious that my improved apparatus, which is practically sure and instan-
taneous in its action will partly or wholly prevent the capsizing of the boat to which
it is attached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what [
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for preventing boats from capsizing having a pendulum
normally arranged lengthwise under the keel and provided with a rod of small
diameter so as to offer no resistance to the movement of the boat and with a broad
bob or weight, the said pendulum swinging in a hinge attached to the bottom of the
boat and preventing the latter from capsizing both by its weight and by the
resistance to the water offered by the lateral surfaces of the bob or weight
substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The combination with a boat of the apparatus hereinbefore described for
preventing boats from capsizing substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of July 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.