Improvements in and connected with Life Boats.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Life Boats.
I, ROBERT CHAMBERS, of 9 Church Street, Dumbarton, in the County of
Dumbarton, Scotland, Ships Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this.
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to life boats, such as are used for saving life during storms
on the sea, and is more especially suitable for use in boats which are kept ou land,
and which have to be transported to the shore and launched before using. It
consists in the first place in attaching road wheels to a life boat in such manner
that it can be transported over a road or beach without the use of a carriage as
commonly used; secondly in the use of a sliding keel, and false or under bottom
attached thereto; and thirdly in the general disposition and arrangement of
parts.
In two or more suitably disposed openings in the bottom of the boat, I insert
trunks or pockets, open at the bottom, and closed at the sides and top; and inside
each of these I arrange a road wheel which by means of a screw or other device
can be withdrawn into the trunk, or caused to project from it in such manner
that the wheels support the weight of the boat, and enable it to be moved
without the use of a carriage. Springs may be inserted between the wheels and
the boat.
Through the main keel slides vertically the sliding keel, to the under edge of
which is attached a horizontal plate, preferably of metal which forms the false or
lower bottom and projects fore and aft some distance from the ends of the sliding
keel. The sliding keel and lower bottom can if required be raised and lowered by
means of winches, and these may be connected in such manner that they act
together and raise or lower each end equally.
In general, I make a life boat which is much shallower than those commonly
used, thus presenting less resistance to the wind, the sliding keel when lowered
securing a good grip of the water, and rendering it almost impossible to capsize
the boat.
Two sister keelsons form part of the frame or structure of the boat, in such
manner as to enable the weight of the boat to come properly upon the road wheels.
Airtight compartments are arranged at the bow, stern, and amidships, and a
sufficient number of sluice valves to secure the rapid discharge of any water which
may be shipped. Three small sails are in general set upon two masts without
beams or yards so as to be easily handled.
בד
33
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1002
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Life Boats.
1, ROBERT CHAMBERS of 9 Church Street, Dumbarton, in the County of
Dumbarton, Scotland, Ships Carpenter, 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 :-
This invention relates to life boats, such as are used for saving life during storms
on the sea and is more especially suitable for use in boats which are kept on land,
and which have to be transported to the shore and launched before using. It
consists, in the first place, in attaching road wheels to a life boat in such manner
that it can be transported over a road or beach without the use of a carriage as
commonly used; secondly, in the use of a sliding keel, and false or under bottom
attached thereto; and thirdly in the general disposition and arrangement of
parts.
In two or more suitably disposed openings in the bottom of the boat, I insert
trunks or pockets, open at the bottom, and closed at the sides and top; and inside
each of these I arrange a road wheel which by means of a screw or other device
can be withdrawn into the trunk, or caused to project from it in such manner
that the wheels support the weight of the boat, and enable it to be moved
without the use of a carriage. Springs may be inserted between the wheels and
the boat.
Through the main keel slides vertically the sliding keel, to the under edge of
which is attached a horizontal plate, preferably of metal which forms the false or
lower bottom and projects fore and aft some distance from the ends of the sliding
keel. The sliding keel and lower bottom can if required be raised and lowered by
means of winches or other means, and these may be connected in such manner that
they act together and raise or lower each end equally.
In general I make a lifeboat which is much shallower than those commonly
used, thus presenting less resistance to the wind, the sliding keel, when lowered,
securing a good grip of the water, and rendering it almost impossible to capsize
the boat.
Two sister keelsons form part of the frame or structure of the boat, in such
manner as to enable the weight of the boat to come properly upon the road wheels.
Airtight compartments are arranged at the bow, stern, and amidships; and a
sufficient number of sluice valves to secure the rapid discharge of any water which
may be shipped. Three small sails are in general set upon two masts without
beams or yards, so as to be easily handled.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and ascertained, I append
two sheets of drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a life boat according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of same shewing two of the pockets and
road wheels.
Fig. 3 is an elevation (broken off in its length) of the sliding keel and apparatus
for raising and lowering the same.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the same.
The hull A of the boat may be of any suitable shape and construction having a
bow a and a stern a¹ and to the latter a rudder a² may be attached; or the boat
may be constructed with both ends alike so that either end may sail first. It has
masts B to which small sails b may be attached and set in the manner shewn
without beams or yards. The framing of the hull in general comprises two sister
keelsons so arranged that the weight of the boat and its load is brought properly
upon the road wheels, but whatever system of construction is adopted, the main or
central keel C has a vertical slit through its centre of slightly greater length than

page_text: the sliding keel D; and the two parts c of the keel are continued upwards so as to.
form partitions which prevent the water from entering the interior of the boat.
The sliding keel D is arranged so as to enable it to slide freely up and down in
the slit of the keel C, and between the two sides c of the trough. To the lower
edge of the sliding keel and at right angles to it, is attached an iron plate forming.
a false bottom E which is of greater length than the sliding keel, and of such a
width that when drawn up it can lay close up underneath the hull. The ends d of
the sliding keel D are serrated so as to form teeth which engage with the teeth of
a wheel K as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, and therewith described.
Two or more suitably disposed openings are formed in the bottom of the boat
and these are covered by pockets or trunks G, the upper ends g of which serve to
prevent water passing from the pockets into the interior of the boat.
The upper
end of each of these is screw-threaded; and engaging with the female screw so
formed is a vertically disposed screw H which can be moved by a handle h..
Attached to the lower end of the screw h in such manner as to allow the latter to
turn freely, is a frame i in the lower ends of the forks of which is fixed an axle,
upon or with which the wheel I is free to rotate. By turning the screw H the
wheels I can thus either be drawn up so that they shall be inside the pockets G
when the boat is floating; or they can be lowered until the whole or part of each
wheel projects from the hull of the boat in such manner as to support its weight.
and form a road carriage for it. This position is shewn in Fig. 2 it being
understood that the sliding keel and false bottom is first raised as high as.
possible.
Any other means than the screws shewn may be employed for raising and
lowering the wheels, and the latter may have springs interposed between their
axles and the hull of the boat, or the pockets.
In Figs. 3 and 4 is shewn the mechanism which I preferably employ for raising-
and lowering the sliding keel and false bottom, it being understood that there are
many other descriptions of mechanism which may be employed. The vertical ends
of the sliding keel are formed into teeth d and these engage with the teeth of two-
wheels K, these being fixed upon spindles k which rotate in bearings fixed to.
any convenient parts of the framing of the hull; one at or near each end of the
sliding keel. Fixed rigidly to each of the spindles k is a worm wheel L, and the
teeth of this engage with the threads of a worm l, one of these being fixed upon.
each end of a shaft M which is revoluble in bearings m upon the spindles k. The
shaft M can be rotated by means of crank handles m', and it is obvious that when
the shaft and worm are turned the sliding keel and false bottom will be either
raised or lowered according to the direction of revolution of the shaft M.
Although the wheels K are necessarily placed above the line of the keel and
the worm wheels L, and worms adjacent thereto yet the spindles k may be.
carried to one or other side of the boat and the worm wheel L, worm l, and
shaft M attached thereto.
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 I
claim is :-
1. A life boat having two or more pockets formed in its bottom and wheels
enclosed therein, and attached in such manner that they may either be retracted
within the pockets, or caused to project therefrom in such manner as to form a
road carriage and support the weight of the boat and its load, substantially as.
shewn and described.
2. In a life boat the use of a sliding keel having a false bottom attached at
right angles to it, and which keel and false bottom can be raised or lowered by any
convenient means, substantially as described and shewn.
3. A life boat constructed and arranged substantially in the manner herein.
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a life boat having a vertically sliding keel the mechanism for raising and.

page_text: lowering the same substantially as described and shewn with reference to
Figs: 3 and 4.
Dated this 13th day of February 1896.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.