Appliances to Prevent Boats Capsizing, Applicable also for Life-saving Purposes, or as Ships' Ladders, Pontoon, or Hammocks.
Year: 1886

page_text: Appliances to Prevent Boats Capsizing, Applicable also for
Life-saving Purposes, or as Ships' Ladders, Pontoon, or
Hammocks.
I ELIZABETH SARAH SWAINSON wife of Charles Low Swainson Gentleman
Old Farleigh Whittle-Le-Woods Chorley do hereby declare the nature of my appli-
ances or invention for THE PREVENTION OF BOATS CAPSIZING and the other above
mentioned purposes, to be as follows:—
First the shape, or configuration of the said invention is in the form of flaps, to
hang on each side of a boat. The said flaps having seven loops of rope on each
side of them, and will require only the same number of hooks to be inserted in
any boat for the said flaps to hang on. There are two ropes at each end, those to
be tied together, so as to girth each flap close to the side of the boat or to tie the
said flaps together, and so form one long ponton, from boat to ship, or by reversing
one of the flaps, it will form a ships' ladder and ponton conjointly. The said flaps
are composed of sailcloth made waterproof, with nine longitudinal compartments
for air, and cork packing. There are ten little bags filled with cork, and so riveted
to the said flaps, that they will form steps. The said bags having brass plates
riveted to them for ropes to go through, and they are so knotted that they form
steps whichever end is placed upwards against a ships' side. The said steps will
give buoyancy when used as a ponton, and the ropes pull the steps flat so that
they may lie close to the boat. The flat side of the said flaps having little channels
allow the water to slide easily over, so that they are no impediment when the boat
is being rowed. The seven loops of rope on each side not only allow the flaps to
be easily affixed to any boat, but will enable them to be knotted together, and so
form a double ponton to hang at the leeward side of a boat. The said flaps can
rest edgeways on the side seats of the boats, and so be a protection from the wind,
and will help to keep the water out of the boat.
The tubes forming the balustrades for the steadying, and the support of
passengers from boat to ship, will also act as life buoys. Each flap can be rolled
up, or hang in a ship as a hammock.

page_text: Hammocks.
I ELIZABETH SARAH SWAINSON Wife of Charles Low Swainson Gentleman Old
Farleigh, Whittle Le Woods Chorley do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for THE PREVENTION OF BOATS CAPSIZING, and the other above mentioned purposes
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
First the shape, or configuration of the said invention is in the form of flaps, to
hang on each side of a boat. The said flaps having seven loops of rope on each
side of them, and will require only the same number of hooks to be inserted in any
boat, for the said flaps to hang on.
There are two ropes at each end, these are to be tied together so as to girth each
flap close to the side of the boat, or to tie the said flaps together and so form one
long ponton from boat to ship, or by reversing one of the flaps, it will form a ship's
ladder and ponton conjointly. The said flaps are composed of sailcloth made water-
proof, with nine longitudinal compartments for air and cork packing.
There are ten little bags filled with cork, and so riveted to the flaps that they
will form steps. The said bags having brass plates riveted to them for ropes.to go
through; and the said ropes are so knotted that they form steps whichever end is
placed upwards against a ship's side the said steps will give buoyancy when used
as a pontoon. And the said ropes will pull the steps flat so that they may lie close
to the boat.
The flat side of the said flaps having little channels allow the water to slide
easily over so that they are no impediment when the boat is being rowed.
The seven loops of rope on each side (M) will not only allow the flaps to be
easily affixed to any boat, but will enable them to be knotted together, and so form
a double ponton to hang at the leeward side of a boat, and as something for persons
to grasp when in the water. (A. M. Fig. 3 represents the said flaps and loop of rope,
as when attached to a boat. (A, A Fig. 1) represents tubes filled with cork packing
which when in the water will afford an extended area for the saving of drowning
persons, or as balustrades when the apparatus is used as a ships' ladder, or ponton.
If the flaps are made to rest edgeways on the seats of the boat and tied together
at the ends they will form a protection from wind and water.
Fig. 1. represents one of the flaps, the other (which is necessary to complete the
apparatus) is exactly similar.
Fig. 2 is a section taken longitudinally shewing the bags of cork, A, A laid
transversely across the flaps, C, C are loose ends of rope to be used for girthing &c.
Fig. 3, shews the flaps on each side of a boat to prevent it from capsizing.

page_text: Fig. 4, shews the apparatus as used for a pontoon and ships ladder conjointly,
the tubes A, A then acting as balustrades.
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:-
The improved apparatus, constructed, arranged, and shown in the drawings for
the purposes set forth.
Dated him the HIL
1000