IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND FITTING THE SEATS OF SHIPS AND OTHER SEATS TO RENDER THEM AVAILABLE AS LIFE BUOYS OR RAFTS IN CASE OF NEED PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Stephens Copeman of 4 Victoria Street in the
City of Westminster Gentleman for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTING AND FITTING THE SEATS OF SHIPS AND OTHER SEATS TO RENDER
THEM AVAILABLE AS LIFE BUOYS OR RAFTS IN CASE OF NEED
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Stephens Copeman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th August 1883.
EDWARD STEPHENS COPEMAN of 4. Victoria Street in the City of Westminster.
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND FITTING THE SEATS OF SHIPS
AND OTHER SEATS TO RENDER THEM AVAILABLE AS LIFE BUOYS OR RAFTS IN
CASE OF NEED
"
.The object of my invention is to construct and fit the deck and other seats of
ships in such manner that they may form life buoys or rafts which can be readily
detached from the bulwarks or other parts of the ship and by opening them out
in a manner herein after described or otherwise form life buoys or rafts in case of
emergency.
For this purpose I utilize the spline seats at present fitted to passenger steamers
and generally attached by hinges to the bulwarks of the vessel, or I construct
similar seats according to the following plan.
To the grating or seat I attach underneath a body or roll of cork extending the
whole length and width of such seat or nearly so the form being rectangular and
I prefer that the lower edges or one of them of this body or roll of cork should be
cut or rounded off. I also form another grating of similar shape and proportions
or nearly so which is also fitted with a roll or body of cork underneath in the
same manner and hinged to the grating or seat first described. To the last
mentioned grating I attach uprights about 2 feet in height which carry a spline
which serves as a back rail to the seat first described. At the foot of these uprights,
or attached to the inner spline or part of the seat secondly above described I attach
metal pieces having pins or projections which extend longitudinally in the same

page_text: direction and fit into eyes or sockets attached to the bulwarks or other portions of
the ship. Or I may reverse it and fix the said pins or projections to the bulwarks
or other portions of the ship and fit the said metal pieces with eyes to receive the
pins. This apparatus in its normal position will be hooked or attached to the side
or other portion of the vessel so that the grating or seat first described projects at
right angles from the bulwarks &c so that the grating forms the seat whilst the
body or roll of cork remains underneath and is supported in this position by the
hinges above described and by the inuer edge or side of such roll of cork resting
against the similar roll of cork attached to the inner side of the other grating
Becondly above described, which grating hangs down at right angles to the grating
first above described, its outer edge resting on the deck; or the seat may be
supported by a bracket or brackets underneath or by ropes, rods or other device
pendant from the top of the back rail. The seats may be placed in the centre or
any other part of the deck back to back or otherwise by attaching them in a
similar way to a frame of metal or other material carrying the said eyes or hooks
or they may stand either back to back or otherwise upon brackets, feet or other
suitable device.
This double life buoy or raft can be easily detached from the side of the bulwarks
or other portion of the vessel by slipping it off the hooks or eyes above described
and I prefer that one of such hooks shall be provided with a hole to receive a pin
or other device which may secure the said eyes or hooks from slipping off and
releasing the seat until said pin is removed; or it may bo secured by a lashing or
other method from so slipping off. At each end of the back rail I prefer to make
a hole through which can be passed a rope or other device which can be attached
to one of the splines or outer portions of the scat first described for the purpose
of lashing it down to such seat when the raft is opened out as next described.
Or the said back rail may be held down to the seat by a bolt, pin, button or any
other device applicable to the purpose.
When the apparatus is used as a life buoy or raft it is first detached from the
vessel as above mentioned and then opened out by turning up the first mentioned
seat on its hinges until the back rail which is rigidly attached to the lower frame
comes down level with the top of the seat, the rope lashing above described is then
made.fast to such seat and by holding down the back rail in this position secures
the two frames rigidly together so that the buoyant bodies or rolls of cork are
parallel with each other several inches apart whilst the frames firstly and secondly
above described form the top of the life buoy or raft.
Some or all of the sides of the life buoy or raft are provided with life lines or
other appliances for persons to cling to in the water.
I may also provide in some portion of the cork bodies or rolls one or more tanks
for provisions or water and to some portion of the apparatus I propose to attach
oars, masts. and sails if required.
In the above description have provided for the buoyancy by cork, but I can
also provide for such buoyancy by wooden air tight boxes lined or otherwise with
water tight material or by metal tanks or tubes about the same size and description
as the cork bodies above described. Or I may make them of any water tight
material and in any shape to provide for the necessary buoyancy.
When the seat is not being used as a seat it can be stowed away by lifting it up
on its hinges till the seat or grating touches the bulwarks when the cork bodies
only will project from the sides of the ship, and it may be secured in this position
by lashings or hooks or other devices to the bulwark.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Stephens Copeman in the Patent Office on the 20th February
1884.
"
EDWARD STEPHENS COPEMAN of 4 Victoria Street in the City of Westminster
Gentleman IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND FITTING THE SEATS OF SHIPS
AND OTHER SEATS TO RENDER THEM AVAILABLE AS LIFE BUOYS OR RAFTS IN CASE
OF NEED
212
The object of my invention is to construct and fit the deck and other seats of
ships in such manner that they may form life buoys or rafts which can be readily
detached from the bulwarks or other parts of the ship and by opening them out in
a manner hereinafter described or otherwise form life buoys or rafts in case of
emergency.
For this purpose I utilize the spline seats at present fitted to passenger steamers
and generally attached by hinges to the bulwarks of the vessel, or I construct
similar seats according to the following plan.
To the grating or seat I attach underneath a metal tube closed at the ends or a
body or roll of cork; this metal tube or body of cork extends the whole length of
such seat or nearly so. When I employ a metal tube I find it desirable to enclose
it in a rectangular or other form of wooden frame and I prefer that the lower edges
or one of them of this frame should be bevelled or rounded off. When I employ a
body of cork I make it preferably of the form I have just described for the wooden
frame. I also form another grating of similar shape and proportions or nearly so
which is also fitted with a metal tube or a roll or body of cork underneath in the
same manner and I hinge it to the grating or seat first described. To the last
mentioned grating I attach uprights about 2 feet in height which carry a spline
which serves as a back rail to the seat first described.
hooks and eyes
This apparatus in its normal position will be attached by ropes,
or otherwise to the side or other portion of the vessel in such manner that the
grating or seat first described projects at right angles from the bulwarks & so that
the grating forms the seat whilst the metal tube or body or roll of cork remains
underneath and is supported in this position by the hinges above described and by
the inner edge or side of the enclosing rectangular frame or of the roll of cork
resting against the similar rectangular frame or roll of cork attached to the inner
side of the other grating secondly above described, which grating hangs down at
right angles to the grating first above described, its outer edge resting on the deck;
Or the seat may be supported by a bracket or brackets or by two or more feet or
other suitable device underneath or by ropes, rods or other device pendant from
the top of the back rail. The seats may be placed in the centre or any other part
of the deck of a ship or on piers, jetties or other like places back to back or other-
wise by attaching them in a similar way to a frame of metal or other material or
they may stand either back to back or otherwise upon brackets, feet or other
suitable device. At each end of the back rail I prefer to make a hole or attach a
ring through which can be passed a rope or other device which may be attached to
one of the splines or outer portions of the seat first described for the purpose of
lashing the back rail down to such seat when the raft is opened out. Or the said
back rail may be held down to the seat by a spring or other bolt, pin, button.or
any other device applicable to the purpose.
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings is a front elevation, Figure 2 an end elevation
and Figure 3 a transverse section of a seat constructed as bereinbefore described.
a is the seat or grating first hereinbefore described and forming the seat proper.

page_text: b is a metal tube extending from end to end of the seat a and closed at the ends;
this tube may be in one or more lengths as found most convenient according to the
length of the seat; in the seat shown it is made in two lengths separated by the
middle support of the grating a. c is a rectangular wooden frame enclosing the
tube band bevelled at the inner edge d. e is a second grating of similar shape and
proportions to the grating a and fitted with a similar metal tube f which like-
wise enclosed in a rectangular wooden frame g bevelled off at the edge h. The
frame g is provided with feet or brackets i for the apparatus to stand on and these
feet or brackets are connected together by a longitudinal rail or spline k. The two
gratings a and are connected to each other by hinges L. mm are uprights,
preferably of T or L shaped metal, fixed to the grating a. They carry at their
upper end a spline n which serves as a back rail to the seat u. In the normal
position the seat a is mainly supported by the edge d of the frame c resting upon
the corresponding edge h of the frame g. rare hooks and eyes at the ends of the
seats to prevent their being opened out until required. At each end of the back
rail n is a hole o through which I pass a rope p which I attach to the outer portion
of the seat as shewn for the purpose of lashing the back rail to the seat when the
apparatus is opened out into the form of a raft as next described. The ends of
such ropes also serve as a lashing to secure the sent to the bulwarks or other
portion of the vessel.
When the apparatus is to be used as a life buoy or raft it is first detached from
the vessel by casting off the lashings (if it has been so attached thereto) and then
opened out (the hooks and eyes being first unfastened) by turning the sent a
on its hinges until the back rail n which is rigidly attached to the lower
grating e is level with the top of the sent, the rope lashing p p above described is
then made fast to such seat and by holding down the back rail in this position
secures the two frames a and a rigidly together so that the metal tubes b and ƒ (or
rolls of cork) are parallel with each other some inches apart whilst the frames a
and a form the top of the life-buoy or raft-see Figures 4 and 5 which represent
in plan and end view respectively the apparatus converted into a life buoy or raft.
This raft if used the reverse or bottom side uppermost in the water will serve as a
protection, for the persons floating within it, against sharks.
Some or all of the sides of the life-buoy or raft are provided with life lines q q,
or other appliances for persons to cling to in the water.
I may also provide in some portion of the metal tubes or cork bodies or rolls one
or more tanks for provisions or water and to some portion of the apparatus I
attach oars or an oar also a mast and sail if required.
In the above description I have provided for the buoyancy by metal tubes or by
cork, but I can also provide for such buoyancy by wooden air-tight boxes lined or
otherwise with water tight material or by metal boxes or tanks about the same size
and description as the enclosing frames c and g above described; or 1 may mako
them of any water tight or buoyant material and in any shape and size to provide
for the necessary buoyancy.
When the seat a is not being used as a sent it can be stowed away by lifting it
up on its hinges till it touches the bulwarks when the frames c and g only will
project from the sides of the ship, and it may be secured in this position by
lashings, hooks or other devices to tho bulwarks.
Having now described the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that I claim :—
1. Constructing seats with two frames or gratings hinged together so that in their
normal position one of them forms the seat proper while the other occupies a
position behind and at right angles to the first, and each of such frames being fitted
with closed metal tubes, rolls of cork or other means of imparting buoyancy, the
whole arrangement being such that when the two frames are opened on their
hinges and lashed or secured in that position the apparatus becomes a life buoy or
raft with the buoying portions at the outsides thereof and the open. frame work in
the middle all substantially as hereinbefore described.
=
*

page_text: 2. In a seat composed of two frames or gratings hinged together as and for the
purpose referred to in the first claim, I claim fitting the metal tubes, rolls of cork
or other means of imparting buoyancy in such manner that the said tubes, rolls or
other means on the frame which forms the seat proper are, in the normal position,
supported by the frames containing the tubes, rolls or other like means on the other
frame or by the tubes or rolls of cork themselves resting on the other frame
substantially as herein before described.
3. In a seat composed of two frames or gratings hinged together and fitted with
appliances or means for imparting buoyancy all as referred to in the first claim, I claim
the uprights (mm) attached to the under frame and carrying a spline which forins
a. back rail to the seat, the said uprights and back rail also assisting in securing the
two frames together when opened out as a life buoy or raft substantially as
hereinbefore described.
4. The combination of parts substantially as hereinbefore described and represented
in the annexed drawings forming a seat which can be rendered available as a life
buoy or raft in case of need.
In Witness whereof I the said Edward Stephens Copeman have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighteenth day of February One thousand eight hundred and
eighty four.
EDW. S. COPEMAN (L.S.)