AN IMPROVED BUOYANT LIFE-PRESERVING MATTRESS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lako, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of " AN IMPROVED BUOYANT LIFE-PRESERVING MATTRESS,"
-A communication from abroad by Hannah Barnes Mountain, of
the City and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 17th March 1874, and dated the 2nd October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd October 1878.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltino, Lako, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BUOYANT LIFE-PRESERVING
MATTRESS," a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of mattresses which servo the two-
fold purpose of beds for berths in steam and sailing vessels and of life
preservers or life rafts when thrown into the water, and the said Inven-
tion consists in the combination with two single mattresses or two

page_text: sections of one mattress divided longitudinally of a boat-like sack, which
is closed at both ends, and has its edges attached along the centre longi-
tudinally of each mattress. A sack thus connected does not have a
tendency to draw the mattresses over on their edges or to capsize them.
The weight of the person or persons in the sack tends to keep the
mattresses horizontal, so that they will float on their flat sides; and
furthermore this manner of connecting the sack causes the mattresses so
soon as a person jumps into the sack to assume a proper horizontal
position, regardless of the manner in which the said mattresses may be
thrown into the water.
The mattress is made of any buoyant material in two longitudinal
separate sections, which when used as a bed are closed with their edges
together, so as to fit within the berth. The life-preserving feature
consists in uniting the sections by a sack or receiver for the person or
persons in a manner to allow the sections to be separated a sufficient 1
distance to enable the person or persons to stand, kneel, or sit within the
sack between the sections. The sack in this way forms a chamber in
the middle of the mattress, having its ends closed oven with the top of
the bed to form guards, and prevent tho occupants being thrown out at
the ends. The sack is connected to the mattresses or sections by 2
attaching its longitudinal edges along the longitudinal centre line of the
bottom of each mattress, and at the ends so as to form a kind of pivoted
connection for each section, and to maintain the latter in horizontal
positions upon the water while the sack is pendent from the under sides
thereof, as the sack by reason of the weight of the occupant must pull a
directly from the centre of the length of each section; and hence the
latter must remain level, and, thus afford greater safety to the
occupants.
It is preferable to make the soctions of cork shavings, but they may
be made of any suitable material which will cause them to serve the 8
purpose of a floating support. The sack may be of any suitable depth,
and with a straight or curved bottom if desired. As a bed the sections
may be reversed, so as to bring their opposite edges to the centre for
equal wear.
If desired each section may be covered with any suitable soft material, &
so that its edges will project over those of the mattress, and thus
form a close covered. joint when the sections are brought together,
1

page_text: and avoid the inconvenience of the centre seam. This soft covering
may be basted on, and can be removed for renovating, and again
secured when desired. The occupant of the mattress can lie down
upon the sections, holding on to the stay cords. In rough seas the sack
affords security between the floating walls of the connected parts.
and avoid the inconvenience of the centre seam. This soft covering
may be basted on, and can be removed for renovating, and again
secured when desired. The occupant of the mattress can lie down
upon the sections, holding on to the stay cords. In rough seas the sack
affords security between the floating walls of the connected parts.
The said mattress may be provided with pockets in any suitable way
to hold provisions and water.
Tho said mattress has a cord attached to one end by which to hold it
when thrown overboard, and may be towed if necessary. It can be
made of any size and shape, and of any material, whether waterproof or
not,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 81st March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and soventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
|trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of (treat Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
BUOYANT LIFE PRESERVING MATTRESS,” a communication to me from abroad
by Hannah Barnes Mountain, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Robert Lake, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention;
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
This Invention relates to that class of mattresses which serve the two-
fold purpose of beds for berths in steam and sailing vessels, and of life
preservers or life rafts when thrown into the water, and the said
Invention consists in the combination with two single mattresses or the
two sections of one mattress divided longitudinally of a boat like sack,
which is closed at both ends, and has its edges attached along the centre
longitudinally of each mattress. A sack thus connected does not have a
tendency to draw the mattresses over on their edges, or to capsize them.
The weight of the person or persons in the sack tends to keep the
mattresses horizontal, so that they will float on their flat sides; and
furthermore this manner of connecting the sack causes the mattresses so
soon as a person jumps into the sack to assume a proper horizontal
position regardless of the manner in which the said mattresses may be
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a life-preserving mattress embodying 1
this Invention; Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same.
The mattress is made of any buoyant material in two longitudinal
separate sections A, A³, which when used as a bed are closed with their
edges together, so as to fit within a berth. The life-preserving feature
consists in uniting the sections by a sack or receiver B for the person or
persons in a manner to allow the sections to be separated a sufficient
distance to enable the person or persons to stand, kneel, or sit within
the sack between the sections. The sack in this way forms a chamber C
in the middle of the mattress, having its ends D closed even with the top
of the bed to form guards and prevent the occupants being thrown out
at the ends. The sack B is connected to the mattresses or sections A, A',

page_text: by attaching its longitudinal edges along the longitudinal centre line of
the bottom of cach mattress, as shewn at E, E, and at the ends, as shown
at F, so as to form a kind of pivotal connection for each section, and to
maintain the latter in horizontal positions upon the water while the sack
is pendent from the under sides thereof, as the sack by reason of the
weight of the occupant must pull directly from the centre of the length
of each section, and hence the latter must remain level, and thus afford
greater safety to the occupants. This method of connecting the sack to
the sections also renders cach section reversible with respect to the sack,
so that when the device is thrown into the water it matters not if it
should be bottom side uppermost the sack will always be in position to
receive the person, whose weight will at once sink the sack, and turn
the sections upon their centre connections. No care therefore need bo
taken in launching it in time of dangor, and the person may jump upon
it and find safety between the vertical walls of the sections supporting
the body Interally, while the hands are entirely free to grasp the stay
cords & secured along the edges of the sections..
It is preferable to make the aforesaid sections of cork shavings, but
they may be made of any suitable inaterial which will cause them to
serve the purpose of a floating support. The said sack may be of any
suitable depth, and with a straight or curved bottom if desired. As a
bed the sections may be reversed so as to bring their opposito edges to
the centre for cqual wear.
If desired each section may be covered with any suitable soft material,
so that its edges will project over those of the mattress, and thus form a
close covered joint when the sections are brought together, and avoid
the inconvenience of the centre seam. This soft covering may be basted
on, and can be removed for renovating, and again secured when desired.
The occupant of the mattress can lie upon the sections, holding on to
> the stay cords. In a rough sea the sack affords security between the
floating walls of the connected parts.
It is obvious that the mattress may be provided with pockets in any
suitable way to hold provisions and water.
The said mattress has a cord H attached to one end, by which to hold
3 it when thrown overboard, and to be towed if necessary. It can be
made of any desired size and shape, and of any material, whether water-
proof or not.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim, the combination of the sack or
receiving attachment B, with the mattresses A, A', when the sack is
connected to the said mattresses along the centre longitudinal line of 5
the bottom of each mattress, whereby the mattress will assume and
maintain a horizontal position when thrown into the water, as herein
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, in the 1
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROB³, LAKE. (L.S.)