IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BOATS OR RAPTS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR LOWERING THE MASTS OF VESSELS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING OR LOWERING ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PUR- POSES
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BEADON, of Taunton, Somersetshire, send greeting.
..
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirty-first day of October, in the eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Beadon, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said George Beadon, my exors; adññors, and assigns,
or such others as. I, the said George Beadon, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BOATS OR
RAPTS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR LOWERING THE MASTS OF VESSELS,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING OR LOWERING ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PUR-
POSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said
George Beadon, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Beadon, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, 'and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say) -
Boats adapted for inland navigation are unfit for use in more turbulent
waters; the consequence is, that where inland rivers or canals communicate
with estuarys or large rivers (similar to the Thames and City Canal), in which
direction it may be desirable to convey goods, it becomes necessary to tranship
them to vessels better adapted to the navigation; otherwise much risk to life
and property would follow. To obviate the danger of a barge or river boats
foundering my raft is invented.
Figures 1 and 2 are a plan and section of a method of constructing it, given
by way of illustration. A, A, &c. are two buoyant vessels united by beams,
B, B, &c., leaving a space between them to admit boats or barges in the
space C, C; D, D, are pumps; G, G, are fastenings to secure the barges or
boats to the cross beans B, B; H, H, are rowlocks for ores; E is a rope or
painter securing the raft to a buoy F. This raft can be moved and directed
by any of the known methods, such as sails, steam, oars, and may be con-
structed in various forms; but I claim as my Invention a raft divided in the
middle, and open, so as to float in canal or river boats between its sides for
the purpose of preventing their foundering upon entering more open waters,
and obviating the necessity of discharging their cargoes into other vessels.
Life boats of the usual construction occupy too much available space on board
sea-going ships to admit of their being carried as well as the boats necessary
for the ordinary purposes of a ship's duties. To obviate this difficulty my life
raft is constructed with hinges or joints, by which means its two sides are
closed when suspended to a vessel, thus occupying little space, but when
lowered in the water it opens and occupies a larger surface.
Figure 3 is a plan and section of such a raft. A, A, &c. are tubes through
which the arms B, B, are passed; C, C, are hinges or joints attaching the
arms B, B, &c. to the centre piece D, D, &c.; E, E, &c. are oars secured by
split bearings F to a rowlock G, a separate description of which is given in
Figures 21 and 22. I do not claim any particular method of constructing
this raft, except a hinge or joint suffering it to fold up, by which means it is
less cumbrous when hung up to a vessel, and the particular improvement in
attaching the oar, as described in Figures 21 and 22, by which its loss is
prevented.
In pleasure and other vessels it is often necessary to raise and lower the
masts. For this purpose I apply, by way of improvement to the ordinary

page_text: methods of doing so, firstly, the known power obtained by turning a shaft
having one or more screw threads thereon, and in gear or combination with a
toothed wheel or segment thereof, as the case may be. Figure 4 illustrates a
method of effecting this object. A, A, is a boat's mast; B, a stout ferule
having axes C, C, upon the arms of which is attached a toothed sector D; E
represents a boat's thawrt, to which is secured the framing F, forming bearings
for the aforesaid axes C, and the shaft and handle G for turning it; H is a
trunk for receiving the heel of the mast; I is a pin to keep it firmly in its
place. Figure 5 is a section of the same, same letters referring to the same
parts. I do not claim any particular method of constructing this machine,
but the combination of a screw with a toothed wheel or segment thereof
applied to the raising and lowering masts in the manner described in the
Drawings.
Figure 6 is another method, represented in section, by which I facili-
tate the raising and lowering of boats' masts. A is the mast; B, a ferrule
encompassing it, turning on axes C, C; D, D, is the boat's thawrt; E, E, are
bolts securing the framing F to the thawrt D; H is a trunk for receiving the
heel of the mast; I is a pin for securing it in its place. Figure 7 is a cross
section of the same, the same letters referring to the same parts in each
Figure. I claim as my Invention a clip or ferrule with axes or bearings,
secured to the boat's thawrt, for lowering a boat's mast; and, when lowered,
that it might be launched forward through this ferrule without removing the
mast therefrom. The rack-toothed wheel or segment thereof, in combination
with a screw which I have applied in a particular manner to the raising and
lowering masts, I also apply to raise and lower carriage heads, reading desks,
writing desks, music stands, invalids' stools, marine couches or bedsteads,
candlesticks' sockets or candles, and ordnance, as illustrated by the Drawings,
for effecting the raising and lowering of them; but I do not claim any par-
ticular method of constructing the articles herein named; but what I claim
is, the combination of a screw with a toothed wheel, or segment thereof, to
effect the above-named purposes.
.
Figures 8 and 9.-A, A, &c. are the hoops or ribs of the head moving
upon B, their common centre; C is a toothed segment in combination with a
toothed pinion mounted on a shaft D, D; E is a screw in combination with
C; F is a crank handle; G is a lever, one end of which is attached to an
axis H (to one end of which is fixed the toothed segment), and the other end
of the lever is attached a tongue sliding in grooved plates I, which plates are
attached to the front hoop A'. By turning the shaft F the segment is moved,
and consequently the lever G raises or depresses the hoops A, A. Figure 10

page_text: is a front view of the same, the letters in each Figure corresponding to the
same part.
Figure 11 represents a side view of a music stand, reading or writing desk.
A, A, is the stand; B, the inclined plane moving on a joint C; D is a
toothed segment attached to an axis E; F, F, are levers attached to E, and
sliding in a plate G. Figure 12 is a back view of the same, with corresponding
parts and letters. Figure 13 is an end and side elevation, shewing a method
of constructing a gout stool, the same letters referring to the same parts in
each Figure. A, A, &c. is the framework; B, a toothed sector mounted on
a shaft C; D is a screw in combination with the sector; E, E, are two levers
mounted on the shaft, having a truck at the lower end of a lever F.
Figures 14 and 15 are an end and side view of a marine couch, the same
letters in each referring to the same parts. A, A, the framing; D, a toothed
sector and screw in combination with the sector on a shaft E, E; F, F, two
legs with trucks G, G. The object of this arrangement is to adjust the couch
to the inclination of the vessel.
Figure 16 and 17 are a section and plan of a glass shade, candle and stick:
A is the stem of the candlestick; B, a glass shade; C, a vertical rod with
screw cut thereon; D, a socket with female screw therein adapted to thread
on C. F is a screw in gear with G, a pinion on lower end of rod. By
turning the screw the shaft revolves and raises the socket D. The object of
this Invention is to avoid the altitude of the ordinary glass shades used for
protecting candles in warm climates.
Figure 18 shows part of the inner left-hand side of the cheek of a gun-
carriage and gun, with the toothed segment and screw applied to raise and
lower the same. A is the gun; B, the carriage; C, C, the trucks; D,
toothed segment; E, screw in bearings; F, G, a lever and wheel attached to
a shaft H, and bearing against the gun A. Figure 19 is an end view of such
a carriage, same letters applying to the same part in each Figure.
:
Figure 20 is an illustrating Diagram of a combined toothed-wheel segment or
rack, with a screw such as I use for the purposes of my Invention; but I do not
claim such parts separately, but only their application to uses herein described.
Figures 21 and 22 are Diagrams of split bearings for oars. A, A, is the
oar; B, the bearing or collar; C, C, the rowlock; D, D, fastenings securing
the split bearings to the oar.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Beadon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
(L.S.) GEORGE BEADON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1845, the aforesaid George Beadon came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.