Improvements in Life and other Boats.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 18th May, 1889-Accepted, 22nd June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life and other Boats.
We, ROBERT ELWOOD ELLIS, of Polwarth Gardens, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Draughtsman, and PATRICK MCALISTER, of High Street,
Dumbarton, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, Boatbuilder, do hereby
declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows, that is to say:-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction of a kind of
boat which can be used as a life boat and otherwise, and which whilst made with
a complete and rigid bottom is provided with topsides capable of being folded down
or collapsed so that the boat can be stowed in a small space.
.
In carrying out our Invention we fit upon the rigid bottom, which may be made
of wood, or metal, or of a combination of wood and metal, a number of metal
stanchions for carrying a gunwale which may be of wood or metal or a combination
thereof. We also prefer to attach to the stanchions a stringer extending from end
to end of the boat about midway between the rigid bottom and the gunwale when the
topsides are erected. Each stanchion is in two pieces jointed together at about
the middle, and arranged to fold in or nearly in the plane of the boat's topsides.
The bottom parts of the stanchions are made with elbows which extend horizontally
inwards and are held in staples or joint eyes fixed to the covering board of the
boat bottom,, the stanchions turning on their elbow parts when folding or unfolding.
Stops are arranged to prevent the stanchions from turning too far when unfolding;
and .catches are provided to secure them when unfolded. Impermeable canvas or
other suitable flexible material is fixed by its lower edge to the rigid boat bottom,
and by its upper edge to the gunwale, and becomes folded or creased when the
stanchions are folded down. The gunwale may have rowlocks fitted to it, and thwarts
or seats may be fixed to the stringers.
.
With the improved construction the boat can be made with considerable sheer;
and the boat. may have its buoyancy increased and be made self-righting in the
event of being capsized, by providing air compartments at the ends, such com-
partments being formed by jointed stanchions and other parts suitably arranged and
covered in with an impermeable flexible material. The upper portions of the stems
are jointed, and the top framings of the end air compartments are arranged to slide
down on the stems when folding the parts together, the stems being folded down
after the top framings have been lowered.
The rigid bottom of the boat is made with watertight air compartments and may
be provided with lockers for containing provisions or other things.
The collapsible end air compartments constitute a separate novel feature advan-
tageously applicable to various kinds of boats.
Dated this Sixtoonth day of October 1888
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life and other Boats.
We, ROBERT ELWOOD ELLIS, of Polwarth Gardens, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Draughtsman, and PATRICK MCALISTER of High Street,
Dumbarton, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, Boatbuilder, 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, that is
to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction of a kind of

page_text: boat which can be used as a life boat, and otherwise, and which whilst made
with a complete and rigid bottom is provided with topsides capable of being folded
down or, collapsed, so that the boat can be stowed in a small space.
In carrying out our Invention we fit upon the rigid bottom, which may be made
principally of wood or metal or of a combination of wood and metal, a number of
stanchions for carrying a gunwale which may be of wood or metal or a combination
thereof. Each stanchion is in two pieces jointed together at about the middle, and
arranged to fold with the top and bottom ends remaining in or nearly in the plane
of the boat's topsides, so that the gunwale moves downwards without moving
inwards when the stanchions are folded.
Impermeable canvas or other suitable flexible material is fixed by its lower edge
to the rigid boat bottom and by its upper edge to the gunwale, and becomes folded
- or creased when the stanchions are folded down
With our improved construction the boat can be made with considerable sheer and
with flared ends; and the boat may have its buoyancy increased and be made self-
righting in the event of being capsized, by providing air compartments at the ends,
such compartments being formed by jointed stanchions and other parts suitably
arranged and covered with an impermeable flexible material.
The rigid bottom of the boat is made with watertight air compartments and may
be provided with lockers for containing provisions or other things.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append three sheets of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing boats as constructed according to our
Invention.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the drawings is a quarter plan of a boat suitable for a
life boat; and figure, 2, is a corresponding vertical section. Figure, 3, on sheet, 2,
is a transverse vertical section, and figures, 4, to 12, on the same sheet are enlarged
detail views appertaining to the boat shown on sheet, 1. Figures, 13, and 14, on
sheet, 3, are a longitudinal vertical section and a transverse vertical section showing
the application of our improvements in the construction of a steam launch.
these drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same
or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In
The rigid bottom, A, of the boat shown on sheets, 1, and 2, of the drawings is
represented as built of steel or iron, and as made with longitudinal vertical bulkhead
plates, A 1, extending about three-fourths of the boat's length, and with transverse
or beam plates, A 2. Between the longitudinal plates, A. 1, and the shell of the boat
bottom airtight compartments of the full depth of the plates are formed through
their entire length by covering or deck plates, A 3; but in the space between the
longitudinal plates, A 1, a number of shallow airtight spaces, A 4, are formed along
the bottom, being divided by the kelson, A 5, and by transverse frames. At the level
of the tops of the side compartments the middle space is crossed by boards, A 6,
which can be used as seats or as foot boards for the rowers, these boards being
supported on the beams, A 2, whilst the spaces between and below the boards may
be used for stowing provisions or other articles some of them being fitted with
doors so as to serve as lockers if desired. At each end of the boat an airtight
compartiment, A 7, of a triangular shape in plan is formed; and above each such end
compartment, A7, an upper collapsible air space is provided to give the boat a self-
righting property, as hereinafter described.
The stanchions, B, for supporting the gunwale, C, and the flexible canvas sides, D, are
made each in two pieces, B1, B2, jointed together near their middle; and the upper
pieces, B 1, are jointed to the gunwale, C, whilst the lower pieces, B 2, are jointed to
staples, or eyes, B 3, fixed to the deck plates, A 3, covering the lateral longitudinal
airtight compartments of the rigid' boat bottom, A. In figure, 3, a stanchion, B, is
shown as erected at the right-hand side, and as folded at the left-hand side; and
figures, 4, and 5, are enlarged views respectively showing the stanchion as erected and
as folded. At the joint connecting the two parts, B1, B2, of the stanchion the upper
part, B 1, is forked, and the lower part, B2, extends beyond the joint and is made

page_text: with a bevilled end to fit against the correspondingly bevilled end of the fork space
so as to prevent the parts, B1, B2, from folding in the wrong direction. The canvas
side, 1, has its bottom edge fixed to the rigid boat bottom, A, and its top edge is fixed
to the gunwale, C, whilst at a little distance below the gunwale there is also fixed a
thwart stringer, E, at the level of the thwarts or seats, F, for the rowers. The
thwarts, F, which are fixed to the thwart stringers, E, so as with them to form a frame,
are supported by spurs, B4, formed on the upper stanchion pieces, B 1, and at the
samo time by means of locking devices serve to keep the stanchions rigidly in their
erect positions. The locking devices will be best understood from figures, 6, and 7,
which are respectively a vertical section and an inverted plan. At each end of each
thwart, F, a plate, F 1, is fixed to its under side to bear on the stanchion spur, B4,
and is formed with or has fixed to it a projection to bear against the outer side of the
spur. In a recess formed in the thwart, F, there is jointed a catch, F 2, which when
in its lowest position projects through a slot in the plate, F 1, and bears against the
inner side of the stanchion spur, B4, and thereby locks the thwart and stanchion to
each other. When the parts are to be folded each catch, F 2, is raised to allow the
upper part, B 1, of the stanchion to move inwards, the lower part, B 2, turning inwards
at the same time, and the gunwale, C, and thwart stringer, E, also descending whilst
the canvas sides, become folded, all as shown in figure, 5. We prefer to arrango one
or two of the stanchions at each side amidships so as fold in the planes of the sides at
those parts, instead of inwards like the others. One of these midship stanchions is
shown at, B5, B6, figure, 2; and when erect it is locked to the thwart stringer, E,
by a projection, F3, on one side, and a catch, F 4, on the other. The stanchions
are represented as made of metal but they may be of wood or of metal and wood
combined.
At each end of the boat an upper stem, G, is jointed to the stem, G 1, of the rigid
boat hottom, the joint being such as whilst allowing the upper stem, G, to fold inwards,
preventing it from turning outwards beyond the vertical position. The gunwales, C,
are made with a sheer towards each end of the boat, and where at each end the two
gunwales meet, a triangular plate, C1, is fixed upon them, this plate having formed in
it a slot up through which the stem, G, projects. A half-round iron binding
strap, C2, which serves to strengthen the gunwale and at the same time to fix on it
the upper edge of the canvas, D, is carried round the outer edge, of the stem, G, so
as to enclose it in the slot in the plate, C1. When the stem, G, is erected and the gun-
wale, C, raised to its highest position a pin, (3, figure, 8, is passed through the
binding strap, C2, and through the stem. The stem, G, is made with a head, G3,
which is broader than the slot in the plate, C1, and which prevents the gunwale, C,
from being raised too high. The thwart stringers, E, are in a similar manner bound
together at each end of the boat by a plate, E 1, fixed to them and made with a slot to
receive the stem, G. The slots in the gunwale plate, C1, and stringer plate, E 1,
extend inwards far enough to allow of the gunwales, C, and thwart stringers, E, being
lowered down to the top of the rigid boat bottom, A; and when they have been thus
lowered, the stem, G, can then be folded down. The canvas, D; forming the sides is
continued quite to the stem, G, at each end; whilst on the inner side near the stem, G,
a vertical strip, D 1, of canvas is attached in an airtight mauner to the side parts, D,
and a transverse vertical piece, D 2, is similarly attached to the side parts, D, at some
distance from the end. The transverse canvas pieces, D 1, and D 2, are attached in
an airtight manner to the covering plate of the airtight compartment, A 7, at each end
of the boat; and when erected combine with the side parts, D, and roof-like
parts, D3, D4, to enclose an upper airtight compartment at each end. The gun-
wales, C, and thwart stringers, E, extend inside of the upper end compartments, and
are connected by transverse frame bars, C4, C5, E 2, E3. On one, C4, of the trans-
verse frame bars, there is centered a lever, D5, one end of which is connected by a
short chain to the plate covering the lower end compartment, A 7, its other end being
applied to a ridge piece, D 6, which raises and holds up the roof, D4, of the upper or
canvas compartment when erected, in a manner which will be understood froin
figures, 9, 10, and 11. The end of the lever, D 5, which is turned up by the action

page_text: of the chain at its other end when the gunwale, C, is raised, is fitted with two pins
which work in grooves in a metal piece fixed to the ridge-piece, D6. The gable-like
inner end, D3, is strengthened by a board inside of the canvas, and this board has
fixed on it two guide rius, D 7, between which the end of the ridge piece, D6, moves
when the parts are being erected or made to collapse. The upper air compartments
at the ends of the boat, being of considerable capacity and higher than the rigid boat
bottom, A, will have considerable self righting power in the event of the boat being
capsized. When the parts are being erected air enters each upper end compart-
ment through an inlet valve, H, which is by preference fitted to the inner upper
transverse frame bar, C5. This air valve is shown in section in figure, 12, and is
made with an outer orifice and with an inner valve seat opening directed upwards.
A ball valve, H 1, rests in a cavity provided for it when the boat is right, but if
the boat capsizes the inversion causes the valve to close the inner opening and
prevent the entrance of water and escape of air. If thought desirable each collapsible
air compartment may be made with a rigid top and with or without the middle part
made bigher or ridged.
The steam launch shown in figures, 13, and 14, on sheet, 3, of the drawings is
constructed with a rigid bottom, A, and with collapsible topsides, D, of canvas with
gunwales, C, stringers, E, folding stanchions, B, and stem and stern post, G,
arranged and combined like the corresponding parts of the boat shown on sheets, 1,
and 2, and hereinbefore described. The boiler, J, and engines, K, are placed in a
midship compartment constructed for them in the rigid boat bottom, A. The gun-
wale, C, and stringer, E, are, in this example, shown as being within the full width
of the rigid boat bottom, A; and plates, L, are fixed along the top edges of the
rigid boat bottom to protect the top sides when collapsed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The improved construction of boat with rigid bottom made with airtight compart-
ments and with collapsible top sides, having a gunwale jointed to the tops of stanchions
which are jointed to the rigid bottom and each of which is in two parts jointed together
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. The combination of the thwart stringer, the thwarts, the supporting spurs on
the stanchions, and the locking devices between the thwarts and stanchions substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described.
3. The application of the upper collapsible air compartments at the ends of the
boat, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this Sixteenth day of May 1889.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.