Improvements in the Design and Construction of Life Boats, and in the Means for Stowing and Launching the same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 29th Feb.. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Design and Construction of Life Boats, and in
the Means for Stowing and Launching the same.
I, EDWARD JORDAN HOUGH, of 101 Leadenhall Street, in the City of
London, Shipping Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My improved lifeboat, 1 build with two watertight revolving ends, these ends
being divided into watertight compartments by division plates, or by enclosing
separate air-tight boxes, so that in the event of the revolving ends being pierced
they will retain their buoyancy. Each of these revolving ends is protected from
damage, on the outside, by one or more fender belts running around their circum-
ferences, which belts also serve to prevent the body of the boat coming into contact
with the vessels side or other objects.
The revolving ends are attached to, or they may revolve around, a shaft or axle,
upon which is swung the body of the boat, which is partly floated by the revolving
ends.
The body of the boat I construct with a double bottom, the outside bottom
being recessed, and at each side of the body, on the inside, 1 provide watertight
chambers, running fore and aft, and which may serve as seats. I can fill these
chambers with air tight boxes, or divide them into water tight compartments if
deemed necessary.
The double bottom I may use as a water ballast bottom for self righting
purposes, or as a water tight chamber for floating purposes.
The object of recessing the lower or outside bottom of the boat, is to relieve the
force of the fall when the boat is allowed to drop into the water; the two ends of
this recessed bottom being closed, the escape of the air is restricted, and a cushion
formed which acts as a buffer. The air is allowed to escape through tubes or
passages placed in suitable positions through the double bottom of the boat. I also
provide tubes or passages from the inside to the outside of the boat to free it from
any water that may be shipped.
By passing the shaft or axle already mentioned through journals, and by
connecting these to the thwarts and stanchions or struts, and by using diagonal or
other stays to the bottom, I can form a girder to stiffen the body of the boat.
For the purpose of stowing and launching my boat, which I do broadside on,
I make use of a deck on the ship carrying the boats, or of a special carrier constructed
on such ship for the purpose, upon which the boats are stowed resting upon their
revolving ends, or otherwise, the boats running upon these ends, or as may be
otherwise necessary, when launched. These decks or carriers, I fit with suitable
launching ways, by placing metal plates, or hard wood strips, for the rolling ends
to rest and run upon. Near to these strips or plates I place suitably shaped irons
or rails, notched or otherwise suitably constructed, to receive stoppers, mentioned
hereafter, both plates or strips, and notched irons, to run athwartships and to be of
suitable length.
In order to check and control the movements of my boat when it is being
launched, or under similar circumstances, by preference, I provide stoppers swinging
on fulcrums and projecting through the double bottom. The stoppers are connected
together by a rod & terminate at their bottom ends in a T shaped piece, or in any
other suitable manner for the purpose required. One of these stoppers is continued
-༡་t

page_text: upwards so as to form a lever to bring both stoppers under the control of one man,
the stoppers being so arranged that the man at the lever can release or hold the
boat at will, by throwing the stoppers out of or into the notches or openings in the
irons or rails already mentioned, the T. or other shaped end of the stoppers being
made to catch on the iron or rail.
In suitable positions on the bottom of the boat, I place guide plates which run
against the side surfaces of the rails, or I may use other suitable arrangements to
prevent the boat launching at an angle. Also on the bottom of the boat, in
suitable positions, I place small rollers or wheels to bear on the upper surface of
the before mentioned rails, or I can use other suitable arrangements for preventing
the body of the boat from canting.
I secure the boats with suitable gripes or lashings, so arranged as to prevent
sideway & upward movement. These gripes or lashings terminate with eyes or
rings which pass over horns and release themselves when only one lashing is cut.
Thus my boat can be launched by one man cutting the gripes and disengaging the
stoppers from the notched rail, which will leave the boat free to roll off into the
water broadside on, or to float off should the vessel on which it is placed founder
before the boat is launched.
Instead of the above method I can place the boat on the deck or carrier broadside
on, with a chock or chocks on the inner side, and lashings passel over the body of
the boat and so fastened that when the boat is required to be launched this can be
done by simply cutting the gripes or lashings, the boat being then free to roll off
on its revolving ends outwardly.
Dated this 10th day of April 1805
Improvements in the Design and Construction of Life Boats, and in
the Means for Stowing and Launching the same.
I, EDWARD JORDAN HOUGH of 101 Leadenhall Street in the City of
London, 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:-
The object of the present invention is to provide improved lifeboats, the invention
being specially applicable to the requirements of ships. To this end the invention
consists in various improved constructions and combinations of parts in the boats
and appliances of revolving ended or other boats, such appliances including the
carriers, skids or ways, upon which such boats are stowed or carried, and are of
such a nature as will enable one man to transport a boat so constructed and with
such appliances, from where it may be stowed, to the ship's side, ready for getting
overboard in a short space of time, such transportation being effected by utilizing
the motion of rolling, or listing of the vessel.
The above referred to constructions and combinations also bring the movements of
the lifeboat under the control of a man within the boat, who transports it.
They also have the effect of rendering the launching of such boats safe; further
they enable the people to get into the boat while on board the vessel without injury
to the boat or danger to the people, or materially interfering with the operation of
getting such boat overboard. And in addition to the foregoing, the self righting
powers of such boat are increased thereby.
For a full understanding of the invention a detailed description of the same will
now be given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which are
shewn a life boat and various parts of same, embodying the invention in its
preferred form.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the boat.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan of the boat.
Fig. 3 is a section of the end of the boat at the first fender belts.
Fig. 4 is a section of the end of the boat, at the second fender belt or wheel of
the boat.
Fig. 5 is a section of the body of the boat.
Fig. 6 is an end view of a tier of boats stowed on the carriers, skids or ways.
Fig. 7 is a plan of such carriers, skids or ways, shewing a plan of the notched
bars that are caught or engaged by the stoppers through the bottom of the boat,
and by which the boat is instantaneously secured or released, the said stoppers being
shewn in Figs. 11 and 12, also a plan of vertical guide plates.
Fig. 8 shews sections of notched bars and vertical guide plates.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the body and parts of the ends of a boat shewing
positions of vertical guide plates N N.
Fig. 10 is a plan of the body and parts of ends shewing positions of vertical guide
plates which project upwards between the body and ends of the boat, to prevent it
running at an angle, as shewn in Figure 9.
Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of the body of the boat shewing system for
strengthening which by preference I use. Also a side view of stoppers projecting
through the boat's bottom to engage the notched bars shewn in Figs. 7 and 8, one
of the stoppers being extended above to form a lever. Both stoppers being
connected together one man in the boat can work both.
.
Fig. 12 is a section of the body of the boat shewing floating chambers at the
sides, also the concave bottom for air cushioning to relieve the fall of the boat, and
the double bottom for ballast and self righting purposes and a cross view of a
stopper engaging a notched bar.
Fig. 13 is a tube for the admission and outlet of the water into and out of the
double bottom.
Fig. 14 is a plug for closing the tube.
Fig. 15 is a section of one end of the boat shewing division plates.
Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 are sections of fender belts.
Referring to said drawings Fig. 1 A A are side views of the two ends of the
boat, fixed or running loose on an axle or shaft, these ends being encircled by
fender belts B, B, B, B one of which on each end forms a wheel on which the boat
is transported to the ship's side ready for launching or lowering. The fender belts
are made to project sufficiently to protect the boat when in contact with the ship's
side or other object. C is a side view of the body of the boat, through which the
axle or shaft passes, fixed or otherwise, but so arranged that the body cannot revolve
with the ends.
Fig. 3. B is the surrounding fender belt at this section, to prevent injury to boat's
end, when striking an object at an angle.
Fig. 4. B is the wheel fender belt.
It will be seen that when the boats gripes or lashings are cut, and the ship rolls
or lists, the boat being supported on the wheels, will go with the movement of
the ship.
To prevent the boat moving when the ship rolls in the wrong direction the man
within the boat at the stopper lever, will cause the lower ends of the stoppers to
catch or engage the notched bars on the ways, and release them again, when the
ship moves in the desired direction.
The stoppers being swung on fulcrums at D. D. Figs. 11 and 12 will admit of
fore and aft movement. At each end of the notched bars a tooth projects
sufficiently to prevent the stopper passing it until the lever is put down into the
bottom of the boat, thus preventing the boat leaving the ways by accident or
oversight. See Fig. 7, E, E, E, E.
To prevent ends filling with water when damaged, I may use division plates,
Fig. 15.
To increase the self righting powers of the boat, I. employ a double bottom

page_text: which rapidly fills itself with water when the boat is afloat. This water tending to
prevent the boat capsizing and acting as a weight to bring it round when capsized
see Fig. 12. F.
For the purpose of quickly filling and emptying the double bottom, and retaining
the water when filled, I use a number of pipes of suitable size which pass through
the water space in the double bottom and are secured at the top and bottom ends
to the floor and bottom of the boat. Round the sides at both ends of the pipes, (and
within the water space of double bottom) holes are made, the water passes through
the lower holes and the air through the upper ones. See Fig. 13. To. retain the
water in double bottom I use plugs of wood or other suitable material so shaped
that when they are dropped into the tubes, they will cover the holes in the sides of
the tubes see Fig. 14.
To give increased stability, I remove all floating power from the central part of
the body and confine it to the side boxes. See Fig. 12. G, G.
To prevent injury to the boat or an extreme shock to the people in it when
launched, provide air cushioning to the bottom by making all parts of the bottom
concave, that cannot be sharp or circular, the air escaping relatively slowly from
such concave parts will give a cushioning. Fig. 12.
To strengthen the boat sufficiently to admit of the people getting into it without
injury to the boat while on board the vessel, and resting on its revolving ends,
I convert the axle or shaft and bottom of the boat into a girder by means of
a combination of light diagonal stays, with the thwart stanchions to form the web
of such girder.
I effect this by attaching the upper ends of the diagonal stays to flanged collars
at each end of the boat's body and the lower end to the boats keelson. These collars
are secured to the boat and the axle or shaft passes through them.
When the axle is made to revolve in the body of the boat, the thrusts of these
collars, caused by the pull of the diagonal stays are taken by a thrust collar secured
to the axle.
The thwart stanchions are tubes secured to the boat's keelsons, and have rings or
eyes at the top ends to connect them to the axle, and these rings or eyes are made
a slack fit to the axle, when the axle is made to revolve in the body of the boat,
and thus form journals for the axle. Fig. 11 H H are the diagonal stays; I, I, the
collars to which they are attached K, K, the fixed thrust collars on shaft, L, L,
L, L, the eyes or journals at top ends of thwart stanchions. To further strengthen
the boat I secure the floating boxes to the sides and ends of the body, in such a
manner as will secure the maximum strength.
To prevent the boat canting on the ways while the people are getting into it, and
causing the bilges to press on the ways and impede the movements of the boat,
I use small rollers in the bilges which are so placed, as not to take more weight of
the boat than what is due to canting. See Fig. 12 M, M.
To make the encircling belts as light as possible, I construct then of metal made
hollow, in such form that either the metal comes in contact with the object struck,
or the blow is received by a soft protective substance. Figs. 16 and 17.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a rolling ended life boat, of a form of body and
appliances that will permit of the motion of a vessel when rolling, or the angle
caused by listing, being exclusively employed as a force for the purpose of
transporting in a straight line, such boat from where it may be stowed, to the
ships side into a position for putting it overboard, and while being thus transported,
the control of the boat's movements to be retained by a man within the boat.
By preference I use an arrangement consisting of a body with apertures in the
bottom and stoppers projecting through them, these stoppers engaging notched

page_text: bars, attached to or forming part of ways, skids or carriers, also guide plates to.
keep the boat in a straight line, and rollers in the bilges of the boat to prevent
canting, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a rolling ended life boat of a system of strengthening
that will permit the people getting into the boat while on board of the ship, sub-
stantially as described.
3. The making of a life bont's bottom concave to form an air cushioning sub-
stantially as described.
4. The combination with a rolling ended life boat, of a double bottom for ballast
and self righting purposes, substantially ss described.
5. The making of fender belts of a rolling ended life boat, substantially as
described.
6. The combination with a rolling ended life boat, of floating chambers at the
sides of the body of the boat, for the purpose of limiting the floating powers of the
body of such boat, to such chambers, and thereby increasing the stability of such
boat, substantially as described.
January ath 1900
EDWARD J. HOUGH.