Improvements in or relating to Ships' or other Berths.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Ships' or other Berths.
1, HENRY LEA of 38 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
My improvements relate to Ships' or other berths which can be turned up when
not in use, and more particularly to those in which the turning up is effected by
rotating the berth upon a horizontal axis situated at some distance from the bulkhead,
or inner edge of the berth frame, and at some distance below the plane of the frame
for the purpose of causing the inner edge of the frame to descend while the frame is
being turned up, and for the purpose of preserving a certain space for the bedding
between the bulkhead and the berth frame when the latter is turned up. A berth
constructed in this manner is described in the Provisional Specification left with the
application for Patent of Edward Lawson, Edwin William De Rusett and myself on
the 18th May 1888, No. 7384. If, with a berth thus arranged, there are employed
lugs projecting from the inner side bar of the berth frame, like those described and
shown in the Specification of the Letters Patent granted to Edward Lawson and
Edwin De Ruselt on the 31st July 1882, No. 5624, for the purpose of preventing the
bedding from slipping down when the berth is turned up, the said lugs do not readily
clear the bulkhead unless made shorter than they would otherwise be made, because
of the berth pivoting on a point below the frame.
Now according to my invention, I arrange that while the pivot may be placed as
low as may be desired, the lugs for supporting the bedding when the berth is turned
up may be made of ample length, without any tendency to foul, or rub against the
bulkhead.
In carrying out my invention I attach the lugs to the exterior of a sleeve or tube
which surrounds, and turns freely upon the tube or bar which forms the inner side of
the berth frame. The lugs may be two, three, or four or more in number, disposed
at equal intervals along the said outer tube.
To one end of the said sleeve or tube I attach an arm, projecting downwards, and
I provide a link, pivoted at one end to the said arm. and at the other end to a fixed
stud, which is preferably upon the bracket which supports the pivot of the berth
frame. By properly proportioning the parts, the following action is obtained:
--
When the berth is in use the lugs are held rigidly vertical, and the bedding lies
against them.
As the berth is turned up by raising the front, or outer side, the action of the link
causes the lugs to remain vertical, or nearly vertical, during the first part of their
descent, whereby their upper ends are prevented from touching the bulkhead. When
the inner side of the berth frame has completed about one-half its motion, the lugs
make a somewhat acute angle with the plane of the berth frame. From this point,
and during the remainder of the motion of the berth frame, the link gradually restores
the lugs to a position at right angles to the plane of the berth frame, so that when
the latter has been fully turned up, the said lugs are again at right angles to the
plane of the berth frame, and form horizontal supports underneath the lower edge of
the bedding.
As the berth is turned down the reverse action takes place.
Instead of one long sleeve or outer tube carrying all the lugs, I can employ two
shorter sleeves or tubes, namely, one at each end of the bar or tube which forms the
inner side of the berth frame.
Upon each sleeve or tube I attach two lugs. The two separate sets of lugs thus
the two brookets be two

page_text: separate links, whereby each short sleeve or tube with its two lugs is worked inde-
pendently.
Or I can omit the sleeve or sleeves altogether and provide two lugs only, two lower
arms, and two links, namely one at each end of the berth frame, and I then connect
the upper ends of the two lugs by a horizontal tube or bar, which moves with the
said lugs, and holds the bedding in all positions of the berth frame as before
described.
Toil
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Ships' or other Berths.
I, HENRY LEA of 38 Bennett's Hill, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Consulting Engineer, 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 :-
My improvements relate to ships' or other berths which can be turned up when not
in use and more particularly to those in which the turning up is effected by rotating
the berth upon a horizontal axis situated at some distance from the bulkhead or
inner edge of the berth frame and at some distance below the plane of the frame for
the purpose of causing the inner edge of the frame to descend while the frame is
being turned up, and for the purpose of preserving a certain space for the bedding
between the bulkhead and the berth frame when the latter is turned up. A bertli
constructed in this manner is described in the Specification of the Letters Patent of
Edward Lawson, Edwin William De Rusett and myself dated the 18th May 1888,
No. 7384.
If with a berth thus arranged there are employed lugs projecting from the inner
side bar of the berth frame like those described and shown in the Specification of
the Letters Patent granted to Edward Lawson and Edwin William De Rusett on the
31st July 1882, No. 3624, for the purpose of preventing the bedding from slipping
down when the berth is turned up, the said lugs do not readily clear the bulkhead
unless made shorter than they would otherwise be made, because of the berth pivoting
on a point below the frame.
Now, according to my invention, I arrange that while the pivot may be placed as
low as may be desired, the lugs for supporting the bedding when the berth is turned
up may be made of ample length without any tendency to foul or rub against the
bulkhead.
In carrying out my invention [attach the lugs to the exterior of a sleeve or tube
which surrounds and turns freely upon the tube or bar which forms the inner side
of the berth frame. The lugs may be two, three or four or more in number, disposed
at intervals along the said outer tube.
To one end of the said sleeve or tube I attach an arm projecting downwards, and
I provide a link pivoted at one end to the said arm and at the other end to a fixed
point which is preferably upon the bracket which supports the pivot of the berth
frame. By properly proportioning the parts the following action is obtained,
When the berth is in use the lugs are held rigidly vertical and the bedding lies
against them. As the berth is turned up by raising the front or outer side the action
of the link causes the lugs to remain vertical or nearly vertical during the first part
of their descent, whereby their upper ends are prevented from touching the bulk-
head. When the inner side of the berth frame has completed about one half its
motion the lugs make a somewhat acute angle with the plane of the berth frame.
From this point and during the remainder of the motion of the berth frame the link
gradually restores the lugs to a position at right angles to the plane of the berth
frame, so that when the latter has been fully turned up the said lugs are again at

page_text: right angles to the plane of the berth frame and forin horizontal supports underneath
the lower edge of the bedding. As the berth is turned down the reverse action takes
place.
Instead of one long sleeve or outer tube carrying all the lugs I can employ two
shorter sleeves or tubes, namely one at each end of the bar or tube which forms the
inner side of the berth frame. Upon each of these sleeves or tubes I attach two lugs.
The two separate sets of lugs thus formed are worked by two separate arms connected
to the two brackets by two separate links whereby each short sleeve or tube with its
two lugs is worked independently.
Or can omit the sleeve or sleeves altogether and provide two lugs only, two lower
arms and two links, namely one at each end of the berth frame, and I then connect
the upper ends of the two lugs by a horizontal plate, rod, tube or bar which moves
with the said lugs and holds the bedding in all positions of the berth frame, as before
described.
The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention. Figure 1 is an
end elevation showing the berth when turned down. Figure 2 is a side elevation of
the same.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the berth when turned up. Figure 4 is a
sido elevation and Figure 5 a sectional plan of a bell crank arrangement for securing
the parts in their proper places, and for allowing the berth to be unshipped if
required. Figure 6 is an end elevation of one of the supporting brackets showing
the locking apparatus, and Figure 7 is a plan of one end of the berth showing the
locking pin. Figure 8 is an elevation of a modification of my invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a is the end bar and a¹ is the back bar of
the berth frame, united by the corner a². b is an arm attached to and projecting
below the end bar a and having a gudgeon which rests and turns in a notch in
the bracket c. The bracket c is bolted to the bulkbead A of the cabin by the bolts c¹.
When the berth frame is turned down it occupies the position shown in Figure 1
and it is prevented from tilting by the upper surface of the corner a³ resting against
the flange or stop c³ forming part of the bracket c. When the berth frame is turned
up it occupies the position shown in Figure 3 in which it will be seen that the back
bar a' has descended below the bracket c while the end bar a and consequently the
wire-wove or other mattrass which occupies the same plane stands at such a moderate
distance from the bulkhead as to conveniently retain the bedding. d d are lugs
which prevent the bedding from falling when the berth is turned up, as in Figure 3.
d', Figure 2, is a longitudinal plate having a stiffened upper edge. and being secured
to the lugs d d by rivets or otherwise for the purpose of retaining the bedding along
the whole length of the berth; or if the plate d be omitted other lugs not shown
may be added at shorter intervals between the end lugs & d, to take the place of the
plato d'.
According to my present invention the lugs d d are secured by moans of bosses d² d'
to an outer tube or sleeve ³ through which the back bar of the berth frame a¹
passes and acts as an axis upon which the sleeve d³ may turn. e is a bent arm
attached to one end boss d² and having a pin e' which enters a hole in one end of a
link. The other end of the link has a collar gudgeon somewhat similar to the
aforesaid gudgeon 6¹. The gudgeon enters a notch 2 formed in the bracket c.
The centre of the pin e', the length of the link and the centre of the notch f² are
so arranged in relation to the centre of the gudgeon that when the berth frame is
turned down as in Figure 1 the lugs d d are held rigidly in a vertical or nearly
vertical position. As the berth frame is turned up the link so controls the move-
ment of the bent arm e as to prevent the lugs dd from touching the bulkhead A
which they would do if they were fixtures upon the back bar a', for their outer ends
would then follow the circular are shown by the dotted line in Figure 1, whereas,
being under the control of the link f, they are caused to follow such a curve that
their outer extremities miss the bulkhead A as indicated by the dotted lines in
Figure 3, which show the angle which the lugs assume in one position during the
turning up of the berth.

page_text: When the berth frame is fully turned up the lugs d d are held in the position
shown in full lines in Figure 3 and support the bedding as aforesaid. During the
return movement of the berth frame the outer extremities of the lugs d d follow the
same curve as during the turning up of the berth frame, clearing the bulkhead and
finally arriving at the position shown in Figure 1.
When the berth frame has been nearly turned up a pin i, Figures 6 and 7, fixed
to the end bar a of the berth frame depresses the locking catch which is pivoted on
a pin and the pin i then enters a pocket formed upon the bracket. The catch k
then returns by virtue of the weight of its arm 2 and locks the pin i so as to prevent
the berth frame from being turned down until the catch has been depressed by
hand so as to release the pin i. I usually attach the catch to one of the brackets c
aud the link to the other of the brackets c.
Figure 4 is a bell crank turning upon a pin g' attached to the bracket c. When
this bell crank is in the position shown in Figure 4 the notches in its two extremities
prevent the escape of the two gudgeons and f¹ from their respective notches;
but when the bell crank is turned in the direction of the arrow in Figure 4 the said
gudgeons are free to be moved out of their respective notches and the berth frame
can then be readily unshipped by simply lifting it out of its place.
Figure 8 shows a modification of my invention in which the long sleeve d³ is
omitted and two separate shorter sleeves are substituted, each carrying two or
more of the lugs d d. One sleeve only is seen in Figure 8 the other being at the other
end of the berth frame. In this modification I employ a bent arm e and a link at
each end of the berth so as to afford independent control to the two separate
sleeves d'
In another modification I omit the sleeves altogether and canse the bosses of the
two end lugs to turn upon the back bar a'. I control them independently, as last
described, and I unite the upper extremities of the lugs by a plate such as already
described and as shown at Figure 2. This modification will be clearly understood
without further illustration.
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
in respect of ships' or other berths is :-
1. In a turn-up berth, an arrangement in which the lugs for supporting the
bedding when the berth is turned up are so controlled during the movement of the
berth as not to foul or rub against the bulkhead, substantially as described.
2. The several particular arrangements substantially as described whereby the lugs
for supporting the bedding when the berth is turned up are so controlled during the
movement of the berth as not to foul or rub against the bulkhead.
Dated this 1st day of August 1889
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.