IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BUOYS, BOATS, PONTOONS, OR FLOATING APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR BEING EMPLOYED FOR RESCUING PERSONS IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR DISASTER AT SEA, APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS OTHER LIKE USEFUL PURPOSES, OR FOR TRANSPORT USE ACROSS LAND, RIVER, AND SEA
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Ray Hodgson and
Thomas Whittle Sweet at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd April 1875.
We, JOSEPH RAY HODGSON, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex,
and THOMAS WHITTLE SWEET, of Exmouth, in the County of Devon, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LIFE BUOYS, BOATS, PONTOONS, OR FLOATING APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR BEING
EMPLOYED FOR RESCUING PERSONS IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR DISASTER AT SEA,
APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS OTHER LIKE USEFUL PURPOSES, OR FOR TRANSPORT USE
ACROSS LAND, RIVER, AND SEA," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in life buoys, boats, pontoons,
or floating apparatus, suitable for being employed for rescuing persons
in caso of shipwreck or disaster at sea, applicable to various other like
useful purposes, or for transport use across land, river, and sea.
Pontoons constructed in accordance with our improvements may be
employed for throwing bridges across rivers, or for landing troops, horses,
guns, baggage, wagons, or to be used as a long boat, launch, or man of
war's pinnace, or as a float for raising sunken vessels, landing piers, or
as a sledge on ice.

page_text: be
According to this Invention we construct a buoy or boat having a
central space, the surrounding parts being so formed as to be buoyant,
and so prevent the buoy or boat from sinking, the buoy or boat being so
formed as to afford the same means of rescue whichever way it
may
uppermost in the water. The transverse section of the sides and bows
of the buoy or boat may advantageously be of a round or curved form.
A keel may according to our Invention be continued along each side
(top or bottom) so far as the same can be worked straight, and may be
used as ribs or gunwales whichever side be uppermost, and may also be
used to admit water for ballast, provisions, or otherwise.
According to our Invention we surround the buoy or boat with a rope
or chain which may be round or flat in form, such rope being either for
the purpose of towing or hoisting the buoy or boat; and we attach to
such rope loops, belts, or ropes to aid in the rescue of persons in the
water.
"
In order to protect persons within the buoy or boat, according to our
Invention, we provide network, which it is desirable should be in
sections, and so arranged as to be capable of travelling fore and aft on
"jackstays" or guides.
We also provide moveable hoops or brackets which can be employed
to raise the network above the persons within the buoy or boat, which-
ever way it may be uppermost; and in case of the buoy or boat being
turned over the network which was above will be below, and that which
was below will be above the persons within it.
Canvas may also be arranged according to our Invention to run fore
and aft and form a tube or otherwise for the protection of the persons
using the apparatus, and the buoy or boat may be provided with a single
or double bottom, or with a grating to form a bottom.
In case of storm, fire, collisions, or other disasters at sea, according to
our Invention, the buoy or boat may be opened at any moment so as to
form two distinct buoys or boats, or a double boat. We propose to build
the said buoy or boat with lowering apparatus so as to be able to launch
the same at a moment's notice from any ship's davits, quarterdeck, or
steam boat's bridge, or tops of deck houses, in single or double form. The
buoyant parts of the buoy or boat and the keels and gunwales may be.
formed either solid or tubular of metal, wood, cork, india-rubber, canvas,

page_text: or other light material alone, or combined with other materials. We
propose to build this buoy or boat with double tubes placed fore and aft on
either side of each half of the said buoy or boat, straight or curved, and
to have a thickness of cork, wood, or other light material placed between
the inner and outer tubes of each half of the said buoy or boat, or the
said tubes may be placed as above mentioned without the use of cork,
wood, or any other light material, the said tubing may be placed in one
piece or pieces partitioned, in order that one piece becoming disarranged
the boat will not lose its buoyancy thereby. The said buoy or boat may
be built to suit the size of any skylight, hatchway, combings, or can be
used as a life buoy to be dropped from a ship's stern in case of any
person falling or being washed overboard; the said life buoy may be
provided with oars, mast, and sail, or any other gear that may be
required.
Wheels and axles may ha annlied to any suitable part of the buoy or