Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
I EDWARD LAWSON, of Charlotte Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Bedstead Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In former Specifications numbered respectively 3624 of 1882, 2076 of 1886 and
2951 of 1887 there are described various arrangements of fittings whereby ships' or
In some
other berths can be folded or turned up out of the way when not in use.
of these arrangements the berth when it has to be turned up is first made to move or
slide outwards to give space for the bedding between the ship's side or other part
and the folded or turned up berth; in others of the arrangements the inner side of
the berth has connected to it the lower ends of arms, links or lugs the upper ends of
which are hinged, centred or pivoted on pintles, pins or gudgeons secured to the
bulkhead or other support; in others again the ends of the berth are provided with
pivots at some distance from the back, and the berth as it is being turned up moves
upon these pivots. In some of the arrangements referred to the lower edge of the
berth when turned up (while still allowing the necessary space for the bedding)
occupies a position neither higher nor lower than that of the bottom of the berth when
in its normal position or turned down ; .this is of importance when the space between
the berth in its normal position and the deck or a beam above is limited.
The present invention more particularly relates to making berths, which are
provided with fittings such as those referred to, self-supporting, that is to say,
supported after the manner of a cantilever from the bulkhead or side of the ship's
cabin, there being no pillars or like supports resting upon the cabin floor nor any
support attached to the ends of the cabin.
For the purpose of my invention I employ at each end of the berth an inclined
rigid rod or strut the outer end of which is hinged or jointed to the end bar of the
berth frame preferably at its outer end while the inner and lower end of the rod or
strut normally bears against a bracket or against a shoulder on a bracket fixed to the
bulkhead or side of the cabin; this bracket may be a separate bracket but it will

page_text: generally be part of the bracket which carries the pin, gudgeon or centre on which
the berth turns as it is being moved up or down. The inner end of the rod or strut
is not fixed to the bracket against which it bears but is hinged to the lower end of
a link the upper end of which is hinged to the bracket or to a lug on the bracket;
or the inner end of the rod or strut has a pin which is normally at the bottom of a
vertical slot in the bracket.
When the berth is in its normal position the rods or struts extend in an inclined
direction from the outer part of the berth frame down to the brackets against which
their inner ends bear and the berth is thereby firmly supported in a horizontal
position, the shoulders on the brackets receiving the thrust and thereby relieving the
links; the shoulders may be lined with rubber or other material to receive the shock
should the berth be hurriedly lowered. To turn the berth up it is only necessary to
lift it by its outer side when its inner side will turn upon the supporting pins or
gudgeons until the vertical position is reached. During this movement the links
connecting the inner ends of the struts to the brackets will turn upon their upper
joints and will thus allow the struts to participate in the upward movement of the
berth and to finally take up a vertical or nearly vertical position in line with the
end bars of the berth frame; or if the inner ends of the struts are not connected to
links but have pins in vertical slots as above described the pins move up the slots and
thereby allow the struts to participate in the upward movement of the berth.
In the preferred arrangement the links which attach the inner ends of the inclined
struts to the brackets are connected to the brackets at a point which projects from
the bulkhead a distance about equal to half the distance of the struts from the
bulkhead when the berth is turned up. This gives the greatest possible space below
the turned up berth to receive the berth below when turned up; the berths can
therefore be placed nearer together. In another arrangement the upper joints of the
links that connect the struts to the brackets are about level with the joints of links
which support the inner end of the berth.
The invention comprises a novel connection between the berth frame and the
brackets on the bulkhead to provide for the lower edge of the berth when turned up
occupying a position neither higher nor lower than that of the bottom of the berth
when turned down, while allowing sufficient space for bedding between the turned
up berth and the bulkhead. The pins or gudgeons on which the berth pivots or
turns are attached to the brackets at about three inches from the bulkhead behind ;
these pins or gudgeons are connected by links or arms that are normally horizontal
to vertical pins about three inches high standing up from the inner ends of the end
bars of the berth. When the berth is turned upon the pivots into the vertical
position the links or arms move down into a vertical position while the vertical pins
assume a horizontal position. The length of these pins added to the distance of
the pivots from the bulkhead makes up the width of about six inches required for
the bedding while as the pivots divide these six inches into two equal parts the
lower edge of the berth when turned up is on the same level as when the berth
is down.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Ships' or other Berths.
I EDWARD LAWSON, of Charlotte Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Bedstead Manufacturer, 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
in and by the following statement :-
In former Specifications numbered respectively 3624 of 1882, 2076 of 1886
and 2951 of 1887 there are described various arrangements of fittings whereby ships'
or other berths can be folded or turned up out of the way when not in use.
In some
of these arrangements the berth when it has to be turned up is first made to move or
slide outwards to give space for the bedding between the ship's side or other part and
the folded or turned up berth; in others of the arrangements the inner side of the
berth has connected to it the lower ends of arms, links or lugs the upper ends of which
are hinged, centred or pivoted on pintles, pins or gudgeons secured to the bulkhead or
other support; in others again the ends of the berth are provided with pivots at some
distance from the back, and the berth as it is being turned up moves upon these pivots.
In some of the arrangements referred to the lower edge of the berth when turned up
(while still allowing the necessary space for the bedding) occupies a position neither
higher nor lower than that of the bottom of the berth when in its norimal position or
turned down.
The present invention more particularly relates to making berths, which are provided
with fittings such as those referred to, self-supporting, that is to say supported after
the manner of a cantilever from the bulkhead, there being no pillars or like supports
resting upon the cabin floor nor any other supports attached to the cabin.
For the purpose of my invention I employ at each end of the berth an inclined rigid
rod or strut the outer end of which is hinged or jointed to the end bar of the berth
frame preferably at its outer end while the inner and lower end of the rod or strut
normally bears against a bracket or against a shoulder on a bracket fixed to the
bulkhead this bracket may be a separate bracket but it will generally be part of the
bracket which carries the pin, gudgeon or centre on which the berth turns as it is
being moved up or down. The inner end of the rod or strut is not fixed to the bracket
against which it bears but is hinged to the lower end of a link the upper end of which
is hinged to the bracket or to a lug on the bracket; or the inner end of the rod or
strut has a pin which is normally at the bottom of a vertical slot in the bracket.
When the berth is in its normal position the rods or struts extend in an inclined
direction from the outer part of the berth frame down to the brackets against which
their inner ends bear and the berth is thereby firmly supported in a horizontal position,
the shoulders on the brackets receiving the thrust and thereby relieving the links; the
shoulders may be lined with rubber or other material to receive the shock should the
berth be hurriedly lowered. To turn the berth up it is only necessary to lift it by its
outer side when its inner side will turn upon the supporting pins or gudgeons until
the vertical position is reached. During this movement the links connecting the inner
ends of the struts to the brackets will turn upon their upper joints and will thus allow

page_text: the struts to participate in the upward movement of the berth and to finally take up a
vertical or nearly vertical position in line with the end bars of the berth frame; or if
the inner ends of the struts are not connected to links but have pins in vertical slots
as above described the pins move up the slots and thereby allow the struts to participate
in the upward movement of the berth.
In the preferred arrangement the links which attach the inner ends of the inclined
struts, to the brackets are connected to the brackets at a point which projects from the
bulkhead a distance about equal to half the distance of the struts from the bulkhead
when the berth is turned up. This gives the greatest possible space below the turned
up berth to receive the berth below when turned up; the berths can therefore be
placed nearer together. In another-arrangement-the upper joints of the links that
connect the struts to the brackets are about level with the joints of the links which
support the inner end of the berth.
The invention comprises a novel connection between the herth frame and the
brackets on the bulkhead to provide for the lower edge of the berth when turned up
occupying a position.neither higher nor lower than that of the bottom of the berth
when turned down, while allowing sufficient space for bedding between the turned up
berth and the bulkhead. The pins or gudgeons on which the berth pivots or turns
are attached to the brackets at about 3 inches from the bulkhead behind, these pins or
gudgeons are connected by links or arms that are normally horizontal to vertical pins
about 3 inches high standing up from the inner ends of the end bars of the berth.
When the berth is turned up on the pivots into the vertical position the links or arms
move down into a vertical position while the vertical pins assume a horizontal position.
The length of these pins added to the distance of the pivots from the bulkhead makes
up the width of about 6 inches required for the bedding while as the pivots divide these
6 inches into 2 equal parts the lower edge of the berth when turned up is on the same
level as when the berth is down.
The accompanying drawings represent several modifications of my invention.
Figure 1 is an end elevation illustrating the preferred arrangement, the berth being
shown in its normal position, that is to say when turned down. Figure 2 shows the
parts in the position they occupy when turned up. The figures show the fittings at
one end of the berth only; it will of course be understood that there are corresponding
fittings at the other end of the berth. a, represents the end bar of the berth frame.
b is an inclined rigid rod or strut the outer end of which is hinged or jointed at c to
the bar a while the inner and lower end normally bears against a bracket d fixed to
the bulkhead; this bracket is shown as forming part of the bracket which carries the
pin, gudgeon or centre on which the berth turns as it is being moved up or down but
it may be a separate bracket if found more convenient. The inner end of the rod or
strut b is not fixed to the bracket d but is hinged at to the lower end of a linke the
upper end of which is hinged at f¹ to a lug on the bracket. The distance of the
hinge from the bulkhead is about equal to half the distance of the strut b from
the bulkhead when the berth is turned up, as in Figure 2, so that the greatest possible
space is given below the turned up berth to receive the berth below when turned up
and the berths can therefore be placed as near together as can be possibly arranged.
Figures 1 and 2 also represent the novel connection hereinbefore described between
the berth frame a and the bracket d on the bulkhead to provide for the lower edge of
the berth when turned up occupying a position neither higher nor lower than that
of the bottom of the berth when turned down while allowing sufficient space for hedding
between the turned up berth and the bulkhead. The pin or gudgeon h on which the
berth pivots or turns is attached to the bracket at about 3 inches from the bulkhead,
that is to say, at the end of a lug or projection about 3 inches long. The pin or
gudgeon is connected by a link or arm k which is normally horizontal to a vertical
pin about 3 inches high standing up from the end bar a of the berth frame.
The position of the parts when the berth is turned up is clearly seen in Figure 2.
Figures 3 and 4 represent another modification of my inclined rod or strut
arrangement, and Figures 5 and 6 a third modification. The same letters of reference
as those in Figures 1-and-2 are used to indicate corresponding parts.

page_text: Figures 7 and 8 represent a modification in which the inclined rods or struts & are
jointed to the end bars a of the frame at about the middle thereof instead of at the
outer end as in the modifications seen in Figures 1 to 6.
Figures 9 and 10 represent a modification in which also the inclined rods or struts b
are jointed to the middle of the end bars a and in which the inner ends of the said rods
are not hinged to links as in the modifications seen in Figures 1 to 8 but have pins m.
These pins are normally at the bottom of vertical slots n in the brackets d but as the
berth is being turned up they move up the slots and thereby allow the struts b to
participate in the upward movement (see Fig 10).
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. The construction of fold up berths with inclined rigid rods or struts which are
hinged at their outer ends to the berth frame and have their inner ends normally
bearing against brackets or against shoulders on brackets fixed to the bulkhead, the
said inner ends not being fixed to the brackets but being hinged to links which are
hinged to the brackets or having pins which are normally at the bottom of slots in the
brackets, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. The novel connection between a fold up berth frame and the brackets on the
bulkhead as hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 1 and 2 to provide for
the lower edge of the berth when turned up occupying a position neither higher nor
lower than that of the bottom of the berth when turned down while allowing sufficient
space for bedding between the turned up berth and the bulkhead.
3. The several constructions or arrangements of fold up berths hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawings.