Year: 1897

page_text: 1, WILLIAM WALTER MCCGWIRE, of Clonea House, Dungarvan, in the County of
Waterford, Ireland, now temporarily residing at The Hotel Metropole, Dublin,
Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to life-boats and other vessels and comprises the improve-
ments hereinafter set forth.
My said invention consists in the construction of a life-boat either of wood or
metal, which cannot be sunk or capsized under any circumstances and which may
be driven either upon or against rocks, a ship's side, or other obstructions without
suffering any material injury from the impact resulting therefrom.
According to my said invention I enclose and floor the life-boat with an open
metal cage surrounded wholly or in parts by wire netting or equivalent material.
All these rise considerably above the waterline, and the cage will be attached by
strong metal or other arms to the frame of the boat. To the upper portions of
this cage I also secure one or more screens of wire netting or other open metal
work to break the force of the waves. To the outer edge of the floor of this cage
and along a part, or the whole of its extent, preferably about the middle, I secure
weights to act as ballast thereby rendering it necessary to carry little, if any,
ballast within the interior of the boat, my object being to utilize the necessary
ballast, not as a steadying weight only, but as levers, acting on the keel. It will
be seen then that the arms of the floor will represent a series of double levers having
for fulcrum the keel of the boat, to which fulcrum the said arms are securely
attached above and below.
At or near the waterline and lying in the space which will result from the above
arrangement between the cage and the boat, I provide collapsible floats enclosed
in metal wire cages one or several of which are placed on each side and also (if
need be) fore and aft. These floats I so arrange that they can be readily inflated
from a reservoir of compressed air or other means placed within the boat, and like-
wise be deflated by means of air pumps or other methods at will.
In order to break the force of the waves impinging upon these floats the walls
of which will be loose, not tight, I propose to surround or encage them with one
or more belts of wire netting or the like, having, when more than one are employed,
meshes of varying gauges, the smaller gauges in such a case being placed nearest
to the said floats.
My improved life-boat is driven preferably by means of compressed air, but
steam, electricity, or any other source of energy may be used instead. The engine
or motor is preferably connected to a shaft having a screw propeller at each end,
that is to say one situated at the bow and the other at the stern of the boat; or
four screw propellers mounted upon two parallel shafts may be employed, in which

page_text: case two of the said screws would operate at the bow and two at the stern, one on
each side of the centre line of the boat.
The engine room may advantageously be situated at or about amidships or slightly
forward and I prefer to provide air-tight compartments fore and aft thereof.
Above the forward air-tight compartment and communicating with the said engine
room I may also provide a suitable cabin.
The boat may be steered from a screened, shelter on the short, deck forming the
roof of the cabin, and the decking throughout may be arched or not as desired.
It is obvious that a portion or all of the above improvements may be applied to
any steamer or other vessels, or to light-ships or the like.
Da
11 1
T
1007
31
and
I, WILLIAM WALTER MCCGWIRE, of Clonca House, Dungarvan, in the County of
Waterford, Ireland, now temporarily residing at The Hotel Metropole, Dublin,
Surgeon, 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 invention relates to life-boats and other vessels and comprises the
improvements hereinafter set forth.
My said invention consists in the construction of a life-boat either of wood or
metal which cannot be sunk or capsized under any circumstances and which may
be driven either upon or against rocks, a ship's side, or other obstructions without
suffering any material injury from the impact resulting therefrom.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side view partly in vertical longitudinal central section, and
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line z, z Figure 1, showing my improved
life-boat.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the hull of the boat which, amidships, the central-third, or thereabouts, is
preferably built in the shape (or approximately so) of an equilateral triangle, the
keel a being placed in the centre of the base, and the said hull enclosed or
surrounded by an open metal cage or frame b, covered wholly or in parts by wire
netting or equivalent material c. This protecting cage or frame and network
covering rise considerably above the waterline and the said cage is attached to the
hulla by strong metal or other arms d, d. I also preferably secure one or more
screens e, e of wire or other netting to the upper portions of the above cage to break
the force of the waves. To the outer edge of the floor of this cage and along a part
of its extent I secure weights f to act as ballast, thereby rendering it necessary to
carry little, if any, ballast within the interior of the boat. This ballast, carried
outside the hull, will be seen to serve not only as steadying weights but also as
levers acting on the centre of gravity as a fulcrum. The arms of the floor will
represent, in fact, a series of double levers having for fulcrum the centre of gravity
immediately above the keel of the boat, and to this keel the said arms are securely
attached above and below.
g, g are collapsible floats or air-bags, which rest upon an open netting g', which
netting is secured at or near the water line in the space or clearance left between

page_text: the cage b and the hull a of the boat. The floats are suitably secured in the position
shown, and, furthermore, may be enclosed in metal wire or other cages and any
suitable number may be placed on each side as also fore and aft. The floats g are
so arranged, moreover, that they can be readily inflated from a reservoir of
compressed air or other means placed within the boat, and by means of air pumps
or other methods likewise be deflated at will. I preferably so inflate the said floats
that the walls thereof will be loose. his loose netting upon which any person may
jump from a vessel or other height. The deck is arched.
My improved life-boat may be driven by means of a compressed air engine i;
but stean, electricity, or any other suitable source of energy may be used instead.
The engine or motor i is preferably connected through a crank j¹ to a shaft j
running from end to end of the boat and having a screw propeller at each end
thereof, that is to say one situated at the bow and the other at the stern of the
boat. is the engine-room which is situated amidships or which may be located
slightly astern or in any other suitable position. m, m are water-tight compart-
ments situated fore and aft which compartments may, when desired, be used as
cabins, and receive the necessary supply of air through windsails n passing up
through the main deck o, arched deck o' and the spar deck 2, and terminating in
cowls n which are preferably fitted with valves to prevent the passage of any water
therethrough in the case of the boat being dropped into the sea from a ship's deck
or other place. is a similar windsail fitted with a cowl 2 for admitting air to
the engine-room . q is a cabin fitted with an air-tight door q' and located above
the forward water-tight compartment. m, r, r¹ are ladders or steps for admitting
of access to the spar deck p, and s is another ladder or steps affording (means of
communication between the main deck p and the engine room and the water-
tight compartments m which latter may be entered through air-tight doors m¹, m¹.
t, t are the rudders, one of which is located at each end of the boat, both being
used together or, in case of accident or the like, that one not available may be
firmly secured in position by lashing or otherwise. u is the steering wheel which
is situated upon the spar deck and is connected to the rudder in use by means of
cords, wires, or chains running over guide rollers w. x is a fender or guard
which runs completely round the protecting frame or cage b. Suitable gangways
extend at convenient points between the spar deck and the cage.
It is obvious that a portion or all of the above improvements may be applied to
any steamers or other vessels, or to light-ships or the like. Instead of two screw-
propellers as above described I may provide four screw propellers mounted upon
two parallel shafts in which case two of the said screw-propellers would operato
at the bow and two at the stern, one on each side of the centre line of the boat.
In order, moreover, to break the force of the waves impinging upon the floats
I may in some cases surround or oncase them with one or more belts of wire netting
or the like situated at a certain distance therefrom, and having, when more than
one are employed, meshes of varying gauges, the belts with the smaller gauges in
such a case being placed nearest to the said floats.
It is evident that the internal arrangements and the details of construction of
my improved boat or vessel may be considerably modified or varied without
departing from the scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An improved life boat or vessel triangular, or approximately so, in transverse
section, amidships, the central third or thereabouts, surrounded or enclosed by,
and firmly secured to, a protecting cage or frame, covered at and above the water
linc with wire netting or equivalent material, part of which protecting cage or
frame is provided at the outer or extreme edge of its floor or base with suitable ballast
weights, and at or above the water line with floats or air bags lying between the
hull and such cage, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The improved life boat or vessel constructed substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 27th day of July 1897
A. F. SPOONER,
323 High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicant.