IMPROVEMENTS IN CABIN FURNITURE FOR SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Bevan at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th March 1865.
I, CHARLES BEVAN, of 66, Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, in the County
of Middlesex, Cabinet Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CABIN FURNITURE FOR SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in so constructing tables and seats for cabins of ships
and other vessels that they are capable at all times of being brought to a
horizontal position though the vessel may be sailing on its side. For this
purpose I suspend metal or wooden beams of the shape of the letter T turned
upside down beneath the table top, the upright stem of these beams is provided
with horizontal centre pins working in gudgeons upon the framing on the top of
the two standards which support the table whilst the horizontal part of the T
beam passes below the cabin floor. Beneath the table is attached firmly a suit-
able iron or wood frame, to which is fixed the upright stems of the T beams,
the table oscillating upon the horizontal centre pins of the T beam on the two
standards which support the iron or other framing before described. And
for the seats to be used along the sides and in connexion with my improved
table I provide a framing as follows:-To the end of the horizontal arms of
the T beam belonging to the table before mentioned, which are beneath the
floor of the cabin, I fix metal quadrant plates by means of screws and nuts,
within the upper portion of the quadrant plates slots are formed for pins to

page_text: work in; these pins are fixed to suitable frames which are attached above the
floor; on the outer edges of the quadrant plates are formed segmented ratchets
into which pauls take, these pauls are attached to the same frames as the
pins that work within the slots in the quadrants, and beneath the seats is
fixed a similar framing to that before described as attached beneath the table
top, and to this framing is attached the quadrant plates. In order that the
table and seating may remain horizontal when the floor of the cabin has
become inclined either to the starboard or larboard during the sailing of the
vessel I remove the pauls from the ratchets attached to the arms of the T
beams on one side only by means of small chains or cords working over
pullies, which are provided for either purpose on each side of the table. These
chains or cords are fixed to a part of the frame attached to the floor as before
described, which part of the frame moves backwards and forwards on hinges
beneath the seat as required, and liberates the pauls, causing thereby the table
and seats to move together and assume the requisite position. And for the
ends of the table I also provide seats which oscillaté in the same direction
from side to side as the before-mentioned table and side seats; these seats
may be constructed as follows:-To the under side of the back and front
parts of the seat frame may be fixed similar horizontal centre pins which are
rivetted to a metal plate, and which plate is screwed securely to the underneath
side of the seat frame. The horizontal centre pins move freely within pierced
metal plates which receive them, and are attached to a separate frame beneath
and within the seat frame. To the sides of the seat frame is attached a
metal quadrant piece which moves with the seat frame, and is provided on
one of its edges with a ratchet held in position by a paul in a similar way to
that described before in the side seats. This paul is attached to a part of
the inner frame of the seat, and moves freely to allow of its being displaced
as required by means of a cord brought from it beneath the under part of the
seat frame to which it is attached. The withdrawal of the paul by the user
of the seat allows it to be adjusted to a horizontal position although the
cabin floor is in an oblique one.