Improvements in and connected with Pontoon Rafts for Saving Life at Sea.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Pontoon Rafts for Saving Life
at Sea.
I, JOHN JOSEPII MATHER, of Ash Bank House, High Street, Godley, Cheshire,
Wholesale Tea Dealer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention for improvements in pneumatic pontoons flotilla for saving life at
sea relates to a novel construction of pontoon flotilla with pneumatic detachable
bows for use in saving life at sea which can be readily stored on the deck of a ship
and as readily launched at any required time. This flotilla consists of a series of
pontoons or hollow closed casings containing compressed air to ensure buoyancy
and which casings or pontoons are braced together by suitable bars or rods at
suitable distances apart so as to permit of a boat being fixed between each set of
pontoons so as to form a pontoon flotilla.
The pontoons and boats are held together by means of cross stays front and back
with longitudinal stay bolts between thereby securing both the pontoons and boats
firmly together. These pontoons may be constructed either in wood, iron, steel or
other suitable materials and are for the purpose of saving life at sea; they can be
carried on board ship either whole or in segments. They may also be used on life
saving stations.
Each pontoon is provided with a hollow bow and made detachable so that in case
of damage it can be readily removed and exchanged for a fresh bow.
The rudder and steering apparatus are by preference applied to the central
pontoon.
To facilitate the launching of the pontoon from land, the underside is provided
with runners or rollers.
The boats are provided with awning hoops or frames at bow and stern and carry
any suitable coverings for protecting the passengers from the sea.
This pontoon flotilla may be made in various sizes, but the best size will be
about 4 square yards and about 5 feet deep so as not to take up too much room on
board ship. A flotilla of this size will carry 70 passengers under cover.
Owing to the spacings of the pontoons and the water being able to go between
them and the boats the flotilla is practically uncapsizable and may therefore be
launched into the roughest sea.
The tops of the boats are slightly higher than the pontoons so as to prevent the
seas washing over them into the boats and the bottoms are raised above the bottoms
of the pontoons to ensure of the blade of the screws being higher than the bottom
of the pontoons to obviate damage from floating pieces of wreck or from rocks or
the like.
The improved flotilla may be fitted with a steam or other engine or with an
electric motor and electric batteries for propelling purposes.
Dated this 6th day of April 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Pontoon Rafts for Saving Life
at Sea.
•
I JOHN JOSEPH MATHER, of Ash Bank House, High Street, Godley, Cheshire,
Wholesale Tea Dealer, 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 :-
This invention for improvements in and connected with pontoon rafts for saving
life at sea, relates to a novel construction of pontoon flotilla with pneumatic
detachable bows for use in saving life at sea which can be readily stored on the deck
of a ship and as readily launched at any required time. This flotilla consists of
series of pontoons or hollow closed casings containing compressed air to ensure
buoyancy, and which casings or pontoons are braced together by suitable bars or
rods at suitable distances apart so as to permit of a boat being fixed between each
set of pontoons so as to form a pontoon flotilla.
The pontoons and boats are held together by means of cross stays front and back
with longitudinal stay bolts between thereby securing both the pontoons and boats
firmly together. These pontoons may be constructed either in wood iron, steel or
other suitable materials and are for the purpose of saving life at sea; they can be
carried on board ship either whole or in segments. They may also be used on life
saving stations.
Each pontoon is provided with a hollow bow and made detachable so that in case
of damage it can be readily removed and exchanged for a fresh bow.
The rudder and steering apparatus are by preference applied to the central
pontoon.
To facilitate the launching of the pontoon flotilla from land, the underside is
provided with runners or rollers.
The boats are provided with awning hoops or frames at bow and stern, and carry
any suitable coverings for protecting the passengers from the sea.
This pontoon flotilla may be made in various sizes but the best size will be about
4 square yards and about 5 feet deep, so as not to take up too much room on board
ship. A flotilla of this size will carry 70 passengers under cover.
Owing to the spacings of the pontoons and the water being able to go between
them and the boats, the flotilla is practically uncapsizable and may therefore be
launched into the roughest sen.
The tops of the boats are slightly higher than the pontoons so as to prevent the
seas washing over them into the boats, and the bottoms are raised above the bottoms
of the pontoons to ensure of the blade of the screws being higher than the bottom
of the pontoons to obviate damage from floating pieces of a wreck or from rocks or
the like.
The improved flotilla may be fitted with a steam or other engine or with an
electric motor and electric batteries for propelling purposes.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:-Fig. 1 is a side elevation
of a pontoon flotilla constructed according to this invention with three pontoons
and two boats, and Fig. 2 is a back elevation, Fig. 3 an inverted plan and Fig. 4 a
front elevation of the same.
The three pontoous a a b of hollow steel and filled with compressed air are
braced together by the longitudinal bolts c and cross bars d at suitable distances
apart. Each outer pontoon a is provided at the top with a watertight provision
box e that may also form a seat. Rails are provided round the pontoon flotilla to
protect the passengers from being washed or falling overboard. The centre
pontoon b carries the steering gear 9 connected to the rudder h.

page_text: Each pontoon is provided at the front and the outer ones also at the back with a
detachable hollow bow i filled with compressed air and secured by the longitudinal
bolts c.
In case of damage they can thus be readily replaced. The centre
pontoon carries at the back the rudder h. The pontoon flotilla is provided with
rollers so that it can readily be moved either on the ships deck or on
the beach.
The boats m are supported between the pontoons by means of the catches n
engaging the upper cross bars d. They are provided with awning hoops o adapted
to support any suitable protective covering. The boats are provided with screws
that are above the level of the bottom of the pontoon.
Suitable buoys or floats are attached to the pontoon by ropes and enable any
person to easily draw themselves aboard.
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 is :
1. A pontoon raft consisting of a boat supported between two pontoons at a level
above the bottom of the pontoons, substantially as described.
2. A pontoon raft consisting of one or more boats supported between pneumatic
pontoons or air tight vessels filled with compressed air and suitably braced together
substantially as described.
3. A pontoon raft consisting of one or more airtight vessels filled with
compressed air and suitably braced together and of pneumatic detachable bows
secured to the pontoons substantially as described.
4. The pneumatic pontoon flotilla, substantially as described with reference to the
drawings.
Dated this 6th day of January 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.