Improvements in Ships' Boats.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1890-Accepted, 8th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' Boats.
We, GEORGE SCOTT, of No. 29, Fulham Park Gardens, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, and THOMAS GEORGE TAGG, of The Island Boat Building Works, East
Molesey, in the County of Middlesex, Boat Builder, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of ships' boats; and
relates more particularly to the construction of a boat adapted to stand steadily upon
a ship's deck without the necessity of using chocks, and capable of providing convenient
seats for the use of those on board the ship.
In carrying our invention into effect, we provide side keels, right and left, of the
central keel-line of the boat, which keels are made to serve instead of chocks, and,
being straight on their under surface, support the boat steadily upon the ship's deck.
There may be provided one or more centre boards or keels to increase the stability of
the boat when in the water, as may be required.
With reference to the second part of the invention, we make the sides of the boat
parallel, for as great a length as practicable, with the keel. The bulwarks are hinged
to the sides of the boat; and are, therefore, adapted to be folded down, to be used as
scats.
Our backs are provided with any convenient or necessary buoyancy devices.
We do not confine ourselves to any material out of which our boats shall be made.
Dated this 18th day of March 1890.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' Boats.
1, GEORGE SCOTT, of No. 29, Fulham Park Gardens, in the County of Middlesex,
and THOMAS GEORGE TAGG, of The Island Boat Building Works, East Molesey, in the
County of Surrey, Boat Builder, 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 :—
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of ships' boats, and its
object is two-fold; to render the boat capable within itself, Ist of standing steadily on
an upright keel upon the deck without using chocks of any kind, and 2nd of providing.
a pair of long seats and foot rests for the use of the passengers on board ship.
Numerous devices have been proposed to be used as seats on board the vessel and as
rafts in the event of wreck; but the basis of our invention is a boat; and it is always
a boat under any circumstances, whether it is standing idly on the deck and furnishing
two seats, or whether it is afloat and occupied by a crew.
In carrying our invention into effect, we provide side keels right and left of the
central keel and parallel with it. The lower surfaces of these side keels are in the
same plane as that of the central keel, so that the boat has three lines of support upon
which it will stand steadily and evenly upon the deck. The sides of the boat are made
parallel with each other, and with the central keel, for as long a distance as practicable;
and their bulwarks are hinged to the respective sides so that they can be folded down
upon the thwarts, thereby providing a pair of deck-seats. Removable back-rests are
provided, as well as suitable struts for holding the hinged bulwarks up in position as
auch. Suitable end air compartments and buoyancy devices are provided. It has

page_text: hitherto been common to provido buoyancy devices, commonly known as belts, along
the sides of life boats, but according to this part of our invention these devices are
hinged to the sides of the boat so that they can be dropped and utilised as foot-rests.
In order that our invention, and the means by which it is to be carried into practical
effect, may be thoroughly understood, we will now describe them in detail, referring
in so doing to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part of this
Specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section taken on the line a-b of Fig. 4.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line c-d of Fig. 1, but with the bulwarks
down ready for use as seats and the footrests down and in position as such.
Fig. 3 is likewise a transverse section on the same line, but shewing one bulwark up
and the other partly up, and the footrests in position to give buoyancy when afloat.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the boat shewing the bulwarks down ready for use as seats and
with the removable back-rests in position.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, shewing both the interior and the
exterior of a modification of our invention.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the combined double back-rest, table, raft, and life-lines.
A, A are the end air-compartments; and B, a locker.
C is the central keel; and D, D, the two side keels. The latter may be duplex, the
two portions of each being hinged together as shewn in Fig. 3. This duplex con-
struction is desirable when the bottom of the boat is not flat. The hinged portion is
provided with suitable devices by means of which it can be held to the boat's bottom
in the position indicated by the dotted lines on the left hand side of Fig. 3.
The hingeing also permits of the side keels being folded up, if required to prevent
their interfering with the navigation of the boat.
E, E are the thwarts.
F, F are the folding bulwarks. They are securely hinged to the respective sides of
the boat; and, when folded down for use as seats, they rest upon the thwarts, as
shewn in Fig. 2.
Each device is
G, G are the devices for holding the folding bulwarks F, F, up.
represented as consisting of a strut loosely connected to the thwart, its opposite end
terminating in an eye adapted to embrace an eye projecting from the inner face of the
bulwark, and a pin to enter the last mentioned eye; but any other suitable device
may be adopted.
H, H are removable back-rests held in sockets either on the tops, or on the
opposite faces, of the bow and stern air-chambers.
J, J are the foot-rests adapted to act as buoyancy devices also. They are hinged to
the boat-sides at ii; and are provided with suitable devices j,j, for keeping them in
proper position. These foot-rests are made of cork, or other buoyant material; and
when they are lifted and secured to the boat's sides they add to the buoyancy and
tend to make it ride well out of the water.
Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the bulwarks are shown as covered on the outside with
cork, and provided with life-lines, which will hang over the edges of the seat down
in the boat when the seat is being used as such on deck. The pair of back-rests H, H,
are braced or tied together as indicated by the dotted lines, and a sheet of canvas h
is stretched over them; and life-lines., 2, are added, thereby producing a tablo
useful for supporting light articles belonging to passengers using the deck-seats, and
also a floating structure adapted for use to some extent as a raft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The combination with the parallel side of a ship's boat of a hinged or folding
bulwark, as set forth.
2. The combination in a ship's boat of a removable back-rest, a folding bulwark
with supports adapted to hold it in a horizontal position when it is to be used as a
seat, and devices for holding it up as a bulwark, as set forth.

page_text: 3. The combination in a ship's boat of folding bulwark or bulwarks, removable back
rest or rests, and outside compound buoyancy devices and foot-rests, as set forth.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.