Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1886.
Complete Left, 13th Dec., 1336.
Complete Accepted, 14th Jan., 1887.
We EDWARD LAWSON, of Charlotte Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Bedstead Manufacturer, and EDWIN WILLIAM DE RUSETT, of Fell Road, Croydon,
in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Our invention has reference to the construction of berths in such manner that the
parts of which they are composed are so arranged that they may accommodate them-
selves to the sheer and counter of a ship's deck and that they can also be readily
taken to pieces and be again readily fitted together, such berths being more particularly
adapted as steerage or third class berths on board ship, but they may also be used in
barracks or other buildings.
To pillars or posts which are to support the berths we fix upper and lower sockets
the lower sockets being to support the bottom of the berth and the upper ones to take
the ends of the head and foot rails and side rails. Each upper socket has eyes to
receive hooks on the ends of the upper parts of the head, foot and side rails that meet
at or near the pillar to which the socket is fixed, and each lower socket has similar
eyes to receive hooks on the ends of the lower parts of the head and foot rails and in
addition to these holes it has vertical pins or projections which enter holes in the berth
bottoms when these bottoms are put into place. Sometimes we steady the side
rails by cranking the pins above mentioned or we form jaws which take hold
of studs projecting from the frame of the berth bottoms. In the case of pillars at
which the corners of four berths meet, the upper sockets will each have four eyes to
receive respectively two head or foot rails each dividing two adjoining berths at the
ends, and two side rails each dividing two adjoining berths at the sides, while
the lower socket will have two eyes for the head or foot rails. The lower
socket will also have four pins or projections to receive respectively the corresponding
corners of four berth bottoms. Where pillars adjoin a passage the sockets need only
be constructed to receive three rails and two berth bottoms while corner pillars need
only receive two rails and one berth bottom. The side rails have pins at bottom which
drop either into holes in the herth Lotten or hetwon two adjoining berth bottoms.
Price S 1

page_text: The head and foot rails are all interchangeable end for end or for any berth bottom of
single width (say two feet) or for any berth bottom of double width (say four feet);
the side rails are likewise all interchangeable end for end. Where the berth bottom
is of double width to form two berths we construct it with a central longitudinal bar
that hooks at its ends over the lower bar of the head and foot rails and in order that
the berth bottom may be reversible end for end, we crank the two ends of the said
central bar in reverse directions. Or, we make the lower bar of the head and foot rail
with a vertical stud over which the centre bars of adjoining berths drop one above the
other, these bars being formed with holes for the purpose. Or, we make the central
bars with a hook at one end to drop over the lower bar of the head and foot rail and
with a pin at the other to drop into a hole of the central bar of the adjoining berth.
The pins of the side rail used to divide the double berth bottom drop into holes in the
said central bar and into eyes in the head and foot rails. As the berth bottoms will
generally have to be stowed up between the ship's beans in the daytime it is necessary
to provide for the narrowing of the berth bottoms when four feet wide and this we
accomplish by allowing the laths a certain amount of play where rivetted to the
bottoms so that when released from the pins of the sockets they may be moved askew
to any required width.
The heads and feet of the pillars may be made square, the feet will then generally
enter a socket in the deck while the heads are preferably passed through holes in an
iron bar secured under the deck and this bar may serve to carry the berths when
unshipped and out of use. The square heads or feet of the pillars keep the pillars in
proper position for enabling the berth bottoms and head, foot, and side rails to be put
together. If however the pillars be round for their entire length the berth frames and
rails must be relied on to keep the pillars in proper position. In this case we may
provide fillets on the lower sockets between the pins and against which the berth
bottoms press and so keep the pillars in line. We also accomplish this object by
forming gaps in the lower socket to receive the vertical part of the angle irons of the
berth bottoms. In addition to forming the upper and lower sockets with eyes to
receive hooks on the head and foot rails we form them with shoulders which are
recessed or grooved to receive a short portion of the bars of the rails; or instead of
the pins on the lower sockets to enter the holes on the berth bottom, we form these
lower sockets with vertical recesses into which the berth bottoms take by means of
correspondingly shaped hooks or equivalent devices on their ends.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of iron or open side, head, or foot rails, but
may employ wood or other suitable material, with hooks and other attachments for
connecting them to the pillars or posts and berth bottoms as hereinbefore described.
The berths may be arranged in one, two, or more tiers as required, the pillars or
posts having a corresponding number of sockets.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Ships' or other Berths,
We EDWARD LAWSON, of Charlotte Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Bedstead Manufacturer and EDWIN WILLIAM DE RUSETT of Fell Road, Croydon, in
the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer 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 has reference to the construction of berths in such manner that the
parts of which they are composed are so arranged that they may accommodate them-
selves to the sheer and camber of a ship's deck and that they can also be readily taken
to pieces and be again readily fitted together, such berths being more particularly
adapted as steerage or third class berths on board ship, but they may also be used in
barracks or other buildings.
Our improvements are illustrated in the annexed sheets of drawings and are as
follows:-
To pillars or posts which are to support the berths we fix upper and lower sockets
the lower sockets being to support the bottom of the berth and the upper one to tako
the ends of the head and foot rails and side rails. Figure 1 is a general elevation and
shows one of the pillars and adjoining parts, Figure 3 a plan taken above the upper
socket and Figure 4 a plan taken above the lower socket. Figure 21 (Sheet 2) is a
general elevation embodying modifications hereinafter described. In Figures 1, 3
and 4 h are the pillars or posts to support the berths. a a are the upper sockets
and b, b the lower sockets. cc represent the frames of the berth bottoms, d d the head
and foot rails and ee the side rails. Each upper socket a has eyes ff to receive hooks g g
on the ends of the upper parts of the head, foot and side rails that meet at or near the
pillar to which the socket is fixed, and each lower socket has similar eyes kk to
receive hooks on the ends of the lower parts of the head and foot rails and sometimes
the side rails; in addition to these eyes it has vertical pins or projections m, m which
enter holes in the frame of the berth bottoms when these bottoms are put into place.
Sometimes we steady the side rails by forming them with cranked pins as shown at
Figure 12 to enter holes in the frame c of the berth bottom, or by forming jaws on the
side rails as shown at p Figure 13 which take hold of studs projecting from the frame c
of the berth bottoms. In the case of pillars at which the corners of four berths meet
the upper sockets a will each have four of the eyes as shown in Figures 1 and 3 to
receive respectively two head or foot rails cach dividing two adjoining berths at the
ends, and two side rails each dividing two adjoining berths at the sides, while the lower
socket (Figures 1 and 4) will have two of the eyes k, k for the head or foot rails; we
prefer to make it with two other eyes, as shown, to be used for the side rails in case of
need. The lower socket will also have four of the pins or projections mm to receive
respectively the corresponding corners of four berth bottoms. Where pillars adjoin
a passage (see Figures 5 and 7, which show the upper and lower sockets respectively)
the sockets need only be constructed to receive three rails and two berth bottoms
while corner pillars need only receive two rails and one berth bottom-see Figures &
u,

page_text: and 8. In order to avoid the weakening of the angle irons e by cutting away their
webs at the end to enable them to lie upon the sockets a gap may be made in the lower
socket to receive the web of the angle iron so that that part of the angle iron where
the web is not cut away may bear upon the lower socket; this is seen at m' in
Figure 7. The side rails have pins at bottom which drop either into holes in the
berth bottom, as shown at win Figure 11, or between two adjoining berth bottoms,
as seen in Figure 14. The head and foot rails are all interchangeable end for end or for
any berth bottom of single width (say two feet) or for any berth bottom of double
width (say four feet) or for two bottoms placed side by side; the side rails are like-
wise all interchangeable end for end. Where the berth bottom is of double width to
form two berths we construct it with a central longitudinal bar, Figure 15,
that hooks at its ends over the lower bars d' d' of the head and foot rails and in order
that the berth bottom may be reversible end for end, we crank the two ends of the
said central bar in reverse directions as is clearly seen in the figure. Or, we make the
lower bar of the head and foot rail with a vertical stud-see s Figure 16-over which
the centre bars ? of adjoining berths drop one above the other, these bars being formed
with holes for the purpose. Or we make the central bars r with a hook at one end
see Figure 17-to drop over the lower bar d' of the head and foot rail and with a
pin u at the other to drop into a hole of the central bar of the adjoining berth. The
pins of the side rail used to divide the double berth bottom drop into holes w, w
(Figure 15) in the central bar and into eyes in the head and foot rails-sec
Figures 31, 32 and 33 (Sheet 2) in which æ, æ are sockets on the head and foot
rails dd, having eyes to receive hooks on the ends of the side rails e, e as shown. As
the berth bottoms will generally have to be stowed up between the ship's beams in the
day-time it is necessary to provide for the narrowing of the berth bottoms when four
feet wide and this we accomplish by allowing the laths a certain amount of play where
rivetted to the bottoms so that when released from the pins of the sockets they may be
moved askew on or with the central bar as indicated in Figure 18-to any required
width.
;
h
The heads and feet of the pillars & may be made square, as shown in Figure 19, the
feet will then generally enter a socket in the deck while the heads are preferably
passed through holes in an iron bar a¹ (Figures 2 and 21) secured under the deck and
this bar may serve to carry the berths when unshipped and out of use.
The square
heads or feet of the pillars keep the pillars in proper position for enabling the berth
bottoms and head, foot and side rails to be put together. If however the pillars be
round for their entire length the berth frames and rails must be relied on to keep the
pillars in proper position. In this case we provide fillets on the lower sockets as shown
at y, y, Figures 20 and 20", between the pins m, m and against which the berth bottoms
press and so keep the pillars in line.
We also accomplish this object, as shewn in Figures 22, 23 and 24, by forming gaps
such as z, z in the lower socket b, to receive the vertical part 2, Figure 27, of the
angle irons of the berth bottoms. In addition to forming the upper and lower sockets
with eyes to receive hooks on the head and foot rails d, we form them with shoulders,
such as shown at 4, in Figures 25 and 26, which are recessed or grooved to receive
a short portion of the bars. of the rails. Or, instead of the pins m m (Figures 1 and 4)
on the lower sockets to enter the holes on the berth bottom, we form these lower sockets
with vertical recesses, Figure 23, into which the berth bottoms take by means of
correspondingly shaped hooks, or equivalent devices, on their ends; these hooks may
conveniently be formed by vertical parts at the ends of the angle irons, as seen in
Figure 27. In Figure 23 the angle irons e e of two berth bottoms are shown inserted
in the gaps and vertical recesses 22 of the lower socket, while two other vertical
recesses and the corresponding gap are shown unoccupied. When separate berth
frames of about two feet in width are used between supporting pillars that are four
feet apart intermediate supports for the berth frames are required and we provide
these by fixing sockets, as shown in Figures 28, 29 and 30, to the lower bars of the
head and foot rails such sockets being (so far as securing the berth bottom is concerned)
of similar construction to those on the pillars and already described,

page_text: We do not confine ourselves to the use of iron or open side, head or foot rails, but
may employ wood or other suitable material, with hooks and other attachments for
connecting them to the pillars or posts and berth bottoms as hereinbefore described;
and where a bulkhead or other part of the ship will serve as head or foot and side rails
we attach the sockets or such portions of them as will answer the purpose to the bulk-
head instead of to a pillar or post.
The berths may be arranged in one, two, or more tiers as required, the pillars or
posts having a corresponding number of sockets.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim, in
respect of ships or other berths, is :-
1. The construction of sockets for supporting berth bottoms with eyes to receive
hooks on the head and foot rails and with vertical pins or projections to enter holes in
the berth bottoms substantially as described.
2. The combination with pins or projections as referred to in claim 1 of gaps in the
lower sockets to receive the ends of the angle irons of the berth frame as hereinbefore
described and shown in Figure 7.
3. In combination with upper and lower sockets such as are herein described we
claim cranked pins on the side rails to enter holes in the frame of the berth bottom as
and for the purpose set forth; also for the same purpose, in combination with the
said sockets, jaws on the side rails to take hold of studs on the frame of the berth
bottom as set forth.
4. In combination with upper and lower sockets such as are herein described
we claim for berths of double width a central longitudinal dividing bar which is
reversible end for end and a berth bottom in which the laths have a certain amount of
play to provide for narrowing the same substantially as described.
5. The fillets (y. y) Figures 20 and 20 on the lower sockets as and for the purpose
described.
6. The special construction of lower socket with gaps and vertical recesses substan-
tially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 22, 23
and 24.
7. The providing of sockets on the lower and upper bars of the head and foot rails
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented in
Figures 28, 29 and 30, and 31, 32, and 33.
8. The combination with eyes in the sockets to receive hooks on the head and foot
rails, of recessed or grooved shoulders to receive a short portion of the bars of the rails
as described and shown in Figures 25 and 20.
9. The general constructions of berths as respectively represented in Figures 1 and 21.