IMPROVEMENTS IN RAFTS APPLICABLE ALSO FOR USE AS PONTOONS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We, THOMAS ARCHIBALD FISHER HALL of Manor House, Millbrook, in the
County of Hants, Civil Engineer; and HENRY THOMAS CLANCHY, of 71 Anglesea
Road, Shirley, in the County of Hants, Commander in the Royal Navy, do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAFTS APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR USE AS PONTOONS" to be as follows:
Our Invention has for object to produce a raft suitable for saving life from
drowning as also under certain modifications for use as a pontoon, and which
whilst occupying a comparatively small space when not afloat can be readily and
quickly opened out for immediate use, and when so opened out will be capable of
supporting a considerable load on the water, and will possess great stability. For
these purposes we employ flexible air tight vessels or chambers capable of being
readily inflated with air or gas in conjunction with structures which when the
apparatus is not in use serve to protect the flexible air tight vessels or chambers
from injury, and when these are inflated, act as decks to carry. persons or any
other load. A convenient arrangement of raft according to our Invention comprises
a central frame work or structure (it may be mainly of wood) the lower part of
which serves as a keel and is loaded to give stability.
At each side of this is hinged a flap, the hinges being so constructed by preference
as to enable the flaps to be readily disconnected.
Each flap has secured to it one or more vessels or chambers constructed of
suitable air tight material such as waterproof canvas rendered air tight. These
vessels or chambers are provided with openings (furnished with suitable valves)
for admission and emission of air or gas to inflate them or allow of their being
collapsed as the case may be. It is advantageous to provide in connection with
these vessels or chambers an accumulator or reservoir (or accumulators or reservoirs)
containing compressed air or gas (it may be a gas rendered liquid by compression)
in such a manner that on opening a valve or valves the air or gas will flow into
and inflate the said vessels or chambers, whereupon the flaps will be turned on
their hinges like the leaves of a table, the two flaps thus forming a deck.
position of the parts a cross section through the body of the central rigid structure
whose bottom forms the keel and through the two flaps will present a configuration
approximately resembling the letter T. Suitable posts and ropes or rails may be
provided to prevent passengers falling overboard-Also ropes or chains for
persons in the water to grasp to prevent their sinking,-also masts and sails,
In this

page_text: The flaps or leaves as well as the central structure may be constructed of timber
and iron and it will be understood that when the apparatus is collapsed they
enclose the 'flexible vessels or chambers between them somewhat after the manner
of book covers enclosing the leaves of a book,-in this way the said vessels or
chambers are protected from injury. To protect them when expanded they are
strengthened in any suitable manner such as by girdlings or nettings-The entire
raft can be protected by netting from injury by wreckage. Any method of
expanding the flexible vessels, or chambers may be adopted as may be most
convenient according to circumstances. Apparatus according to our Invention may
be constructed in various forms.

page_text: We, THOMAS ARCHIBALD FISHER HALL of Manor House, Millbrook, in the
County of Hants, Civil Engineer, and HENRY THOMAS CLANCHY, of 71, Anglesea
Road, Shirley, in the County of Hants, Commander in the Royal Navy, do hereby
declare the nature of our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAFTS APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR USE AS PONTOONS" 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 for object to produce a raft suitable for saving life from
drowning as also under certain modifications for use as a pontoon and which whilst
occupying a comparatively small space when not afloat, can be readily and quickly
opened out for immediate use, and when so opened out will be capable of supporting
à considerable load on the water and will possess great stability. For these pur-
poses we employ flexible air-tight vessels or chambers capable of being readily
inflated with air or gas in conjunction with structures which, when the apparatus
is not in use serve to protect the flexible air-tight vessels or chambers from injury,
and when these are inflated act as decks to carry. persons or any other load. A
convenient arrangement of raft according to our Invention comprises a central
frame-work or structure (it may be mainly of wood) the lower part of which serves
as a keel and is loaded if necessary to give stability. At each side of this is
hinged a flap, the hinges being so constructed by preference as to enable the flaps
to be readily disconnected. One or more vessels or chambers constructed of
suitable air tight material such as water-proof canvas rendered air-tight are secured
partly to the flaps but mainly to the central structure.
I
i
These vessels or chambers are provided with openings (furnished with suitable
valves) for admission and emission of air or gas to inflate them or allow of their
being collapsed as the case may be. It is advantageous to provide in connection
with these vessels or chambers an accumulator or reservoir (or accumulators or
reservoirs) containing compressed air or gas (it may be a gas rendered liquid by
compression) in such a manner that on opening a valve or valves, the air or gas
will flow into and inflate the said vessels or chambers whereupon the flaps will be
turned on their binges like the leaves of a table, the two flaps thus forming a deck.
In this position of the parts a cross section through the body of the central rigid
structure whose bottom forms the keel and through the two flaps will present a
configuration approximately resembling the letter T.
Suitable posts and ropes or rails may be provided to prevent passengers falling
overboard. Also ropes or chains for persons in the water to grasp, to prevent their
sinking, also masts and sails. The flaps or leaves as well as the central structure
may be constructed of timber and iron, and it will be understood that when the
apparatus is collapsed they enclose the flexible vessels or chambers between them
somewhat after the manner of book covers enclosing the leaves of a book, in this
way the said vessels or chambers are protected from injury. To protect them
when expanded they are strengthened in any suitable manner such as by girdlings
or nettings if required. The entire raft can be protected from injury by wreckage.
Any method of expanding the flexible vessels or chambers may be adopted as
may be most convenient according to circumstances. Apparatus according to our
Invention may be constructed in various forms.
Referring to the accompanying Drawings Fix 1 is a side view of one from st

page_text: an end view of the raft in its closed or collapsed condition. Fig. 4 is a side view
of the central frame-work or structure of the raft showing the position of the
inflated flexible vessels or chambers at the rear side of same.
a is a central frame-work or structure which forms the backbone of the raft.
When in the water it acts as the keel and stands in a vertical position (Fig. 2).
It is composed of upper and lower longitudinal beams b, b¹ united by vertical
posts c, c.
. To the upper beam there are connected by a series of hinges d the side flaps or
deck portions e e. These side flaps e e are so constructed as to form decks for the
support of persons and goods.
It is preferred that the hinges be so constructed as to admit of the side flaps e e
being readily disconnected from the central structure.
The vertical posts c, c, divide the central structure a into a series of compart-
ments f, the width of which corresponds with the width of the said posts. g g are
gas reservoirs containing gas under pressure and are preferably arranged vertically
as shown, in the centre compartment f. At h h we have shewn how tanks for
water, provisions and the like may, if desired, be conveniently arranged in the
remaining side compartments f. The gas reservoirs and the water tanks can be
kept in position laterally by plates as indicated at i and j;-the plates i are
secured on each side to, and run the whole length, or nearly so, of the lower
beam 6 and the plates j are secured to and on each side of the vertical posts c c.
When the compressed gas is atmospheric air we prefer to arrange the reservoirs
in a horizontal position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the two posts c c nearest
the centre of raft being removed for the purpose of employing reservoirs of suitable
length.
The said water tanks and gas or air reservoirs can be placed in position in their
compartments by removing the plates i, j and then inserting them sideways, and
if they be (as we prefer) not securely fixed, they may be readily removed or
replaced at will. The central structure when loaded with gas.and water reservoirs
forms a loaded keel giving stability to the raft. k, k, are flexible air tight vessels
or chambers secured partly to the under surfaces of the flaps e, e, but mainly secured
to the central structure a and in communication with the gas reservoirs g, g, by
means of pipes and a suitable arrangement of valves. I are cork fenders
arranged below and on each outer side and ends of the flaps e; e,. m is netting
secured to the ends of the raft to protect it from damage by floating wreckage.
n, n, are ropes or chains for persons in the water to grasp. Ropes or chains o
secured to the lower portion of the central structure a and to the lower surfaces of
the flaps e, e, prevent the descent of the central structure and the throwing or
collapsing upward of the flaps e, e, by the force of waves, whilst the ropes or
chains p secured to the upper surfaces of flaps e, e, and carried by posts pi fixed
with movable hinges to the central structure a prevent the said flaps from being
thrown or collapsed downwards. q, q, are side rails or ropes carried by posts q¹, q¹
hinged or pivotted in the side bulwarks e', e¹, which are secured to the outer sides
of the flaps e. The said vertical posts q¹, q', and p¹, p¹, are so pivotted to the
bulwarks e, e¹, and central structure a respectively that they may be turned or
rotated about their hinged or pivotted ends in a vertical plane so as to lie horizon-*
tally and lengthwise of the raft when the same is to be folded or collapsed for
stowage.
A raft constructed as above described may be employed for use as a pontoon.
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 is;-
1. A raft or pontoon comprising a central framework or structure and side flaps
serving as decks, such side flaps being hinged to the central framework or structure
and being provided on their under surfaces with flexible air tight vessels or
chambers substantially as described for the purposes specified.

page_text: 2. In a raft or pontoon the use in combination of a central frame-work or
structure a provided with reservoirs charged with compressed gas or air, and flaps
having flexible air tight vessels or chambers charged from the said reservoirs of
gas or air substantially as described.
3. The improved raft or pontoon constructed and arranged substantially as
herein before described with reference to the Drawings.