IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE RAFTS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Grove Snoulten, of Bow, in the County
of Middlesex, Mariner, and John Witherden Hurst, of Peckham,
in the County of Surrey, Master Mariner, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE RAFTS."
Sealed the 2nd April 1874, and dated the 4th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Grove
Smoulten and John Witherden Hurst at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th October
1873.
We, WILLIAM GROVE SNOULTEN, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex,
Mariner, and JOHN WITHERDEN HURST, of Peckham, in the County of
Surrey, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE RAFTS," to be as follows :-
-
Our Invention has for its object the construction of life rafts in such
a manner as to admit of their being slung from davits or carried on
ships' decks as in the case of ordinary ships' boats, and at the same time
capable of opening out when brought in contact with the water so as to

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Grove Snoulten and John Witherden
Hurst in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 4th April 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
GROVE SNOULTEN, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Mariner, and 30
JOHN WITHERDEN HURST, of Peckham, in the County of Surrey, Master
Mariner, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said William Grove Snoulten and John Witherden
Hurst, Her special licence that we, the said William Grove Snoulten
and John Witherden Hurst, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said William Grove - Snoulten and John
Witherden Hurst, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE RAFTS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said William Grove Snoulten and John Witherden Hurst,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme.
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Grovo Snoulten and
John Witherden Hurst, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and
Figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
"
Our Invention of " Improvements in Life Rafts has for its object
the construction of life rafts in such a manner as to admit of their
being slung from davits or carried on ships' decks, as in the case of
ordinary ships' boats, and at the same time capable of opening out in
the process of lowering, and becoming locked when brought in contact
with the water so as to present an elliptical raft with a deck in the
middle adapted to contain passengers. For this purpose two semi-
elliptical hollow pontoons have their ends united at the bottom by
hinges, and are capable of separating above the hinges, so that the sides
of the pontoons may be laid together when required for stowage, and

page_text: Fig. 1 is a plan or horizontal view of a raft with parallel sides, and
with ends similar to a boat; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the
same, in both which Figures the raft is represented as it would appear
when opened out and floating on the water.
Fig. 3 is an end view of the raft shewing it as suspended and out of
use. In these several Figures the same letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts.
A, A, are the two hollow pontoons of which the raft is composed.
united by means of hinges, one of which is shewn at B. In Figures 1
and 2 it will be seen that these pontoons are adapted to form seats all
round at C with a floor deck between them at D, and that there are
transverse scats or thwarts E, E, which may be used for rowing.
F, F, are row locks for the same purpose; G, G, are openings in the
floor deck D covered by gratings, as shewn in Fig. 1; H, H, are spring
bolts or other suitable apparatus at each end of the raft for locking the
two pontoons together as required when they are opened out by coming
in contact with the water. There are also other bolts and clamps for
additional security. I, I, are life lines fitted to the sides of the raft;
K, K, are lines for suspending the raft from the davits when out of use,
as shewn at Fig. 8.
The spaces in the pontoons under the seats C and the floor deck D
may be utilized for containing provisions or other stores, or cork may
be inserted therein and other means of affording protection to passengers;
besides the life lines may be applied to the raft which may be propelled
by means of either oars or sails.
From the foregoing description it will be evident that a raft con-
structed as described may be suspended with the two pontoons A, A, in
the position shewn at Fig. 8 when out of use, and when lowered on to
the surface of the water the pontoons will open out and become locked
by the spring bolts or other locking apparatus H, H, at each end, and
form a raft, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we hereby declare that what we
claim as of our Invention is, the construction of life rafts in two parts or

page_text: pontoons united together by hinges so as to admit of their being slung
from davits or carried on ships' decks, and of being opened out and
locked together when brought in contact with the water, as hercin-
before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Grove Snoulten and John
Witherden Hurst, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the
Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM G. SNOULTEN. (L.S.)
JOHN W. HURST.
(L.S.)