Improvements in the Construction of and Plant for Pleasurable Water Shutes and Inclines.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of and Plant for Pleasurable
Water Shutes and Inclines.
We, LOT MORGAN, of 56, Swanscombe Road, Chiswick, in the County of Middle-
sex, Aquatic Director, and JAMES FYFE ELLISTON, of The Theatre Royal, Bolton
in the County of Lancaster, Theatrical Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows: -
Our present invention relates to the improved construction of and improved
plant for what are known as pleasurable water shutes and gravity railways or
inclines and the objects of our improvements are first to so construct the supports
for carrying the inclined tracks that they may be more readily and economically
erected and fixed. than is possible with the supports for this purpose as hitherto
arranged; Secondly, to so arrange the track and supports therefor that staging
with additional tracks may be extended on either side of the fixed tracks by means
of mechanism when required; Thirdly to arrange vertical lifting apparatus in
such a way that boats and passengers may be elevated to the required staging
for landing and loading in an improved manner; Fourthly to so improve the con-
struction of the boats used herewith that they will move more gracefully into the
water than as hitherto at the same time protect the passengers from being
splashed, and further to so improve said boats that when leaving the incline or
shute they will go partly or entirely into and underneath the surface of the water
for a short period emerging therefrom gracefully and they may be easily and
effectively steered as required, and lastly to so construct and arrange an improved
turnstile in connection with staging at top of inclines that two or more lifts may
be in operation with only one track; to attain which we carry the ordinary inclines
and stagings upon improved sectional trussels constructed in wood, iron or steel
and in the form of piers similar to the piers or uprights of a cantilever bridge,
and these piers may have at their upper ends extendable cantilevers which are
extended laterally when required by rack and pinion or other well known
mechanism so as to carry further tracks.
In order to lift the boat and passengers to the staging at top of incline we ar-
range an ordinary Teigle hand lift with rope or other conductors and cage for
carrying the boats and in the case of a water shute the boat is floated into the
cage then lifted to a landing for exit and entrance of passengers by the said lift.
and finally to top of incline on to the track or where the incline is used as a
gravity railway without water the boat is arranged to return to lift by travelling
an incline of less gradient subsequent to its journey to bottom of main incline,
first running on to a trolley which conveys it to cage, and it will be obvious that
instead of a hand lift the cages may be elevated and the trolleys moved by
hydraulic or other well known means.
Where the boat is used for launching or sliding into water we arrange the bows

page_text: with a top and bottom forward rake which merges into cross sectional tapered
gunwales thereby giving graceful movements to the boat when shuting into water
and preventing splashing. Further in some cases we make the boat as a submarine
vessel that is to say we fit a cover over it with eyes partly somewhat of the shape of
a fish's head with mechanically swivelled fins at the stem which latter may be
manipulated so as to cause the boat to rise to surface at anytime required. A
suitable ventilated conning tower is also arranged at stem of boat.
In order to facilitate the movement of the boats from top of incline to any
tracks we construct a turntable composed of an annular table with rails carried
on balls supported at ends of radial rods and these balls bear and run in an
annular groove or guide. Reserved spaces at top of incline are arranged for
storage of boats.
Dated this 27th day September 1899
H. F. BOUGHTON.
Agent, 114A, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agent.
COME DEPOTICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of and Plant for Pleasurable
Water Shutes and Inclines.
We, LOT MORGAN, of 56, Swanscombe Road, Chiswick, in the County of Middle-
sex, Engineer, and JAMES FYFE ELLISTON, of The Theatre Roval, Bolton, in the
County of Lancaster, Managing Director of Limited Company, 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 present invention relates to the improved construction of and improved
plant for what are known as pleasureable water shutes and gravity railways or
inclines, and the objects of our improvements are, firstly to construct the supports
for carrying the inclined tracks that they may be more readily and economically
erected and fixed, than is possible with the supports for the purpose as hitherto
arranged; Secondly to so arrange the tracks and supports therefor that staging
with additional tracks may be extended on either side of the fixed track by means
of mechanism when required; Thirdly, to arrange vertical lifting apparatus in
such a way, that shute boats and passengers may be elevated to the required
staging for landing and loading in an improved manner; Fourthly, to so improve
the construction of the shute-boats used herewith that they will more gracefully
move into the water than hitherto, at the same time protect the passengers from
being splashed, and further to so improve said boats that when leaving the incline
or shute they will go partly or entirely underneath the water for a short period
emerging therefrom gracefully, and they may be easily and effectively steered
as required; and lastly, to so construct an improved turntable in connection with
staging at top of incline that two or more lifts may be in operation with only
one track; to attain which we construct and arrange our improved pleasurable
. water-shutes and plant substantially as hereinafter described by the aid of the
accompanying two sheets of drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation and
Fig. 3 a plan of our improved water-chute and plant complete.
Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the piers or sectional trussels.
Fig. 4 is a section of extendable staging with additional track extended and
Fig. 5 is a similar view with extendable staging down and out of use..
Fig. 6 is an isometric perspective view of our improved open shute-boat.
Fig. 7 is an isometric view of risable staging for lifting boat to angle required
for starting it down any of the inclines.

page_text: Fig. 8 is an isometric perspective view of end or bows of open shute-boat with
splash or water protector fitted thereto.
Fig. 9 is a side perspective view and. Fig. 10 a cross sectional elevation of our
improved submarine water-shute boat.
Fig. 11 is a plan and Fig. 12 a cross section taken on line a, a, thereof of our
improvements in using a turntable for conducting boats from more than one lift.
on to a single track.
Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view.
We carry the ordinary inclines I and staging S upon improved sectional trussels
or piers T which are preferably constructed of four uprights or corners t¹ composed
of angle iron or steel but obviously may also be constructed in wood, and cross
stays and tentional ties 3 as shown at Figures 1 and 2.
Each pier or trussel T may have at its upper end an extendable cantilever or
bracket B which will when extended as shown at Fig. 4, support extra or ex-
tendable staging s containing an additional track or incline . In Fig. 5 the
cantilever or bracket B is moved horizontally on its pivot b¹ and the staging s¹
with track drops to vertical position and hangs on its hinges 22 as shown.
In order to lift the boat P or P with passengers to the staging S at top of
incline I, we may arrange an ordinary Teagle hand lift L as shown at Fig. 11,
or a hydraulic lift L' as shown at Fig. 1, or any other well known form of power
for lifting the cage C by a rope or chain may be employed as will be well.
understood.
The boat P or P₁ may be floated into the cage C and lifted up thereby to top
of staging S as before described; and each cage C has its floor arranged with a
tilting apparatus F, as shown at Fig. 7. That is to say the floor f is hinged
at f and can be tilted as shown in dotted lines by the hand lever f working
smaller levers f³ connected by a cross roller f upon which the free end of the
floor bears.
When the cage C reaches the top of staging S this tilter F is operated and the
boat moves by gravity on to incline or track I and shutes down same into water W.
The boat may then draw up to side of water and discharge passengers or otherwise,
and can either be floated back to cage C or on to a tilter F arranged at each side
as shewn Figs. 1 and 2, whereby it is caused to travel down a return incline N.
on to a trolley X, whereby it can be conducted laterally to position for moving
into cage C.
In our improved open boat P we arrange the bows 22 with a top and bottom
forward rake which merges into cross-sectionally tapered gunwales p³ by which
means a graceful movement to the boat P is secured when shuting into the
water W.
The stern of said boat P is arranged with a break-water consisting of a plate p
working in slides 5 and operated by a lever 26 and toggle p7.
The said boat P may where performed have a collapsible water shield D fixed
to its bows, the said shield being composed of a wire spring frame the coiled
spring ends of which are fixed to top of gunwales; and said frame carries end of
water proof canvas or other material. When not required the shield is held
down by a catch as shown in full at Fig. 8. When we employ a sub-marine
shute-boat as in Figs. 9 and 10, we construct a vessel in the shape of a fish's
head having two look outs or eyes 28 in front. A hinged cover p9 with catches 71
for passengers to pass in and out of said boat. A conning tower 21 for the
captain to look out by and two wings, fins or breakwaters 12 with cranks p¹³ for
the captain to operate so as to conduct the boat in any direction. The boats P
or P¹ may be conducted to the tracks I, Figs. 11 and 12 by a turntable M which
is carried on balls m³ resting in an annular groove m² formed in staging top S.
The boats P or P₁ may come up either lift and would travel down curved
track on to turntable M thereby conducted to incline I.
Reserved spaces E may be arranged for storing boats P or P¹ when they are
not in use.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature. of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. Constructing water shutes with sectional trussels or separated piers com-
posed of steel angles and ties or other material substantially as described.
2. Arranging the main pier or trussel for carrying the starting staging with
lifting mechanism so that shute boats may be raised to said staging vertically
substantially as described.
3. Starting or stopping mechanism or tilters composed of hinged floor worked
by levers and bearing roller substantially as described.
4. Constructing the open shute boat with bows having top and bottom forward
rake merging into extended or projecting gunwales of under taper or curvature
substantially as described.
5. Arranging hinged and extendable cantilevers or brackets on each pier for
carrying extendable staging and additional track when required substantially as
described.
6. Arranging collapsible water shield at stem of open shute-boat composed of
mounted spring frame and water proof cover substantially as described.
7. Employing break-water mechanism at stern of open shute-boat consisting
of break-water plate or door with slides and toggle lever substantially as described.
8. A submarine shute-boat consisting of semicircular cover with hinged door,
conning tower, fan shaped propellers worked by cranks within and nose stem or
bows with eyes and after the shape of a fish's head, substantially as described.
9. Arranging returnable track or incline in combination with cross traveller
or trolley to reach elevators or cage substantially as described.
10. The combination of a turntable mounted on balls so as to conduct a boat
from any angle to a single tranck substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of January 1900
H. F. BOUGHTON,
Patent Agent, 114A, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.