Ships and Boats.
Year: 1884

page_text: [Reprint―This Specification has been reprinted in consequence of an amendment
made by Order of the Comptroller prior to the sealing of the Patent.]
with Ships and Boats.
I, ELIZABETH SARAH SWAINSON of Old Farleigh near Chorley in the County
of Lancaster, Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE SAVING APPARATUS, FOR USE IN CONNEXION WITH SHIPS
AND BOATS to be as follows:-
"
This invention consists in providing ships and boats with life-saving apparatus
in the form of seats of great buoyancy so arranged that upon being thrown into the
water the apparatus will open or spread out and afford facilities for being grasped
by and supporting persons struggling in the water. According to my invention a
suitably shaped box or case padded with cork forins an air chamber and constitutes
the seat or central portion of the apparatus.
•
In the case of row boats the air chamber seat fits easily in the required position
and is prevented from slipping backwards or forwards by pins or pegs entering
shallow holes or recesses so arranged that in the event of the boat being capsized
or when it is desired to throw the apparatus into the water in case of accident the
apparatus will readily release itself or may be at once withdrawn from its ordinary
position in the boat. The front and back sides of the seat are each provided with
a cork padded flap hinged to the upper corners of the seat the flap on the back
being turned up if required so as to answer as a back rest, the arrangement being
such that when the apparatus is in the water the flaps will open out, the apparatus
then assuming a rectangular figure on the surface of the water. The edges of the
flaps and of the air-tight chamber or seat are provided with looped cords similar to
the arrangement in use on ordinary life buoys or belts. The above described
arrangement provides a convenient means of supplying small and other row boats
with efficient life saving apparatus without unnecessary room or space being taken
up whilst a powerful life buoy presenting a large outer edge to be grasped by
drowning persons is available. For use on larger craft such as sailing vessels or
steamers a similar arrangement of apparatus may be conveniently employed to
answer as seats for use on deck and in other parts of the vessel.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Life-saving Apparatus for use in Connexion
with Ships and Boats.
I, ELIZABETH SARAH SWAINSON, of Old Farleigh near Chorley in the County
of Lancaster, Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE SAVING APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNEXION WITH SHIPS
AND BOATS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists in providing ships and boats with life-saving apparatus
in the form of seats of great buoyancy so arranged that upon being thrown into the
water the apparatus will open or spread out and afford facilities for being grasped
by and supporting persons struggling in the water. According to my invention a
suitably shaped box or case padded with cork forms an air chamber and constitutes
the seat or central portion of the apparatus. In the case of row boats the air
chamber seat fits easily in the required position and is prevented from slipping
backwards or forwards by pins or pegs entering shallow holes or recesses so
arranged that in the event of the boat being capsized or when it is desired to
throw the apparatus into the water in case of accident the apparatus will readily
release itself or may be at once withdrawn from its ordinary position in the boat.
The front and back sides of the seat are each provided with a cork padded flap
hinged to the upper corners of the seat, the flap on the back being turned up if
required so as to answer as a back rest, the arrangement being such that when the
apparatus is in the water the flaps will open out, the apparatus then assuming a
rectangular figure on the surface of the water. The edges of the flaps and of the
air-tight chamber or seat are provided with looped cords similar to the arrangement
in use on ordinary life buoys or belts. The above described arrangement provides
a convenient means of supplying small and other row-boats with efficient life-
saving apparatus without unnecessary room or space being taken up whilst a
powerful life-buoy presenting a large outer edge to be grasped by drowning
persons is available. For use on larger craft such as sailing vessels or steamers a
similar arrangement of apparatus may be conveniently employed to answer as seats
for use on deck and in other parts of the vessel.
In the accompanying drawings Figs 1, 2, and 3, show one form of my improved
life-saving apparatus under the varying conditions hereinabove referred to; Fig 4
is a longitudinal section showing the general construction of the apparatus; Fig 5
is a cross section; and Fig 6 is a longitudinal section of one of the flaps.
a. a represents cork or other padding of any convenient.kind for imparting
buoyancy; b the air chamber. c. c are cork padded flaps hinged at d. d to the
body m of the apparatus so as to be capable of opening out as shewn in Fig 2
when floating in the water; or when one of the flaps is arranged to answer as a
back rest as shewn in Fig 3. e. e are looped cords attached to the air chamber and
to the edges of the flaps.
The arrangement of the apparatus may obviously be modified to suit circum-
stances; thus for instance, for use on ships, the body or air chamber may be
constructed with recesses or cavities f. f. (shewn in Figs 4 and 5) available for

page_text: containing suitably contrived water-tight flasks or receptacles for holding fresh
water, brandy or biscuits for the use of shipwrecked persons when the apparatus is
to be employed as a life-raft, suitable lids 1. being provided to close in or cover the
recesses ff. The flaps c. c may also be conveniently arranged to contain flat
bottles or tins of oil g. 9 (see Figs 5 and 6) available for use in stilling or calming
the surf or 'disturbed water in a turbulent sea. Various devices for readily
withdrawing the stoppers from the mouths h. h of the oil tins may be adopted-
one arrangement consisting in attaching the outer end of the peg or plug forming
the stopper to a cord hanging from the edge of the flap; or a screw stopper of the
usual or any other convenient kind may be used.
The oil receptacles may also be in the form of leather tubes and the central
portion or body m of the apparatus may also be provided with oil receptacles
one of which is shewn at x in figure 5, so as to be available should the flaps be
accidentally detached from the air chamber or body portion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
The improved apparatus constructed arranged, and operating substantially as
described and shewn in the drawings for the purpose set forth.
Dated this two day OF CODE LOOT
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per James G. Stokes,
Applicant's Agent.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per James G. Stokes,
Applicant's Agent.