IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE-BOATS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE-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 relates to life boats and has for its object to remedy the defects in
life boats which the communicator of this invention has discovered during twenty
five years' experience on ship board, upon the great lakes, at sea, and during the last
nine years in the American Life Saving Service, which defects have been the direct
cause of much of the suffering and loss to human life which has occurred in the use
of life boats for many years past.
The main defect is due to the boats being open deckless shells, which are liable
to fill and swamp in rough broken water. The boats thus becoming disabled are
liable to sink or are rendered unserviceable, are insecure and offer no protection
from exposure thereby occasioning suffering and in some cases death to the
occupants.
Other defects are found in the decked self-righting and bailing boats in use
principally upon the coasts of Great Britain, and consist in the liability of the
air-cases and air spaces in the hold to leak through shrinkage or staving thereby
becoming water spaces. The hold being thus filled with water the boat is "water
logged" and is thereby rendered unserviceable and insecure, and more or less liable
to carry its occupants to destruction.
Another defect found in self-righting and bailing boats is in their cumbrous build
and consequent great weight, which renders them objectionable for ship service, or
transport about the shore or launching from the beach.
oars,
This invention comprises a life-boat of comely model, fitted for pulling with
for sailing, or for towing with a tug; having a sharp or square stern, carvel
or clinker built; and which shall combine lightness and strength, with perfect
security and seaworthiness. The improved boat may be easily transported from
D

page_text: place to place along the shore, or launched from the beach through the surf to the
relief of the distressed; or being carried on ship-board, can be unceremoniously
launched or pitched from the deck of a steam or sailing vessel, without being
fatally damaged by coming in contact with obstructions of any kind. As the
boat has great stability and side buoyancy it is not likely to capsize, and if
capsized, will instantly right itself and recover an upright position and free itself
from any amount of water it may have taken in, in the act of righting, or from
a boarding sea. The said improved boat is also capable of carrying in comfort
and safety from six to eight invalid persons women and children, in the end air-
cases; and from eighteen to twenty more individuals outside on the thwarts, seats
and side benches, through the heaviest surf or seas to a safe landing upon the
beach or into a port of safety.
The said invention therefore consists in a life-boat having the keel and keelson
combined in one piece of material, which is perforated transversely, at regular
intervals, to admit the reeving through of the bent frames or ribs, which extend
from gunwale to gunwale, and which is also perforated vertically, so as to form
a long narrow opening to admit the pivoted slip keel or centre-board; on top of
the said keelson, is a slip keel case formed of boards or planks, placed edgwise
the ledges of which extend from the opening each way to the stem and to the
stern post. The sides extend the full length of the opening in the keel, and
lapping on to the ledges are well secured thereto. The whole being well secured
to the combined keel and keelson, stem and stern-post with edge bolts and forming
a combined slip-keel case, strong back, or rider keelson and support to the deck and
dividing the hold into two longitudinal compartments, which compartments are
built in and solidly stayed with water proof prepared sheet-cork, fitted, fastened
and closely secured together and to the hull of the boat, and covered with a concave
deck, laid athwart ship, and fitted down closely to the strong-back and cork filling.
The hold is thus rendered perfectly impervious to air or water and great additional
strength and solidity are imparted to the boats hull and it is made positively
unsubmergeable. It is also provided with turtle-backed end air cases, built in on
deck with the boat and lined with the heaviest tanned canvas to protect it from
external penetration by staving, in contact with wrecks, or wreckage, and provided
with lighted and ventilated man-hole entrances, and shutters for the accommodation
of invalid passengers women or children.
A rapid discharge of water shipped, or otherwise taken in, on deck is also
provided for, by vertically hung automatic spring hinged scupper-port shutters,
placed in the waist of each side of the boat, and in the air case bulkheads, and sides
of the slip-keel well-case. And to secure good weatherly qualities on a light draft
of water, the boat is provided with a metallic "slip-keel or "centre board," fitted
with an adjustable pivot-pin easily detached, also, a detachable iron keel-shoe,
secured to the keel by long screw ring-bolts extending from and through the
deck, strong back and combined keelson and keel into the keel-shoe, and which
(keel shoe) is provided with a preventer trail line or lanyard spliced into the heel
of the shoe and reeved through fair leaders on the stern post and run up to the
coxswains hand for ready use as a drogue or drag in running with the surf, to
prevent the boat from broaching to, or pitch-poling, and also provided with an
adjustable hinged platform grating, which turned down will accommodate the
coxswain with a platform grating for standing on and steering with the sweep, and
when turned up will provide a back board seat for passengers, and form a
coxswain's box for steering with the yoked rudder, which rudder is fitted to a
traveller rod screwed into the lower pintle, is readily triced up and not liable to
unship. A cork fender is provided around the boat below the rimguard, to protect
the side.
i
For sailing purposes, the boat is fitted with two short masts, adjustable clamp
partner for fore-mast and bollard post, and detachable clamp partner for mainmast,
a "sharpie" fore sail and main sail and a fore stay sail. I thus produce a boat

page_text: ship and shore life saving purposes.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1, is a vertical longitudinal section through the boat on line X, X Figure 2,
cutting the ribs or frames on one side of the combined keel and keelson.
Figure 2, is a plan or top view.
Figure 3, is a top view of an enlarged portion of the slip-keel case.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on line Y Y; Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a transverse section on line Z, Z Figure 2.
Figure 6 is an enlarged detached portion, showing a longitudinal section through
the slip keel case.
Figure 7 is a transverse section on line W W, Figure 2, and
Figure 8, represents an enlarged cross section, on line W W, Figure 2 through a
portion of the slip-keel case, and a portion of the boat.
In the said drawing, a represents the hull of the boat a¹ the deck, a² a³ the
ordinary thwarts, as a³ the usual rim guards.
In Figures 4, 5, and 7 a' shows a cross section through the cork fenders, which
being of the usual construction require no further. description herein.
The combined keel and keelson a³, is formed of one piece of material and is
provided with a series of mortices or perforations, b, through which the frames or
ribs 61, pass from gunwale to gunwale.
It is provided with a long narrow opening through which the pivoted slip-keel
passes, and below it an iron keel-shoe 6 is secured by the bolts b³.
This keel-shoe is made easily removable by means of the screw bolts b³, the heads
of which are upon the deck, as shown, so that by unscrewing them (commencing
near the stern of the boat and ending with the last screw near the bow) the keel
shoe will drop off, from the fore part of the boat.
The opposite end being held and secured by a preventer trail line 6ª by which it
is held from the stern of the boat to be used when required, as a drogue or drag for
the purposes herein before mentioned.
The strong back or rider keelson, 65, is bolted firmly to the combined keel and
keelson, by edge bolts, and it extends from the keelson to the deck, thereby
dividing the hold of the boat into two longitudinal compartments. The strong back
also is provided with a long narrow opening leading vertically through it and
corresponding in size and form to the opening through the combined keel and
keelson, thereby forming the slip-keel case.
The strong-back and slip-keel case may, if desired, be made of one piece of
material, but the preferable way is to make it as shown in Figure 3, 6³ representing
portions of the strong back; c, c¹, are two pieces of plank of the same depth as the
strong back.
These are firmly secured together as shown, nails screws or bolts being used,
thereby forming the space c² for the pivoted, slip keel 3. At the lower part on
deck on each side of the slip keel case are spring hinged scuppers, c, vertically
hung as shown in Figure 8-and also in Figure 6 in dotted lines, through the slip
keel. These scuppers, open, as shown in Figure 8, when the water runs out
through the slip keel case, after which, the scuppers immediately spring shut.
The deck a being concave permits a free outlet for the water that does not pass
out through the spring scuppers c in the waist of the boat, shown in Figures 1
and 7. The scuppers ca, are also provided with spring hinges, made in any well
known way, so as to open by the pressure of the out-going water and close when
the water has passed out. d represents an adjustable hinged platform grating, for
the purposes herein before mentioned.
The cork filling is composed of sheets or boards of cork laid up edgewise as
shown (see Figs: 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8,) being built in, layer after layer, closely fitted
and secured together by bolts, nails and tree nails so as to form a perfectly solid
filling, filling up all the space in the hold below the deck.

page_text: Each sheet of cork is made water proof with paraffine, or other equivalent water
proof material, thus rendering all the space under the deck perfectly solid and
water-proof. It will be further seen that the cork is laid in and secured in such a
position as to greatly increase the strength of the boat, and while it is sufficiently
buoyant for the purposes required it also acts as ballast, and renders the boat
unsubmergeable. The air cases d² are built in with the boat in the strongest
manner practicable and are lined with heavy canvas d³ shown in Figure 1 (and
also by dotted lines in Figures 4 and 5) which has been placed in tanning liquor,
to render it closer and more durable. These air-cases are also provided with
transparent bullseyes d to afford light to persons who may be inside. The man-
holes d and E¹ are hung on hinges e³ and when closed are securely fastened by
buttons e³, see Figures 4 and 5 and both air cases are provided with spring hinged
scuppers e for allowing any water that may get in to run out.
They are hung vertically and constructed so as to prevent the water from getting
into the air-cases while they provide for a free outlet for any water that may get
in while the man-holes are being opened or closed. The bullseyes being hinged in
the usual way so as to be easily opened or closed, afford ventilation as well as light.
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 as the invention communicated to me is
First In a life-boat, the combination with the combined keel and keelson,
made of one piece of material, of a rider keelson or strong back, reaching from the
keelson, to and supporting, the deck, and running the whole length of the boat
and dividing the hold into two longitudinal compartments, the whole being secured
together by bolts, substantially as described.
Second-The combination with the combined keel and keelson formed in one
piece and provided with a series of perforations or mortices, of the ribs or frames
of the boat adapted to pass through the mortices and be secured substantially as
described.
Third A life boat provided with a detachable iron keel-shoe secured by bolts
passing through the deck, strong back, keel, and keelson and into the keel shoe,
and having a line secured to one end of the keel shoe and to the stern of the boat,
so that the keel shoe may be released from the deck and be used as a drag,
substantially as described.
Fourth In a life boat, the combination, with the combined keel and keelson
formed in one piece, of a strong back and deck frame secured to the strong back,
and several parts being united together and to the stem and stern post by edge
bolts, substantially as described.
Fifth- -A life boat, the hold of which is filled with cork having air cases above
the deck provided with man holes and spring hinged scuppers, and having spring
hinged scuppers arranged in each side of the boat, so that the boat is rendered
unsubmergeable and the water shipped will be discharged through the scuppers,
substantially as described.
Sixth-A life boat, the hold of which is filled with pieces of sheet cork
secured together and to the hull of the boat by dowels and bolts, the said cork
being rendered water proof by paraffine, so that the boat is rendered tight and
strong, is properly ballasted, and the hold is impervious to air and water,
substantially as described.
Seventh-A life boat having the hold divided into two longitudinal compart-
ments substantially as specified and filled solid with water proofed cork in the
form of sheets, or boards, set up edgewise and firmly bolted or secured together, to
the deck, the strong back and to the body of the boat, so as to make the hold solid
and impervious to air and water, and render the boat unsubmergeable, substantially
as and for the purposes described.
:-
Eighth In a life boat, having a combined keel and keelson, provided with
a long narrow vertical opening, a strong back having, a corresponding opening

page_text: extending from the bottom up to and through the deck, in combination with a
pivotted slip-keel and spring hinged scuppers in the upper part of the slip-keel case,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
Ninth In a life boat, a rider-keelson, or strong back, edge bolted to to the
perforated combined keel and keelson and to the deck of the boat, and provided
with a slip-keel case; substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
Tenth In a life boat, the employment of the end air cases lined with heavy
canvas substantially as specified and provided with manholes for the ingress and
egress of invalid passengers, or for other purposes, and with automatically acting
spring hinged scuppers, and bullseyes for the admission of light, and ventilation,
substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.