Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1886.
Complete Left, 1st Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 29th Apr., 1887.
I EDWARD LYON BERTHON, of "The Vicarage," Romsey, Hants Master of Arts,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
The invention has for object
1. The division of boats and pontoons into two or more parts with the methods of
connecting the parts together.
2. The superstructures or roadways for military bridges formed of collapsible boats
or pontoons, whether constructed in one, two or more parts; and contrivances for
carrying the light bridges on Pack-animals.
3. Improved levers for setting up the gunwale struts in collapsible boats, pontoons
and canoes.
4. The composition used for rendering the canvas waterproof, with the method of
mixing and preparing the ingredients thereof.
For the purpose of this invention I construct collapsible boats or pontoons in two or
more parts, so that the parts can be opened out and set up by improved gunwale
struts. These are composed of bars having strainer pieces jointed to them which
pieces can be thrown up with one end under the gunwale and the other end lashed to
the strut leg the bottom of which is stepped into a socket plate fitted in a bottom
plank. Two or more of the parts can be joined together, preferably by pintle and
gudgeon attachments to form a boat, canoe, barge, or pontoon. When not joined
together the parts of one of these boats may be used to form a "Skenoscaph" or boat
tent. When used in this way I employ also a long flap of canvas with two or three
battens extending down the opening between the half boats. In the daytime one half
of this flap can be held up by the oars. The thwarts can be laid horizontally for seats,
and one or two hammocks can be swung in a tent so constructed.
The collapsible barges or pontoons whether constructed in one, two or more parts
may be provided with trestles to receive suitable baulks to carry the planks (or

page_text: chesses) of the roadway, these planks have iron claws at their ends, to prevent the
baulks from spreading.
The roadway of a heavy bridge is preferably 10 feet wide and each "bay," and the
distance between the centres of the pontoons afloat is 20 feet which is the length of
the baulks.
The half pontoons may also be used singly, with two baulks between each half,
short bearers are then applied and the chesses laid lengthwise thus forming a light
bridge of twice the length.
For the bridge to be carried by pack-animals composite planks about 7 fect by
2 feet may be used to form the roadways, and they are united together on trestles
placed in the boats. These little boats are made like the larger pontoons in two parts
so that one animal can carry one part on each side, and another animal the trestles
and compound planks.
The composition specially suitable for rendering the canvas used with collapsible
boats, pontoons, and canoes and known as "Berthons Boats" waterproof is prepared
thus
I cut 1 lb of hard yellow soap into shreds and boil it well in 6 pints of water in a
large iron pot. I also mix up 20 lbs of spruce yellow ochre of the best quality
previously ground in oil, with 20 pints of best boiled linseed oil, this is added to the
boiling water with the dissolved soap in it over the fire, stirring it well together, and
boil for ten minutes.
When this mixture is cold I add pint of terebine or as much as will make the
composition dry well at different seasons.
Two or three coats of the composition may be applied with a brush, like paint,
allowing each coat to dry well before the next is painted on.
The composition when dry does not become brittle, nor crack, but remains flexible.
Dated the 1st day of May 1886.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said E. L. Berthon.

page_text: 2. The superstructures or roadways for military bridges formed of collapsible boats
or pontoons, whether constructed in one, two or more parts; and contrivances for
carrying the light bridges on Pack-animals.
3. Improved levers for setting up the gunwale struts in collapsible boats, pontoons,
and canoes.
4. The composition used for rendering the canvas waterproof, with the method of
mixing and preparing the ingredients thereof.
For the purpose of this invention I construct collapsible boats or pontoons in two or
more parts, so that the parts can be opened out and set up by improved gunwale
struts, and two or more of them joined together preferably by pintle and gudgeon
attachments to form a boat, canoe, barge, or pontoon.
"
When not joined together the parts of one of these boats may be used to form a
Skenoscaph or boat tent. When used in this way I employ also a long flap of
canvas with two or three battens extending down the opening between the half boats.
In the day time one half of this flap can be held up by the oars. The thwarts can be
laid horizontally for seats, and one or two hammocks can be swung in a tent so
constructed.
The collapsible barges or pontoons whether constructed in one, two, or more parts
may be provided with trestles to receive suitable baulks to carry the planks (or
chesses) of the roadway; these planks have iron claws at their ends, to prevent the
baulks from spreading.
The roadway of a heavy bridge is preferably 10 feet wide and cach "bay" and the
distance between the centres of the pontoons afloat is 20 feet, which is the length of
the baulks.
The half pontoons may also be used singly, with two baulks between each half,
short bearers are then applied and the chesses laid lengthwise, thus forming a light
bridge of twice the length.
For the bridge to be carried by pack-animals, composite planks about 7 feet by
2 feet may be used to form the roadway, and they are united together on trestles
placed in the boats. These little boats are made like the larger pontoons in two parts

page_text: so that one animal can carry one part on each side and another animal the trestles and
compound planks.
My invention of improvements connected with collapsible boats is shown on the
annexed drawings, where at Figures 1 and 2 I show two halves a, b, of a collapsible
boat converted to constitute a whole boat, said two halves a, b, as separate articles are
represented at Figure 3, as forming a kind of tent with a canvas screen c attached and
its end held up, in the day time, by the oars d, d, which act as props, so that the
canvas serves to shelter people from the sun.
Should a longer boat or barge be necessary an intermediate section e can be
arranged to occupy a position between the two half boats, as at Figure 4.
For forming a pontoon bridge any number of these collapsible boats or pontoons
can be placed at suitable distances across a river, and the superstructure applied to
constitute the roadway.
Figure 5 represents the keel and central framework of a pontoon consisting of stem
and stern posts of two parts united by pintle and gudgeon with fore and aft timber or
beam constructed to receive the composite baulks shown at Figure 6.
These
composite baulks being four or six in number are 20 feet long and 12 inches wide by
1 inches thick in their thinner part and 3 inches in their thicker part. Those on the
outer sides of the roadway are turned up and the others down as will be understood by
the drawing. h, h is a portion of one of the chesses or planks forming the road; each
chess has an iron claw attached to keep the baulks from spreading.
These bipartite pontoons, when the two parts are united as described form a heavy
bridge with a roadway 10 feet wide, the chesses or planks being parallel to the fore
and aft timber or beam and fixed to 4 (or more) baulks g, preferably bolted to 1 (or
more) bearings on the beam f (see Figure 5) but it is obvious that they are capable of
being applied differently, when a river has to be spanned of a greater width than the
pontoon train will supply pontoons enough to reach across as the half pontoon can be
used singly and the length of the roadway doubled. In this case the planks lie
longitudinally resting on short bearers which hook to the baulks like the planks in the
former case.
Figure 7 is a view of the pintle and gudgeon attachment for the keels of boats and
pontoons, and Figure 8 shows a gunwale strut with iron lever k for all my collapsible
boats, barges, pontoons etc. The lower end of this strut steps on a shoe m on the
bottom boards n of the boat, barge, or pontoon.
The dotted lines show the position of the lever & of the strut when fixed under the
gunwale p of the boat to extend the canvas.
Figure 9 shows a trestle used in small boats for carrying roadways of composite
planks 12 shown in plan, section, and elevation, at Figures 10, 11, and 12 respectively.
The planks are made in convenient lengths, preferably 7 feet, and have joints r, r, at
their ends to connect them together.
Figures 9 to 13 relate to the superstructure of a light bridge for flying columns,
reconnaissances etc. Small boats or pontoons capable of being carried with facility on
pack horses and mules are used for this purpose. They are divided in the middle as
at Figure 1, each part being about 7 feet long which when combined produce a well
formed boat fourteen feet in length. The gangways are about 2 feet wide, and when
placed on the boats at about 7 feet intervals, an excellent bridge is formed for infantry
in file and when the gangways are placed at the proper width corresponding to the
guage of gun wheels, field artillery can be drawn across by hand.
The gangways are so constructed that the half boats when collapsed just stow inside
of them, so that when carried on a horse a half boat and one gangway on each side,
the projection is less than one foot, and the weight including a pair of oars, anchor,
cable and ropes carried by each horse or mule is about 230 lbs.
In Figure 9, is one of the trestles of which one foot steps in each half of a boat,
this carries a pair of the gangways or framed pathways (see Figures 10 to 12).
Figure 13 shows the under edge and metal hinge or joint of one of the side planks
used in its construction.
The uprights or stanchions at the ends of the trestle ƒ support a rope on each side.

page_text: The portions of path, gangboard, or light roadway 7 feet long, are united together
at their ends as seen in Figure 12 and the joint is strong enough to support 26 cwts,
the combination resting on two supports 14 feet apart. By the use of the collapsible
boats and light bridges above described each carriage can carry pontoon and every-
thing for 20 feet of wide or 40 feet of narrow bridge. The wood employed in the
construction of the pontoons and frames is preferably Canada elm and the canvas is
attached to the timbers by copper tacks and sealed with white lead or in any suitable
manner.
The composition specially suitable for rendering the canvas used with collapsible
boats, pontoons and canoes and known as "Berthons Boats" waterproof is prepared
thus
I cut 1 lb of hard yellow soap into shreds and boil it well in 6 pints of water in a
large iron pot. I also mix up 20 lbs of spruce yellow ochre of the best quality
previously ground in oil, with 20 pints of boiled linseed oil; this is added to the
boiling water with the dissolved soap in it over the fire stirring it well together, and
boil for ten minutes. When this mixture is cold I add pint of terebine or as much
as will make the composition dry well at different seasons.
Two or three coats of the composition may be applied with a brush, like paint,
allowing each coat to dry well before the next is painted on.
The composition when dry does not become brittle, nor crack, but remains flexible.
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
1. The improvements in and connected with collapsible boats or pontoons herein-
before described and shown on the annexed drawings.
2. Forming pontoons or military bridges of collapsible boats as hereinbefore
described and shown.
3. The improved lovers or struts for setting up the gunwale in collapsible boats and
pontoons as hereinbefore described and shown.
4. The improved composition for making the canvas of collapsible boats, pontoons
and canoes, waterproof as hereinbefore described.
TL den
1007
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said E. L. Berthon.