CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BOATS
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
RICHARDSON, of Aber-hirnant, in the Parish of Llanfawr, in the County of
Merioneth, North Wales, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-second day of February, in the fourteenth year of Her
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
one, did, for Herself, Her heirs and assigns, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Richardson, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Henry Richardson, my exors, admors, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Henry Richardson, my exors, admors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and
Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BOATS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Henry Richardson, shall cause a particular descrip-
tion of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Richardson, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described

page_text: and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My Improvements in Life Boats apply to the construction of such boats or
vessels as are intended to be used for the preservation of life or property in
the event of shipwreck or other similar casualty, either at sea or along the
coast, or under other circumstances wherein, owing to the stress of weather, or
the peculiar nature or situation of the locality, boats of the ordinary construc-
tion cannot be advantageously employed. My Invention consists previously
in forming such boats or vessels of two or more longitudinal tubes or pontoons,
each tube or pontoon being constructed with several water-tight compartments
or divisions. These tubes or pontoons are braced or connected together by
wrought-iron transverse stays, and upon these stays an open or latticed deck
.formed of timber is laid.
The principal objects and advantages to be attained by the use of my
Invention are as follows:-
In the first place, a life boat or vessel constructed as above described
cannot sink, swamp, or become water-logged, owing to the tubes or pontoons
being constructed of several separate water-tight compartments.
Secondly, it is not liable to capsize or be upset; for as each tube is sufficiently
large and buoyant to. bear up or support the entire fabric with the crew and
passengers, it necessarily follows that, when laid broadside to a surf or heavy
breaking wave, the leeward tube or pontoon cannot be forced under water, and
even supposing the projective force of the surf or wave to be sufficient to lift
the seaward tube a demi-semicircle, so that the deck would be perpendicular,
the wave or serf would immediately strike the leeward tube, and throw the
vessel upon an even keel again.
Thirdly, a boat or vessel of this description can be easily launched, and may
be readily mounted upon a suitable wheeled carriage, and thus transported
from one part of the coast to another, or in winter weather might be placed
upon a sledge constructed for the purpose, and be thus conveyed rapidly across s
the snow or ice when required. It is also particularly applicable to coasts
subject to heavy swells and surfs, and on account of its drawing but a few
inches of water may be made available in situations where boats of the
ordinary construction cannot be employed.
In order more fully to illustrate the practical application of my Invention,
I have attached to these Presents a Sheet of Drawings, representing four
distinct views of a boat or vessel constructed upon my improved principle, and
have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following description thereof. And I would here observe,
that although, for the sake of illustration, the boat or vessel represented in 4

page_text: the Drawing is adapted to be propelled by sixteen oars, yet any number more
or less may be applied; and of course it will be evident that the vessel may
be of any suitable dimensions, and, if preferred, be propelled by means of
paddles, screws, or other propellers, actuated by means of steam or other suitable
motive power; or the vessel might, if required, be decked, and also carry a
sail or sails, in which one tube would act as an outrigger and ballast to
the other. Lamps are proposed to be carried, when necessary, by any
description of vessel herein mentioned; and furthermore, such tubular life
boats may be readily adapted to naval and military warfare.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a plan or horizontal view
of the life boat, as seen from above, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal elevation of the
same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the vessel, and Fig. 4 is an end view
of the same. a, a, a, a, are two tubes or pontoons of iron, copper, or other
suitable material, and constructed with several separate water-tight compart-
ments, by means of divisions or partitions b, b, b, b. These tubes or pontoons
a, a, are strengthened and connected together by means of tranverse stays or
stanchions c, c, c, c, of wrought iron; d, d, d, d, are the open or latticed
timbers forming the deck, and laid in a longitudinal direction upon the
stanchions c, c; e, e, e, e, are the "thwarts" or seats, which are supported
upon suitable brackets ffff; 9, 9, 9, 9, are the "rowlocks," and h, h, are
the "sculling and steering ports," of which, it will be perceived, there is one at
each end of the vessel, so that she can be propelled in either direction, the
crew merely turning upon their seats, and pulling in the reverse direction;
i, i, i, i, are "fenders," of gutta percha or other suitable material, in order to
protect the tubes or pontoons from injury by concussion. The tubes are each
furnished with a keel k, k, to preserve the bottom in shallow water, and are
also provided with several screw sockets b, b, b, b, for affixing the pumps when
necessary.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said improvements,
together with the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I would
remark, in. conclusion, that I claim as my Invention the forming or construct-
ing a life boat of two or more tubes or pontoons of iron, copper, or other
suitable material, having water-tight compartments, and. being connected or
braced together with iron or other stanchions or stays, upon which an open or
latticed deck is laid.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Richardson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
HENRY (L.S.) RICHARDSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid Henry Richardson came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.