IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BED BOTTOMS AND OTHER PARTS OF SHIPS' SLEEPING BERTHS; ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SHIPS' FURNITURE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BED BOTTOMS AND OTHER
PARTS OF SHIPS' SLEEPING BERTHS; ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SHIPS'
FURNITURE." A communication from abroad by Charles Emery, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th December 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BED BOTTOMS AND OTHER PARTS OF SHIPS' SLEEPING BERTHS; ALSO APPLICABLE
TO OTHER SHIPS' FURNITURE." [A communication from abroad by Charles Emery,
of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.]
The chief object of the said Invention is to provide a sleeping berth for use in
ships, and in which the bed bottom shall at all times remain in a horizontal plane
irrespective of the motion of the ship in pitching or rolling, thereby removing the
causes which induce sea-sickness and adding to the comfort and ease of the
occupant.
The said Invention comprises various details of construction.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a longitudinal berth board
and two transverse strips secured to the sides of the compartment in which the
berth is situated at the head and foot of the berth, each of the said strips being cut
away so as to form a ledge or shelf, on which rests the under side of an open
rectangular frame.
Transverse pieces forming the head and foot of the said frame are each provided
with a recess, at the bottom of which are a series of teeth forming a straight rack.
Within the said recesses I fit segmental toothed projections extending out from the
head and foot pieces of another open rectangular frame, which is thus pivoted

page_text: within the first-named or outer frame, and which I will call the middle frame, the
teeth of the said projections engaging with the teeth of the said racks.
The side pieces of the said middle frame are also provided with recesses, at the
bottom of which are formed racks, these recesses being opposite each other in a
line at right angles to a line passing longitudinally through the centre of the said
outer frame. Within these recesses also I fit segmental toothed projections
extending out from the side pieces of an inner open rectangular frame, which is thus
pivoted within the said middle frame, the teeth of the last-named projections
engaging with the teeth of the racks within the recesses of the said middle frame.
Extending down from the under side of the bed bottom, and firmly attached
thereto, is a rectangular projection, weighted at its lower end if desired, and pro-
vided on its sides with shoulders, the portion of the said projection below the
shoulders passing through and fitting snugly within the said inner frame, and by
this means the said bed bottom is connected with and supported by the said middle,
and inner pivoted frames; and as these frames are free to swing in a longitudinal or
lateral direction as the ship pitches forward or rolls to one side, the balance or
equilibrium of the said bed bottom will be constantly preserved, and it will thus
remain in a horizontal position irrespective of the movements of the ship, whereby
the liability to sea-sickness is avoided, the ease and comfort of the occupant pro-
moted, and the danger of his being thrown out of the berth in heavy weather
entirely avoided. To the said head and foot pieces of the said outer frame and near
its diagonal corners are secured the lower ends of two light flat metallic springs
which are curved, the upper ends of these springs bearing against the under side of
the said bed bottom and serving to relieve it from jar or concussion in all directions,
while the construction of the pivots of the said middle and inner frames and their
bearings renders them less sensitive, and consequently the bed will not be so
tremulous or vibrate so rapidly as would be the case if the frames were hung on
ordinary pivots.
The said rectangular projection attached to the bed bottom, and which is hollow,
may be provided with a door or drawer, and be used for holding clothes or other
articles, in which case the berth-board would be hinged so as to be capable of being
raised to facilitate access thereto.
It is evident that a ship's table and other articles of furniture may be con-
structed in a manner similar to the berth above described without departing from
the spirit of my said Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th June
1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BED BOTTOMS AND OTHER PARTS OF SHIPS' SLEEPING BERTHS; ALSO APPLICABLE
TO OTHER SHIPS' FURNITURE." A communication from abroad by Charles Emery,
of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
The object of the present Invention is to provide a vessel's sleeping berth in which
the bed bottom shall at all times remain in a horizontal plane irrespective of the
motion of the vessel in pitching or rolling, thereby removing the causes which
induce sea-sickness and adding to the comfort and ease of the occupant, and the
said Invention comprises a bed bottom provided on its under side with a weighted
projection fitting into a frame pivotted within another pivotted frame, thereby
forming the connecting medium between the bed bottom and pivotted frames, the
points at which the frames are pivotted being in lines at right angles to each other.
By this construction and arrangement the said frames are free to swing in a longi-
tudinal or lateral direction as the vessel pitches forward or rolls to one side, thus
constantly preserving the equilibrium of the bed bottom as desired.
The said Invention also comprises certain details of construction herein-after
described.
In the accompanying Drawing,—
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ship's sleeping berth constructed in accordance
with this Invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the frames which support the bed bottom.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section through the centre of the said berth.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line x, x.
And Figure 5, a vertical section on the line y, y, Figure 2, drawn to an enlarged
scale.
A represents the compartment or state room in which the berth is located; a is
the longitudinal berth board, and b, c, are transverse strips secured to the sides of
the compartment at the head and foot of the berth, each of these strips being cut
away to form a ledge or shelf on which rests the under side of an open rectangular
frame B.
The transverse pieces d, e, forming the head and foot of this frame B are each
provided with a recess f, at the bottom of which are teeth forming a straight
rack g. Within these recesses f fit segmental toothed projections h extending out
from the head and foot pieces i, k, of another open rectangular frame C, which is
thus pivotted within the outer frame B, the teeth of the projections h, h, engaging
with the teeth of the racks g, g.
The side pieces l, m, of the frame C are also provided with recesses n, at the
bottom of which are formed racks p, these recesses being opposite each other and in
a line at right angles to a line passing longitudinally through the centre of the
frame B. Within these recesses n fit segmental toothed projections 9 (similar to
the projections h), extending out from the side pieces r, 8, of an inner open
rectangular frame D, which is thus pivotted within the frame C, the teeth of the
projections q engaging with the teeth of the racks p.
E is the bed bottom of the berth, extending down from the under side of which
and firmly attached thereto is a rectangular projection G weighted at its lower end
if desired and provided on its sides with shoulders t, the portion of the projection G
below the shoulders passing through and fitting snugly within the inner frame D,
and by these means the bed bottom is connected with and supported by the pivotted
frames C, D; and as these frames are free to swing in a longitudinal or lateral
direction as the vessel pitches forward or rolls to one side, the balance or equilibrium
of the bed bottom will be constantly preserved, and it will thus remain in a hori

page_text: zontal position irrespective of the movement of the vessel, whereby the liability to
sea-sickness is avoided, the ease and comfort of the occupant promoted, and the
danger of his being thrown out of the berth in heavy weather entirely avoided. To
the head and foot pieces d, e, of the frame Band near its diagonal corners are secured
the lower ends of two light flat metallic springs v which are curved, as shown in
Figure 2; the upper ends of these springs bear against the under side of the bed
bottom and serve so relieve it from jarring or concussion in all directions, while the
construction of the pivots of the frames C, D, and their bearings render them less
sensitive, and consequently the bed will not be so tremulous or vibrate so rapidly as
would be the case if the frames were hung on ordinary pivots.
The rectangular projection G, which is hollow, may be provided with a door or
drawer and be used for holding clothes or other articles, in which case the berth
board a would be hinged so as to be capable of being raised to facilitate access
thereto.
It is evident that a ship's table may be constructed in a manner similar to the
berth above described without departing from the spirit of this Invention.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
The combination with the pivotted frames pivotted at points in lines at right
angles to each other of the bed bottom, provided with a weighted projection forming
the connecting medium between the bed bottom and pivotted frames, as above set
forth.
Also the frames with their pivots consisting of toothed projections in combination
with the racks on which they rest, as and for the purpose described.
Also the combination of the frame provided with the springs, the bed bottom
having a weighted connecting projection and the pivotted frames, the several parts
being relatively arranged, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WM PORT TAZD