Improved Ship's Berth.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Ship's Berth.
I, JOSEPH PAUL AUGUSTE CLAIREAU Upholsterer, residing at 32 Rue
Bréda, Paris, France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
.
The ship's berth which I have devised is so made that the couch proper may at
all times assume a horizontal position irrespective of the rolling or pitching
motions of the ship in which the berth is arranged. It is more particularly applicable
against sea sickness, but it is likewise intended for wounded persons ou board ship
or for other purposes.
My invention resides mainly in the mechanism by which the couch proper can be
made to remain horizontal notwithstanding the varying motions of the ship. The
whole arrangement comprises a bedstead permanently secured to a flooring and a
couch proper, which may both be of any approved kind; the couch is supported in
the bedstead through the intervention of the special mechanism forming the subject
matter of my invention. The mechanism is composed, broadly speaking, of two
end-frames which are guided at their top portions and are provided at their lower
portions, with rollers running on curved rails which are fixed to the bedstead and
are arranged lengthwise of the latter, whilst at the same time the said end-frames
are provided with curved rails which are arranged crosswise of the bedstead and
upon which run rollers supporting the couch by suitable link-connections.
The couch proper may be a couch of any approved kind, and capable of forming
either a bed, a lounge or a sofa or other equivalent. In the annexed drawing,
however, I have merely shown an ordinary bed and wish it to be understood that
it may be replaced, at will, by any other design of bed.
In the annexed drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation in section on the line 1, 1 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is an end view of. Fig. 1, in section on the line 2, 2, the rails d d alone
being in section.
Fig. 3 is a plan in section on the lines 3, 3 of Figs. 1 & 2.
The bedstead proper is composed of two end pieces formed of two standards a, a
braced at the top and bottom, at 6 & c, and permanently secured to the flooring by
means of screws or otherwise. Each standard a is provided with a curved rail d
which is arranged lengthwise of the bedstead and upon which runs a roller e
mounted on an axis which is fitted to each end of a lower bar g forming part of
each movable end-frame. Each movable end-frame is connected to the bedstead
independently of the rollers e, by slides h moving in guide-pins i secured to the
standards a of the bedstead; furthermore each movable end-frame is provided with
curved rails upon which run rollers k fitted at the end of a connecting rod / jointed
at to a link which in turn is jointed at 13 to an upper bar m of the movable end-
frames. Each roller k is mounted on au axis which is fastened to a cross-bar n
pivotted in lugs o secured to the wooden or other framing p of the couch proper.
The rollers k are guided on their rails j by means of ball-bearings q arranged in
sockets g' at the end of the connecting rods l. The rollers e are likewise guided in
their motion upon their rails d by means of counter-rollers e', mounted on studs e*
forming part of lugs e secured to the lower bar g of the movable end-frames.
The operation will be readily understood from an inspection of the drawings, the
movable portions of the mechanism being shown in two different positions, of which
one in full and the other in dotted lines. Assuming the berth to be arranged
lengthwise of the ship, it will always tend to remain horizontal, whilst the fixed

page_text: portions of the whole arrangement follow the motions of the ship. It follows that
when the ship pitches, the couch will incline longitudinally with respect to the
fixed portions of the berth and move along the rails d, so as to assume say the
position shown in dotted lines, and that when the ship rolls, the couch will incline
transversely with respect to the said fixed portions, and move along the rails j.
Both motions can easily take place simultaneously.
The standards a of the bedstead are shown as being curved at a¹ to afford
space for the longitudinal motion of the couch, but it will be readily understood
that such curves might be avoided by arranging the standard a at a greater
distance apart.
The couch herein referred to is shown as being composed of a spring-mattress r,
placed within the wooden framing p and supporting a mattress s, and of a foot-
board and bolster u. It is, however, to be understood that any other suitable
kind of couch or bed might be substituted therefor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A ship's berth in which the couch proper is capable of moving upon sets of
longitudinal rails d and transverse rails j, arranged at right angles to each other,
substantially as described and shown, and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a ship's berth, the arrangement of longitudinal rails d secured to the
standards a of the bedstead, upon which run rollers e pivotted to the movable end-
frames supporting the couch, substantially as described and shown, and for the
purpose set forth.
3. In a ship's berth, the arrangement of transverse rails į formed in the two
movable end-frames, upon which run rollers k pivotted at the end of an arrangement of
connecting rods 1, 12, jointed together at and connected at ³ to the upper bar m of
the movable end-frames, the axis of the said rollers k being supported by the
cross-bars n, n pivotted in lugs o secured to the wooden framing p of the couch,
substantially as described and shown, and for the purpose set forth.
4. The general construction, arrangement and combination of parts of the
improved ship's berth, substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3
of the annexed drawings..
Dated this 30th day of July 1894
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.