IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BATHING AND PROMENADE PIERS."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gordon Page, of 28 Theobald's Road, Gray's Inn
Gardens, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, & Robert Nunn of White
Parish, Salisbury, County of Wilts, Civil Engineer, for an invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BATHING AND PROMENADE
PIERS."
the
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gordon Page &
Robert Nunn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
24th October 1882.
GEORGE GORDON PAGE, of 28 Theobald's Road, Gray's Inn Gardens, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and ROBERT NUNN of White Parish
Salisbury, County of Wilts, Civil Engineer IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF BATHING AND PROMENADE PIERS
The object of this invention is to construct safe bathing apparatus or cage in
connection with Piers & Jetties, or with existing Piers & Jetties either in the Sea,
Harbours, Rivers, or Lakes. For the purpose of carrying out our invention we
avail ourselves of the natural, or otherwise bed of the sea at that place where the
water is 6 feet deep or thereabouts at Low Water Spring Tides, or may construct
same at Pier or Jetty Heads, or at any suitable point along any Pier or Jetty.
Here we construct a staging or pier head on piles, posts, or cylinders baving a
large space in the centre of a triangulur, square, circular, oblong, hexagon, octagon,
or any other suitable shape or form. In the aforesaid space we fit or place an
open work cage or frame made movable and adjustable having perforated bottom
and sides through which the sea can pass with freedom.
The cage to be lowered and raised with the tide by means of tidal, counterweights,
steam, pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, or other power so as to form a perfectly safe
swimming bath having available depth of water from 3 to 7 or 8 ft. The Pier
Head carrying the movable or floating cage may be constructed of piles, cylinders,
masonry, or other suitable means of support. The cage to be kept in position by
means of guide piles, ropes, chains, springs, or struts to be lowered and raised by

page_text: tidal, counterweights, steam, pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, windmill, or other
power. The cage or bath may be suspended from girders, beams, arches, suspension
chains, domes, or other suitable support. The safety bath or cage may be
constructed of timber, tubes, bars, ironframing with netting or ironwork, or other
suitable material. The safety bath or cage may be made with fixed sides and
movable bottom or with sides and bottom movable. Sometimes we make one or
more baths and adjust them to the depths suitable for men, women, or children
or for sheep or other animals. Sometimes we protect the bathers from the weather
by flooring or roofing over the baths. Sometimes we apply the apparatus to a
floating bath, or raft moored or otherwise. Sometimes in the case of storms we
lower and submerge the apparatus or cage to the bottom of the sea, or we raiso the
whole entirely out of the sea or water,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent & of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said George Gordon Page &
Robert Nunn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th May 1883.
GEORGE GORDON PAGE, of 28 Theobald's Road, Gray's Inn Gardens, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and ROBERT NUNN, of White Parish,
Salisbury, County of Wilts, Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF BATHING AND PROMENADE PIERS
The object of this invention is to construct safe bathing apparatus or moveable
and adjustable cages in connection with Piers and jettios or with existing Piers and
jetties, either in the Sea, Harbours, Rivers, or Lakes.
For the purpose of carrying out our Invention we avail ourselves of the
natural or otherwise, bed of the Sea Harbour, River or Lake, at that place where
in the case of tidal action the water is six feet deep or thereabouts at low water
spring tides, or we may construct the same at Pier or Jetty heads, or at any suitable
or convenient point, along any Pier or Jetty.
Here we construct a staging or Pier head, on Piles, Posts, cylinders of metal or
any suitable or convenient combination of the saune, having a large or suitable
space in the centre of a triangular, square, circular oblong, hexagon, octagon, or
any other suitable or convenient form. In this aforesaid space we fit, place, or
construct, an open work cage or framo, made moveable and adjustable, having a
perforated bottom and sides, through which the sea or current may pass with
freedom.
This cage or bath may be suspended from girders, beams, arches, suspension
chains, domes or other suitable and convenient support or supports, so as to be
raised or lowered with the tide, where such action exists, by means of adjustablo
tidal counterweights, steam, pneumatic hydraulic, electric, manual or other suitablo
or convenient power, or combination of any two or more of the same, so as to form
a perfectly safe swimming bath, having an available depth of water of from three
to seven or eight feet, or greater depth.
The Pier head or structure carrying the moveable or adjustable cage or bath,
may be constructed of Piles, cylinders, masonry, or other suitable or convenient
means of support.
This moveable and adjustable cage or bath, may be kept in position by means of
Guide Piles, ropes, chains, catches or struts, or a suitable combination of two or
more of them, and raised or lowered by adjustable tidal counterweights, steam,
pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, manual, or other convenient power, or combination
of two or more of them, and friction rollers and catches or their equivalents, may
be provided where required.
The safety bath or moveable or adjustable cage, may be constructed of timber,
metal tubes, bars, metal or iron framing with netting of iron work, or other
suitable material or combination of the same, and it may havo fixed or moveable
sides, and a fixed or moveable bottom, as may be suitable to the requirements of
the case.
In some cases we may employ two or more baths or cages in one opening, and
adjust them to the depths suitable for men or children, or for sheep, or other
animals, and we may, in some cases, form the safety bath or cage with an inclined
bottom, so that the depth of water in the safety bath or cage, may be gradually
increased from a shallow depth at one end, to the full depth at the other, or it may
have the bottom arranged in the form of steps, or steps and inclines, whereby the
same result may be obtained, and if desired fixed or moveable partitions or fences,
may be used to separate or divide the various depths in the safety bath or cage.
We may also in some cases apply the apparatus to a floating bath or raft, inoored
or otherwise, and we may also in case of storms, lower and submerge the apparatus or

page_text: cage to the bottom of the sea or water, or we may raise the whole entirely out of
the sea or water, as most desirable or convenient.
When desired an awning, roof, or cover, may be placed over the moveable
adjustable safety cage or bath, and dressing rooms and other conveniences may be
provided, where most suitable or convenient.
The accompanying sheet of drawings, shows one modo of carrying out our
invention.
plans at
Figure 1 being a sectional elevation, taken crossways, and Figure
the levels shown. The same letters of reference indicate like parts in each figure.
A. A. are the piles, cylinders, or parts, forming the staging, Pier head or support
of the moveable adjustable safety bath, and also for the platforms, Dressing rooms,
and other accommodations, and also for the parts for raising and lowering the
moveable and adjustable safety bath.
B. B. the open space in centre, in which the safety bath is placed or constructed.
CC. C. moveable and adjustable openwork cage or frame with perforated sides,
and bottom, to allow free passage of the sea or current.
D. D. guide or friction rollers for keeping the safety bath in its proper position,
and reducing friction in raising or lowering.
E. E. the guide piles, or surfaces against which the friction rollers work. In this
case the guide piles also form the bearing of the framed structure.
F. F. Suspension chains or rods working over the pullies or sheaves
G. G. which with the boxes or counterweights H. H. enable the moveable safety
bath to be raised or lowered.
I. I. tanks or reservoirs, to contain water to be used in the counterweight boxes
H. H. which may be led into same through a flexible pipe or otherwise, when the
safety bath is to be raised, and discharged from H. H. when it is to be lowered.
Figure 2 is a plan on the lines A. B. and C. D. That on the line A. B showing
the dressing rooms K. K. and that on C. D. the tanks and counterweights for
raising and lowering.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, of "Improvements in
the construction of bathing and promenade piers" and particularly ascertained
and described the said Invention and the manner in which the same is to or may
be performed or carried into practical effect, we desire to state that we do not
limit or confine ourselves to the precise details herein before described and shown
in the accompanying sheet of Drawings, as the same may be modified or varied
without departing from the nature of the said Invention, nor do we claim as of
our invention the use of enclosed baths, either with or without perforated or solid
sides, ends, or bottoms, as these are not new; nor the invention of placing detached
baths or bathing places in water, as this is not novel; nor nor do we claim any of
'the parts individually as new, as these have been used before; but what we do claim
as of our Invention, and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is :—
The apparatus, arrangements, and combination of parts, forming the moveable and
adjustable safety swimming bath, either in combination with, or independment of
a promenade pier, in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and
as illustrated in the accompanying sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Gordon Page and Robert Nunn
have hereunto set our bands and seals this Eighth day of May in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three