IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHIPS BERTHS
Year: 1884

page_text: I CHARLES JAMES Fox of 2 Conway Street, Birkenhead, in the County of
Chester, Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHIPS BERTHS to be as follows:—
My Invention relates to certain improvements in that class of berth for use on
board ship which are known as adjusting, or self-levelling berths, and consists in
the following arrangement and construction of apparatus by which the berth is
suspended, supported and adjusted.
In fitting a double, or " top and bottom" berth according to my Invention I use
a cross beam, or beams suspended by a universal joint from the deck overhead.
The universal joint may be a cup and pivot, ball and socket, or scale beam balance,
or the beam may be suspended by a strong cord. A cup and pivot, ball and socket,
or scale beam balance, or like contrivance is also provided on the under deck to
support the lower platform hereafter spoken of, and similar pivots may also be
fixed under the bottom of each berth, such pivots being supported by arms fastened
to the bulkhead, or side of the ship and lee-boards. The overhead crossbeam may
take the form of a Saint Andrews Cross the four ends of which come over and
correspond with the corners of the berths. From the corners of the beams descend
cords, lines, or wires which pass through the corners of the berths to the lower.
platform where they are made fast. On these cords, lines, or wires are distance
pieces, or thimbles which separate the berths. Under the lower platform there is
an india rubber, or other bag filled with water and forming a water bed and having
a central hole, or opening through which the supporting pivot, before spoken of,
passes. The water bed is contained in a box, or casing and is arranged to com-
pensate the rolling, or pitching of the ship by supporting the lower platform of the
berth.
To prevent the ends and sides of the berths from coming in contact with the
bulkheads and berth casings and to assist in levelling the berths, I provide a
parallel motion, namely, I fit lines to the four corners of the berth and carry and
fix the two of such lines on one end of the berth to the bulkhead at the opposite
end, the lines from this end being likewise carried and fixed to the other bulkhead.
To enable both lines to have free motion arms are fastened to one end of the berth,
or platform and bent over in such a manner as to allow the line from the opposite
end to work clear. These parallel lines or cords serve two purposes, namely, they
prevent the berths, or platform from surging against the bulkheads and causing

page_text: friction, and also when the ship is off the level the lines at one end depress while
those at the opposite end raise the berth. An india rubber, or other spring may be
fitted to each line to allow them to give way a little under any undue tension.
Round the space occupied by each berth I provide a lining of upholstered fabric
which moves with the berth and prevents the occupant from seeing the bulkhead
and ceiling moving. At the corners this upholstered fabric is puckered, or gathered
in by elastic straps so that the extending and creaseing of the fabric occasioned by
the altering of the angles will be hardly detected.
•
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I CHARLES JAMES Fox, of 2 Conway Street, Birkenhead in the County of
Chester, Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHIPS BERTHS and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in that class of berth for use on
board ship, which are known as adjusting, or self levelling berths, and consists in
the following arrangement and construction of apparatus by which the berth is
suspended, supported and adjusted, reference being had to the accompanying sheets
of Drawings, which are marked with letters and figures of reference corresponding
with those in the following description, like letters and figures being used to denote
like or corresponding parts throughout the Views.
In fitting a double, or "top and bottom." berth according to my Invention I use
a cross beam, or beams suspended by a universal joint from the deck overhead.
The universal joint may be a cup and pivot, ball and socket or scale beam balance,
or the beam may be suspended by a strong cord. A cup and pivot, ball and socket,
or scale beam balance, or like contrivance is also provided on the under deck to
support the lower platform hereafter spoken of, and similar pivots may also be
fixed under the bottom of each berth, such pivots being supported by arms fastened
to the bulkhead, or side of the ship and lee boards. The overhead cross beam may
take the form of a Saint Andrews Cross the four ends of which come over and
correspond with the corners of the berths. From the corners of the beams descend
cords, lines, or wires which pass through the corners of the berths to the lower
platform where they are made fast. On these cords, lines, or wires are distance
pieces, or thimbles which separate the berths. Under the lower platform there is a
weight to compensate for the rolling, or pitching of the ship.
To prevent the ends and sides of the berths from coming in contact with the
bulkheads and berth casings and to assist in levelling the berths, I provide a
parallel motion, namely I fit lines to the four corners of the berth and carry and
fix two of such lines on one end of. the berth to the bulkhead at the opposite end,

page_text: the lines from this end being likewise carried and fixed to the other bulkhead. To
enable both lines to have free motion arms are fastened to one end of the berth or
platform and bent over in such a manner as to allow the line from the opposite end
to work clear. These parallel lines, or cords serve two purposes, namely they
prevent the berths, or platform from surging against the bulkheads and causing
friction, and also when the ship is off the level the lines at one end depress, while
those at the opposite end raise the berth. An india rubber, or other spring may be.
fitted to each line to allow them to give way a little, under any undue tension.
Figure o a plan of Figure 7.
In fitting a double, or top and bottom berth according to my Invention I use a
cross beam, or beams A suspended by a universal ball and socket joint B, a
universal joint C consisting of a rounded, or semi spherical support c carried by
legs which are attached to the deck and a rounded, or semi spherical bearing c
attached to the bottom of the lower berth. The beam A is in the form of a Saint
Andrews cross the four ends a of which come over and correspond with the corners
of the berths D. E. From the corners of the beam A descend cords lines, or wires b
which pass through the corners of the berths D. E are fixed to the berth E. On
the cords bare placed tubes b¹ provided with ball ends b² to obtain smooth working
these tubes bserve as distance pieces between the berths D and E. To give the
berths their self levelling properties, the lower berth is provided with a weight E¹,
which causes the berths to maintain a constant, or nearly constant horizontal
position when the vessel is rolling, or pitching, or both. To the corner of each of
the berths D and E I fit lines d both at the sides and ends of the berth. These
lines & prevent the berths from coming in contact with the bulkheads F and assist
in levelling the berths, the lines also give a parallel motion to the berths.
lines are attached to the berths at d and to the strips F¹ of the bulkheads F
passing over the segmental bows e and onto the books f. The radius of the bows e
being the distance between the attachment at d' and the bows. The lines d are
arranged to work clear of one another (see Figures 1. 7 and 8).
The
Round the space occupied by each berth I provide a lining of upholstered
fabric H which prevents the occupant of the berth from seeing the bulkheads
and ceiling moving. This upholstered fabric H see Figures 2 and 2ª is puckered,
or gathered in by elastic strips or rings J so that the extending and creasing of the
fabric, is occasioned by the altering of the angles of the tubes b' by which the
fabric is carried with the berths D and E. In lieu of upholstering the berth as
shown at Figure 2, I arrange a canopy as shown at Figure 3, which is supported
from the berth bottom by non moving rods, or staunchions. By this method
I obtain the object above specified, namely no moving whatever is seen by the
occupant, although the framework moves when the vessel rolls, or pitches. The
canopy is inclined inwards to prevent its sides and ends coming in contact with the
bulkhead.
By the construction and arrangement of ships berths according to my Invention,
as above set forth, the berth will maintain a horizontal position whatever motion
the ship may have whether the motion be a pitching, or rolling one, or a combined
pitching and rolling one. The berthis will also have practically no longitudinal, or

page_text: lateral movement. This is effected by the cords & which at the same time through
the bows 8 and the manner of attachment and mode of operation work with the
least possible friction and affect in the smallest degree the necessary steadiness of
the required position of the borth. Thus although the bar A, joint B, tubes b¹,
cords blines à and bows e may be in operation and necessarily moving, such
motion will (by their construction and arrangements) affect in the very smallest
degree the stability of equilibrium of the berths.
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
In self levelling ships berths
1. The combination of a supporting device such as A joint such as B connections
such as b berths D and E support C and weight E' substantially as set forth and
operating as described.
2. The combination with berths of the type herein set forth of lines or bars such
as d operating as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The combination with berths provided with lines or bars b as described of a
device, such as the segmental bowe whereby longitudinal and transverse motion of
the berths is prevented substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of the beam A universal joint B cords 6 tubes 61 and tube
ends b (constructed as described) berths D and E support C lines d and bows e
substantially as set forth and operating as described.
5. The combination with a ships berth of a gathered, or puckered canopy and a
ring or strips such as J as and for the purposes set forth in reference to Figures 2
and 24.
6. The combination with a ships berth operating as described of a canopy
supported from the berth bottom substantially as and for the purposes set forth
in reference to Figure 3.
Dated this eighteenth day of November 1884.