Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Mar., 1889
I, ALFRED BURGOINE, of Kingston on Thames, in the County of Surrey, boat
builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in punts and sailing craft generally,
and it is designed to obtain certain advantages hereinafter more fully set forth.
Whereas at present punts and other flat bottomed craft have been unable to carry
sail, and by their square built bows offer great resistance to their passage through the
water, and whereas the centre boards as at present employed occupy great space in
the boat, and need a considerable depth of water for their efficiency; now by my
invention I obviate these defects and carry it out as follows:-
In place of one large centre board in the middle of the craft, I apply in any con-
venient manner a pair or more of bilgo drop keels at the sides of the craft, where
they do not interfere with the body, and whereby I obtain the same amount of surface
with considerably less draught of water. In the case of square ended craft such as
punts and for the purpose indicated, I build them with their ends rounded, so that no
dead angle shall be offered to their passage through the water.
For FELL & WILDING,
R. A. Hoffmann,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, ALFRED BURGOINE, of Kingston on Thames, in the County of Surrey, Boat
builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
game is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to certain improvements in punts and sailing craft generally,
and it is designed to obtain certain advantages hereinafter more fully set forth.
Whereas at present punts and other flat bottomed craft have been unable to carry
sail and by their square built bows offer great resistance to their passage through
the water, and, whereas the centre boards as at present employed occupy great space
in the boat, and need a considerable depth of water for their efficiency; now by my
invention I obviate these defects and carry it out as follows:-
In place of one large centre board in the middle of the craft, I apply in any
convenient manner a pair or more of bilge drop keels at the sides of the craft, where
they do not interfere with the body and whereby I obtain the same amount of surface
with, considerably less-draught of water. In the case of square ended craft such as
punts and for the purpose indicated, I build them with their ends rounded so that
no dead angle shall be offered to their passage through the water.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to describe
the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had to the
letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts in the various
figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sailing punt with bilge drop keels attached.
Figure 2 is a half plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a section through the boat or punt on the line A. A.
In order to carry my invention into effect, I pivot one or more bilge drop keels D.
at any convenient point or points at the sides of the craft or punt. Each keel works
within a recess which may be formed on one side by the outside board of the punt
and on the other by an additional board fixed on the inside or the outside of the punt.
Where this extra board is fitted on the inside, a watertight joint must be made
where the additional board is adjacent to the bottom of the punt; the object of the
recess being to sufficiently support the drop keel, when being used, and to prevent
the water from entering the punt through the hole in which the keel works.
I may operate this keel or keels by a chain or chains E, one end of which is
attached to the bilge drop keel D, and the other end to a handle or ring; or by any
other convenient and equivalent means in order to regulato the position of the keel.
When it is desired to make use of the keel it is allowed to swing in a downward
direction round its pivot from the recess into the water under the craft and when
required it can be drawn up into the recess by the aforesaid chain so that the
bottom of the boat is quite clear and will offer no obstruction in being pulled up on
shore.

page_text: As a development of these drop keels I also arrange an automatic drop plate c
upon the rudder C which plate is pivoted to the rudder C, so that when the punt is
afloat it falls down a certain distance in such a manner as to extend the rudder surface,
and is prevented from falling too far by any convenient stop or catch. When in the
lowered position the bottom edge of the plate is considerably below the bottom of
the boat so that on the punt. being beached or pushed upon the shore directly the
ground comes in contact with the bottom of the plate e it rises until the weight of
the punt is resting on its own bottom and not on the rudder as would be the case if
this plate were not hinged.
In order to facilitate the passage of the punt through the water, I construct the
punt with its ends rounded so that no dead angle shall be offered to its passage
through the water. The water line is shown at xx.
Having now particularly described as ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is:
1st In a punt or sailing craft the arrangement of movable bilge drop keels at one
or more points at the sides of the craft in such a manner as to obtain the largest
surface of keel with a minimum draught of water, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
2nd A punt or sailing craft having one or more movable drop keels in combination
with a similar drop plate or keel upon the rudder which will yield to any obstructing
object and also give increased rudder surface, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
3rd The particular construction of such a punt or sailing craft having its ends
rounded in such a manner as to offer no dead angle of resistance to its passage
through the water, substantially as described.
DL: 1 Cil L 1000
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant."