IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS OR VESSELS, OR IN APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, FOR PRESERVING LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SEA
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francesco Leoni and Philip Matthews de la Tastes, both of
Saint Heliers, in the Island of Jersey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SHIPS OR VESSELS, OR IN APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH, FOR PRESERVING LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SEA.”
Sealed the 2nd March 1877, and dated the 22nd December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francesco Leoni and Philip
Matthews de la Tastes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
22nd December 1870.
FRANCESCO LEONI and PHILIP MATTHEWS DE LA TASTES, both of Saint Heliers, in
the Island of Jersey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS OR VESSELS, OR IN APPARATUS OR
MEANS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, FOR PRESERVING LIFE AND PROPERTY
AT SEA."
Our Invention relates to apparatus or means to be employed for preserving the
lives of the passengers and crew of a ship or vessel at sea, and of any valuables
which may be contained on board, in the event of a wreck taking place, and it
consists in combining with a ship or vessel an upper or raft deck, which while
forming part of such ship or vessel under normal circumstances, shall be capable of
being readily disconnected therefrom on the occurrence of a catastrophe, and of
receiving the passengers and crew and valuables to be preserved.
In carrying out our Invention we erect above the working deck of a steam ship,
for example, a second deck, which is supported on strong iron pillars at equal
distances round the ship's side, such pillars passing through the second or raft deck,
and having an eye projecting above the same, into which a forelock is fitted.
The raft deck is elevated, so as to enable the crew to work ship without any
inconvenience at all times, the hull having a good sheer and the raft deck, which is
of the same proportion as the working deck, but of a straight sheer, being supported
upon the two ends of the ship. The two masts work on hinges fixed on the raft
deck, in order to admit of their being lowered when required; the funnel is
telescopic, and the rigging and stays of both masts are fixed to the raft deck by
chain plates.
The raft deck is surrounded with a bulwark, and it is also fitted with a rudder or

page_text: binnacle and compass, two temporary ladders, one aft and one forward, in order to
establish a communication between the two decks at all times.
Hatchways are also provided to correspond with the lower deck for loading and
unloading cargo, also a circular hatchway for closing up the opening left after the
funnel has disappeared below the raft deck, as herein-after mentioned, and under-
neath and all round the raft deck are fixed air tubes composed by preference of
galvanized metal or copper, and hermetically sealed.
On the raft deck and round the water ways inside the bulwarks are also provided
oblong cases, by preference of galvanized metal or copper, which serve as seats, and
are intended to contain provisions in tins, also clothing and other necessaries, in case
of a catastrophe, the said cases being filled before leaving port, and hermetically
sealed until they are required for use. On the occurrence of a catastrophe the
passengers are sent to the raft deck, taking with thein such valuable articles as will
not encumber the deck; the crew then commence by lowering by means of tackle
the two masts on the raft deck, also lowering the telescopic funnel, unshipping the
two accommodation ladders communicating with the lower deck, and firmly
adjusting and fastening up the whole of the hatchways on the raft deck, and finally
withdrawing all the forelocks, which are the only fastenings for connecting the raft
deck to the main hull of the vessel.
The raft deck having been entirely disconnected, when the hull sinks the raft deck
floats on the water, it being supported by its air tubes and being otherwise buoyant;
a jury mast is then rigged up, and with the rudder and compass the raft is steered
until either land or assistance is reached.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francesco Leoni and Philip Matthews de la Tastes in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 16th June 1877.
FRANCESCO LEONI and PHILIP MATTHEWS DE LA TASTES, both of Saint Heliers, in
the Island of Jersey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS OR VESSELS, OR IN APPARATUS OR
MEANS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, FOR PRESERVING LIFE AND PROPERTY
AT SEA."
Our said Invention relates to apparatus or means to be employed for preserving
the lives of the passengers and crew of a ship or vessel at sea, and of any valuables
which may be contained on board, in the event of a wreck taking place, and it
consists in combining with a ship or vessel an upper or raft deck, which, whilst
under normal circumstances forming part of such ship or vessel, shall be capable of
being readily disconnected therefrom on the occurrence of a catastrophe, after having
received the passengers and crew and valuables to be preserved.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents a side elevation of a steam ship with the
detachable upper or raft deck applied thereto, as an example of the application of
our said Invention, and Figures 2 and 3 are respoctively plans of the upper and
under side of the raft deck detached.
A is the working deck of the vessel, above which we erect the second or raft
deck B, which is supported on strong pillars Cat intervals round the ship's sides,
such pillars passing through apertures a in the second or raft deck B, and having an
eye a projecting above the same, into which a forclock b is fitted. The raft deck B
is elevated so as to enable the crew to work ship without any inconvenience at all
times, the hull having a considerable sheer, whilst the raft deck B, which is of the
same proportions as the working deck A, is made of a straight sheer. The two

page_text: masts D, E, work on hinges c, d, fixed on the raft deck B, in order to admit of their
being lowered when required. The funnel F is telescopic, the upper portion e being
arranged to slide within the lower portion f, and the rigging and stays G of both
masts are fixed to the raft deck B by chains g.
The raft deck B is surrounded with a bulwark h, and it is also fitted with a
rudder H, a binnacle and compass I, two temporary ladders K, K', the one K aft
and the other (K) forward, in order to establish a communication between the two
decks at all times.
Hatchways at L, L, are also provided to correspond with those of the lower deck
for loading and unloading cargo, also a circular hatchway M for closing-up the
opening left after the funnel F has disappeared below the raft deck B, as herein-after
mentioned, and underneath and all round the raft deck are fixed air vessels N,
composed by preference of galvanized metal or copper and herinetically sealed.
On the raft deck B, and round the waterways inside the bulwarks h, are also
provided oblong cases O, by preference of galvanized metal or copper, which serve
as seats, and are intended to contain provisions in tins, also clothing and other
necessaries in case of a catastrophe, the said cases being filled before leaving port,
and hermetically sealed until they are required for use. On the occurrence of a
catastrophe the passengers are sent to the raft deck B, taking with them such
valuable articles as will not encumber the deck; the crew then commence by
lowering by means of tackles the two masts D, E, on the raft deck, also lowering
the telescopic funnel F, unshipping the two accommodation ladders K, K¹, com-
municating with the lower deck A, and firmly adjusting and fastening up the whole
of the hatchways L, L, M, on the raft deck, as shown in Figure 2, and finally
withdrawing all the forelocks b, which are the only fastenings for connecting tho
raft deck to the main hull of the vessel.
The raft deck having been entirely disconnected when the hull sinks, the raft deck
floats on the water, it being supported by its air vessels N and being otherwise
buoyant; a jury mast is then rigged up, and with the rudder H and compass I the
raft is steered until either land or assistance is reached.
Our said Invention is applicable both to large transport ships and to passenger
ships, but in the case of the smaller class of ships, in lieu of the raft being elevated
or supported as herein-before described, it may be so arranged as to form under
normal circumstances a portion of the main deck of the vessel, whilst being capable
of ready detachment on the occurrence of a wreck or catastrophe.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, we
would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the combination with a ship or vessel of an upper or raft deck
which, whilst forming under normal circumstances a part of such ship or vessel,
shall be capable of being readily disconnected therefrom on the occurrence of a
wreck or catastrophe, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Francesco Leoni and Philip Matthews de la
Tastes, have to this our Specification set our hands and seals, this Eleventh
day of Tune One thousand sight hundred and now GAWAS