IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHIPS' SLEEPING BERTHS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHIPS' SLEEPING BERTHS." A com-
munication from abroad by John Henry Laskey, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America, Shipwright.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd August 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHIPS'
SLEEPING BERTHS." [A communication from abroad by John Henry Laskey, of
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Shipwright.]
The object of this Invention is to provide means for so suspending and con-
trolling self-levelling berths for ships as to simplify their construction and greatly
increase their convenience.
The said Invention consists in the novel appliances hereinafter specified.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a frame designed to be
suspended centrally at one side of the state room by means of strong bearings,
which may both be formed on a transverse supporting rod at each side of and
somewhat beyond the edges of the frame and berths. The said double bearings
cause the frame to move laterally with the walls of the room when the vessel rolls,
that is to say, the frame does not swing out into the room and back again, and
hence space is economized greatly as compared with berths or frames suspended
from a single point. The frame swings fore and aft freely at all times on the
bearings, so that its horizontal position is not affected by the pitching of the
vessel.
Berths are suspended one above the other on trunnions at the ends of the said
frame, and thereby permitted to swing freely and independently of each other on
said frame, which as above explained moves fore and aft on its bearing, while the
berths oscillate slowly on their pivots when the vessel rolls.

page_text: With this construction it is obvious that the berths will independently maintain
their equilibrium under all circumstances, remaining horizontal, whatever the
motions of the vessel may be, and taking up but little more room than is required
for the ordinary rigid berths. The berths being thus separately adjustable on
their trunnions the, occupant of one does not by his movements disturb the occupant
of the other.
Each berth is provided with a spring at one or both of its ends, connecting it to
the frame, and designed to prevent any more swing to the berth than is necessary
to overcome the rolling movement of the vessel. Said springs are, by preference,
in the form of flat strips of metal, extending from the berth end, where they are
secured, and play through an eye or under a cleat on the end of the frame. The
position of the springs may be reversed at the opposite ends of a berth.
The frame is also provided with springs preferably arranged on each side of the
bearing, so as to press against the supporting timbers above, and be thus adapted
to check any extreme swinging of the frame on its bearing.
The ends of the frame are somewhat nearer to each other at the bottom than at
the top, and the frame is curved at the top and bevelled at bottom each way from
the centre, so that it has a greater longitudinal movement without striking than
would be the case if made rectangular. The space directly beneath the lower
berth may be largely utilized for baggage.
It is at times desirable to rigidly secure one or both of the berths to the frame,
so that they will have no movement independent of said frame until released.
A suitable device is constructed as follows, that is to say-A bolt is attached by
a loop to the berth, and operated by a pivotted lever adapted to enter a recess in
the end of the frame and to be thus temporarily engaged. This device may be
readily operated by the occupant of the berth, either to engage or release it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd February 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHIPS'
SLEEPING BERTHS." A communication from abroad by John Henry Laskey, of
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Shipwright.
The object of this Invention is to provide means for so suspending and con-
trolling self-levelling berths for ships as to simplify their construction and greatly
increase their convenience; and the said Invention consists in the novel appliances
hereinafter specified and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an upper berth and a side elevation of a lower
berth and of the frame; and
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Like letters indicate the same parts in both of these Figures.
A represents the state room arranged as in ordinary vessels, and B is a frame
suspended centrally at one side of the said state-room by means of strong bearings
F, F, which may both be formed or secured upon the transverse supporting rod I
at each side of and somewhat beyond the edges of the frame and berths. The
double bearings F, F, cause the frame B to move laterally with the walls of the
room when the vessel rolls, that is to say, the frame does not swing out into the
room and back again, and hence space is considerably economized, as compared
with berths or frames suspended from a single point. The frame B swings fore
and aft freely at all times on the bearings F, F, so that its horizontal position is
not affected by the pitching of the vessel._
C, C, are berths suspended one above the other on trunnions G, G, at the ends
of the frame B, and thereby permitted to swing freely and independently of each
other on the said frame, which as above explained moves fore and aft on its
transverse bearings F, F, while the berths oscillate slowly on their pivots G, G,
when the vessel rolls.
By reason of this construction it will be evident that the berths will inde-
pendently maintain their equilibrium under all circumstances, and that they will
remain horizontal, whatever the motions of the vessel may be, and will take up
but little more room or space than is required for the ordinary rigid berths. The
berths being separately adjustable on their trunnions, as above described, the
occupant of one berth does not by his movements disturb the occupant of the
other.
Each berth is provided with a spring D at one or both of its ends, which spring
connects the berth to the frame B, and is designed to prevent the said berth from
swinging to a greater extent than is necessary to overcome the rolling movement
of the vessel. The said springs are, by preference, of the form shewn in Figure 2,
that is to say, they consist of a flat elastic strip of metal extending from the berth
end, to which they are secured, and playing or moving through an eye or beneath
a cleat on the end of the frame. The position of the said springs may be reversed
at the opposite ends of a berth.
The frame B is provided with springs E, preferably arranged on each side of the
bearings F, F, so as to press against the supporting timbers above, and thus check
any extreme swinging of the said frame on its bearing. The ends of the frame B
are shewn somewhat nearer to each other at the bottom than at the top, and the
said frame is curved at the top and bevelled at the bottom in each direction from
the centre, so that it has a greater longitudinal movement without striking any

page_text: .
portion of the surrounding walls or parts than would be the case if it were made
rectangular. The space directly beneath the lower berth may be utilized for the
storage of baggage or the like.
It is at times desirable to rigidly secure one or both of the berths to the frame B,
so that they will have no movement independently of the said frame until released.
A suitable device for this purpose is indicated in the Drawing, and consists of a
bolt K attached by a loop to the berth C, and operated by a pivoted lever L.
This bolt is adapted to enter a recess in the end of the frame B, and to be thus
temporarily engaged. This device may be readily operated by the occupant of the
berth, either to engage or release it.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The frame supported on the elevated bearings to provide for its fore and
aft movement in combination with the berths pivoted at G to the said frame, and
independently adjustable thereon, whereby the said berths are each maintained in
a horizontal position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Second. The frame provided with the bearings F in combination with the berths,
having the trunnions G and the springs which serve as yielding connections
between the said berths and the frame which supports them, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
Third. The frame suspended on the transverse bearings F in combination with
the berths separately pivotted thereto, and a locking device, whereby a berth may
be temporarily secured to the said frame, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.