IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO BERTHS, COTS, LOUNGES, SETTEES, CHAIRS, AND OTHER ARTICLES ON BOARD SHIP, TO RETAIN THEM IN A LEVEL POSITION, AND TO PREVENT SEASICKNESS." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Calvin Thompson, of Brooklyn, in the County of
Kings, and State of Now York, in the United States of America, but at
present of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO
BERTHS, COTS, LOUNGES, SETTEES, CHAIRS, AND OTHER ARTICLES ON BOARD
SHIP, TO RETAIN THEM IN A LEVEL POSITION, AND TO PREVENT SEASICKNESS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Calvin Thompson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1877.
"
JOHN CALVIN THOMPSON, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and State of
New York, in the United States of America, but at present of 23, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
TO BE APPLIED TO BERTHS, COTS, LOUNGES, SETTEES, CHAIRS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
ON BOARD SHIP, TO RETAIN THEM IN A LEVEL POSITION, AND TO PREVENT SEA-
SICKNESS.
"
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus to be
applied to berths, cots, lounges, settees, chairs, and other articles on board_ship, to
retain them in a level or horizontal position, and to prevent seasickness. For this
purpose I mount each car, cot, berth, lounge, or other article upon axes or centres of
motion, in a frame which is itself mounted upon axes or centres of motion, at right
angles to the aforesaid axes or centres of motion, in a somewhat similar manner to
the gymballing of a compass or chronometer.
In applying my Invention to sleeping cots, cars, berths, lounges, settees, or other
articles, I connect them together in series by means of links, connecting rods, or
other suitable means, so that whatever angle to the vessel any one of such articles
may assume, all the others of such articles shall be compelled to assume the same
angle, and I also connect such articles to a controlling or governing weight or
weights, which is or are suspended on centres of motion in such a manner as to
retain the various articles in a horizontal or level position, notwithstanding the
rolling or pitching motion of the vessel containing them. This controlling or
governing weight is placed in such a position as is best suited to interfere the least
CD 037

page_text: with the floating, sailing, or steaming capabilities of the ship or vessel in which it is
placed.
I also place beneath the beds, mattrasses, cushions, or other fittings of the various
articles, a spring or springs, so as to obviate or moderate the recoil or returning
force consequent upon the motion of the ship or vessel against the inertia of the
various articles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Calvin Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
October 1877.
JOHN CALVIN THOMPSON, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and State of
New York, in the United States of America, but at present of 23, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
TO BE APPLIED TO BERTHS, COTS, LOUNGES, SETTEES, CHAIRS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
ON BOARD SHIP, TO RETAIN THEM IN A LEVEL POSITION, AND TO PREVENT SEA-
SICKNESS."
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus to be
applied to berths, cots, lounges, settees, chairs, and other articles on board ship, to
retain them in a level or horizontal position, and to prevent seasickness. For this
purpose I mount each car, cot, berth, lounge, or other article upon axes or centres of
motion in a frame which is itself mounted upon axes or centres of motion, at right
angles to the aforesaid axes or centres of motion, in a somewhat similar manner to
the gymballing of a compass or chronometer.
In applying my Invention to sleeping cots, cars, berths, lounges, settees, or other
articles, I connect them together in series by means of links, connecting rods, or
other suitable means, so that whatever angle to the vessel any one of such articles
may assume, all the others of such articles in the same series shall be compelled to
assume the same angle, and I also connect all of such articles in a series to a
controlling or governing weight or weights, which is or are suspended on centres of
motion in such a manner as to retain the various articles in a horizontal or level
position, notwithstanding the rolling or pitching motion of the vessel containing
them. This controlling or governing weight is placed in such a position as is best
suited to interfere the least with the Hoating, sailing, or steaming capabilities of the
ship or vessel in which it is placed.
I also place beneath the beds, mattrasses, cushions, or other fittings of the various
articles, a spring or springs, so as to obviate or moderate the recoil or returning
force consequent upon the motion of the ship or vessel against the inertia of the
various articles.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of portions of a ship or vessel showing my
Invention applied to series of cars, cots, or berths; Figure 2 is a transverse section
of the same; and Figures 3 and 4 are plans of parts.
A, A, represent the cars, cots, or berths; B, B, the frames suspending the cots,
cars, or berths, from either side in the centre of the direction of their length at b,
such frames being free to be controlled and to be held in a horizontal position by
the inertia of the weight during the rolling motion of the ship or vessel. These
frames B, B, are carried or supported in the bulkheads or partitions by axes of
motion formed of angular edged carriers, or by axes working in friction rollers, or
by other equivalent mechanical contrivances.

page_text: C, C, are metal attachments to the top part of both ends of each of the lower row
of cots, cars, or berths, and passing through the bottom, which is so cut as to allow for
the rolling motion of the vessel or ship; these attachments are thence bent angularly
downward directly underneath the centre of the cars, cots, or berths, and meet with
and are attached to or connected with rods or bars or "pitch" shafts D, D, which are
placed near to the deck, and may be inserted in the deck, if necessary, to cross a
passage way or alcove. Each of these "pitch" shafts, rods, or bars D, D, has an
arm d, d, running through a slot in the deck and jointed to a rod or shaft a working
in a water-tight box E, and passing out and at each end through a stuffing box, the
connection to the weight O alluded to being made on the outside of the box E.
These water-tight boxes E, E, are fixed beneath the slots in the deck, through which
the arms d pass, and support the jointed rods a, a, which are connected to the
arms d, d.
F, F, are connecting rods or bars attached at one end to the jointed rods a, a,
and at the other end to the levers H, H, which are fixed tightly on the weight
shaft G.
The weight shaft G is suspended in bearings bolted securely in suitable places to
the beams or deck, and has the levers H, H, fixed rigidly upon it, as also cross
heads K, K, formed solid therewith or fixed upon it. These levers H, H, control
the "pitch," connecting rods, bars, or shafts F, F.
J, J, are levers whose upper ends are supported and turn freely on the centres k,
formed on the ends of the cross heads K, K, and whose lower ends carry rods or
bars j, which support the weight O.
L, L, are rods or bars attached to one end, near the top, and in the centre of the
cars, cots, or berths, for the purpose of simultaneously controlling the position or
stability of the series of cars, cots, or berths, where there are more than one tier
of cots, cars, or berths in a series, while the ship or vessel is in a "pitching"
condition.
M is a shaft, rod, or bar running above and parallel with the weight shaft G, the
purpose of such shaft and its appendages being to control the position or stability
of cars, cots, or berths, while the ship or vessel is in a "rolling" condition. This
shaft M is controlled in its motion by the weight O through the weight levers J, J,
by the connecting rods or bars N, N, and the motion of the rod or bar M controls
the lower arms of the bell-crank levers. P, P.
The arms above the deck of the bell-crank levers P, P, are jointed to the shafts,
rods, or bars Q, Q, which control the position or stability of the cars, cots, or berths
when the ship or vessel is in a "rolling" condition.
The shafts, rods, or bars Q, Q, are controlled by the arms above the deck of the
bell-crank levers P, P, and are attached by links to one arm of the bell-crank
levers R, R, the other arm of which is attached to the rods or bars S, S.
The rods or bars S, S, control the position or stability of the cars, cots, or berths
during the "rolling" condition of the vessel; these rods are attached at their lower
ends to one arm of the bell-crank levers R, R, and at their upper ends to a stud or
projection 8 from the frame B, B.
T, T, are rods or bars simultaneously controlling the position or stability of cars,
cots, or berths, where there are more than one tier of cots in the series, and while
the ship or vessel is in a "rolling" condition.
V, V, are repulsion springs placed beneath beds, mattrasses, cushions, or other
fittings of cars, cots, or berths, to modify or nullify the recoil in a vertical direction
consequent upon any other motion of the ship or vessel not provided for above.
I would have it understood that where required, on account of the various parts
moving in more than one direction, the connections between such parts will be so
formed as to offer no impediment to such motions. I have not however shown the
connections in the Drawings so formed, as the construction thereof is well under-
stood and requires no further description here, and I would here remark that
although I have limited the above description to the application of my Invention to
series of sleeping cots, cars, or berths, my Invention, with slight modifications, is

page_text: equally applicable to series of lounges, settees, chairs, and other articles on shipboard,
the connections between the various articles and from them to the controlling
weight or weights being arranged to suit the peculiar circumstances, as will be
readily understood; and I would further remark that different means of connection
from those herein-before described may be employed between the various articles, to
be retained in a horizontal position, and from them to the controlling weight,
without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention; and if desired one
weight and connections may be employed to control the position of a series of
articles when the ship or vessel is in a "pitching" condition, and another weight
and connections may be employed for controlling the position of a series of articles
when the ship or vessel is in a "rolling" condition.
When according to my Invention a series of articles on shipboard, swivelled in
swing frames, are connected together and controlled in their position by a governing
or controlling weight or weights, as above described, each article, in addition to
overcoming the inertia of the controlling weight or weights, must also overcome the
inertia of all the other articles in the series before it can assume other than a
horizontal position; by which means when a passenger gets into or out of one of a
connected series of sleeping cots, cars, or berths, or into or out of one of a connected
series of lounges, settees, or chairs, the sleeping cot, car, or berth, or the lounge,
settee, or chair which he is about to occupy or vacate will be maintained in a firm
position as he is getting into or out of it, except that it will be controlled to remain
in a horizontal position, whatever position the ship may assume at the moment,
that is to say, the weight of the passenger in getting into or out of the sleeping
cot, car, or berth, or into or out of a lounge, chair, or settee will have no appreciable
effect on the position of such article.
From the foregoing description it will be clearly understood that my Invention
differs from that known as the "Bessemer saloon," as I do not interfere with nor
alter the construction of the ship or vessel, but my Invention is applicable to ships
or vessels of the ordinary construction.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode in which I
propose to carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
claim swivelling the various articles in swing frames, and controlling their position
by a controlling weight, when each of such articles is independent of and unconnected
with the others, but what I do claim is, swivelling each of a series of two or more
articles on shipboard in separate swing frames, and connecting all the articles of
each series together and to one or more controlling or governing weights, so that all
the articles of a series so swivelled and connected, whilst capable of moving on their
own centres of motion, shall be simultaneously controlled to remain in a horizontal
position, notwithstanding the rolling or pitching motion of the vessel, and shall be
incapable of moving independently of each other, in manner substantially as herein
shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Calvin Thompson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN C. THOMPSON. (L.S.)