IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE RAFTS."
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Witherden Hurst, of Deptford, in the County
of Kent, Master Mariner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE
RAFTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Witherden Hurst
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th September 1865.
I, JOHN WITHERDEN HURST, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Master
Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LIFE RAFTS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the construction of rafts adapted for carry-
ing passengers and, crews as well as stores from ships in case of need, and
conveying them to land or keeping them afloat as may be required.
3144
For this purpose the raft when put together consists of two longitudinal
iron pontoons united by a wooden deck and kept apart as required by means
of diagonal stretchers underneath the deck. The pontoons are or may be

page_text: circular in the cross section, and it is preferred that they should be tapered
at the two ends and formed in a manner similar to boats or vessels intended
to be propelled on the water.
When taken to pieces, the raft consists of three main parts, viz., the two
iron pontoons and the wood intended to form the deck, which parts are
capable of being easily stored on the deck of a ship or vessel ready for putting
together as soon as required.
In order to put the said parts together the two sides of the deck are fixed
to the inner sides of the pontoons by means of clamps, spring hooks, and other
suitable fastenings, and the diagonal stretchers are fixed to the same under-
neath the deck by means of eye bolts inserted in the pontoons to receive the
ends of the stretchers, but this mode of fastening may be varied.
On the upper part of each pontoon is fixed a gunwale in which is inserted
a number of posts or rods for ropes, on which may be fastened strong canvas
for the protection of those on the raft. The interior of the pontoons is divi-
ded by a series of bulkheads formed of iron of the usual section for such
purpose, each of the divisions being accessible through a man-hole on re-
moving a water-tight cover from the same. These divisions are adapted for
receiving provisions and other articles. The raft is intended to be steered
by means of an oar at one end, and is propelled by oars at the sides or by
sails, as may be preferred..
In some cases it may be found desirable to apply to the outer sides of the
pontoons bags of cork or other floats, such as are ordinarily applied to life
boats, or pieces of wood or other suitable material, to act as rubbing pieces
or fenders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Witherden Hurst in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WITHERDEN HURST, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Master Mariner, 3
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, 3

page_text: the said John Witherden, Hurst, Her special licence that I, the said John
Witherden Hurst, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Witherden Hurst, my executors, administrators, and assigns
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the terin therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LIFE RAFTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Witherden Hurst, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
.writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said. Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Witherden Hurst, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention of "Improvements in Life Rafts," has for its object the
construction of rafts adapted for carrying passengers and crews as well as
.stores from ships in case of need, and conveying them to land or keeping them
afloat, as may be required.
For this purpose the raft consists of two longitudinal pontoons of iron or
of wood bound with iron, such pontoons being united by a wooden deck and
kept apart as required by means of diagonal bars or stretchers underneath the
deck. The pontoons are or may be circular in the cross section, and it is
preferred that they should be tapered at the two ends and formed in a
manner similar to boats or vessels intended to be propelled on the water; or
the pontoons may be straight tubes united by pontoons at each end of the
form required for entering and passing through the water. The raft thus
..constructed is intended, to be used as a substitute for ordinary ships' long
boats, and to, be kept ready for launching when required, or it may be
constructed so as to be capable of being taken to pieces and stored.
When constructed so as to be taken to pieces the raft consists of three
main parts, viz., the two pontoons, and the wood intended to form the deck,
which parts are capable of being stored on the deck of a ship or vessel ready
for putting together when required.

page_text: In order to put the said parts together, the two sides of the deck are fixed
to the inner sides of the pontoons by means of clamps, spring hooks, and other
suitable fastenings, and the diagonal stretchers are fixed to the same under-
neath the deck by means of eye bolts inserted in the pontoons to receive the
ends of the stretchers, but this mode of fastening may be varied.
On the upper part of each pontoon is fixed a gunwale, in which are inserted
a series of rowlocks, and in which may also be inserted posts or rods for ropes
on which may be fastened strong canvas for the protection of those on the
raft. The interiors of the pontoons are divided by a series of bulkheads
formed of iron of the usual section for such purpose, each of the divisions
being accessible through a man-hole on removing a water-tight cover from the
same. The said divisions between the bulkheads are adapted for receiving.
provisions and other articles. The raft is intended to be steered by means of
an oar at one end, and is propelled by oars at the sides or by sails or other-
wise, as may be preferred.
In some cases it may be found desirable to apply to the outer sides of the
pontoons bags of cork or other floats, such as are ordinarily applied to
life boats, or pieces of wood or other suitable material to act as rubbing
pieces or fenders.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed, by
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented two modes
of constructing a raft of the kind above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 a transverse section; and Fig. 8 a plan
or horizontal view of a life raft, consisting of two separate pontoons with a
space between them, covered by a deck. In these several Figures the same
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A, A, are the two pontoons formed of sheet iron and constructed in the
ordinary manner. The pontoons are formed with a sheer or spring, as
represented in Fig. 1, so as to give the raft buoyancy on the water; but they
may be varied as to their precise form according to their dimensions and other
circumstances. B, B, are cross bars of iron fixed diagonally at intervals
between and along the pontoons, for connecting the same at any required
distance apart; these bars are, by preference, lozenge-shaped in cross section,
and are flattened at their ends, which are rivetted to the inner sides of the
pontoons; C is the deck formed of wooden planks laid transversely over the

page_text: bars B, B, and secured to the inner sides of the pontoons by means of angle
iron, or by other convenient means. If preferred, the deck C may be made
of iron instead of wood, and in such case a central angular pontoon may be
fixed underneath the deck.
If required, the deck when made of wood may be protected from the effects
of the sea striking on. its under surface by plates fixed diagonally and meeting
in the centre, so as to deflect the water and cause it to pass off the plates
towards the sides of the deck. Apertures are formed at intervals along the
sides of the deck for the passage of the water from beneath, in order to relieve
the strain on the under side thereof. D, D, are seats fixed across the deck,
as shewn; E, E, are eyes inserted in the seats, through which eyes lines are
passed for the purpose of securing persons on the seats; these lines are
secured at their ends by belaying cleats F, F, fixed in the deck; 'G, G, are
fenders of cork or other suitable material, passing round the outsides of the
pontoons, to which they are fixed by angle irons, as shewn in Fig. 2; H, H,
are life lines passed through a series of eyes on the outsides of the pon
toons; I is a gunwale fixed by means of angle irons on the top of the pontoons
extending all round the deck, as shewn in Fig. 3, for the protection of
persons on the deck; it is intended to fix staunchions to this gunwale, round
which strong canvas or netting may be fastened in order to afford still further
protection. These and other details in common use are omitted from the
Drawings for the sake of clearness. K, K, are a series of pins along the
gunwale I, to which may be fastened "beckets "for rowing; L, L, are cavities
at each end for steering by means of an oar; M, M, are sockets to receive
the bottoms of masts, to which may be fitted sails for propelling the raft. For
this purpose I prefer to use latteen or lug sails, or the raft may be propelled
by means of a paddle wheel in the centre worked by the crew, or in any other
convenient manner; N, N, are the covers of a series of man-holes affording
access to the several compartments of the pontoons between the water-tight
bulkheads, shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 3; 0, 0, are towing ropes fixed 'to
rings and eyes inserted in the ends of the pontoons, the two ropes at each end
being connected to a central rope by means of a ring not shewn in the
Drawing.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation, and Fig. 5 a plan or horizontal view on a smaller
scale of a raft constructed with pontoons in the form of two straight tubes
connected at the ends by pontoons, having a sheer or spring, as shewn in
Fig. 4. A, A, are the longitudinal pontoons, and A*, A*, the two end pon-
toons, all of which are divided in their interiors by water-tight bulkheads, as

page_text: shewn by dotted lines; B, B, are cross bars or stretchers fixed between the
longitudinal pontoons to keep them apart, as required; C is the deck, which
in this case is fixed by Z-iron on a level with the upper surface of the end
pontoons; G is a fender of cork fixed by angle irons on the outside of the
pontoons; N, N, are the man-holes affording access to the interiors of the
pontoons between the water-tight bulkheads.
From the foregoing description of the Drawings it will be obvious that the
Invention is not confined to the precise section and elevation of the pontoons,
nor to the exact position or elevation of the deck between them, as represented
and described.
The two modes of constructing life rafts represented and described relate
to permanent structures not intended to be taken to pieces; but it is to bé
observed that in some cases it may be desirable to construct them with tem-
porary fastenings, so as to admit of the deck being detached from the pontoons
in order that the separate parts of the structure may be conveniently stored
aud be readily put together to form a raft when required. In some cases for
this purpose, clasp hoops may be fixed round the pontoons, such hoops having
flanged openings in which the ends of the transverse diagonal bars or stretchers
may be inserted and keyed tightly, or the ends of the said bars may be
.otherwise secured as required, and other modes of fastening may be employed.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I do not claim as
of my Invention the combination of two pontoons with an open or latticed
deck between them, such combination having been already applied to a life
boat; but what I do claim as of my Invention is,-
First, the construction of life rafts as permanent structures consisting of
two separate longitudinal pontoons with a space between them from end to
end, such space being covered by a deck secured to the pontoons below their
upper surface, the deck being constructed in the manner described, and the
pontoons being kept apart by bars or stretchers, as herein-before described
with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
Secondly, the construction of life rafts as permanent structures, consisting
of two longitudinal pontoons with parallel sides, united at their ends by
suitably formed transverse pontoons extending across such ends, and kept
apart by bars or stretchers, with a deck between the two end pontoons fixed
so as to range with the upper surface of the end pontoons, as herein-before
described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.
And, lastly, the construction of life rafts similar to that represented in

page_text: Figures 1, 2, and 3, with moveable fastenings, so as to admit of the parts being
taken to pieces for storing and put together when required for use.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Witherden Hurst, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
JOHN W. HURST. (L.B