A Combined Life-saving Appliance, Ship's Safe, and Means for Communicating Between a Sinking Ship and the Shore.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1893-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Combined Life-saving Appliance, Ship's Safe, and Means for
Communicating Between a Sinking Ship and the Shore.
I, CUTHBERT GARDNER, of Rosebery House, Redcar, in the County of York,
Retired Innkeeper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to a vessel or apparatus to be used as a life-saving appliance
for saving life at sea, combined with a ship's safe, and furnished with means for
communicating between a sinking ship and the shore.
The object of my invention is to design a life-saving appliance constructed with
air-tight compartments to render it buoyant and of such form that it will neither
sink nor remain capsized however rough the sea may be, and will save all gold
jewels and other valuables from being lost at sea, added to which provisions and
fresh water are stored in each safe. A further object of my invention is to enable
a ship when wrecked or stranded near the shore to effect a communication with the
shore when no life-boat can get near the ship however rough the sea may be and
the ship amongst rocks by means of the said buoyant life-saving appliance which is.
carried ashore by the same currents which have stranded the ship.
In carrying my invention into effect, I construct the life-saving appliance of a.
buoyant character in the form of a boat or vessel furnished with stem, stern, and
rudder, and made of iron, steel, copper or wood. This vessel is divided into
several air-tight compartments with a chamber in the centre which will accomodate
12 or more persons according to size, this central chamber is provided with water-
proof jackets, one for each man, which after the occupants get in is drawn tight
round their waists, so as to make the interior water-tight and prevent the occupants
being washed overboard, whilst leaving the arms of the occupants free to use the
oars or otherwise manipulate the life-saving appliance. This central chamber is
furnished with one or more valves so that if water enters this chamber it can be
withdrawn, and if desirable a small pump may be provided to pump the water out
of the bottom portion where the men stand. On the bottom of this central
chamber on one side is provided an air-tight compartment in which gold and other
valuables are stored, and on the other side and at each end are provided air-tight
compartments in which provisions and fresh water are stored; these air-tight com-
partments also serve the purpose of seats for the occupants. The life-saving
appliance is provided with a centre mast, to the top of which is fixed a loose ring
from which ropes are strung to the sides of the appliance. An oil tank is fixed at.
each end of the boat provided with outlet pipes for the purpose of pouring oil on
troubled waters which may be done by simply turning a cock so that the oil runs
out fore and aft of the boat. The deck of the boat is dome shaped at each end,.
and may be provided with air pipes for ventilating the centre chamber in which
are seated the occupants. A sail and oars are provided which can be used when
required and a flag hoisted to the top of the mast so that the same can be seen by
passing vessels at a great distance, or a lamp may be provided as a signal during
the night.
A life-saving appliance constructed according to my invention will only occupy
about one-half the space on deck of a ship at present required to accomodate the
ordinary life-boat now used, and is lowered by one davit with one pair of blocks
and tackle from which it hangs in the perpendicular position and is not liable to
capsize; but the above described life-saving appliance may be designed to carry
20 or more persons, in which case it will require to be slung from two davits and
two pairs of blocks and lowered in the usual manner.

page_text: By my invention life can be saved on the open seas, that is to say, if a ship is
being wrecked on the deep seas, the crew can take to the safes and float away.
Provisions and fresh water being stored in each safe to serve from 4 to 6 weeks,
and the same cannot possibly be lost from the safe so that persons on board the
safe are provided for until picked up by some passing vessel.
In order to utilize the safe as a means of supplying a communication with the
shore in cases in which the ship has been wrecked or stranded close to the shore
when no life-boat can get near, I furnish a coil of rope connected to a winch on
the stern of the safe, one end of this rope is fastened to the ship, so that when the
safe gets afloat and is carried ashore by the same currents which have stranded or
wrecked the ship it delivers the said rope which extends from the ship to the shore;
the occupants or others can then bring the rest of the crew ashore by running the
safe backwards and forwards by aid of the said rope.
If necessary a screw propeller can be fixed at the stern end of the boat, and the,
same can be worked by hand.
1 T
1000
G. J. CLARKSON,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Combined Life-saving Appliance, Ship's Safe, and Means for
Communicating Between a Sinking Ship and the Shore.
.
I, CUTHBERT GARDNER, of Roseberry House, Redcar, in the County of York,
Retired Innkeeper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a vessel or boat to be used as a life saving appliance
for saving life at sea combined with a ships safe and furnished with means for
effecting a communication between a sinking ship and the shore or the shore and
the ship.
The main object of my invention is to design a life saving appliance in the form
of a boat, and of such buoyancy that it will neither sink nor remain capsized
however rough the sea may be but will right itself from any position with a
certainty and promptness that men can be safely lashed thereto or confined in the
hold without risk of being kept under water in consequence.
My invention can also be used to combine in one boat a life saving appliance and
ships safe in which may be stored and eventually saved in case of shipwreck, all
gold and other valuables as well as provisions and fresh water for the crew which
storage instead of being detrimental to the buoyancy of the boat is stowed where
it serves a useful purpose as ballast.
A further object of my invention is to enable a ship when wrecked or stranded
near the shore to effect a communication with the shore however rough the sea may
be and the ship amongst the rocks, by putting off the said boat which is carried
ashore by the same currents which have stranded the ship.
A combined life boat and ships safe constructed according to my invention only
need occupy about one half the space on the deck of a ship at present required to
accomodate the ordinary life boat now used and when small is lowered by one davit
with one pair of blocks and tackle from which it is slung in any suitable manner,
but for vessels of greater size the combined life boat and ships safe may be designed
to carry say twenty or more persons in which case it will be slung from two davits
and two pairs of blocks, and be both housed, put ready for use and lowered into
the water in the usual manner.
And in order to clearly describe how my invention is carried into effect I will
now refer to the accompanying drawings in which the same is illustrated in the
form of a boat constructed and equipped for the accomodation of from twenty to
twenty four men.
V

page_text: Figure 1 is a view in plan of the top deck and Figure 2 is a sectional view in
plan showing the lower internal arrangements of the hold of the vessel and of the ›
means provided for obtaining the requisite buoyancy both along the sides and at
the ends of the boat.
Corresponding to these views Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal and transverse
sectional views of the boat respectively and Figures 5 and 6, illustrate some of
the details.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a longitudinal and sectional view in plan respectively
of the boat fitted up with screw propeller to be worked by hand or other motive
power.
In order that the boat may serve all the purposes of my invention the following..
provisions in its structural and general arrangement are to be regarded as essential..
Firstly In order to ensure that the boat be both unsinkable and uncapsizable
the live load is confined to a space or hold a, which is close about the
centre line of the boat with ample accomodation for air tight and buoyant
chambers b, to the outside of both the sides and ends of the hold. As will
be observed from the drawings the hold a, is narrow relatively to the total
width of the boat and in practice it is found that when the hold does not much
exceed half the width of the boat that the boat is both unsinkable and quickly
rights itself from any position it may be forced into in a rough sea owing to the
upward pressure due to the displacement of water exerted against the depressed
side of the boat mostly at a distance to one side of the centre line thereof and
therefore easily overpowering the overturning tendency of the unbalanced live load
which is exerted nearer to the boats centre line.
Secondly-For the protection and security of the men in the hold whilst
leaving them as much freedom-as possible for using the oars and otherwise con--
trolling the boat. The hold is covered over at the top deck level with a cover
designed to combine strength with lightness and in which a series of openings c
are provided along either side of the boats centre line as shown more particularly,
in Figure 1, each of which openings is intended to accomodate the body of a man
standing upright in the hold up to the waist which comes about level with the.
said cover as shown by the figures of the men in position. Each opening c is
furnished with a water tight jacket d, secured to the ring frame thereof by any
suitable means.
This water tight jacket extends a convenient length above the
ring frame in the manner illustrated in detail in Figure 5 and is furnished with a
strap or the like by which to bind it round the waist of the man inside, or to be.
tied up like the mouth of a sack when the opening is unoccupied. Further
provision for protecting the hold to be used in cases of emergency such as when a
heavy sea is on and the men are driven below may be provided in the form of a
water proof apron suitably secured to the top deck and drawn over the hold cover
from end to end as the men retire beneath.
Thirdly-In order to provide proper ventilation to the hold, ventilators e of*
suitable construction are provided and furnished such as with siphoned heads and
valves to close inwards only so that whilst affording a free passage for the air
inrushing water is stopped by the valve. The ventilators the particular con--
struction of which forms no part of my invention are placed in any positions
suggested by necessity or convenience.
Fourthly: To enable the hold to be cleared of water, outlets f are provided at
suitable positions as near the level of the outside water as possible through which.
the water runs out from the upper part of the hold, all inrush of water from the sea
being prevented by suitable valves which instantly close to any pressure from.
without. To clear out the lower part of the hold one or more pumps are provided
at suitable positions such as at g.
Fifthly For the storage of fresh water and provisions for the crew and such
valuables as are to be saved from the wreck, tanks h and safes i are provided and
arranged in the positions shown; the object in view being to use the fresh water
as ballast, provision being made for recharging the tanks with sea water when
'

page_text: emptied of fresh water, the said tanks being also serviceable as seats in the bottom
of the hold.
Sixthly-For effecting a communication between the ship and the shore coils of
ropej are provided reeled on vertical spindles at the stern of the boat so that the
ropes coiled thereon are available for securing to the ship and to uncoil as the boat
puts away to shore. Other equipments more or less useful may be included in
fitting up the boat in question, such as a rudder and means for controlling it, a mast
with a flag or lamp to attract the attention of a passing ship, deck lights k, for
lighting the hold, and a hatchway 1 for getting in and out of it, detaching hooks
and their connections straps at the bottom of the hold to afford a foothold for the
men when standing up with half their bodies above deck and other straps in
positions where they can be used as arm holdfasts for the men sitting down inside.
Oil tanks m, are also serviceable for discharging oil on the water in the immediate
vicinity of the boat. In Figure 3 ordinary hooks n, are shown for lowering the
boat but I prefer in some cases to employ a special design of detaching hook for
this purpose. Referring to Figure 6 which illustrates in detail a special design of
detaching hook for detaching the boat from the tackles of the davits, it will be
seen that when the load is on the hooks they cannot become detached nor even
when relieved of the load if the detent cords o are held tight but when released
from both the load and the detent cords each claw falls outwards to the positions
shown in dotted lines. The detent cords are preferably connected together so as
to ensure that the boat is detached at both ends simultaneously.
In order to enable the occupants in the hold of the boat to assist in propelling it
I provide in some cases a screw-propeller to be driven by hand for which a suitable
arrangement is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, in which the screw-propeller p is
driven by means of the rocking levers 9, connecting rods r, radial arm s, crank t,
and bevel and spur wheels u and v. The handles q on the levers 9 are preferably
turned up so that they will clear the legs of the men as they pass along the inside
of the boat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Firstly-A life-boat in which the live load is confined to a space or hold which
is close about the centre line of the boat with ample accomodation for air-tight or
buoyant chambers beyond the sides and ends thereof so that owing to the upward
pressure due to the displacement of water and which is exerted against the
depressed side thereof mostly at a distance to one side of the boats centre line
easily overpowering a contrary tendency of the live load which is exerted nearer
to the boats centre line, the boat is unsinkable and uncapsizable combined with
which the protection and security of the occupants of the hold is provided for by a
cover containing a series of openings furnished with water-tight jackets by which the
men are lashed in the upright position with their arms free or the holes are closed
when unoccupied, all arranged and combined with the several provisions for storing
fresh water, provisions and valuables and for effecting a communication between a
ship and the shore, substantially in the manner as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Secondly A combined life-saving vessel and ship's safe with or without means
for communicating between a sinking ship and the shore and with or without an
internally and easily worked screw-propeller, all arranged, constructed and
operating substantially as and for the purposes as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
0
3333
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.