Improvements in Ships' Berths.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1887
Complete Left, 25th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th June, 1888
Improvements in Ships' Berths.
I EDWARD LAWSON, of Charlotte Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Bedstead Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to further improvements in turn-up ships' berths of the
character of those described in the Specifications of Letters Patent No. 3624 of 1882
and No. 2076 of 1886 and in the Provisional Specifications filed with the applications
for Letters Patent No. 1725 of 1887 and No. 2951 of 1887.
In turn-up berths which are self supporting, that is to say: which are supported
after the manner of a cantilever from the bulkhead or side of the ship's cabin and have
no pillars resting upon the cabin floor nor any support attached to the ends of the
cabin, I support the inner side of the berth by means of pins or gudgeons turning
upon brackets fixed to the bulkhead as set forth in the prior specifications. I extend
each of the said brackets downwards and I form upon it a projection furnished with a
pin joint. The distance of the pin from the bulkhead is preferably such that when the
berth is turned up the pin stands almost perpendicularly below the end rail or bar of
the berth frame. Upon the pin I hinge one end of a telescopic rod, the other end of
which I hinge to a pin joint attached to the underside of the berth frame at or near its
outer corner. When the berth is turned down the inner stem of the telescopic rod
abuts against the bottom of the outer or tubular part of the rod and forms therewith a
straight strut extending diagonally downwards from the front or outer corner of the
berth frame to the pin at the lower end of the fixed bracket, and the berth frame is
thereby firmly supported in a horizontal position. To turn the berth up it is only
necessary to lift it by its outer side when its inner side will turn upon the supporting
pins or gudgeons and the telescopic rods will lengthen as the berth rises and turn upon
the hinge pins at either end of the rods. When fully turned up the telescopic rods
assume a vertical or nearly vertical position in line with the end rails or bars of the
berth frame. The berth is held up by a hook as usual and may be made in the
ordinary manner as set forth in the aforesaid Specifications.
In another arrangement I place a telescopic rod such as that above described outside
the end bar of the berth frame and I hinge it thereto at a point about half way along

page_text: the end bar of the berth frame. I prolong that part of the rod which is hinged to the
berth frame in a straight line with the rest of the rod until the prolongation meets the
end of the lee rail. The outer end of the prolonged rod has a cup formed upon it into
which a knob upon the end of the lee rail drops so as to secure the lee rail in a vertical
position. The motion of the prolonged rod is such that in lowering the berth the cup
approaches towards and receives the knob of the lee rail while in turning up the berth
the cup recedes from the knob and leaves the lee rail free to be folded upwards or
downwards, or if it be a sliding half lee rail to be slid to the other end of the berth
where it may be secured by the other prolonged rod at that end of the berth. Any
other suitable method of attachment may be substituted for the aforesaid cup and
knob.
In order to secure a moveable lee rail to either end of the berth frame 1 provide at
either corner of the outer side of the berth frame a rigid pillar of about one half or
two thirds of the height of the lee rail. Upon the lee rail I provide the attachment
hereinafter described at such a height as to meet the upper end of the pillar when the lee
rail is slid endways so as to touch the pillar. The two parts of the attachment, one on
the pillar and the other on the lee rail when closed together, assume preferably a
spherical form. One part or hemisphere is recessed to receive a corresponding projec-
tion formed upon the other hemisphere. The said projection is a circular disc turning
upon a central pivot and. has a milled edge by which it can be turned round by hand.
In the recessed hemisphere is a pin excentrically situated and having a flat head,
which, when the two hemispheres are brought together, enters an opening in the
circular disc projection of the hemisphere. Upon turning the circular disc by hand
the head of the pin engages behind the sides of a circular slot forming a continuation
of the aforesaid opening in the circular disc and the two hemispheres are thereby
locked together so that the lee rail cannot be separated from the rigid pillar until the
circular disc has been again turned by hand in the opposite direction.
Instead of the aforesaid excentrically placed pin with a flat head I can employ a
.considerably larger pin centrally placed, and having a flat head of which parts of the
circumference are removed on opposite sides so as to leave the head of an oblong
instead of circular shape. The said oblong head enters a similarly shaped opening in
the circular disc of the opposite hemisphere. When the circular disc is turned by
hand the projecting portions of the flat head engage behind corresponding portions
of the circular disc and the two hemispheres are securely locked together. I do not
confine myself to the hemispherical external form of the attachment as the form may
be varied according to the faste of the designer.
Dutal this 26th day of July 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' Berths.
I EDWARD LAWSON, of Charlotte Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Bedstead Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to further improvements in turn-up ships' berths of the
character of those described in the Specifications of Letters Patent No. 3624 of 1882,
No. 2076 of 1886, No. 1725 of 1887 and No. 2951 of 1887.
In turn-up berths which are self supporting, that is to say, which are supported
after the manner of a cantilever from the bulkhead or side of the ship's cabin and have
no pillars resting upon the cabin floor nor any support attached to the ends of the
cabin, I support the inner side of the berth by means of pins or gudgeons turning
upon brackets fixed to.the bulkhead as set forth in the prior specifications. I extend
each of the said brackets downwards and I form upon it a projection furnished with a
pin joint. The distance of the pin from the bulkhead is preferably such that when
the berth is turned up the pin is almost perpendicularly below the end rail or bar of
the berth frame. Upon the pin I hinge one end of a telescopic rod the other end of
which I hinge to a pin joint attached to the under side of the berth frame at or near
its outer corner. When the berth is turned down the inner stem of the telescopic rod
abuts against the bottom of the outer or tubular part of the rod and forms therewith a
straight strut extending diagonally downwards from the front or outer corner of the
bertli frame to the pin at the lower end of the fixed bracket, and the berth frame is
thereby firmly supported in a horizontal position. To turn the berth up it is only
necessary to lift it by its outer side when its inner side will turn upon the supporting
pins or gudgeons and the telescopic rods will lengthen as the berth rises and turn
upon the hinge pins at the respective ends of the rods. When fully turned up the
telescopic rods assume a vertical or nearly vertical position in line with the end rails.
or bars of the berth frame. The berth can be held up by a hook as usual and may be
made in the ordinary manner as set forth in the aforesaid specifications.
Figures 1 and 2 represent a turn-up berth constructed in the manner above
described, Figure 1 showing the berth in its normal position and Figure 2 showing it
when turned up. a is the end rail and b the front rail of the berth, and e the lee rail
or half lee rail. d is a bracket fixed to the bulkhead and there will be a similar
bracket at the other end of the berth. The inner side of the berth is supported by
means of pins or gudgeons e turning upon the brackets d. The brackets d are
extended downwards and project as seen at and in the projection is a pin joint y, the
distance of the pin g from the bulkhead being such that when the berth is turned up

page_text: as shown in Figure 2 the pin is almost perpendicularly below the end rail a. Upon
the ping is hinged one end of a telescopic rod the other end of which is hinged to a
pin joint i attached to the underside of tho berth frame at or near its outer corner as
shewn. As has been already explained, the inner stem of the telescopic rod / when
the berth is turned down abuts against the bottom of the outer or tubular part of the
rod and forms therewith a straight strut extending diagonally downwards from the
front or outer corner of the berth frame to the pin g and the berth frame is thereby
firmly supported in a horizontal position. When the berth is turned up by lifting its
outer side its inner side will turn on the pins or gudgeons e and the telescopic rods
will lengthen as the berth rises and turn upon the hinge pins g and i at the respective
ends of the rods.
In another arrangement represented in Figures 3 and 4 in the normal and turned
up positions respectively 1 place a telescopic rod outside the end bar a of the berth
frame and I hinge it thereto at a point about half way along the end bar of the
berth frame. I prolong that part of the rod which is hinged to the berth frame in
a straight line with the rest of the rod until the prolongation meets the end of the lee
rail c.
The outer end of the prolonged rod h has a cup formed upon it into which a
knob m upon the end of the lee rail drops so as to secure the lee rail in a vertical
position. The motion of the prolonged rod h is such that in lowering the berth to the
normal position, Figure 3, the cup 7 approaches towards and receives the knob m of
the lee rail, while in turning up the berth, the cup recedes from the knob m and
leaves the lee rail free to be folded upwards or downwards; or if it be a sliding half
lee rail it can be slid to the other end of the berth where it may be secured by the
other prolonged rod at that end of the berth. Any other suitable method of attach-
ment may be substituted for the aforesaid cup and knob.
In order to secure a movable lee rail to either end of the berth frame I employ
locking couplings constructed as follows:-I provide at each corner of the outer side
of the bertli frame a rigid pillar, such as is seen at n in Figures 1 and 2, of about one-
half or two-thirds of the height of the lee rail c. Upon the lee rail I provide the
attachment hereinafter described at such a height as to meet the upper end of the
pillar n when the lee rail is slid endways so as to touch the pillar. The two parts of
the attachment, one on the pillar and the other on the lee rail c, when closed
together assume preferably a spherical form. The details of the construction are
shown in vertical section in Figure 5. One part or hemisphere, say the hemisphere
on the pillar n, is recessed to receive a corresponding projection formed upon the other
hemisphere, say the hemisphere on the lee rail c. The said projection is a circular
disc turning upon a central pivot g and has a milled edge by which it can be turned
round by hand. In the recessed hemisphere is a pin excentrically situated and
having a flat head, which, when the two hemispheres are brought together, enters an
openings in the circular disc projection 2 of the hemisphere, see Figure 6 which is
a face view of the disc p. Upon turning the circular disc p by hand the head of the
pin engages behind the sides of a curved slot t forming a continuation of the afore-
said openings in the circular disc and the two hemispheres are thereby locked
together so that the lee rail e cannot be separated from the rigid pillar n until the
circular disc p has been again turned by hand in the opposite direction.
Instead of the aforesaid excentrically placed pin with a flat head I can employ a
considerably larger pin centrally placed as seen at u, Figures 7 and 8, and having a
flat head of which parts of the circumference are removed on opposite sides, as shown
in the figure, so as to leave the head of an oblong instead of circular shape. The said
oblong head enters a similarly shaped opening w in the circular disc p of the opposite
hemisphere. When the circular disc is turned by hand the projecting portions of the
flat head engage behind corresponding portions of the circular disc and the two
hemispheres are securely locked together. The disc p may in this case be retained on
its hemisphere by means of a screw a passed through the periphery of the disc so as
to enter a circumferential groove in the hemisphere. I do not confine myself to the
hemispherical external form of the attachment as the form may be varied according to
the taste of the designer..

page_text: 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, in respect of ships berths, is
-
1. The fitting of turn-up berths with inclined telescopic struts hinged to fixed
brackets substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. The fitting of turn-up berths with inclined telescopic struts hinged to fixed
brackets and provided with a cup or equivalent device to receive and secure a knob or
corresponding device on a movable lee rail substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The fitting of turn-up berths with locking couplings such as hereinbefore described
and represented in Figures 5 to 8, for securing movable lee rails in place.
331
M1000
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.