IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMOCKS FOR LIFE PRE- SERVING IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR FORMING BUOYS WHEN SO REQUIRED
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Ferdinand Chaffaud, of Bordeaux, and Guillaume
Camin Barbotin, of Arès, in the Department of Gironde, in the Republic of
France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMOCKS FOR LIFE PRE-
SERVING IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR FORMING BUOYS WHEN SO REQUIRED.”
Sealed the 2nd May 1879, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, and
dated the 28th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Ferdinand Chaffaud
and Guillaume Camin Barbotin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 28th October 1878.
JEAN FERDINAND CHAFFAUD, of Bordeaux, and GUILLAUME CAMIN BARBOTIN,
of Arès, in the Department of Gironde, in the Republic of France. “IMPROVEMENTS
IN HAMMOCKS FOR LIFE PRESERVING IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR FORMING BUOYS
WHEN SO REQUIRED."
The object of the present Invention is to provide for each passenger or member of
the crew of a vessel an independent life saving apparatus incapable of sinking, and
when a nuinber of these are combined they form a raft of great buoyancy, strong,
and capable of supporting all the passengers and crew.
With this view the beds or hammocks on board are utilized, being so contrived
that when necessity requires they are instantly serviceable as buoys, and when
lashed or hooked together form a buoyant and strong raft, capable of supporting the
entire passengers and crew with provisions.
Our bed-buoye, which are identically constructed top and bottom to prevent any
hesitation in handling them, may be made of natural cork or be injected with a
waterproof matter, itself covered with an impermeable cover that may be made of
wood, hollow metal, or inflated india rubber; but no matter of what substance they
are constructed they present four distinct features, that is to say, a comfortable bed,
compartments for storing provisions, other compartiments for valuables, and oars for
directing the boat,

page_text: One bed-buoy comprises an envelope or case of determined size and shape, by
preference oblong with corners cut, and is composed of bits or sheets of cork con-
nected by means of pins, and pressed together by ordinary through bolts and ring-
headed bolts between three strong wooden planks; two, being side ones, are identical,
and the third a centre one.
- In-the-centre_the_case_with_its_planks_leaves_a_space, in which a.cloth_or_net
hammock is stretched the height of the centre plank by means of a rope.
The-locking-bolts are in two parts, screwing together, and present their ringed
heads above and below the bed for hooking chains thereto. These are fixed at one
end to a swivel to the rings, whilst at the other they are furnished with gun
swivels.
Each end of the cases is hollow, forming compartments, one being for provisions
and the other for valuables, and both are closed hermetically with locking doors
furnished with leather or india-rubber placed on each side of the upper and lower
surfaces.
To strengthen the case in the direction of the compartments ironwork is employed,
binding the weakened parts of the three planks. Rowlocks are provided to each
buoy-bed, as well as a pair of oars, which are placed at the sides in bands of leather
nailed to the case.
Each bed can be hung by the chains either directly to the ship or to the beds
above.
In case of danger, by an order from the captain the beds are thrown overboard
by the crew. When a few of these are united they will at once suffice to form a
raft and facilitate the connection of the rest, and so form a general raft for both
passengers and crew,
and with a sail and rudder it may easily be navigated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jean Ferdinand Chaffaud and Guillaume Camin Barbotin in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 2nd May 1879.
JEAN FERDINAND CHAFFAUD, of Bordeaux, and GUILLAUME CAMIN BARBOTIN, of
Arès, in the Department of Gironde, in the Republic of France. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HAMMOCKS FOR LIFE PRESERVING IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR FORMING BUOYS
WHEN SO REQUIRED."
The object of this Invention is to provide a separate and independent life buoy,
so that each individual may be floated in case of accident by fire or shipwreck, or a
general life preserving apparatus formed for passengers and crew, in which latter
case it constitutes a sort of raft which cannot be sunk and is capable of being
steered, and when not required each element of its construction occupying its
accustomed place and utility, and which when necessity demands can be instantly
used, the articles employed being such objects as are in general use on board ship,
and consequently are not incumberances or overcharges to the vessel in its voyage.
With this view we make use of the beds or hammocks on board, these being so
constructed that when necessity demands their use they may prove to be unsinkable,
but floating boats, furnished with their oars and all the requisite equipments, the
beds or hammocks being so contrived that they can be instantly and without loss of
time united so as to form together a raft strong and easy to ride the waves.
in order that the beds or hammocks may be thus easily transformed to life buoys or
rafts they are slung, and consequently free from shocks and prevent sickness.
And
These bed or buoy hammocks, which are identically formed top and bottom to
prevent any hesitation in handling them, may be made of natural cork or be injected
with a waterproof matter, itself covered with an impermeable cover that may be
made of wood, hollow metal, or inflated india-rubber; but no matter of what sub-
stance they are constructed they present four distinctive features, that is to say, a
comfortable bed, compartments for storing provisions, other compartments for
valuables, documents, and precious things, and oars for directing the boat, so that in
case of disasters at sea cach one, without having to trouble himself in this respect,
has all his valuables, provisions, and means of directing himself in his craft.
Simple as this idea appears, nevertheless it is highly practicable and efficacious.
Although rafts cannot give comforts, still the shipwrecked are protected from sea
monsters.
The accompanying Drawings represent a life preserving hammock seen in
elevation, Fig. 1; in plan, Fig. 2; and in vertical section, following the lines 1, 2,
3, 4, and 5, 6, in Figs. 3, 4, 5; Figs. 6 and 7 are an elevation and plan of a raft;
Fig. S shows in elevation the arrangement of the hammock on board ship.
One bed or hammock comprises an envelope or case a of determined size and shape
with corners cut, composed of bits or sheets of cork connected together by means of
bolts, and pressed together by ordinary through bolts b and ring headed bolts b¹
between three strong wooden planks c, c', c²; those c, c², (identical) form the upper
and lower part of the bed, and that c¹ occupies the centre. The bolts b may also
have movable rings for lashing cords through if necessary.
The cork thus held together is natural cork, or rendered waterproof by any known
means and covered with an impermeable coating. In the centre the case a with its
planks leaves a space, in which a cloth or net hammock & is stretched the height of
the centre plank c¹ by means of the rope e.
The locking bolts b' with rings and of variable number (4, more or less) are in
two pieces, screwing one in the other, and presenting their ringed heads above and
below the bed for hooking chains f, f, thereto. These are fixed at one end by a
swivel to the rings, whilst the other ends are furnished with gun swivels. Cords or
ropes may be substituted for the chains.
At each end the cases or envelopes a are hollow for forming compartments g, g¹,

page_text: that being intended for provisions, and that g¹ for valuables, jewellery, and so
forth. Both are closed hermetically with locking doors furnished with leather or
_india_rubber placed on each of the upper-and-lower-surfaces.
To strengthen the case a in the direction of the compartments g, gl, ironwork h
is employed, solidly binding the weakened parts of the three planks c, c, c; or any
equivalent means may be used. i are the rowlocks for the oars 1, and these, two
-to-each-bed, are placed-at-the-side of the case in bands of leather / nailed to the
case.
Fig. 3 explains the nieans employed of constructing the bed, and each bed is hung
by chains either directly to the ship, as are those A, or to the beds above them, as
in B, C. The hooking, which is effected by-the-swivels,-is-perfectly-secure: Then
on these novel hammocks the sailor or passenger spreads his mattress and bed,
and lies there comfortably, having at his head his valuables and at his feet the
provisions.
At the critical moment the captain has only to give the order "To the raft," and
the crew, who understand the manœuvre, descend into the cabin, unhook the beds,
and throw them overboard. Sailors exercised in this management unite the beds
one to the other, as shown Figs. 7 and 8, and in a few minutes form a partial raft,
which suffices afterwards to unite the whole so as to form for the passengers a
general raft perfectly unsinkable, very strong, and supple, so that the serf is broken
by the spaces reserved.
By aid of the oars, a sail, and rudder the raft can be navigated, and each one
having found his bed, with provisions and valuables, all that can then be done is to
await a rescue.
Finally, without restricting ourselves to the form, dimensions, or materials of
construction, we claim as new and as our Invention a buoy hammock capable of
floating and being navigated, and so constructed that when a number are combined
they form a strong and unsinkable raft easily steered.
We claim the construction, by the means described and represented by the
Drawings, of comfortable hammocks, which at a critical moment can be instantly
used as life buoys, saving both the lives and the property of the crew and pas-
sengers.
In witness whereof, we, the said Jean Ferdinand Chaffaud and Guillaume
Camin Barbotin, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth
day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-nine
J. F. CHAFFAUD. (L.S.)
G. BARBOTIN.
(L.S.)