IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SHIPS' BERTHS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Jackson, of Blackwall Basin, West India Docks, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SHIPS' BERTHS."
Sealed the 28th February 1879, and dated the 24th September 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Jackson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th September 1878.
<<
JOHN JACKSON, of Blackwall Basin, West India Docks, in the County of Mid-
dlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SHIPS'
BERTHS."
I build a pair of berths one above the other, whose sides are parallel with a line
drawn through the vessel fore and aft.
At the ends of these berths are compartments formed by the sides of the berths
being extended beyond the ends. Between one block of berths and compartments
and another is a passage athwartship. In the compartments are fixed against the
lower berths seats or lockers placed athwartship. The outer end of the compart-
ment I close with a door which when not required to be closed is folded against a
side of the compartment; or it may be made in two parts to be turned back one
against each side of the compartment. This door where necessary is made so that
its lowest part is high enough to pass over the seat or locker when folded or turned
back, and in this case the space below it, as low down as required, is provided with
a board or screen to close it. This board or screen can be fixed to the door or to
the side of the compartment to turn up or back when the door is open, but I prefer
to provide a loose board for this purpose, which can be placed on the locker or seat
while the door is open.
Athwartship across the compartment I place a ledge to serve as a table, which
when not in use is turned up against one side of the compartment. For the better
ventilation of the berth and the airing of the bedding I make the end of the berth

page_text: opposite to where entry into the berth is effected to open upwards or sideways over
the bedding without requiring the same to be removed or stowed away. The ends
of the berths where entry is effected are always open. The doors or sides may be
louvred or constructed on some other ventilating principle.
Some of the advantages of the above arrangements are the means for ventilating
the berth and airing the bedding. One berth can be occupied, say, by a person
slightly unwell without interfering with persons using the other berth of the pair
of berths; the privacy afforded, the less room taken up by this arrangement than
by others where privacy is secured, and the facility for cleansing the boards on
which the bedding is placed, which boards may be easily removed for the
purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Jackson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th March
1879.
"
JOHN JACKSON, of Blackwall Basin, West India Docks, in the County of Mid-
dlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SHIPS'
BERTHS."
I build a pair of berths one above the other, whose sides are parallel, with a line
drawn through the vessel fore and aft.
At the ends of these berths are compartments formed by the sides of the berths
being extended beyond the ends. Between one block of berths and compartments
and another is a passage athwartship. In the compartments are fixed against the
lower berths seats or lockers placed athwartship. The outer end of the compart-
ment I close with a door which when not required to be closed is folded against a
side of the compartment, as it may be made in two parts to be turned back one
against each side of the compartment. This door where necessary is made so that
its lowest part is high enough to pass over the seat or locker when folded or turned
back, and in this case the space below it, as low down as required is provided with
à board or screen to close it. This board or screen can be fixed to the door or to
the side of the compartment to turn up or back when the door is open, but I prefer
to provide a loose board for this purpose, which can be placed on the locker or seat
while the door is open.
Athwartship across the compartment I place a ledge to serve as a table, which
when not in use is turned up against one side of the compartment. For the better
ventilation of the berth and the airing of the bedding I make the end of the berth
opposite to where entry into the berth is effected to open upwards or sideways over
the bedding without requiring the same to be removed or stowed away. The ends
of the berths where entry is effected are always open. The doors or sides may be
louvred or constructed on some other ventilating principle.
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.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a pair of ship's berths constructed and
arranged according to my Invention, and showing the doors closed and the tables
raised out of the way when the berths are arranged for the night, and for dressing
and undressing.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, showing all the doors and shutters.
open and the tables lowered into position for use as the berths would be arranged
for use in the daytime and for ventilation of the different compartments.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan of a block of four berths, with the doors, shutters, and
tables arranged as in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a sectional plan of the same, showing the doors and shutters open, as
in Figure 2, but showing the tables of two compartments in position for use, as in
Figure 2, whilst the tables of the other compartments are raised out of the way.
Figure 5 is an end view, showing the doors closed, as in Figures 1 and 3; and
Figure 6 is an end view, showing the doors open and the tables in the position
corresponding with Figure 4.
I build the sleeping berths a, a*, in pairs one above the other, with the sides 6.
thereof parallel with a line drawn through the vessel fore and aft or with the sides,
of the vessel, but at a distance from the latter to allow the occupants of the berths
to pass.
•
At the ends of these berths a, a*, are compartments d, d*, formed by the sides b
of the berths a, being extended beyond the ends c thereof. In these compartments
d, d*, are fixed against the lower berths a seats or lockers e placed athwartship,
and the outer ends of the compartments d, d*, I close with. doors f, thus forming a
private dressing room at each end of a pair of berths, which doors are made in two
parts hinged together and turned back against each other and against the sides of
the compartments d, d*; or the doors may be made in two parts, meeting at the
centre, each of which is hinged to the opposite side b; these doors may be fastened
back by a hook or other fastening.
When necessary, and as shown in the Drawings, the doors f are made so that.
their bottom edges are high enough to pass over the seats or lockers e when folded
or turned back, and in this case the space beneath each door is as low down as may
be required provided with a board or screen g, which may be laid on the seat or
locker e when the door is open and not in use. The boards or screens y may be
hinged or otherwise jointed to the doors or to the sides of the compartments d to
turn up or back when the door is open, but I prefer loose boards g, as shown.
Greater privacy is thus secured by having doors to the compartment & than by
using the ordinary screens, which are always liable to swing about with the rolling
of the ship, thereby exposing the occupants of the berths. These compartments
may be fitted with hooks, hat pegs, and other furniture for accommodation of the
occupants.
For messing the occupants of the berths I place a ledge h across each compart-
ment d to serve as a table. This ledge is, as shown, hinged at one end h¹, and when
in use rests on a rail or support h² fixed to the door f, but when not in use such
ledge or table h is turned up against one side of the compartment and held in such
position by a hook or other suitable means.
Access is obtained to the berths a from the compartments d, and to the berths a*
from the compartments d* through the open ends a¹, and for the better ventilation of
the berths and the airing of the bedding I make the ends a² of the berths which are
opposite to those where entry into the berths is effected to open upwards, or, as
shown in the Drawings, to turn on hinges sideways over the bedding without
requiring the bedding to be removed or stowed away, and the ends a¹ of the berths
where entry is effected are always open to the compartments d, d*. Thus as the
occupant or occupants of each berth enter from alternate ends they are provided
with separate dressing rooms, and when leaving their respective berths can open

page_text: .
their doors fand also their shutters a³, fasten them back, shake up their bedding,
and leave it for a current of air to pass over it; and according to my Invention an
occupant of either berth feeling unwell can occupy one berth, either upper or
lower, without interfering with the persons. using the other berth of the pair. The
boards on which the bedding is laid are loose, and are supported on rails ¹ fixed
to the sides and divisions b of the berths, so that they can be easily removed and
cleaned, and as many berths can be arranged side by side from the ship's side as
required, and similar sets may be arranged on each side of the ship, and between
one block of berths and compartments and another is a passage athwartship.
The sides, partitions, doors, and shutters of the berths are made to ventilate
either by forming them with louvred or inclined ventilators, as shown in the
Drawings, or with outer and inner boards nailed to battens and overlapping each
other at their edges, and with a space between them for the passage of air at edges
and ends, as is well understood, and the several sides, partitions, and doors do not
extend quite down to the floor nor up to the ceiling, but a space is left as usual at
both such places for air to pass over and under freely.
Berths arranged and constructed according to my Invention may be made of
various widths, and so that adjacent berths can be occupied by families, say, man,
wife, and two, three, or more children, with the division between the parents and
children as high or as low as may be desired, so that in cases where required the
children can be attended to by the parents while in bed. They can also be messed
together at the same table, as the wider I make the berth the more table space is
provided, in which case the division 6 between the berths is not extended beyond
the ends of the sleeping compartments, but a rail is fixed between two uprights to
carry the inner ends of the tables or ledges h of adjoining berths.
Some of the advantages of the above arrangements are the means for ventilating
the berths and airing the bedding, as when all doors and shutters are open a current
of air passes through the berths and bedding the whole length of the compartment;
also the privacy afforded, economy of space, and the facility for cleansing the berths
and bottoms on which the bedding is placed, and the whole of the berths can be
constructed very readily, and be cheaply fixed, removed, or replaced when
necessary.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which I
carry the same into effect, I would here remark that I do not claim placing the
berths and their entrances in the relative positions herein described, as such is not
new, but what I do claim is the general construction and arrangement of berths by
which the ends a² of the berths are mounted so as to be capable of being opened
over the bedding for ventilation, the relative position of the ledge or table h, and
the arrangement generally for closing the ends of the compartments d, d*, by means
of doors and boards or screens or by doors only, substantially as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Jackson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord One