IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE BOATS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Anderson and Joseph Burkinshaw, both of
Bridlington Quay, in the County of York, Mariners, for the Inven-
tion of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE BOATS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Anderson and
Joseph Burkinshaw at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 12th June 1875.
WC, PETER ANDERSON and JOSEPH BURKINSHAW, both of Bridlington
Quay, in the County of York, Mariners, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE BOATS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvements in the construction
of life boats the same being applicable to all life boats, but especially
to those carried by ships, and whereby great advantages are obtained as
compared with the methods previously adopted and used.

page_text: A boat constructed in accordance with this Invention not only
possesses all the requisite qualitics of flotation, and is absolutely
unsinkable but it is also incapable of being capsized when once in the
water, and is equally available for use whichever side comes uppermost
upon being launched.
The boat is of a duplex form, that is to say, the exterior or hull
thereof consists of two sets of cork bins and gunwales placed longitu-
dinally respectively on each side of an assumed horizontal plane by
which the same are divided. Between the hull and the centre line of
the boat on each side of the before-mentioned horizontal plane are pro-
vided air boxes for securing the requisite amount of buoyancy, and
suitable receptacles are provided for stores, masts, sails, oars, and other
necessary articles. The hull or exterior of the boat being thus formed,
it will be clearly understood that an open longitudinal space is left in
the interior part thereof. In this space are placed in a horizontal
position two self-acting iron decks, each consisting of two parts, which
are respectively hinged or attached to a metallic bar which extends
longitudinally from one end of the boat to the other, and upon which
they are free to move; suitable stops and contrivances being employed
to prevent the deck which may be uppermost when the boat enters the
water from falling below the longitudinal horizontal line of the same,
the respective parts of the then lower deck being free to fall into a
vertical position, thus forming a keel. The self-acting decks are per-
forated so as to allow the water to pass through the same.
In the case of ships' life boats constructed in accordance with this
Invention tramways may be provided on the deck of the ship from
which the boat may be launched into the water, and it will be seen from
the foregoing description that whichever side of the boat may be upper-
most when it reaches the water it will be equally available for use. The
uppermost, self-acting perforated iron deck opposes a partial resistance to
the water, whilst the perforations therein allow a portion of the water upon
heavy seas occurring to pass through the same, the liability to capsize
being thereby prevented. The lower longitudinal sections of the self-
acting perforated iron deck fall into a vertical position, thereby con-
stituting a keel which tends to preserve the equilibrium of the boat, a
and to render it more casy of management. The masts and sail gear

page_text: employed in connection therewith are so arranged that the sails can
be readily placed in a reverse position, and gudgeons are placed at each
end of the boat, so that the pintles of the rudder can readily be placed
therein and the rudder shipped, whatever may be the position in which
the boat may enter the water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Anderson and Joseph Burkinshaw in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, PETER
ANDERSON and JOSEPH BURKINSHAW, both of Bridlington Quay, in the
County of York, Mariners, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of Junc, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Peter Anderson and Joseph Burkinshaw, Her special
licence that we, the said Peter Anderson and Joseph Burkinshaw,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Peter Anderson and Joseph Burkinshaw, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
LIFE BOATS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Peter Anderson and Joseph Burkinshaw, our executors, or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their
hands and scals, 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 we, the said Peter Anderson and Joseph Bur-

page_text: 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention consists in certain improvements in the con-
struction of life boats, the same being especially applicable to ships'
life boats, and whereby great advantages are obtained as compared with
the methods previously adopted and used.
A boat constructed in accordance with this Invention not only
possesses all the requisite qualitics of flotation, and is absolutely un-
sinkable, but it is also incapable of being capsized when once in the
water, and is equally available for use whichever side comes uppermost
upon being launched.
The boat is of a duplex form, that is to say, the exterior or hull
thercof consists of two sets of cork bins and gunwales placed longi-
tudinally respectively on each side of an assumed horizontal plane by
which the same are divided. Between the hull and the centre line of
the boat on cach side of the before-mentioned horizontal plane are
provided air boxes for securing the requisito amount of buoyancy, and
suitable receptacles or compartments are provided for stores, masts,
sails, oars, and other necessary articles. The hull or exterior of the
boat being thus formed it will be clearly understood that an open longi-
tudinal space is left in the interior part thereof. In this space are
placed in a horizontal position two self-acting decks of perforated metal
or of strong wire with metallic frames, each deck consisting of two parts
which are respectively hinged or attached to a metallic bar which
extends longitudinally from one end of the boat to the other, and upon
which they are free to move, suitable stops and contrivances being
employed to prevent the deck which may be uppermost when the boat
enters the water from falling below the longitudinal horizontal line of
the same, the respective parts of the then lower deck being free to fall
into a vertical position. The self-acting decks when constructed wholly
of metal are perforated so as to allow the water to pass through.
In the case of ships' life boats constructed in accordance with this
Invention tramways may be provided on the deck of the ship from

page_text: which the boat may be launched into the sea, and it will be seen from
the foregoing description that whichever side of the boat may be upper-
most when it reaches the water it will be equally available for use.
The uppermost self-acting deck opposes a partial resistance to the water,
whilst the perforations or apertures therein allow a portion of the water
upon heavy seas occurring to pass through the same, the liability to
capsize being thereby prevented. The longitudinal sections of the lower
self-acting deck fall into a vertical position, thereby constituting a keel
which tends to preserve the equilibrium of the boat and to render it more
easy of management. The masts and sail gear employed in connection
therewith are so arranged that the sails can be readily arranged in a
reverse manner, and gudgeons are placed at each end of the boat so
that the pintles of the rudder can readily be placed therein whatever
may be the position in which the boat may enter the water.
We will now proceed to refer to the annexed Drawings from which
the nature of our said Invention will be more clearly understood.
Figure 1 is a horizontal view; A are the cork bins; B, the gunwales;
C, air boxes; D, the fast deck surrounding the self-acting decks which
are shewn at E; F is the longitudinal metallic bar by which the
decks are supported; G, the entrance to the store compartments; H,
life lines and buoys; I, the seats; J, the mast step; K; foot rails; L,
oars and other articles; M are rollers to facilitate the removal of the
boat.
Figure 2 is a vertical elevation of the boat, shown partly in section ;
similar letters of reference being used to indicate the same parts
as in Figure 1, except that letter E is omitted, and that the lower
self-acting deck is shown open at D.
Having thus declared and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would observe
in conclusion that what we consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as constituting the Invention secured to us by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent are,-
First. The employment and arrangement of self-acting decks supported
by a longitudinal metallic bar in connection with duplex life boats, as
shown in the accompanying Drawings, substantially as and for the pur-
poses herein-before described and set forth.

page_text: And, Secondly. The general combination and arrangement of parts
and mechanism in the construction of duplex life boats, substantially as
and for the purposes hercin-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, wo, the said Peter Anderson and Joseph Bur-
kinshaw, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Seventh
day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand cight
hundred and seventy-five.
PETER ANDERSON.
(L.S.)
JOSEPH BURKINSHAW. (L.S.)