IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUPPORTING AND MAINTAINING THE SALOONS, CABINS, PLATFORMS, OR FLOORS OF STEAMSHIPS OF OTHER VESSELS IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MOTIONS OF THE HULLS OF SUCH VESSELS TO LESSEN OR PREVENT SEA SICKNESS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cornish, of Bromley Common, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUPPORTING AND MAINTAINING THE
SALOONS, CABINS, PLATFORMS, OR FLOORS OF STEAMSHIPS OF OTHER VESSELS
IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MOTIONS OF THE HULLS
OF SUCH VESSELS TO LESSEN OR PREVENT SEA SICKNESS, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 28th January 1873, and dated the 4th December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cornish at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th December 1872.
I, WILLIAM CORNISH, of Bromley Common, in the County of Kent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUPPORTING AND MAINTAINING THE
SALOONS, CABINS, PLATFORMS, OR FLOORS OF STEAMSHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS IN
A HORIZONTAL POSITION INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MOTIONS OF THE HULLS OF SUCH
VESSELS TO LESSEN OR PREVENT SEA SICKNESS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved means and apparatus for support-
ing and maintaining the saloons, cabins, platforms, or floors of steam-

page_text: ships or other vessels horizontally or in a state of equilibrium
independently of the rolling, pitching, or other motions of the hulls of
such vessels in order to lessen or prevent the passengers carried thereby
suffering from sea sickness, or for retaining ordnance in position, or for
other useful purposes.
It has before been proposed to maintain saloons, cabins, platforms,
or floors in a state of equilibrium horizontally by supporting them upon
rollers, or by suspending them upon axes within the hull of the vessel,
it has also been proposed to attain the above object by floating one
vessel within another.
Apparatus has also been contrived for the purpose of controlling or
governing the movements of the saloons, cabins, platforms, or floors so
suspended by means of hydraulic apparatus actuated by manual or other
power.
Now according to my improvements the saloons, cabins, platforms, or
floors are so supported as to be maintained in a horizontal position by
self-acting means brought into action by the movements of the hull of
the vessel to which my improvements are applied. For this purpose
according to my improvements the saloon, cabin, or platform is
supported within the hull of a vessel upon a series of hydraulic rams,
the cylinders of which are fixed to the bottom of the hull, the water or
other fluid contained in the series of cylinders being in communication
with one another, or with a central tank or receiver by means of pipes
or passages, so that when the ram or rams of one or more of the cylinders
is or are forced downwards by the motion or rising of the hull on one
side or end the water or fluid is forced from these cylinders into the
cylinders on the opposite side or end to force out their rams, and thus
cause them to continue to bear against the under surface of the saloon,
platform, or cabin so as to maintain its equilibrium horizontally.
The central under surface or axis of motion of the platform may be
formed with a conical or other suitable socket to receive a pin or support
attached to the hull of the vessel, such pin connection or support being
capable of assuming different angles in relation to the base line of the
platform or bottom of the saloon or cabin to which suitable frictional
bearing surfaces are affixed for the upper ends of the hydraulic rams to
act against. Or the central axis of motion of the platform may be

page_text: supported by a short and strong hydraulic ram. By this means one,
two, or more saloons, cabins, or platforms may be supported in a state of
equilibrium horizontally within the hull of a vessel in order that the
propelling power may be applied or adapted thereto in the most
advantageous manner, according to the size, length, construction, or
purpose for which such vessel is required.
In like manner the turrets of war vessels, the platforms of heavy
guns and platforms, with enclosures for holding cattle or other animals,
fluids, or other matters requiring to be kept steady during transit by
sea may be supported as previously described in accordance with my
Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Cornish in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CORNISH, of Bromley Common, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two,
in the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Cornish,
Her special license that I, the said William Cornish, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Cornish, my executors, administrators, 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 MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUPPORTING
AND MAINTAINING THE SALOONS, CABINS, PLATFORMS, OR FLOORS OF STEAMSHIPS
OR OTHER VESSELS IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MOTIONS OF
THE HULLS OF SUCH VESSELS TO LESSEN OR PREVENT SEA SICKNESS, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: William Cornish, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 I, the said William Cornish, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
-
This Invention relates to improved means and apparatus for supporting
and maintaining the saloons, cabins, platforms, or floors of steamships
or other vessels horizontally or in a state of equilibrium, independently
of the rolling, pitching, or other motions of the hulls of such vessels in
order to lessen or prevent the passengers carried thereby suffering from
sca sickness, or for retaining ordnance in position, or for other useful
purposes.
It has before been proposed to maintain saloons, cabins, platforms, or
floors in a state of equilibrium horizontally by supporting them upon
rollers, or by supporting them upon axes within the hull of the vessel,
it has also been proposed to attain the above object by floating one vessel
within another.
Apparatus has also been contrived for the purpose of controlling or
governing the movements of the saloons, cabins, platforms, or floors so
suspended by means of hydraulic apparatus actuated by manual or other
power.
Now according to my improvements the saloons, cabins, platforms, or
floors are so supported as to be maintained in a horizontal position by
self-acting means brought into action by the movements of the hull of
the vessel to which my improvements are applied.
And in order that my improvements may be clearly understood, and
readily carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawing
hereunto annexed, which shows sectional diagrams of a ship's saloon or
cabin arranged and supported so as to be maintained in a horizontal

page_text: position in accordance with my improvements: For this purpose,
according to my improvements, the saloon, cabin, or platform a,
Figures 1, 2, and 3, is supported within the hull 6 of a vessel upon a
series of hydraulic rams c, the cylinders c¹ of which are fixed to the
bottom of the hull b, the water or other fluid contained in the series of
cylinders c being in communication with one another and with a central
tank or receiver d by means of pipes or passages d³, so that when the
ram or rams c of one or more of the cylinders c¹ is or are forced down-
wards by the motion or rising of the hull on one side or end the water
or fluid is forced from these cylinders into the cylinders on the opposite
side or end to force out their rams, and thus cause them to continue to
bear against the under surface of the saloon, platform, or cabin a so as
to maintain its equilibrium horizontally.
The connecting pipes are furnished with stop cocks d³ to cut off
the communication between each of the cylinders c' when it is desired
to retain the saloon in a stationary position in dock or elsewhere.
The central under surface or axis of motion of the platform a may
be formed with a conical or other suitable socket a¹ as indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 2 to receive a pin or support attached centrally
to the hull of the vessel, such pin connection or support being capable.
of assuming different angles in relation to the base line of the platform
or bottom of the saloon or cabin a, to which suitable frictional bearing
surfaces are affixed for the upper ends of the hydraulic rams to act
against. Or the ends of the rams c may be connected by universal
joints to the bottom of the by which the movement of the rams
will be facilitated. Or the central axis of motion of the platform may
be supported by a short and strong hydraulic ram.
Figure 4 shows a diagram or ground plan of a series of hydraulic
cylinders and rams c arranged in combination with a circular tank d,
with central pivot which can be raised or lowered if necessary through
an opening in the platform so as to meet the actual centre of gravity of
the hull.
In cases where the centre of motion is high the rams may be arranged
to oscillate on trunnions as indicated in diagram, Figure 3, which
represents a diagram taken near the extreme end of the saloon, the
dotted lines 1, 1, representing the centre lines of hydraulic cylinders

page_text: and rams c mounted on trunnions or universal joints to enable the rams
to adopt or adjust themselves to the movements of the saloon. The
pipes d* connect the two rams 1, 1, which may be controlled by means
of the feed pipe and stop cock d** in connection with a force pump;
but where space can be obtained to allow of longer piston rods so as to
be of the same height as pivot, then moveable or oscillating cylinders
will not be necessary unless the points of support are placed very wide
of the central pivot. The above conditions apply more particularly to
the rolling motion and long saloons.
In supporting a long saloon in accordance with my improvements it
may be desirable to use more than one central tank, or it may be made
of long oval form instead of circular, or of any other suitable form.
The number and arrangement of the hydraulic cylinders and rams
employed will depend on the size and weight of saloon in each particular
case by which my improvements are applied. By this means one, two,
or more saloons, cabins, or platforms may be supported in a state of
equilibrium horizontally within the hull of a vessel in order that the
propelling power may be applied or adapted thereto in the most
advantageous manner, according to the size, length, construction, or
purpose for which such vessel is required, the form and size of hull,
saloon, together with the number and arrangement of the hydraulic
cylinders, rams, and apparatus employed in carrying out my Invention
being varied to suit the particular purpose to which my improvements
are applied.
In like manner the turrets of war vessels, the platforms of heavy
guns, and platforms with enclosures for holding cattle or other animals,
fluids, or other matters requiring to be kept steady during transit by sea
may be supported as previously described in accordance with my Inven-
tion which is based upon the natural law of gravity applied in the
manner and for the
purposes herein-before described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into practice (which however may be considerably
varied without departing from the essential character of my Invention),
what I claim is, the improved method of arranging and supporting and
maintaining the saloons, cabins, platforms, or floors of steamships or
other vessels in a horizontal position independently of the motions of

page_text: the hulls of such vessels by means of a series of hydraulic rams and
apparatus combined therewith, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before described and represented in the Drawing here-
unto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cornish, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
WM. CORNISH. (L.S.)