IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA, OR ON OTHER WATERS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS, of Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA, OR ON OTHER WATERS, to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct a simple form of life saving apparatus
which can support, at the same time, several persons clinging theroto in the water,
and one or more of which apparatus may be easily stowed away, when not in use,
beneath the seats of vessels or ferry boats, or elsewhere, and be readily attainable
in case of emergency.
My improved construction of apparatus consists of a flat-shaped vessel or
chamber, rendered buoyant by being made air tight, or by being filled with cork,
and to the ends and sides of which vessel or chamber a number of beckets are
secured either by attaching the same to a webbing, lashed around the said vessel or
chamber, or otherwise attached thereto.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS, of Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA, OR ON OTHER WATERS, and 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 accompanying drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to construct a simple form of life saving apparatus
which can support, at the same time, several persons clinging thereto in the water,
and one or more of which apparatus may, bo easily, fitted or stowed, when not in
use, beneath the seats of vessels or ferryboats, or elsewhere, and be readily attainable
in case of emergency.
My improved construction of apparatus consists of a flat shaped vessel or
chamber, rendered buoyant by being made air tight, or by being filled with cork,
or other buoyant material, to the ends and sides of which vessel or chamber
I provide a number of beckets, rails, rods or hars, and secure the same thereto,
either by attaching them to a webbing lashed around the said vessel or chamber, or
otherwise.
In almost all cases one such apparatus stowed or laid under each section or,
length of the seat, on ways or bearers, will be found sufficient, as every foot run
will float two persons, but, if desired, the whole space underneath the seat can be
filled with these apparatus, and a hinged flap or fall front may be provided to close
them in. The seat proper should also be hinged so that if the vessel should sink,
these chambers will act automatically to raise the hinged seat upwards and to
release the fall front, and by thus freeing themselves would float out.
:
And in order that my Invention may be readily understood, I proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1 and 2, are perspective views of the air tight chamber or vessel, constructed
in accordance with my Invention.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of hinged deck-seat secured to the bulwark of a
river boat, or vessel, and shewing one method of fitting or stowing the said air-tight
vessels, or chambers beneath the same. In this arrangement there is only one
air-tight chamber beneath each section or length of soat.
Fig. 4, is a perspective view of a hinged deck-seat provided or fitted with soveral
of these air-tight vessels or chambers.
A, is the air-tight vessel or chamber to which I attach, in any suitable manner,
beckets a, as shewn in Fig. 1, or rails a*, as shewn in fig. 2.
In fig. 3. the air-tight vessel or chamber is stowed or fitted beneath the seat
proper, on ways or bearers b, so that in case of emergency it can at onco be with-
drawn and held by the passengers, or thrown overboard. But should the boat or
vessel. founder, or sink, before the air tight chamber is disengaged from the seat, the
seat proper is, by preference, hinged at back, as shewn, so that the air chamber will,
by its own buoyancy, raise the seat proper and float out. This is clearly shown in
Fig. 3, at the left hand of the figure.

page_text: In fig. 4 the seat proper is also hinged, but the space beneath the same is pro-
vided with a number of these air-tight vessels or chambers which are piled one
above the other, on a shelf or frames, beneath the seat. That portion of tho
figure to the right shews the air-tight vessels or chambers in their normal position
piled one above the other, while the portion of the figure to the left shews the soat
proper lifted, as it were, by the action of the air-tight chambers forcing the seat
upwards in endeavouring to free themselves and float out, on the sinking of the
vessel. In this form of seat, I provide a hinged fall front c, which encloses and
protects the air chambers from injury when the same are not in use.
Although I have described and shewn the air-tight vessels or chambers fitted to
a deck-seat, I can, in like manner, fit or provide the seats of piers, wharves, etc.
with the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. An air tight chamber or vessel provided with beckets, rails or rods, as specified
and shewn, and adapted to be fitted or stowed beneath the seats of vessels, or other
structures, as and for the purposes described.
2. A deck or like hinged seat, each section or length of which is provided with
an air tight vessel or chamber, as above claimed, resting on bearers or ways fitted
beneath the seat, substantially as herein described, and shewn with reference to
fig. 3 of the drawings, and for the purposes set forth.
3. A deck or like hinged seat provided or fitted beneath its soat proper with a
number of air-tight vessels or chambers (as herein before claimed) arranged and
lying one above the other, the said seat boing provided with a hinged fall
front, substantially as described, and as shewn with reference to fig. 4 of the
drawings, and for the purposes set forth.