Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 11th May, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1888
I, CHARLES HENDERSON, of 9 York Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention, to be as follows:-
This invention comprises a new or improved construction, or arrangement and com-
bination of the parts of collapsible boats which can be stowed over each other
horizontally in great numbers under the present davits and launching appliances
on the decks of ships or vessels, without interfering with the proper working of the
vessel, or taking up more deck area, than has heretofore been required in the
ordinary mode of stowing ships' boats.
The nature and novelty of iny invention consist all as follows:-According to one
construction or arrangement of the parts of my collapsible boats, the frames are con-
structed of wood, metal, or wood and metal combined, and are secured at each of
their upper extremities to the gunwales, by means of a joint, which admits of the
frame being slewed round, in a fore and aft direction, to a nearly horizontal position
parallel, or nearly so, to the gunwale. The bottom of frames are securely fastened
to the keel, but so arranged, that they will slide along, in a fore and aft direction,
without being detached therefrom. For this purpose I mean to use an ordinary
dove-tail, or checked rectangular slide, combined with an ordinary joint journal
bearing, to take the bottom joint part of each frame, the centre part of which will
be round, and have a collar on each side of bearing, for preventing lateral or athwart-
ship motion. The frames are so arranged, that while one half, or nearly one half
of their number, can travel along the keel, in a forward direction, the remainder
can be made to travel in an after direction, and vice versa both towards each other
in the centre. Each frame may be made to move separately, or two or more may
be connected together, by means of rods, plates, or other device, preferably, I propose
to connect together, all the frames, designed to move in the same direction. This.
does not apply to the frames nearest to the stem and stern post, which would prefer-
ably be made to fold independently, the bottom of the frame in each instance
folding toward amidship, and will be held in position by means of a diagonal stay
extending from stem and stern post, or by an upright stay with forked base or
other locking device extending from the brace which extends from the ends of the
longitudinal of fore and aft stringer to the stem and stern posts. The plates,
rods, or other connections, between the forward, and after groups of frames, are

page_text: preferably connected or coupled together and also to the keel, at or near the centre of
the boat, by means of a stud secured to the keel or forming part thereof. One or
two plates attached to the slides of the fore and aft groups of frames will be made to
come into position on each or either side of this stud, the whole can be secured by
a pin or equivalent locking device when the frames are erected ready for launching.
The gunwale is constructed of wood, metal, or wood and metal combined, and is
formed in one piece, or it may be jointed, or detached at the ends where it is secured
to stem and stern post, preferably I propose to make it continuous, securely attached
to top of frame as already described. The keel will be constructed of wood, metal,
or wood and metal combined. The upper edge or edges will be furnished with a rect-
angular or angular slide, or other suitable device whereby the frames may be securely
attached thereto, and at the same time be permitted to slide in a fore and aft direction
upon the removal of the pins, hasp, or other device used for locking the lower slides
of the frames. The stem and stern posts are secured to keel by means of a hinge
joint which permits of their being folded inwards fore and aft to the horizontal
position over the keel. The thwarts or seats are attached to the frames by means of
metal trunnions, or stud spindles. The bearings for these will be formed solid with
the frames, or bolted, or otherwise secured thereto, and so arranged that the thwarts
can maintain an approximately horizontal position when and after the frames are
folded or slewed round by the act of collapsing the boat. A substantial longitudinal
stringer is run fore and aft above or below the line of thwarts (preferably above) and
securely attached thereto. This stringer may be formed of angle or steel wood
alone, or wood and metal combined. As the distance between the amidship thwarts will
be somewhat increased in the act of collapsing, I make this stringer preferably in two
pieces, having a slip joint and locking arrangement near the centre of the boat. At
or near the ends of this, stringer I fix two braces for holding stem and stern posts in
position these braces will be hinged to stringer so as to fold back horizontally over
it when the boat is collapsed, they will be secured at the other extremity to the stem
and stern posts by means of a pin, hasp or other suitable locking device. I con-
nect the stringer to the bottom of some, or all of the frames or their slides, by means
of vertical stays formed of rods or plates. To permit of the oscillating movement of
the frames in relation to the keel, these stays will require to be jointed at their connection
with the stringer above, but may be jointed or rigidly secured at the bottom of the
frames or their slides. To further add to the rigidity of the structure of the boat
when in expanded form I have stays or struts extending in a diagonal direction from
the stringer above at a point nearly vertical to bottom of frame, to a point at or near
the bottom of the next frame. The angular direction of these stays or struts will be
fore or aft, that is the strut belonging to the frame whose base is designed to move
in a forward direction in the act of collapsing will lie forward. In the act of
erecting the boat, the lower end of these struts will move along in the direction of
the keel until the frames assume an upright position when they will come in contact
with the stoppers which may be fixed to the bottom of the frames or to the .connecting
rods or plates, and so arranged as to lock the ends of struts and prevent motion in
any direction.
For the covering or skin of the boat I use one or more plies of prepared canvas
or other suitable flexible water-proof material. The canvas will be secured to and
all round the outside of the gunwale by laths or otherwise and such other portions of
the structure as will not interfere with the collapsing action of the parts. A certain
amount of "shear " or rise fore and aft at the gunwale may be obtained by varying
the depth of the gunwale but where considerable shear is required I prefer to connect
an auxiliary triangular gunwale fore and aft over the main horizontal gunwale, which
which will be hinged to main gunwale at extremities and secured at apex to give
desired height of shear to stem and stern posts. In this case the canvas will be
secured at stem and stern to this upper or auxiliary gunwale and may or may not be
attached to the main gunwale at this fore and aft part, and would preferably
be attached to the underside of keel, protected by a fore and aft securing lath or false
keel below the canvas. In place of the vertical hinged frames nearest the bow and

page_text: stern (which do not slide on the longitudinal stringer but oscillate inwards on their
hinged joints at the gunwale to lie horizontally within and over the sliding frames
and keel when the boat is collapsed) an arrangement of horizontal stays or frames
may be made, shaped, and fitted to maintain or support the canvas on each side to
its proper shape at bow and stern, these horizontal stays being made preferably of an
elliptical V shape to fit the different sectional runs of the vessel at the horizontal
sections where they are fitted, and have their inner ends jointed to the nearest
oscillating frame, while their apex ends are secured by a pin or other locking
device to the stem and stern posts at their respective heights, so that they may be
detached or hinged at either end to fold down horizontally when the frames and
whole structure are collapsed or housed horizontally over the keel. The floors or
bottom foot boards may be secured loosely to lateral projections from the keel in such
a manner as to allow the free swivelling of the frames all as described under the floors
to the horizontal position. Two, three, or more of these collapsible boats may be
housed horizontally over each other on the ships deck or housing frames or some
little distance off the deck, under the usual hoisting and lowering davits, each boat
only occupying a few inches in height, the canvas collapsing loosely all round tho
sides of the gunwale and frames, and each boat would be hoisted by the davits by iron
hooks or other equivalent secured to the fore and aft centre stringer over the seats,
which in being raised by the tackle would draw the frames into the vertical position
assisted by the men pushing their lower joint slides towards each other and locking
the whole rigidly in a few minutes by the few locking arrangements all as described.
Dated this 12th day of August 1887.

page_text: Improvements in Collapsible Boats.
I, CHARLES HENDERSON, of 9 York Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Two Sheets of
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention comprises a new or improved construction, or arrangement and
combination of the parts of collapsible boats which can be stowed over each other
horizontally in great numbers under the present davits and launching appliances on
the decks of ships or vessels, without interfering with the proper working of the
vessel, or taking up more deck area, than has heretofore been required in the ordinary
mode of stowing ship's boats.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
two explanatory Sheets of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
101
Figure 1 on Sheet I is a sectional elevation showing my new or improved collapsible
boat in its raised or expanded open position, but without the canvas covering, Figure 2
is a transverse vertical section of the boat corresponding to and as taken on the
line 1- 1 of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan of the boat in its raised or expanded
open position corresponding to Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a vertical elevation
corresponding to Figures 1 and 3, but showing the boat in its folded down or collapsed
stowed position, Figure 5 on Sheet 2 is a sectional elevation corresponding to Figure 1
of the centre part of the boat but to a much larger scale, to show the details more
clearly than can be seen in the general views on Sheet 1. Figure 6 is a sectional
elevation corresponding to Figure 5, but showing the coupling parts C to C³ & b to b¹¹
disengaged and the parts in the act of being folded down or collapsed. Figures 7
and 8 are transverse sections broken away showing two simple modes of sliding the
frames A, and securing them to the keel (
Referring to these Drawings, the nature and novelty of my invention consist all as
follows: According to one construction or arrangement of the parts of my collapsible
boats as shown in these Drawings, the frames A are constructed of iron or steel, but
they might be made of wood or of wood and metal combined, and they are secured
at each of their upper extremities to the gunwales B, B', by means of a joint at A¹,
which admits of the frames A being slewed round, and down in a fore and aft
direction, to a nearly horizontal position, parallel or nearly so, to the gunwales B B₁
and the keel C. The bottom central parts of the frames A are jointed at A² to
slides C1, C2, securely mounted and fastened to the keel C; but so arranged that they
can be moved in sets with their slides, in a fore and aft direction without being
detached from the slides or keel as will hereinafter be described. For this slide-and
joint connection of the lower central part of the frames A to the keel C, in two sets,
use an ordinary joint journal bearing A², secured to either a counter checked, or

page_text: dove-tail edged slide as shown in Figures 7 or 8 one slide (and one slide C³ for
each set of frames A mounted to slide fore and aft on the keel C, to secure the bottom
joint part A of each set of frames to the keel C. The centre swivelling part of which
will be round, and have a collar or shoulder part at A" on each side of the bearing A³,
for preventing lateral or athwart-ship motion. The frames A are so arranged, that
one half or nearly one half of their number travel along the keel C with their
slide C in a forward direction while the other half or set of frames are made to
travel in the after direction, and vice versa, both towards each other in the centre as
shown in Figures 5 and 6. Each frame A might be made to move separately, or two
or more may be connected together, by means of rods, plates, or other device,
preferably I propose to connect together, all the frames A designed to move in the
same direction to one slido C and the other set to the slide C. This does not apply
to any frames which might be fitted near to the stem, and the stern post, as these
would preferably be made to fold or be detached independently when used. The
near ends of these slides C and C to which the fore and aft groups of frames A
are jointed at A3 or overlapping plates on them are made to come together into
position on each or either side of a centre stud 0, the whole being secured by a
coupling pin or equivalent locking device when the frames A are drawn up and
erected vertically as shown in Figures 1 and 5 ready for launching. The gun-
wales B B' are constructed of wood, metal, or wood and metal combined with a joint
between them, the lower part B being preferably formed in one piece, or frame while
the upper bow and stern part B2 may be jointed or detached at B₁ some distance
from the bow and stern where it is secured to stem and stern post, preferably I
propose to make the lower part B continuous, securely jointed at A' to top of frames A
as already described. The keel C is constructed of metal, wood, or wood and metal
combined. The upper edge or edges will be formed with a rectangular or angular
dove-tail slide, as indicated at c or cl in Figures 7 and 8 whereby the frames A may
be securely attached thereto, by the slides C, C2, and at the same time he permitted
to slide in a fore and aft direction upon the removal of the pins, hasp, or other
coupling device as indicated at C", C³, used for locking the lower slides C, (, of
the frames A described. The stem and stern posts D, D, are secured to the keel C
by means of a hinge joint at D' which permits of their being folded inwards fore
and aft to the horizontal position over the keel before folding down the frames A.
The thwarts or seats a are attached to the frames A by means of metal trunnions or
stud spindles at a¹. The hearings for these will be formed solid with the frames A, or
bolted, or otherwise secured thereto, and so arranged that the thwarts a can maintain
an approximately horizontal position when and after the frames A are folded or.
slewed round by the act of collapsing the boat. A substantially longitudinal centre
stringer or girder b, b,. is run fore and aft above or below the line of thwarts a
preferably above as shown, and to which they may be securely attached. This centre
stringer may be formed of two bars b, b, or of angle or T steel, wood alone, or of
wood and metal combined. As the distance between the amidship thwarts a will be
somewhat increased in the act of collapsing, I make this stringer b, b, in two pieces,
baving a slip joint and locking arrangement at 6' 6' with locking pin 6" over the
joint C, near the centre of the boat as seen particularly in Figures 1, 5 and 6. At
or near the ends of this stringer b, b, I joint at 6 two braces &* for holding stem
and stern posts D, D, in their folded up vertical position, these braces & will be hinged
so as to fold back horizontally over or between the stringer b, b, when the boat is
collapsed, they will be secured at the other extremity to the stem and stern posts D, D,
by means of a pin, hasp or other suitable locking device at 6. I joint or connect
the stringer b, b, to the bottom of some, or all of the frames A, or their slides C¹ or C2
by means of vertical or transverse stays d formed of rods or plates. To permit of the
oscillating movement of the frames A in relation to the keel C, these stays d will
but may be
require to be jointed at their connection with the stringer b, b, above at d¹,
rigidly secured at their bottom ends d, to the frames A, (see Figure 2). To further
add to the rigidity of the structure of the boat when in expanded form I have
longitudinal stays or struts E, E', extending in a diagonal direction from the

page_text: stringer b, b, above jointed at a point d¹ nearly vertical to bottom of one frame A, with
its lower end E extending to a point E" at or near the bottom of the next frame A.
The angular direction of these stays or struts E, E¹, will be fore and aft towards the
bottom that is the strut E belonging to the frame whose base E is designed to move
out in a forward direction in the act of collapsing will be forward and vice versa the
lower end of the other strut E¹ will be aft as seen particularly in Figures 1 and 5. In
the act of erecting the boat, the lower end E2 of these struts E E' will move inwards
over the slides C, (2, and keel C until the frames A assume an upright position, when
their ends E will come in contact with the stoppers or joint plates A² which may be
fixed to the bottom of the frames A or to the slides (1,0, and so arranged as to
lock the ends E, E, of the struts E, E', and prevent motion of the frames A,
gunwales B, B, and longitudinal stringer b, b, in the fore and aft direction.
2
For the covering or skin of the boat, I use one or more plies of prepared canvas
or other suitable flexible water-proof material as indicated by a dark line in Figures 7
and 8. The canvas will be secured under the keel C by an outer bar or false keel c²
and all round the outside of the gunwale between the joints of these two parts B, B',
or by laths or otherwise, and such other portions of the structure as will not interfere
with the collapsing action of the frames and parts. A certain amount of shear or rise
fore and aft at the gunwale B B' may be obtained by varrying the depth of the
gunwale at the bow and stern but where considerable shear is required, I prefer to
connect or joint an auxiliary triangular part of the upper gunwale B fore and aft
over the main horizontal gunwale B, which will be hinged to the upper gunwale B₁
at the extremities B₁₁ and secured at the apex or bow and stern to give the desired'
height of shear to the stem and stern posts D D. In this case the canvas will be
secured at stem and stern to this upper or auxiliary gunwale B² and may or may not
be attached to the main gunwale B at these fore and aft parts and would preferably be
attached to the underside of keel C protected by a fore and aft securing lath or false
keel below the canvas. In place of having vertical hinged frames near the
bow and stern, an arrangement of horizontal stays or frames as indicated at e, e,
in Figure 1, may be made, shaped, and fitted to maintain or support the canvas
under each bow and stern quarter to its proper shape at bow and stern, these
horizontal stays e, e, being made preferably of an elliptical V shape to fit the
different sectional runs of the vessel at the horizontal sections where they are
fitted and have their inner ends jointed at e¹ to the nearest oscillating frame A while
their apex ends are secured by a pin or other locking device to the stem and stern
posts Date at their respective heights, so that they may be detached or hinged at
either or both ends to fold down horizontally with the bow and stern posts D or be
removed when the frames and whole structure are collapsed or housed horizontally
over the keel. Longitudinal floors or bottom foot boards shown at fin Figure 2 may
be secured loosely to lateral or transverse projections or boards f₁ from the keel C in
such a manner as to allow the free swivelling of the frames A all as described under
the floors to the horizontal position. Two, three, or more of these collapsible boats
may be housed horizontally over each other on the ships' decks or housing frames or
some little distance off the deck under the usual hoisting and lowering davits, each
boat when folded down or collapsed only occupying a few inches in height as shown
in Figure 4, the canvas collapsing loosely all round the sides of the gunwale and
frames, and each boat would be hoisted by the davits by iron hooks or other equivalent
secured to the fore and aft centre stringer over the end seats or to the bow and stern
posts, and which in being raised by the tackle would draw the two sets of frames A
into the vertical position, assisted by the men pushing their lower joint slides towards
each other and rocking the whole rigidly in a few minutes by the few locking
arrangements at C3 and 6" all as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
Tit
.
The natuuration AN AMPON Comantiand combination of the warts of horizontal

page_text: folding down or collapsing boats, substantially as herein described, in reference to
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In a collapsible boat the jointing of the frames A, to their gunwales B, B¹,
and to fore and aft slides C2, C3, at the keel C, so that they fold down to a nearly
horizontal position with the keel C, all substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The constructing of collapsible boats with longitudinal moving slides C¹, C³,
on the keel C, which permit the frames A, to slide in a fore and aft direction, and
the gunwales B, B¹, to fall in a perpendicular manner and the boat to collapse or be
folded down to a horizontal position, substantially as herein described, in reference to
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The constracting of collapsible boats with slides C¹, C, on the keel (), and
centre stringer. b, b, at the seats a both jointed to the frames A which move
longitudinally or fore and aft when the boat is to be collapsed, and return to, and are
locked at C, 61, at the centre of the boat when to be used at sea, substantially as
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.