AN IMPROVED CON- STRUCTION OF BUOYANT MATTRESS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Valentine William Hammerich, of Altona, in the
Duchy of Holstein, but now residing at John Street, Minories, in the
City of London, Upholsterer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OF BUOYANT MATTRESS."
Sealed the 3rd April 1855, and dated the 10th October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left, by the said Valentine William Ham-
merich at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th October 1854.
I, VALENTINE WILLIAM HAMMERICH, of Altona, in the Duchy of Holstein,
but now residing at John Street, Minories, in the City of London, Upholsterer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OF BUOYANT MATTRESS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel manufacture of buoyant mattress, capable
of being used at sea as a life preserver in cases of shipwreck. The mattress
is formed of tick or other material pervious to water, and stuffed with horsehair
or other suitable elastic stuffing, except at one edge thereof, which for any
required depth is filled with prepared cork. The mattress is provided with
straps or belts for attaching it to the person, when it is required to be used as

page_text: a life buoy or support in the water. When applying it to this use, the mattress
is lapped round and strapped to the body of the wearer, the cork stuffing being
upwards, and on being immersed in the water it will take an upright position,
and keep the body of the wearer also in a vertical position. The cork stuffing
I prefer to varnish, to render it impervious to water, and to place it in a com-
partment in the mattress distinct from that containing the horsehair or other
elastic stuffing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Valentine William Hammerich in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, VALENTINE
WILLIAM HAMMERICH, of Altona, in the Duchy of Holstein, Upholsterer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Valentine William Hammerich, Her special license that I, the said Valentine
William Hammerich, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Valentine William Hammerich, 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
"AN IMPROVED, CONSTRUCTION OF BUOYANT MATTRESS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Valentine William Hammerich, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Valentine William Hammerich, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a novel manufacture of mattress, which, besides
serving the purpose of an ordinary mattress on shipboard, is capable of being
used in cases of shipwreck as a life preserver. The mattress I form of tick
or other suitable woven material pervious to water, and I stuff it with horse-
hair or other suitable elastic stuffing, except at one edge thereof, where I form
a separate compartment of any required depth for the reception of cork or
other buoyant material. The mattress I provide with straps or belts for
securing it to the body of a shipwrecked person when it is required to be used
as a life buoy or support in the water.
The Figures in the accompanying Drawing shew the manner in which I
prefer to carry out my Invention; but this may be varied so long as the
peculiar property of making the mattress float edgewise in the water for the
purpose herein-after described is preserved.
Fig. 1 is an edge view of the mattress; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;
and Fig. 3 shews the mode of applying it, to support a person in the water.
The mattress I construct by preference of two parts A, B, which form together
a mattress of the usual proportions for berths. When it is required to be used
on board, the two parts may be fastened together by straps and buckles, if
thought desirable. C is a head cushion or pillow, to be used with the mattress
on shipboard, but forming no part of the life preserver. In the division A of the
mattress I form two compartments, a and b, the former of which I fill with horse-
hair or other elastic stuffing, leaving it pervious to water; but the compartiment b
I either make waterproof or I stuff it with cork or other light woody substance,
coated with any suitable varnish which is capable of rendering the stuffing
non-absorbent. The part B of the mattress I propose to render buoyant, so
that it may float on the surface of the water, and I likewise propose to make
it hollow and waterproof, so that it may contain provisions for sustaining the
life of the shipwrecked person using the mattress during his immersion in the
water. Both divisions of the mattress I provide with suitable straps for
facilitating their conversion into a life preserver. Thus to the extremities of
the part A, I secure the strap and buckle c, c, for forming the waist fastening,
as shewn at Fig. 3, and to the buoyant edge of the mattress I attach the
shoulder straps d, d, and their buckles e, e. By means of the straps and
buckles ff, on the part B of the mattress, which straps pass through the rings
9, 9, of the part A, I secure the two parts A and B together, in the manner
shewn at Fig. 3. For the purpose of forming a seat for the shipwrecked

page_text: person, a piece of webbing his provided, which inay either be permanently
attached to the mattress or drawn through openings made therein, as shewn
at Fig. 2, and secured at its ends to the mattress by buckles or otherwise.
It will now be understood, that as the mattress is calculated to admit water
at the part a, and resist it at the part b, it will, when lapped round the body
of a person immersed in the water, assume and retain a vertical position in the
water, and that the action of the waves will be rather to propel than to over-
turn it. In some cases I may construct my mattress in one instead of two
parts, and still obtain the erect floating position as explained; but I prefer
dividing it into two parts, as the part B, besides assisting in balancing the
part A with its living freight, serves also to direct the course of the life raft
according to the current.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Buoyant Mattress," and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim, giving buoyancy to mattresses in such a manner
that they will, when strapped round the body of a person immersed in the water,
sustain his body in an erect position, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Valentine William Hammerich, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fifth (5) day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
VALENTIN WILHELM HAMMERICH. (L.s.)
SALOMAN CRONACH,
als Zeuge.
CHRISTOPHER HINRICH BEREND BEHN,
als Zeuge.