An Improved Deck Seat Convertible into a Raft.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 19th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Deck Seat Convertible into a Raft.
GEORGE PAUL, of 24 Harcourt Road, Brockley, in the County of Kent, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A deck seat which can be used either as a seat or converted into a raft.
When used as a seat or seats, it folds up & occupies the same deck room as an
ordinary seat or seats, but when required for a raft, the two or more pontoons separate
until the back of the seat forms the deck of the 'raft; this is done by hinging the
back of the seat or seats to the pontoons, & by having two or more stays or bulkheads,
or other gear, between the pontoons which locks, either by levers, or by fastening
ropes to the outer sides of the stays, bulkheads, or other gear, or by any other
suitable arrangement, which prevents the pontoons coming together again, so. forming
a raft of great stability, & in the case of the deck of the raft being upside down under
water, it may be stood upon, the locking gear holding it rigid in whatever position.it
may be. I also claim for this seat-raft simplicity, great buoyancy, & quickness. in
converting it from a seat or seats to a raft.
The pontoons can be made of wood, metal, or any other suitable material as
desired. The folding stays or bulkheads can be made of metal tubing, wood, or
other suitable material hinged as shewn. The pontoons may be arranged so as to
carry provisions, water, or other articles, & the elbows of the seats connected by rope,
or other suitable contrivance to form hand rails.
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Deck Seat Convertible into a Raft.
I, GEORGE PAUL, of 24 Harcourt Road in the county of Kent, Engineer (now of
38 Jermingham Road, New Cross) do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
A Deck Seat which can be converted into a Raft.
When used as a seat it folds up & occupies the same deck room as an ordinary
seat, but when required for a raft the two or more pontoons separate until the back of
seat forms the deck of the raft; this is done by hinging the back of the seat or
seats to the pontoons and by having two or more stays or bulkheads or other locking
or controlling gear between the pontoons, which lock either by the levers shown, or
by fastening ropes to the outer side of the stays, bulkheads, or other gear, or by
any other suitable arrangement, which prevents the pontoons coming together again,
so forming a raft of great stability and in the case of the deck of the raft being
upside down under water it may be stood upon, the locking gear holding it rigid in
whatever position it may be.
The pontoons can be made of wood, metal or other suitable material as desired;
the folding stays or bulkheads can be made of metal tubing, wood or other suitable
material hinged as shown. The space between the pontoons may be arranged so as
to carry provisions, water or other articles, & the elbows of the seats connected by
rope or other suitable material to form handrails.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is an end elevation of my improved double
deck seat, and Figs. 2 and 3 an end view and plan respectively of the same seat
shewn distended & so converted into a raft. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the pontoons in
their closest nooition

page_text: The same letters of reference are used to denote similar parts throughout all
the views.
AA are the two pontoons, formed of metal, wood, or other suitable material sup
porting upon the top, a pair of back to back seats, fitted with elbows at either end
as illustrated. The backs B B of these seats are hinged in position, and such backs
are also hinged together in the centre as seen more clearly in Fig. 1, so as to be
capable of folding down level with the seats to form a deck surface.
The pontoons A A are further connected together transversely by double hinged
stays or bulkheads CC which fold inwards in opposite directions as seen in Figs. 1 & 4
but are capable of being opened out and locked at right angles to the pontoons when
the latter are separated to form a raft, as seen in Figs. 2 & 3.
The ends of the pontoons are provided with brackets through which opposite ends
of ropes e e pass, and thus not only limit the widest distance apart of the pontoons,
but serve to be laid hold of when used as a raft. When it is desired to convert
the improved seat into a raft, all that is necessary is, to draw the pontoons apart
by folding down the backs B B of the seats, as illustrated in Figs. 2 & 3 and which
backs thus form a bridge or deck over the space between the pontoons.
I keep these pontoons apart when in the form of a raft by means of the folding
pieces or bulkheads CC which are locked in their extended position by means of
locking levers or by ropes fastened to the outside of such folding pieces to prevent
their closing again.
As applied to a single deck seat and illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings, I form the back B of my convertible seat as seen in end
view Fig. 5 to be hinged at the bottom and to be supported by and hinged at the top,
to a back piece or support & running the length of the seat and capable of folding
downwards (along with the back of the seat) to form a portion of the deck when used.
as a raft as illustrated in end view Fig. 6.
い
The pivoted levers D D braced together by a rope f as seen in back view Fig. 8
serve by tightening such single rope, to simultaneously push outwards both the double
folding stays or bulkheads C and at the same time by simply securing such single
rope the entire raft is kept distended.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved arrangement and construction of deck seat convertible into a raft
substantially as herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 5th day of November 1889.