Improved Buoyancy Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
Improved Buoyancy Apparatus.
I, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of Regent Street, in the County of
London, Manufacturer of Buoyant Life-saving Appliances, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the application to ships' life boats and other small craft,
externally of the usual configuration or form of the boat or craft itself, of buoyancy
apparatus, in the improved manner hereinafter described.
The invention is especially applicable to such varieties of boats as, by existing
regulations, are required to be fitted with outside or with outside and inside
buoyancy in amount in ratio to the boat's cubic capacity, the invention being
designed to meet the requirements of such boats in an efficient, reliable and lasting
manner. The invention can, however, also be applied to steam launches and other
small vessels as well as to boats and the like.
Air casings or other hollow buoyancy apparatus are quite unsuitable to such a
use, on account of their liability to be stove in and rendered useless, and the
application to such use of cork-wood as solid buoyancy apparatus as ordinarily
applied to analogous uses is tedious and costly, being disadvantages which outweigh
its efficiency, and inasmuch as that no other means (apart from those hereinafter
referred to) are at the same time sufficiently efficient and economical, I have devised
the hereinafter described improved methods of applying to such use the buoyant
material now generally known as "cork concrete for which Letters Patent
No. 144 of 1889 were granted to me; and according to which methods I can either
build the required external buoyancy permanently as an attachment to cach side of
the boat, or can removably apply the same in sections or in whole as to each side
of the boat.
22
The improved buoyancy apparatus is applied longitudinally of each side of the
craft for the whole length or for any required length commencing at a suitable
distance below the gunwale and extending to a suitable distance towards, to or
below the water line, and it is made preferably of a semi-pear shape or of a semi-
cylindrical shape in cross section with the flattened side adjacent to the craft, and
with the rounded side outwards and of a longitudinal section or shape conformable
to the sheer of the craft to which it is applied.
If building the improved buoyancy apparatus to the side of a boat, I rivet,.
nail, screw, bolt or otherwise suitably apply projecting bulkheads to the outer
side of the boat at suitable intervals apart, fitting their inner sides to the side
of the boat and making their outer sides conformable to the desired section of the
apparatus at the position of the bulkhead. I then encase the lower halves of
the bulkheads by a metallic casing, or by nailing or otherwise securing thereto
longitudinal strips of wood the inner sides of which are hollowed to the
curvature of the bulkheads and the outer sides of which are shaped to the
external curvature of the apparatus, and I then firmly pack such enclosed part
with the aforesaid buoyant material. I next fit between all adjacent bulkheads
longitudinal horizontally disposed sections of shelving or flooring of wood
shaping the same to the external form of the boat and of the buoyancy
apparatus; and compact the said buoyant material by compressing the same
under the said shelving or flooring, which latter I then secure by rivets, nails,
screws, bolts or the like. I next (proceeding as aforesaid) nearly wholly enclose
the upper part partitioned off by the bulkheads, and then pack the same as
aforesaid, and afterwards (in like manner as aforesaid) complete the enclosing
of the material; after which, I coat the whole exterior with marine glue, cover

page_text: it with canvas which I hot-iron to the glue, and then coat the same with
knotting and paint it.
If applying the improved, buoyancy to a boat in a removable manner, I firstly
apply the flooring, shaping it to the sheer and to the external form of the boat and
tapering it to the gradually decreasing width of the apparatus, I then apply the
bulkheads in top and bottom sections suitably securing the same to the flooring. I
next encase the whole outer side of the bulkheads, and subsequently pack the
buoyant material into the partitioned spaces on each side of the flooring and
between the bulkheads, and lastly enclose the buoyant material by back boards
conforming to the sheer and to the external form of the boat and screwed or other-
wise suitably secured to the flooring and bulkheads and to the adjacent outer boards.
then complete the coating of the apparatus as hereinbefore described with
reference to the permanently applied apparatus.
The detachable apparatus may be made in whole as to each side of the boat or
in sectional lengths, in which event it or its sections may be detachably secured to
the side of the boat by bands shaped to the apparatus, and which fit into recesses
in a wooden or metallic rib or rail secured to the side of the boat just below the
bottom line of the apparatus and are secured by bolts passed through the
gunwale.
Dated this 29th day of July 1890.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improved Buoyancy Apparatus.
I, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of Regent Street, in the County of
London, Manufacturer of Buoyant Life-saving Appliances, 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.:—
This invention relates to the application to ships life-boats and other small craft,
externally of the usual configuration or form of the boat or craft itself, of buoyancy
apparatus, in the improved manner herein-after described with reference to the
accompanying drawings :-
The invention is especially applicable to such varieties of boats as, by existing
regulations, are required to be fitted with outside or with outside and inside
buoyancy in amount in ratio to the boat's cubic capacity, the invention being
designed to meet the requirements of such boats in an efficient, reliable and lasting
inanner. The invention can, however, also be applied to steam launches and other
small vessels as well as to boats and the like.
Air casings or other hollow buoyancy apparatus are quite unsuitable to such a
use on account of their liability to be stove in and rendered useless, and the applica-
tion to such use of cork-wood as solid buoyancy apparatus as ordinarily applied to
analogous uses is tedious and costly, being disadvantages which outweigh its
efficiency, and inasmuch as that no other incans (apart from those hereinafter
referred to are at the same time sufficiently efficient and economical;-I have
devised the hereinafter described improved methods of applying to such use the
buoyant material now generally known as "cork concrete for which Letters
Patent No. 144 of 1889 were granted to me, and according to which methods I can
either build the required external buoyancy permanently as an attachment to each
side of the boat, or can removably apply the same in sections or in whole as to each
side of the boat.
On the accompanying drawings:-
"
Figure 1 represents in plan view, an ordinary form of boat adapted with the
present improvements ;*

page_text: Figure; 2,-represents a side elevation thereof.
Figure 3. represents a midship section thereof. And
Figures 4 to 6. represent detail views.
The improved buoyancy apparatus is applied longitudinally of each side of the
craft for the whole length vide Figures 1 and 2, or for any required length, com-
mencing at a suitable distance below the gunwale 6. and extending to a suitable
distance towards, to or below the water-line, and it is made preferably of a semi-
pear shape or of a semi-cylindrical shape in cross section with the flattened side
adjacent to the craft, and with the rounded side outwards, ride Figures; 3, and 4,
and of a longitudinal section or shape conformable to the sheer and form of the
craft to which it is applied.
If building the improved buoyancy apparatus to the side of a boat, I rivet,
nail, screw, bolt or otherwise suitably apply projecting bulkheads 7. to the
outer side of the boat, at suitable intervals apart, vide Figures; 3. and 5. fitting
their inner sides to the side of the boat and making their outer sides conform-
able to the desired section of the apparatus at the position of the bulk-head.
I then encase the lower halves of the bulkheads by a metallic casing 8. or by
nailing or otherwise securing thereto, longitudinal strips of wood 8. which are
steamed and bent, or the inner sides of which are hollowed, to the curvature
of the bulkheads 7, their outer edges being shaped to the external curvature
of the apparatus, and I then firmly pack the part thus partially enclosed,
with the aforesaid buoyant material, 16. I next fit between all such adjacent
bulkheads 7, longitudinal horizontally disposed sections of shelving or flooring 9.
of wood, vide Figure 5, shaping the same to the external form of the boat and
to the inner side of the buoyancy apparatus; and compact the said buoyant
material 16. by compressing the same under, and by means of the said shelving
or flooring, which latter I then secure by rivets, nails screws, bolts or the like,
as at 10. I next (proceeding as aforesaid) nearly wholly enclose the upper
part partitioned off by the bulk-heads 7, and then pack the space thus partially
enclosed as aforesaid, and afterwards (by continuing the casing 8 in like manner
as aforesaid) complete the enclosing of the packing material after which I coat
the whole exterior with marine glue, cover it with a layer of canvas 11 which
I hot-iron to the glue, and then coat the same with knotting and paint it.
If applying the improved buoyancy to a boat in a removable manner, I firstly
apply the flooring 9, vide Figures 4 and 6, shaping it to the sheer and to the
sectional form of the boat, and tapering it to the gradually decreasing width of the
buoyancy apparatus, I then apply the bulk-heads 7 in top and bottom sections,
nailing or otherwise suitably securing the same to the flooring, vide Figure 6, I
next encase the whole outer side of the bulkheads, with a metallic casing or longi-
tudinal strips of wood 8, as aforesaid, and subsequently pack the buoyant
material 16, into the partitioned spaces on each side of the flooring 9, and between
the bulk-heads 7, and lastly enclose the buoyant material by back-boards 12, con-
forming to the sheer and to the external form of the buoyancy apparatus, screwing
or otherwise suitably securing the same to the flooring and bulkheads and to the
adjacent outer boards 8. I then complete the coating of the buoyancy apparatus as
hereinbefore described with reference to the permanently applied apparatus.
The detachable apparatus may be made in whole as to each side of the boat,
or in sectional lengths, in which event it or its sections may be detachably secured
to the side of the boat by bands 13, shaped to the apparatus, and which fit into
recesses in a wooden or metallic rail 14, secured to the side of the boat just below
the bottom line of the apparatus, and are secured by bolts 15, passed through the
gunwale.
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 :-
:-

page_text: configuration or form thereof, of buoyancy apparatus in the improved manner
herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of May 1891.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.