Improvements in Ships, and Rafts for the same.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1594
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships, and Rafts for the same.
I, RICHARD ROPER, of Palace Chambers, 9. Bridge Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Marine Contractor and Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in ships and ships rafts and consists in
forming the roofs of deck houses or cabins as rafts and providing arrangements by
means of which they may be discharged on to the surface of the water either as a
whole or in section.
.
According to this invention I provide a suitable number of rails or tracks
supported at their outer ends upon standards rising from the rail of the vessel and
passing over the centre part of the deck house or cabin. Upon each of these rails
or tracks rest a cradle or trolley having a number of antifriction wheels bearing
upon the said rails or tracks. These cradles or trollies are clamped by means of
suitable devices to a raft which is constructed to form the roof of the deck house
or cabin. Suitable clamping devices are provided to secure the raft to the cabin to
which it forms a roof. On the said rails the raft may be run upon its trollies or
cradles along the curved rails over the side of the vessel into the water. The said
rails are made tubular and are arranged to contain a rod bent to the same groove
which may be drawn out telescopically to form an extension reaching nearly to the
water level so as to guide the raft when the same is launched.
It will be understood that the raft may be launched from either side of the
vessel there being telescopic extension to the rails on both sides. On the raft
reaching the surface of the water the trollies or cradles are knocked away or
otherwise disengaged and allowed to sink.
Should there not be sufficient time in the case of accident to launch the raft in
the manner described it is only necessary to disengage the various clamping devices
so that the raft may float on to the water as the vessel sinks.
L A 1000
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships, and Rafts for the same.
I, RICHARD ROPER, of Palace Chambers, 9 Bridge Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Marine Contractor and Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in ships and ships rafts and consists in
forming the roofs of deck houses or cabins as rafts and providing arrangements by
means of which they may be discharged on to the surface of the water either as a
whole or in section.
According to this invention, I provide a suitable number of rails or tracks
supported at their outer ends upon standards rising from the rail of the vessel and
passing over the centre part of the deck house or cabin. Upon each of these rails
or tracks rest a cradle or trolley having a number of anti-friction wheels bearing
upon the said rails or tracks. These cradles or trolleys are clamped by means of
го

page_text: The said
suitable devices to a raft which is constructed to form the roof of the deck house or
cabin. Suitable clamping devices are provided to secure the raft to the cabin to
which it forms a roof. On the said rails the raft may run upon its trolley or
radles along the curved rails over the side of the vessel into the water.
rails are made tubular and are arranged to contain a rod bent to the same groove
which may be drawn out telescopically to form an extension reaching nearly to the
water level so as to guide the raft when the same is launched.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings, of which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a ship fitted with rafts according to my invention;
Figs. 2 and 3 transverse sections of ships showing the raft in position and in
progress of being launched;
Fig. 4 perspective view of a portion of the deck house or cabin and device for
securing the raft in position, and
Figs. 5 and 6 side and front elevations of a modified device for securing the rafts
in position.
A number of curved rails or tracks a are secured across the upper portion of the
deck house or cabin b of the ship and are supported at their ends on standards.
rising from the rail of the vessel.
G
Upon each of these rails a rests a cradle or trolley d having a number of anti-
friction wheels bearing upon said rail a and supporting upon them the raft e
which is constructed to form the roof of the deck house or cabiu.
These trolleys are clamped to the raft preferably by clamping pieces f (Fig. 4)
whilst the raft is secured in position by a suitable clamp such as a frame g (Fig. 4)
hinged to the upper portion of the deck house or cabin and embracing, when its
handle, g' is in a vertical position and secured to the rail of the raft, projecting
bosses on the raft or trolley. Or instead of such a frame, rods k (Figs. 5 and 6)
may be hinged to the upper portion of the deck house or cabin and provided with
projecting bosses k¹ which when the said rods are secured in a vertical position
overlap the upper portion of the raft.
The rails a are made tubular and contain a rod which may be drawn out
telescopically by means of a rope m or the like to form an extension reaching
nearly to the water level so as to guide the raft when the same is launched.
It will be understood that the raft may be launched from either side of the
vessel, there being telescopic extensions to the rails on both sides. On the raft
reaching the surface of the water the trolleys or cradles are knocked away or
otherwise disengaged and allowed to sink.
Should there not be sufficient time in the case of accident to launch the raft in
the manner described it is only necessary to disengage the various clamping devices
so that the raft may float on 'to the water as the vessel sinks.
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 1
claim is :-
1. The construction of the upper portion of ships deck houses or cabins in the
form of detachable rafts, substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. Rafts forming the upper portion of deck houses or cabins of ships mounted to
slide on tracks or rails, substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention " Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.