A New or Improved Deck-seat, Life-boat, or Punt for Ships or other Vessels.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 28th Dec, 1887
Complete Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1888
A New or Improved Deck-seat, Life-boat, or Punt for Ships or other
Vessels.
I, JOHN WILLIAM SHEPHERD, of Partick-Hill, Lanarkshire, Shipbuilder, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My said invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction
of long double, back-to-back, deck seats, (of the garden kind), or arrangement and
combination of its parts, for use in passenger ships or steamers, and such as will
enable this seat to be converted, in case of emergency, in a few minutes, on deck or
in the water, into an additional life-boat or punt, all ready for being launched or
lowered into the sea over the side of the vessel in an inverted manner, so that the sido
seats would form the flat bottom of the boat, and the upright back between them
would form the keel, while close air trunks under the seats would float the boat when
loaded and launched.
The nature and novelty of the improvements consist all as follows:-In forming and
framing the long upright back of and between the two horizontal seats in one with
these. The back would project down some distance below the level of the seats, which,
on their under flat sides, would be bound together and strengthened by flat transverse
iron bars or bands, fitted into corresponding grooves or sliding gripping bands on the
top of two strong close air and water tight boxes, tubes, or trunks, which form the
supports to the seats; and which might be formed of wood, or of sheet copper, zinc,
or other sheet metal either inside the wood or protected by frames. The lower front
and end parts of these box or trunk supports of the seats would have strong skirting
frames or bars, which, when the whole is inverted as a boat, would form the gunwales,
and have blocks secured at suitable parts on the inside, with holes in them for carrying
the stems of the row-locks or thowls, over the bottoms of the trunks, which would be
made narrower than the tops, to form the side seats close to the gunwale when
inverted as a boat. Strong boarded vertical ends would be secured to the lower or
inner end of the upright back, and by bolts to slots in the inner end of the skirting,
and to snugs at the upper end of the trunks, all across the ends of the double seats and
01

page_text: trunks, so as to allow the two side hollow close air trunks to be pushed apart on their
slide bars and seat frame out from the central upright back, when this is to form the
keel and thus form a space between the inner sides of the trunks for the width of
the floor or bottom of the boat above the keel and water line; blocks for steering
rowlocks or thowls would also be fitted on these ends inside. This floor is formed
by two long folding boards half the width of the floor, hinged to each other in the
centre and to the inner sides of the trunks a few inches below the seats proper, (that
is, at a distance equal to more than the displacement or weight of the whole, seat or
boat, when equipped and filled with people) and which when the trunks are drawn'
apart, as stated, fold down flat and form the close bottom floor of the boat, the centre
joint resting on the frames of the inner part the back or keel left projecting
inwards for that purpose, and so that any water getting into the boat above this floor
would run out at the ends. Cross flat horizontal bars are fitted to slide by grooved
straps or otherwise on the inner under side of the side trunks, at the ends, and in the
intermediate middle parts to form cross end seats and thwarts where required for the
oarsmen and others, when the trunks are pushed apart and where they may drop into
and be secured by checks or between snugs formed for them, by, screw bolts or
otherwise. Narrower cross foot-boards or stretchers would also be pushed in under
suitable checks or snugs for the purpose on the inner sides of the trunks close down
to the floor boards which would hold these secure and close as well as answer for the
pressure and foothold of the oarsmen. The ours or other fittings required to equip
these deck seats as lifeboats, as stated, may be stowed away in the centre space
between the trunks, forming the supports to the seats proper, under the back along-
side the hinged folding boards for forming the bottom of the boat. When the whole
is used as a tall scat it may have projecting foot-boards secured in front near the
bottom of the trunks. This convertible seat and boat would be fitted also with
suitable rings or hooking shackles at or near its ends, for attaching the lifting tackle
of the davits to, so as to raise or launch and lower it over the side into the water, with
the people seated and fittings all inside, as ordinary boats are, from the decks of
vessels.
The details of construction herein described may be very materially altered or
modified without departing from the main improvements or features of my invention,
which consist in making a double seat with central back which can be reversed or
turned upside down so as to become of use as a lifeboat, the backs of the seats forming
a deep keel to the boat, which prevents the said boat from capsizing under almost any
circumstances, and which will also prevent, to a very great extent, the boat being
driven to leeward, when propelled by either oars or sails; and which will also assist
the steering qualities of the boat very much, as it can be steered at either or both ends
by oars with the greatest ease.
20th day of March 1887

page_text: Vessels.
I, JOHN WILLIAM SHEPHERD, of Partick-Hill, Lanarkshire, Shipbuilder, 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 said Invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved con-
struction of long double back-to-back, deck seat (of the garden kind), or arrangement
and combination of its parts, for use in passenger ships or steamers, and such as will
enable this seat to be converted, in case of emergency in a few minutes, on deck or in
the water into an additional life-boat or punt, all ready for being launched or lowered
into the sea over the side of the vessel in an inverted manner, so that the side seats
would form the flat bottom of the boat, and the upright back between them would
form the keel, while close air trunks under the seats would float the boat when loaded
and launched.
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. Figures 1 and 2 on
Sheet 1 are a longitudinal elevation broken away, and end view respectively, showing
my new or improved construction of life-boat or punt in its folded or stowed up
position to form a double back-to-back deck seat A, A', A A¹; and Figures 3 and 4
are a plan broken away and end view respectively corresponding to Figures 1 and 2,
but showing the deck seat inverted and moved outwards to form a lifeboat or punt.
Figure 5 on Sheet 2 shows a perspective view of the life-boat or punt in its extended
out floating position, corresponding to Figures 3 and 4. While Figure 6 shows a
transverse sectional view of one of the slide arrangements B2, B₁, between the
seats A', A, and the air tight trunks B, B, for sliding apart the latter out from the
central upright back A, when the whole is to be used as a life boat or punt. Referring
to these Drawings, the nature and novelty of my improvements consist all as follows:-
In forming and framing the long upright back A of and between the two horizontal
seats A', A', in one with these as shown particularly in Figure 2. The back A projects
down at A some distance below the level of the seats A', A', which, on their under
flat sides are bound together and strengthened by flat transverse frame bars or bands
fitted at a with corresponding flat and checked slide iron bands B2, B", screwed at
B³, on the wide top sides, Figures 4 and 6, of two strong close air and water tight
boxes, tubes, or trunks B, B, made narrower below, and which form the supports to
the seats A', and constructed or formed of wood, or of sheet copper, zinc, or other
sheet metal, either inside the wood or protected by frames; these air trunks B, B,

page_text: when made of wood are formed in two thicknesses b, b, with oiled paper canvas, or
other watertight material between them. The lower front and end parts of these air float
trunk supports B, B, of the seats A', A¹, have strong skirting frames or bars at B1
which, when the whole is inverted as a boat, form the gunwales, and have blocks C
secured at suitable parts on the inside, with holes in them for carrying the stems of the
rowlocks or thowls C. These gunwales B' are secured to the bottoms of the trunks B, B,
by iron knees at 62, which are made narrower than the tops, to form the side seats B
close to the gunwale B' when inverted as a boat, all as seen particularly in Figures 3, 4,
and 5. Strong boarded vertical ends D are secured at A" to the lower or inner end
of the frames of the upright back A, and it might be at their ends and upper and
lower edges D', D", by hand screws to the ends of the trunks B, and to the
skirting B¹, and to the end snugs at Cor centre of the boat end or thwart seats F, of
the trunks B, B, all across the outside of the double seats and trunks, so as to allow the
two side hollow close air trunks B, B, to be pushed apart on their slide bars B², B",
and seat frame A¹ out from the central upright back A, when this is to form the keel
as seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6; and thus form a space G, for seating the passengers
between the inner sides of the trunks B, B, of the width of the floor E or bottom of
the boat, above the keel frame A, A' and water line; blocks (3, and rowlocks C,
for steering with oars, are also fitted on these ends D, inside. This floor E is formed
by two long folding boards, half the width of the floor, hinged and jointed at e to each
other in the centre, and at e¹ to rails E¹ secured on the inner sides of the trunks B, B,
a few inches below the seat frames A', A', proper, as seen particularly in Figure 2,
that is, at a distance equal to a little more than the displacement or weight of the
whole seat or boat, when equipped and filled with people or above the water line z --
and which when the trunks B, B, are drawn apart, as stated, and shown in Figures 3, 4,
and 5, turn down flat and form the close bottom floor E of the boat. The bottom
floor E is held down on the inner part A of the back or keel A by the cross
swivelling bars of wood E2, which oscillate on a centre pin e³, so that their ends slide
into grooves at e³ in the side bars E' of the opposite trunks B, as seen particularly in
Figures 3, 4, and 5, and these bars E form the ordinary stretchers for the feet of the
persons rowing the boat to rest on.
The
The centre joint rests on the inner projecting part A of the back or keel A left
projecting inwards for that purpose, and so that any water getting into the boat above
this floor E, would run out at the ends. Cross flat horizontal central or intermediate bar
or thwarts F1, F1, are fitted to slide in grooved straps at f, f', in end blocks on inner
under side of the seat F and seat part B of the trunks B, B; as also the end thwarts F,
before mentioned, to form cross seats or thwarts where required for the oarsmen and
others when the trunks B, B, are pushed apart and where they may drop into and be
secured by checks formed between the end blocks F2, for them at 2 or secured by
screw bolts or otherwise. The narrow cross foot-boards or stretchers E³, are also
swivelled in under suitable checks at e³, in the boards E, for the purpose on the inner
sides of the trunks B, B, close down to the floor boards E, which would hold these
secure and close as well as answer for the pressure and foothold of the oarsmen.
boards ID of the trunks B, B, form the ends of the boat when these are drawn out.
The oars or other fittings required to equip these deck seats as life-boats, as stated,
may be stowed away in the centre space G between the trunks B, B, forming the
supports to the seats A', A proper, under the back A alongside the hinged folding
boards E for forming the foot-boards or bottom of the boat. When the whole is used
as a seat as seen in Figures 1 and 2 it may have projecting foot-boards H, fitted on the
lower front sides near the bottom of the trunks B, B, carried portably by knee brackets
and sockets h, so that they can be removed when used as a boat as seen in Figures 2
and 4. This convertible seat and boat would although not so shown in the Drawings
be fitted also with suitable rings or hooking shackles at or near its ends, for attaching
the lifting tackle of the davits to, so as to raise or launch and lower it over the side
into the water, with the people seated and fittings all inside, as ordinary boats are,
from the decks of vessels.
The details of construction herein described may be very materially altered or

page_text: modified without departing from the main improvements or features of my invention
which consist in making a double seat A' A¹, with a central back A, which can be
reversed or turned upside down so as to become of use as a life-boat, the back A of
the seats A, A, forming a deep keel to the boat, which prevents the said boat from
capsizing under almost any circumstances, and which will also prevent, to a very great
extent, the boat being driven to leeward, when propelled either by oars or sails; and
which will also assist the steering qualities of the boat very much, as it can be steered
at either or both ends by oars with the greatest ease.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 'I declare that what
I claim is: :-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of deck seats
for being inverted and converted into life boats or punts for ships or other vessels, all
substantially as and for the advantages herein described, in reference to and shown in
the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction of a convertible double deck seat for ships or other vessels
with sliding out air trunks B, B, which when converted form the space G, and seats
for the passengers while the seats A¹, A¹, form the bottom frame and the upright
back A, the keel of a life-boat or punt, all substantially as and for the advantages
herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The construction of a convertible double deck seat for ships or other vessels,
having sliding out air trunks B B, to form a life-boat, with folding floors E, jointed
to and between them, all substantially as and for the advantages herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of December 1887
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.