IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE-BOATS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jasper Wetter, of New Wandsworth, Surrey, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE-BOATS." A communication from abroad
by George Barton Berrell, of the State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jasper Wetter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th September 1881.
JASPER WETTER, of New Wandsworth, Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE-
A communication from abroad by George Barton Berrell, of the State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
BOATS."
This Invention relates to an improved spherical life-boat, with propelling,
steering, and ventilating mechanism, besides force and suction, water-and air-
pumps, with flexible piping, &c.
This improved life-boat is constructed as follows :-
It is composed of two semi-spherical shells, a top one and a bottom one, said two
shells being of any suitable material, such as iron, wood and iron combined, or
wood, iron, and canvas combined, the two shells being united by a flanged and
bolted joint suitably packed to render water tight. The bottom half of the boat
is provided with a keel, rudder, and propeller. In the top of the upper half is
inserted a circular platform, having a guard-rail securely fastened around the outer
edge of same. In this platform are two rabbeted doors, one within the other,
the inner one being of glass for the purpose of admitting light. The larger door is
hinged to the platform, while the smaller or inside glass-door is hinged to the
larger door. Both of these doors are provided with suitable water-tight packing
and fastenings. Through an aperture near the outer edge of the platform is placed
a ventilating and smoke-stack, provided with a flaring outlet. This stack projects
a suitable distance downward into the upper shell to admit reaching its lower end

page_text: from the inside of the boat. Running up through center of this stack is a valve-
adjusting-rod, passing through and kept in central position by a series of guides.
At the upper end of this rod is placed a convex valve or cap suitably stayed and
braced. At the lower end the rod is bent at a right angle, passing out through the
side of the stack through an aperture of such shape as to admit the locking in
position of the rod when either pushed up to open top of stack (for ventilation or
smoke egress), or lowered to close top of same water-and air-tight. Through another
aperture in the side of shell, just below the platform, is placed an automatic air-valve
for use in stormy weather or when a high running sea would prevent the use of
either the stack or door. This automatic air-valve is in elbow shape, and is
provided at its outer end with a self acting flat valve suitably packed, which is
actuated by the rolling and pitching of the boat. At about one third the length
from the inner end is placed a dam or check to prevent water from making its way
into the boat. In the bottom of the lower shell is secured a circular metallic floor
or disk, which is made solid, or to fit the bottom of the shell, forming a solid bed
plate for the propelling and pumping mechanism, and with same making sufficient
ballast to properly steady the boat. Upon this bed-and ballast-plate or disk is
placed a frame of suitable construction to contain the propelling and pumping
mechanism. On one of its sides this frame is hinged to the upper ends of two
arms, the lower ends of which arms are similarly secured to the bed-plate, which
hinging admits of the entire frame being laid over on its side directly in the center
of the bed-plate, thereby lowering the ballast and placing same in a more desirable
position when not in use for propelling or pumping out water or in air.
side opposite to the hinged side is placed a seat hinged to the frame, which when
in use is supported by a hook-standard. The frame and seat are easily raised to a
working position, and held in such position by one or more buttons or other
suitable hooking devices, the seat being supported by the hooked standard.
At the
In the top of the frame is a horizontal shaft with a crank at each end for
rotating same. On this shaft is a bevel-gear meshing with a similar gear on the
upper end of a vertical shaft, the lower end of which shaft is provided with two
bevel-gears, or, if preferred, friction-wheels.
The lower surface of this double wheel is in contact with a small bevel-gear or
friction-wheel located on the inner end of a shaft, which extends through the
bottom shell to the outside of the boat, and has a propelling device attached to it.
The upper gear or section of friction-wheel imparts motion, through another
-horizontal-shaft,-with-suitable-gears-or-friction-wheels-to-a-horizontal-wheel-
mounted on a short vertical shaft. This wheel is a balance or fly-wheel to steady
the motion of the propeller-shaft when the mechanism is being operated to propel
the boat.
On each side of and within the frame is a double acting force-pump, and a double
acting suction pump (the former for forcing out leakage water, and the latter for
sucking air into the boat when by reason of foul weather the other ventilating
apparatus cannot be used), having a flexible hose extending through the top-
shell.
The two plunger-rods of each set of pumps are connected to a pivoted beam,
having a central arm placed upon a crank shaft. This crank-shaft is provided
with a gear-wheel to receive its motion from a pinion on the main-shaft. This
pinion is movable on the main-shaft by means of a forked lever, allowing the
pinion to be thrown in and out of gear-with the gear-wheel on the crank-
shaft.
This arrangement being located at either end in connection with each set of
pumps, one or both pumps can be used, as desired, or all thrown out of gear when
not needed.
When not using the propeller, and it is necessary to use one or both sets of
pumps, the propeller-driving mechanism is thrown out of action by slipping the
bevel-driving gear to the right on the main shaft.

page_text: Suitable means are provided for ingress and egress, connecting the platform with
the inside of the boat.
Seats are arranged around the inside of the boat, and beneath these seats air-
tight lockers are fitted for containing provisions, water, medicines, nautical instru-
ments, charts, &c.
A small stove using wood or coal may be connected with the stack in case of
want, though an oil-stove may be preferable.
A suitable automatic marine closet working below the water-line may also be
provided.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jasper Wetter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th March
1882.
JASPER WETTER, of New Wandsworth, Surrey. " IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE-
BOATS." A communication from abroad by George Barton Berrell, of the State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
The nature of this Invention consists in certain improvements in spherical life-
boats, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.
Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through centre of the boat; Fig. 2 is a
detail view of the air and water pumping apparatus; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical
section through Fig. 2 on line o¹, o¹
The annexed Drawings, to which reference is made, fully illustrate this
Invention. The life-boat is constructed in spherical form of two semi-spherical
shells (a top one A and a bottom one B), said two shells being of any suitable
material, such as iron, wood and iron combined, or wood, iron, and canvas combined,
the two shells A and B being united at a by a flanged and bolted joint suitably
packed to render water tight. The bottom half of the boat is provided with a
keel C, rudder D, and propeller E. In the top of the upper half A is inserted a
circular platform F. having a guardrail b securely fastened around outer edge of
same. In this platform F are two rabbeted doors G and G¹, one within the other,
the inner one being of glass for the purpose of admitting light. The larger door G
is hinged to the platform F, while the smaller or inside glass door G₁ is hinged to
the larger door G. Both of these doors are provided with suitable water-tight
packing and fastenings. Through an aperture near the outer edge of the plat-
form F is placed a ventilating and smoke stack X provided with a flaring outlet.
This stack projects a suitable distance downward into the shell A to adinit reaching
its lower end from the inside of the boat. Running up through centre of this
stack is a valve-adjusting rod x, passing through and kept in central position by a
series of guides x'. At the upper end of this rod x is placed a convex valve or
cap suitably stayed-and-braced. At-the-lower-end-the-rod-is-bent at right
angle, passing out through the side of the stack through an aperture Z¹³, of such
shape as to admit the locking in position of the rod x when either pushed up to
open top of stack (for ventilation or smoke egress), or lowered to close top of same
water and air tight. Through another aperture in side of shell, just below the
platform F, is placed an automatic air-valve for use in stormy weather or when a
high-running sea would prevent the use of either the stack X or door G¹. This
automatic air-valve Y is in elbow shape, and is provided at its outer end with a
self-acting flat-valve Y', suitably packed, which is actuated by the rolling and
pitching of the boat. At about one-third the length from the inner end is placed
a dam or check y to prevent water from making its way into the boat.
In the bottom of the lower shell B is secured a circular metallic floor of disc H,
which is made solid, or to fit the bottom of the shell, forming a solid bed-plate for
the propelling and pumping mechanism, and with same making sufficient ballast to
properly steady the boat. Upon this bed and ballast plate or disc H is placed a
frame I of suitable construction to contain the propelling and pumping mechanism
hereinafter described. On one of its sides this frame I is hinged to the upper ends
of two arms J, J, the lower ends of which arms are similarly secured to the bed-
plate H, which hinging admits of the entire frame I being laid over on its side
directly in the centre of the bed-plate, thereby lowering the ballast and placing same
in a more desirable position when not in use for propelling or pumping out water

page_text: or in air. At the side opposite to the hinged side is placed a seat S hinged to the
frame I, which when in use is supported by a hook-standard w. The frame I and
seat S are easily raised to a working position, and held in such position by one or
more buttons e or other suitable hooking devices, the seat S being supported by the
hooked standard w.
In the top of the frame I is a horizontal shaft d, with a crank L at each end for
rotating same. On this shaft is a bevel-gear f, meshing with a similar gear f¹ on
the upper end of a vertical shaft h, the lower end of which shaft is provided with
two bevel-gears, or, if preferred, friction wheels M. The lower surface of this
double wheel is in contact with a small bevel-gear or friction wheel i located on
the inner end of a shaft k, which extends through the shell B to the outside of the
boat, and has a propelling device E attached to it. The upper gear or section of
friction-wheel M imparts motion through another horizontal shaft m with suitable
gears or friction-wheels to a horizontal wheel N mounted on a short vertical shaft n.
This wheel N is a balance or fly wheel to steady the motion of the propeller-shaft
when the mechanism is being operated to propel the boat.
On each side of and within the frame I is a double-acting force-pump O, and a
double-acting suction-pump 01 (the former for forcing out leakage-water, and the
latter for sucking air into the boat when by reason of foul weather the other
ventilating apparatus cannot be used), having flexible hose P extending through
the top shell A, as shown. The two plunger-rods of each set of pumps are con-
nected to a pivoted beam p, having a central arm p¹ placed upon a crank-shaft 8.
This crank shaft is provided with a gear-wheel t to receive its motion from a
pinion on the main shaft d. The pinion vis movable on the shaft & by means
of a forked lever R allowing the pinion v to be thrown in and out of gear with
the wheel t. This arrangement being located at either end in connection with each
set of pumps, one or both pumps can be used as desired, or all thrown out of gear
when not needed.
When not using the propeller E, and it is necessary to use one or both sets of
pumps, the propeller-driving mechanism is thrown out of action by slipping the
bevel driving-gear f to the right on shaft d, unmeshing it with the vertical shaft
gear . Suitable means are provided for ingress and egress, connecting platform F
with inside of the boat.
W, W, are seats arranged around the inside of the boat. Beneath these seats
are a series of air-tight lockers Z, Z, for containing a supply of provisions, water,
and medicines, as well as nautical instruments and charts.
In the event of being cast adrift from a wreck in a cold latitude or in the winter
season, a small stove using wood or coal can be connected with stack X, though
preferably an oil stove would be among the necessary outfit of the boat. The
necessities of nature are provided for by using a section of the locker-space Z, in
which space will be placed any suitable automatic marine closet working below
the water-line.
I am aware that a spherical water-tight safe without steering mechanisms, but
containing vague suggestions of a propelling device, has heretofore been suggested,
and to such I make no claim, as it would be impossible to use it for the purpose
contemplated in this application
1. A spherical life-boat composed of two hemispherical parts connected by
exterior flanges, and secured together by bolts, and constructed with a ballast-
plate and keel, forming integral parts thereof, said boat being provided with
suitable propelling, steering, and ventilating mechanism, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
life-boat the frame I containing the propelling and pumping
inged to the bed and ballast plate H, as and for the purpose
2. In a g
mechanism,
herein set worth

page_text: 3. In a spherical life-boat one or more double-acting force and suction water and
air pumps O and O', with flexible piping P arranged in the frame I, and operating
substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jasper Wetter, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, A.D. 1882.