IMPROVEMENTS IN GUARD RAILS FOR FISHING BOATS AND OTHER VESSELS "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS. PATENT to John Gunn of Golspie in the County of Sutherland
North Britain for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUARD RAILS FOR
FISHING BOATS AND OTHER VESSELS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gunn at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th September 1882.
.
JOHN GUNN, of Golspie, in the County of Sutherland, North-Britain,
MENTS IN GUARD RAILS FOR FISHING BOATS AND OTHER VESSELS,"
"IMPROVE-
This Invention relates to improvements in guard rails for fishing boats and other
vessels.
In decked vessels, such as fishing boats in which the bulwarks are extremely
low, and in which, in order to admit of hauling in the nets, or rowing, and similar
operations, it is inconvenient to have high deck rails, great loss of life is occasioned
by the boatmen falling overboard, or being swept off the deck in stormy weather.
The object of the present Invention is to provide a safeguard against such loss of
life, by fitting to such boats portable guard rails which may be folded down in
sections to leave the bulwarks clear where the net-hauling or similar operations are
proceeding, while other sections of the guard rails may remain up as a protection to
the men on deck.
The improved portable guard rail consists of a number of light standards of iron
or other material, which are jointed at their lower ends on the inside of the usual
low fixed deck rail of the boat, by means of bolts or pins passing through the deck
rail, and also by preference through a supporting bar or beam fitted inside, and
running parallel to the boats rail. These jointed standards are placed upright and
have jointed top rails connecting them together to form a continuous guard rail
round the boat. At intervals, one of the series of standards is formed with a
projecting arm extending down below the joint pin on which it swivels, and this
standard is fixed upright by movable pins or studs bearing on either side of the
joint. The intermediate standards are held upright by the top rails, connecting
[Price 1

page_text: them to the standards which are thus temporarily fixed. The adjacent top rails on
one side of these fixed standards are slotted where the joint is formed with the
upright, so that such top rails may move on the joint pins, and allow a section or
series of the upright standards to be folded down by hand while this top rail is
brought to the vertical position alongside the fixed standards. The folded standards
and their top rails then lie in horizontal lines above or alongside each other inside
the fixed deck rail, and are entirely out of the way; so that the setting or hauling
in of lines or nets or similar operations may be conducted, as if no protecting rail
were provided, while the remaining sections remain in the upright position and
serve as a protection to the boatmen.
When in port, or when otherwise desired, the whole series of standards and rails
may be folded down out of the way, by withdrawing the pins which maintain a
number of the standards temporarily fixed 'upright; and the whole may again be
raised, or a number only of the sections may be raised and fixed as a guard rail,
while a portion or portions of the rail remain folded down át either or both sides
of the boat. Cross rails which may be secured by pins to the longitudinal rails, are
fitted at the bow and stern of the boat or vessel.

page_text: 4
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Gunn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th March
1883.
JOHN GUNN, of Golspie, in the County of Sutherland, North Britain, "IMPROVE
MENTS IN GUARD RAILS FOR FISHING BOATS AND OTHER VESSELS,"
My Invention relates to improvements in guard rails for fishing boats and other
vessels.
In decked vessels, such as fishing boats in which the bulwarks are extremely
low, and in which, in order to admit of hauling in the nets, or rowing, and similar
operations, it is inconvenient to have high deck rails, great loss of life is occasioned
by the boatmen falling overboard, or being swept off the deck in stormy weather.
The object of the present Invention is to provide a safeguard against such loss of
life by fitting to such boats portable guard rails which may be folded down in
sections to leave the bulwarks clear where the net hauling or similar operations are
proceeding, while other sections of the guard rails may remain up as a protection
to the men on the deck.
The improved portable guard rail consists of a number of light standards of iron
or other material, which are jointed at their lower ends on the inside of the usual
low fixed deck rail of the boat, by means of bolts or pins passing through the deck
rail, and also by preference through a supporting bar or beam fitted inside and
running parallel to the boats rail.
These jointed standards are placed upright and have jointed top rails connecting
them together to form a continuous guard rail round the boat.
At intervals, one
of the series of standards is formed with a projecting arm extending down below
the joint pin on which it swivels, and this standard is fixed upright by movable
pins or studs bearing on either side of the joint. The intermediate standards are
held upright by the top rails, connecting them to the standards which are thus
temporarily fixed. The adjacent top rails on one side of these fixed standards are
slotted where the joint is formed with the upright, so that such top rails may move
on the joint pins, and allow a section or series of the upright standards to be
folded down by hand while this top rail is brought to the vertical position alongside
the fixed standards. The folded standards and their top rails then lie in horizontal
lines above or alongside each other inside the fixed deck rail, and are entirely out
of the way; so that the setting or hauling in of lines or nets or similar operations
may be conducted, as if no protecting rail were provided, while the remaining
sections. remain in the upright position and serve as a protection to the boatmen.
Wlien in port, or when otherwise desired, the whole series of standards and rails
may be folded down out of the way, by withdrawing the pins which maintain a
number of the standards temporarily fixed upright; and the whole may again be
raised; or a number only of the sections may be raised and fixed as a guard rail,
while a portion or portions of the rail remain folded down at either or both sides
of the boat. Cross rails which may be secured by pins to the longitudinal rails,
are fitted at the bow and stern of the boat or vessel.
My said Invention is illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, in which figure 1
is an elevation showing a modification of my improved guard rail applied on a
position of a boat. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a fishing boat with the
mproved guard rail applied. Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. and 8 are views of details
hereinafter referred to..
The guard rail is formed of a number of light standards A made of malleable
cast iron, steel, or other material, which are each formed with an eye a at or near
:

page_text: the lower end, by which the standards A are jointed to the fixed deck rail B of the
boat, and with an eye a' at or near the upper end. The standards A are secured
to the boat by bolts a² passing through the deck rail B, through a supporting bar
or beam B¹ fitted inside, and parallel to the deck rail or gunwale and through the
eyes a in the standards A, which are fitted between this beam B' and the gunwale.
The standards may swivel on these bolts from the horizontal to the vertical
position. The standards A may, however, be secured by bolts passing through
them and into the ribs D of the boat, the ribs being notched to form a rest for the
guard rail in its folded down position. Horizontal top rails C are jointed to
the upper ends of the standards A by pins a³ passing through the eyes a¹ in the 1
standards, and through corresponding eyes c formed in the top rails C. Various
forms of top rails C are shown in figures 5, 6 and 7, and the form of standards A
preferred is shown in side and edge view in figure 4.
These rails are fitted round the inside of the gunwale of the boat to form a
guard, and being jointed to the boats deck rail the whole might be folded down or
raised simultaneously.
'
To enable a portion of the guard rail to be folded down out of the way, (when
hauling in nets or lines) while leaving the rest of the rails firmly secured in the
raised position, a pair of standards A or a double standard; as shown in figure 3, is
fitted on a single bolt at intervals along the side of the boat, so that one of the
pair of standards may be folded down as part of a section, and the other remain up
to form the termination of the section or sections which remain up, as is indicated
in figures 1 and 2. In figures and 2 a section of the guard rail is shown folded
down, and a number of sections raised.
The folded section lies in the space between the deck rail or gunwale B of the
boat, and the inner supporting beam B¹. This beam B¹ is partly broken away in
figure 1 to show the folded rail A, C. The sections are by preference fitted to fold
towards the bow of the boat.
To facilitate the folding of the sections, the top rail C adjacent to each double
'standard A of the sections, is formed with an elbow joint C¹ about its midlength;
To facilitate folding, these elbow jointed top rails may also be used at or in other
portions of the guard rail than adjacent to the double standards.
The raised sections are retained in position by means of pins or bolts e passed
into the deck rail on either or both sides of the standards, or of a reciprocating
arm A' formed on the standards.
These projecting arms A¹ may be formed on the double standards only, or on
each standard A.
A gripping piece e is formed on one of each pair of double brackets or standards A
to act as a stop and retain the two brackets in line when the sections are raised.
The guard rail formed round the sides of the boat may be connected at the bow
and stern by simple jointed bars, or cross rails A³, such as are shown in figure 8.
These cross bars A³ may, when over a certain length, have joints about their
midlength to allow them to be doubled and folded along the side rail, when not in
active use.
The guard rail may be similarly fitted to the bulwark of a fishing boat, trawling
vessel, tug, yacht, or other vessels, according as the deck rail or bulwark fittings of
such vessels may admit of.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The arrangement and combination of parts forming a folding guard rail
for fishing boats and other vessels, substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth, and as illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Second. A sectional folding guard rail for fishing boats and other vessels, consisting

page_text: of a series of swivelling standards jointed to the deck rail, gunwale, or sides of the
vessel, and of top rails or bars jointed to such standards, substantially as and for
the purposes herein set forth, and as illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In Witness Whereof, I the said John Gunn have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
Witness
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER C.E. Fel. Inst. P.A.
Of W. R. M. Thomson & Co.
Patent Agents
Glasgow.
JNO GUNN (L.S.)