Year: 1888

page_text: 1, ALFRED DAVIS LEWIS of 114 Fenchurch Street in the City of London, Naval
Architect do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a life saving raft or boat which is
reversible, that is to say, which can be used either side up, is unsinkable, and in which
the passengers are provided with shelter from the weather.
In carrying out my invention, I may make my improved raft or boat of circular
form, or boat shaped, cylindrical in cross section. The cylindrical body is preferably
of steel, and is constructed with water tight compartment. On both sides the body is
provided with self closing water tight doors and with ventilating shafts. The shafts
are provided with openings about 12 inches above the load water line, and have hoods
as a protection from shipping sea. They are carried down to within a short distance
of the bottom of the body, so that whichever side may be uppermost, there will be
always ventilating shafts open for the ingress of air, while the water will be
prevented from entering by reason of the height of the shafts above the load water
line.
The well or central opening is provided at about half its depth with a grating, which
would form a floor, and seats will also be provided on the top of the body of the
vessel.
Fenders will he worked round the vessel, and life lines fitted thereto, and the vessel
may be fitted with rowlocks, mast, sails, oars &c.
Inside the body I may arrange seats for passengers, and lockers for food, and tanks
for fresh water.
Life saving vessels constructed as above described, have the advantage that they
could not hold enough people on then to sink them, the surplus buoyancy being too
great. The life rafts of a size suitable for ordinary use would occupy the same
area as a ship's life, boat, would weigh less, would accommodate at least double the
number that an ordinary ship's life boat would accommodate, and have also the
further advantage, that they would not require sailors to handle them.

page_text: The launching of the life saving vessel may be effected in a number of ways; either
the raft could be hung from davits, or it might be launched by means of grooved
skids, or it might be swung off the yard arm by a rope attached to the raſt by eye
bolts.
I am aware that it has been proposed to construct many life saving vessels of
cylindrical form, but so far as I have been able to ascertain, no provision has been
made to render the vessel of effectual use, should it capsize when launching or afloat,
and at the same time afford shelter for the passengers from the weather, which is the
special object of the present invention.

page_text: I ALFRED DAVIS LEWIS of 114 Fenchurch Street in the City of London, Naval
Architect, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a life-saving raft or boat which is
reversible, that is to say, which can be used either side up; is unsinkable, and in
which the passengers are provided with shelter from the weather.
In carrying out my invention, I may make my improved raft or boat of circular
form, or boat shaped, and cylindrical in cross section. The cylindrical body is
preferably of steel, and is constructed with water-tight compartments. On both sides,
the body is provided with self-closing water-tight doors, and with ventilating shafts.-
These shafts are provided with openings about 12 inches above the load water line,
and have hoods as a protection from shipping sea. They are carried down to within
a short distance of the bottom of the body, so that whichever side may be uppermost,
there will be aways ventilating shafts open for the ingress of air, while the water will
be prevented from entering by reason of the height of the shafts above the load water
line.
The well or central opening is provided, at about half its depth, with a grating
which would form a floor, and seats will also be provided on the top of the body of
the vessel.
Fenders will be worked round the vessel and life lines fitted thereto, and the vessel
may be fitted with rowlocks, masts, sails, oars &c.
Inside the body, 1 may arrange seats for passengers and lockers for food, and tanks
for fresh water.
In the accompanying drawings:-
:-
Fig. 1. is a partial top plan view of a life raft, in boat form, constructed according
to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a partial underside plan.
Fig. 3 is a cross section, and
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the same.
Fig. 5 is a cross section, and
Fig. 6 is a partial plan view of a circular raft constructed according to my
mvention, and
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a mode of launching the circular life vessel.
A are two tubes or cylinders, preferably of steel, which are joined together at their
ends in any convenient and water-tight manner.
B B are ventilating shafts, which extend from the top of the cylinder to within a
short distance of the bottom of the cylinder. At their upper ends, these shafts are
open to the external air, and at their lower ends to the inside of the cylinder.-I
generally prefer to place two of these ventilating shafts side by side, extending and
opening in opposite directions, so that should the raft be capsized at any time, there
will always be one ventilating shaft of the pair open to the air.
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a mode of launching the circular life vessel.
A are two tubes or cylinders, preferably of steel, which are joined together at their
ends in any convenient and water-tight manner.
B B are ventilating shafts, which extend from the top of the cylinder to within a
short distance of the bottom of the cylinder. At their upper ends, these shafts are
open to the external air, and at their lower ends to the inside of the cylinder.-I
generally prefer to place two of these ventilating shafts side by side, extending and
opening in opposite directions, so that should the raft be capsized at any time, there
will always be one ventilating shaft of the pair open to the air.

page_text: Bare the openings to the air, and in order to prevent the sea washing into the
cylinder by these openings, hoods B², or other suitable means for preventing the
entrance of the water, while not excluding the air, are placed over the openings.
As the ventilating shafts not in use extend above the water line, and nearly to
the top of the cylinder, the water will not be able to enter the cylinder by those
shafts.
The cylinders will be strengthened internally by bulk beads B3 and removable
struts B4, and seats 135 will be provided for the passengers.
Care self-closing water-tight doors, which close and are secured over openings or
hatchways by which the passengers can enter the cylinders. These doors will be
secured by turn buttons or other simple fastenings. It will be seen that these doors
are placed both on the top and underneath the cylinders, so that whichever side is
uppermost, access can be obtained to the interior of the cylinder.
Upon both sides of the cylinder, in the circular form of vessel, and all round, and
on the top side of the boat shaped vessel, I arrange a kind of platform D, which forms
a seat for the passengers, and in the well or central opening I place a grating E,
which serves as a floor.
Watertight lockers for food, and water tanks, will be provided inside the vessel,
which will also be provided with oars, mast, and sails, and means for giving light to
the interior.
Life-saving vessels constructed as above described have the advantage that they
could not possibly hold enough people on them to sink thein, the surplus buoyancy
being too great, and they are not so liable to be stove in as ordinary boats. The life
rafts of a size suitable for ordinary use would occupy the same area as a
ship's life
boat would weigh less, would accommodate at least double the number that an
ordinary ship's life boat would accommodate, and have also the further advantage,
that they would not require sailors to handle them.
The launching of the life saving vessel may be effected in a number of ways;
either the raft could be hung from davits, or it might be launched by means of
grooved skids, as indicated in the diagram Fig. 7, or it might be swung off the yard-
arm by a rope attached to the rafts by eye bolts.
I am aware that it has been proposed to construct many life saving vessels of
cylindrical form, but so far as I have been able to ascertain, no provision has been
made to render the vessel of effectual use, should it capsize when launching or àfloat,
and at the same time afford shelter for the passengers from the weather, which are the
special objects of the present invention.
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 improved reversible life saving vessel as herein shown and described.
2. The application to cylindrical or tubular life saving vessels, capable of holding
passengers inside the cylinders or tubes, of self-closing doors and ventilating shafts on
both sides of the cylinders or tubes, as and for the purpose set forth..
Dated this 3rd day of December 1888.