IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-LEVELLING SHIPS' BERTHS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Augustus Young, of Boston, in the County of
Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-LEVELLING SHIPS' BERTHS."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Albert Augustus Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd April 1882.
ALBERT AUGUSTUS YOUNG, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF LEVELLING
SHIPS' BERTHS."
The object of this Invention is mainly to avoid undue friction upon the pivots
or bearings of the main support of a self lovelling berth and as a consequence to
permit of free oscillating movement of the berth at any angle the supports of the
berth may assume, whether permanently by the disposition of the oscillating beam,
which constitutes such main support or temporarily by the rolling or pitching of
the vessel; and secondarily to provide means for equipoising the berth to the
person of the occupant.
My improvements consist in supporting the main oscillating beam upon a cross
head in such manner, as to be longitudinally adjustable upon the latter, and in
supporting the said cross-head in turn adjustably upon its supports, the object of
this being to enable the point of suspension or center of oscillation of the berth to
be varied to equipoise the berth to the person for the time occupying it, and to
reduce the friction between beam and its point of oscillation to the lowest possible
point.
The Drawings accompanying this Specification represent in Figure 1 front
view and in Figure, 2, a plan of a self levelling berth containing my improve-
ments, while Figure 3, is a cross section of the same. Figures 4, and 5 represent a
modified construction of the support and Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, modified forms of
the pivots for adjusting the amount of friction on the bearings and Figure 10
represents the berth, as supported on a bracket secured to the wall in rear of the
berth.
In the above Drawings A represents a ships berth or lounge pivoted at each end
to the lower end of an upright link or bar b, the upper end of which is secured

page_text: rigidly to one end of a horizontal oscillating beam B, which in the present
instance is an open one composed of two side bars cc joined at the ends, this
link b may have a right angled offset or arm as shown in Figure 10, by which the
berth is made to hang in a position clear of the central support.
The bars cc of the beam extend through a horizontal cross head C and are
confined to the latter by set screws dd, or their equivalents by which means the
relative positions of the beam and cross-head may be varied longitudinally of such
bearn.
To support the beam B in position, I employ two conical pointed pivots, which
are screws or bolts ce passing through the upper part of blocks or carriers D D,
such blocks being supported and adapted to slide upon two parallel horizontal
bars or guides E E, which are disposed above the berth A and are firmly secured
at their ends to the walls of the state room, or the supports of the berth, whatever
they may be; each block D being confined to its bar E by a set screw f.
It is very desirable in these self levelling ships' berth that means should be
provided for enabling the balance, or equipoise of the berth to be adjusted to the
proportions of the occupant. To accomplish this by simply shifting the position of
the pivot of the beam is not practicable, as a state room is not large enough to
-permit-of-it,-hence-it-becomes-necessary_to_provide_a_compound pivot or point of
suspension by which the pivot may be changed, while the berth remains
stationary.
This is readily accomplished by connecting the beam B, adjustably to the bars E E.
It will be obvious that if the cross-head C and beam B be tilted out of a horizontal
position, whether as before stated, permanently or temporarily by the rolling or
pitching of the vessel, that the friction upon the pivots-c-e will be but slightly
increased. It will also be seen that but little labor is required to equipoise the berth
to the person of the occupant. A modified construction of the device is shown in
Figure 4.of the Drawings in which the cross-head C is supported adjustably upon
a horizontal bar h, or two parallel bars, while the beam B is disposed between two
ears i i pendant from the cross-head, the pivots ce being screwed through the said
ears to permit of the necessary longitudinal adjustment of the cross-head, a series
of pockets being formed in the sides of the cross-head to receive such pivots.
A modified form of the construction of the support above described is to omit
the two horizontal guide bars or supports E E and in place of them employ a
bracket A¹, secured to the walls in rear of the berth, as shown in Fig. 10, of the
Drawings, the adjustable pivoted cross-head C is contained within an cuclosure in
said bracket and is adjustable thereon, a single horizontal oscillating beam c being
employed; which may be cylindrical or flat, in the latter event occupying but
little space.
Under these circumstances the superposed supports are removed to one side the
latter to present no obstruction above it, and for this reason it is necessary that
the links b b shall be bent laterally at the bottom, as shown, to correspond to the
offset of the pivot above.
To prevent swinging or oscillations of the berth when not in use, or when the
occupant is about to lie down or get up, I attach a pivotal link or stop H which
is attached to the rods E E by pivots, or by means of intermediary blocks attached
to the same rods, thereby adapting it to be swung up and away from the rod B
as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 11, when not in use, and then rests against
a stud m. The jaws n n of the stop H partly encompass the rod B and the space
between the jaws is closed by the swinging bar o which locks into one of said
jaws, thereby securely fastening the bar B and with it the berth thereby pre-
venting movement of the same unless desired. In the movements of the berth
there may at times occur unusual oscillating motions of the bar B and to prevent
and restrain this movement and at the same time obviate any undue shock or
strain resulting from the too sudden checking of this movement, I attach to the
bars E E, as shown in Fig. 12 and at their opposite ends thin metal straps I I,
J J, or their equivalents, encircling said bars and terminating in eyes P P, I L›

page_text: which are attached to coiled springs rr; these springs are encircled by a piece of
rubber hose s or other elastic material, whereby the wear of the spring due to
contact with the rod B is prevented, and deaden the sound.
CLAIMS:
1st. In combination the beam B secured adjustably to the cross-head C and
constituting at its ends the suspensory of the berth A and the blocks DD mounted
adjustably upon the bars E, and supporting the pivots e, which in turn support
the beam B substantially as described.
2nd. The modification consisting of the bar h, the cross-head C, adapted to slide
upon such bar, and containing the ears ii and the beam pivoted between such ears
substantially as explained.
3rd. In combination the beam B, secured adjustably to the cross-head C and
constituting at its end the suspensory of the berth A and the blocks D D mounted
adjustably upon the bars E, and supporting the pivots e, which in turn support the
beam B, the locking-device H, and the coiled springs or their equivalents
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof I the said Albert Augustus Young have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 5th day of April 1882.
ALDERT AUGUSTUS YOUNG