IMPROVEMENTS IN COLLAPSING BOATS, CANOES, AND CANOE SHAPED BOATS COVERED WITH CANVAS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Lyon Berthon, of Romsey, in the County of
Hampshire, Clerk in Holy Orders, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COLLAPSING BOATS, CANOES, AND CANOE SHAPED BOATS COVERED WITH
CANVAS."
Sealed the 11th November 1879, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor,
and dated the 18th April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Lyon Berthon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1879.
EDWARD LYON BERTHON, of Romsey, in the County of Hampshire, Clerk in
Holy Orders. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COLLAPSING BOATS, CANOES, AND CANOE-
SHAPED BOATS COVERED WITH CANVAS."
1. My Invention consists in the construction of the longitudinal planes by
attaching along the edges of thin flat boards of proper form strips of elastic wood
by means of rivets or nails. See Figure I.
A section of one of these longitudinal planes is shewn in Figure 2 (on a larger
scale).
2. My Invention consists also of substituting thin plates of metal for the above-
mentioned thin flat boards. In whichever of the above ways the planes are
constructed they are united together at the extremities at the tops of the stem and
stern by the kind of chain hinge now used.
3. In order to expand and retain expanded the boats, canoes, and canoe shaped
boats so constructed the following double lever stretchers are attached at each
end.
Figure 3 represents one of these double levers; it is made of two pieces of strong
elastic wood jointed together at A, and with a hook at the ends B, B.
These are hooked into suitable staples attached to the upper plane or deck of the
canoe, and by pressing down the upper lever on the lower the requisite expansion
is made, and the two parts are then kept together by the small staple or shackle C.
4. It will be seen by reference to the deck-plan, Figure 4, that the before named
double levers are applicable only to the ends of the canoe or boat, where the deck
entirely covers the structure; therefore another contrivance is necessary to keep
the intervening parts of the sides of the boat up to the proper form, so that the
canvas shall be taut,

page_text: For this purpose I employ the following contrivance :-Steel supports (galvanized)
are made of the form shewn in Figure 5, the part A, B, being round and A, C, flat;
the former passes through and rotates in a metal plate fixed to the combing, and
the end B also passes through a small staple fixed to the deck or upper plane near
the outer edge of the gunwale. When the flat part A, C, is pressed down by a
quarter revolution till it comes in contact with and presses against the side of the
bottom boards, the combing and the deck, gunwale, &c., are kept up in their proper
position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Lyon Berthon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
November 1879.
EDWARD LYON BERTHON, of Romsey, in the County of Hants, England, Clerk
in Holy Orders. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COLLAPSING BOATS, CANOES, AND CANOE-
SHAPED BOATS COVERED WITH CANVAS."
1. My Invention consists in the construction of the longitudinal planes by
attaching along the edges of thin flat boards of proper form strips of elastic wood
by means of rivets or nails (see Figure I.).
A section of one of these longitudinal planes is shewn in Figure 2 (on a larger
scale).
2. My Invention also consists of substituting thin plates of metal for the above
mentioned thin flat boards.
In whichever of the above ways the planes are constructed they are united
together at the extremities at the tops of the stem and stern by the kind of chain
hinge now used.
3. In order to expand and retain expanded the boats, canoes, and canoe boats so
constructed the following double lever stretchers are attached at each end. Figure 3
represents one of these double levers; it is made of two pieces of strong elastic wood
jointed together at A, and with a book at the ends B, B. These are hooked into
suitable staples attached to the upper plane or deck of the canoe, and by pressing
down the upper lever on the lower the requisite expansion is made, and the two
parts are then kept together by the small staple or shackle C.
4. It will be seen by reference to the deck-plan, Figure 4, that the before named
double levers are applicable only to the ends of the canoe or boat where the deck
entirely covers the structure, therefore another contrivance is necessary to keep the
intervening parts of the sides of the canoe or boat up to the proper form, so that
the canvas shall be taut.
For this purpose I employ the following contrivance:-Steel supports (galvanised)
are made of the form shewn in Figure 5, the part A, B, being round and A, C, flat;
the former passes through and rotates in a metal plate fixed to the combing, and
the end B also passes through a small staple fixed to the deck or upper plane near
the outer edge or gunwale. When the flat part A, C, is pressed down by a quarter
revolution till it comes in contact with and presses against the side of the bottom
boards, the combing and the deck, gunwale, etcetera, are kept up in their proper
position.
E. L. BERTHON. (L.S.)