IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF RAFTS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lawrence Hart, Sergeant in Her Majesty's Corps of
Royal Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF RAFTS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
STRUCTION OF RAFTS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lawrence Hart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
June 1866.
I, LAWRENCE HART, Sergeant in Her Majesty's Corps of Royal Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAFTS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar mode of constructing rafts for saving
life at sea, or landing and embarking passengers, troops, or stores in shallow
water, also to the means employed for facilitating the putting together of the
parts composing the said rafts.
In carrying out this Invention it is proposed to construct the raft of a
number of buoyant cylinders or other shaped buoyant bodies composed of
cork covered with oilcloth or waterproof canvass, wood, hollow metal, inflated
india-rubber, gutta percha, leather, hides, or other suitable material, or of any
other light or highly buoyant substance. These cylinders are in some cases
hooped or banded and strapped in order to strengthen them, and also provided
with keels. In constructing the raft the cylinders are placed side by side on

page_text: a steadying frame or guage lashed, if necessary, to the deck of the ship or
other place whence the raft is to be launched, whereby the exact positions of
the parts are at once ascertained, and by hooking them to the said frame or
guage they will be prevented from being displaced by violent motion or the
action of the waves. Brackets or check pieces are secured to the sides of the
cylinders, which abut against each other when in position, and are kept in
their places by means of hasps and staples or other convenient fastenings.
The cylinders are further secured laterally by means of metal rods which
severally pass transversely through them, and are provided with rings or
handles on their ends, which rings or handles are secured to each other by
lashing, and are also used for carrying the said cylinders. On the top of each
cylinder when convenient there is secured a flat narrow footway or platform
extending the entire length or nearly so of the same, and the intermediate
spaces between these platforms are overlaid with trelliswork or perforated
boards hinged on to the sides of the said platforms for the purpose of forming
a commodious deck, the perforations being intended to let out any water that
may be shipped. Upon the cylinders thus combined together there is secured
by means of bolts and pins a rectangular frame, which constitutes the bulwarks
of the raft, and which may be provided with doors for the facility of ingress
and egress, and with rowlocks for the reception of oars. One or more rudders
are shipped into one or both ends of the centre or other cylinders, and the
bulwarks for the purpose of steering the raft, and a mast and sails are
provided for assisting its progress, the mast being secured by clasps and
staples to a framing forming part of the bulwarks, and extending longi-
tudinally and transversely over the entire raft, thereby dividing it into four
equal and separate compartments. Casks or other receptacles for food and
water are secured to the centre part of the raft, and round the inside of the
bulwarks seats and safety straps are provided for the passengers. The entire
raft having been put together ready for launching, the steadying frame or
guage is unlashed from the ship's deck, and either disconnected from the raft
or launched with it.

page_text: WHEREAS ller most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Lawrence Hart, Her special licence that I, the said Lawrence Hart, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Lawrence
Hart, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF RAFTS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Lawrence Hart, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Lawrence Hart, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the saine is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar mode of constructing rafts for saving
life at sea, or landing and embarking passengers, troops, or stores in shallow
water, also to the means employed for facilitating the putting together of the
parts composing the said rafts.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood I will proceed
to describe the same, reference being made to the several Figures of the
Drawing hereunto annexed, which represent a raft constructed in accordance
with my improvements. As the nature of each of the views shown in the
Drawing is written thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat the same here.
In carrying out my Invention I propose to construct a raft by means of a
number of buoyant cylinders A or other suitably shaped buoyant bodies
composed of cork covered with oilcloth or waterproof canvas, wood, hollow
metal, inflated india-rubber, gutta percha, leather, hides, or other suitable
material, or of any other light or highly buoyant substance. These cylinders
or buoyant bodies are in some cases hooped or banded and strapped, as shown
at B, in order to strengthen them, being also provided with keels C. In con-

page_text: structing the raft the cylinders A, A, are placed.side by side on a steadying
frame or gauge D lashed if necessary to the deck of the ship or other place
whence the raft is to be launched, whereby the exact positions of the parts are
at once ascertained, and by booking them to the said frame or gauge they
will be prevented from being displaced by the violent motion or action of the
waves. Brackets or check pieces E, E, are secured to the sides of the
cylinders A, A, which abut against each other when in position, and are kept
in their places by means of hasps and staples F, or by other convenient
fastenings. The cylinders are further secured laterally by means of metal
rods G, which severally pass transversely through them, and are provided
with rings or handles H, II, on their ends, which rings or handles are secured
to each other by lashing, and are also used for carrying the said cylinders.
On the top of each cylinder A, when convenient, there is secured a flat narrow
footway or platform I extending the entire length or nearly so of the same,
and the intermediate spaces between these platforms are overlaid with trellis-
'work or perforated boards K, K, hinged at L, L, on to the sides of the said
platforms for the purpose of forming a commodious deck, the perforations
being intended to let out any water that may be shipped. Upon the cylinders
thus combined together there is secured by means of bolts and pins a rectan-
gular frame M, M, which constitutes the bulwarks of the raft, and which may
be provided with doors for the facility of ingress and egress, and with rowlocks
N for the reception of oars. One or more rudders O are shipped into one or
both ends of the centre or other cylinders A, A, and connected by a joint to
the bulwarks for the purpose of steering the raft, and a mast P and sails are
provided for assisting its progress through the water, the mast being secured
by clasps and staples to a framing Qforming part of the bulwarks, and
extending longitudinally and transversely over the entire raft, thereby dividing
it into four separate compartments. Casks R, R, or other receptacles for food
and water are secured to the centre part of the raft, and round the inside of
the bulwarks seats S, S, and safety straps T, T, are provided for the comfort
and security of the passengers. The entire raft having been put together
ready for launching, the steadying frame D or gauge is unlashed from the
ship's deck, and either disconnected from the raft or launched with it.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be advantageously carried into practice, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details berein shown and
described, as they may be considerably varied without departing from the true
character of my Invention, at the same time I do not claim any of the parts
separately; but what I claim is, the arrangement and construction of parts

page_text: combined together in the manner herein shown and described to form a raft
for saving life at sea and for other purposes, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lawrence Hart, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
LAWRENCE HART. (L.S.)