Improvements in Self-bailing Boats.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1895
Improvements in Self-bailing Boats.
A communication by ROBERT EWING, of 406 and 408 Camp Street, New Orleans,
in the State of Louisiana, United States of America, Journalist.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick and 31 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to self-bailing boats and consists in certain improvements
specially intended for use with life-boats, as will be hereinafter described whereby
a boat will hail herself out automatically.
The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan partly in section and Figure 2 a side elevation of a boat made
according to this invention.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section and Figure 4 a transverse section on the
linea, of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a partial side elevation and Figure 6 a transverse section showing a
modified form of the invention :
Figure 7 is a bottom view of a tank for use in the well of the boat;
Figure 8 is a partial sectional elevation, Figure 9 a transverse section and
Figure 10 a partial plan showing the tank in position.
The boat A is provided with an inner bottom B, and is separated by a longi-
tudinal bulk-head C, and transverse bulk-heads D, into a number of air-tight
chambers E, E and E².
The boat may be provided with two bilge keels F in addition to the ordinary
keel F, or not, as may be desired. These bilge-keels when placed on the boat not
only tend to greatly stiffen the same, but also prevent the boat from rolling
excessively in a sea-way.
On
In this
The forward air-chamber E¹ has its top B¹ raised as shown in Figure 3 in order
to lend additional buoyancy to the bow of the boat, while the inner bottom B
slopes aft, and is lowered at B2, leaving a well G at the stern of the boat.
either side of this well are scupper-holes y which are permanently open.
chamber G are two wedge-shaped timbers H connected to a cross-piece H¹ and
supporting the wash-board K, and the side pieces K¹. Between the wash-board
and the side pieces or boards an aperture is left. Mounted over the boards K
and K is a perforated platform or grating I which rests at its forward end on a
perforated support I¹.
Outside of the scupper-koles, on the exterior of the boat, a splash-board L
or L is provided. This splash-board is connected to the boat above the said
scupper-holes, and projects downward clear of and slightly below the said scupper-
holes. The bottom of this splash-board is clear of but protected by either the
bilge-keels F as shown in Figures 2 and 4, or a separate piece L² secured to the
bottom of the boat. Beneath this splash-board L or L', as the case may be, a
longitudinal opening / is provided.
In the device shown in Figures 5 and 6, the plates or boards L' and L' are
braced or stiffened by struts m and m³, and blocks m².

page_text: The operation of the device is as follows :—
Any water coming over the gunwale of the boat, falls on the inner bottom B
or B and running aft passes through the perforations in I and I', and the aperture k
iuto the well G. From this well the water runs out through the scuppers g. I a
order to prevent the water from surging around in the well G as the boat pitches
and rolls, the wedge-shaped pieces H are provided. These it will be noticed are
placed at an angle with the keel, so that as the water flows aft, the great bulk of it
will be wedged outward toward the forward scupper-holes, while such as gets in the
after portion of the well is rolled out of the after scupper-hole as the boat rolls
from side to side. The bilge-keels F, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, or the
plate L as shown in Figures 5 and 6, prevent the out-ide water from being forced
up under the splash-board L or L', as the boat's stern falls, or as the water rises
past it, while the splash-board L, or L' will prevent the influx of water from waves
striking from abeam or thereabout.
It will he seen that the device affords a ready exit for the water that passes over
the gunwale of the boat, while it impedes the influx of the exterior water; in
this way the boat will bail herself out automatically. It will thus be evident that
the boat cannot be swamped and since she is provided with air-chambers, will not
sink should the influx of the water be greater than the scuppers can immediately
discharge.
By so arranging the weights in building the boat, that the centre of gravity may
be below the centre of buoyancy, which can be readily done by any one skilled in
the art, the boat will right herself and then bail herself out regardless of the
condition of the wind or sca.
A further feature of the invention consists in providing a tank J to fit the
well G or stern of the boat, said tank having a suitable number of perforations or
exits N preferably in its bottom, and a similar number of pipes O or the like leading
from said perforations to scupper-holes g. Inside these pipes are placed flap-
valves P or similar devices made to work freely and to open only as exits. In case
the boat ships water, it bails itself instantly through these pipes, and the flap-
valves or the like, working automatically, keep the water from flowing into the
boat through the pipes. These pipes will free the boat more rapidly and effectually
than any other device for the same purpose.
It will be readily understood that the tank J may be used either with or without
any or all of the improvements herein before described, and that the improved
scupper pipes with their valve devices may be connected directly to the well of the
boat if a tank is not required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A life boat or the like provided with an inner bottom sloping toward the
stern of the boat and terminating in a well; scupper-holes at each side of said
well, splash boards clear of and exterior to said scupper-holes and extending
partly below the same, and a shield clear of said splash board and below the same
to prevent the outside water from being wedged up beneath said splash board,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. A life boat or the like provided with an inner bottom sloping aft, a well
let down in the rear part of said inner bottom, inclined timbers in said well,
scupper-holes at each side of said well, wash boards resting on said timbers
and partly covering said well, and a splash board clear of and exterior to said
scupper-holes and extending partly below the same, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
3. A life boat or the like provided with an inner bottom sloping aft, a well let
down in the rear part of said inner bottom, inclined timbers in said well, scupper-
holes at each side of said well, wash boards resting on said timbers and partly
covering said well, and a splash board clear of and exterior to said scupper-holes

page_text: and extending partly below the same, and a shield clear of said splash boards and
below the same to prevent the outside water from being wedged up beneath said
splash boards, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. A life boat or the like provided with air chambers and an inner bottom over
said air chambers and sloping aft, a well G let down in the rear part of said
inner bottom, scupper-holes g at each side of said well, wash boards K and K¹
having an aperture therein over said well, a splash board L' exterior to and
protecting said scupper-holes from inflowing water, and a shield L2 beneath said
wash board and separated therefrom by an open space l, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
5. A life boat or the like provided with air chambers and an inner bottom over
said air chambers and sloping aft, a well G let down in the rear part of said iuner
bottom, scupper-holes g at each side of said well, wash boards K and K¹ having an
aperture therein over said well, inclined pieces H placed in said well beneath said
wash boards, a splash board L' exterior to and protecting said scupper-holes from
inflowing water and a shield L' beneath said wash board and separated therefrom
by an open space l, substantially as and for the purposes described.
6. In a life boat or the like having an inner bottom sloping aft; a tank formed
in, or adapted to fit into, the stern of the boat, or into a well formed therein, said
tank having perforations or water exits provided with pipes or the like leading
therefrom to scupper-holes, and each pipe having a flap-valve or the like adapted
to only open as an exit, substantially as and for the purpose described.
7. In a life boat or the like having an inner bottom sloping aft and terminating
in a well, a number of pipes or scuppers each provided with a flap-valve or the
like and adapted to only open as an exit, said pipes or scuppers being so connected
to the well as to free the latter of water substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of August. 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.