Improvements in Life Boats.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life Boats.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47, Lincolns Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Horace S. Carley, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America, Designer and Decorator) and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
-
This invention has reference to life-boats, more particularly of a collapsible
type adapted to be stored at convenient places on board of vessels, or ships, or at
docks, wharves, or the like, and to be used only in case of emergency such as
the sinking of a vessel or ship or other accident endangering the lives of people
by drowning.
I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to construct a boat for such
purpose of an outer continuous buoyant frame within which is secured a collap-
sible, or extensible, bottom. When the life-boat is stored on a vessel or else-
where the said bottom folds up within the buoyant frame, but when the boat
is thrown overboard no matter which side of the buoyant frame strikes the water,
the collapsible bottom will drop through the frame and extend itself. Life boats
of this general character have not, however, so far as I am aware, been used
practically in consequence I believe of none of the constructions heretofore pro-
posed having been capable of meeting the requirements of practical use. It is
the object of the present invention to provide a construction that will efficiently
meet all of these requirements and prove a reliable, and ever ready, means of
saving the lives of people in the most turbulent seas. Among the many require-
ments above referred to are the following:-The life boat must be collapsible, and,
when collapsed, must be very compact so as to occupy the least space possible
on board of a ship where economy of space is always of great importance and for
the further reason that upon the space occupied by each life-boat when thus
stored often depends the number of such boats carried by a vessel, or ship, and
consequently the completeness of its life-saving equipment. It must be capable
of withstanding severe shocks and strains as when thrown overboard it strikes
the surface of the water with great force; and must withstand all kinds of weather.
It must not deteriorate during non-usage as boats of this character are often
allowed to remain stored for long periods without being tested.
It must of course be reversible so that it will right itself no matter which side
may strike and rest on the water; and further it must be practically unsinkable
and non-capsizable to its fullest capacity of accommodation for people who may
get inside of, or cling to, it. It must furthermore be extremely durable, and so
simple in structure that novices may easily handle and manipulate it.
The life-boat constructed in accordance with and embodying the present inven-
tion will, it is believed, successfully meet all of the requirements of practical
use, I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a perspective view shewing the bottom of the boat extended;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a section through the buoyant ring.

page_text: Figure 3 is a plan and Figure 4 a section of the flat part of the bottom;
Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the buoyant ring, and
Figure 6 is a perspective sectional view shèwing the drag, or ballast bag,
supported from the rings on the buoyant frame.
Referring to the drawing, A represents the buoyant frame, or ring, consisting
of an inner tube a (or there may be two, or more, of such tubes of suitable
length) made preferably of a material such as a rubber composition, and filled
with air either at, or slightly above, atmospheric pressure. About the tube a,
are tightly packed layers of cork b, which not only contribute to the buoyancy
of the ring but protect the inner tube. A covering e, of canvas, or similar material,
is tightly bound around the cork, and, to still further strengthen and protect
the whole, it is preferred to completely cover the canvas with rope c¹, wound in
convolutions thereabout (Figure 5).
The shell of the boat, or what may more properly be said to be the hull thereof,
consists of a flexible part D; preferably as shewn in the drawing, consisting of
a net, although it may be of canvas, or of some other such material impervious
io water. The said part D has along its upper edge a binding rope d, to which
are secured, at suitable intervals, cringles, or eyelets, d, through which pass
rings of rope, or metal, the said rings fitting loosely about the buoyant ring A.
At its lower edge the part D is secured to the edge of a flat bottom part E,
formed of two layers of canvas e, e, (see Figures 3 and 4) fastened together along
their edges and having a longitudinal stiffening slat el and having also interposed
between them a cross slats e of wood, which give rigidity to the bottom part E.
A very important feature of the invention consists of the marine drags, or
water bags, F, F, each made of flexible fabric, such as canvas, attached along.
the open end of the drag, or bag, to a hoop f³, and connected respectively to
opposite sides of the bottom part E by means of lines f, f. On the underside
of each drag, or bag, is attached a weight ƒ¹, which insures its sinking to the limit
allowed by the lines f, f, and filling with water. A string, running down
inside of each drag, or bag F, F1 and secured at the bottom thereof, enables the
same to be turned inside out and drawn up against the bottom part E when not
desired to be used. In Figure 1 of the drawing, the life-boat is shewn extended
to the form it takes when in the water, the bag F being suspended from the
underside thereof and the lines f, f, held taut. The drag, or bag, F in this
figure is collapsed and rests against the upper side of the bottom part E.
Of course in the event of the boat being thrown into the water in a reverse
position, that is to say with what is the upper side in Figure 1 down, then the
drag, or bag, F1 would fill with water, and the drag, or bag, F would rest in a
collapsed condition against the bottom part E.
Instead of attaching the drags, or bags, F, FI, to the bottom E it is preferred
to suspend them as shewn in Figure 6, by means of, say, four ropes f* having
eyelets at their upper ends engaging about four of the rings respectively. In
this manner the pull of the bag is brought directly on the buoyant ring and the
bottom part E is subjected to no strain whatever from this cause.
Around the outer edge of the buoyant ring A runs a life line H attached at
intervals in eyelets h through which the rings pass. To the line If a number
of anxiliary life lines are secured, the said lines carrying floats, which keep
them on the surface of the water and within reach of persons in the water in the
vicinity of the boat. Around the inner edge of the buoyant ring A and hanging
loosely between the eyelets are two strips of fabric k, k, one on each side of the
part 1. Each span from eyelet to eyelet of that strip which happens to be
within the net D when the boat is in the water, forms a seat for one of the occu-
pants of the boat.
When the life-boat described is not in use it will of course be understood that
it is collapsed, the part D, bottom E, and drags, or bags, F and F being folded
together within the buoyant ring A. When thrown overboard, no matter which
side of the ring A strikes the water, the bottom E will drop and as the part D

page_text: becomes taut the eyelets d' will slide along the rings to a position at, or near,
the under side thereof so that the pull due to the weight of the occupants of the
boat will be (more, or less), directly on the underside of the buoyant ring A.
Unnecessary strains on the net, eyelets and rings, are thus prevented and a
shorter depth of netting, or the like, can be used than would be required if the
edge of the net, or the like, were fixed to the buoyant frame along a line around
the inner edge thereof.
At the same time that one of the bags F, F, which happens to be on the under-
side of the part E fills with water and sinks the length of lines f, f. The sunken
ballast, or drag, thus provided acts to balance and steady the boat, and is an
efficient protection against capsizing particularly in rough weather, and in the
case of a cross-cut sea. When it is desired to row, or paddle, the boat, the drag, or
bag, is turned inside out and drawn up against the bottom E by means of the
cord f
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a collapsible reversible life-boat, the combination with a buoyant body
of annular, or similar continuous form, of a flat bottom, a flexible part secured
at one edge around the edge of the said bottom, eyelets arranged at suitable
intervals along the other edge of the flexible part, and rings on the buoyant body
passing through the said eyelets, and on which they are adapted to freely slide,
the space within the buoyant body being entirely free from obstructions so that
the bottom and flexible part can drop through and depend from either side
thereof.
2. In a collapsible reversible life-boat, the combination with a buoyant body
of annular, or similar continuous form, of a collapsible body, secured to, and
adapted to depend from, either side of the said buoyant body, and a drag, or bag,
suspended beneath the said parts and adapted, when filled with water, to con-
stitute a marine drag, or ballast.
3. In a collapsible reversible life-boat, the combination with a buoyant body
of annular, or similar continuous form, of a collapsible body secured to, and
adapted to depend from, either side of the said buoyant body, a drag, or bag,
suspended beneath the said parts and adapted, when filled with water, to con-
stitute a marine drag, or ballast, and a line whereby the said bag can be emptied
and pulled up out of position for use.
4. In a collapsible reversible life-boat, the combination with a buoyant body
of annular, or similar continuous form, of a collapsible body secured to, and
adapted to depend from, either side of the said buoyant body, and two drags, or
bags, one connected on each side of the buoyant and collapsible parts and
severally adapted, when filled with water, to constitute a marine drag, or ballast.
5. In a collapsible reversible life-boat, the combination with a buoyant body
of annular, or similar continuous form, of a collapsible body having eyelets dis-
posed at intervals along its edge, rings on the buoyant body passing through
the said eyelets and on which they freely slide, and two drags, or bags, one on
rach side of the collapsible body and connected to a suitable number of the said
rings, by lines, and adapted when filled with water to constitute a marine drag,
or ballast.
6. In a life-boat of the kind described, the combination with a buoyant body
of annular, or similar continuous form, consisting of an inner tube filled with
air, layers of cork tightly packed around the said tube, and a covering of canvas,
or similar material, about the said cork, of a collapsible body secured within the
said buoyant body and adapted to depend from either side thereof.
7. In a life-boat of the kind described, the combination with a buoyant body
of annular, or similar continuous form, consisting of an inner tube filled with
air, layers of cork tightly packed around the said tube, a covering of canvas,

page_text: and an outer covering of cord, or rope, wound about the canvas, of a collapsible
body secured within the said buoyant body and adapted to depend from either
side thereof.
8. In a life-boat of the kind described, the combination with a buoyant body
of annular, or similar continuous form, of a flexible part connected along one
edge to the buoyant body and secured at its other edge to the edge of a flat
bottom, consisting of two layers of canvas, or similar material in combination
with longitudinal and lateral stiffening slats.
Dated this 30th day of June 1899
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX.
47, Lincolns Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.