IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BOATS, LIFE BUOYS, AND APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING PERSONS ASHORE FROM WRECKED OR STRANDED VESSELS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, REGINALD
ORTON, of Villiers Street, Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Surgeon;"
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Reginald Orton, my exors, adññors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Reginald Orton, my'
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Reginald Orton, my
exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LIFE BOATS, LIFE BUOYS, AND APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING PERSONS ASHORE
FROM WRECKED OR STRANDED VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said Reginald Orton, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference-
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Reginald Orton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
Figure 1 shews a plan of the life boat. Figure 2 is a side view thereof, and
Figure 3 an under side view; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section thereof; and
Figure 5, a transverse section about the middle of the boat; Figure 6 is a
view of the inside of one of the end cases, shewing the manner in which I
prefer dividing it into various compartments, and to the right I also give a
section of this end case in the direction of the line 1, 2, Figure 6; Figure 7,
three views of the propellers which I use. The letters in each of these
Figures refer to particular parts. a indicates hollow cases or light buoyant
materials; b, wooden portions, giving shape and protection to the boat; c, the
bottom of the boat; d, openings in the bottom through which the propellers
are worked; e, the thwarts; f, a revolving crutch on which the steering sweeps
rest; g, the axes of the propellers; h, the cleets or rowlocks on which the
axes g. of the propellers are worked. The peculiarities of this life boat consist
in her floatation being secured by two buoyant portions on each side of the
bottom, and two buoyant ends, in fitting her, if preferred, with a shifting
bottom, in her being open at the bottom so as to allow of a free escape of the
water, in the dividing and valvular arrangement I employ at each end to
secure her righting if upset, and also in the application of the propellers. The
buoyant or floating portions of the boat I make either of metal or wood.
These parts I prefer to have divided into numerous compartments, which I
make water-tight and hollow, or I fill them with some light material, so as to
exclude, the water. I place a proper number of thwarts e across the boat, on
the line of its floating level when laden. Along the middle of the bottom of the
boat, extending longitudinally, I fix what I call a well or trough, which I close
in below with metal rods or metal plates or wood. In some cases, instead of
this well, I use a platform which is so hung on hinged suspenders under the
middle of the boat that it may be lifted up in shallow water, and let down in
deep water. With either of these arrangements I secure a free passage
through the boat for the water. At each end of the boat I have arranged a
valvular apparatus, consisting of openings stopped with heavy plugs, shewn in
Figures 1 and 5. These plugs fall a certain distance if the boat be upset,
when the admission of water by the openings into corresponding compartments

page_text: causes the opposite side of the boat to float up, and thus disposes it to turn
right again. When right the plugs fall again and close the openings, while
the water admitted into the compartments, as above described, is discharged by
the scuppers z, Figure 5. The propellers, Figure 7, I construct of a frame on
which I place three or more flaps, so hinged that each will open when carried
backwards in the water, and close when carried forwards, thus presenting
little resistance in the former action, and a resistance equal to the whole area
of the flaps in the latter action. The handles I make of appropriate length
and strength, and on them I place at proper distances the axes g, 9, of which
one or more may be applied. I would here observe that the same effect
may be produced by propellers of other forms; for instance, with two flaps
opening and closing on a central axis like a book, but these, if applied to a
life boat, I should deem an infringement of my Invention. I would further
remark, that my boat may be fitted so as to be propelled with oars if they
should be preferred, and also that provision may be made for stepping-a mast
or masts, to allow of one or more sails being used; but I have not thought it
necessary to shew the same in the Drawings.
I will now describe another part of my improvements. I make a buoy of
which Figure 8 shews a side view, Figure 9 a plan in the reel removed, and
Figure 10 a front view. The buoy is in two portions, i, i, being made of
hollow metal cylinders twelve or sixteen inches diameter, united by the side
pieces of wood j, j. Projecting downwards from the wooden pieces j, j,
are two deep half circles of metal plates or of heavy wood k, k, con-
nected below by a cross-piece l. A loop of iron m also proceeds from the
lower part of i, at one end of the buoy, to the lower part of i at the other
end. The whole length of the buoy should be from nine to ten feet. A space
partially closed is thus left between i, i, and j, j, into which I fit a circular
box containing a reel and cord, of which box Figure 11 shews a side view and
plan. I also fit a mast to the buoy hinged at the foot in such a manner that
by attaching a spring to the fore stay, or carrying the stay over a pulley at
the end of the buoy to the ballast, (which, in this case, I make to rise and fall
a proper distance,) I can cause the mast to rise to the perpendicular. This
may also be effected by a spring at the foot of the mast, but I prefer the
former plans. I also fit the head of the mast with a proper receptacle for
carrying a portfire. When necessary I ignite this portfire by the action of
the mast when rising. I make of detonating composition a match like what
is called a Waterloo cracker. One end of this I attach to the buoy, the other
to the mast-head; and in contact with the priming of the portfire. When the

page_text: mast springs up it tears the two parts of the match asunder, which, igniting,
fires the priming, and thus lights the portfire. In addition, I provide the
buoy with a triangular or other shaped sail to be used when required. The
buoy thus prepared is applicable, first, to the purpose of conveying a line from
a stranded vessel, so as to open a communication with the shore. In this case
the reel (the handle being removed) should be placed in the buoy, and there
secured by screws, hasps, or other appropriate means provided for the purpose.
The sail should be set, and, the line being passed through the eyes or loops on
the buoy, as seen in Figure 8, the end should be made fast on board the
vessel, and the buoy being launched will sail to the shore, unwinding the line
from the reel as it proceeds. If necessary; the buoy can convey, at the same
time that it carries the line ashore, one or two men, one on each side of the
buoy, clinging to the life-lines provided for them. Secondly, it is applicable
to the purpose of picking up one or more men who may have fallen overboard
at sea. In this case the buoy is to be constantly suspended in a proper
manner at the stern of the vessel, and so that it may be instantly disengaged
by pulling a trigger. The mast, when the buoy is thus suspended, would be
'confined down, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 8; and the reel in its
box should be placed on the deck of the vessel, the end of the line being
attached to the eye at the fore part of the buoy. In the act of falling, the
mast would start up and light the portfire, as before described, and thus guide
the man to it. As the vessel proceeds, the line is to be paid off from the reel,
so as to prevent the buoy dragging; and as soon as the man is seen to have
secured himself to the buoy, or to have got into the space before referred to as
occupied by the reel, they are to be drawn to the vessel, and may thus be got
on, board without lowering a boat. I would here observe, that although I
consider the form and material above proposed as most eligible for the con-
struction of my life-buoy, I do not confine myself to these, since I can make
it with two cylinders, one on each side of the reel, and connected at the ends,
or I can make it a flat oval shape, placing the reel horizontally. In regard to
material, I can make it of metal or wood, hollow or filled in with light
materials. The novelty of this part of my Invention consists, not in the shape
or materials of it, but in arranging them so that I keep up a constant com-
munication between the vessel and the buoy, and thus enable the crew of the
former to effect advantageously what has not been performed in a like manner
by any other Invention of the same kind which is generally known or
adopted.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the details.

page_text: herein described, so long as the peculiar character of either part of my
Invention be retained; but what I claim is,
The mode of constructing life boats as herein described.
And, secondly, I claim the mode of constructing life buoys and apparatus
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-
first day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and forty-six.