Year: 1888

page_text: DO Թ ԱԱԱ ԱՆԱԵ,
I, THOMAS WILSON of Frederick Road Edgbaston, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
This invention relates to ships' folding berths, and ships' furniture, and the object
of my said invention, is to simplify the construction, and cost of manufacture, and
also to economise space in ships' cabins, as will be clearly understood by the
following description.
To the bulk head, or other support of a ship, I secure upright angle bars or bracket
plates, at suitable distances apart, and to which said uprights or framing bars, the
berth frame is jointedly supported at its inner side.
The berth framing consists of a rectangular frame of angle iron or tubing, chilled
or otherwise connected together; and within the space enclosed between the front,
rear, and end bars, a woven wire mesh or other distensible sacking is fitted.
To the outer and opposite end framing bars of the berth frame, the upper ends of
two obliquely disposed stay rods are connected, and with their lower ends also
jointedly connected to the upright brackets, at a point considerably. below the inner
side framing attachments.
The inner ends of the side framings are extended rearwards, a little beyond the
inner bar of the framing, and with their undersides gapped, (hook like) which take
upon pins or studs, carried by the upright brackets as aforesaid.
The oblique, or diagonal stays, are capable of folding or moving inwards, on the
inner hooked ends of the said berth frame being taken from off, or disconnected
from their supporting studs, carried by the upright framing, and when so disconnected,
the berth frame, and supporting stays admit of being folded (rule like) parallel to the
bulk head or other support, with the bedding between them; in which position, they
are secured by hooks or other suitable fastenings.
Thus nominally, the berth frame is disposed in a horizontal position, with its inner
end resting upon studs, and with its outer end supported by diagonally disposed
stay bars, which with the berth framing, and upright bracket supports, enclose a
triangular space, which makes the most stable form of structure that can be devised,
as no change of figure, is admissible, other than by rupture.

page_text: Instead of the inner end of the berth frame being supported upon studs, carried
by the upright brackets, I jointedly connect the said inner end of the frame to the
said brackets, and provide the ends of the outer and opposite end framings, with studs
or pins, which rest upon, or within sunken fork like upper ends, of diagonal stay
bars, whose lower ends are jointedly connected to the lower parts of the upright
brackets.
On the berth frame requiring to be folded, slightly raise the front of the said frame,
until the studs are removed from the recesses in the outer ends of the stays, and
when so removed, the berth frame folds downwardly, in a pendent position, with the
bedding presented outwards, and supported by the front lee rail, which may be
folding, or detachable; so that when the berth is not in use, and folded, it shall lic
flat upon, or parallel, to the bedding.
In both of the foregoing arrangements, the berth may be provided with head and
foot rails, which may be made to fold inwardly, like that of the lee rail.
The stay bars are turned inwards, parallel to the sides of the end framings, as the
said framing lies against a bulk head, or other support, in which position they are
held by hooks or other suitable fastenings.
As a modification, the framing may consist essentially of front and inner-side
longitudinal framing bars or tubes, between the inner sides of which, a woven wire,
or other distensible or flexible sacking, or mattress is secured.
The inner framing bar or tube, is jointedly connected to the vertical uprights
carried by the bulk head, or other support; while the ends of the outer framing, have
jointedly connected to them, the upper ends of diagonal stay bars, whose lower ends
are jointedly connected to the upright carrying brackets, thus making a triangular
system of supporting framing.
The berth bottom, or framing proper, and distensible or flexible sacking is distended
outwardly and horizontally by stretcher bars, jointed at their inner ends, to the
upright bracket framings, and with their outer ends made gapped or hook like, which
take upon studs or lugs carried upon the ends of the outer bar or tube.
Thus, when a berth frame is required to be folded up, the outer ends of the stretcher
bars are disconnected from their points of support, and allowed to fall in a pendent
position, parallel to the bulk head, thus allowing the sacking to sag and fold in the
middle, with the bedding between it; which may be held in that position, by hooks or
other suitable fastenings; and on the other hand, when the berth is required to be
fitted up for use, the carrying arms or bars, are first pulled from the bulk head. The
gaps or notches in the outer ends of the stretcher bars, are next forced over the fixed
studs, on the outer frame bar or tube, and the sacking and frame firmly held in a
horizontal and distended position ready for use.
In this modification, I attach the head and foot rails to the stretcher bars, and the
lee rail to the outer sido bar framings.
Ships' berths constructed according to my invention, may be arranged one above
another, or they may be fitted up separately.
In the foregoing description, I have described my invention in connection with
ships folding berths, but I wish it to be clearly understood, that my said invention is
also applicable to ships folding furniture, such as tables, seats, and such like
constructions, thereby enabling the said furniture to be folded, so as to be out of the
way, when the same are not required to be used, thereby economising space, by such
folding up.
Dated this Eighth day of March 1888

page_text: Improvements in Ships' Berths and Furniture.
I THOMAS WILSON of Frederick Road Edgbaston Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Gentleman, 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 ships' berths, and ships' furniture, as hereinafter
described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents an end elevation of a ships
folding berth, constructed and arranged according to my invention.
Figure 2 represents the same folded or turned back to the bulk head, so as
to be out of the way of the berth, when the said berth is not required to be used.
Figure 3 shows a top side plan of figure 1, that is, when the berth frame is opened
out for use.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in figures 1, 2 and 3.
u, a, are upright carrier brackets, formed preferably from angle iron and connected
to the bulk head or other support by screws, bolts or their equivalents.
The berth framing consists of a rectangular shaped frame, made up of side and end
rails, bars, tubes or the like, and connected together preferably at their corners by
chilled castings. These side and end rails or bars are marked c, c, d, d.
The front side rail e carries the lee-rail c, whilst the back and elevated rail c¹ runs
parallel with, and in juxta position to, the bulk head b.
The end rails or framing bars, which are marked d, d, have their inner ends d²
extended inwardly beyond the back rail c¹, and made hook shaped, which take, and
rest upon, studs or other projections e, standing outwardly from the inside face of the
web a of the vertical upright a.
The outer ends d³ of the two opposite ends d are supported by diagonally directed
stay bars whose upper ends are jointedly connected to the said outer ends d³, by
pins, while their inner ends are jointedly connected to the outer sides of the web a²,
of the bracket upright a, by pins f³.
To fold the berth as in figure 2, raise vertically the inner ends of the berth frame,
when the hooked ends d are removed from the studs, and the framed, turned inwardly
in the direction of the stay, upon the joints as fulcrum centres, and when in this
position, they are adapted to fold up against the bulk head, as represented at
figure 2.
Figure 4 shows in end elevation another form of my invention.
a, a is an upright bracket, made from angle iron as aforesaid, and secured to the
bulk head b, by screws or otherwise.
d are end bars of a rectangular shaped berth frame c, c, d, d-The inner ends of
these said framing bars d are pivoted or jointedly connected at d², while their outer
ends d³, carry pivot or trunnion arms d', which take within forked upper ends f³, of
supporting and diagonally directed stay bars j, which are jointedly connected to
the bulk head or carrying bracket at f³.

page_text: The berth framings are provided with distensible or lath bottoms y.
To fold the berth, raise or elevate the front thereof, upon the joints d² as centres, so
as to remove the supporting stays f, which are then turned inwardly, whilst the berth
frame folds and hangs downwards against the bulk head, as represented in figure 5,
and when in this hanging position, the clothes and mattress supported upon the bottom
of the berth are presented outwards, and may rest upon the inner side of the lee-rail
or front framing e².
Figure 6 represents an end elevation of a frameless ship's berth, constructed
according to another form of my invention.
a, a is an upright bracket, secured to the bulk head b, c is a side rail, carrying a
lee rail e², which may fold, or be made detachable. The said rail c which forms the
front to the berth, is supported by diagonal stays f, connected at their lower ends by a
joint 3, to the web a² of the upright bracket a, while their upper ends are rigidly
connected to the said front rail c.
d are horizontal stay bars, jointed at their inner ends at d², and with their outer
ends d³ made hook form, which take upon studs or pins f*, carried by the supporting
stays f
y is a distensible or woven wire sacking, connected at its inner side to a rail c',
extending from the supporting brackets a of the frame, while the other or outer side
of the said sacking is connected to the outer rail c.
C
To fold the berth, turn upwardly the stays d, when the supporting stays, with the
front rail fold up against the berih frame, as represented in figure 7, with a distensible
sacking y sagging between the said frame or supports, and the bulk head as represented
in figure 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is.
First
Supporting and connecting the inner sides or ends of folding ships' berths,
or ships' furniture, by and upon, hook and stud connections, substantially as set forth
in figures 1, 2 and 3.
Secondly-Ships' folding berths, or ships' furniture, consisting of a rigid frame,
with its inner end or side provided with hook and stud connections, and with
its outer side or end supported by stays, jointedly connected to. upright brackets,
by which the said inner end of the frame, as aforesaid, is supported; the parts
being constructed, arranged and combined, so as to fold up, as set forth in figures 1, 2
and 3.
Thirdly Folding ships' berths, or ships' furniture, consisting of a rigid frame,
jointed at its inner end or side to a supporting bracket, and at its outer end, by studs
or their equivalents, upon the forked ends of jointed stays, and which said parts are
constructed, arranged and fold down, as set forth in figures 4 and 5.
Fourthly Frameless and folding ships' berths or ships furniture, consisting of
front and back rails c, cl, between which the sacking is distended, and with the front
rail supported by jointed stays f, which are kept in position by supplementary stays d,
substantially as set forth in figures 6 and 7.
Dated this Sixth day of December 1888.