IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SLEEPING BERTHS ON BOARD SHIPS."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Johnson, of Poplar, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
AND ARRANGEMENT OF SLEEPING BERTHS ON BOARD SHIPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th October 1874.
I, THOMAS JOHNSON, of Poplar, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SLEEPING BERTHS ON BOARD SHIPS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the berths or sleeping compartments used on
board ships, and has for its objects improvements in the construction.
and arrangement of such berths, by which improvements greater con-
venience of access, and of privacy to their occupants, as well as economy

page_text: of space are attained than in such sleeping berths as ordinarily con-
structed and arranged.
I take two sleeping berths arranged one above the other parallel to
the side of the vessel but at a distance from it sufficient for the occupants
of the berths to pass. The ends of the berths are formed by bulkheads
or partitions reaching nearly to the deck which forms the ceiling and
arranged transversely across the ship, and having a doorway or opening
(which may be closed by a door or curtain) at each end of the passage
formed as already described between the berths and the ship's side. A
vertical partition, is also formed across this passage at or about the.
middle of its length, and the berths are separated from the passage by a
vertical partition through which an opening is left between one end of
the passage and the top berth, and another opening between the other
end of the passage and the bottom berth. By this arrangement
each berth is completely separate from the other, and each half of the
passage forms a private dressing room to one or other of the berths, and
may be fitted with lockers, hat pegs, or other furniture. The back of
the berth is formed of a vertical partition, which may serve as the outer
wall (instead of the ship's side in the case of the berths first described)
of the passage, and a similar set of berths arranged nearer to the centre
of the ship. Similar sets of berths may be arranged at the opposite side
of the vessel, and the ship may be fitted up for a sufficient part of its
length with similar sets of berths, access to which is obtained by one or
more passages fore and aft, which communicate with transverse passages
formed between the sets of transverse bulkheads or partitions which
constitute the ends of the berths, and in which the several openings or
doorways are made, as already described.
The different berths may be ventilated if desired by means of suitable
louvre boards or other openings.
I sometimes make the berths of moveable hinged boards so that they
can be folded up if required, and free ventilation and passage through
the ship is thus provided; and in this case I prefer to use the following
arrangement:—I make each of the two frames or platforms which con-
stitute the bottoms of the upper and lower berths hinged or jointed to
the vertical partition which forms the back of the berths so that they can
be turned up vertically and parallel with such back, and I make the
vertical partition which forms the end of the berth (next to the doorway
or opening) hinged or jointed to the corresponding end of the back of

page_text: the berth or of an upright framework near the back of the berth, and I
hinge the outer side of the berth (in which is the opening through
which access to the berth is obtained) by its outer edge to the outer
edge of the hinged end of the berth already described. The outer side
of the berth last described is only long enough (horizontally) to reach,
when in its place, to the vertical partition which divides the outer
passage into two, as already described. When the end and outer side of
the berth hinged together, as described, are in their place at right angles.
to each other the outer edge of the latter is bolted or fastened to the
inner edge of the vertical partition in the passage, whilst the joint
between them is bolted or fastened to an upright (fixed or moveable)
which forms the inner side of the opening or doorway into the same
passage.
When the hinged bottoms of the berths have been turned up, as
already described, the hinged ends and fronts are opened out and folded
over or against them, and they then occupy very little space and form a
convenient receptacle for the bedding and other appurtenances belonging
to them.
Instead of the berths being arranged in the way described I some-
times arrange two sets of them back to back, each set consisting of one
or more top and bottom berths, and on each side of each set I arrange a
parallel passage divided by vertical partitions opposite the middle of each
berth, and having an opening or doorway for each berth opposite to the
opening through which access is obtained to each upper and lower berth
alternately; or the berths may be arranged transversely across the
ship.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order. of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Thomas
Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JOHNSON, of Poplar, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas Johnson, Her special license that I; the
said Thomas Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Thomas Johnson, my executors, administrators, and
ássigns, 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 AND ARRANGE-
MENT OF SLEEPING BERTHS ON BOARD SHIPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Johnson, my executors or adminis
trators, 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 per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office
on or before the 23rd day of April 1875.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in- and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the berths or sleeping compartments used
on board ships, and it has for its objects improvements in the con-
struction and arrangement of such berths, by which improvements
greater convenience of access and of privacy as well as economy of
space (especially during the daytime when the sleeping berths are not
being used) are attained than in such sleeping berths as ordinarily here-
tofore constructed and used.
My improved methods of constructing sleeping berths are especially
applicable to emigrant or other ships carrying a large number of
passengers at as low a cost as possible, where it is necessary that the
ventilation should be as perfect as possible, and that as much free space
as possible should be provided when the berths are not themselves in
use (especially in bad weather when the passengers cannot conveniently
be on deck), and where it is also desirable that facilities should be pro-
vided for messing or supplying the passengers with food.
My Invention is especially applicable to the method of arranging
sleeping berths on board ships (especially for married couples) in which

page_text: two such berths (or sets of berths) are employed one above the other,
each being entered from a separate part of the deck so that the occupants
may be kept entirely separate.
In my novel arrangement I take two such berths and I arrange them
one above the other parallel to the side of the ship, but at a distance
from the latter sufficient for the occupants of the berths to pass. The
ends of the berths so arranged are formed by bulkheads or partitions
reaching nearly to the lower side of the deck above and arranged trans-
versely across the ship, and having a doorway or opening at each end of
the passage which is left, as already described, between the berths and
the ship's side. These doorways or openings may be closed by doors or
curtains if desired. Across the passage thus formed I maké a vertical
partition about the middle of its length, and the berths are themselves
separated from the passage by means of a vertical division, through one
end of which an opening is left between one end of the passage and the
top berth, whilst through its other end is left another opening between
the other end of the passage and the bottom berth. By the arrange-
ment described each berth is entirely separated from the other one, and
each half of the passage forms a separate private dressing room to one
or other of the berths, and may be fitted with lockers, hat pegs, or other
furniture. Greater convenience of arrangement and facility of access
and economy of space and material is afforded in this way than where
the two berths are entered from opposite alternate ends respectively
instead of from their sides. The back of the berths is formed of a
vertical partition which may serve as the outer wall (instead of the
ship's side, as in the arrangement first described,) of a passage similar to
that first described, and giving access from its ends in the same way to
a second set of berths arranged parallel to the first set, and in this way
as many sets of berths as may be desired can be arranged. Similar sets
may also be arranged in the same way at the opposite side of the ship,
which may also be fitted up for as much of its length as may be desired
with similarly arranged berths. In this case access to the several berths
is obtained by one or more passages running fore and aft and communi-
cating with transverse passages of sufficient width formed between the
sets of transverse bulkheads or partitions which constitute the ends of
the berths, and in which the openings or doorways are provided, as
already described.

page_text: edges with a sufficient space between them for the passage of air at
their edges and ends, and I do not bring the several partitions quite
down to the floor, but I leave a sufficient space for air to pass there
also.
berths but is
In order to leave more space in the ship when the berths are not being
used I make them of moveable hinged boards so that they can be folded.
up if required, and free ventilation and passage through the ship is thus
provided. For this purpose I prefer the following arrangement:-I.
make the two boards or platforms which constitute the bottoms of the
upper and lower sleeping berths respectively hinged or jointed to a
vertical ventilated partition which forms the back of the berths so that
they can be turned up vertically and parallel with the said back, and I
make the vertical partition which forms the end of the two berths (next
to the doorway or opening in the entrance passage) hinged or jointed to
the corresponding end of the back of the berth or of an upright stancheon.
or post adjoining it, and I hinge to the front end of this hinged partition,
which thus forms one end of the two berths, a partition which when in
its place reaches as far as the transverse partition which divides the
entrance passage, as first described. The partition thus hinged to the
end of the berths is not made the full depth of the two
only made large enough to cover either the top or bottom
case may be (the partition hinged to one end of the berths covering the
front of the top berth and allowing access to the bottom one, and that
hinged to the other end covering the front of the bottom berth but
allowing access to the top one). The hinged bottoms of the berths rest
when in use upon supports fixed upon the hinged vertical ends of the
berths. When not in use the hinged bottoms are turned up, as already
described, and the hinged ends with the partitions jointed to them are
straightened out and folded back against the turned-up bottoms.
Bedding or other articles may be kept in the receptacle formed in this
way, which occupies very little space. The extreme outer edge of the
jointed partitions may be bolted or otherwise fixed (when the berths are
in use) to the vertical transverse partition which divides the entrance
passage, or to a stancheon or post at its end, and the hinged angle
between the end of the berth and the front partition may fit and be
áttached to another vertical stancheon or post suitably placed.
berth as the

page_text: In the accompanying. Drawings in Sheet I., Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2 an elevation (from the front) of two berths constructed
according to my Invention.
a is the ship's side, and 6, 61, is a passage formed between it and the
berths; c is a transverse partition dividing the passage, which has an.
entrance d at one end and d' at the other.. e is the back of the. berths.
parallel with the ship's sidea, and f, f¹, are the bottoms of the berths,.
which are hinged to frames carried by the back e and the stancheons g, g¹..
The ends of the berths are hinged to the adjoining stancheons h, h', and
when opened their outer edges fit against the stancheons i, i¹, and have
hinged to them again the vertical partitions k, k, the outer edges of
which fit against a stancheon at the inner edge of the partition c. The
partition k covers only the front of the lower berth, leaving access to the
upper berth, as shewn in Figure 2, whilst the partition ¹ covers only
the front of the upper berth, leaving access to the lower one.
Instead of the sets of berths being arranged as described above they'
may be arranged in any convenient position. Figure 3, Sheet I., shews:
them (in plan) arranged in sets parallel to the side of the ship a,
fff, &c., being the berths; Figure 4, Sheet I., shews another arrange-.
ment of the berths f,f,f, &c.
Sometimes I arrange each set of two berths one above the other, as
already described, opposite another and similar set so as to form a block.
of four berths, and I arrange a vertical partition between them which
(instead of the ship's side or the back of another set of berths) forms.
; the inner side of the entrance passages to the berths. This partition may.
be arranged so that a moveable table may be fitted to it, at which the
occupants of the berths may be messed or served with food. I prefer to
make this table run from end to end of the partition and be supported
by stancheons or posts at the extremities of the latter, and I make the
O two sides of the table turn upon hinges so that it can be folded up out
of the way when not in use, suitable openings (which may be closed.
with sliding or hinged doors) being made for the purpose in the trans-
verse partition dividing the passages. Or sometimes I make the table
fit and slide vertically upon the stancheons at the ends of the longi-
5 tudinal partition, so that it can be lifted completely out of the way when
not in use, part of the transverse partition being hinged so that it can
be removed when it is required to raise or lower the table.

page_text: Instead of fixed longitudinal and transverse partitions, as described,
for forming the passages I sometimes form them of canvas or other
flexible fabric. In this case I fix a central vertical stancheon at or near
the point where the partitions cross each other, and I make this
stancheon hollow or double so that a suitable piece of canvas can be
passed through. it, one end of which is hooked or fastened to a vertical
stancheon in front of the berths, and the other end to one of the vertical
stancheons forming the end of the longitudinal partition between the
two passages.
In Sheet II., Figure 5 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 6 is a
plan of four berths arranged in the position last described. Figure 7 is
a longitudinal section, and Figure 8 is a plan of the same berths folded
up when not in use. Similar letters of reference refer to the same parts
in the several Figures.
a, a, a, a, are the bottoms of the sleeping berths, which are shewn
made of wood, but which may be made of open metal work or other
material if preferred, and may also have a longitudinal hinged joint
along their middles so that they may be doubled up
into a smaller space.
These bottoms are hinged at b, b, b, b, to frames carried by the backs c, c',
of the berths and the vertical stancheons d, d³, d², d³. The ends of the
berths e, e¹, e², e³, are hinged (as in the arrangement first described) to
the stancheons f, f¹, f, f³, and have hinged to them the front partitions
9, 9ª, 9², 9³, which extend when in use to the stancheons i, i¹, at the ends
of the transverse partition h, which (like the rest of the construction) is
shewn so made as to allow the free passage of air for ventilation. The a
longitudinal partition k divides the space between the sets of berths into
two passages which are again divided by the transverse partition / so as
to form recesses or dressing rooms m, m³, m³, m³; that marked m giving
access to the upper berth n, and m¹ to the lower berth n¹, m² to the
upper berth n³, and m³ to the lower berth n³.
When the bottoms are turned up and the hinged ends and partitions
turned back against them, as shewn in Figures 7 and 8, free access and
ventilation are afforded to all parts of the ship. o is a table accommo-
dating the users of both sets of berths, and shewn hinged so that it can
be turned up out of the way when desired (as shewn in Figures 7 and 8), 3
a suitable opening being left in the transverse partition h and provided
with sliding doors p, p¹. The hinged ends of the berths are shewn
provided with ventilating louvre boards, and the backs and fronts of the

page_text: berths are shewn so constructed that air has free passage through them,
and if desired one or more of the boards forming the backs of the berths
may be made hinged or sliding so as to provide for still greater
ventilation. The sides of the berths and partitions are shewn supported
by the several stancheons, and neither reaching to the deck above nor.
to that below. The whole construction can be very readily and cheaply
fixed, removed, or replaced when necessary.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which it is
to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim the
arrangement of ships' berths so that the upper and lower berths may be
entered from different parts of the ship's deck respectively, a mode of
arrangement which I am aware has been used and practised for more
than twenty years; but I claim,—
The general arrangement of ships' berths, substantially as described
and shewn in the Drawings.
Also the methods of folding up the several parts of such berths, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described and shewn in the Drawings.
Also the methods of ventilating such berths, substantially as described
and shewn in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
THOMAS JOHNSON.
(LS)
THOMAS JOHNSON. (LS)