Improvements in the Construction of Life-boats, also in adapting parts of the same for use as Rafts or Life-buoys.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Life-boats, also in adapting
parts of the same for use as Rafts or Life-buoys.
I, JAMES GALLAUCHER, of 23 Hyndland Street, Partick, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Boat Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in life-boats, and consists in making the
boats, which are of steel, iron, or other suitable metal, in two parts, a lower part and
an upper part. The boat is so constructed that when not in use the upper part can
be pushed or slid down so that it lies inside of the shell or lower part of the boat
and thus takes up less room. When the boat is to be used 'the upper part is slid or
The boat
pushed up, and is kept in position by stanchions or by other means.
where the two parts are connected is so constructed as to be water-tight. In order
to strengthen the boat a belting of wood is fixed on each side and spars placed
athwart which also serve the purpose of foot spars. The thwarts are or may be
made moveable, and may work in rods fixed to the side of the boat.
At the bottom of the boat there are placed portable water-tight compartments,
and to protect these from injury by passengers or crew they are covered over with
loose spars of wood. To each of these compartments there are attached life-saving
rods, so that in the event of the boat becoming a total wreck passengers or crew
could still retain hold of these tanks and thus keep themselves afloat.
Lashed underneath the thwarts there may be tanks provided with straps so that
in the case of wreck they could be formed into a raft..
Dated this 11th day of Anril 1800
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Life-boats, also in adapting
parts of the same for use as Rafts or Life-buoys.
I, JAMES GALLAUCHER of 18 Hyndland Street, Partick, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Boat Builder, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in life boats and consists in making the
boats (which are of steel, iron, wood, or other suitable metal or material) in two
parts, a lower part and an upper part. The boat is so constructed that when not
in use the upper part can be pushed or slid down so that it lies inside of the shell
or lower part of the boat, and thus takes up less room.
When the boat is to be
used the upper part is slid. or pushed up, and is kept in position by stanchions or
by other means. The boat where the two parts are connected is so constructed as
to be watertight. In order to strengthen the boat a belting of wood may be fixed
on each side.
At the bottom of the boat there are placed portable watertight compartments,
and to protect these from injury by passengers or crew they are or may be covered
over with loose spars of wood. To each of these compartments there are attached

page_text: life-saving rods or lines so that in the event of the boat becoming a total wreck,
passengers or crew could still retain hold of these tanks and thus keep themselves
afloat.
Lashed underneath the thwarts there may be tanks provided with straps so that
in the case of wreck they could be formed into buoys or rafts.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect I have hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, in the several
figures of which corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of
reference.
Figure 1ice lan
Figure 4 is a transverse section.
Figure 5 is a separate view of a double tank constituting a raft.
A is the lower part or shell of the boat; and B is the upper part which lies
inside the shell when not in use, and so takes up considerably. less room.
When the boat is to be used, the upper part B is raised by means of ordinary
block and tackle on davits, and it is kept in position by means of stanchions E
attached to rods D fixed to each side of the bottom of the boat, or by any other
convenient means, as shown in Figure 3. In order to keep the boat watertight a
strap of india-rubber F, or other suitable material is placed all round the boat
where the two parts A. and B fit into one another.
The boat has a covered den O at each end which lie inside of the upper
part B when the boat is not required for use, and when the boat is to be
used these dens are raised by means of the block and tackle as herein before
described.
In order to give the boat a better hold in the water, each side of the shell A
has hinged to it an additional part G, one of which is provided with projections H,
and the other with slots I which fit into one another, so that when the boat is
not required for use these additional parts lie close up against the bottom of the
boat by means of levers J which pass through the bottom of the boat, and
when the boat is about to be used these additional parts are made to meet one
another at a point (as shown in Figure 4), thus giving the boat a greater depth
and so a better hold in the water.
In order to strengthen the boat, a belting of wood K is or may be fixed all
round the outside of it.
M are watertight compartments or tanks, provided with life-saving rods N
which are placed loosely at the bottom of the boat; and to protect these from
injury by passengers or crew each pair is or may be covered over with strips of
wood and hinged thereto, so that in the event of the boat becoming a total wreck
these tanks would form rafts or buoys, to which the passengers or crew could
hold on, as seen more particularly at Figure 5.
There are or may be lashed underneath the thwarts L tanks M, provided with
life-saving rods N, which could also be formed into rafts in the case of total
wreck.
These tanks are or may be provided with man-holes, so that water, food,
clothing, etc. can be placed therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved life-boats constructed generally as described and shown on the
annexed drawings.
2. The combination in a boat suitable for use as a life-boat, of an upper and a
lower part, the lower part capable of being raised and lowered and retained in
position by means of stanchions, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and shown on the annexed drawings.

page_text: 3. The combination in a boat suitable for use as a life-boat of an upper and a
lower part, and with the additional parts hinged to the shell, substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and shown on the annexed drawings.
Dated this 10th day of January 1891.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.