IMPROVEMENTS IN RAFTS
Year: 1884

page_text: We, THOMAS ARCHIBALD FISHER HALL, of Manor House, Millbrook, in the
County of Hants, Civil Engineer, and HENRY THOMAS CLANCHY of 71 Anglesea
Road, Shirley in the County of Hants, Commander in the Royal Navy, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAFTS" 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 improvements in rafts of the kind described in the
specification of former Letters Patent granted to us and bearing date the 28th day
of February A.D. 1884, Nº 4093.
In that specification there was described and shown a raft comprising a central
framework or structure and side flaps serving as decks, such side flaps being hinged
to the central framework or structure and being provided on their under surfaces
with flexible air tight vessels or chambers charged with gas or air from a reservoir
carried by the central framework or structure.
According to our present invention we employ a raft constructed substantially in
the manner described in the said former specification but in lieu of using flexible
air tight vessels or chambers as therein described, charged at will from a reservoir
or reservoirs when the raft is required to be used, we employ flaps rendered
buoyant by the attachment thereto of material such as cork or of rigid air tight
vessels or chambers formed of any suitable material such as copper or prepared
canvas and kept always charged with air or gas. In conjunction with a raft thus
constructed we employ lowering apparatus comprising ropes or chains and pulleys
so arranged that when the weight of the closed raft is thrown on to the lowering
pendants attached to davits, preparatory to launching the raft, the raft will bo
opened out automatically into the position it is to occupy when afloat.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings Fig 1 is an end
view of a raft embodying our invention and shewn open. Fig 2 is a plan of the
same. Fig 3 is a side view of part of the raft in its closed or collapsed condition
and Fig 4 a corresponding end view.
Fig 5 is a detached view shewing one of the stanchions in its lowered attitude
and also the abutment or stop piece.
Fig 6. is a. detached view shewing one of the stanchions in its upright attitude
and shewing also the abutment or stop piece whereby the stanchion is secured in
that altitudo,

page_text: a is the central framework or structure composed conveniently of upper and lower
longitudinal beams b. b united by vertical posts c. c, the whole forming the back-
bone of the raft which is intended to be vertical when in the water and to act as
a keel to the raft. c. e are side flaps or deck portions connected to the upper
beam by a series of hinges & the said flaps being so constructed as to form decks
for the support of persons and goods. k. kare rigid air tight vessels or chambers
(which may be constructed of copper or prepared canvas) secured to the under
surfaces of the flaps e. e. These vessels or chambers k. k are charged with air or
other gas or gases in any convenient manner and kept permanently so chargerl
their form and capacity being such as not to interfere with the closing or collapsing
of the raft. ' are cork fenders which may be employed if desired.
O. O are
In lieu of rigid air tight vessels picces of cork or such like material of similar
forms covered with canvas when desirable may in some cases bo employed. Ropes
or chains are provided at the sides for persons in the water to grasp.
chains or ropes secured to the lower portion of the central structure a and to the
flaps e. e or to the rigid air tight vessels or buoyant parts k. k to prevent the
descent of the central structure a and the throwing or collapsing upward of the
flaps e. e by the force of waves, whilst the ropes or chains p secured to the upper
surfaces of the Baps c. e and carried by posts or stanchions p' fixed with movable
hinges to the central structuro a prevent the said flaps from being thrown or
collapsed downwards. 9 9 are rods or travellers secured at their ends to the upper
parts of the flaps e. e.. On these rods or travellers are threaded rings or links of
the chains p so that when the posts or stanchions p¹ are folded down the raft can
be collapsed.
"
The posts or stanchions plare so pivotted to the central structure a that they
may be turned or rotated about their hinged or pivotted ends in a vertical plano
so as to lie lengthwise of the raft when the same is to be folded or collapsed for
stowage. The whole of the parts above described and lettered with the exception
of the rigid vessels or buoyant parts k. k and the rods q q are substantially the same
as the parts similarly lettered in the drawings accompanying the specification of
our former patent above referred to.
For the purpose of lowering or launching the raft and simultaneously opening
it we provide at each end an arrangement as follows:—
r. r are two ropes or chains each secured at one end to a rod bar or spreader
connected to a lowering pendant rope or chains by a hook and ring or equivalent
means. x is a fore and aft distance line or connecting rope the object of which
is to ensure that when the raft is collapsed at least one of the pairs of ropes or
chains, ¹, shall remain round it; in other words, the distance line is to prevent
the ropes or chains r, 1 of both ends being both slipped over the end or ends of
71 is
the collapsed raft at any one time; the other end of each ropo or chain ?,
connected to the top p* of the stanchion p' at that end of the raft.
Ench of the ropes or chains T. 7 passes round a sheave or pulley or other lead
at t connected to the corresponding flap e, and thence under one of two pulleys or
leads at these pulleys being connected to the central framework or structuro a.
Thence the respective ropes or chains pass to the top p* of the post or stanchion p¹.
With such an arrangement at each end of the raft it will be evident that supposing
the raft to rest in its closed state on a ledge or shelf and the pendants & (passing
over the pulleys of a pair of davits) to be pulled so as to raise the raft and throw
its weight upon r. r the effect will be to automatically open it out from the form
represented in Fig 4 into the form shewn in Fig 1. the posts or stanchions p¹ being
simultaneously raised to their upright positions as shown, whereupon the raft can
be swung outward from a ship or vessel carrying it and lowered to the surface of
the water ready for receiving any load as will be readily understood.
The abutment or stop pieces 2 are pivotted at 27 and connected by clips or
links 2 or otherwise to their respective stanchions p¹ so that when the stanchions
are in the upright attitude the abutment or stop pieces will lock the stanchions in
position as indicated in Fig 6. The clips or links ps during the upward movement

page_text: of the stancheons pl lift the abutment or stop piecos p until they are sufficiently
raised to fall over into contact with the stanchions plat which time the said clips
or links slip over the ends of the stop pieces pe and allow them to fall into the
position shown in Fig 6. Other means may be used to effect the same object.
Apparatus such as just described for lowering and simultaneously opening a raft
may be employed in rafts with collapsible air tight chambers according to our
invention described in specification No 4093 A.D. 1884. Also such an arrangement
of lowering and opening up apparatus in connection with a stanchion, fitted where
necessary in the form of a lever can be advantageously applied for expanding
collapsible boats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
1. In a raft the combination with a central framework or structure and side
flaps serving, when opened out, as decks, of rigid air tight vessels or chambers or
buoyant parts k. k such as hereinabove described in lieu of flexible air tight vessels
or chambers such as described in the specification of letters patent granted to us
the 28th day of February 1884 N° 4093.
2. A collapsible raft with central framework or structure and flaps or wings and
lowering or launching gear the wholo so constructed combined and arranged that
when the raft is suspended in the act of launching or lowering, its flaps or wings
shall be opened out and secured in their open positions by the action of the weight
of the raft upon the suspending ropes or chains substantially as hereinabove
described.
3. In a raft constructed with a central framework or structure having hinged or
connected thereto flaps that serve when opened out as decks, the use of ropes or
chains such as r, r¹, connected as described to the flaps to the central framework
or structure and to posts or stanchions that are pivotted or hinged to the central
framework or structure and are connected by other ropes or chains to the flaps,
the arrangement being such as to cause the flaps to open out, when the raft is
suspended by the ropes or chains r. r¹ as in the act of lowering or launching
substantially as described.
4. The improved raft with lowering and opening up apparatus constructed
arranged and operating substantially as hereinabove described with reference to
and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this eleventh day of November 1884.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Applicants' Agent.