Improvements in Ships' and other Berths.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 189!-Accepted, 25th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' and other Berths.
I THOMAS KENDRICK, of Summer Lane, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
My invention has reference to sleeping berths used on board ships, in hospitals
and other places and consists of the improvements in the said berths hereinafter
described; the said improvements having for their object to facilitate the folding up
of the berth when not in use in such a manner as to leave sufficient space for the
bedding between the raised part of the berth and the vertical surface constituting
the rear or back of the berth.
I will describe my invention in connection with a ship's berth. In constructing
a berth according to my invention I divide the frame of the berth longitudinally
into two unequal parts which I joint together by hinge joints; the smaller part is
stationary being fixed to the bulkhead and the larger part is capable of motion
through a quadrant. The stationary part is fixed in a horizontal position to the
bulkhead and the movable part is capable of turning from a horizontal position
into a vertical position. The fixed smaller part of the frame of the berth extends
seven or eight inches from the bulkhead and when the larger part jointed thereto
is out of use and is turned up from a horizontal into a vertical position the folded
berth only projects some seven or eight inches from the bulkhead.
In fixing the berth pieces of angle iron may be attached to the bulkhead by
screws or otherwise, the horizontal web of the said pieces of angle iron constituting
ledges to which the stationary part of the berth is fixed by bolts or otherwise.
The frame of the berth may be made of angle iron, wood or other material and is
provided with sacking as usual. When the framing is made of tubing or rods I
prefer to fix it to the bulkhead by means of eyes or short brackets attached to the
bulkhead by screws or otherwise. In this case I prefer also to connect the ends of
the fixed part of the framing to the partitions of the cabin by means of similar eyes
or short brackets.
The movable portion of the berth may be supported when in a horizontal
position by pillars or stanchions jointed to the front of the frame or by projections
on the ends of the front bar of the frame of the berth taking into supports fixed at
the required height on the partitions of the cabin.
I prefer to employ butt hinges in jointing the frames of berths made of angle
iron and rule joint hinges in jointing frames made of tubes or rods, but I do not
limit myself to the use of any particular kinds of joints.
Dated this 26th day of September 1890.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' and other Berths.
I THOMAS KENDRICK, of Summer Lane, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my 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 has reference to sleeping berths used on board ships, in hospitals
and other places and consists of the improvements in the said berths hereinafter

page_text: described; the said improvements having for their object to facilitate the folding up
of the berth when not in use in such a manner as to leave sufficient space for the
bedding between the raised part of the berth and the vertical surface con-
stituting the rear, or back of the berth.
I will describe my invention in connection with a ship's berth. In constructing
a berth according to my invention I divide the frame of the berth longitudinally
into two unequal parts which I joint together by hinge joints; the smaller part is
stationary being fixed to the bulkhead and the larger part is capable of motion
through a quadrant. The stationary part is fixed in a horizontal position to the
bulkhead and the movable part is capable of turning from a horizontal position
into a vertical position. The fixed smaller part of the frame of the berth extends
seven or eight inches from the bulkhead and when the larger part jointed thereto
is out of use and is turned up from a horizontal into a vertical position the folded
berth only projects some seven or eight inches from the bulkhead.
In fixing the berth, pieces of angle iron may be attached to the bulkhead by
screws or otherwise, the horizontal web of the said pieces of angle iron constituting
ledges to which the stationary part of the berth is fixed by bolts or otherwise. The
frame of the berth may be made of angle iron, wood or other material and is
provided with sacking as usual. When the framing is made of tubing or rods I
prefer to fix it to the bulkhead by means of eyes or short brackets attached to the
bulkhead by screws or otherwise. In this case I prefer also to connect the ends
of the fixed part of the framing to the partitions of the cabin by means of similar
eyes or short brackets.
The movable portion of the berth may be supported when in a horizontal position
by pillars or stanchions jointed to the front of the frame or by projections on the
ends of the front bar of the frame of the berth taking into supports fixed at the
required height on the partitions of the cabin.
I prefer to employ butt hinges in jointing the frames of berths made of angle iron
and rule joint hinges in jointing frames made of tubes or rods, but I do not limit
myself to the use of any particular kinds of joints.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in plan a ship's berth, in its
turned down or horizontal position, constructed according to my invention, the
berth frame being made of angle iron, and Figure 2 represents the same in cross
section drawn to a larger scale, with the larger longitudinal part of the frame raised
into a vertical position; Figure 3 represents in plan and Figure 4 in cross section,
drawn to a larger scale, a ship's berth (without the sacking) of the same construc-
tion as that represented in Figures 1 and 2 but the berth frame is made of tubing
or rods. The berth frame Figures 3 and 4 is represented in its turned down or
horizontal position and the larger movable part of the same is indicated in its
raised position in Figure 4. The cross section Figure 4 is taken on the line A. B
Figure 3.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
In each of the figures of the drawing the smaller fixed part of the longitudinally
divided berth. frame is marked a, a², a and the larger movable part of the berth
frame. is marked b, 62, 62, the part b, 62, 62 being capable of motion through a
quadrant upon the ends a², a² of the fixed part of the frame. The two unequal
longitudinal parts a a² a² and b 262 of the berth frame are connected together in
the case of the angle iron frame Figures 1 and 2 by means of the butt hinges
at cc and in the case of the frame of tubing or rods Figures 3 and 4 by means of
the rule joint hinges at dd.
The fixed portion a a² a² of the angle bar frame Figures 1 and 2 is secured to the
bulkheade and the divisions ff of the cabin by means of the screw plates at gg
and the movable part bbb²² of the said angle bar frame when depressed into a
horizontal position is supported in that position upon the ledges or angle plates h h
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 secured to the divisions ff of the cabin. The
fixed part a a² a² of the tubing or rod frame Figures 3 and 4 is attached to the

page_text: bulkhead e by the brackets ii on which the junction pieces of the said fixed part
of the frame are supported and to which they are bolted at k as illustrated in the
enlarged view Figure 4. The movable part. 662 62 of the tubing or rod frame is
supported in its turned down or horizontal position by its corner pieces seating
themselves in nearly semi-circular seats or sockets 11 fixed to the divisions ff of the
cabin but the movable part of both arrangements of berth frames may be supported
in other ways for example by eyes or clips or by pillars or stanchions jointed to
the front of the frame. When the larger movable part b 62 62 of the berth frame
is turned upwards on its hinges at c c or d d into a vertical position out of use as
represented in Figure 2 and indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4 sufficient space is
left for the bedding between the raised part of the frame and the vertical surface
of the bulkhead or back of the berth the said bedding being supported on its edge
by the fixed horizontal part of the frame.
The berth frame may be made of wood instead of angle iron or tubing or rods as
described and represented.
Although I have represented the best means with which I am acquainted of
hinging or jointing the unequal longitudinal parts of the berth frame together so
as to permit of the larger movable part having motion through a quadrant upon the
fixed smaller part and also of connecting the fixed part to the cabin or place in
which it is used and for supporting the movable larger part in its normal or hori-
zontal position yet I do not limit myself thereto as the details I have referred to
may be varied without departing from the nature of my invention.
My improvements may be applied to sleeping berths used in hospitals and other
places but they are particularly applicable to ships' berths as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention of " Improvements in ships' and other berths
"
:―
Constructing the berth frame of two unequal longitudinal parts the smaller part
being fixed to the bulkhead or other support and the other larger part being hinged
or jointed to the said fixed smaller part so that the said larger part is capable of
motion through a quadrant for turning down or folding up the berth the said larger
movable part when folded or turned up into a vertical position out of use projecting
from the bulkhead or rear of the cabin or place such a distance as to leave sufficient
space for the bedding between the said raised part of the berth frame and the bulk-
head or rear of the place in which the berth is situated substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 25th day of June 1891.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.