IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH SELF- LEVELLING BERTHS AND OTHER ARTICLES ON BOARD SHIP
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of Harris
and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH SELF-
LEVELLING BERTHS AND OTHER ARTICLES ON BOARD SHIP."
A com-
munication from abroad by John Calvin Thompson, of Brooklyn, in the
County of King's and State of New York, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th August 1881.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH SELF LEVELLING BERTHS AND OTHER ARTICLES
ON BOARD SHIP." A communication from abroad by John Calvin Thompson, of
Brooklyn, in the County of King's and State of New York in the United States of
America.
The Invention has for its object improvements in or connected with self levelling
berths and other articles on board ship, to prevent the said articles being deflected
from the horizontal by a person getting on to or off the same.
And the Invention relates to self levelling berths or other articles constructed
with a "pitch "frame and a "roll" frame working on centres of motion at right
angles to each other, and with a weight or weights attached to the lowermost of a
series of berths or other articles connected together, or to connections therefrom in
manner now well understood in order to cause the same always to remain in a
level position notwithstanding the pitching and rolling of the vessel. According
to the present Invention to the berths or other articles fitted as above described
are applied automatic locking apparatus, so arranged as not to interfere with the
motion of the "pitch" and "roll" frames on their axes, and yet securely to lock
the berths or other articles so that motion cannot be given to a connected series of
such articles by pressure applied to one or more thereof but less than the entire
number, thereby securing safety and comfort in their use.

page_text: For this purpose a "pitch" and "roll" strap of each pair of berths are connected
to levers fixed on separate axes, on each of which is formed or fixed a worm which
takes into a worm wheel, fixed on a shaft or axis running under or over a connected
series of berths.
Instead of employing worms and worm wheels as the locking means, screws and
nuts or other equivalent means may be employed for such purpose.
By these means as the vessel pitches and rolls, motion is given by the "pitch"
and "roll" frames, to the worms and worm wheels or to other equivalent locking
means, so that although the "pitch" and "roll" frames are free to work upon
their supporting pivots or axles they cannot move independently of each other,
nor can the series of berths be moved by any pressure being applied to any number
of them less than the entire series.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th February 1882.
"
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH SELF LEVELLING BERTHS AND OTHER ARTICLES
ON BOARD SHIP." A communication from abroad by John Calvin Thompson, of
Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State of New York, in the United States of
America.
The Invention has for its object improvements in or connected with self levelling
berths and other articles on board ship to prevent the said articles being deflected
from the horizontal by a person getting on to or off the same.
And the Invention relates to self levelling berths or other articles constructed
with a "pitch" frame and a "roll" frame working on centres of motion at right
angles to each other, and with a weight or weights attached to the lowermost of a
series of berths or other articles connected together, or to connections therefrom in
manner now well understood, in order to cause the same always to remain in a
level position notwithstanding the pitching and rolling of the vessel. According
to the present Invention I apply to the berths or other articles fitted as above
described automatic locking apparatus, so arranged as not to interfere with the
motion of the "pitch" and "roll" frames on their axes, and yet securely to lock
the berths or other articles so that motion cannot be given to a connected series of
such articles by pressure applied to one or more thereof, but to less than the
entire number, thereby securing safety and comfort in their use.
For this purpose a "pitch" and "roll" strap of each pair of berths are connected
to levers or separate axes, on each of which is formed or fixed a worm which
takes into a worm wheel fixed on a shaft or axis running under or over a connected
series of berths.
Instead of employing worms and worm wheels as the locking means, screws and
nuts or other equivalent means may be employed for such purpose.
By these means as the vessel pitches and rolls, motion is given by the " pitch"
and "roll" frames to the worms and worm wheels, or to other equivalent locking
means, so that although the "pitch" and "roll" frames are free to work upon their
supporting pivots or axles, they cannot move independently of each other, nor can
the series of berths be moved by any pressure being applied to any number of
them less than the entire series.
And in order that the said Invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings,
more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a pair and parts of an adjacent pair
of self levelling berths with the present Invention applied thereto. Figure 2 is an
end view of the same partly in section; Figure 3 is a sectional side view; Figure 4
is an end view; and Figure 5 is a plan of parts; and Figure 6 represents a slight
modification a, a, are roll" frames mounted on axes of motion a¹ working in
the bulkheads b; c, c, are "pitch" frames provided with axes of motion e¹ working

page_text: °
and lower “pitch” frames c, c, together; and ƒ, f, are “roll” straps connecting the
upper and lower "roll" frames a, a, together to secure the simultaneous and equal
motion of the said "pitch" and "roll" frames on their axes of motion.
If desired a "pitch" strap and a "roll" strap may be connected to each end
respectively of the said frames. The arrangement of parts above described forms
no part of the present Invention, but the present Invention consists in the
addition of automatic locking mechanism applied to the said "pitch” and “roll”
frames.
In carrying the Invention into effect I connect the "pitch" strap e at one end
of a berth to a lever g mounted on an axis of motion at g₁ carried by the bulk-
head b dividing two adjoining cabins A; this lever, by means of a link h, gives
motion to a lever i fixed to the axis j of a worm or screw j', which latter takes
into and gives motion to a worm wheel or segmental worm wheel k fixed on a
'pitch" shaft k.
s
I also, according to the present Invention, connect the "roll" strap ƒ at one end
of a berth by a link f¹ to a lever 7 fixed to the axis m of a worm or screw m²,
which latter takes into and gives motion to a worm wheel or segmental worm
wheel n' on a "roll" shaft n.
In carrying the Invention into effect the "pitch" and "roll" shafts may, as
shown in the Drawings, be made of such length as to lock the berths in two
adjacent cabins, in which case the shafts are short and conveniently handled, or
they may be made to extend along several cabins and serve to lock a larger series
of berths.
I would here remark that other locking means than those above described may
be employed; for instance, the arrangement represented in Figures 6 and 7 may be
adopted in which the worms and worm wheels before described are replaced by
screws and nuts, the latter giving motion to the shafts k and n through the short
levers k².
The worms and worm wheels for locking the pitch frames will be all
cut or otherwise formed in the same direction, as although the movements of the
ends of pitch frames in adjacent cabins are opposite to each other, the levers i
are in opposite directions, and therefore correct the motion, but the worms m¹
and worm wheels n¹ for locking the "roll" frames in adjacent cabins will be
formed alternately right handed and left handed, as although the movements of
the "roll frames" in adjacent cabins are alike, the levers are in opposite directions
to each other.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the mode in which
it is preferred to carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do
not claim as the present Invention the worm and worm wheels when employed in
combination with pendent weighted levers for giving motion to "pitch" and
"roll" frames, as such was described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to me dated June 26th, 1880, No. 2611, but what I do claim is,―
The combination with self levelling berths and other articles on board ship of
automatic locking means, substantially as berein shown and described, and for the
purpose stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.