Improvements in Navigable Safety Rafts.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Navigable Safety Rafts.
I, WASHINGTON HUDSON, of "Kempscote," Coleraine Road, Westcombe Park,
in the County of Kent, Patent Expert, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is for the greater security of life and property in
all cases of shipwrecks.
This invention consists in constructing all upper or overdeck cabins and certain
other portions of a ship into one or more safety rafts, resting on or secured to
the deck by suitable means so that these rafts can be instantly or automatically
released from the ship when sinking.
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These safety rafts may be constructed to suit existing ships with slight
alterations, or to new vessels; in either case these rafts would be more or less
flat bottomed to agree with the deck of the ship.
These safety rafis may form in one case the captains bridge and deckhouses,
in another case deck saloons, upper decks, or other portions of the ship.
Each safety raft is provided with air and watertight double bottoms, sides, and
compartments and lockers for preserving the post bags and any other valuable
property also supplies of food, water, sails, masts, ours, rudder, life belts and all
necessary gear for navigating the raft when detached from the ship..
The detaching arrangements consist of pins, or bitts, attached to the deck of
the ship and fitting into suitable sockets in the rafts and may be also rigidly
secured by slip chains and levers by means of which the rafts can be instantly
disengaged ready for the automatic separation as the ship sinks and leaves the
rafts floating quite independent and ready for rigging up as separate crafts, each
raft being completely equiped for navigating, also provided in some cases with
means of propulsion in addition to the sails and masts.
Dated this Second day of June 1899.
☐
Improvements in Navigable Safety Rafts.
I, WASHINGTON HUDSON, of "Kempscote," Coleraine Road, Westcombe Park,
in the County of Kent, Engineer and Patent Expert, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is for the greater security of life and property in
all cases of shipwreck. This invention consists in constructing all upper or over
Price i

page_text: cabins and certain other upper portions of a ship into one or more safety rafts,
resting on, or secured to the deck by suitable means so that these rafts can be
instantly or automatically released from the ship when sinking.
These safety rafts may be constructed to suit existing ships with slight altera-
tions or to new vessels in either case these rafts would be more or less flat
bottomed to agree with the deck of the ship.
These safety rafts may form in one case the captain's bridge and deck houses.
In another case deck saloons and upper decks or other portions of the ship.
Each safety raft is provided with airtight and watertight double bottoms, sides,
and compartments or lockers for preserving the post bags and any other valuable
property also supplies of food, water, sails, masts, oars, rudder, lifebelts, and all
necessary gear for navigating the raft when detached from the ship.
The detaching arrangements consist of bollards, pins, or bits attached to the
deck of the ship and fitting into suitable sockets in the raft. The raft is also
rigidly secured by slip chains and levers, by means of which the rafts can be
instantly disengaged, ready for the automatic separation as the ship, sinks, and
leaves the rafts floating, quite independent and ready for rigging up as separate
rafts, each raft being completely equipped for navigation. Also provided in some
cases with means of propulsion.
Each safety raft is independent of the others.
Bollards, pins, or bits, are secured to the deck which fit loosely into sockets
in the safety rafts which hold the raft firmly in position.
One or more levers are arranged so as to instantly slip or disengage the raft
ready for the automatic separation as the ship sinks and leaves the raft floating
as a separate craft which can then be rigged up from the stores stowed away in
the lockers and compartments.
In the accompanying drawings the same letters denote like parts.
Sheet 1, Fig. 1. Shows a general view of a ship fitted with upper portion or
saloons A, A, and B representing the safety rafts.
Sheet 2, Fig. 2. Shews a cross section of one half of one of these rafts lifted
slightly above the deck of the ship.
C, is one of the bollards, or pins, and D, is the socket into which it enters.
E, E, etc. are the watertight compartments. F, F, are the lockers, also
forming seats. G, G, are cupboards for stowing away the hammocks shewn
stretched across at H, H, and supported by the column I. J, J, are the bulwarks.
K, K, the staircase leading from saloon to upper deck. L, is one of the windows,
or ventilators. M, is a sky-light and seat etc. N, N, is the deck of the ship.
Sheet 3, Figs. 3, & 4, are two views of a safety raft before leaving the ship
and forms the captain's bridge B, B, is the outline of the raft proper 0, 0, covered
ends which would contain the detaching gear described in Figs. 6 & 7. The
supports P, P, are secured to the ship and are left behind, when the raft floats off
the ship. Q, is a seat formed out of, or in front of, the raft. P, P¹, are openings
to allow of passing from one side to the other. N is the deck of the ship.
Fig. 5 shews one of the saloon safety rafts, A, floating, detached from the ship,
and equipped for navigation with all the appliances, taken from the lockers
described in Fig. 2. E, E, are the water-tight compartments. R, R, etc. are
the sails. F, F, are lockers and seats in the side galleries. J, J, the bulwarks.
T, T, are iron water tight doors. U, is the covering or hatchway over staircase.
Sheet 4, Figs. 6 & 7 are enlarged views of one of the disengaging levers. V is
the lever held in safe position by the chain W, and when unhooked from this
lever, the lever can be moved so as to release the main chain X, which is attached
to the ships deck. The lever V, is pivotted at Y, on a strong base, Z, with
opening for chain.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
First. The construction of navigable safety rafts forming independent parts

page_text: of a ship, and having airtight and water tight compartments for buoyancy, stores,
and valuables, also capable of being rigged up as navigable crafts or safety rafts
as described and set forth.
Second. The means of holding latterally without interfering with the releasing
of the safety rafts, from the ship by a series of bollards, or pins, and sockets, as
described and set forth.
Third. The means of securing and instantly disengaging the safety rafts as
described and set forth.
Dated this Thind dow of anal 1000