Improved Means for Preventing Oscillation of Saloons, Turrets, and similar Structures on Board Ship.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improved Means for Preventing Oscillation of Saloons, Turrets, and
similar Structures on Board Ship.
I; GEORG LUDWIG VON BESSERER, of Thalfingen, Neu Ulm in the Kingdom of
Bavaria and German Empire, Gentleman, 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:-
To this
This Invention relates to improved means having for object to prevent the com-
munication to saloons turrets or like structures on board ship of the rolling or
oscillating motion to which a ship is exposed by the action of the waves.
end the saloon or like structure in lieu of being rigidly fixed on the ship's deck is
suspended in a position of stable equilibrium and has connected to it two heavy bodies
which are dragged or travel under the water one on each side of the ship at such a
depth as not to be affected by waves or surface movements of the water and which
serve to maintain the saloon or other structure in a horizontal position.
In the accompanying drawings figure 1 is a cross section and figure 2 a plan view
showing the invention applied to the saloon of a ship.
On the ship's deck are secured two standards a connected by a cross bar / from
which the saloon c is suspended by the chains d. To each side of the saloon c are
attached wire ropes or chains e which pass over guide pulleys on the ship's deck and
side and terminate in the cigar shaped bodies ff. The latter resemble what are known
in angling as "otters ;" and according to the rate of the ship's motion they take a
more or less oblique position lying outwards from the sides of the ship and aft of
the points of attachment to the saloon. The bodies ff are immersed in the water at
a considerable depth and are so heavy that they remain at a relatively uniform depth.
The wire ropes é are attached to the underside of the saloon which being freely
suspended is always maintained, by the strain on the ropes e, in an approximately
horizontal position. During storms and in like circumstances the saloon or other
structure may be secured by fastening the wire ropes to hooks, in which case the
structure moves with the ship; and in port the bodies, may be heaved up and
secured to the ship's side. The saloon having attached to it the bodies may also
be made to serve as a life boat which owing to the action of the bodies f,, cannot be

page_text: upset. The invention is also applicable to warships the suspended structure being
used as a platform on which owing to the comparative absence of oscillation large
and small guns may be placed and aimed and fired with precision.
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 1
claim is :-
1. In a ship a saloon or structure (c) freely suspended from standards (a) and
having attached to both sides chains or ropes (e) terminating in "otters" or
bodies ff immersed in deep water substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination with a saloon or like structure suspended on board ship the
" otters
or bodies f, f, attached thereto by ropes or chains and immersed at such
depth in the water as to prevent oscillation of the structure substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of March 1888.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.