Improvements in Life Rafts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1891-Accepted. 25th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life Rafts.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK PARRATT, of Church Crescent, in the City of
St. Albans and County of Hertford, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide certain fittings or appliances such as
deck seats which would be necessary for the comfort or convenience of passengers
or others carried on ocean going or other vessels constructed in such a manner that
on an emergency arising such as the destruction of the vessel these seats or
appliances can be quickly arranged and fastened together so as to form a raft or
float capable of supporting in the water a considerable number of persons.
In carrying out my invention I form a pontoon of convenient section (say of
U section) having its ends tapered or shaped like the bows of a boat the top being
covered or decked and the whole formed so as to be capable of being used as a
double deck scat the persons sitting thereon back to back; or this pontoon may be
divided down the centre into two halves capable of being placed on either side of a
skylight or hatchway and provided with bolts or devices for firmly and readily
connecting the two halves when required for use as the centre of a raft. At either
end or at convenient points in this pontoon seat I provide hinged spars or arms
standing normally alongside the pontoon and perpendicular to the deck seat but
when required for use in forming the raft lying horizontally across the pontoon and
the outer or lower arm projecting therefrom the inner or upper arm being lashed
bolted or fastened securely by any device to the top of the pontoon and to the upper
or inner arm of the hinged spar placed opposite to it or nearly so on the other side
of the pontoon seat.
For placing along bulwarks or in other convenient positions I provide seats of
the usual bench kind but having straight or perpendicular backs and having
where desirable housings fixed on the seats' tops in which the projecting ends of
the hinged spars will engage. Underneath the seat tops and occupying the space.
between them and the lower rails I place metal or other cylinders extending nearly
the length of these seats which I will call bulwark seats and which should be of a
similar length to the pontoon seat.
To form the raft the various seats are released from their lashings the pontoon
seat has its spars sprung up and secured in their horizontal position; a bulwark
seat is then placed on either side of the pontoon and the projecting ends of the
spars are passed into the housings in the bulwark seats which face inwardly to the
pontoon and are firmly secured by any well known mechanical device or by lashings.
A deck may be formed by loose spars or boards or the raft is complete without.
The backs of the bulwark seats now form the sides of the raft and end pieces may
be provided to protect the ends of the raft. Rowlocks may be conveniently
attached by chain or otherwise ready for fitting into sockets formed in or on the
backs of the bulwark seats and eyes, rings, bolts or other devices secured where
found desirable for the purpose of engaging with the usual launching tackle.
It will be seen that on the two side or bulwark seats being attached face to face
to the central pontoon seat a large raft is at once formed in a very short space of
time from the usual deck fittings.
Dated this 28th dor of Annil 1000
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life Rafts.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK PARRATT, of Church Crescent, in the City of St. Albans
and County of Hertford, 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:-
The object of my invention is to provide certain fittings or appliances such as
deck seats which would be necessary for the comfort or convenience of passengers
or others carried on ocean going or other vessels constructed in such a manner that
on an emergency arising these seats or appliances could be quickly arranged and
fastened together so as to form a raft or float capable of supporting in the water a
considerable number of persons.
In carrying out my invention I form a pontoon of convenient section (say of
U section) having its ends tapered or shaped like the bows of a boat the top being
covered or decked and the whole formed so as to be capable of being used as a
double deck seat the persons sitting thereon back to back; or this pontoon may be
divided down the centre into two halves capable of being placed on either side of a
skylight or hatchway and provided with bolts or devices for firmly and readily
connecting the two halves when required for use as the centre of a raft. At either
end or at convenient points in this pontoon seat I provide hinged spars or arms
standing normally alongside the pontoon and perpendicular to the deck seat but
when required for use in forming the raft lying horizontally across the pontoon and
the onter or lower arm projecting therefrom the inner or upper arm being lashed
bolted or fastened securely by any device to the top of the pontoon and to the
upper or inner arm of the hinged spar placed opposite to it or nearly so on the
other side of the pontoon seat.
For placing along bulwarks or in other convenient positions I provide seats of
the usual bench kind but having straight or perpendicular backs and having where
desirable housings fixed on the seats tops in which the projecting ends of the
hinged spars will engage. Underneath the seat tops and occupying the space
between them and the lower rails. I place metal or other cylinders extending
nearly the length of these seats which I will call bulwark scats and which should
be of a similar length to the pontoon seat.
The
To form the raft the various seats are released from their lashings the pontoon
seat has its spars sprung up and secured in their horizontal position; a bulwark seat
is then placed on either side of the pontoon and the projecting ends of the spars
are passed into the housings in the bulwark seats which face inwardly to the pontoon
and are firmly secured by any well known mechanical device or by lashings. A
deck may be formed by loose spars or boards or the raft is complete without.
backs of the bulwark seats now form the sides of the raft and end pieces may be
provided to protect the ends of the raft. Rowlocks may be conveniently attached
by chain or otherwise ready for fitting into sockets formed in or on the backs of
the bulwark seats, and eyes rings bolts or other devices secured where found
desirable for the purpose of engaging with the usual launching tackle.
It will be seen that on the two side or bulwark seats being attached face to face
to the central pontoon seat a large raft is at once formed in a very short space of
time from the usual deck fittings.
In place of the foregoing method of constructing my deck scats capable of being
formed into a life saving raft or pontoon I may without departing from the spirit
of my invention construct such seats and secure them together to form a raft in a
variety of ways and with different devices for fastening or securing the parts, but 1
prefer the following manner which I have illustrated in the accompanying sheet of
drawings referring to which
•
Figure 1 is a view of the central pontoon or deck seat adapted for placing in a
central or other convenient position in the deck of a vessel and intended for the

page_text: accommodation of persons sitting back to back, such seat being lashed or otherwise
secured to the deck.
Figure 2 is a view of a side or bulwark seat fitted with pontoon and intended to
be lashed or secured by fastenings readily released to the bulwarks or other
convenient parts of a vessel.
Figure 3 is a view of my pontoon life raft with the several parts in position and
ready for launching or swinging by davits over the side of the vessel.
Figure 4 shows details of one method of securing the side pontoon seats to the
central pontoon seat so as to form the raft.
The central pontoon A (Figures 1 and 3) is formed of sheet metal and may be
divided into compartments by transverse partitions capable of carrying stores,
provisions or water, open on top and covered by flaps or lids B or rigidly covered
by metal in a similar manner as the ends C C. I prefer to deck or cover this
pontoon with wood or other suitable material which forms the seat and allows of
flaps lids or covers B being formed and hinged therein and thereto and furthermore
permits of gratings or platforms D D being hinged and hung on either side which
when in position on the raft extend over the side seats or pontoons and assist in
securing the same to the central pontoon. At each end of these gratings or
platforms I may secure a strong bearer or stretcher E corresponding (see Figure 4)
to similar stretcher E¹ extending across each end of central pontoon and carrying
loops FF fixed in centre and plates G G attached to the sides.
To the bearers E E I fix hinged straps H H one arm being screwed or otherwise
secured to the bearer or stretcher E E and the other having slots or holes therein
taking over the loops F F and allowing same to pass through and be secured by
pins II which may be hung to short chains so as to be always at hand when
required to secure straps in position. When the central pontoon is secured to the
deck and is being used as a seat or otherwise these gratings or platforms hang down
and are secured against the sides of the pontoon as shown on left hand side of
Figure 1. The right hand platform being shown raised and with hinged straps
in position ready to be passed over the pontoon of one of the side or bulwark
seats.
The side or bulwark pontoon seats are formed of a metal pontoon A' such as shown by
Figure 2 resting in or on a wooden framing J J and is provided with a back rest K
which forms a side to the raft when in position. Flaps L L may be hinged to the
back capable of extending half way across the raft when formed and acting as
guards. These side pontoons may be decked with wood or other suitable material
on which are secured clamps or housings such as M M to receive the end
bearers EE carried by the central pontoon A and forming part of the hanging
gratings or platforms D D hinged thereto. Life lines N N N may be secured to
the backs or outsides of these side seats for persons to grasp and so support
themselves when the raft is in the water in addition to those carried on the deck of
the raft.
1.
The bottoms of the various seats or pontoons may be provided with rollers or
castors so that they may be readily run into position and to any part of the deck.
On an emergency arising or when it is desired to construct the life raft for
exercise or use the pontoon seats are released from their lashings and the hanging
platforms or gratings raised into position as shown on right hand side of Figure 1 and
the centre fastenings F, G, H, I secured.
The side seat pontoons are then run one on either side and the bearers E E
secured under the clamps or housings M M. The end flaps L L are opened across
the raft and bolted or otherwise secured in position. The raft is now ready for
launching but may have rigidity given to it by the use of further stretchers and
clamps. It may be slung overboard by the davits for which purpose provision is
made for engaging the hooks and falls attached thereto or may be run along the
deck and launched from the side or floated off.
Rowlocks are provided for steering or rowing and a mast may be stepped to.
carry a sail.

page_text: It will be seen that each separate pontoon seat forming portions of my life saving
raft may have every requisite for connection with the other portious attached to
it so that the several pontoon seats may if necessary be separately thrown on
emergency into the water and then when towed or brought together or alongside
each other be readily and easily formed into a raft whilst afloat.
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 I
claim is
1. For use in vessels, pontoon deck seats such as herein described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings adapted for readily constructing life
rafts.
2. The life raft substantially as described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 28th day of January 1891
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.