Improvements in Self Levelling Berths.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM FOSDICK ALDRICH, of Providence,
Rhode Island, United States of America, Merchant.]
Improvements in Self Levelling Berths.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake and Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to berths for use in vessels and in supporting mechanism
for the same, whereby the said berth maintains its level as the vessel in which it is
supported rolls.
The berth is supported directly upon a controlling frame which is pivotally
engaged with the framework of the vessel or wall of the stateroom at a point above
the berth, but is supported at a point below the berth on a supporting frame itself
sustained by hangers pivotally connected with the wall of the stateroom or frame-
work of the vessel at two points one at each side of the longitudinal axis of the
berth.
The result of this construction is that when the vessel rolls the berth has a lateral
movement but remains in a substantially level position.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the supporting mechanism for a berth embodying
this invention, showing the supporting framework or end of the stateroom in
elevation the parts being represented in full lines in the position occupied when
the vessel is on an even keel, and in dotted lines in the position occupied when
the vessel has rolled to a considerable angle from the normal vertical position.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the berth showing a portion of the
supporting mechanism in dotted lines and
Figure 3 a detail showing a portion of the end of the berth and its supporting
mechanism and framework in longitudinal section.
с
The berth a Figure 2 which may be of usual shape and dimensions and is shown
as provided with a weight b distributed over its bottom, has at its ends transverse
shoulders c best shown in Figure 3, which rest upon a cross bar d Figures 1 and 3
of a controlling frame piece composed of said cross bar d and a vertical member d
the upper part of which is engaged at a point e with the stationary framework of
the vessel shown as the end A of the stateroom in which the berth is used, and is
pivotally connected at its lower end with a supporting frame f. The engagement
at the points e between the berth controlling framed and the stationary frame-
work A is merely such as to confine the said point of the frame d² from lateral
movement relative to the wall A of the stateroom, the portion of the frame d' being
slotted at d where it engages with the bolt or pin e so that the latter does not
sustain the franie d d but merely keeps its upper end in definite relation to the
wall A and in upright position over the lower point of support at d.
The said supporting frame f is itself supported upon two hangers g, a pivotally
connected at go with the wall A of the stateroom, so that said frame hangs upon
the lower ends of the suspending links go and moves bodily as the said links g²
turn on their pivots so that each point in the frame describes an are parallel with
the arc described by the lower end of each link about its supporting pivot 93 or *
as a centre.
The said frame and weight supported upon it tends to come by the action of
gravity to such a position as to cause the supporting links g g³ to hang vertically

page_text: The result of this construction is that when the vessel rolls, causing a movement
of the framework or end of the stateroom A from the full to the dotted line
position Figure 1 the points and e all move together from the full to the dotted
line position but the links og remain substantially vertical in such movement and
the point has a motion which is due partly to the bodily motion of the supporting
points 3g and is further due to the movement of the links g g about the said
supporting points owing to the fact that the said links remain about vertical under
the action of gravity.
The result of these two movements of the point d³ is such that the latter receives
mainly a lateral movement keeping the said point substantially vertically beneath
the point e at which the upper part of the berth supporting frame d d is engaged
with the wall of the stateroom, so that the said berth controlling frame remains
with the berth supporting arm d substantially horizontal during the entire movement,
as shown by the full and dotted lines Figure 1.
By this construction the berth partakes only slightly of the rolling motion of the
vessel remaining in substantially horizontal position and having only a lateral
movement without rocking about a longitudinal axis as is the case when the berth
is built into the vessel so as to partake of all its movements. The pivot pin e serves
to sustain the end thrust of the berth as the vessel pitches.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
The combination of a berth controlling frame pivotally engaged with the frame-
work of the vessel at its upper part and the berth supported thereon, with. a
supporting frame pivotally connected with the said berth controlling frame at its
lower part, and hangers for the supporting frame pivotally connected with the frame-
work of the vessel at their upper ends and with said supporting frame at their
lower ends, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 8th day of
1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.