Improvements in Raft Seats.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Raft Seats.
I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS, of 135 Fenchurch Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements on my raft seat for which I obtained
Her Majesty's Letters Patent No. 16,415, dated 13th December 1884.
In the Specification of my Patent, above cited, I mentioned, incidentally, that
the framings forming the seats and containing the air tight cases, chambers, or
pontoons, could be so arranged as to turn upon their hinges or joints for a instead
of for a of a circle.
I now purpose to construct a raft seat, in which the said framings and their
air-tight cases, chambers, or pontoons can be so caused to turn upon their hinges
or joints for of a circle, thereby giving to the raft seat increased sea board and
deck space.
For this purpose I dispense with the stops secured to the framings and working
in the quadrant grooves in the end frames of the body of the structure, as these
stops and grooves limited the travel of the said framings to a of a circle. By
thus dispensing with the said stops and grooves, the framings, together with their
air tight cases, chambers, or pontoons, are now able to turn upon their hinges or
joints for of a circle, and when so turned those portions of the framings which
(when in their folded condition) laid against or on the flooring or deck of the
raft now lie, when in their open or unfolded condition, in the same plane with the
deck or flooring of the raft. An extended surface is thus formed, as above stated,
and the said framings with their airtight cases, chambers, or pontoons thus enter
the water and thereby raise the deck or flooring of the raft seat above the level
of the water, thereby keeping the occupants of the raft above and out of the water.
By this improvement or arrangement I also further considerably increase the floating
power of the raft.
When the framings are revolved or turned, as above explained, they are retained in
position by any suitable fastening contrivances.
I furthermore provide and pivot the back rails of the seats between the end pieces
or frames of the structure so that said rails may be made to revolve for a of a
circle when the seat is opened or unfolded. to form a raft, and to thus form when
so revolved, bulwarks to the raft and stays or tie bars to increase the strength of
the structure.
I likewise provide a lining or folding contrivance of canvas, or waterproof fabric,
to keep the occupants of the raft as dry as possible. This contrivance is so arranged
that when unfolded it extends in an upward direction and surrounds the deck, it
reaches, by preference to the height of the bulwarks. When out of use this con-
trivance can be folded so as to lie flat upon the deck or flooring, and is hidden by
the framings forming the seats, when the apparatus is closed and in its seat form.
I may further provide a false back, as described in the Specification of my
British Letters Patent No. 3683 and this false back, when the apparatus is in its seat
form, conceals the pivotted back rails, and forms a compartment in which a mast, sails,
oars &c., may be stowed ready for use.
Dated this 8th day of January 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Raft Seats.
I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS, of 135 Fenchurch Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
:
My invention has for its object improvements on my raft seat for which I obtained
Her Majesty's Letters Patent No. 16415 dated 13th December 1884.
In the specification of my Patent above cited I mentioned, incidentally, that the
framings forming the seats and containing the air tight cases, chambers, or pontoons,
could be so arranged as to turn or revolve upon their hinges or joints for a half instead
of for a quarter of a circle.
I now purpose to construct a raft seat in which said framings and their air tight
cases, chambers, or pontoons are so arranged as to turn upon their hinges or joints
for a half of a circle, thereby giving to the raft increased sea-board and deck space.
For this purpose 1 dispense with the stops secured to the framings and working in
the quadrant grooves in the end frames of the body of the structure, as these stops
and grooves limited the travel of the said framings to a quarter of a circle or
revolution. By thus dispensing with the said stops and grooves the framings together
with their airtight cases, chambers, or pontoons are now able to turn or revolve upon
their hinges or joints for a half of a circle, and when so turned those portions of the
framings which, when in their folded position laid against the flooring or deck of the
raft, now lie when in their open or unfolded position, in the same plane with
the flooring or deck of the raft. An extended surface is thus formed, as above stated,
and the framings, with their air tight cases, chambers, or pontoons, when in the water
raise the flooring or deck above the level of the water and thereby tend to keep the
occupants of the raft above and out of the water. By this improvement I also
further considerably increase the floating power of the raft. When the framings
are turned or revolved, as above explained, they are retained in position by any suit-
able fastening contrivances.
I furthermore provide and pivot the back rails of the seats between the end
pieces or frame of the structure so that the said rails may be caused to revolve for
a quarter of a circle, when the seat is opened out or unfolded to form a raft, and
to thus form bulwarks to the raft and stays or tie-bars to increase tho strength or
rigidity of the structure.
I likewise provide a lining or folding contrivance of canvas, or waterproof fabric,
to keep the occupants of the raft as dry as possible. This contrivance is so arranged
that when unfolded it extends upwardly and surrounds the flooring or deck. By
preference, it extends up to the bulwarks. When out of use this contrivance can
be folded so as to lie flat upon the flooring or deck, and be hidden by the framings
forming the seats, when the apparatus is closed up and in its seat form.
I may further provide a false back as described in the Specification of my Patent
No. 36833, and which, when the structure is in its seat form conceals the pivotted
back rails and forms a compartment wherein a mast, sails, oars, etc., may be stowed
ready for use.
And in order that my invention may be readily understood I proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1. is a per-
spective view of my improved arrangement of raft seat closed and forming a seat,
and fig. 2, a perspective view of the same open and forming a raft.
A, A¹, are the airtight cases, chambers, or pontoons enclosed, as usual, in the
framings forming the seats, and which, according to my present improvements, are
capable of turning or revolving upon their hinges a¹, a¹, for half a circle, so that
when the raft is open these framings are partly submerged, and when the said
raft is afloat the floor or deck of the raft is raised above the level of the water,

page_text: and the occupants are kept above the water, an advantage not hitherto possessed
by any of my former constructions of raft seats. These framings, when revolved
outwards, are maintained in position by bars f, f1, pivotted to the floor or deck
and engaging with corresponding clips g, g', secured to the said framings.
C, C, are the back rails pivotted between the end pieces Z, Z, of the structure and
capable of being turned or revolved for a quarter of a revolution, in order that when
the structure is opened out they form bulwarks thereto and, at the same time, act as
stays or tie bars to strengthen the raft. When acting as bulwarks and tie bars they
are held in place by projections c, c¹, formed at their outer ends, entering sockets
or eyes d, d', fixed to the pieces Z, Z, as seen in Fig. 2.
D, is the lining or folding contrivance of canvas or suitable waterproof material.
It is secured in any suitable manner to the floor or deck, and is so arranged that
when unfolded it extends up to the rails C, C, and encloses and surrounds the
floor or deck, thereby forming an additional means for keeping the occupants of
the raft as dry as circumstances will permit. If desired, this contrivance, when
unfolded, may be secured to the rails by clips or other suitable means. It is shewn
folded by dotted lines in fig. 1, and unfolded by full lines in Fig. 2.
M, is a mast pivotted at m to the center tie bar R. When not in use it can be
revolved on its pivot and made to lie along side the bar R, so as to be out of the way,
but always at hand should occasion arise to necessitate its use.
The false back hereinbefore mentioned is shewn in perspective view fig. 3.
It is of course obvious that I could obtain the same advantage as regards keeping
the occupants of the raft above the level of the water by so hinging the framings,
containing the airtight cases, chambers, or pontoons, to the floor or deck, as to cause
them to turn or revolve for three quarters of a circle instead of for half a circle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. Arranging the framings, carrying the airtight cases, chambers, or pontoons, and
forming the seats proper, so that when the structure is opened out to form a raft
they depend below the level of the floor or deck and thereby cause said structure to
be raised above the level of the water, substantially as described, and as shown with
reference to fig. 2. of the accompanying drawings.
2. The pivotted back rails C, C₁, serving as bulwarks to the raft and as tie bars
or stays to strengthen the structure when the same is opened out, as described and
shown.
3. The employment and arrangement of the folding contrivance or lining D,
described and shewn and for the purpose set forth.
as
4. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
raft seat, as herein before described and as shewn with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 8th day of Oct 1000
ERNEST DE PASS,
68, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.