IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF LIFEBOATS AND OTHER CRAFT, AND STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Elliot Henley, of 74, Shoe Lane, London,
E.C., Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF LIFEBOATS AND OTHER CRAFT, AND STEERING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 18th February 1876, and dated the 21st August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Elliot Henley.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st August 1875.
I, JOHN ELLIOT HENLEY, of 74, Shoe Lane, London, E.C., Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFEBOATS AND OTHER CRAFT, AND STEERING APPAratus,"
to be as follows:-
My improvements in part consist in constructing lifeboats, launches,
and other tendering craft with a view to make them light, insubmersible,
or unsinkable, self-righting, portable, folding, easy of stowage, and easy
for being put together. For these purposes I use a skeleton frame
embodying a keel made of wrought iron, steel, brass, or any other'
suitable material, which keel is provided with slots or mortises to
receive moveable or temporary ribs or beams, which when the craft iş

page_text: wanted can be built up in a few minutes, whatever number of boats may
be required on the occasion, and after the craft has done its service may
be taken asunder with the same facility, and stowed or packed away
either on board or land. Thus a large number of lifeboats or other
auxiliary craft so constructed can be kept ready in a very small compass
for immediate use on any emergency. The said ribs when inserted in
the keel are made fast by means of thumb screws, mortises, or any other
suitable device. The iron or other material used for the skeleton or
carcase of the boat may be of any of the usual patterns, such as T, angle,
tubular, and other cross sections, the main point being to ensure lightness
for carrying the boat, and buoyancy for floating it. Upon the ribs so
adjusted wooden thwarts or seats are then put in which fasten on the
ribs by means of forks and cross pieces, and these thwarts are further
braced by stay rods between them, and the ribs which connect and
steady the whole frame from end to end. Previously to this moveable
hinge folding bottom boards are inserted and secured to the ribs and
keel by means of thumb bolts or latches.
The next operation is to put or lower the said frame or skeleton of the
boat into a cover, case, or casing, made of strong watertight canvas,
which having the exact shape of the hull would float by itself even
without the support and help of the skeleton or carcase.
This case or
casing is then firmly secured to the upper ends of the ribs by laniets
through eyelets or holes at the extremity of the ribs.
In order to increase the buoyancy of the casing, tubes, cavities, or
t-spaces are provided on its outside perimeter, especially along the upper
portion of the craft, which are filled with air and cork or other buoyant
material or elements, and form as it were a floating belt to support a
heavy burden. The casing or cover may also be made of india-rubber or
macintosh material, but well impregnated sail cloth in single or double
thickness will be found to answer all practical purposes. The cover
or casing is " roped" all round so as to connect the ribs and form one
<.
complete hull.
Along the bottom of the casing a false keel is formed in the shape of
a sleeve or tube into which a rigid rod or bar is inserted, such as of steel,
iron, or wood, which can be pulled up in shallow water so as to be of no
inconvenience or hindrance.
At the stern of the hull casing an open sheath is provided into which
I slip and fasten a barrel or bush having nearly all its length down a

page_text: slot, and into this slot barrel I ship the rudder, which when so shipped.
is prevented from unshipping by means of a slide at the lower end of the
said slot, or a stop from the top of the rudder. The said slot barrel also.
carries lateral lugs for securely fastening it to the stern of the craft.
A cutwater made of sheet iron, wood, or other material is also inserted.
at the stem in a fold or flap stitched therefor in the casing.
The arrangement for shipping the rudder is a slot barrel or tube may
also be applied to ships and craft of all kinds, and three, more or less,
of these slot barrels may be fixed side by side to the stern for use in case
of accident to any of them.
When applied to ships the main slot barrel or "trunk way" as it may
be termed, not giving sufficient security and support to the immersed
portion of the rudder, I fix one or more additional small slot barrels on
the stern post of the ship, so as to receive the rudder post firmly and'.
securely, the bottom end or pivot of the same resting in a cup or foot-
step fastened to the stern post.
filed by the said John Elliot Henley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st February 1876.
JOHN
>
London, E.C., Gentleman, send
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
ELLIOT HENLEY, of 74, Shoc
greeting.
day of
,
1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the
in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, in the
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto him, the said John Elliot Henley, Her special
licence that he, the said John Elliot Henley, his executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as hc, the said John Elliot
Henley, his executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for 66
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFEBOATS AND OTHER CRAFT, AND
STEERING APPARATUS AND RUDDER SHIPMENT," upon the condition (amongst
others) that he, the said John Elliot Henley, his executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under his, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Elliot Henley, do hereby
declare the nature of his said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
•
For improvements in the construction of lifeboats and other craft, and
steering apparatus and rudder shipment, my improvements consist in part
in constructing lifeboats, launches, and other tendering craft, with a view
to make them light, unsubmersable, unsinkable, self-righting, portable,
folding up, easy of stowage, and quickly put together, or taken asunder.
For these purposes I use a skeleton frame made of wrought iron,
steel, brass, wood, or any other material. For extraordinary lightness
I use a basket frame in two, three, or more divisions, according to the
size required, which can be packed in each other in sections forming a
small package when required to be stowed away. For metal frames I
use a keel which a provided with slots or mortices to receive moveable
ribs or beams, which when the craft is wanted can be built up in a few
minutes, whatever number of boats may be required on the occasion,
and, after the craft has done its service, may be taken asunder with the
same facility, and stowed or packed away either on board.or on shore,
thus a large number of lifeboats or other auxiliary craft so con-
structed can be kept ready in a small compass for immediate use on
any emergency; the said ribs of any kind of metal fram when inserted
in the keel may be rivitted or fastened by means of thumbscrews in the
mortices of the keel or any other suitable device; the skeleton or
assembler may also be made in 1, 2, 3, or 4 sections, to be packed one
in the other, so at to take up little room, the iron or other material
used for the skeleton or assembler of the boat may be of any of
the usual paterns of iron, steel, or metal, such as T, angle, tubular, and
.

page_text: other cross sections, the main point being to ensure lightness for carry-
ing the boat and bouyancy for floating it. Upon the ribs so adjusted
wooden thoughts or seats are. then put in, which fasten on the. ribs
by means of cross pieces welded or rivitted to the ribs. One or more
stays are then fastened all round the boat from end to end to all the
ribs which connect and steady the whole fram from end to end. I
then insert moveable hinge bottom boards, and secure to the ribs and
keel by means of thumb bolts or latches.
The next operation is to put or lower the said frame or skeleton of
the boat into a cover, case, or casing, made of strong or light water-
tight canvas which having the same shape as the skeleton or hull fits
very accurately. In case of imergency the canvas cover will float
without the skeleton; the cover or casing is, when the skeleton is lowered
into it firmly secured to the upper ends of the ribs by landyards or
cords through eyelets or holes made fast to the ribs.
In order to increase the buoyancy of the casing, tubes, cavities, or
spaces are provided on its outside about the centre of the cover, all
round, filled with cork and air or other buoyant material or elements,
and form a floating belt to support a heavy burden, and forms a fender
all round as well as prevent the cover from sinking, or any person that
may be therein. The belt may be made a fixture or portable to take off
and pack away; the cover may also be made of india-rubber or
mackintosh material; but well impregnated sail. cloth, in single or
double thickness, will answer all practicable purposes.
The cover or
casing is roped all round to connect the ribs and form one complete hull;
the cover can also be made without roping.
Along the bottom of the casing is a false keel is formed in the shape
of a sleeve or tube, into which a rigid rod or bar is inserted, of iron or
wood or any other material which can be pulled up in shallow water so
as to be of no inconvenience; the cover may also be made without
a keel.
At the stern of the hull casing an open sheath is provided for the recep-
tion of a stot barrel for receiving the rudder, which when so shipped
is prevented from unshipping by means of a set screw pressing against
the rudder post and fastened to the stern of the boat. In most cases
I provide flanges made to suit the different crafts' sterns in lieu of the
sheath above-mentioned which fastens the slot barrel to the stern of the

page_text: boat, and a cutwater is formed to the boat by means of a cavity or
space provided on the stem of the cover, which is filled with wood or
any other material.
The arrangement for shipping the rudder in a slot barrel or tube
may also be applied to ships and crafts of all kinds with great advantage:
When applied to ships the main slot barrel or trunkway not giving
sufficient security and support to the immersed portion of the rudder,
I fix one or more additional smal slot barrels on the stern post of the
ship, so as to receive the rudder post firmly and securely, the bottom
end or pivot of the same resting in a cup foolstep fastened to the
stern post..
I apply the rudder shipment also to all classes of crafts; wooden
rudders can easily be fixed without a rudder post, in lieu of which I fix
two sliding T irons on the rudder which travels up and down the slot
barrel which is fixed to the stern post of the craft; by this means the
rudder is shipped or unshipped in a monent of time.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Elliot Henley, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six.
· JOHN ELLIOT HENLEV
• JOHN ELLIOT HENLEV
T
(L.S.)