IMPROVE- MENTS IN LIFE BUOYS, BOATS, OR FLOATING APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR RESCUING PERSONS IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR DISASTER AT SEA
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Ray Hodgson, of Limehouse, in the
County of Middlesex, Wood Carver, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LIFE BUOYS, BOATS, OR FLOATING APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR
RESCUING PERSONS IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR DISASTER AT SEA."
Sealed the 25th June 1869, and dated tho 14th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Ray Hodgson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th January 1869.
I, JOSEPH RAY HODGSON, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex,
5 Wood Carver, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BUOYS, BOATS, OR FLOATING APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED FOR RESCUING PERSONS IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR DISASTER AT SEA,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in buoys, boats, or floating
apparatus to be employed for rescuing persons in case of shipwreck or
disaster at sea.
According to my Invention I construct a buoy or boat having a

page_text: '
central space, the surrounding parts being so formed as to be buoyant
and so prevent the buoy or boat from sinking, the buoy or boat being so
formed as to afford the same means of rescue whichever way it may be
uppermost in the water. The transverse section of the sides and bows
of the buoy of boat I profer to be of a round or curved form. I prefer
to form the ends of buoy or boat with cutwaters, and such cutwater
may be continued around both ends of the buoy or boat so as to act as a
kccl or gunwale whichever way the buoy or boat may be uppermost in
thic water... A keel may according to my Invention be continued from
end to end of the buoy or boat and form a central division having a space
on either side between 'it and the sides of the buoy or boat, and such
keel may be formed so as to admit water for ballast. Both surfaces of
the buoy or boat aro, according to my Invention, provided with ribs or
gunwales, such ribs or gunwales acting as keels or gunwales according
to whichever way the buoy or boat may be uppermost in the water. I
provide compartments or receptacles in the sides or other part of the
buoy or boat in which to stow provisions.
According to my Invention I surround the buoy or boat with a rope or
chain which may be flat or round in form, such rope being either for the
purpose of towing or hoisting the buoy or boat, and I attach to such горо,
loops, belts, or ropes, to aid in the rescue of persons in the water."
"
In order to protect persons within the buoy or boat, according to my
Invention, I provide network which I prefer to be in sections and so
arranged as to be capable of 'travelling fore and aft on "jackstays" or
guides. I also provide moveable brackets which can be employed to raiso
the network above the persons within the buoy or boat whichever way it
may be uppermost, and in case of the buoy or boat being turned over the
network which was above will be below, and that which was below will
he above the persons within it. Canvas may also be arranged according
to my Invention to run fore and aft and form a tube or otherwise for
the protection of the persons using the apparatus, and the buoy or boat
may be provided with a single or double bottom or with a grating to
form a bottom. The buoyant parts of the buoy or boat and the keels
and gunwales may be formed either salid or tubular, and so as to admit
water for ballast when required, and they may be formed of metal, wood,
cork, india-rubber, canvas, or other light material alone or combined with
other materials. I fasten the buoy or boat to a "painter" or" warp
fastened to the ship or place where it is required, and when the buoy or
33

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Ray Hodgson in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 14th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
RAY HODGSON, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, Wood
Carver, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nino, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Ray Hodgson, Her special
licence that I, the said Joseph Ray Hodgson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Ray Hodgson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, excr
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LIFE BUOYS, BOATS, OR FLOATING APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR RESCUING PARSONS
IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK OR DISASTER AT SEA," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Ray Hodgson, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or ono of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to bo
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Offico within six calendar months next and immediately after the dato
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Ray Hodgson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the samo
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention ralates to improvements in buoys, boats, or floating
apparatus to be used for rescuing persons in case of shipwreck or disaster
at sea.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a
transverse section of apparatus constructed and arranged according to
my Invention.
According to my Invention I construct a buoy or boat having a
central space, the surrounding parts a being so formed as to be buoyant
and so prevent the buoy or boat from sinking, the buoy or boat being
so formed as to afford the same means of rescue whichever way it may
be uppermost in the water. The transverse section of the sides and
bows of the buoy or boat I prefer to be of a round or curved form. I
prefer to form the ends of the buoy or boat with cutwaters b, b, and
such cutwators may be continued around both ends of the buoy or boat
so as to act as a keel or gunwale whichever way the buoy or boat
may be uppermost in the water. A. keel may according to my Invention
be continued from end to end of the buoy or boat and form a contral
division having a space on either side between it and the sides of tho
buoy or boat, and such keel may be formed so as to admit water for
ballast. Both surfaces of the buoy or boat are according to my
Invention provided with ribs or gunwales c, c, such ribs or gunwales
acting as keels or gunwales, according to whichever way the buoy or
boat may be uppermost in the water. I provide compartments or
receptacles in the sides or other part of the buoy or boat in which to
store provisions. I have not thought it necessary to show theso
compartments or recesses in the Drawing, as such compartments or
recesses are a matter of convenience which a competent workman would
readily arrange according to circumstances.
According to my Invention I surround the buoy or boat with a rope
or chain d, which may be flat or round in form, such rope being either
for the purpose of towing or hoisting the buoy or boat, and I attach
to such rope and loops belts or ropes e, e, to aid in the rescue of
persons in the water.
In order to protect persons within the buoy or bouy according to my
Invention I provide network f, f, which I prefer to be in sections
and so arranged as to be capable of travelling fore and aft in "jackstays"
or guides, the gunwales b, b, being shown to answer the purpose of
"jackstays" in the Drawing. I also provide moveable brackets which
can be employed to raise the network above the persons within the

page_text: buoy or boat whichever way it may be uppermost, and in case of the
buoy or boat being turned over, the notwork which was above will bo
below, and that which was below will be above the persons within it.
Canvas may also be arranged according to my Invention to run fore and
aft and form a tube or otherwise for the protection of the persons using
the apparatus, and the buoy or boat may be provided with a single or
double bottom, or with a grating to form a bottom, or the netting may
be arranged in accordance with my Invention in the centro in place of
above and below the buoy or boat.
The sides a, a, of the buoy or boat shown in the Drawing are formed
of canvas stuffed with cork, but the buoyant parts of the buoy or boat
and the keels and gunwales may be formed either solid or tubular and
so as to admit water for ballast when required, and they may be formed
of metal, wood, cork, india-rubber, canvas, or other light materials. I
fasten the buoy or boat to a "painter" or "warp"-fastoned to the ship
or other place where it is required, and when the buoy or boat is
formed of suitable materials it may be used after the manner of a "cork
fender" in case of collison.
Having now described the naturo of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same may be carried into operation, I would havo 'it
understood that I do not confine myself to the preciso details hercin-
before described; but what I claim is, the construction, arrangement, and
combination of parts into a buoy or boat, substantially as and for tho
purposes herein-before describod.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Ray Hodgson, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Second day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine..
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
JOSEPH R. HODGSON. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.O.