Improvements in or relating to the Construction of Ships and Boats.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to the Construction of Ships and Boats.
A communication from ALBERT HENRY, of Rochefort-sur-mer, in the Republic of
France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows: :―
This invention has for its object the construction of a ship or boat which cannot
capsize or sink. Whatever quantity of water the boat may ship it is immediately
emptied through a central chamber or compartment communicating with the open-
ing for the "centre board," which opening communicates with the water on which
the boat is floating. This central isolating chamber in which are accommodated
the persons on board is formed by the walls of two water-tight chambers arranged
on both sides of the centre board opening and limited by the sides of the boat.
If the boat is covered by or subjected to a mass of water there is immediately
a tendency for the levels of water within the boat and without to equalise, and, at
the same time, the boat tends to rise owing to its buoyancy produced by the air-
tight chambers, into which the water cannot penetrate.
to
The boat is rendered incapable of capsizing by means of a centre board" mov-
able in its casing said "centre board" counteracting by its weight and surface
the pressure of the wind on the sails. The resistance of the "centre board
any movement in a direction normal to the direction of movement of the boat,
added to the resistance of the lateral air-tight chambers to submersion compels the
boat to rise in case a strong wind tends to overbalance the vessel.
The use of the isolating chamber with the opening for the " centre board" as
its orifice is chiefly applicable to small craft such for instance as pleasure boats,
fishing boats, life boats etc.
In the practical application of the invention it is preferable to construct substan-
tially flat bottomed vessels of shallow draught, but the invention is applicable to
all forms of boats, in general.
In carrying out the invention the outer shape of the boat may remain the same
as usual. The stem, planks ribs etc are not altered except in small details for con-
structional reasons.
The bottom is preferably constituted by a thick plank joined in front to the
stem and at the back to the stern. The bottom is provided with a central opening
of rectangular shape formed by the walls of the "centre board" casing. The
opening is sufficiently wide to leave sufficient passage for water on each side of
the "centre board." The end walls of the casing are constituted by two uprights
secured to the bottom and extending to the deck which they support. Each upright
is provided with a shoulder on which are fixed the side walls of the "centre board"
well, which are held by angle irons secured to the framing of the boat. At their
lower end the side walls are attached to the outer surface of the bottom by means
of iron bands ensuring at the same time the joint being water tight. At their
DQ11

page_text: ends these iron bands are let in into the bottom, so that they are quite flush and
their correct distance apart is maintained by small metal cross pieces at each end.
This precaution is taken with a view of preventing the bottom from splitting in
two under a violent shock.
The water tight compartments are arranged on each side of the "centre board"
well and are formed partly by the bottom and side of the boat and walls of the
centre board well partly by the deck and inner walls which rest on a floor secured
to the upper part of the centre board well and supported by its side walls and
brackets. This floor is provided with upturned flanges against which the bottom
edge of the inner walls engage forming together with the floor the isolating
chamber. The walls are provided with panels or with movable parts provided
with hinges secured to the board attached to the deck boards.
The end walls of the water tight chambers occupy. the whole width of the boat
and completely separate these chambers from those fore and aft. Two small panels
arranged one in front and the other at the back enable the latter chambers to be
entered.
The "centre board" is constituted preferably, by a sheet metal plate of sufficient
weight and surface to balance the pressure of wind on the sails. If necessary a
mass of lead or other metal, say of cigar shape, may be fixed to said plate at its
lower edge, said weight may be in two halves rivetted or bolted to the sheet metal
plate. In the first case the "centre board" can be completely taken out of the
water in the second case it will be possible to raise it until the enlarged bottom
edge touches the bottom of the boat. The "centre board" may be operated by
means of two flexible cables, one on each side, which are pulled together by means
of a tackle placed in the central isolating chamber. To prevent movement of the
centre board" it is fixed in its well by means of two pins engaging with strong
rings secured to the floor. The centre board may be made in one or several
parts and its shape chosen with due regard to the type of the boat for which it is
to be used. The rudder may be secured directly to the "centre, board" but so as
to be capable of vertical movement on it to enable the "centre board" to be raised.
The deck must be sufficiently arched to give sufficient hollow space to the boat,
the sides of which may be low, which enables it to rise more easily or, it may
carry drums at its ends, the deck remaining flat throughout the whole length of
the central isolating chamber.
"
"
"
A boat according to the present invention can be made as elegant and as com-
fortable as an ordinary boat. By providing the deck with a false strake or ledge
resembling the ordinary outline, the outward appearance of the boat becomes
the usual one. One can easily move about on the floor above the "centre board
well and sit down either on the movable sides of the isolating chamber or as is often
done, on the outer deck.
100%
Improvements in or relating to the Construction of Ships and Boats.
A communication from ALBERT HENRY, of Rochefort-sur-mer, in the Republic of
France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
ta

page_text: Fig. a plan.
As will be seen from the drawing, the outer shape of the boat may remain the
same as usual. The stem, planks ribs etc. are not altered except in small details
for constructional reasons..
The bottom A is preferably constituted by a thick plank joined in front to the
stem B and at the back to the stern C. The bottom is provided with a central
opening 1 (Fig. 2) of rectangular shape formed by the walls of the centre-board
casing E. The opening is sufficiently wide to leave sufficient passage for water
on each side of the centre-board F. The end walls of the casing are constituted by
two uprights G secured to the bottom and extending to the deck, which they
support. Each upright G is provided with a shoulder on which are fixed the side
walls H of the centre-board well, which are held by angle-irons H¹ secured to
the framing H2 of the boat. At their lower end the side walls H are attached to
the outer surface of the bottom A by means of iron bands I ensuring at the same
time the joint being water-tight. At their ends these iron-bands are let into the
bottom so that they are quite flush, and their correct distance apart is maintained
by small metal cross-pieces G¹ at each end. This precaution is taken with a view
of preventing the bottom from splitting in two under a violent shock.
The water-tight compartments K are arranged on each side of the centre-board
well, and are formed partly by the bottom and side of the boat and walls H of the
centre-board well, and partly by the deck L and inner walls M which rest on a
floor N secured to the upper part of the centre-board well and supported by its
side walls H and brackets N secured to the angle-irons H¹. This floor is provided
with upturned flanges No against which the bottom edge of the inner walls M
engage, forming together with the floor N the isolating chamber. The walls M
are provided with panels or with movable parts provided with hinges M¹ secured
to the board P attached to the deck-boards.
The end walls R of the water-tight chambers K occupy the whole width of the

page_text: boat and completely separate these chambers from those fore and aft. Two small
panels arranged one in front and the other at the back enable the latter chambers
to be entered.
The centre-board F is constituted by a preferably sheet-metal plate of sufficient
weight and surface to balance the pressure of wind on the sails. If necessary,
a mass of lead or other metal F¹, say, of cigar shape may be fixed to said plate
at its lower edge, said weight may be in two halves rivetted or bolted to the sheet-
metal plate. In the first case the centre-board can be completely taken out of
the water, in the second case it will be possible to raise it until the enlarged bottom
edge F¹ touches the bottom of the boat. The centre-board may be operated by
means of two flexible cables F2 one on each side, which are pulled together by
means of a tackle placed in the central isolating chamber. To prevent movement
of the centre-board it is fixed in its well by means of two pins S engaging with
strong rings secured to the floor N. The centre-board may be made in one or
several parts and its shape chosen with due regard to the type of the boat for which
it is to be used. The rudder F3 may be secured directly to the centre-board but so
as to be capable of vertical movement on it to enable the centre-board to be raised.
The deck L must be sufficiently arched to give sufficient hollow space to the
boat, the sides of which may be low, which enables it to rise more easily, or it may
carry drums at its ends, the deck remaining flat throughout the whole length of the
central isolating chamber.
A boat according to the present invention can be made as elegant and as com-
fortable, as an ordinary boat. By providing the deck with a false strake or ledge T
resembling the ordinary outline, the outward appearance of the boat becomes the
usual one. One can easily move about on the floor above the centre-board well
and sit down either on the movable sides of the isolating chamber or, as is often
done, on the outer deck.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A non-capsizable and unsinkable boat characterized by a centre board well
adapted to be in open communication with the water and watertight chambers
on each side of the centre-board well, formed by the bottom-sides and deck of the
boat, the inner walls of said chamber opening to the centre-board well, so that
water passing over the deck enters this chamber and escapes through the centre
board well and a centre board movable in its well and adapted to counterbalance
the pressure of wind on the sails, substantially as described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete boat
substantially as described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
·ותניו
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.