IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE RAFTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS, of Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey,.
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
LIFE RAFTS, to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in life rafts, and consists in constructing
the raft in three or more portions consisting of chambers or compartments rendered
buoyant by being made airtight, or by being filled or otherwise fitted with cork.
These compartments are so hinged or connected together that when closed up they
form a seat, and when opened out they form a raft, the said portions being retained
or secured in their open position by suitable hinge joints, and by bars pivoted or
hinged at one end to one of the compartments, and held in place and secured to the
other compartments by fastening contrivances. One of the outside compartments
or chambers is provided with a fixed bulwark which forms the back of the seat,
and the other outside compartment is provided with a hinged bulwark;
Between any or all of the compartments I fit or arrange bags or sacks of canvas,
netting or other suitable material, and provide the same at bottom with foot boards
on which persons may stand, and these sacks or bags; or compartments, and their
footboards, are so arranged that when the raft is closed up to form a seat they are
folded and lie between the other compartments. Or lattice work or wood framing
may be arranged either at top or at bottom, between the compartments, on which
persons may stand or sit, and this lattice or wood framing is also arranged to close
up, when the raft is to be used as a seat.
One of the airtight chambers or compartments may be arranged to carry a mast,
sails and oars, provision being made in one of the compartments to step the mast.

page_text: I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS, of Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
LIFE RAFTS, 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 relates to improvements in life rafts, and consists in constructing
the raft in three, or more, longitudinal portions consisting of chambers or com
partments rendered buoyant by being made air tight or by being filled or otherwise
provided with cork, or other buoyant material. These compartments are so hinged
or connected together that when closed up they form a seat, and when opened out
they form a raft. The said portions are retained or secured in their open position
by suitable hinged joints, or by bars pivoted or hinged at one end to one of the
compartments, and held in place and secured to the other compartments by.
fastening contrivances. One of the outside compartments or chambers is provided
with a fixed bulwark which forms the back of the seat, and the other outside
compartment is provided with a hinged bulwark, which can be turned down so as
to lie over the three compartments to form the seat proper.
Between any or all of the compartments I fit or arrange bags, sacks, or com-
partments of canvas, netting, or other suitable material, and I provide the same at
bottom with foot boards, on which persons may stand, and which at the same time
tend to steady the apparatus; these sacks, bags or compartments, together with
their footboards, are so arranged that when the raft is closed up to form a seat they
are folded and lie between the air-tight compartments. Or instead of the bags or
sacks, lattice work or wood framing may be arranged, either at top or at bottom
between the compartments, on which persons may stand or sit, and this lattice or
wood framing is also arranged to close up when the raft is to be used as a seat.
One of the air-tight chambers or compartments may be arranged to carry a
nast, sails, oars, stores, etc. provision being made in this compartment to step
the mast.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood, I proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1, is a perspective view (in section) of a portion of the raft, shown closed up
to form a deck-seat.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the raft in its opened out, or extended forin,
ready for being launched.
A, B, C, are longitudinal chambers or compartments which are rendered buoyant
by being made air-tight, or by being filled or fitted with cork, or other suitablo
buoyant material; they are connected together, at their ends, by hinged bars or
rods a, a.
In the drawings these chambers A, B and C, are shewn as being three
in number, but an increased number may be employed if required. The chamber A,
is constructed with a fixed bulwark A¹, which forms the back of the seat when the
raft is in its closed form. The opposite bulwark C¹ is hinged to its corresponding
air-tight chamber or compartiment C, and when the apparatus is in use as a seat it
is turned down and lies over the three compartments A, B, C and forms the forms
the seat proper, as shewn in Fig: 1.
D, D, are bags, sacks or compartments of canvas, netting, or other suitable
material which are firmly secured, in any appropriate manner, to or between the

page_text: air-tight chambers or compartments A, B and B C. These bags, sacks or compart-
ments are each furnished with a foot board E, E,'on which persons may stand when
the apparatus is in use as a raft. When, however, the apparatus is not in use as a
raft, these bags, sacks or compartments are folded up with their footboards, and lie
close against, and between the several air-tight chambors or compartments. Instead
of these bags, sacks or compartments of fabric, Inttice-work or wood framing may
be arranged in like manner to fold up between the said air-tight chambers, and on
this lattice work or wood framing persons may likewise stand, or sit.
The longitudinal air-tight chambers or compartments are fitted at each of their
ends with suitable hinged cross bars or rods a, a, (before referred to) for the purpose
of retaining the said chambers or compartments at the requisite distance apart, and
rendering the entire structure rigid; these bars are maintained and held firmly by
the vertical retaining rods b, b, and theroby tend to give additional strength and
solidity to the raft.
I do not however confine myself to the use of this particular contrivanco for
maintaining the chambers or compartments together, as it is obvious that I may
employ any convenient means for effecting this purpose.
Suitable recesses x, x, are formed in the solid ends of the air-tight chambers or
compartments, and in these recesses the hinged bars a, and rotaining rods b lio,
when the apparatus is in its seat form.
The moveable bulwark C, which forms the top of the seat, is fitted with a
spring quadrant c, for the purpose of maintaining the rigidity of the bulwark when
in its upright position relatively to the raft.
The intermediate air-tight chamber or compartment B may be furnished with a
mast, and provision made for stepping the same; it may also carry sails, oars,
stores, etc; an air-tight lid d, may also be provided and by raising the same ready
access may be had to the above mentioned articles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction and arrangement of life-rafts in the manner substantially as
herein described, so that the same, when not opened out for use as rafts, may be
folded to forin seats in the manner set forth.
2. The improved life-raft having its parts arranged and combined as herein
described and as shewn in the drawings in its open or raft form in fig: 2, and in
its closed or seat form in fig: 1.
14