IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND PRESERVING EQUILIBRIUM IN VESSELS AND OTHER FLOATING STRUCTURES, SPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO SHIPS' CABINS AND GUN PLATFORMS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lanphier Anderson, of Caterham, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS
AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND PRESERVING EQUILIBRIUM IN VESSELS AND
OTHER FLOATING STRUCTURES, SPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO SHIPS' CABINS AND
GUN PLATFORMS."
Sealed the 9th May 1873, and dated the 30th December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lanphier
Anderson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th December 1872.
I, WILLIAM LANPHIER ANDERSON, of Caterham, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND PRESERVING EQUI-
LIBRIUM IN VESSELS AND OTHER FLOATING STRUCTURES, SPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO
SHIPS' CABINS AND GUN PLATFORMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists chiefly in constructing a cabin for steam or
sailing ships, .so that it shall maintain a vertical position when the vessel
rolls to either side.

page_text: ▲ recess is formed in the body of the vessel for the reception of tho
cabin. The flooring of this recess is concave, forming a segment of a
circle of which the centre may be at any clevation above the keel.
The two opposite sides of the recess are sloped to such an angle with
the deck as will admit of the cabin moving freely therein when the
vessel rolls.
The cabin is fitted with any number of wheels which run in grooves
or on rails, or in any other manner across the flooring, and may also
have springs attached to give case of movement when the vessel rises and
falls in a sea way. As the vessel rolls to either side, the cabin running
upon its wheels continually secks the lowest level presented by the
circular flooring, and the wheels being thus always in a horizontal line
the whole structure is maintained in an upright position notwitlistanding
the rolling movement of the vessel in which it is contained.
The wheels may also be fitted with india-rubber tyres, or the grooves
or rails on which they run may have an elastic packing to give further
case of movement.
The entrance to the cabin is through a door placed at or near the
centre of motion, and access thereto is obtained by means either of a
hinged platform, steps, or stairs upon the deck, or any other simple
arrangement. A flight of stairs in the interior of the cabin leads from
this door to the flooring.
Light and ventilation are obtained by windows placed by preference
at one end of the structure above the level of the deck, and also in the
roof or wherever otherwise required.
My Invention as above explained is applicable for the purpose of
preserving the level of gun platforms at sea.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Lanphier Anderson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LANPHIER ANDERSON, of Caterham, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Lanphier Anderson, Her special
licence that I, the said William Lanphier Anderson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Lanphier Anderson, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND PRESERVING
EQUILIBRIUM IN VESSELS AND OTHER FLOATING STRUCTURES, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE
TO SHIPS' CABINS AND GUN PLATFORMS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Lanphier Anderson, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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, tho said William Lanphier Anderson, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thercof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
-
This Invention consists chiefly in constructing a cabin for steam or
sailing vessels, so that it shall maintain a vertical position when the ship
rolls to either side, and in applying the same or similar appliance to
couches and scats for use in cabins, constructed to counteract the rolling
motion so that they shall obtain equilibrium in the opposito dircction to
that of the cabin.
A recess is formed in the body of the vessel for the reception of the
cabin. The flooring of this recess is concave, forming a segment of a
circle, of which the centre may be at any elevation above the keel, but
as near as practicable to the centre of gravity of the vessel. The two

page_text: opposite sides of the recess are sloped to such an angle with the deck
as will admit of the cabin moving frecly therein when the vessel rolls.
The cabin is fitted with any number of wheels which run either in
grooves or channels, upon ribs or rails, or on any other supporting
structure, across the flooring. The wheels may be rounded at their
peripheries or have any other form calculated to reduce friction, and
may also have springs attached to their axles to give ease of movement
and moderate the upward and downward motion when the vessel rises
and falls in a sea way.
The cabin may be of any dimensions and may be rectangular in form;
but it is advisable that the weight should be so distributed that the
lower portion of it shall have a considerable preponderance over the
upper part, additional weight may be added to the lower portion to aid
and accelerate its gravitation, and for this purpose a receptacle is formed
under the flooring in which the needful quantity of ballast may be
placed.
In order that the wheels may be always at right angles with the keel,
and if running in grooves or channels to prevent them from driving or
jamming against their sides a pivot is attached to each of the bulk
heads enclosing the recess in which the cabin is placed at the centre of
motion, and a corresponding vertical groove of sufficient length to allow
of the rise and fall of the springs to each end of the cabin. The pivots
work in the grooves, so that while no vertical support is thereby given
to the cabin, nor any restraint to the movement of the springs, lateral
motion is prevented and the axles of the wheels are caused to remain
always parallel with the keel. And further, in order that no strain may
be thrown upon the wheels or axles when the vessel pitches, the
pivots should enter the grooves to their full depth, and the adjacent
parts be in contact or nearly so, whereby any tendency to backward
or forward movement of the cabin will be checked, and the latter
maintained always in a steady and equable position upon its wheels.
In order to counteract the pitching motion, as far as practicable, the
system of wheels and rollers running upon a curve may be applied to
couches or seats placed along the sides or other parts of the cabin,.
parallel with the keel; they should be fitted with flanged wheels resting
upon curved rails attached to a suitable frame with clips or catches
embracing the edge of the rails, or other simple means, to prevent the
wheels from rising off them. These couches or seats will move upon

page_text: their wheels to the lower level of the curve when the vessel pitches, and
thereby retain a horizontal position.
Scats of the same construction may also be placed on the top of the
cabin for the same purpose.
The means of entrance to and exit from the cabin are by a doorway
placed over the centre of motion, outside of which and attached to the
cabin is a stage or platform, having on either side of it gangway plat-
forms hinged to the fixed stage, the other ends of which have rollers or
runners resting upon the deck or other adjacent part of the ship. These
platforms give to the motion of the ship in. rolling, but always retain
their communication with the fixed stage, and by their means easy
access is obtained to the cabin.
•
A flight of stairs leads from a landing inside the doorway to the
flooring of the cabin, and a second flight may be constructed from the
same landing through an opening in the roof, to the top which may be
fitted with a guard rail, and used as a promenade, having the same
advantage of freedom from motion as the interior.
Light and ventilation are obtained by windows placed at either end of
the structure, at the sides, and also, if desired, in the roof.
The foregoing arrangements may be applied to any number of cabins
in the same vessel, and also in the reverse direction to counteract the
pitching motion.
My Invention will be clearly understood by the annexed Drawings, in
which Figure 1 represents an end view of the cabin with the adjacent
parts of the vessel in cross section; and Figure 2, a side view of the
same showing the interior.
A is the recess in which the cabin is placed; and B, B, the wheels
and springs on which it is carried, the wheels running upon curved ribs
raised above the surface of the flooring; C, C, Figure 2, are the pivots
fixed to the bulkheads; and D, D, the grooves at either end of the cabin
wherein the pivots work; E is the entering stage fixed to the cabin at
the doorway; and F, F, Figure 1, the platforms hinged to it, and resting
at their other extremities upon rollers running on the deck; G,
Figure 2, is a couch or scat in the interior of the cabin to counteract
the pitching; and I, a seat upon the roof for the same purpose; I is the
receptacle for ballast.

page_text: The other details represented in the Drawing do not need description,
and are such as may be varied to suit the purpose for which the cabin
may be applied.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, which however
need not necessarily be carried out precisely in the mode stated, provided 5
its main features are retained, I declaro that I claim,―
Firstly. The improved means of and apparatus for obtaining and
preserving equilibrium of cabins and gun platforms in vessels and other
floating structures, as described and shown.
Secondly. The construction of a cabin carried upon wheels running on 1
the lower part of a concave flooring, and guided in the mode described
and shown.
Thirdly. The employment of spires upon the wheel axles of such
cabins for giving ease of movement as in the mode described.
Fourthly. The use of pivots and grooves for the purpose stated.
1
Fifthly. The employment of wheels or rollers running upon curved
rails or bars to couches or seats in the mode described.
Sixthly. I claim obtaining ingress and egress by means of a fixed
stage attached to the doorway in conjunction with hinged platforms,
having rollers or runners resting on the deck or other part of the ship 2
adjacent to the cabin for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lanphier Anderson, have
hercunto set my hand and scal, this 28th day of June, Onc
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.