IMPROVEMENTS IN Ferry BOATS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, NICOL MAC NICOLL, of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, Naval Architect,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN Ferry
BOATS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide boats or vessels for crossing rivers and
other channels, and of such construction that the platform on which passengers,
vehicles or goods are carried, may retain approximately the level of the quays or
landing stages at which the vessel calls, independently of the rise and full of the
tide or water level.
The improved ferry boat comprises a floating vessel which may be made in the
forin of a broad and somewhat flat-bottomed boat, provided with means for pro-
pelling and steering. Through this boat or vessel, which is free to rise and fall
with the level of the water, are formed a number of wells or openings through
which pass a corresponding number of upright pillars or supports connecting an
elevated platform, fitted over the boat proper, and a submerged pontoon placed
below the boat and arranged to displace its own weight and that of the platform
and connections, or a greater or less weight if required.
The supporting pillars of the platform are connected to the boat proper, by
means of chains attached to the platform or to the pillars, and passing round drums
or chain pulleys carried on framings on the boat, and geared together. The
position of the platform relatively to the boat may thus be temporarily fixed by
using ratchet pawls or similar devices to secure the chain pulleys or the pillars, and
it may be varied to retain the platform at a uniform level while the boat is allowed
to rise and fall with the tide. In lieu of the chains and pulleys, screws, toothed
wheels and racks or other mechanical devices of a like kind may be employed to
connect the platform and the boat, and in the case of screws, the screw themselves
may form the supporting pillar for the platform. When the platforin is loaded
with passengers, vehicles or goods the boat will sink with it to the extent of a few
inches, until the additional displacement of water is equal to the added weight,
and then, unless in the case of a rising tide, the platform may be raised to the
normal level in line with the quays or landing stages, by using the chains and
pulleys as winches or employing the screws or equivalent devices for the same
purpose.

page_text: As the weight of the platform and its connections is borne by the submerged
pontoon, the power required to raise the platform need not be more than will raise
the weight of the goods or passengers on the platform.
To avoid the trouble and loss of time required in adjusting the platform in the
manner described the submerged pontoon may be fitted with wheels, rollers, or
slides and arranged to run up an inclined plane at cach landing stage or quay.
I do not however claim the mode of adjustment by the use of an inclined slip way.
Other mechanical devices of an equivalent kind may be employed to maintain
the level of the platform or to raise and lower it as it approaches or departs from
the quays, and such apparatus may be operated by hand or by motive-power.
The platform may be arranged fore and aft or athwartships over the boat and it
may be fitted so that vehicles may be conveniently transferred to it from the quays
in either direction. The boat proper may be propelled by means of screws, paddles
or other well known means of propulsion, or it may be drawn across channel by
hauling apparatus on board or on land.
The combined boat and platform may be connected by radius bars or guides to a
fixed pier, in which case the arrangement will resemble a swing bridge, and will
require less breadth for stability.

page_text: I, NICOL MAC NICOLL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Naval Architect,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FERRY
BOATS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of my invention is to provide boats or vessels for crossing rivers and
other channels, and of such construction that the platform on which passengers,
vehicles or goods are carried, may retain approximately the level of the quays or
landing stages at which the vessel calls, independently of the rise and fall of the
tide or water level.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, figures 1 and 2 are
longitudinal and transverse sections of the improved ferry boat as at low water and
figure 3 is a plan of the boat with the platform removed. Figures 4 and 5 are an
end view and side elevation of the boat as at high water and figure 6 is a plan
showing the platform.
The improved ferry boat comprises a floating vessel A which may be made in the
form of a broad and somewhat flat-bottomed boat, provided with means for pro-
pelling and steering. Through this boat or vessel which is free to rise and full
with the level of the water, are formed a number of wells or openings B through
which pass a corresponding number of upright pillars or supports C connecting an
elevated platform D fitted over the boat proper, and a submerged pontoon E placed
below the boat A and arranged to displace its own weight and that of the platform
and connections, or a greater or less weight if required.
The supporting pillars C of the platform D are connected to the boat proper by
means of chains F attached to the platform or to the pillars, and passing round
drums, or chain pulleys G carried on framings H in the boat, and geared together
by cross shafts and bevel gearing I as indicated in figure 3. The position of the
platform D relatively to the boat A may thus be temporarily fixed by using ratchet
pawls J and racks K or similar devices to secure the chain pulleys or the pillars,
and it may be varied to retain the platform at an uniform level while the boat is
allowed to rise and fall with the tide. In lieu of the chains and pulleys, screws,
toothed wheels and racks or other mechanical devices of a like kind may be
employed to connect the platform and the boat, and in the case of screws, the
screws themselves may form the supporting pillars for the platform. When the
platform is loaded with passengers, vehicles, or goods the boat will sink with it to
the extent of a few inches, until the additional displacement of water is equal to
the added weight, and then, unless in the case of a rising tide, the platform may
be raised to the normal level in line with the quays or landing stages, by using the
chains and pulleys F, G as winches, or employing the screws or equivalent devices
for the same purpose.
As the weight of the platform D and its connections is borne by the submerged
pontoon E, the power required to raise the platform need not be more than will
raise the weight of the goods or passengers on the platform. As an alternative
modo of adjusting the position of the platform, which however I do not claim, the

page_text: combined platform and pontoon may be formed with water compartments which
may be relieved of the water to lighten it and allow it to rise, as it approaches the
quay, and be filled again to lower it to the normal level when it is relieved of the
weight of goods and passengers.
To avoid the trouble and loss of time required in adjusting the platform, the
submerged pontoon E may be fitted with wheels, or rollers e or with slides moving
on rollers or ways, and be arranged to run up an inclined plane P at each landing
stage or quay as is indicated in the drawing.
Other mechanical devices of an equivalent kind may be employed to maintain
the level of the platform or to raise and lower it as it approaches or departs from
the quays, and such apparatus may be operated by hand or by motive power.
The platform may be arranged fore and aft or athwartships over the boat and it
may be fitted so that vehicles may be conveniently transferred to it from the quays
in either direction.
The boat proper may be propelled by means of screws, paddles, or other well
known means of propulsion, or it may be drawn across channel by hauling
apparatus on board or on land.
The combined boat and platform may be connected by radius bars or guides to a
fixed pier, in which case the arrangement will resemble a swing bridge, and will
require less breadth for stability.
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 combination of parts forming the improved ferry boat herein described
and illustrated.
2. A ferry boat consisting of a floating vessel and a submerged pontoon sup-
porting a traffic platform substantially as herein set forth.
3. The combination with a floating vessel of a submerged pontoon and a traffic
platform supported thereby means being provided for raising and lowering or
adjusting said platform relatively to the floating vessel or boat, substantially as
herein set forth.
L 1
100