An Improved Folding Boat.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
An Improved Folding Boat.
I, CAMPBELL MELLIS DOUGLAS of 361 Broadway, New York City, United
States of America Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to a boat which folds on the line of the keel and is adapted
to be readily collapsed or expanded for use, which is provided with stiffening
braces, ribs and battens which impart to it sufficient rigidity when in use, and
which may be folded into a very small compass when desired.
The boat has a keel of any desired shape and with a correspondingly-shaped
false keel, the skin of the boat, which is preferably of canvas rendered water-tight
by any of the well known processes, being clamped between the two.
The upper edges of the skin are clamped between the parts of the gunwales,
these being arranged in substantially the usual manner except that they are not
rigidly attached to the up-turned ends of the keel, but connect therewith by means
of the skin which acts as a hinge and permits the boat to be collapsed, and, if
desired, the skin may be re-enforced at the bow and stern to prevent it from being
too quickly worn away.
The boat is strengthened transversely by movable ribs, which, at their upper
ends, are recessed to enable them to engage angle irons or equivalent fastenings on
the under sides of the gunwales. The boat is further strengthened transversely by
a cross brace which is secured to the gunwales, and which may be used as a thwart
or seat when paddling and the boat has also a transverse partition which is
arranged near the bow or stern as the case may be, this partition being recessed on
opposite sides and near the top to enable it to fit snugly against the gunwales and
against the sides of the boat, and at the lower edge it connects by means of a hinge
with the flooring of the boat, this connection serving to hold the partition in place
and imparting also the necessary elasticity. The partition forms a compartment in
one end of the boat in which various articles may be conveniently packed. The
flooring is provided with recesses through which project lugs on the keelson, and
on the lugs are buttons which may be turned into line with the recesses to
permit the adjustment of the flooring, and which may be turned at right angles
to the recesses so as to extend laterally upon the Hooring and bind the latter
in place. The boat is further strengthened by longitudinal battens which are
placed opposite each other on the inner and outer sides of the boat, and are
firmly fastened together and to the skin of the boat. The battens extend
sufficiently forward and aft to give the boat the necessary strength, but some
space is left between the ends of the battens and the ends of the boat in order
that the boat may be collapsed or folded easily when desired.
One end of the boat is provided with a deck of flexible material beneath which
the air compartments are placed, and if desired both ends of the boat may be
similarly arranged. The air compartments are provided with a framework con-
sisting of a longitudinal partition and cleat at one end of the partition. The cleat
serves as an abutment for leaves which are hinged to the partition and are adapted
to fold against it, or to open outwards against the cleats.
The compartments are provided with a flexible air tight covering which is
secured to the partition at its edges, and to the outer edges of the leaves. The
leaves are provided with holes through which the compartments may be inflated
and after inflation, the holes are stopped by plugs which are secured to the leaves
by cords which prevent them from being lost.

page_text: It will be seen that these compartments will cause the boat to float lightly and
prevent it from being sunk in case of accident, but when the boat is used in shallow
waters such as small lakes and streams, the air compartments may be safely
dispensed with.
When the boat is to be collapsed, the ribs, the flooring, the partition, the brace,
and the air compartments are all removed, and the sides of the boat may then be
pushed inward towards each other, thus leaving the boat flat so that it may be
conveniently handled or stored.
Dated this 15th day of September 1893,
C. M. DOUGLAS,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Folding Boat.
I, CAMPBELL MELLIS DOUGLAS, of 361, Broadway, New York City, United
States of America, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a boat which folds on the line of the keel and is adapted
to be readily collapsed or expanded for use, which is provided with stiffening
braces, ribs, and battens adapted to give it sufficient rigidity when in use, and
which may be folded into a very small compass when desired so as to be casily
transported, a boat of this kind being well adapted for army use as a pontoon boat,
and also for being conveniently carried on board a ship when desired.
To these ends my invention consists in certain features of construction and
combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the boat embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 4 is a cross section on line 4-4, Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a cross section on line 5-5, Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the boat when collapsed.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the inflated air compartments, and Figure 8 is
a perspective view of the said compartments when collapsed.
Similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
The boat is provided with a keel 10 which may be given any desired shape and
with a correspondingly-shaped false keel 11, the skin 12 of the boat, which is
preferably of canvas rendered water-tight by any of the well known processes,
being clamped between the true and false keels, as illustrated in Figure 2. The
upper edges of the skin 12 are clamped between the parts 13 and 14 of the
gunwales, these being arranged in substantially the usual manner except that they
are not rigidly attached to the up-turned ends of the keel but connect therewith by
means of the skin which acts as a hinge and permits the boat to be collapsed, and
if desired the skin may be reinforced at the bow and stern to prevent it from being
too quickly worn away.
The boat is strengthened transversely by movable ribs 15 which are recessed at
their upper ends as shewn at 16 in Figure 5, to euable them to engage the angle
irons 17 or equivalent fastenings on the under sides of the gunwales. The boat is
further strengthened transversely by a cross brace 18 which is secured to the
gunwales and which may be used as à thwart or seat when paddling. A transverse
partition 19 is also arranged near the bow or stern, as the case may be, this partition

page_text: being recessed on opposite sides and near the top, as shewn at 20, (Figure 4) to
enable it to fit snugly against the gunwales and against the sides of the boat, and
at the lower edge it connects by means of a binge 21 with the flooring 22 of the
boat, this connection serving to hold the partition in place and imparting also the
necessary elasticity. The partition 19 forms a compartment in one end of the boat
in which various articles may be conveniently stowed.
The flooring 22 is provided with apertures 23, (Figure 3) through which project
lugs on the keelson 25, furnished with buttons 26 which may be turned into line
with the apertures 23 to permit the adjustment of the flooring, or be turned at
right angles thereto, as shewn in said figure, so as to extend laterally upon the
Hooring and secure the latter in place. The boat is further strengthened by
longitudinal battens 27 and 28, which are placed opposite each other on the inner
and cuter sides of the boat and are firmly fastened together and to the skin of the
boat. The battens extend sufficiently forward and aft to give the boat the
necessary strength, but space is left between the ends of the battens and the ends
of the boat in order that the boat may be collapsed or folded easily, when desired.
As illustrated, one end of the boat is provided with a deck 29 of flexible material.
beneath which the air compartments are placed, and if desired both ends of the
boat may be similarly arranged. The air compartments are provided_with_a
framework consisting of a longitudinal partition 30 and cleat 31 at one end of the
partition. The cleat 31 serves as an abutment for the leaves 32 which are hinged
to the partition 30 and are adapted to fold against it, as in Figure 8, or to open
outward against the cleats, as in Figure 7. The air compartments are provided
with a flexible air-tight covering 33. which is secured to the partition 30 at its
edges and to the outer edges of the leaves 32. The leaves 32 are provided with
boles 34 through which the compartments may be inflated and after inflation the
holes are stopped by plugs 35 which are secured to the leaves by cords which
prevent them from being lost. These compartments will cause the boat to float
lightly and prevent it from sinking in case of accident, but when the boat is used
in shallow waters, such as small lakes and streams, the air compartments may be
safely dispensed with.
When the boat is to be collapsed, the ribs, the flooring, the partition 19, the
brace 18, and the air compartments, are all removed and the sides of the boat may
then be pushed inward towards each other, thus leaving the boat flat so that it
may be conveniently handled or stored.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A folding boat comprising a suitable keel, a flexible skin secured to the keel,.
gunwales fastened to the skin and flexibly connected to the keel, and removable
cross ribs and braces, substantially as shewn and described.
2. A folding boat comprising a keel, a flexible skin secured to the keel, gunwales
fastened to the skin and flexibly connected to the up-turned ends of the keel,
detachable ribs extending from gunwale to gunwale and fitting against the skin,
and longitudinal battens arranged on the outer and inner sides of the skin,
substantially as shewn and described.
3. The combination, with the boat, of the lugs projecting upward from the keel,
the flooring having apertures to receive the lugs, and means for fastening the
flooring to the lugs, substantially as shewn and described.
4. The combination of the boat, the removable flooring, and the transverse
partition hinged to the flooring, substantially as shewn and described.
5. The combination, with the boat, of the collapsable air compartments com-
prising a central partition, leaves hinged to the partition, and a flexible covering
secured to the partition and to the outer edges of the leaves, substantially as shewn
and describel.

page_text: 6. A folding or collapsable boat, constructed substantially as described in the
foregoing Specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of June 1894.
C. M.
DOUGLAS,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.