IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' BERTHS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Hoskins of Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS'
BERTHS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ebenezer Hoskins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th June 1883.
EBENEZER HOSKINS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS BERTHS'
"
These Improvements consist in the Construction of sleeping berths for ships
made to fold up so as to economize space when not in use
This I effect in the
following manner.
Two pillars or uprights are each placed in a socket or otherwise attached to the
floor of the cabin at a short distance from the side or wall of the cabin the one
pillar being at the head and the other at the foot of the berth.
Theso pillars carry arms or brackets which are attached to the side of the cabin
and help to steady the pillars. Upon each of these pillars is a pin or pivot on which
works a socket upon the frame of the bed or sacking The side rail is jointed to
the berth bottom so as to fold over on to the bedding the head and foot rail being
jointed or hinged to the bracket pieces or arms extended upwards fold against the
side of the cabin.
When the side rail does not extend the full length of the berth a small pillar
may be used to receive the foot rail this pillar being jointed to fall down over the
bedding.
These head foot and side rails are held in position when the berth is in use by
means of catches or turn buttons
When tho berth is turned down for use stops or projections upon the arms or
brackets prevent the berth from tilting and it is further steadied by the bearings
which the corner blocks have against the brackets where they are fixed to the
cabin side.
When a berth over berth is required the pillars are extended to the requisite
height the other portions of the arrangement being repeated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ebenezer Hoskins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1883.
These improvements consist in the construction of sleeping berths for ships
made to fold up so as to economize space when not in use, this I effect in the
following manner.
Two pillars or uprights are each placed in a socket or otherwise attached to the
floor or deck of the cabin at a short distance from the side or wall of the cabin the
one pillar being at the head and the other at the foot of the berth
These pillars carry arms or brackets which are attached to the side of the cabin
and help to steady the pillars Upon cach of these pillars is a pin or pivot which
works in a socket upon the frame of the bed or sacking-The side rail is jointed to
the berth bottom so as to fold over on to the bedding-The head and foot rail being
jointed or hinged to the bracket pieces or arms extended upwards fold against the
side of the cabin.
When the side rail does not extend the full length of the berth a small pillar
may be used to receive the foot rail, this pillar being jointed to fall down over the
bedding
These head foot and side rails are held in position when the berth is in use by
means of catches or turn buttons -
When the berth is turned down for use stops or projections upon the arms or
brackets prevent the berth from tilting and it is further steadied by the bearings
which the corner blocks have against the brackets where they are fixed to the
cabin side.
When a berth over berth is required the pillars are extended to the requisite
heights the other portions of the arrangement being repeated.
For a cheaper form of turn up berth I make the frame or berth bottom of angle
or other shaped iron and substitute for the pillar support a metallic bracket and
rest to be attached to bulk heads at back or ends of the berth Another mode
of forming a side or end rail or leeboard is to make a joint to slide up and down in
the following way.
I cast or otherwise fix sockets in the required position on the sides or ends of
the frame and at the ends or on the uprights of the leeboards I attach a loop by
casting on or by other means I then put the loops of the leeboards into the sockets
and by means of a pin or rivet passed through the socket and loop I fasten the
two together thus allowing the leeboards to be usel in a perpendicular or horizontal
position
Where berth frames are required for fixing metallic spring inattresses upon them
I construct them as follows.
I connect tubular sides to angle or other shaped iron ends by means of cast iron
or other connections at the corners so that the end pieces are higher than those at
the sides, thus allowing room for the working of the spring inattress or mesh
and when required I form on or in such corners a dovetail to allow such frame
or frames to be fixed to upright ends thus forming complete berths or blocks of
berths
This construction of frame may be used for either turn up or other berths
Refering to the drawings Figures 1. and 2. illustrate the folding sleeping berths
as first described Figure 1. shewing a berth when folded and out of use and

page_text: Figure 2. shewing a berth in position ready to receive the bedding (A A) are the
pillars or uprights attached at (B. B.) to the floor or deck of the cabin (C. C.) aro
the arms or brackets upon the pillars (A. A.) these arms or brackets being
attached to the side of the cabin at (D. D.) The frame of the bed or sacking is
pivotted to the pillars at (E. E.) the head and foot rails (F. F.) are hinged to the
upright bars (G. G.) so as to fold back as shown at (F¹) Figure I.-When the sido
rail (H.) extends the full longth of the berth it is hinged at both ends as shown
at (J.) but when it only extends a part of the way down the sido as illustrated in
Figure 2 it is hinged at (J. and J.) and the small pillar (K.) is used to receive the
foot rail (F.) this pillar being also jointed so that the rail and pillar fold down as
shown in Figure I. (L. L.) are the stops or projections which prevent the berth from
tilting (M.) is a hook or catch to hold up the berth when folded.
To construct berth over berth the pillars (A. A.) are made the required height
to support the upper berths
Figure 3. shews the foot end of a berth where a pillar is dispensed with (N.) is
the bracket attached to the side of the cabin and constructed so that when the
frame is turned down the bottom bar (O.) rests upon the front of the bracket
at (P.) and the frame is prevented from tilting by the projecting piece (Q.)
Figures 4. 5. and 6. illustrate the joint I use for the mode of forming the side
or end rail or leeboard Figuro 6. being the socket formed on the sides or ends of tho
frame and (R.) (Figure 5.) being the loop made to fit into the socket. Figure 4.
shews the parts put together complete having been fastened together by means of
a pin or rivet (S.) (Figures 4. and 6.) Figure 7. illustrates a metallic spring
mattress fixed upon the berth frame constructed so as to be removable (T.) is
the tubular side connected by the ends (U.) by means of cast iron or other
connections (V.) being the dovetail used at corners when it is required to use such
frames in a fixed position (W.) being the pivot required when used as a turn up or
folding berth.
The mode of pivotting hinging or attaching the several parts together may be
varied from the precise ways shown upon the drawings without altering the mode
adapted for supporting or folding the berths
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect I claim without limiting myself to the
precise details herein set forth and illustrated. The Improvements in Ships berths
herein more fully set forth and specified.
in witness whereof I the said Ebenezer Hoskins have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty second day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
החשמזחמו
EBENEZER HOSKINS