Novel Means or Apparatus for Facilitating the Escape of the Occupants of a Ship into the Ship's Boat.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Dec., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Novel Means or Apparatus for Facilitating the Escape of the
Occupants of a Ship into the Ship's Boat.
I WILLIAM JEFFERSON of 13 Windsor Terrace, Whitby, in the County of
York, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to means or apparatus for facilitating the escape of
passengers or crew from a ship into the ship's boat which has been lowered down
into the water in the usual way.
According to the present practice all occupants of a sinking ship who have not
been lowered down with the ship's boats have to save their lives by jumping or
dropping into the boat when afloat as best they can regardless of the risk incurred
in upsetting the boat, missing it altogether, or injuring themselves.
The object of my invention is to provide means or appliances to enable the
occupants of the ship to be lowered into the boat in a safer and more suitable way.
In carrying my invention into effect I utilize the davits and tackle which
have just been put in working order to lower the boat, which tackle is drawn
up and what I term a rescue chair is attached thereto and lowered in the same
manner as the boat itself except in requiring the use only of one davit and
tackle for the purpose. The rescue chair large enough to contain a suitable
number of occupants at one time say four, and is constructed as follows:-To a
rigid bottom such as a wooden bottom, is secured a bag shaped receptacle which
is made of canvas or the like material in order to be collapsible and kept in
the boat which when stretched out forms a chamber or hold the upper end or
mouth of which is distended or kept open by being furnished with a rigid frame
or rim secured to the canvas. This chamber or hold which lies flat on deck
until the occupants get in may be of any depth required for the convenience
and safety of the occupants thereof say about four feet deep, in the ordinary
manner from the tackle of the davit and in it the occupants of the ship are
lowered down to the boat from time to time as required.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1901
G. J. CLARKSON,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Novel Means or Apparatus for Facilitating the Escape of the
Occupants of a Ship into the Ship's Boat.
I, WILLIAM JEFFERSON, of 13, Windsor Terrace, Whitby, in the County of
York, Master Mariner, 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 means or apparatus for facilitating the escape of
passengers or crew from a ship into a ship's boat which has been lowered down
into the water in the usual way.
According to the present practice all occupants of a sinking ship who have not
been lowered down with the ship's boats have to save their lives by jumping or
dropping into the boat when afloat as best they can regardless of the risk incurred
in upsetting the boat, missing it altogether, or injuring themselves.

page_text: The object of my invention is to provide means or appliances to enable the
occupants of the ship to be lowered into the boat in a safer and more suitable way.
In carrying my invention into effect, I utilize the davits and tackle which have
just been put in working order to lower the boat, which tackle is drawn up and what
I term a rescue chair is attached thereto and lowered in the same manner as the
boat itself, except in requiring the use only of one davit and tackle for the purpose.
The rescue chair is large enough to contain a suitable number of occupants at one
time, say four.
And in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood and readily carried
into effect, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rescue chair constructed according to my
invention and shown in its extended position as in use:
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan view thereof:
Figure 3 is a view of the rescue chair when collapsed and laid flat on deck so
that the intended occupants may get in.
a is a rigid bottom such as a wooden bottom to which is secured a bag shaped
receptacle which is made of canvas or the like textile material in order to be
collapsible and kept in the boat; this bag shaped receptacle & when slung from the
tackle of a davit becomes stretched out and forms a chamber or hold, the upper end
or mouth of which is distended or kept open by being furnished with a rigid frame
or rim e made of bar iron and secured to the canvas b. This chamber or hold which
lies flat on deck until the occupants get in may be of any depth required for the
convenience and safety of the occupants thereof, say about four feet deep. Ropes d
extend from the rigid bottom a to the top frame or rim c and are secured to both
frames and to the canvas; these ropes d converge to one point or connection such as
a ring or shackle e above, from which the rescue chair is suspended when slung in
the ordinary manner from the tackle of the davits and in it the occupants of the
ship are lowered down to the boat from time to time as required.
Although my improved rescue chair may be varied in size to adapt it to the
convenience of persons of different size and weight, the following dimensions will
be found convenient for general use: The wooden bottom 2 feet 9 inches square by
1 inches in thickness: depth of canvas receptacle 4 feet: rim 14 inches diameter
bar iron, 11 feet circumference; to be furnished with 2 inches diameter rope, 4 feet
long from rim to eye and continued to the bottom of chair so as to be secured
thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The use of a rescue chair for facilitating the escape of passengers or crew from
a ship into a ship's boat, consisting of a bag shaped collapsible receptacle which is
slung from a davit, the tackle of which is utilized to lower and raise the said rescue
chair, substantially as and for the purpose as hereinbefore described with reference
to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 1st day of December 1891
G. J. CLARKSON,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.