PROVEMENTS IN THE SLIDING SEATS OF ROWING BOATS
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Richards at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1877.
EDWARD RICHARDS, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lancaster.
PROVEMENTS IN THE SLIDING SEATS OF ROWING BOATS."
"IM-
Movable or sliding seats are frequently used in rowing boats to enable the
oarsman to use his muscular power to great advantage in propelling the boat through
the water, and the seat now in common use is generally fitted on the under side.
with pieces of hard wood, bone, or metal, which slide on two bearers or smooth
surfaces of wood, metal, or glass, and which are smeared with oil. The friction
produced by the sliding of the seat on the bearers, even when well lubricated, is
however very considerable, and is usually about one-fourth of the weight of the
person sitting on the seat. Now the object of my Invention is to diminish the
friction of the movable seat on its supports, so as to decrease the labour of the
oarsman and to increase the speed of the boat, for which purpose I use rollers or.
wheels placed between the seat and its supports. The resistance to the motion of
the seat is thereby reduced to about one-fortieth part, or even less, of the weight of
the person sitting on the seat.
The first arrangement of rollers according to my Invention refers to two bearers
or supports placed longitudinally in the boat to carry four wheels or rollers made of
wood or any other suitable material. These rollers are coupled together by a light
metal frame-work connected by two small rods which pass loosely through holes in
the centres of the rollers. This framework maintains the rollers in the proper
position during the motion of the seat, which is fastened to two longitudinal pieces
of wood resting on the top of the four rollers.
The bearers may be fixed in the boat in any convenient manner; according to
one arrangement they are supported at the ends by brackets fastened to the
bulkheads. At the commencement of the stroke the seat (which may be of the
ordinary shape now used) and the rollers are placed at one end of the bearers; when
the seat is moved the rollers move on the bearers, and the seat with its longitudinal
pieces travel on the rollers.
The return movement of the seat and rollers is similar to that just described.
The rollers are not in any way fastened to the bearers or to the seat, but the rollers
377

page_text: and seat may be prevented from falling out of the boat when the latter is turned
over by strips or wood fastened to the inside of the splash board.
In order that the weight on the seat may be properly distributed on the four
rollers they should be placed a certain distance apart longitudinally by means of the
framework, this distance depending upon the length of slide required by the
oarsman.
I do not intend to limit myself to the particular form and dimensions of rollers
or bearers.
With the ordinary sliding seat the dress of the oarsman often becomes smeared
with grease or oil, but in the form of roller seat now described axle friction and
sliding friction are avoided, and the use of oil or other lubricant is not necessary.
Whereas I am aware that movable seats for boats have been made provided with
small wheels turning on axles, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not
claim the use of such small wheels turning on axles; but in those cases in which
wheels have been used to support the seat they have been made of so small a
diameter, seldom exceeding one inch, and the bearing surface of the axle has been
made so small as to be inadequate to support the weight of the oarsman in the act
of rowing without causing excessive friction, vibration, and noise. Seats provided
with small wheels and axles are consequently not used by the best rowing men, who
.prefer the ordinary seat with its sliding friction. Moreover in the moveable seats
provided with wheels which have been hitherto made, the wheels have been made to
run in grooves or on supports placed on the same level as the gunwale of the boat.
The size of the wheel has thus been limited to a small diameter, as it would be
impossible to place the seat on a large wheel above the level of the gunwale without
making the boat unsteady and the rowing difficult. But this part of my Invention
consists in the use of large wheels secured by brackets to the seat and turning on
axles having large bearing surfaces and running on supports placed below the level
of the gunwale of the boat. In this arrangement the supports for the wheels are
secured to the seat by brackets and turning on axles, the supports or bearers on
which the wheels run being placed below the level of the gunwales.
I do not confine myself to the precise form of wheels, brackets, or bearers; but
what I do claim is the use of larger wheels and bearing surface of axle than has
hitherto been used, and the placing of the supports for the wheels below the gunwale
of the boat. The longitudinal bearers must be made long enough to admit of the
length of slide required. By this arrangement the friction may be inade considerably
less than in the ordinary sliding seat, but the use of oil or other lubricant is required
to diminish the axle friction.
Instead of securing the wheels by brackets to the seats, they may be fixed in the
boat at the same level as if secured to the seat, but in this case the seat (which may
be of the ordinary shape) must be fastened to longitudinal pieces running on the top
of the wheels.
I claim the use of what are commonly known as roller bearings for the axles of
wheels supporting the seat, and also the use of friction wheels for the same
purpose.
In using friction wheels to support the axles of the rollers it is not necessary that
the friction wheels should be complete, as segments of wheels will be found sufficient
for the limited movement of the seat.