Im- DRAVENENTS IN ADDARATHS FOR SAVING LURE AT SEA " PRO
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Thomas Christie, of Kensington Park,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of “Im-
DRAVENENTS IN ADDARATHS FOR SAVING LURE AT SEA "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Thomas Christie
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th March 1873.
I, HENRY THOMAS CHRISTIE, of Kensington Park, in the County of.
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "Improvements in Apparatus for Saving Life at Sea,” to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the construction and use of rafts and the
stowing of the same when constructed upon vessels, whether steamer or
sailing vessels, in such manner that in the event of the foundering of such
vessels a more ready and effectual means of saving life will be provided
than by the use of boats as heretofore; but I do not wish to be under-
stood as seeking to supersede the use of boats, but as providing additional

page_text: and effective means of saving life for use in the event of any sudden
disaster.
The construction of the raft is as follows:-Suitably large and strong
planks of wood are placed as the longitudinal sides, and transverse end
pieces are attached thereto. To the transverse ends are fixed longitudinal
binders, and fixed to the longitudinal sides are transverse binders.
Between these top and bottom binders vertical spaces or openings are
formed about half the depth of the longitudinal sides, and in these
vertical spaces, and lying longitudinally with the raft, masts, oars, and
other requisites may be stored. The upper surface is boarded over and
hinged flaps "or "weather boards" are provided in such relation to cach
other that when raised in an upright position a bulwark will be formed
affording shelter on all sides from the sea.
Cases or boxes of tin or other metal are provided in which provisions
may be stored; the said cases or boxes being arranged and secured in
the lateral spaces between the longitudinal and transverse binders. The
raft with provisions and water stored therein will be stowed upon the
deck of the vessel, preferably on the "bridge," and so arranged that in
the event of the foundering of the vessel or of her sinking after collision,
the raft will float clear of the wreck and be immediately available for
saving life.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Thomas Christie in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY:
THOMAS CHRISTIE, of Kensington Park, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Thomas Christie, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Thomas Christie, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Thomas Christic, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
5 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry Thomas Christie, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Christie, do hereby
.declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference marked
thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in the construction and use of rafts and the
stowing of the same when constructed upon. vessels, whether steamers
or sailing vessels, in such manner that in the event of the foundering of
the vessel a more ready and effectual means of saving life will be pro-
vided than by the use of boats as heretofore; but I do not wish to be
understood as seeking to supersede the use of boats, but as providing.
additional and effective means of saving life for use in the event of any
sudden disaster.
The construction of the raft is as follows:-Suitable large and strong
balks or planks of wood constitute the longitudinal sides, and transverse
end pieces are attached thereto, and to these transverse ends are fixed
longitudinal binders, and above and below these longitudinal binders are
fixed transverse binders. Between these top and bottom binders vertical
spaces or openings are formed of about half the depth of the longitudinal
sides, and in these vertical spaces, and lying longitudinally with the raft,
masts, oars, and other requisites may be stowed, or the masts and oars
can be stowed outside the raft. The upper and lower surfaces are boarded
over, and hinged flaps or weather boards are provided in such relation to

page_text: each other that when raised in an upright position a bulwark will be
formed affording shelter on all sides from the sea.
5
Cases or boxes of tin or other metal are provided, in which provisions
may be stored, the said cases or boxes being arranged and secured in the
lateral spaces
between the longitudinal and transverse binders. The raft
with provisions and water stored therein can be stowed upon the deck of
the vessel, or in any available and convenient position, preferably on the
bridge, or forming a section of the bulwarks or the roofs of deck houses,
and so arranged that in the event of the foundering of the vessel, or of
her sinking after collision the raft will float clear of the wreck, and be 1
immediately available for saving life.
In order that my Invention may be well understood, I have accom-
panied this Specification with a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof,
like letters referring to similar parts in all the Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
1
Fig. 1 is a plan of a suitable arrangement of the framework of the
raft formed by the longitudinal sides, transverse and pieces, and binders;
Fig. 2, a section at the line A, B, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan of the upper
surface of the raft when boarded over, and with the hinged flaps or weather
boards closed; and Fig. 4, a plan of the same, with the weather boards 2
raised to form the bulwark.
a, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, represents the longitudinal sides, and 6 the
transverse end pieces. To the transverse ends are fixed longitudinal
binders a¹, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, having fixed above and below them trans-
verse binders 6¹, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and between these top and bottom 2
binders are vertical spaces or openings c, Fig. 2. The upper and lower
surfaces of the framework are boarded over, and hinged flaps or weather
boards d, Figs. 3 and 4, are provided on each side of the raft, so that
whichever side of the raft is uppermost the hinged flaps on that side can
be loosened from their fastenings, and raised so as to form a bulwark, as 3
seen in Fig. 4, in which for convenience of illustration two sets of these
weather boards are shown, and as a further means against the liability of
persons, goods, or articles being washed off the raft I employ stan-
chions i, Figs. 3 and 4, from which lines or ropes k, Fig. 4, are stretched.
These stanchions are secured in sockets, and when not in use are turned 3
in their sockets, and lie along the side of the raft, as shown in Fig. 3,
and are equally available whichever side of the raft is uppermost.

page_text: Cases or boxes e, Fig. 4. of tin or other metal are provided, in which
provisions may be stored, the said cases or boxes being arranged and
secured in the lateral spaces f, Fig. 1, between the longitudinal and
transverse binders a¹ and 6', there being life lines or ropes provided and
placed in suitable positions.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
I claim, the improvements in apparatus for saving life at sea, as herein
described and shown on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Thomas Christie, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.