CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FENDERS AND PROTECTORS FOR VESSELS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue de la Chausséo d'Antin, Paris,
France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FENDERS AND
PROTECTORS FOR VESSELS."-A communication from Charles Wacker,
Dentist, and Martin Boll, Restaurateur, residing at the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 20th February 1874, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI
ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue
de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for " CERTAIN Improve-
MENTS IN FENDERS AND PROTECTORS FOR VESSELS," communicated to me by
Charles Wacker, Dentist, and Martin Boll, Restaurateur, two persons

page_text: resident at the City, County, and State of New York, United States of
America, and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and made solemn Declaration that it is a communication.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
1
This Invention consists in the arrangement of a railing or guard
which encloses a boat, ship, or vessel, for the purpose of preventing
injury to such vessel in case of collision, and also to provide a ready
means of escape in case of fire or shipwreck; further in combination
with said railing and a vessel of springs or cushions which are arranged
beneath the railing and serve to reduce the shock of resistance upon the
vessel.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing in which
Fig. 1 represents a transverse section of a vessel provided with the
improved fender or protector; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; Fig. 3 is
an inverted plan view of the same.
Fig. 4 is an end view of a rubber spring or cushion detached; Fig. 5
is a plan view of the same as applied to a vessel; Fig. 6 is a perspective
view of the same.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cross tie detached.
Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of a metallic spring and cross tie as
applied to a vessel; Fig. 9 is a similar view thereof in perspective.
Fig. 10 is a face view of a cross tic in a modified form; Fig. 11 is a
sectional side view thereof.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.
In the Drawing the letter A designates a boat, ship, or vessel, which
is surrounded by rails a, b, that intersect cach other and are secured to
the vessel by standards c which are fastened to the vessel by supporting
plates d, and to the rails a, b, by means of flanges e, or which may be
secured in any desirable manner. The effect of this fender may however
be materially improved by substituting elastic cushions a* for the rigid

page_text: supporting standards c. Said clastic cushions are secured to tho
rails a, b, by means of plates c*, and they are fastened to the outer
wall of the vessel by brackets c*, *, or in any other convenient manner.
These cushions form an elastic bearing for the railing and they may be
composed of metallic springs as in Fig. 8 and 9, or of blocks of india-
rubber as in Fig. 4, 5, and 6.
The railing is supported on the vessel by means of stays or chains D
(see Fig. 1) which securely uphold, and at the same time allow of a free
and easy movement of said railing. The cross rails a, b, of the railing
are placed at suitable distances apart, according to the size and nature of
the vessel to be protected, and they are also of corresponding strength.
By these means a fender is provided which effectually guards a ship or
vessel from coming directly in contact with rock or with other vessels,
and by the intervening elastic cushions the force of such contact will be
materially lessened. Furthermore said railing enables the passengers
and crew to escape to the boats in case of danger to the vessel.
The great advantage of this Invention will be apparent without
further explanation since it is obvious by the application of a fender
or protector as above described to a vessel the safety of such vessel is
materially improved, and fatal accidents from collisions are rendered
almost impossible.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
carrying it into effect, I claim,—
1. The arrangement of a railing or guard which encloses a boat, ship,
or vessel, substantially in the manner herein shown and described.
2. The combination with the railing a, b, of elastic springs or cushions
which are arranged between said railing and the body of a ship or vessel,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
set
In witness whereof, I, Henri Adrien Bonneville, have hereunto
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of February, in the year
of our Lord Eighteen hundred and seventy-four.
H. BONNEVILLE.
(L.S.)