IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO AUTOMATIC OR SELF LEVELLING SHIPS' BERTHS
Year: 1884

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I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO AUTOMATIC OR SELF
LEVELLING SHIPS' BERTHS (a communication from William Thomas Milligan of
Boston, Massachusetts United States of America, Machinist) and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
This invention relates generally speaking to an improvement in the mode of
hanging an automatic berth so that it shall be capable of more steady operation
than has heretofore been possible and yet shall take up less space than berths of
this class heretofore built.
The main purpose of this invention is to enable an automatic or self levelling
berth to be hung at each end in such a way that the hanging mechanism will not
use space which otherwise would be used for the length of the berth itself.
This portion of the invention consists in hanging the ends of the berth from an⚫
over-hanging pivotal support, that is, a support which projects from the state room
bulk head beyond the vertical plane of the berth head, and does not interfere with
the length of the berth because it extends beyond said plane above said berth.
Hence the berth can extend under such a support and occupy substantially all the
room between the bulk heads. The supporting mechanism may then be as heavy⚫
and thick as may be desired without affecting the length of the berth. The
invention also consists in the use of a circular supporting track in combination
with suitable berth ends, having a circular bearing surface and supporting disks
adapted to give the berth a lateral motion as it rotates about its longitudinal axial
line much like that given to the berth described in Letters Patent of Great Britain
No. 2340 of 1883. It also consists in certain details of construction more fully
described below.
In the drawings figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a berth embodying this
invention and figure 2 is a cross section of line x x figure 1. The other figures
show details fully described below.

page_text: .
A A are heads by means of which the berth is supported. Each head consists
of a grooved ring of an outside bearing diameter about two inches greater than the
width of the berth, the groove being adapted to set over the supporting mechanism
so that the ring will form both a bearing for the berth and also a box to protect
the supporting mechanism. The ring is provided with a flange a extending towards
its centre a greater or less distance and serving to hold in place the disk at which
may be made of wood or light metal and acts as a shield to prevent the contents of
the berth from coming in contact with the state room bulk head. Thus the head
of the berth is recessed and forms both the end of the berth and also the pivotal
supports, and the support extends out from the bulk beyond the vertical plane of
the berth and about the berth so that the support may be made as heavy and strong
as possible without requiring any room to be taken from the length of the berth for
the purpose. The berth may consequently occupy all the room between the bulk
heads, but will require no more room because of the self-leveling mechanism than
if it were an ordinary stationary berth, whereas all automatic berths heretofore
built so far as is now known have taken from one inch to 6 inches off the sleeping
length of the room for the leveling mechanism.
BB are sockets attached to the heads for the ends of the side beams B¹ B¹.
C is a circular track. Its supporting surface is best of a diameter say an inch and
a half less than the diameter of the bearing surface of the head A. This track C
is attached to the bulk head of the state room and its inner edge is adapted to lie
within the groove of the head A. Upon this track rests the carriage D. This
carriage is provided with a number of disks axled to it which are adapted to
properly support the head A so that its centre will be about three quarters of an
inch higher than the centre of the track. The middle disk d will be about an inch
and a half in diameter the others varying in size so that each will bear its
proportion of the weight of the berth. The two smallest disks, those at each end
of the carriage, should best be but little above the horizontal diameter of the track
when the berth is in its normal position.
The purpose of this carriage is to ensure the keeping of the supporting disks at
a regular distance apart so that each will bear its proportion of the weight of the
head, and no one will get out of place. The common connection ensures the disks
working together and adds to the possible steadiness of the berth. By the use of
the circular track and a circular bearing surface, the two being hung substantially
as described upon a series of disks of different diameter substantially the same
lateral motion is given to the berth as is described in the Letters Patent above
named.
The carriage D is also provided with a set of steadying disks d¹ also axled in it
which assist in steadying the motion of the berth. The groove in the head A is
sufficiently wide to contain the track and carriage with its disks so that all the
parts may move with the least possible friction. Its inner edge and flange serve to
strengthen the head and prevent it from buckling without taking off from the
length of the berth.
From each end of the carriage D projects a rod d² which runs through a hole in
an ear c projecting from the track C about 25 degrees below its horizontal diameter.
The end of each rod which passes through an ear c is upset and each rod is long
enough to allow the carriage to move above 25 degrees on each side of its normal
point of rest.
Around each rod and lying between the end of the carriage and the ear c is a
spiral spring. The purpose of these springs and rods is to keep the carriage in its
normal position at the top of the track C in case by any accident the head A should
be lifted off the carriage and also to ease the motion of the carriage and consequently
the rotary motion of the berth at each end of its swing.
The berth proper is hung by means of ropes b¹ from pulleys b attached to the
beams B B¹. It consists of a frame F F¹, the side pieces F of which are angular
in cross section. The lower portions of each side incline towards the middle of the
berth and serve with proper cross straps to support the mattress. By this means
ن

page_text: the weight can be brought lower than if the sides were straight without interfering
with the swing of the berth. The ends F' are also angular in cross section in order
to swing within the recessed, head A without touching it and to utilize all the
available room for the full length of the berth.
The springs G act in all respects as in the patented berth above referred to but
it has been found that the mode of adjustment now to be described is better than
any heretofore known. The arbors g of these springs are set into pieces g¹ moving
in slots in the piece H attached to the beams B. The pieces g¹ are moved in the
slots by set screws g². The slots in the piece H should be at such an angle that by
raising the piece g¹ in the slot the power of the spring will be increased and its
ends of the berth will be raised a little, and when a piece g² is lowered, the tension
of its spring will be diminished and its end of the berth will be lowered.
J is a board, behind which lies a portion of the system of rods by means of
which the pawls K are acted upon to engage with the ratchet teeth about the lower
circumference of the head to lock the berth. L is a lever handle pivoted behind this
shield J and adapted to lock both ends of the berth by a motion in one direction
and unlock it by a motion in the opposite direction. A portion of this handle
projects below the lower edge of the shield J. in such a way that the handle and
consequently the berth may be locked by a lock placed on the shield so as to lock
into the handle.
The operation of the berth above described will be understood without farther
explanation by anyone understanding the berth described in the Letters Patent
above referred to. But it is obvious that the improvements herein described are
not restricted in their use to that particular for of berth. The dimensions above
given may be varied in a measure but are those which give the best results with a
berth of the usual size viz., six feet long by twenty-six (26) inches wide.
By the use of this present improvement in hanging, the full length between the
bulk heads may be utilized for the length of the berth, the recessed portion of the
head A being counter-sunk into the bulk-bead if thought best, whereas heretofore
at least one inch was necessarily taken from the length of the berth in order to
make room for hanging mechanism.
A berth of the kind above.described and provided with a circular track has
several advantages over a berth in which the track is elliptical. A much greater
degree of steadiness is ensured when the track and the bearing surface of the head
are both circular so that the bearing portion of the berth will move in a curve of
uniform radius.
In the use of the elliptical track, it has been found by experience that at certain
times during the swinging of the berth it will be supported by but two of the
disks, thus allowing the other disks to become misplaced, (unless they be axled to
a common connection) while at other times it is supported by the whole seven, if
they should remain in place; with the circular track however, the berth will always
be supported by all the disks and its weight will be distributed consequently over
the seven disks with comparative equality, consequently the wear will be more
even and less rapid and the necessity for repair less frequent. Moreover a
berth supported upon an elliptical track by disks like that shown in the patent
above referred to, can never be turned bottom up, whereas in the present berth
when it is desired to clean the bottom of the berth or repair the state room wall
behind the berth, the berth can be rotated to any desired point and held there by
suitable supports, thus enabling the mechanic to make the necessary repairs without
taking the berth down.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;
1st. An Automatic Ship's Berth provided at each end with a bearing surface
resting upon a corresponding bearing surface projecting from the state room bulk
head and overhanging said berth, said bearings forming two pivotal supports, said

page_text: supports lying between the vertical planes of the ends of said berth, and the berth
extending under said supports with its ends in close proximity to said bulk head,
all substantially as set forth.
2nd. An Automatic Ship's Berth having at each end a curved bearing surface
resting upon a series of disks axled to a common connection, capable of rotation
and resting upon a curved track attached to the state room bulk head or the like
support, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. An Automatic Ship's Berth having at each end a circular bearing surface
resting upon a series of disks capable of rotation and resting upo a circular track,
the diameter of said track being less than the diameter of said bearing surface and
the centre of curvature of said bearing surface being above the centre of curvature
of said track, all as and for the purposes set forth.
4th. An Automatic Ship's Berth hung upon a longitudinal axis between upright
supports and provided at each end with steadying disks d bearing upon said
supports and travelling with said berth, the plane of each of said disks being parallel
with the longitudinal axis of said berth as and for the purposes specified.
5th. In an Automatic Ship's Berth the combination of the recessed or concaved
head A and the berth frame F F1, hung upon its transverse axis and having convex
ends F¹, corresponding in shape with the concavity of the head A as and for the
purposes set forth."
6th. In a Ship's Berth the side frame Fangular in cross-section, the upper portion
of said frame being vertical and the lower portion inclining towards the middle of
said berth, as and for the purposes set forth.
7th. In an Automatic Ship's Berth the spring adjusting mechanism above
described consisting of the slotted piece H attached to the stationary part B¹, and
the adjustable slide g capable of motion in the slot in the piece H, in combination
with the spring G, one end of which is connected to the swing part F of said berth
and the other to the piece gas and for the purposes specified.
8th. In combination the shield J carrying a lock, and the operating lever L
pivoted to the state room wall and connected with the berth locking mechanism,
said shield partially covering said lever, and said lock arranged upon said shield in
close proximity to said lever in the manner specified.
9th. An Automatic Ships Berth having at each end a circular bearing surface
resting upon a carriage D resting upon a supporting track, the said carriage being
connected to said track and capable of a limited motion thereon, all as set forth.
10th. In an Automatic Ship's Berth the combination of the stationary track C
attached to the state room bulk head, the movable carriage D, and berth head A
resting thereon, and the spring d arranged between said stationary and movable
parts, as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 25th day of November 1884.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.