IMPROVEMENTS IN BOATS, AND IN INSTRUMENTS FOR SOUNDING AND INDICATING THE RISE AND FALL AND RATES OF CURRENTS
Year: 1851

page_text: BERTHON'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
LYON BERTHON, of Fareham, in the County of Hants, Clerk, Master of
Arts, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of June,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, in the fourteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Lyon Berthon, my exors, aduiors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Edward Lyon Berthon,
my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Lyon
Berthon, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOATS,
AND IN INSTRUMENTS FOR SOUNDING AND INDICATING THE RISE AND FALL AND
RATES OF CURRENTS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
that I, the said Edward Lyon Berthon, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrollod

page_text: in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Lyon Berthon, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following Specification thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed (that is to say):-
Firstly, my Invention has relation to the construction of boats generally, and
more especially to the class of boats called life boats, and to boats for the
transport of ordnance and other heavy bodies across rivers (sometimes called
pontoons or floating bridges), and consists in constructing them in such
manner as to combine adequate capacity and strength, with the property of
being collapsible at pleasure, into a small compass, and so easier of transport
from one place to another. Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, represent the
details of a life boat built on this principle, thirty feet in length and ten in
breadth.
Figure 1 is a midship section; a¹, a², a³, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, are a series
of longitudinal timbers, and 6 is the keel. The timbers are all made flat
and broad, say two inches in thickness, and from eight to fifteen inches
in breadth, and they are jointed together at the ends (both of which are
alike) by chain hinges of the construction separately represented in Figures
2 and 3, and hereafter described. c, c, c, c, c, c, c, c, c, c, is an outer sheathing
or envelope, composed of any flexible waterproof material, which is attached by
nails and cement to the outer edges of the timbers, and d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d, an
inner lining of similar material, which is similarly attached to the inner edges
of the timbers. The sides and bottom of the boat are thus divided into ten
distinct longitudinal compartments or cells, which extend lengthwise from
stern to stem, and are intended to contain air drawn in through openings at
the extreme ends while the boat is in the act of being expanded; e, e, is one
of the thwarts formed in two pieces jointed together in the middle, one of
which pieces is also attached by a joint at its outer end to the timber a², and
the other is similarly attached to the timber a; f is a stanchion fixed upon the
keel 6 for the thwart e, e, to rest upon; for each thwart there is a stanchion
projecting upwards through the flooring; g, g, is the flooring or platform,
which is jointed like the thwarts along the midship line, and along the sides
by three or four hinges (as shewn in Figures 8 & 8* to the timber a³ on
one side, and as on the other. From what has been stated it will be readily

page_text: understood that when the boat is collapsed the timbers will lie in parallel planes,
but assume, as the framework is expanded, positions more or less divergent
from the centre line or line of the keel. When the boat is shut, this floor-
ing rises in the middle, and stands up like the roof of a house; and when open,
it drops down and rests on the timbers a, a, a, a, and on the keel b. The
thwarts also rise and fall like the flooring, and all these together perform the
part of extenders when the boat is open. h, h, are moveable stanchions under
each thwart resting upon the flooring to give additional strength. The gun-
wale pieces a¹, ao, are supported by stanchions I, I, and are set up very taut
by a lever of the kind shewn in Figure 6; Figure 2 is a portion of one of the
ends inside; L is the stem block, being a strong semi-cylindrical block of
wood, which is firmly attached to the stem or end of the keel-piece turned up.
Around this stem block the ends of all the timbers are made to abut when the
boat is open, by the directing action of the chain hinge M, M, which then
takes a semicircular curve; but when the boat is shut the chain hinge assumes
a horizontal position, or that of a straight line at right angles to the stem,
allowing the timbers to fall into parallel planes, as shewn in Figure 3. The
chain hinge M, M, Figures 2 and 3, is made like the chain of a watch, but has
two straps from each link to grasp the timbers upon which they are rivetted ;
the centre link, which is made fast to the stem, is the strongest, and forms the
fixed point for the parts on each side to work upon; Figure 4 is a gunwale
plan or view shewing the internal arrangements; e, e, e, e, are the thwarts;
9, 9, 9, 9, the platform or flooring; c, c, are two strong metal shackles place.]
upon two of the hinges of the flooring so that the pins of the hinges pass-
through their eyes. To these shackles the falls for hoisting up the boat are
hooked; ff, f, f³, are other ring bolts on the gunwales to which the spans
are hooked for expanding and lowering the boat; L, L, are the stem blocks
before mentioned; and h³, ha, ha, h³, are openings with plugs fitted, through
which the nir enters in opening the boat and escapes on shutting it. The
plugs are put in when the boat is in use to keep the water out. Figure 5
shows an end view of the boat as it appears when collapsed and hoisted up
under the davits, closely frapped to and lashed to the ship's bulwarks outside
with strong gripes.
Figure 6 shews on an enlarged scale one of the gunwale stanchions with its
lever; I is the stanchion; I, the lever made of tough wood; a', the gunwale
piece; as, the second timber; e, a thwart. The lower end of the stanchion I'
being placed in the notch of the lever I, and the lower end of that lever on
the end of the thwart; then, when pressure is made in the direction of tho
arrow so as to bring the two pieces I and I together, a very great expanding.

page_text: force is obtained, whilst immediately on passing the centre or straight line the
lever I flies home against the stanchions I, where it remains. Figure 7
and 7 shew the sort of hinge used for the thwarts and flooring along the
centre line, the pin a is withdrawn and the two parts b and e separated; each
part has two straps to grasp the wood which is put between them; they are
then rivetted together.
Figures 8 and 8" exhibit the kind of hinge used for the outer ends of the
thwarts; a is the pin; b, b, the straps which are rivetted on to the ends of
the thwarts at their edges; c, c, the two eye bolts which are screwed into the
nuts d, d, imbedded in the timbers. A similar plan to that just described is
adopted for the flooring. The number of timbers used in a boat of this con-
struction may be varied, so also may the number of coverings, both outside and
inside; the capacity of the boat may likewise be increased by diminishing its.
air-cells, by bringing the outer and inner coverings nearer together, or by
dispensing with the inner one altogether when the boat is not intended for a
life boat. Almost any lines may be followed in respect of the general form.
As before stated, any flexible water-tight material may be used for the covering,
but I give the preference to strong thick felt coated with india-rubber; strong
bands or webs may be passed round the framework in the direction of the ribs
to give additional strength. The keel should, however, be added after the webs
and cloth are put on. The boat is furnished with two or more bilge keels or
pieces put on outside the covering on the edges of the timbers a, a, a, a, &c.
(Fig. 1). The edges of the timbers a, a, a, a, are covered with battens of
wood about three-quarters of an inch thick, and all the edges of the timbers
upon which the covering is fastened are defended by strips of copper out-
side all.
It remains to explain the mode of lowering a boat of this description into
the water, and of hoisting it up. And first, to lower the boat, suppose it to be
frapped to the ship's bulwarks outside, and firmly lashed thereto with the
gripes, which would then bear the whole weight, then the falls or tackles of
the davits being rigged in the usual way are attached to spans hooked into the
gunwale ring-bolts ready to receive the weight of the boat. The gripes are
then cast off when the boat falls on to the spans, and by its own weight
expands. When it thus flies out and open the thwarts, the platform and the
stanchions all at once drop into their places, and air is at the same instant
drawn into the cells; the boat may then be immediately lowered into the
water.
To hoist up the boat, the process is as follows:-The boat being brought
alongside the vessel, with the masts and oars lashed to the thwarts, the plugs

page_text: of the air-holes are removed, and the gunwales lowered by unshipping their
stanchions, and tricing all the stanchions under the thwarts; the tackles
are then hooked to the shackles; the first pull raises the centre of the
flooring, on which the whole boat collapses, and may be hoisted up shut.
A modification of the preceding method of construction is represented in
Figures 9 and 10, whereby the same may be adapted to the purpose of floating
bridges or pontoons. Figure 9 is a transverse section of a boat, constructed
according to this modification in its extended state, and Figure 10 an end view
of it when collapsed. a, a, is the platform, one half of which is made fast to
the gunwale timbers on each side when the boat is collapsed; these pieces
stand apart and parallel to each other, as in Figure 10.
When expanded
they come into one plane, as in Figure 9, and their inner ends touch
each other and rest on the upright support b, which projects upwards from
the midship timber 6', being secured to the top of this support by a strong
staple d, which projects from it between them. e is a bar or wedge of
wood or iron, which passes through the staple, and keeps both ends down.
c, c, are two supports which abut against the midship timber 6, and are secured
laterally to the platform at d², d². These supports serve to stiffen the boat and
keep it extended. They may also be prolonged upwards in a diagonal direc-
tion, so as to abut against similar pieces of the next adjoining boat. At the
extreme ends of the platform there are strong hooks and eyes to unite it to
those of the adjoining boats. The length of platform carried by each boat
would be about fifteen feet, the breadth of each boat when expanded about
eight fect, and its length twelve or fourteen, the breadth of platform eight.
The thickness of the platform being three inches in its side rails, and that of
each of the other timbers being about one inch and a-half, the thickness of the
whole when collapsed would be about sixteen inches, so that four of them
would be carried vertically upon a cart or waggon five feet four inches wide.
The coverings should be made of the same material as the life boat first
before described, and may be one, two, or more in number. These boats
would be expanded by hand, say by three men at each end of the platform,
after which they might be launched. A keele and bilge pieces f, f, should be
put on to defend the boat when on shore. The platform may also be made
detached from the boats and put on when they are launched. The same
arrangement of chain hinge, stern block, and air holes, would be suitable for
pontoons, as adopted in the case of the life boat first before described.
Secondly, my Invention, in so far as relates to instruments for sounding,
consists in the improved instrument for the purpose represented in Figure 11.
a, a, a, a, is a gutta percha tube of about one quarter inch external diameter,

page_text: and about one-sixteenth of an inch internal diameter, and drawn to these
dimensions when cold. This tube may be of any required length, and serves
both as line and as a communicating pipe between the lead C and indicator B.
The lead C is of any form externally, and within it there is a chamber open at
bottom, which contains a bag 6 of india-rubber, attached to and communicating
with the tube a, a, a, a. The indicator (B) consists of a frame of wood, to
which is attached a glass tube e and a graduated scale f, the tube a, a, a, a,
communicating with the lower end of the tube e through a small stop-cock g.
Now, the bag 6 of the lead and the whole of the tube a, a, a, a, are filled with
a fluid lighter than sea water (which may be obtained by diluting sea water
with fresh). Supposing the specific gravity of the water in the instrument
to be to that of sea water as 72: 73, I place the zero point of the
scale of the indicator at the level of the sea or at the water line of a
vessel. The lead is then hove, and as it descends the water will rise in the
indicator (assuming the stop-cock to be open) one inch for every fathom;
because one fathom, or seventy-two inches of sea water, outside the bag and
tube will support seventy-three inches of the lighter water inside. Thus, for
every fathom of depth there is an inch of water in the indicator. But as an
indicator, more than four feet long (the length for forty-eight fathoms) would
be inconvenient, one of more suitable dimensions is shewn in Figure 12; here
the glass tube e¹, e¹, is turned up below and terminates in a bulb b, like a
common barometer; the bulb and bend of the tube contain mercury, the tube
a, a, a, a, as before, is fastened to the neck of the bulb at c, all air is excluded,
and the water rests upon the mercury. Now, as the mercury will be about
twelve times as heavy as the water in the tube, the column of it raised by the
compression of the bag inside the lead will be only one-twelfth as high as in
the former case, and thus one inch of mercury will indicate an immersion of
twelve fathoms, or an indicator four feet long will measure any depth not
exceeding five hundred and seventy-six fathoms, but if required, another tube
can easily be added above that on the indicator, by slipping a small piece of
vulcanized india-rubber tube over both ends when greater depths are to be
sounded.
Another arrangement that will be found extremely convenient for moderate
depths, is to use the same apparatus with an indicator, like Figure 12, with
only air in the bag 6 and tube a, a, a, a. As the bag descends, the air will be
compressed in the tube, and force up the mercury in the indicator. This has
the great advantage of being independent of position, i.e., the indicator need
not be placed at the water line.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of an improved instrument for indicating the

page_text: rise and fall of water.
It is constructed on the same principle as the instru-
ment last described, the indicator being fixed either on shore or in a moored
vessel, and used as a tide guage, the scale being graduated proportionally for
salt or fresh water, according as the case may be.
Fourthly, my Invention consists of an instrument for ascertaining and
indicating the rate of currents, being an adaptation to that purpose of the
perpetual log for which former Letters Patent for England were granted to
me, of date the Nineteenth of December, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-nine. Figure 13 is a side elevation of this instrument. A is a strong
metal cylinder about ten inches long, closed at both ends and divided into two
chambers b and c, by a diaphragm. d, d, is a bow piece of a long oval form,
which carries the cylinder and has eyes at the sides to receive two small
projecting trunnions. The lower chamber c is partly filled with lead or other
metal, which serves to keep the cylinder always in a vertical position, while a
flat plate or tail piece e keeps it always in one direction when sunk in a current.
The lower chamber of the cylinder has an aperture in the after part, videlicet,
the side from which the tail piece projects, and the upper chamber has a similar
aperture directly opposite to it. Close to the diaphragm there is a small
nipple projecting from each chamber, and to these nipples are attached short
pieces of flexible hose g and h, which at the arch of the bow piece d are
respectively connected with two gutta percha tubes e, e, and f, f, like that used
in the sounding instrument before described. These tubes constitute the com-
munication between the cylinder and the indicator, as well as answer the
purpose of lowering and raising. I, the indicator, is a glass tube bent into a U
shape, and half filled with mercury, each limb being filled up with fresh water.
The gutta percha tubes and the chambers being also filled with water, the
whole of the parts are connected together by inserting the ends of the tubes
armed each with a piece of vulcanized rubber into the open ends of the
glass. The chambers b and c have a piece of sponge in each saturated with
water to prevent the entrance of air when not in use, and keep the tubes
always full. The two gutta percha tubes are "parcelled" together. The
scale on the indicator is graduated like the scale of the perpetual log before
referred to, and is made to slide so as to be placed with its zero mark level
with the lower surface of the mercury.
To use this instrument the indicator may be fixed or held in the hand while
the cylinder is hove into the current; it sinks of its own weight, or a lead k
may be added, if necessary, below. The cylinder remains vertical, and the
tail piece keeps the aperture of the chamber b in the direction meeting the
current, and that of c in the contrary direction. Thus we have a positive

page_text: force in chamber b, and a negative one in chamber c, which acting along the
tubes, move the mercury, and indicate the rate of the current. To ascertain
the rate of current at any given depth, it is only necessary to combine this
instrument with either of the sounding instruments as before described.
Figure 14 represents another form of apparatus for indicating rates of
current adapted more particularly for vessels when moored. The same con-
struction of way tube with its positive and negative water pipes, is used in this
instrument, as in my perpetual log, but instead of the water pipes a and b
being connected above with air vessels, they are united respectively with two
strong inverted syphon of glass, A and B, half filled with mercury. One
limb of each syphon is filled up with water over the mercury, where the water
tubes a and b, likewise full of water, are connected with them. Upon the other
surfaces of the mercury are two glass weights c and d, with small lines or
strings e and fattached to them, which pass round the sheaves of the indicator I,
which is provided with a circular dial and index hand g. The arrangement
of sheaves is shewn in Figure 15. h, i, are sheaves moving on fixed axes;
jj, is the sheave on the pivot of the index hand; k and are two sheaves
side by side attached to a compensation weight m. The string passes over h,
under 1, over j, under k, and over i. Thus any force which acts equally and
similarly on the mercury in both syphons at the same time must affect both
the strings equally, and the compensation weight m will rise or fall accordingly
without moving the index hand, but the current acting in contrary ways upon
the two chambers of the way tube, and therefore upon the two weights, the
index hand is turned according to the rate of current. The scale is pro
portioned to the size of the sheave on the pivot of the index hand.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention in the several
parts thereof, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
the improvements which I claim are as follows:-First, I claim the constructing
of boats in the manner represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, and
10, and before described, that is to say, in so far as regards the jointed frame-
work and the arrangements and combinations whereby the same is made to
expand and collapse as required, and in expanding or collapsing to fill or
empty the air cells (where such cells are used.)
Second, I claim the improved sounding instrument represented in Figure 11,
and before described, in so far as regards the employment of the difference in
specific gravity between the sea water and that of a lighter fluid contained in
a tube communicating therewith to shew at all times the depth of such sea
water, as also the modifications of the same represented in Figure 12, and
before described.

page_text: Third, I claim the improved instrument for indicating the rise or fall of
water or tide guage as before described.
Fourth, I claim the instrument for ascertaining and indicating the rate of
currents, and also the modification thereof, respectively represented in
Figure 13 and Figures 14 and 15, and before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Lyon Berthon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.