IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' FURNITURE IN WHICH A STEADY PLATFORM IS REQUIRED
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Ritchie, of Upper Tulse Hill, in the County
of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' FURNITURE IN
WHICH A STEADY PLATFORM IS REQUIRED."
Sealed the 31st January 1867, and dated the 3rd August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Ritchie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd August 1866.
I, CHARLES RITCHIE, of Upper Tulse Hill, in the County of Surrey, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS'
FURNITURE IN WHICH A STEADY PLATFORM IS REQUIRED," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ships' furniture. For
these purposes in constructing ships' furniture and fittings, such as beds,
tables, couches, and others, where it is desirable to retain the surfaces in a
horizontal position notwithstanding the pitching or rolling of the ship, I
employ a hollow vessel, which is open at top and of a rectangular or other
form, according to the form of the surface of the article which is to be kept
in a horizontal position during the rolling or pitching of the ship, as well as

page_text: when the ship is on an even keel; this vessel has within it a moveable
partition which is arranged to float on water or liquid contained in the vessel.
The moveable partition is connected to the sides and ends of the vessel by
flexible water-tight fabric or material. The partition will float on the water
or liquid, hence although the vessel itself will move with the ship the partition
will retain its horizontal position; this partition forms the platform or base of
the bed, couch, or table, or other article of ships' furniture; it may either be
formed together with the bed, couch, or table, or as a separate base from
which the bed, couch, or table may be removed at pleasure. In addition to
the use of these articles as ships' furniture and fittings they may, where not
actually fixed to a ship, be also used as life buoys by running out the water
from under the moveable partitions and substituting air; these vessels will
then float and support considerable weight when in the water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Ritchie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
RITCHIE, of Upper Tulse Hill, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Ritchie, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Ritchie, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Ritchie, my executors, 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 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHIPS' FURNITURE IN WHICH A STEADY PLATFORM IS REQUIRED,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Ritchie, 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

page_text: 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 Charles Ritchie, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ships' furniture in which
a steady platform is required. For these purposes in constructing ships'
furniture and fittings, such as beds, tables, couches, and others, where it is
desirable to retain the surfaces in a horizontal position notwithstanding the
pitching or rolling of the ship, I employ a hollow vessel, which is open at top
and of a rectangular or other form, according to the form of the surface of
the article which is to be kept in a horizontal position during the rolling or
pitching of the ship, as well as when the ship is on an even keel; this vessel
has within it a moveable partition which is arranged to float on water or
liquid contained in the vessel. The moveable partition is connected to the
sides and ends of the vessel by flexible water-tight fabric or material. The
partition will float on the water or liquid, hence although the vessel itself will
move with the ship the partition will retain its horizontal position; this
partition forms the platform or base of the bed, couch, or table, or other
article of ships' furniture; it may either be formed together with the bed,
couch, or table, or as a separate base from which the bed, couch, or table
may be removed at pleasure. In addition to the use of these articles as ships'
furniture and fittings they may, where not actually fixed to a ship be also
used as life buoys by running out the water from under the moveable
partitions and substituting air; these vessels will then float, and support
considerable weight when in the water.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will describe the manner in which it is applied to
several articles of ships' furniture to which it is particularly suited.
For a couch I prepare a tank, say 7 feet long, 3 feet 6 inches broad, and
3 feet deep; it may be rectangular in transverse section, and this is the
easiest way of forming it, but the weight to be carried may be materially
diminished by making the bottom of the tank semicircular. Into this tank
is placed a floating platform; it is flat at the top to receive the cushions or
bedding, and underneath the flat top is enclosed water-tight a space of
sufficient capacity to enable the platform to float with any weight which may

page_text: come upon it when it is in use; for a couch about four cubic feet will be a
suitable capacity to give to the space. The form of the float is not material;
it may be made with a rounded bottom, but it is made more easily with
inclined sides meeting at the centre of the bottom. It is not essential that the
space underneath the bottom should be of sufficient capacity to support the
weight, but if not a stiff ledge a few inches in height should be fixed around
the edge of the top of the float all round. To work in a tank such as that
described the top of the floating platform should be about six feet long and
two feet six inches broad, and sufficient water or liquid is put into the tank to
keep the floating platform at a distance of about six inches from the bottom,
where it most nearly approaches it. In order to prevent the water in the
tank from coming over the top or surface of the platform as the vessel rolls
Macintosh fabric is attached to the edges of the platform all round, and is
carried up and secured to the top edge of the tank, so that the liquid cannot
escape from the tank or come over the platform whatever be the angle to
which it is sloped. The Macintosh fabric is put on very loosely, so that it
may not under any circumstances check the free movements of the platform.
In order to prevent the platform coming in collision with the sides of the
tank as the vessel rolls and pitches restraining springs or instruments are
employed. The most convenient way is to attach endless elastic bands to the
edge of the platform, and to carry them over pulleys at the top and bottom of
the tank; then as the tank inclines and the surface of the platform. remains
horizontal the elastic bands run over the pulleys, so as not to check these
movements, but as will be seen the tension of the springs at once checks all
sideway movement, but gently and without shocks. In order to aid persons
in placing themselves on the couches and in rising from them bolts are
provided by which for a time the platform may be held to the tank so as to
move with it. The user sets free the platform as soon as he has placed
himself upon it, and secures it again before be commences to rise, otherwise the
platform might tip from the weight being applied out of the centre. In the
same way chairs, camp stools, and other descriptions of seats may be
combined with floating platforms, but in these cases the tank and platform
should be made shorter and broader. For a table the tank and platform' are
arranged in a similar manner, of a size and dimensions suitable to the weight
the table is to support. A standard or leg rises from the centre of the
platform, and on it is mounted the table top. Smaller tanks and platforms
may very usefully be employed to support timepieces, as the steady platform
so provided will be found very favorable to their regular performance. In

page_text: the case of such platforms, and also in some cases for couches, I suspend the
tank and platform by a ball-and-socket joint from a centre above, and so still
further freedom from motion is obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Ritchie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of February, in the year.of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
CHARLES RITCHIE. (L.s.)