IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Thomas Christie, of 5, Elgin Road,
Kensington Park, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the
Invention of “ IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Thomas Christie
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th June 1873.
I, HENRY THOMAS CHRISTIE, of 5, Elgin Road, Kensington Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AT
SEA," to be as follows:--
I construct the raft of metal tubes or of one or more metal case or
cases as required, and securely bind the same together by means of
binders of metal or wood bolted or keyed together. The said metal
tubes or cases are circular, oval, rectangular, or hexagonal in cross
section, and have closed ends.

page_text: For rafts of a larger construction two or more rows of tubes, one
above the other, are employed and bound together with binders, as
aforesaid. Between the rows of tubes, spaces or openings are provided,
if required, and between these spaces, and resting on the binders or on
transfers, supports, masts, oars, and other requisites may be stored.
"
The upper and lower surfaces of the raft are " boarded " or covered
over, and hinged flaps or "weather boards are provided in such relation
to each other that when raised in an upright position a bulwark will be
formed, affording shelter on all sides from the sea.
5
Air-tight cases or boxes of tin, or other metal are provided in which 1
provisions, mails, valuables, or other freight may be stored. The said
cases or boxes being arranged and secured in the spaces between the
tubular construction, and when these cases or boxes are not required for
the purpose of storeage, they will add to the buoyancy of the raft.
The construction of the tubular parts may be of sheets of metal 1
riveted or jointed together, and the metal used is of any suitable kind
(such as galvanized iron) and capable of affording the greatest resistance
to the action of the water.
Also the construction of the raft is such that whichever side shall be
uppermost, the same accommodation is provided, and will be available 20
(that is to say) the raft is reversible.
The raft, with provisions and water stored therein, will be stowed upon
the deck of the vessel, preferably on the bridge, or forming in itself a
bridge, the roof of a deck house, or a section of the bulwarks.
When the raft is stowed on the bridge of a vessel I employ the 2
following means of launching:-The bridge itself is balanced on an axle
or bearing, and a bolt or bolts is or are provided at either end; and by
drawing the said bolts the bridge is free to be raised or depressed at
other end, the depressed end falling and resting on the bulwark of the
ship, when the raft will descend the incline to the sea. Rollers are 30
provided in the bridge to facilitate the launch.
t:
'

page_text: 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 6th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY,
THOMAS CHRISTIE, of 5, Elgin Road, Kensington Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentlemen, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, 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 suc-
cessors, 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 Christie, 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 "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, said Henry 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 and accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say :-
:-
This Invention consists in the construction and use of rafts, and the
stowing of the same when so 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

page_text: provided 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.
I construct the raft of metal tubes, or of one or more metal case or
cases, as required.
When tubes are employed I securely bind the same together by means
of binders of metal or wood, bolted or keyed together. The said metal
tubes are circular, oval, rectangular, or hexagonal in cross section, and
have closed ends.
For rafts of larger construction two or more rows of tubes, one above
the other, are employed and bound together with binders, as aforesaid.
Between the rows of tubes spaces or openings are provided, and between
these spaces and resting on the binders, or on transverse supports, masts,
oars, and other requisites can be stowed, (or the masts and oars can be
stowed outside the raft.
"
1 The upper and lower surfaces of the raft are "boarded " or covered
over, and hinged flaps or "weather boards are provided, so that when
raised in an upright position a bulwark will be formed affording shelter
on all sides from the sea.
Air-tight cases or boxes are provided, in which provisions, mails,
valuables, or other freight may be stored, the said cases or boxes being
arranged and secured in the spaces between the tubes, and when these
cases or boxes are not required for the purpose of storage they will add
to the buoyancy of the raft.
When the raft is constructed of one or more metal case or cases, the
case may be hollow throughout, or be provided with partitions, forming
separate compartments, in which articles can be stored, or when several
cases are employed they are riveted or bound together, thus forming the
raft, and in neither of these modifications of construction will additional
cases or boxes for storeage be necessary.
"Weather boards" are provided as in rafts of the tubular construction,
and the raft is made reversible or with corresponding arrangement of
parts on both sides thereof, so that whichever side shall be uppermost
the same accomodation is provided and will be available.

page_text: As a further means against the liability of persons, goods, or articles
being washed off the raft stanchions are employed from which lines or
ropes are stretched.
The raft with provisions and water stored therein is stowed upon the
vessel, preferably on the bridge, or forming in itself a bridge, the roof of
a deck house, or a section of the bulwarks.
When the raft is stowed on the bridge I employ the following means
of launching :-The bridge itself is balanced on an axle or bearing, and
a bolt or bolts are provided at either end, and by drawing the said bolts,
the bridge is free to be raised or depressed at either end, the depressed
end falling and resting on the bulwark of the ship, when the raft will
descend the incline to the sea. Rollers are provided in the bridge to
facilitate the launch.
One arrangement of this improved life-saving apparatus is shown on
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which A represents the body
of the raft; B, the bulwark formed by the hinged flaps or "weather
boards"; and C, the stanchions, carrying lines or ropes a. The
stanchions are secured in sockets, and when not in use are turned in
their sockets and lie along the side of the raft, and are equally available
whichever side of the raft is uppermost.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature and particulars of
my said Invention, I claim the improvements in apparatus for saving
life at sea, substantially as described and illustrated by the accom-
panying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Thomas Christie, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.