An Improved Convertible Deck Seat or Boat Cradle and Life- saving Raft.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Convertible Deck Seat or Boat Cradle and Life-
saving Raft.
I, EDWARD JACOB HILL, of 6, Westminster Chambers, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
-
My Invention relates to deck seats and boat cradles convertible into life saving
rafts.
The improved convertible deck seat or boat cradle and life saving raft is constructed
of buoyant chambers or sections of parallelopipedal form hinged together so as to
fold up in different compact forms and occupy the space usually wasted below the
deck seats or under a ship's boat, hinged arms and rails being provided which are
adapted to form either the foot boards of a deck seat, the chocks for a boat, or the
bulwarks of a life raft, as the case may be. The buoyant sections or chambers being
permanently hinged together do not need to be connected on an emergency; and
they may he readily arranged and securely retained in the form of a raft.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
specification, wherein figures 1, 2, and 3, are respectively a side elevation, cross
section, and plan, of the raft arranged as a deck seat, the parts represented in dotted
lines in figure 2 being removable. Figure 4 is an end view of the same appliance
arranged for use as a boat cradle. Figures 5, 6, and 7, are respectively a longitudinal
section, cross-section, and plan, of the same arranged for use as a life raft. Figure 8
illustrates a possible modification in the form of the buoyant chambers, specially
with a view to use as a boat cradle. The same letters of reference indicate the same
parts in all the figures.
The structure, for whichever purpose it is used, is composed of four (more or less)
buoyant sections or chambers A¹ A2 A3 A₁ of parallelopipedal form, the two middle
ones being binged together at B whilst the two lateral ones are hinged to the middle
ones at B' the hinges B B being at diagonally opposite corners of A² A³ so that the
four chambers may be folded together either as in figures 1, 2, 3, wherein the middle
sections A2 A3 rest upon the outer sections A¹ A* or the four sections may be folded
face to face, as in figure 4, or laid out flat edge to edge, as in figures 5, 6, 7.
The walls of each section are preferably constructed of wooden planks secured to
wooden end blocks a and bulkheads a dividing the internal space into separate
compartments a² as shown in figure 5 and forming a strong buoyant structure of
which the seams are caulked watertight, or the compartments are filled with cork or
lined with air tight sheet metal cases so as to ensure permanent buoyancy and with-
stand the rough usage to which a raft is necessarily exposed, one or more of the
compartments being provided with doors and serving to contain provisions. The back
rail His supported by stanchions fitted into suitable sockets so as to be readily
removable when it is required to convert the seat into a raft.
To the compartments A³ A³ are hinged pairs of arms C, the hinges c being situated
at the same side but at the opposite edge of the compartments A³ A³ as the hinges B.
and to these arms C are affixed boards D when the parts are in the position shewn in
figures 1 to 3 to embrace the lower sides of the sections A¹ A* and form feet on which
the whole structure rests. The arms Care so shaped that, when the parts are in the
position shewn in figure 4, they serve as chocks corresponding in form to, and
supporting, the boat of which the keel is received between them.
When the structure is developed into the form of a raft, as in figures J, 6, 7, the
boards D embrace the outside edges of the outer sections A' A* and stand up above
the general level of the raft so as to act as bulwarks for the sides of the raft. To

page_text: these boards D are hinged other boards E one to each, as shewn, which, when swung
into the position shewn in figures 5, 6, 7, act as struts to support the side bulwarks D
and as cross-battens to keep the four sections A¹ A2 A3 A' in the same plane and also
as end bulwarks for the raft. When the structure is arranged as a seat these struts E
lie upon the boards D and serve as foot rests for the sitters.
Figure 8 represents a similar structure in which the sections A' A³ A³ A¹, instead
of being of rectangular form in cross-section, are made rhomboidal for a purpose
incidental to the use as a boat cradle. The object of this form is to admit of the boat
being swung clear of its cradle in launching without the necessity of first lifting the
boat off the chocks. With this object, the sections A are normally supported on
removable wedges G which, on being knocked out, allow the compartments A and
chocks (to fall sufficiently (as shewn in dotted lines) to allow the keel of the boat to
pass clear in swinging the boat outboard.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
The herein described deck seat or boat cradle convertible into a life raft and
constructed of buoyant sections A hinged so as to admit of being folded together or
developed in the various positions described, in combination with arms C and
boards D, E, adapted to serve the various purposes specified, substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 21st day of October 1809.
E. J. HILL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.