IMPROVEMENTS IN BOATS ADAPTED FOR THE RELIEF OF PASSENGERS AND PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Preston Harris, of North Fleet Green,
near Gravesend, in the County of Kent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOATS ADAPTED FOR THE RELIEF OF PASSENGERS AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Preston
Harris at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th December 1870.
I, BENJAMIN PRESTON HARRIS, of North Fleet Green, near Gravesend,
in the County of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOATS ADAPTED FOR THE RELIEF OF PASSENGERS
AND OTHERS FROM SHIPS FOUNDERING AT SEA, AND FOR OTHER USES," to be as
follows:-
For the purpose of the Invention a boat is provided with an enclosing
roof formed of canvas or other suitable material supported, if necessary,
on framing, and rendered water-tight by oil, painting, or otherwise;
such roof having a part thereof raised and provided with windows of

page_text: thick glass, to admit of one or more of the inmates for the time being
seeing out in various directions.
Access is obtained by doors or covers, by preference hinged, and
capable of fitting tightly or being packed to close water-tight.
One or more ventilators of the mushroom or other suitable form arc 5
applied as may be found necessary; as may be also a lamp for signal
or other use, capable of being raised into position from the inside for
night use; or a flag or other signal or indicator may be applied for
day use.
The interior is fitted with water tanks or receivers for ballast, and 1
lockers for provisions or other stores.
Paddles or other propellers are applied worked by hand crank shafts
with sliding clutch, or other suitable connecting means for facilitating
connection and disconnection for steering or other working.
The inmates are sccured, when desired, to the bottom of the boat, so 1
that in the event of its capsizing the tendency will be to right again.
Boats thus constructed are particularly applicable for relief from
vessels foundering at sea, or for communicating with ships in distress, as
well as for other uses in heavy seas.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Preston Harris in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
PRESTON HARRIS, of North Fleet Green, near Gravesend, in the County
of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Preston Harris, Her
special licence that I, the said Benjamin Preston Harris, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Preston Harris, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all

page_text: is raised above the part a³, so as to afford increased head room for
persons inside the boat. This part a² is perforated at the ends, as shewn
at b, and fitted with windows of thick glass, such as will resist the
breaking of a heavy sea against it. The object of these windows is to
admit light to the interior during the daytime, as well as to afford
facility for one or more of the inmates seeing out in various directions
for steering or other uses. c, c, are hatches, which are shewn to open
outwards on hinges c¹, c¹, for the purpose of obtaining ingress to or
egress from such boat. In place of these hatches being formed to open
on hinges they may be formed to slide, or be otherwise applied, so long
as they are formed so as when closed to fit water-tight, with suitable
fastenings in the interior to hold the parts close in position. d, d, are
passages for ventilation, which in case of need may be closed by a plug
or other means; ventilators may however be applied in other positions
if desired, and a lamp or lamps for signal or other uses may be passed
through these or other openings so as to be raised into position from
the interior, or such openings may be employed for the passing through
of a flag or other signal or indicator. e, e, are lockers, which may also
be used if desired as receivers for ballast; f;f, are other lockers for
provisions or other stores. g is a propeller applied to the shaft h, by
which forward or backward motion may be obtained to the boat. The
shaft / passes through a suitable stuffing box to the interior of the boat,
and it has applied to it a pinion i, the teeth of which are taken into by
the teeth of a wheel j applied to the shaft k, and this shaft k is
supported in bearings 7, so as to be capable of freely revolving, and it
is formed with a crank k¹, so that occupants of the boat sitting on
the seats formed by the tops of the lockers f,f, may be able to turn the
crank and thus communicate motion to the propeller in either direction.
Another crank may also be applied to the square end of the shaft k¹
if desired. For convenience of working I form the pinion i to slide
endwise on the shaft h, to be operated by a lever handle or otherwise.
The steering or yoke lines m, m, from the yoke o¹ of the rudder o for
steering purposes pass through suitable eyelet holes to the interior, and
may be readily operated there by an inmate occupying the cross seat or
thwart n. One part n¹ of this cross seat n is capable of turning up on
hinges and of being held by thumbscrew, or it is otherwise movable;
and underneath it is formed to serve as a watercloset. This part may
be closed, if desired, by a plug or a suitable valve p, and q are cleats
and rings by which the inmates of the boat may be lashed to the lower

page_text: part thereof to make them secure and aid the righting of the boat in
the event of the boat capsizing.
Life lines may be applied to hang round the sides of the boat, by
which an external holding of it may be obtained.
A mast may be applied in a hole for one of the ventilators d, or other
suitable hole to receive a sail, if desired.
r, r, are water tanks, access to the interior of which is obtainable by
bung holes, or otherwise, as may be desired.
8, 8, are rowlocks, and others may be employed, if desired, to receive
oars for rowing the boat when necessary.
The oars, masts, and sails may be stowed in the interior of the boat.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise form or arrangements of the parts as
shewn and described, as the same may be varied without departing
from the peculiar character of my Invention; but what I claim is, the
arranging boats with an enclosing roof, having passage through it for
ingress and egress, which are capable of being enclosed water-tight, to
protect the occupants from injury in heavy seas or by the capsizing of
the boat, such boat being provided with lockers or stores, and water
tanks, with means of propulsion and steerage from the interior, and
facilities for securing the occupants in the event of the boat capsizing,
all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Preston Harris, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
DDTA
B. P. HARRIS. (L.S.)