Improvements in Means for Preventing Disaster in Marine: Collisions.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 17th June, 1899.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Preventing Disaster in Marine:
Collisions.
I; BENJAMIN WOLF GOLDBERG, of 5, Beckman Street, New York, County of
New York, State of New York, Professor, 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 statements:-
My invention relates particularly to means for preventing disaster in marine
collisions.
Its main object is to provide a fending device which will resist both a cutting
and a crushing action upon the hull of a ship in a collision, and to that end to
provide for an elastic action of such device in any direction in which the ship
may be brought in contact with another ship or other body.
I accomplish this object and such secondary objects as will appear, from the
following description, by the construction illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ship having thereon a fending device constructed
according to my invention. In this view, the upper row of the fending apparatus
is shown in outside view at the upper right hand corner, while at the left of
this row, and at both ends of the other rows on the drawing the bands 1,
plates 2 and 4, and the cables 5 and 6 are shown partly broken away to indicate
their appearance in vertical section.
Fig. 2 is a top plan of same.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing one of the rows of the fending device
above the water line in cross-section, from the same view as same are shown in
Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a detail view of part of one row of the fending apparatus, taken from
the left of Fig. 4, and showing same from the same view as shown in Fig. 1.
The water line is represented by the line y-y in Figures 1 and 3.
The fending apparatus, above the water line is constructed as follows:
A series of elastic bands 1, preferably of hard rubber, are fastened to the
outside of the hull A of the ship, being secured thereto by bolts 7. The bands 14
are provided with grooved bosses 11, in which are seated the cables 5. Elastic
plates 2, also preferably of hard rubber, having grooved bosses 111 thereon for
engaging the cables are fastened to the hull of a ship through the bands 1 by
the bolts 8.
An elastic member or ball 3, also preferably of rubber, is rigidly secured to
each plate 2, or made integral therewith so that the plate 2 serves essentially
as a flange for the attachment of the ball 3 to the hull of the ship.
An elastic plate 4, also preferably of hard rubber which serves as an outer
flange on the ball 3 is also rigidly secured thereto or made integral therewith.
The cables-6 are secured on the outside of the plates 4 by means of the retain-
ing bands 9 and bolts 10.

page_text: The balls 3 are preferably made hollow at 31 to increase their elasticity.
Below the water line, are the ribs 13 which are fastened to the hull of the ship
by means of the anchors 14.
Other rows of the fending apparatus of different size, but similar in construc-
tion to these herein before described, are fastened to the ribs 13, and consist of
the plates 2 and 41, the balls 31 and cables 5¹ and 6¹.
The rows of the fending apparatus are arranged so that same do not cover the
ports a in the hull.
A covering 15 is fastened over the other parts below the water-line to furnish
a smooth outer surface and avoid the resistance of the water.
The covering 15 is preferably made of a thin resilient sheet-metal.
It will be seen that when any object is brought in contact with the outer
cables 6, the balls 3 being elastic will give way in the direction of the impact.
This may be upward or downward, or directly towards the hull of the ship, or
at an angle toward either side of the balls 3.
Above the water-line, the cable 6 will readily sway with the balls. Below the
water-line the swaying of the balls and cables will be retarded somewhat by the
action of the covering 15. The ship is much more likely to be struck above the
water-line, hence the free action of the fending apparatus above the water-line
is more necessary than below same.
It is plain that the minor details of construction of my device may be altered
in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore
do not confine myself to such details.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A fending apparatus for ships, comprising a series of elastic members 3
secured to the outside of a ship, and connected in rows by cables, substantially
as described
2. A fending apparatus for ships, comprising a series of elastic members 3,
secured to the outside of a ship and cables connecting said members 3. in con-
tinuous, substantially horizontal, rows extending entirely around the hull of the
ship, substantially as described.
3. A fending apparatus for ships, comprising the elastic members 3, having
thereon the elastic flanges 2 and 4; said flange 2 being secured to the hull of a
ship; and cables secured to the outside of, and connecting the flanges 4 in rows;
substantially as described.
4. A fending apparatus for ships, comprising the elastic members 3. having
thereon the elastic flanges 2 and 4; said flanges 2 being secured to the hull of a
ship and cables secured to the outside of, and connecting the flanges 4 in sub-
stantially horizontal rows extending entirely around the hull of the ship; sub-
stantially as described.
5. A fending apparatus for ships comprising the elastic bands 1 secured to
the hull of a ship: elastic members 3, having thereon the flanges 2 and 4;
cables intervening the bands 1 and flange 2; said flange 2. being secured to the
hull of the ship; and cables secured to the outside of, and connecting the
flange 4 in rows; substantially as described.
6. A fending apparatus for ships, comprising the elastic bands 1 secured to
the hull of a ship; elastic members 3, having thereon the flanges 2 and 4;
cables intervening the bands 1 and flanges 2: said flanges 2 being secured to
the hull of the ship and cables secured to the outside of, and connecting the
flanges 4 in substantially horizontal rows extending along the bands 1, entirely
around the hull of the ship; substantially as described.
7. A fending apparatus for ships comprising the elastic bands 1 secured to the
hull of a ship; the hollow elastic balls 3 secured to said bands; and the cables

page_text: protecting and connecting said balls at the outside in rows extending along said
bands substantially as described.
8. A fending apparatus for ships, comprising the elastic members 3 secured
to the hull of a ship above the water-line; the ribs 13 below the water-line;
the elastic members 31 secured to said ribs; and the cables connecting said elastic
members in rows; substantially as described.
9. A fending apparatus for ships, comprising the elastic members 3 secured to
the hull of a ship, above the water-line; the ribs 13 below the water-line; the
elastic members 31 secured to said ribs; and the cables connecting said elastic
members in substantially horizontal rows extending entirely around the hull of
the ship; substantially as described.
Dated the form day
Witnessed by
PHILIP DROZDOWITZ.
ALFRED MELTZER.
SAM WERTHEIMER.
Qun e TO
BENJAMIN WOLF GOLDBERG.