Year: 1886

page_text: I THOMAS MORTON of Findon Cottage Elms Road, Dulwich in the County
of Surrey Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention has for its object improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of berths for ships' passengers more especially applicable to married couples.
For this purpose I arrange the sleeping berths in a line with the keel of the
vessel, and in pairs, one above another, and I construct them so that whilst the
lower one can be entered at one end from one passage the upper one is closed at
that end and can only be entered from the passage at the other end of the berths as
has heretofore been adopted but instead of separating the dressing spaces from
each other by fixed extensions from the screens or partitions between adjoining
berths or from the walls of the berths, I according to my invention, form such
walls screens or partitions double or hollow and I separate the dressing spaces from
each other by means of sliding screens or partitions running on guides fixed to the
deck and capable when not required for use, of being slidden into the space in the
screens or partitions between adjoining berths or in the walls of the berths.
At the outer edges of each of these sliding screens I fix a hanging stile to which
I hinge a folding door or shutter.
I also mount the locker of each berth on runners or guides fixed to the deck so
that they may be run in and out as may be required.
The locker contains the water bottle and other culinary utensils which may if
desired serve (when empty) to render the locker buoyant and serviceable as a life
buoy or raft.
In the centre of each passage leading to the berths I fix a table and I form
the bed bottom in one piece or frame and mount it loosely on rails fixed to the
walls, screens or partitions, so that when required the bed bottom can be entirely
removed and hung up out of the way on books or buttons fixed in convenient
positions; other hooks or buttons are employed on which to hang the bedding. By
these means a separate dressing space is, when required provided for each berth by
ID 071

page_text: pulling out the sliding screens or partitions to their fullest extent and closing the
folding doors or shutters but when not required in the day time the bedding and
bed bottoms can be removed and hung up, the sliding screens or partitions can be
run into the spaces within the fixed walls screens or partitions of the berths and
the folding doors or shutters can be turned back so as to leave a clear space between
the fixed walls screens or partitions for free ventilation. The lockers may also be
run in against the ends of the walls screens or partitions or may be turned against
the sides thereof or they may be run out close to the tables to serve as seats for
persons using the same.
The folding doors enclosing the dressing space are made so that their lower
edges will pass over the top of the locker, the latter when run out level with the
folding doors serving to close the space below the folding doors.
The berths will be ventilated in the usual manner.

page_text: Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Berths
for Ships' Passengers.
I THOMAS MORTON of Findon Cottage, Elms Road, Dulwich in the County
of Surrey, Carpenter 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 :-
The invention has for its object improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of berths for ships' passengers more especially applicable to married couples.
For this purpose I arrange the sleeping berths in a line with the keel of the
vessel, and in pairs, one above another, and I construct them so that whilst the
lower one can be entered at one end from one passage the upper one is closed at
that end and can only be entered from the passage at the other end of the berths
as has heretofore been adopted but instead of separating the dressing spaces from
each other by fixed extensions from the screens or partitions between adjoining
berths or from the walls of the berths I, according to my invention form such
walls, screens or partitions double or hollow and I separate the dressing spaces from
each other by means of sliding screens or partitions running on guides. fixed to
the deck and capable when not required for use of being slidden into the space in
the screens or partitions between adjoining berths or in the walls of the berths; At
the outer edges of each of these sliding screens I fix a hanging stile to which I
hinge a folding door or shutter.
The folding doors enclosing the dressing space are made so that their lower
edges will pass over the top of the locker, the latter when run out level with the
folding doors serving to close the space below the folding doors. I also mount the
locker of each berth on runners or guides fixed to the deck so that they may be
run in and out as may be required.
The locker contains the water bottle and other culinary utensils which may if
desired serve (when empty) to render the locker buoyant and serviceable as a life
buoy or raft. In the centre or other convenient part of each passage leading to
the berths, I fix a table and I form the bed bottom in one piece or frame and
mount it loosely on rails fixed to the walls, screens or partitions; so that when
required the bed bottom can be entirely removed and placed or hung up out of the
way on brackets books buttons or pins fixed in convenient positions; other hooks
or buttons or other devices may be employed on which to hang the bedding.
By these means a separate dressing space is when required provided for each
berth by pulling out the sliding screens or partitions to their fullest extent and
closing the folding doors or shutters or they might be curtains but when not
required in the day time, the bedding and bed bottoms can be removed and hung
up, the sliding screens or partitions can be run into the spaces within the fixed
walls screens or partitions of the berths and the folding doors or shutters or
curtains can be turned or drawn back so as to leave clear space between the
fixed walls screens or partitions for free ventilation. The lockers may also be run
in against the ends of the walls screens or partitions or may be turned against the

page_text: wy wy
persons using the same.
The berths will be ventilated in the usual manner.
In order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 1, 1, of Figure 2 illustrating
a group of berths with my invention applied thereto. Figure 2 is a horizontal
section thereof taken on the line 2, 2, of Figure 1. Figure 3 is partly an
end elevation and partly a transverse section taken on the line 3, 3, of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4, 4, of Figure 2 and Figure 5
is a horizontal section taken on the line 5, 5 of Figure 1 with some of the
parts removed in order more clearly to show the construction of the walls and
framework.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
a represents the uprights or supports of the framework and a¹ are the horizontal
beams thereof be are the sleeping berths which I arrange in line with the keel of
the vessel and in pairs one above another, and I construct them with folding ends
or bulk-heads 61 c¹ in such manner that whilst the lower one c can be entered at
one end from one passage C the upper one 6 is closed at that end and can only
be entered from the passage B at the other end thereof as has heretofore been
adopted.
Instead however of separating the dressing spaces 62 63 c² c³ from each other
by fixed extensions from the screens or partitions between adjoining berths or from
the walls of the berths, I according to my invention form the walls screens or
partitions & double or hollow and I separate the dressing spaces b² and 6³ and c²
and c³ from each other by means of sliding screens or partitions & running on or
in guides d fixed to the deck and in guides a² fixed to the framework, such screens
being capable when not required for use of being slidden into the space in the
screens or partitions & between adjoining berths or in the outer walls or partitions d
of such berths.
At the outer edges of each of these sliding screens or partitions & I fix a hanging
stile d³ to which I hinge a folding door or shutter d for the purpose of enclosing
the dressing spaces.
These doors or shutters d' are so made that their lower edges will pass over the
locker e the latter when run out level with the folding doors or shutters d serving
to close the space below such doors as represented at the left hand of Figures 1
and 3. When not required for use and when the beds are removed, the doors or
shutters d' are slidden back with the screens d' and folded into the position shown
by the dotted lines at the right hand of Figure 2. Or I may if desired employ
curtains running on rails in lieu of the folding doors.
I also mount the locker e of each berth on runners or guides (not shown) fixed
to the deck or they may run between the guides d² of the screens or partitions ď
in the manner shown in the drawings, so that they may be run in and out as may
be required.
The locker e contains the water bottle and other culinary utensils which may if
desired serve (when empty) to render the locker buoyant as a life buoy or raft.
In the centre or at other convenient part of each passage B, C, leading to the
berths bc respectively I mount or fix a table f upon brackets f¹ in such manner
that when desired said table fmay be removed and placed overhead upon brackets
or other supports as shown at the left hand side of Figure 1 or in other position
out of the way.
I form the bed bottoms b, c, of slats in one piece or frame and mount them
loosely on rails d³ carried by some of the uprights a so that when required the bed

page_text: bottoms 6 can be removed from the position in which they are used and raised
to the top of the berth and there held by brackets or otherwise as represented at
the right hand of Figure 4 or they may be hung up out of the way upon hooks or
buttons fixed in any convenient position and if desired other hooks or buttons may
be employed upon which to hang the bedding.
By these means a separate dressing space b³, 63 c or c³ is when required provided
for each berth by pulling out the sliding screens or partitions d' to their fullest
extent and closing the folding doors or shutters d' or drawing the curtains and in
the day time when not required for use the bed bottoms 64 and bedding can be
removed and placed out of the way as before described, the sliding screens or
partitions can be run into the spaces within the fixed walls screens or partitions d
of the berths and the folding doors or shutters d' or the curtains can be turned or
drawn back out of the way so as to leave a clear space between the fixed walls
screens or partitions & for free ventilation.
The lockers e may be run in against the ends of the walls, screens or parti-
tions d or they may be turned against the sides thereof or they may be run out
close to the tables f to serve as seats for persons using the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The peculiar construction, arrangement and combination of parts constituting
berths for ships' passengers substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated the 24th day of November 1886,
THOMAS MORTON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.
THOMAS MORTON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.