IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BOATS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John White, of West Cowes, Isle of Wight, Ship-
builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BOATS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John White at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
September 1864.
J, JOHN WHITE. of West Cowes, Isle of Wight. Shipbuilder. do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BOATS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in combining with life hoats or applying thereto
machinery and apparatus for propelling them by steam power, whereby fewer
hands are needed to man and maneuvre lifeboats. Ships' launches. barges.
pinnaces. cutters, and such like boats may by this Invention not only be
steam-propelled. bui rendered safe in a seaway, and enabled to carry with
safety their machinery. crew. and passengers.
In applying steam machinery to life boats, the kind or description of life
boais I prefer to employ are those patented by Andrew Lamb and John White
on the 20th day of January 1862, No. 145, which have their centre of buoyancy
[Price Sd.]

page_text: sufficiently high. by means of carrying the longitudinal water compartments
or air chambers up to the gunwale to give them the greatest amount of
stability. The displacement of such boats is suflicient to float the engine.
boiler, machinery, and fuel when the host is filled with water. and without
danger of capsizing.
In applying to such life boats steam machinery with a single or double
screw, prefer to combine the engine and boiler with its pumps and gear
together upon a base or sole plate, which is capable of being readily attached
to and detached from the bottom of the boat in which it is to be applied, and
may be readily hoisted therefrom. The compartments being built and incor-
porated in the construction of these life boats, they form a double box girder
sufficiently strong to bear being hoisted on board without removing the
engines and machinery, and without straining the boat. The screw (or
screws) and the length of shaft which is attached thereto is securely fitted
and caused to work within a tube (or tubes) properly let into and protected
by suitable wood blocking pieces provided for the purpose. In the case of a
single screw, the screw shaft may be passed through the deadwood and
stern post.
Instead of a screw (or screws). paddle wheels may be fitted to such boats
when they are intended to navigate shallow waters.
The fuel may be stowed wholly or in part in the bow and stern compart-
ments, and fresh water for the supply of the boiler may be carried in one or
more of the water-tight compartments on each side of the life boat, and which
compartments may be lined with thin sheet metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John White in the Great Seal Patent Office
1st March 1865.
the
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
Wurre, of West Cowes. Isle of Wight, Shipbuilder, send greeting.
WHEREAS er most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Letters
Patent, hearing date the First day of September. in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John White. Iler special licence that 1. the said John White.
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I. the said John

page_text: White. 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 LIFE BOATS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John White, my execu-
Lors 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 per-
formed, 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 1, the said John White, 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:-
This Invention consists in combining with lifeboats or applying thereto
machinery and apparatus for propelling them by steam power, whereby fewer
hands are needed to man and manoeuvre life boats. Ships launches, barges,
pinnaces, batters, and such like boats may by this Invention not only be
steam-propelled, but rendered safe in a seaway, and enabled to carry with
safety their machinery, crew, and passengers.
In applying steam machinery to life boats, the kind or description of life
boats prefer to employ are those patented by Andrew Lamb and John White
on the Twentieth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two,
which have their centre of buoyancy sufficiently high, by means of carrying
the longitudinal water-tight compartments or air chambers up to the gunwale
to give them the greatest amount of stability. The displacement of such boat
is sufficient to float the engine, boiler, machinery, and fuel when the boat is
filled with water, and without danger of capsizing.
In applying to such life boats steam machinery with a double or single
screw. I prefer to combine the engine and boiler with its pumps and gear
together upon a base or sole plate. which is capable of being readily attached
to and detached from the bottom of the boat in which it is to be applied. and
may he readily hoisted therefrom, suitable provision being made in shape of
hooks or rings to the side of the boiler and upon the sole plate for receiving the
hoisting slings. The longitudinal compartments or air chambers being built
and incorporated in the construction of these life boats, they form a double box
'

page_text: girder-like structure sufliciently strong to enable the boats to bear being
hoisted on board without removing the engines and machinery and without.
straining the boat. The screw or screws and the length of shaft which
is attached thereto is securely fitted and caused to work within a tube (or
tubes) properly let into and protected by suitable wood blocking pieces pro-
vided for the purpose. In the case of a single screw, the screw shaft may be
passed through the deadwood and stern post.
.
Instead of a screw (or screws. paddle wheels may be fitted to such boats
when they are intended to navigate shallow waters.
The fuel may be stowed wholly or in part in the bow and stern compart-
ments and fresh water for the supply of the boiler may be carried in one o
more of the water-tight compartments on each side of the life boat, and which
compartments may be lined with thin sheet metal.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings have shown several views of
life boats to which steam machinery may be applied. and some of the views
I have shown arrangements of steam machinery which propose to employ
for the purpose of propelling life boats.
Figure is a midships section of a life boat constructed according to the
Patent of Lamb and White, dated Twentieth January, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two, No. 145: Figure 2 being a midship section of a
similar boat the longitudinal air-tight compartments of which are carried
up to the full height of the gunwale, to admit of which the rowlocks are
carried by blocks outside the gunwale. In the life hoats of which Figures 1
and 2 are sections, a horizontal boiler and engine or engines may be fitted,
either at midships between two transverse bulkheads and without. half-decking.
or the engine and boiler may be wholly or partially decked over for the sake
of convenience and comfort. Or the horizontal engine or engines and hori-
zontal boiler combined together upon a sole plate or separately mounted,
the engine on one sole plate, the boiler on another. may. instead of being
placed amidships, he placed quite aft so as to reduce the length of the screw
shaft or shafts.
Figure 3 is a stern view of a life boat fitted with a three-bladed screw pro-
peller: Figure 4 is a stern view of a similar life boat fitted with twin screws
of two blades.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 are views of a life boat having longitudinal and bow and
stera and air-tight compartments, showing slight modifications. In the views
5. 6, and 7. a vertical boiler is shown with a vertical inverted steam engine
working direct upon the line of screw shaft, a short length of which is fitted

page_text: upon the sole plate and under the boiler, and is cased over to protect it from
ashes and grit, and this piece of shaft is connected by means of a disc or other
coupling to the end of the screw shaft fitted to the boat. Two screws and
their screw shafts may be employed instead of one, and by means of wheel
gearing the motion of the single engine may be communicated to them; or
two engines may be bolted to the boiler casing in manner similar to that shewn
for the single engine, and in such case each engine should work direct upon
the screw shaft, so that each screw shall be operated upon independently.
In Figures 3, 5, and 7, the three-bladed screw is shown a's projecting
beyond the rudder, the shaft passing through a loop, but the single screw may
be placed in an opening cut in the deadwood in the usual manner, or any
other well-known and suitable arrangement may be employed instead thereof.
The life boats constructed according to the Patent granted to myself and
Andrew Lamb, and dated Twentieth January, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two, being built up with diagonal planking, and the hollow side and
end compartments being built with or made to form part of the general
structure, the longitudinal and transverse strength thus obtained is so great,
notwithstanding the lightness of these boats, that they cannot be hoisted to
or lowered from the davits, or by slings from ships' yards, without removing
the machinery, and they are thus always ready for service either as life boats,
or for surveying, pioneering, or other purposes.
The several views in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are so self-
explanatory as to render unnecessary any letters of reference, or any more
detailed explanation of the several parts of such Figures, or the machinery or
apparatus connected therewith.
Although I have only shewn life boats with one and twin screws as a means
of propelling them by steam power, I do not propose to limit myself to that
kind or description of propeller, but may employ paddle wheels. in which
latter case the engine, boiler, and paddles, together with the paddle boxes,
may be fitted complete upon a sole plate with a framing or framework, and
be connected with or secured to the bottom of the boats by means of bolts or
other fastenings.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Life Boats,"
and illustrated it with the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, I wish it to be
understood that what I claim is,-
First, the construction of steam life boats as herein described.
Second, the application to Lamb and White's Patent life boat, as herein-
before described, of steam machinery in the manner herein described.

page_text: Third, the mode or method herein described of constructing ships' boats by
which the advantages of steam propulsion and a safe life boat are combined
together in ships' boats.
In witness whereof, I, the said John White, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
JAMES STEVENSON,
19, Salisbury Street,
Strand, W.C.
JOHN WHITE. (…….§.).