Improvements in and relating to Ships' and other Berths.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Ships' and other Berths.
I, EDWARD LAWSON of Charlotte Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Bedstead Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to ships' and other berths, and more particularly to
steerage or third class berths used on board ship.
In berths of this class it is usual to support the berth bottoms from metallic
pillars, the upper and lower ends of which are stepped into sockets attached
respectively to the beams of the deck overhead and to the deck on which the berths
are erected. The berths are usually grouped together in blocks, so that each pillar
may have to support one corner of each of eight berths, namely four in the upper
tier and four in the lower tier.
Between the pillars are fixed the head and foot rails and the side or lee rails, and
the berth bottoms are provided with hooks which engage with the lower bars of the
said head and foot rails or of the said lee rails as may be preferred.
My invention consists of an improved construction of the head, foot and lee
rails, and of improved means of attaching the said rails to the pillars, and in some
cases of attaching the lee rails to the head and foot rails.
According to my invention I form the upper and lower bars of the said rails of
horizontal hollow tubes of a flattened section of which the longer axis is placed
vertically. In the lower edge of the upper bar I form openings or slots to receive
the vertical bars of the said rails, which vertical bars are of a solid flat section, of
such a thickness as to enter easily the interior of the hollow bar to which they are
each pivoted by means of a pin or rivet. The said vertical bars are pivoted to the
lower hollow bars in a similar manner. By this means a neat and strong rail is
produced and one which will adapt itself when required to the sheer of the decks
between which the berths stand, the pillars being fixed always vertically.
For the purpose of attaching the rails to the pillars I proceed as follows:-At
each point where it is required to attach the rails to a pillar I place a collar
embracing the pillar and secured thereto by a pin or otherwise. Usually each
collar has to receive one end of each of four rails. Upon the collar I form four
sockets each having a circular and conical interior the axis of which is vertical, the
larger end of the cone being uppermost. In the direction of the rail I cut away
the side of the conical socket for about half its depth, and for a width of about one
fourth of the circumference of the socket.
To the end of each hollow bar of the head or foot or lee rail I attach a terminal
piece the stem portion of which enters the hollow bar and is pivoted thereto by a
horizontal pin or rivet, and the remaining portion of which consists of a vertical
conical plug. The conical plug on the terminal fits the interior of the conical
socket on the pillar.
When it is desired to erect a set of berths the pillars are first set up. Then the
rails are placed in position by inserting their conical plugs into the conical sockets
of the pillar collars, and finally the berth bottoms are hooked upon the lower bars
of either the head and foot rails or of the lee rails as the case may be.
When the head and foot rails have to support the ends of an intermediate lee
rail which is done when it is desired to reduce the number of pillars I affix conical
sockets to the upper and lower bars of the said head and foot rails at the centre of
their length, to receive the conical plugs of the lee rail which is to be supported
therefrom

page_text: The conical plugs and sockets allow of the necessary horizontal displacement due
to the sheer of the side of the ship and the pivotting of the conical plugs to the
upper and lower bars of the rails allows of the necessary vertical displacement
due to the sheer or convexity of the decks.
Thus by my invention an attachment is obtained which while admitting of an
unusual amount of adjustment for sheer ensures a close fit in the parts of the
attachment and thus prevents the clatter which is caused by, the action of the
tremor of the vessel when metallic articles are loosely placed together as is
commonly the case in berths the subject of my invention.
Dated this 29th day of December 1892.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane,. London, Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Ships' and other Berths.
I, EDWARD LAWSON of Charlotte Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Bedstead Manufacturer, 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 has reference to ships' and other berths and more particularly to
steerage or third class berths used on board ship.
In berths of this class it is usual to support the berth bottoms from metallic
pillars, the upper and lower ends of which are stepped into sockets attached
respectively to the beams of the deck overhead and to the deck on which the
berths are erected. The berths are usually grouped together in blocks so that each
pillar may have to support one corner of each of eight berths, namely four in the
upper tier and four in the lower tier.
Between the pillars are fixed the head and foot rails and the side or lee rails,
and the berth bottoms are provided with hooks which engage with the lower bars
of the said side or lee rails or of the said head and foot rails as may be preferred.
My invention consists of an improved construction of the head, foot and lee rails
and of improved means of attaching the said rails to the pillars, and in some cases
of attaching the lee rails to the head and foot rails.
According to my invention I form the upper and lower bars of the said rails of
horizontal hollow tubes preferably of a flattened section of which the longer axis is
placed vertically. In the lower edge of the upper bar I form openings or slots to
receive the vertical bars of the said rails, which vertical bars are of, a solid flat
section of such a thickness as to enter easily the interior of the hollow bar to which
they are each pivoted by means of a pin or rivet. The said vertical bars are
pivoted to the lower hollow bars in a similar manner. By this means a neat and
strong rail is produced and one which will adapt itself when required to the sheer
of the decks between which the berths stand, the pillars being fixed always
vertically.
For the purpose of attaching the rails to the pillars I proceed as follows:-At
each point where it is required to attach the rails to a pillar I place a collar.
embracing the pillar and secured thereto by a pin or otherwise. Usually each
collar has to receive one end of each of four rails. Upon the collar I: form, four
sockets, each having a circular and conical. interior the axis of which is vertical,
the larger end of the cone being uppermost. In the direction of the rail I cut away
the side of the conical socket for, about half its depth, and for, a width of about one
fourth of the circumference of the socket.
To the end of each hollow bar, of the head or foot or lee rail. I attach a terminal
piece the stem portion of which enters or fits over the end of the hollow bar and is
pivoted by a horizontal pin or rivet, and the remaining portion of which consists of

page_text: a vertical conical plug. The conical plug on the terminal fits the interior of the
conical socket on the pillar.
•
When it is desired to erect a set of berths the pillars are first set up. Then the
rails are placed in position by inserting their conical plugs into the conical sockets
of the pillar collars, and finally the berth bottoms are hooked upon the lower bars
of either the head and foot rails or of the lee rails as the case may be.
When the head and foot rails have to support the ends of an intermediate lee.
rail, which is done when it is desired to reduce the number of pillars, I affix conical
sockets to the upper and lower bars of the said head and foot rails at the centre of
their length, to receive the conical plugs of the lee rail which is to be supported
therefrom.
The conical plugs and sockets allow of the necessary horizontal displacement
due to the sheer of the side of the ship and the pivoting of the conical plugs to the
upper and lower bars of the rails allows of the necessary vertical displacement due
to the sheer or convexity of the decks.
Thus by my invention an attachment is obtained which while admitting of
adjustment for sheer ensures a close fit in the parts of the attachment and thus
prevents the clatter or chatter which is caused by the action of the tremor of the
vessel when metallic articles are loosely placed together as is commonly the case in
berths of the class to which my invention relates.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a plan of two berths in the construction and mounting of which my
improvements are embodied.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is an elevation, the collar and a portion of the horizontal bars being in
vertical section, showing in position and on a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2 a
part of a supporting pillar, a collar fixed thereon, and a part of two horizontal bars
with the corresponding plugs and connecting pieces.
Figure 4 is a plan on the same scale as Figure 3 showing in a position a
supporting pillar, a collar fixed thereon and parts of four horizontal bars with the
corresponding plugs and connecting pieces, the pillar and a portion of one of the
bars and of the corresponding connecting piece being in horizontal section.
Figure 5 is a side elevation on the same scale as Figures 3 and 4 of a portion of
the upper and lower bars of a head, foot or lee rail and of one of the vertical bars
connecting said bars, the said upper and lower bars being in section at and near the
points of connection.
Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5 part of the vertical bar and the
connecting pins being in elevation.
In these drawings a a represent the pillars which support the berths; they fit at
their lower ends into sockets b b attached to the deck c and their upper ends which
are not shown fit into sockets attached to the beams of the deck overhead. d d are
collars fixed to the pillars a a in the same horizontal lines or approximately so as
These collars are formed
the upper and lower bars of the head, foot and lee rails.
with conical sockets ee the larger end of the cones being uppermost; the number
of sockets e e in each collar d will be determined by the number of berths that are
to meet at such collar; in the case of a collar at the middle of a block of berths
the number will be 4 and in the case of a collar at the side of a block only 3 are
required, and in the case of a collar at the corner of a block only two. Each
socket is cut away or formed with a gap f in the direction of the corresponding
berth bar the said gap extending from the top to about half its depth and being of
hereinafter
sufficient width to not only receive the neck connecting the piece g
described with the corresponding conical plug but also to allow space for horizontal
displacement of this piece to either side. h h are conical plugs which fit the
conical sockets e e. Each of them is formed integrally with the neck of a piece g
which with the plug h forms a terminal piece to and is attached by means of a
horizontal pin or pivot i to the end of the corresponding bar of the berth.
The

page_text: said bar can therefore be displaced vertically as may be required. jjare the
upper bars and kk the lower bars of the side or lee rails and 17 the upper bars of
the head and foot rails the lower bars of which are not scen in the figures. The
said upper and lower bars of the lee, head and foot rails are constructed of hollow
tubes of flattened section, the flat portions constituting the sides as clearly seen in
the figures. In the underside of the upper bars and in the upper side of the lower
bars are formed slots m m to give passage respectively to the upper and lower ends
of the vertical bars oo which connect the said upper and lower bars. The said
vertical bars are of solid flat section and their ends are attached to the upper and
lower bars by horizontal pins n n on which they can move or pivot to allow the
berth to be inclined if required, for which purpose the slots m m are made
sufficiently long to permit of the pivotal movement. The berth bottoms which are
best seen in Figure 1 are shown as composed of two longitudinal angle iron bars pp,
two end cross bars pl p¹ and an intermediate cross bar p' all three being rounded at
the ends and rivetted under the horizontal portion of the bars p p so as to allow the
berth bottoms to sheer with the lee rails. p³ p³ are longitudinal laths jointed at
their ends to the end bars p1 and p p are cross laths similarly jointed to the
longitudinal bars pp; the longitudinal bars p p have hooks qq to enable the berth
bottoms to be attached to the lower bars of the side or lee rails, or alternatively
the hooks may be on the end bars p¹ p' of the berth bottom so as to hook on to
lower bars of the head and foot rails. In cases where, as is shown in Figure 1, the
head and foot rails have to support the ends of an intermediate lee rail instead of
the rail being supported by pillars, blocks (Figure 1) formed with vertical
conical sockets like the sockets e e in the collars d are fixed to the head and foot
rails at the centre of their length to receive the conical plugs of the lee rail which
is to be supported therefrom.
The mode of connecting the plugs h h with the ends of the said bars by means of
the pivoted connecting pieces g g can be applied to plugs or terminals of other than
the vertical conical form shown and in combination with sockets not of the
conical form shown, but the vertical conical form of the plugs or terminals h
and the correspondingly shaped sockets e e as shown are greatly preferred
because this construction obviates and is specially designed to obviate the
objectionable chatter or clatter which is more or less inevitable with other forms
of terminals and sockets. Instead of the pieces 9 9 being made to enter the
ends of the hollow bars and being pivoted thereto as shown in Figures 3 and 4
they may have pivoted sockets as seen at g' Figure 34 which are driven on to the
ends of the hollow bars.
The flat tubular horizontal bars of the berth rails and the flat solid connecting
vertical rails make a strong berth and occupy the minimum space horizontally,
while the fact that the horizontal bars are tubular and the vertical bars are solid
enables the articulated connections between them to be readily made by means of
the pins n n.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a berth supported by pillars, vertical conical plugs connected to the ends
of the horizontal bars of the head, foot and lee rails by horizontal pivots whereby
the said bars can be displaced vertically in combination with collars fixed to the
supporting pillars and vertical conical sockets in the said collars adapted to receive
and fit the said conical plugs, whereby all chatter or clatter between the plugs and
the sockets is obviated, the said sockets being also partly cut away in the direction
of the corresponding berth bars, whereby the said bars can be displaced horizontally
substantially as herein before described.
2. In a berth supported by pillars, the collars d d fixed on the said pillars and
having vertical conical sockets e e each formed with a gap f, in combination with

page_text: vertical conical plugs h h rigidly connected to pieces g g and horizontal pivots
connecting the pieces 9 9 to the horizontal bars of the berth rails, substantially as
set forth and shown.
3. In a beath supported by pillars, blocks (such as Figure 1) fixed to the head
and foot rails and having vertical conical sockets partly cut away in the direction
of the lee rails, in combination with vertical conical plugs on the horizontal bars of
said lee rails adapted to fit the said sockets and the said plugs being connected to
the said horizontal bars by horizontal pivots substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a head, foot or lee rail of a berth supported by pillars, upper and lower
bars of flattened tubular section, the flat portion constituting the sides of the said
bars and the under side of the upper bars, and the upper side of the lower bars
being formed with slots, in combination with vertical bars of solid flat section
connecting the said upper and lower bars, the upper and lower ends of the said
vertical bars passing respectively through the slots in the upper and lower bars and
being pivotally connected to the said bars substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 28th day of September 1893.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.