Improvements in Ships' Berths, applicable also to Hospital and like purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 11th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1801
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' Berths, applicable also to Hospital and
like purposes.
I, ROBERT SCOTTER, of 57, Hertford Road, Bootle, in the County of Lancaster,
Inspector of Shipbuilding, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates more especially to improvements in berths made up in
blocks or series, for the use of emigrants and troops; it is also applicable to any
class of berth on board ship, or for hospital and like purposes.
In the carrying out of my invention I use metal berth-posts, shipped into and
secured to metal sockets in the deck, and, by preference, of square section, and
having no connection with the overhead beams. These metal berth-posts are
provided with movable brackets, secured to the posts by pins or equivalent devices
at the respective positions required for the upper and lower berths. The brackets
are provided with a hole of shape to correspond with the section of the berth-post,
to enable them to be shipped thereon.
Each bracket is also provided with cheeks, to receive the ends of the head and
foot boards and the two side or lee boards of the berth. The plank, woven wire, or
other material forming the bottom of the berth, is secured to the lower edge of the
foot, head, and side boards, in any convenient way, and the respective ends of the
foot and head boards and side boards are connected together at the corners of
the berth by a suitable connection, preferably by a hook and staple.
In setting up a block of berths, each bracket receives the side boards of two
berths and the foot or head boards of two. berths. At the corners of the blocks,
special brackets may be used, having only two sets of cheeks.
The means I prefer to employ for securing the berth-posts of the deck, consists.
in providing an iron socket let into and flush with the deck, and providing the end
of the berth-post with a projection, projections, or a groove, and making the hole
in the socket plate large enough for the end of the berth-post to pass through, the
said projections, or groove, taking onto the plate of the socket, and a key or
wedge being used to tighten up the berth-post in the socket. By this arrangement.
when the berth-posts are removed, there is no projection left upon the deck, the
sockets being let into and flush with the deck. A small plate may be provided to
cover the hole.
..
By constructing berths according to my invention, the following advantages are
secured (1) Ease in fitting up and taking down, stowing away, and re-fitting:
(2) The occupation of small space when stowed away: (3) Durability:
(4) Cleanliness, as the parts can be readily taken to pieces and washed or
painted.
The berths may be erected for use by emigrants on what may be the outward.
or passenger carrying voyage, and may be taken down and stowed away for the
return or cargo carrying voyage, so that the space occupied by the berths on the
outward voyage is available for cargo ou the return voyage. Another advantage.
is, that when the plates or sockets are once fixed in the deck there will be no
further outlay, as the same berth-posts and parts can be used over and over again.
All classes of passenger berths can be constructed according to this invention.
It is applicable to general 'tween deck berths, saloon berths, state room and officers'
cabin berths, and to all classes of berths fitted on board ship, and for hospital
purposes.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICAȚION.
Improvements in Ships' Berths, applicable also to Hospital and
like purposes.
I, ROBERT SCOTTER, of 57, Hertford Road, Bootle, in the County of Lancaster:
Inspector of Shipbuilding, 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 :-
This invention relates more especially to improvements in berths made up in
blocks or series, for the use of emigrants and troops; it is also applicable to any
class of berth on board ship, and for berths or pens or stalls for cattle and other
animals on board ship, or for hospital and like purposes.
In the carrying out of my invention I use metal berth-posts, shipped into and
secured to metal sockets in the deck, and, by preference, of square section, and
having no connection with the overhead beams. These metal berth-posts are
provided with movable brackets, secured on the posts by pins or equivalent devices
at the respective positions required for the upper and lower berths. The brackets
are provided with a hole of shape to correspond with the section of the berth-post,
to enable them to be shipped thereon. Each bracket is also provided with checks,
to receive the ends of the head and foot boards and the two side or lee boards of
the berth. The plank, woven wire, or other material forming the bottom of the
berth, is secured to the lower edge of the foot, head, and side boards in any con-
venient way, and the respective ends of the foot and head boards and side boards
are connected together at the corners of the berth by a suitable connection,
preferably by a hook and staple.
In setting up a block of berths, each bracket receives the side boards of two
berths and the foot or head boards of two berths. At the corners of the blocks,
special brackets may be used, having only two sets of cheeks.
The means I prefer to employ for securing the berth posts to the deck, consists
in providing an iron socket let into and flush with the deck, and providing the end
of the berth post with a projection, projections, or a groove, and making the hole in
the socket plate large enough for the end of the berth post to pass through, the said
projections, or groove, taking onto the plate of the socket, and a key or wedge
being used to tighten up the berth post in the socket. By this arrangement, when
the berth posts are removed, there is no projection left upon the deck, the sockets
being let into and flush with the deck. A small plate may be provided to cover
the hole.
By constructing berths according to my invention, the following advantages are
secured (1) Ease in fitting up and taking down, stowing away, and re-fitting:
(2) The occupation of small space when stowed away: (3) Durability: (4) Clean-
liness, as the parts can be readily taken to pieces and washed or painted.
The berths may be erected for use by emigrants on what may be the outward or
passenger carrying voyage, and may be taken down and stowed away for the return.
or cargo carrying voyage, so that the space occupied by the berths on the outward
voyage is available for cargo on the return voyage. Or the metal uprights or berth
posts may be used as standards in forming berths, pens, or stalls for cattle, sheep,
or other animals on board ship. Another advantage is, that when the plates or
sockets are once fixed in the deck there will be no further outlay, as the same
berth-posts and parts can be used over and over again.
All classes of passenger berths can be constructed according to this invention.
It is applicable to general 'tween deck berths, saloon berths, state room and officers'
cabin berths, and to all classes of berths fitted on board ship, and for hospital
purposes.
Having thus specified generally the nature, object and purposes of my invention,
its description will now be proceeded with in reference to the annexed three sheets

page_text: of drawings, (which make a part of this Specification) by way of explaining more
fully the nature, object and purpose of my invention.
The drawings and the description of them set forth together, examples of
appliances and modes of application designed on the lines before described for use
in carrying out my invention.
The drawings are marked with letters and figures of reference corresponding
with those used in the following explanation, and like letters and figures are used
to denote the same or corresponding parts throughout the various figures.
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section and Figure 2 is a plan, shewing a
deck socket or plate with a portion of a berth post or upright stanchion connected
thereto, and according to my invention.
Figures 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, are respectively elevations partly in section
and plans thereof, shewing modifications of the deck socket and berth post
arrangement shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 9 is an elevation and Figure 10 is a plan of a berth post bracket
according to my invention.
Figure 11 is an elevation shewing the deck socket or plate, the berth post,
the berth post brackets, and the side and end boards of the berths in position.
Figure 12 is a plan of a berth shewing the form of the several berth post
brackets for the sides and corners of the berths.
Figure 13 is a plan of a deck socket or plate formed in such a length as to
receive the berth posts of a series of berths and the under portion being formed as
a gutter so that it can be utilized as a drain in cattle carrying ships.
Figure 14 is an enlarged end sectional view of Figure 13.
Figure 15 is a plan of a berth post of angle iron with reversible key ends.
Figure 16 shews a link piece for connecting the berth posts to an overhead
runner if desired.
Figures 17 and 18, and 19 and 20, illustrate different applications of my
invention.
As before stated I use metal berth posts shipped into metal sockets, said berth
posts being provided with means for securely keying them to the said sockets.
Examples of such fastenings are given in Figures 1 to 8 and Figures 13, 14, 15
and 16, in which a designates the berth post and b the socket. In Figure 1, the
post a has a projecting foot a¹ which ships under the plate of the socket, the
post a being secured in position by the key c. In Figure 3 the post a has a groove a³,
in Figure 5 the post a has two side notches a' a', in Figure 7 the post a has pro-
jections a, and a plate c takes the place of the key c. This plate e serves to cover
the hole in the socket when the berth post is removed. The above examples are
mere modifications of each other and have the same use, namely to key the berth
post or stanchion a to the socket b, which is firmly fixed to the deck and let in
flush with the surface thereof.
The socket or plate & may be made in a length to receive several berth posts a,
as shewn in Figures 13 and 14, 17 and 18, 19 and 20. In these cases the socket
plate has a long slot 63 widened at the ends to the full width of the. berth
post a, the ends of which are made with side notches a' as shewn in Figures 15
and 16 and can be shipped into the slot at and then moved into any required
position in the slot, as shewn in Figures 17, 18, 19 and 20. The last or end
post a may be secured in the slot 2 by shipping a metal bar a² into the slot 6* and
bolting said bar to the post, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 18. When the
sockets are made as shewn in Figures 13 and 14, the sockets lengths, or several
socket lengths, or all the socket lengths in a section or group, may be connected
together and form a gutter or drain which can be connected to a drain leading
overboard or to the scupper holes of the ship.

page_text: The berth posts c are provided with.holes: spaced. at intervals, and in setting, up
the berthis, pens, or stalls, these holes are used, to receive the securing, bolts. In
setting up berths for passengers on board ship, I by preference use the brackets d,
which are shipped onto the berth posts a, and held by bolts or keys d' as shewn in
Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12. Vertical flanges are provided on the brackets d
between which the foot, head, and side boards. d of: the berth- fit,, and by which
they are held.
The berth posts a through being securely keyed to the sockets b, and thereby
fastened to the ship's deck, can be used without any connection with the overhead
deck or beams, as shewn in Figures 19 and 20, but for greater strength and steadi-
ness they may be arranged as shewn in Figures 17 and 18. In this case I provide
a gutter socket e of a similar nature to the socket b. This socket e is fitted under
the ship beams directly over the socket b. To connect the berth posts a with this
upper socket e I use short bars a with notched ends adapted to fit into the socket e,
such as that shewn at Figure 16. These short bars are provided with a slot a*
through which pass bolts which also pass through holes in the main posts a; by
means of the bars a³ the posts a can be lengthened to suit the height between
decks.
Instead of using the brackets d to support the end and side boards of the berth,
said ends and sides may be formed of boards or metal plates, bolted to the posts a,
as shewn in Figures 17, 18, 19 and 20. The berth bottoms may be secured to
the berth posts a in any suitable way and they may be of canvas, wire net-
work, woven wire, wood planks, metal laths, or of other suitable material.
Figure 17 shews an arrangement of berth posts a set in bottom-sockets-b and
top sockets e, and connected by side bars, and providing for upper and lower berths.
An end view of this arrangement is shewn at A Figure 18. In this latter figure
B shews an arrangement of stall of great strength, for housing large animals such
as elephants. In Figures 19 and 20, C illustrates an arrangement of my invention
adapted for passenger berths D an arrangement adapted for cattle stalls, and E an
arrangement adapted for sheep-pens. In the arrangement shewn at E. the end
bars which connect the posts a are made to overlap and are provided with
slots d³ and bolts do, so that the width between the posts a can be adjusted to meet
the purpose which they are required to meet, namely, they can be arranged to suit
berths, stalls, or pens.
All the berth posts or uprights are made to gauge and are interchangeable and
fit all the sockets, likewise the brackets are made to fit all the posts and all other
parts of the berth are made to gauge so that the berths may be very readily put
together or changed into stalls or pens for cattle.
Ships' passenger berths, cattle stalls, or pens, can under this invention, as before
stated, be readily erected and taken down; also they can be readily adapted to suit
different requirements, for example, they may be changed or arranged from
passenger berths to cattle stalls or pens, or from stalls or pens to passenger berths
without the use of skilled labour, as the ship's crew can quickly and easily change
or ship the fittings into their places.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The improvements substantially as herein described in or connected with ships'
berths, consisting in keying or equivalently securing the berth posts, or upright
stanchions, to metal sockets fastened. to the deck or floor, said berth posts being
interchangeable with said sockets and. having interchangeable brackets and fittings,
constructed and disposed substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In ships' berths or fittings of the type herein described, a metal berth post and
socket, said berth post being adapted to key into or otherwise lock with: said
socket, as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The arrangement and combination of parts, of ships' berth fittings as.set.forth

page_text: with reference to Figures 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12,
respectively, of the drawings.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts of ships' berth fittings as set forth
with reference to Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16 of the drawings.
5. In ships' berth fittings, a continuous metal socket adapted to receive the
berth posts or uprights such as set forth and shewn at Figures 13 and 14 of the
drawings.
6. The arrangement and combination of parts of ships' berth fittings as set forth
with reference to Figures 17 and 18 of the drawings.
7. The arrangement and combination of parts of ships' berth fittings as set forth
with reference to Figures 19 and 20 of the drawings.
1000
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.