Improvements in Fenders for Ships and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fenders for Ships and the like.
A communication from THOMAS RAFTERY, Attorney-at-Law, 126, West Ninety-
sixth Street, New York, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 to fenders for ships and the like.
The object of the invention is to obviate the usual disastrous effect of collisions
upon the waters.
With this object in view, the invention consists in one or more fenders arranged
at the bow of a vessel, preferably attached to the cut-water or adjacent thereto, and
capable of vertical adjustment, furthermore, the invention consists in one or more
stationary fenders placed at the bow of a vessel and one or more vertically
adjustable fenders, designed to slide up and down upon the cut-water and be
retained at any desired elevation.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention.
In this drawing
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the bow of a vessel, showing my fenders
arranged thercon ;
Fig. 2 is a front view, of a vessel with the fenders in the positions in which they
are placed for use at the time of a collision, and
Fig. 3 is a sectional view, showing the preferred form of fender.
In these drawings, A represents the bow of a vessel, and a represents the cut-water.
Attached to the cut-water is a bar or rod a¹ of steel or iron, arranged to leave a
space between it and the cut-water, allowing free movement and sufficient play to
the rings or slides by which the movable fenders are attached to the bar or rod.
B B B represent fenders of any suitable size, which are connected with the bar
or rod by rings, which permit a free up and down movement. The upper fender B
is arranged near the top of the cut-water, and is preferably stationary in use, though
so attached to the rod as to permit ready detachment if desired.
The two fenders B' and B are designed to slide upon the bar or rod a', allowing
them to be drawn up into the position shown in Fig. 1 and to be dropped into
the position shown in Fig. 2.
The fenders are each provided with ropes or chains 6 and 6' attached to each end
of the fenders. The chains or ropes are each attached on deck to drums or the
like (not shown) by the manipulation of which the fenders may be raised or lowered
at will or drawn upon the deck when desired.
The fenders are preferably made of rubber, though any suitable material may be
employed. To add to the effectiveness, they may be provided with an interior
chamber in which are arranged springs upon which the force of the blow of a
collision would be expended.
It is well understood that if the wedge-like bow of a vessel is prevented from
entering the side of a vessel, or any other object struck, the effect of collision is
greatly mitigated, and by placing the strong elastic fenders between the bow of the
essel and the object struck, the bow is prevented from entering, and damage is
verted.
In the ordinary use of the fenders, they are, until needed, raised out of the water,
nd thus offer no obstruction to the passage of the vessel through the water, and
here is no space taken up that would be occupied by anything else. The fenders
re compactly carried on the bow, and, in heavy weather, can be hauled on board.

page_text: Of course, it will be understood that the bar or rod upon which the fenders are
carried will not remain uninjured after a collision; but if it is damaged or carried
away, this is of no importance, as its office will have been performed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The combination with the bow of a vessel having a guide device, of one or
more movable fenders arranged upon the cut-water and capable of sliding up and
down thereon, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the bow of a vessel having a guide device, of one or
more stationary and one or more movable fenders, the movable fenders being
arranged to be moved up and down on the fender, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the bow of a vessel of a rod or bar attached thereto
and one or more stationary and one or more vertically movable fenders attached to
the rod or bar, substantially as described.
4. The combination with the bow of a vessel of a vertical rod attached thereto,
one or more stationary and one or more movable fenders, attached to the rod, and
chains or ropes attached to the fenders and attached to a drum or the like on the
deck, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of March 1891,
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.