AN IMPROVED COMBINED SHIPS' BUNK OR BERTH AND LIFE-PRESERVING APPARATUS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wren Watts, of No. 46, Old Street, in
the City of London, Hemp Hackle Maker, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED COMBINED SHIPS' BUNK OR BERTH AND LIFE-PRESERVING
APPARATUS."
Sealed the 4th May 1875, and dated the 10th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wren Watts
at tlic Office of the Commissioners of Patonts, with his Petition,
on the 10th March 1875.
I, JAMES WREN WATTS, of No. 46, Old Street, in the City of
London, Hemp Hackle Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED COMBINED SHIPS' BUNK OR BERTH AND LIFE-
PRESERVING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
Ships' bunks or berths as ordinarily constructed are fixed to the sides
of the ship so as to be incapable of removal therefrom, and contain
mattresses which are not sufficiently buoyant to be used as life belts,

page_text: Now according to my Invention I make ships' bunks or berths
portable and buoyant, so as to be available as life rafts and fit them
with mattresses so constructed that parts of the said mattresses are
capable of being used separately as life belts or jackets.
In constructing a berth or bunk according to my Invention I make a
stout rectangular wooden frame, of the size of an ordinary bunk, within
which frame I place a cork mattress made in several parts or cushions.
One of these parts is fixed in the frame at each end thereof, and the
middle part is made in the form of a life belt and is capable of removal
from the said frame and is provided with the necessary straps for
attaching it to the body of the user. The life belt portion of the
mattress when in the bunk rests upon a canvass bottom, laced to the
frame of the bunk. At the ends of the said bunk I construct lockers
for food and water, and attach cork cushions or pillows. The frame is
strengthened by suitable stays and provided with lashings for the
purpose herein-after stated. A signal staff is so fitted to the frame as to
lie horizontally when the apparatus is used as a berth, and to be capable
of being fixed in a vertical position when the apparatus is used as a
life raft.
The bunks or berths constructed as described may be placed on or in
suitable shelves, racks, or frames fixed to the side of the ship, and when
so placed constitute part of the ship's fittings or the said bunks or
berths may be slung between decks like cots.
In case of shipwreck or other similar disaster the occupants of the
bunks or berths would put on the life belts aforesaid, then throw the said
bunks overboard and swim to them. Each bunk when in the water
would constitute a small life raft which could either be used by itself or
several of such rafts could be lashed together frame to frame, so as to
form a larger life raft. When thus used the frames of the bunks prevent
the raft from being broken up by the action of the waves as would be
the case with a raft composed simply of cork mattresses unprotected by
frames, and the mode of connection by lashings carried by the said
frames ensures the said lashings being always ready for use when
required, and allows a certain amount of "play" between the several
portions of the raft, whereas if they were rigidly connected they would
be apt to be broken up by the action of the waves.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the condiions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Wren Watts in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WREN WATTS, of No. 46, Old Street, in the City of London, Hemp
Hackle Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Wren Watts, Her special
license that I, the said James Wren Watts, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Wren Watts,
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 "AN IMPROVED
COMBINED SHIPS' BUNK OR BERTH AND LIFE-PRESERVING APPARATUS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Wren Watts, my
executors 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 performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Wren Watts, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
-
Ships' bunks or berths as ordinarily constructed are fixed to the sides
of the ship so as to be incapable of removal therefrom, and contain
mattresses which are not buoyant.
Now according to my Invention I make ships' bunks or berths.
removeable and portable, and buoyant so as to be available as life floats

page_text: or for forming life rafts, and I fit such berths or bunks with buoyant
mattresses so constructed that parts of the said mattresses are capable of
being used separately as life belts or jackets.
In constructing a berth or bunk according to my Invention I make a
stout rectangular wooden frame of the size of an ordinary bunk, within
which frame I place a cork mattress made in several parts or cushions.
Parts of this mattress are fixed in the frame and part is made in the
form of a life belt or jacket, and is capable of removal from the said
frame and is provided with the necessary straps for attaching it to the
body of the user. The life belt portion of the mattress when in the
bunk rests upon the bottom of the said bunk, which may consist of wood
or of canvas or other suitable material laced to the frame. At the ends
of the said bunk I construct lockers for food and water, and attach cork
'cushions or pillows. The frame is strengthened by suitable stays and
provided with lashings for the purpose herein-after stated. A signal
staff is so fitted to the frame as to lic horizontally when the apparatus is
used as a berth, and to be capable of being fixed in a vertical position
when the apparatus is used as a life float or raft..
The bunks or berths constructed as described may be placed on or in
. suitable shelves, racks or frames fixed to the sides of the ship and when
so placed constitute part of the ship's fittings, or the said bunks or
berths may be slung between decks like cots.
In case of shipwreck or other similar disaster the occupants of the
bunks or berths would put on the life jackets aforesaid, then throw the
said bunks overboard and swim to them. Each bunk when in the water
would constitute a life float which could either be used by itself or
several such floats could be lashed together frame to frame, so as to form
a large life raft. When thus used the frames of the bunks prevent the
raft from being broken up by the action of the waves as would be the
case with a raft composed simply of cork mattresses unprotected by
frames and the mode of connection by lashings carried by the said
frames insures the said lashings being always ready for use when
required, and allows a certain amount of "play" between the several
portions of the raft, whereas if they were rigidly connected they would
be apt to be broken up by the action of the waves.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner in which the same is to be performed, reference

page_text: marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a longitudinal section (taken
on the line 1, 2, Figure 3), and Figure 3 is a plan of a berth or bunk
constructed and fitted according to my Invention.
A is the wooden frame provided with a canvas bottom a laced to the
said frame by means of cords a¹, a¹; a², a³, are tie rods secured to the
said frame by means of nuts a³, a³; B, B', are the lockers formed at the
ends of the tray A on which cork stuffed pillows C, C', rest, the pillow C'
being secured by means of cords c¹, c', which are passed over the pillow
and the free ends tied to rings or eyes c², c², affixed to the sides of the
locker B¹. One locker being generally sufficient to contain the necessary
quantity of food and water I place in the other (B) a cork cushion c³,
which increases the buoyancy of the bunk. D, D, are cords tied to the
rods a², a²; E, E, arc cords, and e', c¹, are loops secured in holes formed
in the sides of the frame A; E¹, E¹, are cords secured in holes formed
in the ends of the frame A, to which cords other cords e², e², are so
attached as to be capable of travelling from end to end of the
cords E', E¹.
By means of the said cords and loops the bunks may be fastened
together side by side and end to end when it is necessary to form a raft.
F, F, are loops through which the occupant of the bunk may pass his
arms to steady himself in the bunk; G is the signal staff pivotted at g¹
to the side of the bunk, so as to be capable of occupying either the
position in which it is represented in Figure 1 or that indicated in dotted
lines; 2 is a flag affixed to the free end of the staff G, to which staff
and below the flag a sail may be attached if desired.
When necessary the height of the side of the bunk may be increased
by securing thereto a board provided with some suitable means of
attachment.
A removeable side of this description is illustrated in side and end
elevation in Figure 4, in which Figure H represents the board and h¹, h³,
are clips screwed thereto, which clips, when the removeable side is in
place fit upon the side of the bunk, and secure the board H thereto.
The frame A is fitted with a mattress made in several parts or
cushions I, J, K. The cushions I, J, are stuffed with cork and arc

page_text: secured in the frame A by means of bands,,, which are passed
round the said cushions and under the bottom of the bunk, and by
cords,,,, laced into the said cushions and over and under the tie
rods af, a². Recesses,³, are formed in the cushion J to allow of the
lashings D, D, being readily passed round the frame A when it is
necessary to lash the bunks together. Between the said cushion and
the bunk a paddle may be stowed for use as herein-after described.
The part K of the mattress is represented separately in Figures 5
and 6, and consists of flat bags or cases k¹, 7³, 1ª, of any suitable material
stuffed with cork and sewn together at their edges, and connected by
the straps, 1, 1, 1, 1³, so as to be capable of being folded flat, as
illustrated in Figures 2, 3, and 5, (in which form it constitutes one of
the cushions of the bunk) or of being opened, as shown in perspective
in Figure 6, and worn on the body so as to constitute a life jacket or
belt. When used in the latter capacity it is adjusted by means of the
strap and buckle ³ to the size of the body of user, who then passes
his head between the straps ', *, and his arms between the said straps
and the bags, ². The jacket is then lowered until the straps k', ',
rest on the shoulders when it will be in the proper position on the body
of the wearer, and may be closed tightly around him by drawing up
and tying the straps ³, 1º, the ends of which lie in front of the chest.
After the jacket has been removed from its place in the bunk the
pillow C is put in the place previously occupied by the said jacket,
and secured by means of lashings c³, c', as illustrated in Figures 2
and 3º.
I prefer to cover the mattress and pillows either entirely or on the
upper parts with some waterproof material, the said waterproof covering
being intended to insure cleanliness of the bed and not to increase the
buoyancy of the bunk by excluding water from the cork stuffing of the
cushions, the said bunk and cushions, when the latter are saturated
with water, having sufficient buoyancy to support considerably more
than the weight of one man above the surface of the water in which
they float.
The method of using my apparatus is as follows:-The bunks or
berths are placed on or in suitable shelves, racks, or frames, fixed to the
sides of the ship, and when so placed constitute part of the ship's fittings,
or the said bunks or berths may be slung between decks like cots. In

page_text: case of shipwreck or other similar disaster the occupants of the bunks
or berths put on the life jackets aforesaid. The said bunks are then
lifted from their places and carried on deck, where they are lashed
closely together side by side in sets of three by means of the cords D, D,
which are passed several times round the sides of the bunks through the
openings a', a', in the bottoms and tied. Several of these sets of bunks
are then lashed together leaving a space of several feet between each set
(as illustrated in the diagram Figure 7), so as to form a raft or chain of
bunks which is lowered over the side of the ship into the water. Tho
passengers and crew then lower themselves on to the raft thus formed,
or throw themselves into the water and swim to the raft, the buoyancy
of the jackets being sufficient to prevent the wearers from sinking.
When in the water several of the rafts or chains of bunks described
may be lashed together by means of the cords E, E, and loops e', e', so
as to form a large raft. The frames of the bunks prevent the raft from
being broken up by the action of the waves, as would be the case with a
raft composed simply of cork mattresses unprotected by frames, and the
mode of connection by lashings secured to the said frames ensures the
said lashings being always ready for use when required, and allows a
certain amount of "play" between the several portions of the raft;
whereas if they were rigidly connected they would be apt to be broken
up by the action of the waves. Each bunk being fitted with the flag-
staff G, those on the raft are enabled to make signals and in somo
measure to direct the course of the raft by means of sails attached to the
said staves, and by means of the paddles herein-before referred to.
Although. I prefer the method herein-before described of lashing the
bunks together, they may be lashed in any other way which may bo
found suitable.
When possible it is preferable to form the bunks into rafts as described
before throwing them overboard, but when this cannot be done they
may be thrown overboard singly and lashed together when in the water.
In this case it is preferably first to lash them temporarily by means of
the cords E¹, e.
Although each bunk is too narrow to allow of its being used by itself
as a life raft, it is sufficiently buoyant to support several people when
used merely as a buoy or float, and when three of the said bunks are
lashed together a raft is formed capable of supporting three men above
the surface of the water.

page_text: By my Invention readily accessible means are provided at a small
cost for securing from drowning each person on board, and without
encumbering the ship.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not claim per se fitting ships' berths or bunks with buoyant mattresses,
neither do I claim per se fitting or furnishing such berths with a buoyant
belt or jacket; but I claim as my said Invention, making ships' berths.
or bunks removeable and portable and buoyant, and providing them
with suitable lashings so as to render the said berths or bunks readily
available as life-buoys or floats, or for forming life rafts, and fitting such
berths or bunks with buoyant mattresses, parts of which are so con-
structed as to be capable of being used separately as life-belts or jackets
essentially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wren Watts, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Thirtieth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
W. T. WHITEMAN.
J. W. WATTS. (L.S.)