IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD AND MEANS FOR COUNTER- ACTING MOTION IN SUPPORTS FOR BERTHS, CABINS, SOFAS, TABLES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES IN SHIPS OR IN TRAVELLING CARRIAGES
Year: 1874

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to. William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings,, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD AND MEANS FOR COUNTER-
ACTING MOTION IN SUPPORTS FOR BERTHS, CABINS, SOFAS, TABLES, AND
OTHER LIKE ARTICLES IN SHIPS OR IN TRAVELLING CARRIAGES." -A
communication from abroad by Thomas Pownal Ford, of Green
Point, in the City of Brooklyn, State of New York, United States
of America.
1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-
Brown at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 31st August 1874.
I, WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-
Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,

page_text: London, and 13, Ruc Gaillon, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD AND MEANS FOR COUNTER-
ACTING MOTION IN SUPPORTS FOR BERTHS, CABINS, SOFAS, TABLES, AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES IN SHIPS OR IN TRAVELLING CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in the method and means for
counteracting motion in supports for berths, cabins, sofas, tables, and
other like articles in ships or in travelling carriages is intended to limit
and control the motion of the berth or other article and so to support
it upon a supporting carriage, and so to balance it in connection
with the free movements of the carriage that an equilibrium shall
always be maintained in the berth whilst the supporting carriage or
the vessel moves or sways laterally or longitudinally, any change or
tendency to change from a horizontal level of the carriage or vessel
being met and compensated for by the balanced berth. And to effect
these ends my Invention consists in the employment beneath the berth
of a carriage having rails or tracks of a curvature in the arc of a circle,
and on which the berth runs with friction rollers, such carriage itself
resting by friction rollers upon other curved tracks located in planes at
right angles to the carriage rails. The berth thus being supported
underneath by the devices which control its motion and preserve its
equilibrium, whilst at the same time it is hung to jointed guide frames
which permits its sway to the required degree to off-set either the rolling
motion or the pitch of the vessel.
To the bottom of the berth or other article, at or near its longitudinal
centre, are fixed projecting bars having friction rollers resting on the track
of a carriage. The movable carriago has curved tracks on which the berth
rests, and on which it may ride in a direction athwartships to off-set the
roll of the vessell. The stationary part of the vessel or frame has curved
ways or tracks upon which the carriage may move by means of friction
rollers a limited but sufficient distance in a direction fore and aft to
compensate for or offset the pitch of the vessel. The friction rollers are
made adjustable so as to be brought nearer to or farther from the centre
of the frame, according to the degree of stability required. There aro
two jointed and similar guide frames of thin plate metal, the upper
portion of cach being suspended by a pin from the wall, posts, or other
permanent part of the cabin or vessel, and the lower part being secured
to the bottom of the berth at some distance from its ends. These guide
frames widen out from their point of suspension, so that at their joint

page_text: and the line where they are hinged or jointed to the bottom of the
berth their breadth is about or quite equal to the breadth of such
bottom. This serves to control the motions of the berth, and prevents
it from having any improper movement or strain on its own longitudinal
centre or axis, as would be the case if the connection of such frame to
the bottom were only at or near such centre instead of all across the
bottom.
A hand lever is arranged by which the occupant of the berth may at
will, by means of the liandle inside the berth, lock or bring the berth to
a rest or set it free, the levers and connecting rods to which this hand
lever is connected serving to raise or lower the foot leaves which are
hinged or otherwise arranged to swing on the under side of the berth.
The movement of the lever serves to lower the leaves until they are
brought to about a vertical position, thus bringing their lower edges
against the floor or platform beneath the berth, thus preventing any
further movement of the berth independently of that of the vessel. By
moving the lever in an opposite direction the leaves are raised and tho
berth is again free to sway as may be demanded by the varying move.
ments of the vessel.
The carriage tracks are curved in the arc of a circle described from an
imaginary centre at a point midway between parts from which the
guide frames. are hung. The cross curved tracks are also in the arc of a
circle of larger radius, but described from the same centre. It will thus
be seen that although the berth rests on the carriage and tracks
beneath it, yet all the movements of the berth as the vessel sways or
rocks are about a common imaginary centre of motion above the berth,
whilst by the mode of construction all frameworks, devices, or appli-
ances over the berth or above the head of the occupant are entirely
dispensed with. This is a great advantage as it leaves all the space
above the berth entirely free and removes all danger of striking the head
or body against them in getting into or out of the berth.
The form of the sides, ends, and bottom of the berth are all inclined,
the bottom having two inclines meeting, or nearly meeting at the centre.
The degree of these inclines is determined by and adjusted to the range
of motion of the vessel and berth, the space within which it may be
allowed to sway. Thus assuming that 30° (thirty degrees) is the
maximum of rolling motion or athwartship, and 10° (ten degrees) the

page_text: maximum of pitch fore and aft, the inclinations of the berth are made
accordingly. Thus all available space between the limits, both vertical
and horizontal, is saved for the erection of cach berth. The berth in a
heavy sea is never liable to project out into the cabin any more than in
a calm, and the double inclined bottom also imparts a gentle curvature
to the mattress, which is most comfortable and desirable for the
occupant of the berth.
The guide frames being made of broad sheet metal admit of being
made so thin as to occupy so little space that the berth itself may be
given the maximum possible length within a limited space to be assigned
for a berth.
The same principle and method of balancing and maintaining an
equilibrium, as above described for a berth, it is evident may be applied
to other things, as, for instance, to a cabin sofa, chair, table, platform,
car, &c., &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM'
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers,
and Patent Agents; of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue
Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in'
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Morgan-Brown, Her
special license, that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morgan-
Brown, 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

page_text: .
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD AND MEANS FOR COUNTERACTING. MOTION IN
SUPPORTS FOR BERTHS, CABINS, SOFAS, TABLES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES IN SHIPS
OR IN TRAVELLING CARRIAGES," (a communication to me from abroad by
Thomas Pownal Ford, of Green Point, in the City of Brooklyn, State
of New York, United States of America,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, 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 Seal Patont
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, 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:-
This Invention consists in the employment beneath the berth of a
carriage having rails or tracks of a curvature in the arc of a circle, and
on which the berth runs with friction rollers, such carriage itself resting
by friction rollers upon other curved tracks located in planes at right
angles to the carriage rails, the berth thus being supported underneath
by the devices which control its motion and preserve its equilibrium,
whilst at the same time it is hung to jointed guide frames which permit
its sway to the required degree to offset cither the rolling motion or the
pitch of the vessel or carriage.
In the accompanying Drawings, forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a berth constructed according
to this Invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation; and Figure 3, a
vertical section in the lines, z, z; of Figure 2.
A is the berth. To the bottom of the berth or other article, at or
near its longitudinal centre, are fixed projecting bars having friction
rollers resting on the track of a carriage. The moveable carriage has
curved tracks on which the berth rests, and on which it may ride in a
direction athwartships to off-set the roll of the vessel. The stationary
part of the vessel or frame has curved ways or tracks upon which the
carriage may move by means of friction rollers a limited but sufficient

page_text: distance in a direction fore and aft to compensate for or offset the pitch
of the vessel. The friction rollers are made adjustable so as to be
brought nearer to or farther from the centre of the frame, according to
the degree of stability required. There are two jointed and similar
guide frames of thin plate metal, the upper portion of each being
suspended by a pin from the wall, post, or other permanent part of the
cabin or vessel, and the lower párt being secured to the bottom of the
berth at some distance from its ends. These guide frames widen out
from their point of suspension, so that at their joint and the line where-
they are hinged or jointed to the bottom of the berth their breadth is :
about or quite equal to the breadth of such bottom. This serves to
control the motions of the berth, and prevents it from having any
improper movement or strain on its own longitudinal centre or axis, as
would be the case if the connection of such frame to the bottom were
only at or near such centre instead of all across the bottom.
A hand lever is arranged by which the occupant of the berth may at
will, by means of the handle inside the berth, lock or bring the berth to
a rest, or set it free, the levers and connecting rods, to which the hand
lever is connected, serving to raise or lower the foot leaves which aro
hinged or otherwise arranged to swing on the under side of the berth.
The movement of the lever serves to lower the leaves until they are
brought to about a vertical position, thus bringing their lower edges
against the floor or platform beneath the berth, thus preventing any
further movement of the berth independently of that of the vessel. By
moving the lever in an opposite direction the leaves are raised and the 2
berth is again free to sway as may be demanded by the varying move-
ments of the vessel.

page_text: above the berth entirely free, and removes all danger of striking the
head or body against them in getting into or out of the berth.
The form of the sides, ends, and bottom of the berth are all inclined,
as shown, the bottom having two inclines meeting or nearly meeting at
the centre. The degree of these inclines is determined by and adjusted
to the range of motion of the vessel and berth, and the space within
which it may be allowed to sway. Thus assuming that 30° (thirty
degrees) is the maximum of rolling motion or athwartship, and 10° (ten
degrees) the maximum of pitch, fore and aft, the inclinations of the
berth are made accordingly. Thus all available space between limits,
both vertical and horizontal, is saved for the crection of cach berth.
The berth in a heavy sea is never liable to project out into the cabin any
more than in a calm, and the double inclined bottom also imparts a
gentle curvature to the mattress, which is most comfortable and
desirable for the occupant of the berth.
The guide frames being made of broad sheet metal admit of being
made so thin as to occupy so little space that the berth itself may be
given the maximum possible length within a limited space to be assigned
for a berth.
The same principle and method of balancing and maintaining an
equilibrium, as above described, for a berth it is evident may be applied
to other things, as, for instance, to a cabin, sofa, chair, table, platform,
car, etc., etc.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the
said Invention and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim is,―
First. The herein-described method of limiting and controlling the
motion of and maintaining an equilibrium in ships' berths, etc.
Second. The combination of the berth or balance frame A, guide
frames E, and the transverse moveable carriage C.
Third. The system of levers and connecting rods combined with the
hand lever F, and with the hinged foot levers H for stopping or releasing
the berth.
Fourth. In combination with the berth the broad thin metallic guide
frames E, E, secured by a joint to the bottom of the berth at points or

page_text: lines between its ends, and also jointed or hinged at or near the ends of
the berth, and operating as shown and described.
Fifth. The berth constructed with its bottom inclined gently upwards
from, at, or near its centre towards its ends, and with its sides and ends
also inclined upwards, all as shown, and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
.five.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)