EP at Sea, or on other Waters.
Year: 1884

page_text: EP
at Sea, or on other Waters.
I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS, of 135, Fenchurch Street, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for AN IMPROVED
RAFT OR APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SEA, OR ON OTHER
WATERS, to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to construct a raft or apparatus for saving life
and property at sea, or on other waters, in such a manner as to form, when not in
use, a seat, or more correctly speaking, a double seat, and to so arrange the same
that when it is unfolded or opened out to form the raft, an unsinkable boat is, so
to speak, constituted.
My improved life raft or apparatus consists of a frame or body (in vertical
section of the form of an inverted T) provided at its extremities with end pieces.
To the horizontal portion of the inverted T, and to the outer sides thereof, I hinge,
in the direction of the length of the frame, air-tight cases or chambers, or cases or
chambers rendered buoyant by being filled with cork or other buoyant material.
These cases or chambers, when the apparatus is closed or folded, form the seats,
and they are provided with hinged bulwarks which fold down and lie against the
vertical portion or rib of the frame, which portion forms a back common to the
seats on both sides, and on which the occupants sit, back to back.
To convert the apparatus from a seat into a raft, it is only necessary to cause
the airtight cases or chambers to revolve outwardly on their hinges, for at of a
circle, and then to raise the hinged bulwarks, the said cases or chambers being
then retained in position as hereinafter described. When the apparatus is in the
raft form the hinged bulwarks form backs to the seats, the occupants on one side,
in this arrangement, facing the others on the opposite side.
To render to apparatus, or, as I term the same, "Raft-boat," water tight, to as
great an extent as possible, at the angle formed by the end pieces and the ends of
the airtight cases or chambers, when in the unfolded position, I provide, in the
spaces formed between the vertical portions of the frame or body of the raft and
the air tight cases or chambers, canvas or waterproof linings so contrived as to
partially open out on the apparatus being opened or unfolded to form the raft-boat,
and to close or fold up on the said apparatus being closed or folded to form the
seat. The ends of these linings are furnished with wooden pieces so arranged as

page_text: to be raised up and to act as stays or ties to maintain the air tight cases or
chambers in their open position, and at the same time to complete the opening
of the linings. The limit of travel of outward opening of the said chambers or
cases is regulated by pins or studs, fixed on the cases or chambers and travelling
in grooves contrived in the inner faces of the end pieces.
Or the upper half of the vertical portion or rib of the inverted T, forming the
back of the double seat, may be made in two portions and hinged to portions
forming the seats proper and which portions are hinged to the air tight cases or
chambers so that when the apparatus is in use as a raft-boat, these hinged portions
lie on the water and form platforms which offer a more extended floatable surface
to the raft-boat, and one on which persons may also sit or stand, or cling to; the
said extended floatable surface, at the same time tends to steady the raft when on
the water.
I may also provide a folding contrivance, or folding contrivances, at the bottom
of the apparatus, like that described in the Specification of my British Letters
Patent, No 3683, dated 27 July 1883.

page_text: An Improved Raft or Apparatus for Saving Life and Property
at Sea, or on other Waters.
I, ALFRED HAMLYN WILLIAMS, of 135 Fenchurch Street, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for AN IMPROVED
RAFT OR APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SEA, OR ON OTHER
WATERS, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to construct a raft or apparatus for saving life
and property at sea or on other waters, in such a manner that the same when not
in use as a raft may be folded to form a seat, or more correctly, a double sided seat,
and to so arrange the same that when it is unfolded or opened out, an unsinkable
raft or boat is constituted.
In the accompanying drawings fig. 1, is a perspective view, partly in elevation
and partly in section, of my improved life raft or apparatus in its closed form as
a double sided seat; fig. 2, is also a perspective view, but shewing the raft or
apparatus in its unfolded or open form; fig. 3 is a cross section of fig. 2, but on a
smaller scale.
My improved life raft or apparatus consists of a framework or body A (in vertical
section of the form of an inverted T, or double L) provided at its extremities with
end pieces a, a.
To the outer edges or sides of the base or horizontal portion a*,
of the body A, and in the direction of the length of such body, I hinge to each
side thereof, at a², a², a framing or casing B, B', into which I fit and secure a number
of air tight cases or chambers B* B*, or cases or chambers rendered buoyant by
being filled with cork, or other buoyant material. To these framings or casings
I hinge at a flaps C, C', which, when the apparatus is closed or folded, lie over
and upon the said framings or casings and form the seats proper. These flaps abut
against the vertical portion a¹, of the body A, which portion forms a back common
to the seats on both sides, and on which seats the occupants sit back to back.
When the apparatus is opened out or unfolded to form a raft these flaps form an
extended surface on the water.
To convert the apparatus from a seat into a raft, as shewn in figs. 2 and 3, it is
only necessary to cause the framings or casings B, B¹ with their air-tight cham-
bera B B✶ to revolve outwardly on their hinges a³, a³ for at of a circle, and to
then throw outwards the hinged flaps C, C. The said framings or casings, with
their airtight chambers, are retained in their outward position by the bars d, d,
hereinafter described.
The framings or casings with their air-tight chambers may however be hinged to
the body A, in such a manner as to revolve outwardly for a of a circle.
The limit of travel of outward opening of the framings or casings may be
regulated by any suitable mechanical means.
d, d, are bars pivoted to the under edge of the vertical portion a¹, forming the
back to the apparatus; these bars by retaining the framings or casings in their

page_text: outward position, maintain the apparatus in its open or unfolded form when on
the water. When not in use these bars lie under and against the vertical
portion a'.
ff, are quadrant pieces formed with stops f*, and secured at one end to the
flaps C, C; they travel in guides f¹, fixed to the ends of the framings or
casings B, B, and the stops, by abutting against the guides, limit the extent of
opening of said flaps.
The end air tight cases or chambers may be constructed as tanks for water,
food, &c, and be provided with hinged lids, as shewn in fig. 2.
The casings, containing the air tight chambers, instead of being hinged may be
so arranged as to be slidden or drawn out.
If it be desired to render water-tight the interior space which is formed when
the seat is opened out to form the raft, I can provide a folding contrivance of
canvas, or other waterproof material, and arrange the same in such a manner as to
open up, on the apparatus being opened or unfolded, and which will thereby
constitute a water tight compartment, and will fold up on the apparatus being
converted into a seat.
I may also provide a folding contrivance or folding contrivances at the bottom of
the apparatus, like that described in the Specification of my British Letters Patent,
No 3683 dated 27 July 1883, and shewn in the drawings accompanying the same.
Having now particularly described the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same may be performed I declare that I claim
First. The improved raft, or apparatus for saving life and property at sea, or on
other waters, having its parts, arranged and combined to be operated substantially
as herein described, so that the same when not in use as a raft may be folded to
form a double-sided seat, and may be readily opened out or unfolded when to form
a raft, in the manner specified.
Second. The special construction of raft or apparatus as herein described, and as
shewn in fig. 1 of the drawings in its closed or folded form as a double-sided seat,
and in figs. 2 and 3 in its open or unfolded form as a raft.
DJ 179 100
1
ERNEST DE PASS, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
68, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the Petitioner.