US155169A

US155169A - Improvement in life-boats and mattresses

Info

Publication number: US155169A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1874-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 1891-09-22

Description

E. u. sHAnTAu.

Life Boats and Mattresses.

Patented Sept. 22,1874.

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THE GRAPHIC CO. PHDTD-LITHJQXv-l PARK PLACE,N.Y.

UNITED STATES.l

PATENT CEE-ICE.

EILERT o.` sonAnTAU, oEjNEw ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-BOATS AND MATTRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,169, dated September'QQ, 1874 2 application filed January 17, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, E. 0. SCHARTAU, of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Life- Boat and Mattress; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part this specification.

A mattress, in order that it can practically and to anyv great advantage be adopted as a life-preserver of sufficient bearing power, must be so light that it can without difficulty be carried,and,ifcircumstan ces require it,be launched in the water, by the feeble arms of a woman. Further, it is of the utmost importance, at a time when, on the ship, everything is confusion and panic, that the arrangement of converting the mattress into a life-boat should be so simple, perfect, and unfailing that no time is lost and no mistake done for the immediate and eii'ective use of the life-boat.

To greatly increase the bearing power of a mattress, for the purpose of utilizing the same as a life-preserver without augmenting its size or adding considerably to its weight, is the object of my invention; and

The nat-ure of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a mattress to be converted, when occasion requires it, into a life-boat, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a bottom view of my mattress. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the line y y, Fig. 2.

A represents the covering of the mattress, made of any suitable waterproof material, and the mattress is constructed, as it were, in four or more comparatively air-tight tubes or canals, B B, which are filled to their full capacity with the lightest kind of material-as, for instance, prepared cork or cypress wood, feathers, hair, or straw, which are rendered water-proof by any of the known methods. I introduce, longitudinally or otherwise, through the mattress two or more tubes, C C, of wire-gauze, or other suitable perforated material, for the purpose of producing a circulation of air, thus keeping the mattress always in a fresh and proper condition. To the edge of the mattress, and entirely surrounding the same, is attached a siding, D, of suitable waterproof exible material, which lies folded and evenon the under side of the mattress, but is to be raised by suitable means, when instantly the mattress offers to the shipwrecked almost the advantage of a life-boat, the siding D becoming, as it were, a bulwark all around, giving to the mattress, by the very nature of its relative position, an increase of floating or supporting capacity. The sides of the siding D areprovided at their edges with a metal bar, b, and to each end of the siding is attached the head of a T-shaped rod, d, the other end of which fastens in a lock, e, projecting from a metal strap, f, attached in the center of the mattress. When the ends of the rods d d have entered this lock they are fastened by means of hinged or pivoted bails or staples h h, as shown. The mattress may be lowered safely down by suitable means. E represents a cloth attached to a roller, k, mounted in ears projecting' from or attached to one of the bars b.. When the weather is rough this cloth is to be unwound and spread over the siding for protecting the life-boat from being filled with water. It is kept in position by means of ropes m, having each a wooden ball, u, said ropes being fastened to the sides of the mattress, and the bales passed through loops p fastened to the edge of the covering. To the sides of the mattress are attached looped ropes s, which enable the shipwrecked to hold onto the mattress with more security and less fatigue.

The combined mattress and life-boat thusconstructed is, of course, to be provided with suitable paddles or oars, and also with whistles to give signals.

One or more boards of equal surface with the mattress may be combined with it, and provided with more or less water-proof cloth between them to increase the area of the float ing surface, if so desired.

Having thus fully described my invention7 what I claim as new7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with a mattress, A, and siding I), of the bars or rods d d and look e h, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing; as my own I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EILERT O. SCHARTAU.

Witnesses:

A. ABAT, I. S. BAQUIE.