US2899695A - Lifeboat - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 18,. 1959 E. W. NICOL LIFEBOAT Filed June 8, 1956 ll; vzh for L". W N160! WWW rr/s.

United States Patent Cfiice Fatented Aug. 18, 1959 LIFEBOAT Ernst Willy Nicol, Husum, Nordsee, Germany Application June 8, 1956, Serial No. 590,246

1 Claim. (Cl. 9-4) This invention relates to a lifeboat with closed or closable deck with at least one boarding hatchway.

It is known that the problem in the case of lifeboats is that they are taken into use at the last moment, so that a large area is necessary for boarding them. On the other hand a lifeboat when floating must be protected by every manner and means against the penetration of water into its open hull and as a result a closed construction has already 'been proposed to afford this protection. However, the known boats are generally provided with only one hatchway for boarding which is also used for disembarkation. Boats are also known with several small boaring hatchways. Disembarkation, when it is necessary to tranship survivors at sea, is extremely difiicult to get out through the large area, especially when it is stormy and the area cannot be just opened because of water and wind-pressure. In this case the boarding hatch must be used to bring up the survivors one at a time from the hull through the hatchway.

By means of the invention an unobstructed large access hatch opening is provided and this opening is so disposed that it fits organically in the superstructure and is protected to a great extent at its edges thereby, so that the opening and the superstructure are sufficiently strong also to withstand the pressure of wind and water. To attain this construction the superstructure must be given a laterally domed shape, namely a shape which enhances the strength *by curvature and is advantageous from a flowtechnical point of view. In addition, other points have been considered so as to construct the superstructure in a suitable manner for walking thereon and entering the hull.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a lifeboat according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 a front elevation of the lifeboat, half in section;

Fig. 4 a longitudinal section through the boat, and

Fig. 5 a horizontal section.

As shown in the drawing, the lifeboat consists of a boat hull 1 and a superstructure 2. The superstructure 2 extends fore and aft and laterally domed fashion down to the hull 1 and has at the top adjacent the fore and aft ends thereof a boarding hatchway 3, 3 including manually controlled hinged covers. Between the boarding hatchways 3, 3' the superstructure 2 is substantially fiat and provided with an unobstructed large access hatch opening which occupies nearly all of the area between the hatchways 3, 3'. The access opening 4 can be closed by a longitudinally displaceable and foldable tarpaulin roof 5 sealed along the opposite sides of the opening 4. Edges 5' of the roof 5 engage over a rim of the access opening 4 to ensure a watertight closure. The superstructure 2 only covers part of the width of the boat so that the hatchways 3, 3' and the hatch opening 4 are easily accessible,

0n the boat hull 1 on both sides of the superstructure a narrow gangway 6 is provided under which are air tanks 7 with inner longitudinal walls 7 forming a vertical extension of the lateral walls of the superstructure. The air tanks 7 are divided into separate watertight cells or compartments by bulkheads 8. These compartments may be provided for cleaning purposes with openings accessible from the interior of the lifeboat and closable by water-tight sealing covers 9. The boarding hatchways 3, 3' have each a high coaming 10. Sufficient space is provided for the helmsman in the open hatchways 3, 3' or under them when they are closed. The helmsman can either sit on a fold-up seat 11 or stand on a platform 12 arranged thereunder. A good view is insured, even with the hatchway 3, 3' closed, by windows 13 provided in the superstructure 2. The hatchways 3, 3' enable the helmsman to manipulate, in case of emergency, hoisting hooks 14, 14' located within his reach at the ends of the hull 1. Seats or benches 15 for the persons to be accommodated in the boat are arranged in known manner transversely to the longitudinal direction of the boat and in pairs so that the occupants can sit back to back. Additional air tanks 16 can be arranged under these benches. Between the benches or pairs of benches driving levers 17 are arranged for manually actuating a gear 18 for driving a screw 19. Hammocks 20 can also be provided in addition to the benches. As indicated at 21, a hand grip rail is provided extending immediately adjacent opposite sides of the access hatch opening and adjacent the hatches 3, 3'. When the occupant desires to disembark from the lifeboat, he may stand on the benches 15 and grasp the rail 21 which is readily accessible at the sides of the opening 4.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction will at once be apparent, and while there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

In a lifeboat, an elongated hull including a substantially flat, arcuate bottom merging into flattened arcuate side portions, a substantially flat superstructure integral with and rising from said hull, said superstructure including arcuate flattened side portions, horizontal walkways extending inwardly from the side portions of said hull and intersecting the arcuate side portions of said superstructure, an unobstructed access hatch extending through and substantially the length and width of said superstructure to provide unimpeded ingress and egress during emergency conditions, a flexible hatch cover displaceably and sealingly retained at opposite sides of said access hatch and foldable longitudinally thereof toward at least one end of said hull, a boarding hatchway in said superstructure at one end of said access hatch, a plurality of transverse seats, longitudinally spaced in said hull, and a hand grip rail on the arcuate side portions of said superstructure immediately adjacent opposite sides of said access hatch and extending along the major extent thereof for facilitating disembarking from said hull by standing on the seats and grasping said hand rail and available for use regardless of the position of the hatch cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,181,009 Hoy Apr. 25, 1916 1,295,893 Hartz Mar. 4, 1919 1,408,130 Newcomb Feb. 28, 1922 1,801,480 Barnett Apr. 21, 1931

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