US2933739A - Life raft - Google Patents

Life raft Download PDF

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Publication number
US2933739A
US2933739A US692077A US69207757A US2933739A US 2933739 A US2933739 A US 2933739A US 692077 A US692077 A US 692077A US 69207757 A US69207757 A US 69207757A US 2933739 A US2933739 A US 2933739A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
raft
sections
boarding
section
respect
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US692077A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Ralph L Miller
Charles J Ford
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co
Original Assignee
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to BE572244D priority Critical patent/BE572244A/xx
Application filed by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co filed Critical Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co
Priority to US692077A priority patent/US2933739A/en
Priority to GB15121/58A priority patent/GB843244A/en
Priority to FR1200569D priority patent/FR1200569A/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2933739A publication Critical patent/US2933739A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C9/00—Life-saving in water
    • B63C9/02—Lifeboats, life-rafts or the like, specially adapted for life-saving
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
    • B63B27/14—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of ramps, gangways or outboard ladders ; Pilot lifts
    • B63B27/143—Ramps
    • B63B2027/145—Inflatable ramps
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C9/00—Life-saving in water
    • B63C9/02—Lifeboats, life-rafts or the like, specially adapted for life-saving
    • B63C9/04—Life-rafts
    • B63C2009/042—Life-rafts inflatable
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C9/00—Life-saving in water
    • B63C9/02—Lifeboats, life-rafts or the like, specially adapted for life-saving
    • B63C9/04—Life-rafts
    • B63C2009/044—Life-rafts covered

Definitions

  • This invention relates to inilatable life rafts and particularly to the type in which the buoyant portion'A of the raft comprises one or more endless inllatable elements surrounding the occupant receiving space, with a lloor of fabric or the like joined to the said buoyant portion inY an annular zone at or near the mid-plane of the latter, so that the raft -when inllated possesses substantially the same serviceability with either side up.
  • Rafts of the above mentioned type are of particular use as emergency escape craft from aircraft which may be forced down at sea as Well as for use with waterborne craft.
  • Such a raft has the distinct advantages over a rigid hull type boat of requiring relatively small storage Y space, being light, and, therefore, easily transportable, and also vrequiring no complex launching apparatus.
  • dilliculties have been encountered in providing comfortable accommodations with maximum safety but, nonetheless, minimum boarding difficulties.
  • the use of high freeboard rafts in order to provide safety and comfort has, in the past, resulted in problems in providing for boarding or entrance into the raft from the water.
  • modifications such as deflatable freeboard sections or rigid ladders to provide easier boarding have resulted in a decrease in the safety of the craft and a decrease in its hull integrity as well as making storage and use more difficult.
  • Ladders affect not only storage requirements but inV some constructions cause an unbalance of the raft when an attempt is made to board which may be serious enough to cause the raft to ilip over on to the boarder.
  • Deilatable sections for boarding stations seriously weaken thel raft structure when deflated andA in a running sea permit the raft to buckle, making boarding diillcult and allowing water to enter the occupant area.
  • Fig. l1 is a plan view of a raftconstructed according to.
  • Fig. 2 is a section along line 2-2 of Fig. lillustrating the arrangementof agboarding station
  • Figl' is va plan ',view of Yanother type of raftY constructed according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 4 is a plan view of still another type of raft constructed according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 5 is a full section of the raft taken along the line 5,-5 of Fig. 4; and A Fig. 6 is a section of a raft illustrating a further modification of the boarding station; and y Fig. 7 is a partial section of still another design according to the present invention.
  • the buoyancy elements of the raft comprise annular inflation chambers 1 and, 2 having a horizontal deck 3 of fabric or the like extending along the mid-plane between them.
  • the inflation chambers are conventionally inflated by two compressed gas cylinders 4, each rail or chamber having its own ination bottle.
  • the raft may have theusual equalizer tubes between the chambers to assure equal inflation pressure therein, if so desired.
  • Thera'ft has aV center stowage locker 5 having a mast mount 6 substantially centrally thereof.
  • the area 5 is used to stow protective curtains etc., which when rigged with a mast adapted to fit the mountl 6 may be suitably arranged at the peripheral edges of the upper buoyancy chamber to provide shelter for the occupants.
  • Other conventional aids, such as heaving lines, bailing buckets, etc. are suitably arranged'so as to be accessible I to the occupants.
  • the'raft comprises two buoyancy sections 1l tion locations 7.
  • the stations arev in opposite pairs which are inverted with respect to the adjacent stations so that regardless of which side of the raft is up when it is launched, two boarding points at opposite sides of the raft are available to prospective occupants for entry onto the raft.
  • the arrangement of and the odset relationship between the lbuoyant sections l and 2 can be more clearly seen inFig. 2.
  • a small inflatable step section 8 is provided substantially at the waterline of the lower main buoyance section 2.
  • a similar step member is provided at the adja- ⁇ cent boarding station, being, of course, inverted with respect to the other in order to provide a step when the raft is other side up. Further boarding aids such as the hand grips 9 are provided at each station.
  • the oiset'relationship of the buoy-n ant sections provides a convenient, accessible boarding point while maintaining the essential high freeboard'lof the raft and without increasing the storage sp'ace of the deated raftto any substantial degree. Further, the offset relationship does not affect the structural integrity rof the raft as do separatelydeatable and-inllatable boarda raft.
  • Fig. 3 is shown a raft in which the offset relationship of the buoyant sections at the boarding station- Ipo-. is, provided by constructing.
  • vthe'buoyant sections in ⁇ an ⁇ un ,4 symmetrical shape having at least one inset section such as at 11.
  • the raft in Fig. 3 has a deck 'Patentes Apr.
  • valves 25 The valves may be disposed on the left and right' as shown or in some cases itvmayrbe desirable to place them one over the other at opposite surfaces of j the tube.
  • a rubberized fabric deck 25' spansV the area encircled by the tube to retain the watertight' integrity ofV the-stowage space.
  • Fig. 6 illustrates a modification of a boarding station in which the inatable step section is replaced by a rung 27 suspended belowV the waterline and attached tothe buoyant'section 28 by -straps or hangers 29.
  • the usual hand grips 30 may be provided as desired.
  • an offset type boarding station may be provided in any multi-section raft by the means described. That is, in rafts of elongated sections, the sections may be rotated with respect to each other through the desired arc. In rafts having regular polygonal or circular sections they may be constructed with an inset portion as described with respect to Fig. 3 or the sections may be linearly displaced with respect to each other as described with respect to Figs. 4 and 5.
  • Various types of step sections, boarding rungs and hand grips may, of
  • a boarding station in a raft having a larger number of sections is illustrated in Fig. 7.
  • the raftV comprises a plurality of sections 51, 32, and 33 having some of the sections displaced with respect to others to provide a boarding station, as for example sections 31 and 33'which are mutually displaced with respect to section 32 and each other.
  • a suitable step member 34 and boarding straps 35 may be provided in a manner similar to the other embodiments illustrated.
  • a raft comprising an endless buoyant sidewall structurey defining a closed area andY including a plurality of endless buoyant sections in superimposed relationship with at leasta part-ofat' least one of said buoyant sections disposed ink horizontally displaced relationship with respect to another of said sections to form at least one.
  • boarding station for thesaidiraft and a deck spanning said closed area and being attached to said sidewallstructure substantially along the midplane horizontally thereof.
  • a raft as claimed in claiml in which said boarding station isprovided with a stepwmember substantially atr essere@ 4 ⁇ Y imposed relationship, with some of said sections being disposed in horizontally displaced relationship at least in part with respect to others to form at least one board ⁇ ing station for the said raft, and a deck spanning said closed area and being attached to said sidewall structure substantially along the midplane horizontally thereof.
  • a raft as claimed in claim 3 in which said boarding station is provided with a'v step member substantially at or below the waterline of the buoyant section in the water.
  • a raft comprising an endless buoyant sidewall structure defining, al closed area, said sidewall structure in-A through an arc with respect to eachother to provide thesaid displacement.
  • a raft as claimed in claim 5 in which said sectionsare horizontally translated with respect to each other to provide the said displacement.
  • a raft as claimed in claim 5 in which said boarding station is provided with a step member substantially at or below the waterline of the section in the water.
  • Araft comprising an endless buoyant sidewallstructure defining a closed area, said sidewall structure includ-.
  • each of said sections denotes two buoyantsections in superimposed relation, each of said sections'dening an elongated polygon whose envelope substantially defines an ellipse and said sections disposedV in horizontally displaced relationship with respect to each other to form at least one boarding station for said raft regardless of which section is in the water, and a deck spanning said closed area and being attached to.
  • said sidewall structure substantially along the horizontal midplane thereof.
  • a raft as claimedin claim 9 in which said sections are rotated through a horizontal arc with respect to each other to provide the said displacement.
  • a raft as claimed in claim 9 in which said sections are horizontally translated with respect to each other to provide the said displacement.
  • a raft comprising an endless buoyant sidewall structure dening a closed area, said sidewall structure includingV two congruent buoyant sections in superimposedrelation, eaeh'of'said sections dening a polygon whose envelope curve substantially defines an ellipse with said sections disposed in a rotationally displaced relationship of substantially degree arc in the horizontal plane with respect to each other to form at least one boarding stationforsaid raft regardless of which section is in the water, and a deck spanning saidclosedareav and beingattached to said sidewallstructure substantially at the horizontal mid plane thereof.
  • a raft comprising an endless buoyant sidewall structure defining a closedvarea and includinga plurality of endless buoyant sections in superimposed relationship with at least a part of atleast one of'said buo'yantsections disposed in horizontally displaced. relationship with respectto another-ofsaid sections so that a portion of a buoyant section adjacent the waterline extends outwardly.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Revetment (AREA)
  • Bridges Or Land Bridges (AREA)
US692077A 1957-10-24 1957-10-24 Life raft Expired - Lifetime US2933739A (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE572244D BE572244A (xx) 1957-10-24
US692077A US2933739A (en) 1957-10-24 1957-10-24 Life raft
GB15121/58A GB843244A (en) 1957-10-24 1958-05-12 Life raft
FR1200569D FR1200569A (fr) 1957-10-24 1958-07-21 Radeau de sauvetage

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US692077A US2933739A (en) 1957-10-24 1957-10-24 Life raft

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2933739A true US2933739A (en) 1960-04-26

Family

ID=24779156

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US692077A Expired - Lifetime US2933739A (en) 1957-10-24 1957-10-24 Life raft

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US2933739A (xx)
BE (1) BE572244A (xx)
FR (1) FR1200569A (xx)
GB (1) GB843244A (xx)

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3034154A (en) * 1957-11-13 1962-05-15 Silverstone Joseph Inflatable life-rafts
US3072930A (en) * 1960-04-25 1963-01-15 Garrett Corp Spaced tube inflatable life raft
US3679025A (en) * 1971-05-18 1972-07-25 Garrett Corp Inflatable slide and raft apparatus
US4213219A (en) * 1978-06-30 1980-07-22 East Wind Industries, Inc. Tensioning device for an inflatable structure
EP0140501A1 (en) * 1983-09-07 1985-05-08 The Garrett Corporation Flotation platform
US4614500A (en) * 1983-09-07 1986-09-30 The Garrett Corporation Flotation platform
US5397258A (en) * 1993-12-30 1995-03-14 Switlik Parachute Company, Inc. Polygonally shaped inflatable raft apparatus
US5628275A (en) * 1995-06-07 1997-05-13 Casey; Michael W. Marine wildlife rescue devices and methods for rescuing marine wildlife
US6220908B1 (en) * 1999-12-10 2001-04-24 Sportsstuff, Inc. Inflatable towable vehicle
US20050005837A1 (en) * 2003-07-07 2005-01-13 Alain Monlezun Boat with perimeter float, particularly a pneumatic life raft
US20050208849A1 (en) * 2004-03-18 2005-09-22 Ferrara Thomas B Floatation apparatus and method
US7309267B1 (en) 2006-09-25 2007-12-18 Air Cruisers Company Integrated float raft
US20180162494A1 (en) * 2016-12-09 2018-06-14 Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc. Recreational flotation device
US10005529B1 (en) * 2016-12-27 2018-06-26 Sabrina Patricia Lueck Quick rescue survival kit
US10286986B2 (en) 2016-04-22 2019-05-14 Christopher Ian Roxburgh Hugh Bouyant inflatable device
US11548601B2 (en) 2019-11-04 2023-01-10 Crusoe Survival, Llc Multi-chamber inflatable device

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2421679A (en) * 1944-05-01 1947-06-03 Cambridge Rubber Co Lifesaving boat

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2421679A (en) * 1944-05-01 1947-06-03 Cambridge Rubber Co Lifesaving boat

Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3034154A (en) * 1957-11-13 1962-05-15 Silverstone Joseph Inflatable life-rafts
US3072930A (en) * 1960-04-25 1963-01-15 Garrett Corp Spaced tube inflatable life raft
US3679025A (en) * 1971-05-18 1972-07-25 Garrett Corp Inflatable slide and raft apparatus
US4213219A (en) * 1978-06-30 1980-07-22 East Wind Industries, Inc. Tensioning device for an inflatable structure
EP0140501A1 (en) * 1983-09-07 1985-05-08 The Garrett Corporation Flotation platform
US4614500A (en) * 1983-09-07 1986-09-30 The Garrett Corporation Flotation platform
US5397258A (en) * 1993-12-30 1995-03-14 Switlik Parachute Company, Inc. Polygonally shaped inflatable raft apparatus
US5628275A (en) * 1995-06-07 1997-05-13 Casey; Michael W. Marine wildlife rescue devices and methods for rescuing marine wildlife
US6220908B1 (en) * 1999-12-10 2001-04-24 Sportsstuff, Inc. Inflatable towable vehicle
US6941887B2 (en) * 2003-07-07 2005-09-13 Zodiac International Boat with perimeter float, particularly a pneumatic life raft
US20050005837A1 (en) * 2003-07-07 2005-01-13 Alain Monlezun Boat with perimeter float, particularly a pneumatic life raft
ES2253989A1 (es) * 2003-07-07 2006-06-01 Zodiac International Embarcacion delimitada perimetricamente por un flotador, particularmente balsa neumatica de supervivencia.
US20050208849A1 (en) * 2004-03-18 2005-09-22 Ferrara Thomas B Floatation apparatus and method
US7357688B2 (en) * 2004-03-18 2008-04-15 Ferrara Thomas B Floatation apparatus and method
US7309267B1 (en) 2006-09-25 2007-12-18 Air Cruisers Company Integrated float raft
US10286986B2 (en) 2016-04-22 2019-05-14 Christopher Ian Roxburgh Hugh Bouyant inflatable device
US20180162494A1 (en) * 2016-12-09 2018-06-14 Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc. Recreational flotation device
US10029767B2 (en) * 2016-12-09 2018-07-24 Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc. Recreational flotation device
US10005529B1 (en) * 2016-12-27 2018-06-26 Sabrina Patricia Lueck Quick rescue survival kit
US11548601B2 (en) 2019-11-04 2023-01-10 Crusoe Survival, Llc Multi-chamber inflatable device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1200569A (fr) 1959-12-22
BE572244A (xx)
GB843244A (en) 1960-08-04

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