US3574875A - Liferaft - Google Patents

Liferaft Download PDF

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Publication number
US3574875A
US3574875A US778460A US3574875DA US3574875A US 3574875 A US3574875 A US 3574875A US 778460 A US778460 A US 778460A US 3574875D A US3574875D A US 3574875DA US 3574875 A US3574875 A US 3574875A
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United States
Prior art keywords
strut
liferaft
canopy
sleeve
floor
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
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US778460A
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English (en)
Inventor
Arthur George Tulett
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Individual
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Individual
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Publication date
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Publication of US3574875A publication Critical patent/US3574875A/en
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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
    • 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
    • B63C2009/046—Life-rafts covered reversible, i.e. deployable in upright or upside down positions

Definitions

  • An inflatable liferaft is provided with an inflatable strut.
  • the strut is in the form of a double-walled sleeve which permits erection of the strut on either side of the floor of the raft.
  • This invention relates to improvements in inflatable liferafts of the reversible type.
  • it relates to an improver'nent in liferafts which are provided with an inflatable central strut for support of a canopy for the protection of the occupants of the liferaft.
  • Such liferafts are known in the art and are exemplified by the recent Canadian Pat. No. 644,578, R. J. Phillips, Jul. 10, I962; No. 675,042, J. Silverstone, Nov. 26, I963; and No. 676,540, D. V. Edwards, Dec. 24, 1963.
  • a central inflatable strut is provided, and in particular the patent to Silverstone discloses a liferaft having two central inflatable struts and providing for the erection of a strut on either side of the floor of the liferaft, rendering it more nearly reversible under operating conditions.
  • a liferaft having a reversible inflatable strut which is simpler and easier to use in practice and which will require less gas for erection and particularly for reerection after reversal.
  • One type of reversible liferaft comprises two tubular buoyancy chambers superimposed, and a floor assembly located between and tangential to both chambers.
  • Another type comprises a single tubular buoyancy chamber supporting a floor assembly tangential to its inner median line.
  • the canopy skirt may be provided with means of releasable securement to, or about, the buoyancy chambers at the peripheries of the liferaft.
  • the assembly must be adapted to erection by one occupant, regardless of which side of the liferaft is facing up following initial liferaft inflation deployment.
  • the present invention therefore provides an inflatable reversible strut adapted for use in a liferaft and comprising a double-wall inflatable sleeve formed of impermeable flexible material.
  • the present invention further provides a strut of this type having a generally cylindrical shape and having a base end and a distal end, said base end being adapted for flexible peripheral attachment to the inner periphery of an aperture in the floor of a liferaft, said distal end being adapted to receive and support a canopy,-said canopy being releasably securable at its outer periphery to the periphery of the liferaft.
  • a strut of this type should preferably be provided with l means for inflating and deflating the sleeve and should be accessible to the operator from either side of the sleeve at the base end.
  • the sleeve may have a valve on each side within reach of the base end of the strut. This could also be achieved by having a single valve in or near an aperture through the sleeve which would then enable it to be reached from either side of the sleeve.
  • the present invention further provides such a strut wherein the double walls of the sleeve are formed into parallel interconnected reeds shaped and separated by V-strips or I-beams as permeable separating means. These strips or spacer patches of this type are effective in controlling the thickness of the walls and are fixed thereto in such a way as to permit some passage of air between adjacent reeds.
  • the walls of the cylinder are desirably formed of rubber-coated nylon or cotton cloth having one to three plies.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view of the liferaft with the strut inflated and the canopy secured to the perimeter of the top buoyancy chamber,
  • FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the liferaft shown in FIG. 1,
  • FIG. 3 is a section through the liferaft taken on the line III-III of H01,
  • FIG. 4 shows a section IV-IV through the sleeve strut of FIG. 3,
  • FIG. 5 shows canopy and strut confinement area within the protective covers
  • FIG. 6 shows the top protective cover removed, and the canopy and strut extracted from confinement and ready for strut inflation
  • FIG. 7 shows the strut inflated and canopy secured to the perimeter of the upper buoyancy chamber
  • FIG. 8 shows an alternate position of the canopy should the liferaft become inverted.
  • the liferaft comprises a generally flat floor l0 cemented or otherwise secured between two toroidal buoyancy chambers 11 and 12 as shown in FIG. 3.
  • the floor is provided with a central aperture 13, on the periphery of which, is cemented the lower or base portion of an inflatable sleeve strut 14.
  • the lower portion of the strut 14 is provided with a flexible hinge 15, which allows the strut to be inverted when deflated, by reeving it through the floor aperture 13.
  • the strut 14 is double-walled and fitted with valves 16 inside and out so as to allow inflation or deflation from inside the raft regardless which side of the sleeve faces outwards.
  • the strut 14 preferably is formed of an impermeable flexible material; for this purpose, the walls of the cylinder may advantageously be formed of rubber-coated nylon or cotton cloth having one to three plies.
  • FIG. 4 section IV-IV shows the location of V- strips 21 which control the inflated shape of the sleeve strut while permitting airflow between adjacent reeds or sections of the sleeve.
  • the V-strips 21 may be replaced by I- beams or any other equivalent structure to permit limited fluid communication between the adjacent reeds.
  • the skirt of the canopy is fitted with means of releasable securement 18 to the upper 11 or lower 12 buoyancy chambers.
  • the canopy and strut assembly is normally confined for storage within protective covers 19 ccmented on each side of the floor 10 at aperture 13.
  • Each cover 19 is fitted with a tear strip 20 to allow access to the canopy assembly from either side of the floor 10.
  • the canopy system erection sequence is as follows: The tear strip 20 of the protective cover 19, located inside the liferaft, is removed and the protective cover 19 is discarded. The canopy 17 and strut 14 are extracted from the lower cover 19 and the strut 14 is inflated by any convenient means via valve 16. The canopy skirt securement 18 is then attached to the periphery of the upperbuoyancy chamber 11 to complete the erection.
  • the canopy skirt anchorage 18 is released from the submerged buoyancy chamber 11, the protective cover 19 within the liferaft is removed by pulling the tear strip 20, the strut I4 is deflated via valve 16, the deflated strut I4 is recved through itself along with the eanopy l7 and the erection is completed as described above.
  • struts Liferafts provided with struts in accordance with the present invention have been found to be particularly useful since the strut provides positive canopy support accompanied by built-in resilience.
  • the flexible strut acts as a shock absorber to cushion the raft against wave action and the resilience provides immediate recovery of the struts as the wave recedes.
  • An inflatable reversible strut in a liferalt comprising a generally cylindrical double-wall inflatable open-ended sleeve formed of impermeable flexible material and having a base end and a distal end, said base end being peripherally attached to the inner periphery of an aperture in the floor of a liferaft, said distal end being open and having a canopy secured around the periphery thereof, said canopy being releasably securable at its outer periphery to the outer periphery of the liferaft, said canopy and said strut being adapted to be reeved through the center of said strut and through the aperture in the liferaft floor.
  • a strut as in claim 1 said strut being provided with a valve on each of the sides of the sleeve whereby to facilitate deflation and inflation of the sleeve from either side.
  • a strut as in claim 2 wherein the double walls of the sleeve are formed into parallel interconnected reeds shaped and separated by V-strips as permeable separating means, said walls being formed of rubber-coated nylon or cotton cloth having one to three plies.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Tents Or Canopies (AREA)
US778460A 1968-11-25 1968-11-25 Liferaft Expired - Lifetime US3574875A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US77846068A 1968-11-25 1968-11-25

Publications (1)

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US3574875A true US3574875A (en) 1971-04-13

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US778460A Expired - Lifetime US3574875A (en) 1968-11-25 1968-11-25 Liferaft

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US (1) US3574875A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1266753A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3605595A1 (de) * 1985-02-22 1986-08-28 RFD Ltd., Godalming, Surrey Aufblasbare rettungsinsel
WO1997047518A1 (en) * 1996-06-13 1997-12-18 Wardle Storeys (Safety & Survival Equipment) Liferaft
US5733158A (en) * 1996-11-12 1998-03-31 Dunlop-Beaufort Canada Ltd. Inflatable reversible life raft
US6375529B1 (en) * 2001-07-03 2002-04-23 Marisa Infante Reversible life raft and method therefor
US20220024550A1 (en) * 2019-07-11 2022-01-27 Goodrich Corporation Life raft canopy with spring wire frame

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19750975B4 (de) * 1997-11-18 2005-07-28 Zodiac International S.A. Aufblasbare Rettungsinsel

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2496460A (en) * 1946-08-10 1950-02-07 Armstrong Rubber Co Pneumatic float
FR1035755A (fr) * 1951-03-09 1953-08-31 Ensemble en matière souple constitué de corps gonflables et devenant rigide par gonflage
US2764766A (en) * 1953-07-22 1956-10-02 Garrett Corp Inflatable life raft
US3034154A (en) * 1957-11-13 1962-05-15 Silverstone Joseph Inflatable life-rafts
US3092854A (en) * 1959-09-10 1963-06-11 Charles E Manhart Life raft

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2496460A (en) * 1946-08-10 1950-02-07 Armstrong Rubber Co Pneumatic float
FR1035755A (fr) * 1951-03-09 1953-08-31 Ensemble en matière souple constitué de corps gonflables et devenant rigide par gonflage
US2764766A (en) * 1953-07-22 1956-10-02 Garrett Corp Inflatable life raft
US3034154A (en) * 1957-11-13 1962-05-15 Silverstone Joseph Inflatable life-rafts
US3092854A (en) * 1959-09-10 1963-06-11 Charles E Manhart Life raft

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3605595A1 (de) * 1985-02-22 1986-08-28 RFD Ltd., Godalming, Surrey Aufblasbare rettungsinsel
WO1997047518A1 (en) * 1996-06-13 1997-12-18 Wardle Storeys (Safety & Survival Equipment) Liferaft
US6206743B1 (en) * 1996-06-13 2001-03-27 Wardle Storeys (Safety & Survival Equipment) Limited Liferaft
US5733158A (en) * 1996-11-12 1998-03-31 Dunlop-Beaufort Canada Ltd. Inflatable reversible life raft
WO1998021088A1 (en) * 1996-11-12 1998-05-22 Dunlop-Beaufort Canada Ltd. Inflatable reversible life raft
US6375529B1 (en) * 2001-07-03 2002-04-23 Marisa Infante Reversible life raft and method therefor
US20220024550A1 (en) * 2019-07-11 2022-01-27 Goodrich Corporation Life raft canopy with spring wire frame
US11572142B2 (en) * 2019-07-11 2023-02-07 Goodrich Corporation Life raft canopy with spring wire frame

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Publication number Publication date
GB1266753A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1972-03-15

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