US395986A

US395986A - martin

Info

Publication number: US395986A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1906-01-08

Description

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(N6 Mod'eI.) I J. MARTIN.

COMBINED LIFE BOAT AND MATTRESS. No. 395,986. Patented Jan. 8 1889.

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No. 395,986. Patented Jan. 8, 18 89.

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UNITED STATES Fries,

.IOI'IN MARTIN, OF DAYLESFORD, VICTORIA.

COMBINED LIFE-BOAT AND MATTRESS..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,986, dated January 8, 1889. Application filed July 18, 1888. Serial No. 280,292- (No modeld Patented in Victoria May 21, 1887, No. 5,080.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN MARTIN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Daylesford, in the British Colony of Victoria, cordial manufacturer, have invented new and useful improvements in and relating to ships mattresses to enable them to be converted into a collapsible boat, (for which I have obtained a patent in the British Colony of Victoria, dated the 21st day of May, 1887, and numbered 5,080,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of improvements in and relating to ships mattresses to enable them to be convert-ed into a collapsible boat; and its object is to provide a mattress which may be readily converted into a boat capable of carrying passengers and of being fastened to similar or other boats to form a raft, thus providing vessels with additional means for saving life at sea. The boats are provided with rowlocks and other appliances for handling them when launched, while at the same time they are very light, buoyant, and convenient.

In carrying my invention into practice,I provide two rectangularly-shaped mattresses, each formed of a canvas bag or coveringfilled with cork shavings or other suitable mate rial, and I connect the outer edge of one of their sides each to a piece of ash or othersuitable wood, which form (and are hereinafter referred to as) tie sheer-strakes of the boat. The ends of these sheer-strakes arehinged to two vertical posts, (hereinafter referred to, one as the stem and the other as the stern post,) while the lower ends of these stem and stern posts are connected to another piece of timber forming part of the keel of the boat. In order that the sheer-strakes may be kept apart at their center when my improved apparatus is required for use as a boat, I provide two pieces of wood or other material of suitable length, according to the beam of the boat required, and I hinge these two pieces together lengthwise, while their other ends abut against the inside edges of the sheerstrakes. To the under side of the said pieces I also hinge a vertical support, which passes down to and the lower end of which fits into a groove formed between the ends of two stays passing from the outer ends of the said I two pieces down to the bottom of the vertical. support, where they are hinged together and form the groove which receives the lower end of the vertical support. Over the frame of the boat thus constructed I stretch and secure canvas, to the outside of which, underneath bags, and I sometimes provide an outer covering or protector of similar construction to the mattresses, the said cover being secured along one side to the outer edge of each of the said mattresses and along the other to the canvas covering above referred to.

I arrange the various parts of my apparatus in such a manner that they may eit-herbe folded up to form a mattress or be converted into a convenient boat, as hereinafter more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan of a collapsible boat constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 00 rt, Fig. I. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line y y, Fig. I. Fig. 5 is a similar view to 3, but showing the boat collapsed or with the parts in the positions they occupy when in use as a mattress.

A A are the two mattresses, properly so called, each formed of a canvas bag filled with cork shavings or other similar material and secured at their top outer edges to the sheerstrakes Z) l). The sheer-strakes are hinged at one end to the stem-post l) and at the other to the stern-post b and. these again are connected at their lower ends with the keel 5 which is made hollow and provided with a water-tank, C, which may be filled with fresh water through the pipe c, provided at one end thereof, whence it may be withdrawn, as required, through the suction-pipe a.

11 h" are two pieces of wood hinged together lengthwise to the vertical support If by the hinges b I). The outer ends of the pieces I)" b are connected by hinges If?) to the ends of two stays, 11 b joined together at their other ends by a hinge, b", in such a manner that they form a groove, 1) into which the lower end of the vertical support Z1 fits.

It will be readily seen that the sheer-strakes Z) Z), stem and stern posts Z2 and b keel b hinged pieces b 6*, vertical support b and each of the mattresses, I secure two air-tight stays U form, when extended, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 11, the frame or skeleton of a boat, which I then cover with canvas (7, and to the outside of this canvas I secure two air-lugs, E, formed of suitable material, and each divided into a number of ctnapartments, as by the web or pzn'tition c, and I provide each compartment with a pipe, for intlatingpui wise secured to the shecr-strakes thereof, and

at either end and along the sides of the boat I provide rings. whereby several of my improved collapsible boats may be secured together to form a raft; or the said rings may 1 be employed for steering PUIDOSQS.

It is obvious that I may, if required, provide my convertible mattress with means for supporting a mast fora sail by passing it through a hole in the seat formed by the hinged pieces (1 b and into a recess in the top of the keel b.

It; will be readily understood from the fore;- going descriptitm that my improved mattress may, when folded up, as illustrated in Fig. 5, be used as an ordinary ships mattress, or when extended, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to l, be employed either as a raft in conjunction with other boats or as an ordinary rowing or sailingboat possessing great advantages on account: of its being verylight and extremely l moyant.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- The herein-described life-saving boat, consisting of a skeleton frame comprising a keel, a stem and stern post secured thereto, flexible sheer-st rakes hinged toopposite sides of the stem and stern post, a vertical standard, a horizontal brace formed in two sections hinged to said standard, stays for staying said brace, hinged together and to the keel so as to form a groove in which the standard is stepped, and a canvas coverin for said frame, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described life-saving boat, consisting of a skeleton frame comprising a keel, a stem and stern post secured thereto, flexible shew-strakes hinged to opposite sides of the stem and stern post, a vertical standard, a luin-izontal brace formed in two sections hinged to said standard, stays for staying said brace hinged together and to the keel so as to form a groove in which the standard is stepped, the outer ends of the stays being hinged to the outer ends of the brace, and a canvas covering fol-said frame securedto the 1 keel, the stem and stern posts and the sheerstrakes, respectively, substantially as described.

3. A convertible life-saving boat comprising a canvas-covcred skeleton folding frame, and mattresses extending lengthwise of the frame on opposite sides, sul'lsttmtially as and for the purposes specified.

4:. In a collapsible life-savingboat, the combination, with a canvas-covered foldable skeleton frame, of inflatable air-chambers divided into a plurality of compartments or cells arranged and extending lengthwise of the frame on opposite sides, substantiall 7 as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a collapsible and convertible life-saving boat, the combination, with a skeleton *anvas-covered folding frame and mattresses secured to and extending lengthwise on opposite sides of said frame, of inflatable airchamljmrs interposed between the mattresses and the skeleton frame, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

G. In a collapsible and convertiblclife-sav- Zing boat, the combination, with a skeleton canvas-covered folding frame and mattresses secured to and extending lengthwise on opposite sides of said frame, of inflatable air chambers divided into a plurality of compartments interposed between the mattresses and the skeleton frame, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. In a collapsible and convertible life-saving boat, the combination, with a canvascovered foldable skeleton frame, of mattresses A F, connected with each other and with the sheer-strakes, and canvas covering and int1atable air-chambers interposed between said mattresses and the boat, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

S. In a collapsible and convertible lifesaving boat, the combination, with a canvascovered foldable skeleton frame, of mattresses A F, connected with each other and with the sheer-strakes and canvas covering, and inflatable air-chambers divided into a plurality of compartments interposed between said mattresses and the boat, sul'lstantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. In a collapsible life-saving boat, a skeleton frame comprising a keel, stem and stern posts, and a sl'lecr-strake hinged to opposite sides of said posts, of a vertical central standard hinged to the keel, a horizontal brace formed in two parts hinged to the central standard, and the lateral or rib braces Z) 12 connected with the horizontal brace and vertical standard, as described, for the purposes specified.

JOHN MARTIN.

\V itnesses:

'l nnclvati AUGUSTUS SMITH, WALTER SMYTHE BAYSTON.