US663172A - Life-boat. - Google Patents

Description

- M. P. HOY.

LIFE BOAT;

Application fileu June 9, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Shaets-$heet I.

No. 663,!72; Patented Dec. 4, I900.

\H WITNESSES I) NVENTOR J No. 663,l72.

LIFE BOAT.

Application filed June 9, 1899.)

2 sheets sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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N Q NH mm I NITED STATES] P TENT OFFICE.

MARIUS r. HOY, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON, nss enon or ONE-HALF TO CHAUNOEY s. UPRIGHT, on SAME PLACE.

LIFE-IBOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,172, dated December 4, 1900. Application filed June 9,1899. $eria1No. 719,995- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, M-ARIUS P. HOY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tacoma,

in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in life-boats; and it consists in aboat made in cylindrical shape having bulkheads for dividing it into various compartments, means in one compartment for propelling the boat, and means in another compartment for steering the same, the central compartment being provided with air-tubes for supplying sufficient air for the occupants thereof.

It also consists of certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a life'boat constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section through the same. Fig.3 represents a vertical transverse section through the central portion of the said boat. Fig. 4 represents a detail sectional view showing how oars may be applied for propelling the boat. Fig. 5 represents a detail view showing the means of bracing a mast in place, and Fig. 6 represents a perspective View of a grapple for raising the anchor.

l in the drawings represents a life-boat constructed in accordance with my inventionyZ,

a central chamber for the occupants of the boat; 3 and 4E, chambers for those who are handling the anchor and steering the boat, respectively.

My improved life-boat is designed to be so inclosed that water cannot enter the same even in an exceedingly rough sea, and it is so constructed as to be bouyant even though one or more of the compartments should become filled with water.

the person who operates the anchor.

casing, tapering toward a sharp bow and stern, as illustrated in the drawings. The casing of the boat may be made of any suitable substance, but is preferably formed of metal. At suitable intervals in the interior of the structure I mount bulkheads, as 5 5 and 6 7. The bulkheads 5 5 inclose the central chamber, which is the largest one in the boat, occupying about two-thirds of its size and afiording sufficient space for a number of'oecupants. The bulkhead 6 divides the bow portion into two compartments, the compartment 3 of which is adapted to be used by The other compartment is further divided by a horizontal partition 8 into upper and lower compartments, which may be used for storing food or other articles. The bulkhead 7 likewise divides the stern of the boat into two compartments, of which the compartment 4 is adapted to be occupied by the party steering the boat. The other compartment is further divided into upper and lower spaces, as 9 and 10, which may be used for storing food and other articles. Each of the bulkheads is provided with a sliding door, as 11, which doors are adapted to close doo rwaysin the said bulkheads. These doorways form means of communication between the diderent compartments of the boat and are ordinarily kept in a closed condition to prevent the chance of all the compartments being filled with water in case one of them should have an accident.

The boat 1 is provided with a keel of considerable size, as 12, which preferably extends the whole length of the boat and at the rear end is provided with recesses to accommodate the propeller 13' and the rudder 14:, the said keel completely protecting the said propeller and rudder. Around the sides of the boat I preferably construct a fender, as

15, which afifords protection to the sides of the boat. The boat is also provided with a large central hatchway, asl6, leadinginto the central compartment 2, said hatchway being provided with hatches or covers 17, which slide apart to open the said hatchways, as clearly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the hatches 17 are opened, the boat is practically converted into an open one. The hatches are made to fit snugly into position and may have rubber packing around their edges, if necessary, and may be held in place by means of clamping-screws operated from the inside to make them entirely water-tights...

The compartments 3 and 4 are also provided with sliding hatches, as 18 and 19, which may be closed when the said compartments are not'in use. When it is necessary for a person to work in the hatchways 1b and 19, as when handling the anchor or steeringthe boat, it is desirable to prevent the water entering the compartments 3 and 4, and for purpose I provide flexible aprons, as 2 0,

whichare secured to the edges of the said hatchways at one end and at their otherends are provided with draw-strings or other means of securing the said aprons snugly about the waist of the person in the said compartments. This will be found a very con venient means of preventing water .from entering the compartment 3 when it is necessary to have the hatches 18 and 19 open. In order to supply suitable ventilation and sufficient air for the occupants of the compartments 2, I provide air-tubes, as 21 2% f any suitable design, which may, for instance, be made of two telescoping sections, the lower section 22 of which tube is braced with respect to the bulkhead 5 by means of any suitable bracket, as 23, saidtube being open at its lower end and opening directly into the chamber 2. Sliding in the tubes 22 are the up.-

per telescoping tubes 25, which are provided with air-collecting funnels 26at their upper ends, preferably of thick rubber, secured at the base to a metal ring 31.

same forms the subject-matter of another application filed in the United States Patent;' Office April 14, 1900, and serially numbered 1 In order to anchor the boat, Iprovide the same with an anchor 34 of any suitable design, said anchor being attached to the end i of a chain, as 35, which passes around the bow of the boat and along a groove, as 36, formedv in the lower edge of the keel 12, and into the 1 lower end of a pipe or tube 37, which passes up through the keel and the boat to the top At the upperend 1 thereof, as seen in Fig. 2. of the pipe 37 an enlargement, as 38, is formed,

in which is mounted a sprocket wheel or pulley 39, over which the chain 35 may be drawn.

The inner end of the chain 35 may be secured in boxes or lockers formed in the chamber 2.

The anchor 34 when not in use preferablylies upon the bow of the boat and maybe supported in place by a hook or any other suitable contrivance. When the anchor is to be used, it is released fromthe said hook and dropped from the bow of the boat, the chain being permitted to pay out from the tube 37 until a suitable anchorage is obtained. It

. will benoticed that an anchor thus connected with the boat will pull upon the same at a I point about midway between the bow and the middle of the boat, so that the anchor will not have sufficient leverage upon the bow to pull it underwater. In order to take up the anchor and return it to its position on the boat, the chain 35 ,is pulled in to a proper extent, and a double grapple, as 40, having a chain or rope secured. to each end thereof, is

lowered beneath the bottom of the boat until it engages the chain, when it may be used to pull the anchor up and hook it in place on the bow of the boat.

In order tosteer the boat, the rudder-stem extends upwardly into the stern of the boat and is engaged by a handle or lever 41, which projects into the chamber 4 and may be operated by the occupant of the said chamber.

To propel the boat, I prefer to use a handoperated propeller, as 13, said propeller being provided with a suitable shaft 42, which extends through proper packinglands into the body of the boat and carries at its inner end a sprocket-wheel, as '43, which is connected, by means of a sprocket-chain 44, with a sprocket power-wheel 45. The sprocket powerwheel 45 is secured to a shaft 46, mounted in suitable hearings in the chamber 2, said shaft being provided with suitable cranks, as 47 47.

The cranks are preferably operated by means of long rods or bars which are socketed at one end in recesses in the cranks 47 and at the other end are socketed or pivoted to suitable supports, as at 49 49, in the said chamber. By the use of these bars a larger number of people can operate the cranks and drive the propeller with considerable power. In order to operate a pump, the shaft 46 is also provided with a crank 50, which is connected with a pump-piston bya pitman 51, the pump52 being mounted upon the bottom of the chamber 2. It will be apparent that rigid handlescould be secured'to the cranks 47 47 for erablya two-bladed propeller and when not in use should be held in such a position that its blades will be in the same plane as the plane of the keel, and thusofier the least resistanceto the water. It will be apparent operating them, the handles being made of that a propeller having any number of blades can be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I preferably form in the bottom of the boat a series of compartments, as 54 54, which may be used for storing drinking-water or containingballast,orboth. Thesecompartments afford a standing-platform for the occupants of the chamber 2. Seats, as 55, may be mounted on the tops of these compartments and on each side of the vessel for those in the said compartment to rest upon.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the buoyancy of the boat and the power to right itself are increased by means of cork belts, as 56, which extend almost the entire length of the boat on each side thereof. A row of lights or windows, as 57, are also provided in each side of the boat, so that the occupants can look out. These windows are preferably made in the usual manner, with rubber packing and setscrews for holding them tightly in place and making them perfectly water-tight.

If it is desired to employ oars to row the boat when its hatches are opened, oar-locks, as 58, may be suitably mounted upon the fenders 15, which may be engaged by oars 59, made of suitable length.

If desired, straps may be secured to the inner surfaces of the hull, as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, or may be secured to the seats 55 to afford a means for the occupants of the boat to steady themselves.

It will be "evident also thatif more air is desired in the compartments 3 and 4 a rubber hose with a funnel may be passed through the aprons 20 to collect and admit the air required.

It will be apparent from the above description that my improved life-boat is simple in its construction and yet capable of being manipulated in all kinds of weather. It will also be apparent that a number of people can occupy the life-boat and can assist in propelling it from place to place.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A life-boat comprising a hull made cylindrical and tapered at its ends, bulkheads mounted in the said boat dividing itinto various compartments, an anchor for holding the boat in place, when desired, a tube extending into one of the compartments for accommodating the anchor-chain, a groove in the keel of the boat connected with the said tube and extending to the end of the boat, whereby when the anchor is carried by the boat, the chain will lie in the said groove and the said tube and a pulley in the said tube over which the chain may be pulled from the interior of the boat to raise and lower the anchor, substantially as described.

2. A life-boat comprising a cylindrical hull having a central and end compartments, bulkheads separating said compartments, hatchways in the hull leading out from said central compartment, and hatchways or openings in the bulkheads, whereby access may be had to the end compartments from the central one, and sliding doors for covering the hatches in the hull and sliding pivoted doors for closing the bulkheads and openings or hatches, substantially as described.

3. A life-boat comprising a cylindrical hull having a central compartment and end compartments, a series of hatchways arranged at the top of the central compartment, sliding doors, conforming to the shape of the cylindrical hull and extending over said hatchways, whereby they all may be closed by the operation of a single pair of doors, bulkheads dividing the end compartments from the central compartment, hatchways or openings in said bulkheads for permitting access to the end compartments from the central one, said hatchways being triangular in shape, and approximately triangular doors pivotally secured to the bulkheads for closing the triangular hatchways, the structure being such that the shape of the doors will permit of their being moved sufficiently far, in the cylindrical hull, "to one side or the other of the openings to afford proper communication between the compartments, substantially as described.

4:. In a boat, the combination with a suitable hull, of compartments formed therein, air-tubes entering the main compartment of the boat, guy-rods for supporting a mast in one of the tubes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARIUS P. HOY.

Witnesses:

FRANK J. MILLER, HERBERT N. DE WOLFE.

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