US19593A - tjequhart - Google Patents

Description

UNTE srarns PATENT oFFicE.

W'. URQUHART, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-PRESERVING- RAFT OF BUOYANT MATTRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,593, dated March 9, 18158,

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, VALTER URQUHART, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Life-Preserving Mattresses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a plan of a life preserving raft constructed of my improved mattresses. Fig. 2, is a side view of the same. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of my improved mattresses. Fig. 4, is a transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

My invention is especially intended for application to water proof duck cotton mattresses, which are stuffed with cork shavings, such mattresses being very pleasant and comfortable as a bed and being very buoyant when in water.

rlhe improvement made by me consists in providing the mattresses of a ship with straps and buckles on their upper and under surfaces, and with loops around their edges in the peculiar manner shown. By this arrangement, incase of emergency a series of mattresses can be buckled together, and a life preserving raft formed by placing several layers or tiers of the mattresses, thus buckled together, on top one another in a manner to form angular break joints, and said layers or tiers thus arranged, readily and conveniently strapped together in such a manner that it will be impossible for the tiers to separate or change their position longitudinally or laterally. A raft of this character formed of ten mattresses, it is believed will float or buoy up 3000 pounds.

Now in case of a ship takingre at sea or getting on a lee shore when the water tight bulkheads are of no use whatever and when itis impossible to lower a boat on account of the heavy sea, if my mattresses are on board any number of persons may be safely landed, the elasticity and buoyancy of the raft preventing it being dashed to pieces against the shore or rocks. A raft of this character will also answer admirably for transporting troops, horses or heavy pieces of cannon in water where the most shallow boat could not lioat. And on a man of war in time of an engagement a breastwork can be formed and the sides of the ship protected from being riddled with balls. Y

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, Figs; 3 and 4, represents one of the mattresses as constructed for sleeping upon. This mattress is made of duck canvas rendered impervious to water by any suitable process. It is stuffed with cork shavings a, a, each of which is cut so as to have the formof. a scroll spring in order that the mattress shall have greater elasticity and be more pleasant for sleeping upon. This form of cork shaving also renders the mattress more buoyant.

- B, B, represent eight straps with buckles C, C. `Four of these straps are fastened to the top and four to the bottom of the mattress in such a manner that their ends extend beyond, the side edges of the same. One end of each of the straps is furnished with a buckle in such a manner that four buckles come on one side edge of the mattress and four on the opposite side edge, the buckles being so disposed that four come on the bottom side edge and four on the top side edge of the mattress. By thus providing a buckle on only one end bf each of the mattress straps and leaving. the Iother end without a buckle two mattresses or any number with straps and buckles similarly disposed can be buckled together in a very substantial manner.

D, D, represent the loops provided `at the ends and side of the mattress. By means of these loops, several layers or tiers of mattresses which have been buckled together can be strapped together from side and ends as shown in Figs. l and 2 by straps D', D', so as to form a substantial life preserving raft. By aranging the tiers of mattresses so that the center c, c, c, of the mattresses of one ytier cover the joint-s d, d, d, of another tier, the .water has not a direct passage whereby to ascend to the top of the raft, as the raft is pressed down by the weight. The straps D', D', also have no chance to slip longitudinally to the right or left owing to their passing through the loops near the sides of the mattresses, as designated by e, e, in Figs. l and 2.

I am aware that it is old to form a raft by strapping together a series of mattresses which are arranged on the same horizontal plane, the strapsbeing attached to the side edges and end of each mattress, and the connection being formed in such a manner that unclosed joints between the ditferent mattresses eXist for the Water to dash up through and liood the raft. Therefore I do not claim a raft thus formed, but

lVhat I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Providing the mattresses of a ship With straps and buckles on their upper and under surfaces, and with loops around their edges in the peculiar manner shown, whereby, in case of emergency a series of mattresses can be buckled together, and a life preserving raft formed by placing several layers or tiers of the mattresses thus buckled together on top one another in a manner to form angular break joints, and said layers or tiers thus arranged, readily and conveniently strapped together in such a manner that it Will be impossible for the tiers to separate or change their position longitudinally or laterally, as set forth.

The above specification of my improvement in life preserving mat-tresses signed by lne this 19 day of February 1858.

W. URQUHART.

Vitness-es W. TUSGH, W. HAUFF.

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