US2348570A - Convertible life raft and boat - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1944. F. PLUNDE R CONVERTIBLE LIFE RAFT AND BOAT Filed Dec. 30, 1943 awe/Mm Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED STATES-1 PATENT OFFICE 2,348,570 CONVERTIBLE LIFE RAFT AND BOAT Franz Plunder, Annapolis, Md. Application December 30, 1943, Serial No. 516,300 g Q 14 Claims. (01. 9-11) I This invention relates to a life-saving device I and, more particularly, to a convertible life boat and life raft.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a life-saving device capable of sustaining victims of shipwreck, torpedoing, foundering,

and the like and capable of being used either as a raft or as a boat in accordance with the demands of the particular emergency. More particularly, if there are but a few persons aboard, or if the device would, as a, boat, be in danger of capsizing in choppy seas, or if it is desired that thecraft lie relatively low in the water to avoid detection, it is intended to provide for use as a;:-.

raft. On the other hand, if greater loads are to be sustained, or the dryness and protection of a cockpit is needed, it is proposed by this invention to Provide for use of the craft as a" boat.

- Another'object is to provide for the ready conversion of the craft from a raft to a boat, and vice versa, either beforelaunching or when in use, and, especially, to provide for the easy conversion by one within the confines of the craft itself. In this connection, the object is to provide a main flotation body having a vertical well,

a floating platform in the well, and means for sealing the platform to the body at either end.

of the well so that the device is not only inverti-i ble, but so that the wel1 can be converted to a cockpit with either side of the device uppermost;-

By sealing the well to the body to prevent water from passing upwardly therebetween, the additional buoyancy of the cockpit may be utilized.

Still another object is to provide, in the convertible craft, a floating platform relatively less buoyant than the main body so that the body will float high relative to the platform, thereby facili.

tating sealing of the platform to the body at the lowermost end of the well.

Other objects, such as providing for ease and economy of manufacture by assembly-line and mass-production techniques, simplicity and sureness in operation, and greater safety and comfort.

for the occupants will be apparent from the fol- 7 lowing specification and drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section along the line ll of Fig. 2 showing the platform in full lines when the device is used as a raft, the height of the sealing the platform to the body at the lowermost end of the well; and,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section showing in detail one of the sealing gaskets.

Referrin now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, the device comprises a main flotation. body 2 having a frame 4, preferably of wood, with skin 6 of plywood or the like suitable material secured thereto by appropriate fasteners I. The skin 6 is suitably bent or moulded to form closed chambers 8 and Ill on opposite sides of a generally rectangular well [2 having open upper and lower ends and closed side walls M, which side walls may also be of plywood or other impervious sheet material. It might be noted here that at the upper and lower ends of the well, the skin overhangs the edges of the well to provide framelike lips I6, and on the inner sides of the lips, sealing gaskets are mounted as shown in detail in Fig. 4.

Slidably fitting in well I2 is a generally rectangular platform 20 substantiall co-extensive with the well in plan view, the platform also having a frame 22 of suitably stiff material, such as wood, and impervious, spaced top and bottom walls 24 and 26, respectively, which, with sides 21, form a watertight chamber.

It will be seen that if the device is placed in the water with either side up, the main body 2 will float relatively high so that the platform 20 will be disposed close to the lowermost lip l6, particularly if one or more occupants are standing on the platform. In the condition thus far described, the device functions as a raft having a total buoyancy equal to the simple sum of the buoyancies of body 2 and platform 20. If no great load is to be carried, or if it is desired that the craft lie low in the water, or if there is danger of capsizing, the device may be so used as a raft and, if not overloaded, will be self-bailing since water breaking over the sides of this well will run out around the sides of the platform.

For conversion to a boat, one or more occupants may utilize the props 28 forcibly hold the top or bottom 24 or 26 against the lowermost sealing gasket l8 depending, of course, on which side is up. Wedges 30 may be driven in to tighten the seal, and the props and wedges ma be held to the body or otherwise tethered to keep them from being lost when not in use. With the platform in place, any water remaining in the cockpit may be bailed out, whereupon not only the combined buoyancies of the body 2 and platform 20 provide flotation, but also the buoyancy of the major part of well l2, which now becomes a cockpit, comes into play. Thus, in an example where the buoyancy of body 2 is sufficient to sustain 4,000 pounds, the platform 1,500 pounds, the raft will sustain 5,500 pounds. However, as a boat, the buoyancy of the cockpit adds such buoyancy that the craft will sustain 15,000 pounds.

Since the body and platform are symmetrical with respect to their top and bottom sides, it matters not which side lands uppermost. Furthermore conversion to or from a boat may be accomplished from within the well or cockpit, a feature most important to the occupant.

While the specific form and materials of a utilitarian device has been disclosed, the invention is not limited to the exact disclosure, but embraces all substitutions and equivalents within the definitions of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A convertible life boat and raft, comprising, a main floatation body having a well therein, a platform in said well, and releasable means for sealing said platform and said body together, whereby to prevent water from entering upwardly between said body and platform.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, said platform being buoyant, the buoyancy of said body being greater than the buoyancy of said platform.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1, said well being generally rectangular in plan view, said main floatation body comprising floatation chamber means disposed on opposite sides of said well.

4. A convertible life boat and raft, comprising,

a main floatation body having a well extending vertically therethrough, a platform in said well, and releasable means for sealing said platform and said body together at either end of said well whereby to prevent water from passing therebetween.

5. A convertible life boat and raft, comprising, a main floatation body having a well extending vertically therethrough, said well having waterimpervious side walls, a movable platform in said well, said platform being substantially coextensive with said well in plan view and being substantially impervious against water passing therethrough, and means for releasably sealing said well to said body at the sides of said well, whereby to prevent water from passing therebetween.

6. The combination claimed in claim 5, said platform being buoyant, but less buoyant than said body.

7. A convertible life boat and raft, comprising, a main floatation body having a well extending vertically therethrough, said well having waterimpervious side walls, a movable platform in said body, said platform being substantially coextensive with said well in plan view and being substantially impervious against water passing therethrough, and means for releasably sealing said well to said body at either end of said well, whereby to prevent water from passing therebetween.

8. The combination claimed in claim 7, said platform being buoyant but of less buoyancy than said body.

9. The combination claimed in claim 7, the means for sealing said platform and body together comprising a frame portion on said body overhanging the edges of said well at each end thereof, said platform having edge portions overlapped by said frame portions, cooperating gasket means on at least some said portions, and means for holding said platform selectively at either end of said well with the edge portions of said platform forcibly engaged against the frame portions.

10. A convertible life boat and raft device, comprising a main floatation body, including a pair of closed floatation chambers at each end thereof and a central well between said chambers, said well extending vertically through said device having closed side walls and open upper and lower ends, a floating platform in said well, said platform having. a closed floor substantially coextensive with said well in plan view and being of much less height than said side walls in elevation, lip means carried by said frame at the upper and lower ends of the well overhanging the edges of said well and said platform, and means for forcibly holding said platform against the lip means at either end of the well.

11. The combination claimed in claim 10, said means including props engageable between said platform and the lip means against which the platform is not held.

12. The combination claimed in claim 10, and sealing gaskets on the inner sides of said lip means.

13. The combination claimed in claim 10, said body and platform being symmetrical with respect to their top and bottom sides.

14. A convertible life boat and raft, comprising, a main floatation body having a frame, a plywood shim on said frame forming chambers at each" end thereof, said body having a generally rectangular well extending vertically therethrough between said chambers having open upper and lower ends and plywood side wells, a generally rectangular platform slidably fitting in said well, said platform having spaced upper and lower floors and a closed chamber therebetween, said shim overhanging the edges of said well and said platform, at the upper and lower ends of said well forming lips, sealing gaskets on the inner sides of said lips, and means for forcing the platform against said sealing gaskets, respectively.

-' FRANZ PLUNDER.

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