The Mechanical Requirements of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
After dealing briefly with the historical and general aspects of the subject, the author touches on the disposition of lifeboats round the coast and the factors which govern this distribution. Details of the boats themselves and their equipment are not given, but the paper concentrates on the difficulties involved, and the methods and equipment employed, in launching from the beach. Certain difficult beach conditions have been met by mounting the 11 tons of lifeboat and carriage on track units of the rigid girder type. Reference is made to the wheels employed in launching lighter boats in the past. Excessive rolling resistance made these wheels impracticable for soft beaches. The relationship between rolling resistance and the width and diameter of steel-tyred wheels is given, together with a description of the girdled wheels devised some forty years ago by Commander Gartside-Tipping, R.N. The development and construction of the girder track units now employed in place of wheels is fully dealt with. The method of launching a lifeboat by tractor is described, and shows how necessary are extreme reliability and watertightness in the tractor employed. The lifeboat “roadless” tractor is then described in detail and particulars given of the methods by which it is made waterproof. Special mention is made of gear for extracting the tractor from quicksand or mud pockets, and a résumé is given of the experience gained in this direction with tanks during the war of 1914–18. An alternative method to that adopted for waterproofing the tractor is referred to. A summary is provided of the submergence and other tests to which the tractor is subjected and of the special precautions which are taken in service to prevent trouble arising from internal corrosion due to condensation. The paper closes with the possible applications in other directions of the experience gained with the machinery described.