IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING ENGAGING BOATS FROM VESSELS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Oliver, Engineer, and George Myers,
Draughtsman, both of Rotherham, in the County of York, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING
ENGAGING BOATS FROM VESSELS."
Sealed the 4th December 1863, and dated the 9th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Oliver and
George Myers at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 9th September 1863.
We, EDWARD OLIVER, Engineer, and GEORGE MYERS, Draughtsman, both
of Rotherham, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND.
DISENGAGING BOATS FROM VESSELS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of an apparatus by which a boat can be lowered into
the water upon an even keel, and both ends instantaneously freed from the
tackles, and is as follows:-Over the boat is a tube having a rod or bar in the.
inside furnished with a right-handed screw at one end, and a left-handed
screw at the other, over the screwed portions nuts are made to travel as:
hereafter explained. The tube is fitted at each end with a pulley block and a
weighted hook; to the weighted hooks the boat is suspended, the points of the
hooks being held by the nuts to prevent the boat leaving them until dis-
engaged. The ropes pass round the pulley blocks before mentioned to other.
pulley blocks on the ends of the davits, and from thence to barrels fitted to

page_text: suitable framing firmly bolted to the deck of the ship. The barrels are
geared and their rotation is governed by means of a break under the con-
trol of a man in the boat. The rod or bar has at one end a small hand
wheel by which it is turned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Oliver and George Myers in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
OLIVER, Engineer, and GEORGE MYERS, Draughtsman, both of Rotherham,
in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Edward Oliver and George Myers, Her special licence that we,
the said Edward Oliver and George Myers, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Oliver and George Myers,
our executors, administrators, and assigns; should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND
DISENGAGING BOATS FROM VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Edward Oliver and George Myers, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their bands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion; and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Edward Oliver and George Myers
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
Our Invention consists of an apparatus by which a boat can be lowered

page_text: into the water on an even keel, and both ends instantaneously freed from the
tackle, and is as follows:-Over the boat is a tube having a rod or bar in the
inside furnished with a right-handed screw at one end and a left-handed screw
at the other; over the screwed portions nuts are made to travel, as hereafter
explained. The tube is fitted at each end with a pulley block and a weighted
hook; to the weighted hooks the boat is suspended, the points of the hooks
being held by the nuts to prevent the boat leaving them until disengaged.
The ropes pass round the pulley blocks, before-mentioned, to other pulley blocks
on the ends of the davits, and from thence to barrels fitted to suitable framing
firmly bolted to the deck of the ship. The barrels are geared, and their
rotation is governed by means of a break under the control of a man in the
boat; the rod or bar has at one end a small hand wheel, by which it is
turned:
'
Fig. I. of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation, partly in section, of
an apparatus for lowering and disengaging boats from vessels constructed
according to this Invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same shewn
suspended from the davits of a vessel; Fig. 3 a plan, and Fig. 4, an end view
with the boat in section, for the purpose of illustrating more clearly the
tackle by which it is suspended when raised out of the water.
A is a tube which may be of any length; this tube is furnished in the
interior with a rod B, having a right-handed screw "a" at one end and a left-
handed screw bat. the other; each of these screws carry a threaded nut.c, c..
These nuts we prefer to make in two halves, and connect them by bolts or
other fastenings. The nuts, when firmly secured together to form a nut, are.
made to travel along the threaded portions of the rod when actuated by means
of the handle C, or hand wheel. The handle may be fitted at one end only, or
handles may be fitted at both ends to enable the rod being worked from either
end of the tube. Near each extremity of the tube A we secure a brace D,
and to the lower end of each brace we attach a weighted hook E; the nose
of each of the hooks are caused to enter a recess formned in the under part of
each of the nuts when they are moved nearer the extremities of the tube.
The upper part of each brace carries a sheave block d, d, over or around which
a rope e is led; one end of each of the ropes is secured to the upper part of
each davit, from whence they pass round the sheave block, before mentioned..
over a second pulley f, f, on the lower part of the davits, thence to barrels
9, 9, of a capstan or winch placed in board, sufficient rope being wound on
the barrels to enable the boat to be lowered into the water when required.
The barrels are placed one above the other in their framing h, and are geared
by tooth gearing. The axle carrying the lower barrel has a band wheel or

page_text: break attached to it; this break is furnished with a steel or other strap
connected to a weighted lever k; the outer end of the lever k has a rope 1
attached which is passed over the gunwale into the boat to be lowered. The
rope is for the purpose of enabling a man in the boat to lower the same at:
any speed desired. The upper barrel of the capstan is fitted with a square
head j to which a winch handle is attached when it is necessary to raise the
boat out of the water. When the boat is suspended by the davits the threaded
rod is prevented turning by a catch "m" on the tube dropping into a recess
formed in a shoulder on the rod. The catch being jointed, allows of it being
turned up, in which position it is retained by being thrown over towards the
brace.
The action is as follows:-When necessary to lower the boat, a man
releases the catch from the recess in the tube by simply raising it and
throwing it back; he then seizes the rope connected with the weighted lever,
whereby the break is freed from its.wheel; this allows the ropes passing: off
the barrels whereby the boat is lowered. The speed at which it descends is
regulated by the nan paying out the rope more or less fast. When the boat
reaches the water, which it does on an even keel, the man turns the handle in
the required direction, and releases the nose of the hooks from the nuts,
when the weight of the slings causes the hooks to drop, and consequently the
boat is freed therefrom. The tube and parts connected therewith, as above
described, would, when the boat is released therefrom, remain suspended to
the davits, or instead of securing the apparatus to the davits, it may be attached
to the boat in any suitable manner.
In the modification represented in Fig. 5, we make use of two rods a, a,
having their inner ends b, b, curved and furnished with a rack; the teeth of
the rack are geared into by a pinion c, which is caused to rotate from the
outside by a weighted lever d or hand wheel.
In Fig. 6 we have shewn another modification by which we are enabled to
dispense with the weighted hooks; the ring or hook of the fixed tackle in
the boat is inserted through apertures e, e, in the end pieces or braces D, D,
and the rods a, a, being passed through the rings or hooks into recesses in the
braces, as shewn, whereby the boat is suspended.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, we declare that we claim, -
Firstly, the general arrangement and construction of apparatus for lowering
and disengaging boats from vessels, as herein-before described and illustrated
in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly, the tube, threaded rod, and parts connected therewith, sub

page_text: stantially and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Oliver and George Myers,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
EK. (L.B.)
GEORGE MYERS.
(L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE GOFf,
Clerk to Mr. Hall, Patent Agent,
81, Tavistock Terrace, Upper Holloway.