Improved Arrangement for Facilitating the Lowering of Life-boats or Ships' Boats and Carrying same on Board Ship.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
Improved Arrangement for Facilitating the Lowering of Life-boats
or Ships' Boats and Carrying same on Board Ship.
I, ARTHUR COMTE DES FOURS, of Zurich, Switzerland, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Observations made in the course of numerous voyages have convinced the in-
ventor of the inefficiency of lifeboats and ships' boats attached to the sides of ships,
the launching of such boats in case of imminent danger requiring too much time
and demanding on the part of the crew, the majority of whom are not actually
seamen, a certain degree of presence of mind and discipline which are generally
wanting at such a moment. In case of shipwreck, if the vessel heels over to one
side, which is generally the case, the boats attached to that side of the ship which
stands out of the water can only be launched with great difficulty, whilst no use
whatever can be made of those attached to the side which is in the water. More-
over, if the sea be rough, a boat laden with passengers runs the risk at the moment
of being floated, whilst it is still hanging by the ropes which hold it to the side
of the ship, of being carried away or at least, of being capsized by the waves.
Whatever the aptitude of the passengers may be, they are hardly capable, in
all cases, of launching a life-saving boat by means of the apparatus hitherto em-
ployed and cannot co-operate in the work of rescue.
This invention relates to a means of arranging life-saving boats on keel-blocks,
which can be turned, under, and so render it possible for any person, whether a
seaman or not, to launch a boat, the operation being made very simple and very
easy by means of a keel-block mounted vertically on the ship and holding a life-
saving boat in a vertical position, the fore-part of such boat being upwards, this
keel-block being capable of being turned down over the side of the deck so as to
form an inclined plane, along which the boat can slide into the sea by its own
reight.
In carrying out this invention, the keel-block composed of two longitudinal
ide pieces, connected by cross stays is pivotted at its inner end on the deck or
ther convenient part of the ship and at its free or outer end is provided with
loats which form floating bearings for the boat when it is being lowered. The
oat adapted to slide on the longitudinal side pieces of the keel-block but is
ormally secured thereto by fastening screws, which are adapted to be readily
ithdrawn when it is desired to lower the boat. When not in use the keel-block
ith the boat attached is turned on its pivot into a vertical position, the boat being
ertical with its bow upwards, and the whole arrangement stayed by guy ropes,
ut if it is desired to lower the boat the keel-block is turned down over the side
the deck and the boat allowed to slide down on the longitudinal side pieces,
ing controlled by a rope connected by one end to a drum mounted at the stern.
en wound round a friction drum mounted on bearings on the deck of the vessel
attached to a fixed point of the boat. The drum on the stern of the boat is
ntrolled by a brake.

page_text: It will be understood that the keel-block must be of such a length that when
it is turned under and the floats enter the water it forms an inclined plane the
angle of which, in relation to the horizontal, does not exceed 25 degrees. As,
even in the largest ships, the deck is not more than four metres, indeed, in most
cases, three metres, above the line of flotation, it will suffice if the length of the
keel-block be about eight meters. For the rest, it is easy to find even on the
largest ships, at three metres above the line of flotation, several points to which
the pivoted support of the block could be fixed.
As a matter of course each boat must, as hitherto, contain all that is necessary
for shipwrecked persons excepting drinkable water and the contents of the boat
must be very carefully stowed.
The arrangement described renders the sail-cloth, with which life-saving boats
have hitherto been covered, superfluous. The removal of this sail-cloth always
requires time which is precious. The boat, when not in use, being always in the
vertical position, the heavy seas which might flow over it cannot remain inside of
it but must run out. The arrangement described having none of its parts pro-
jecting beyond the side of the ship, obviates the hauling of the boats (up to this
point attached to the sides of the ship) upon entering a port.
Dated this 25th day of October 1898.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.
Improved Arrangement for Facilitating the Lowering of Life-boats.
or Ships! Boats and Carrying same on Board Ship.
I, ARTHUR COMTE DES FOURS, of Walderode, Lucerne, Switzerland, late of
Zurich, Switzerland, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
Under the existing arrangements on board ships, for launching life-boats and
ships' boats, the boats are generally hung along the sides of the vessel by means
of blocks and their launching demands on the part of the crew a degree of
presence of mind and discipline which is generally wanting in moments of
imminent danger, besides which, far too much time is occupied in the operation.
Arrangements have been suggested, under which launching or keel blocks would
be employed that could be lowered from the deck of the vessel, perpendicularly
to the sides of the same, but with such arrangements the launching blocks for
launching the boats cannot be put together and arranged in the position suitable
for launching the boats at the moment of danger except by long and complicated
.operations:
4
In the improved arrangement hereinafter described the disadvantages mentioned
are obviated by employing launching blocks pivoted by one end to the hull of the
ship near to the sides and arranged vertically on the deck, each one supporting
a life-boat or ships' boat in a vertical position, with the bow upwards, and capable
of turning over the side of the ship by its own weight on being released so that
the free end, which is furnished with floats, is kept afloat on the water, the boat
thus being ready for the passengers to board it, and to be launched.
The vertical arrangement of the launching blocks enables then to be turned
over without difficulty into the proper position for launching the boats, simply
by slackening the ropes, which hold them in the vertical position or, in case of
necessity, by cutting the ropes.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing one form of the invention is illustrated by way
of example, Fig. 1 being a front view of a ship, the launching blocks on the star-
board side being turned down, whilst those on the port side are in the positions
of rest. Figs. 2 and 3 are a front and side view respectively of a launching block
on a larger scale, in the position of rest. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a life-
boat or ships' boat mounted on its launching block.
The boat 1 is mounted vertically Figs. 2 and 3 on a launching block 5 pivoted
at 4 and held in a vertical position by means of ropes 2, 3, on the deck of the
vessel. It is attached to its block by means of pins 6 and is launched by sliding
down the two longitudinal side pieces 51, 51 of the block 5 when the pins 6 are
withdrawn. The block itself can be turned over the side of the ship either by
slackening or by cutting the ropes 2, 3. The free end of the block is furnished
in the lower part with floats 7, which serve to keep the block afloat on the water
after it has been turned down. The bow of the boat is directed towards the free
end of the block and at the stern a drum 8 is mounted to which one end of a rope 9
wound around the drum 8 is fastened, the free end of the rope being wound
around another drum 11 mounted in bearings 10 on the deck of the ship
and then lashed to the boat. The drum 8 is furnished with a brake of some kind,
not shown in the drawing, by means of which its rotary speed, and consequently
the launching of the boat, can be regulated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. Improved arrangement for facilitating the lowering of life-boats or ships'
boats and carrying the same on board ship, characterised by a launching or keel
block having one of its ends pivoted to the hull of the ship near the sides and
held in a vertical position on the deck, with the boat mounted on the block, the
free end of the block being furnished in the lower part with floats, so that, after
the block has been turned over the side of the ship, the apparatus is kept afloat
on the water and the life-boat or ships' boat attached to the other end of the block
is ready for launching.
2. The improved arrangement for facilitating the lowering of life-boats or ships'
oats and carrying same on board ship substantially as described with reference
o the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1900.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.