IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND RAISING SHIPS' BOATS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Jasper Masters Pyne O'Cal-
laghan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th November 1872.
I, JASPER MASTERS PYNE O'CALLAGHAN, of 35, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Master Mariner, do hereby
declare the nature of the said. Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND RAISING SHIPS' BOATS," to be as follows:-}
Heretofore it has been proposed to lower and raise ships' boats by
various arrangements of tackle suspended from the ends of the davits
and operated by one or more men by means of winches or other
appliances on the boat or on the ship. It has also been proposed to
mount the davits at their lower ends on pin joints, so that they could
be thrown forward and thereby carry the boat a few feet further from
the ship's side; but the amount of motion of the davits was limited to a
comparatively short distance by means of toggles or links, and to lower
the boat into or near the water chain tackle was employed which was
acted upon by a winch. But in these arrangements, when a boat was
lowered into the water and in rough weather when a boat was raised

page_text: out of the water, great risk was run of the boat being stove in or upset
by being dashed against the ship's side, whilst after the boat was
lowered into the water it was difficult to get her off from the ship's side,
on account of the men being unable to ship their oars at once.
I am also aware that is has before been proposed to carry a boat at
the ends of horizontal rods or bars, which could be projected a sufficient
distance by suitable tackle straight over side ready for lowering into the
water; but this arrangement was exceedingly inconvenient, and more-
over it was necessary to employ in connection therewith one or other of
the known lowering tackle.
Now according to my Invention I am enabled by means of a single
rope or tackle to lower a boat into the water at such a distance from
the ship's side, that the men are enabled to ship their oars before the
boat touches the water, whereby immediately on the boat being
disconnected from the tackle the oars may be plied and the boat at once
got under way, whilst no danger is incurred of lowering one end of the
boat faster than the other.
The following is the mode in which I propose to carry my Invention
into effect :-I make the davits of such a length that their lower ends
are within a few feet of the water, and I mount their lower ends on pin
joints on the ship's side of suitable strength to carry the weight and
-strain of the davits and boat. The davits are stayed by guy ropes which
are fixed at their upper ends to the davits, and at their lower ends to
eyes on a line with the pin joints of the davits, and the upper ends of
the davits are connected together by another rope or stay. The boat
is suspended from the upper ends of the davits by the tackle commonly
employed, which when my improved lowering and raising gear is not
required may be used for raising and lowering the boat. To the upper
ends of the davits are connected the ends of a rope or ropes which
extend upwards and towards 'the mast, and carry a thimble to which
another rope is connected, this last rope passes over a pulley block fixed
to the mast and then downwards to suitable purchase tackle for hauling
in and slacking away such rope. The "gripes" are fixed to the
davits in the usual manner, and are connected together to a single
rope to which is connected an eye or thimble, which when the ship's
boat is raised out of the water, and it is desired to make all snug is held
securely by a bolt pin jointed to a treadle lever. The boat is connected

page_text: to hooks from the tackle at the ends of the davits by means of bolts,
which by a lever are caused to be simultaneously withdrawn from such
hooks when it is desired to disengage the boat therefrom. Thus when
it is desired to lower a boat the "gripes" are instantaneously released
by the foot acting upon the treadle lever to depress the outer end thereof,
and the rope passing from the pulley fixed to the mast is slacked away
so as to allow the davits by turning in their axes of motion to fall
outwards from the vessel's side, and thereby carry the boat with them,
at the same time lowering the boat into or near the water, when at the
desired moment the lever in the boat is operated so as to withdraw the
bolts simultaneously from the supporting hooks and thereby release the
boat.
The bolts are by preference passed immediately under the "thwarts" and
the supporting hooks are made flat at their sides, so as to fit slots formed
in the "thwarts," whilst a pin is passed through each supporting hook
to prevent its becoming accidentally disconnected from its bolt.
When it is desired to raise a boat out of the water the supporting
tackle is slightly slackened out, the davits are lowered and the support-
ing hooks having the pins previously removed therefrom are passed
under the bolts, then the davits are raised and all made snug and taut as
before described.