Improvements in Boat Releasing Gear.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boat Releasing Gear.
JOHN AIKEN Penrhyn Marchog Holyhead Foreman Carpenter, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Its object is an arrangement for automatically releasing ship's boats in davits, by
instantaneously removing all seats, gripes, or lashings.
Fig. I shows a side view of boat on seats with gear connected.
Fig. II shows an end view of boat resting on seats, with gear connected.
Fig. III shows view of gear with boat off.
Fig. IV shows a side view of stopper connected.
Fig. V shows a side view of boat after gear has been disconnected.
The invention consists, in the first place, in having iron seats, under the boat instead
of wood chocks, these seats are placed about one fourth her length from each end,
supporting her on both sides, Fig. 1 & 11 each seat formed with a shaft A, Fig. II
supported on three bracket bearings, B Fig. II fastened through deck, having two
arms on each side, C. Fig. II carrying bed plates D. Fig. Il jointed thereon and
faced with leather to fit boat's bilge, these joints, E Fig. II allow bed plates to cant
and clear easily from under boat when the shaft rotates.
On the centre of each shaft is fixed a crank bearing F. Fig. 1 & II with roller to
receive boat's keel, H Fig. III, to these roller pins, the stopper chains are attached
and pass through fair leaders I Fig. III under centre of boat, connected to a small
stretching screw, J. Fig. 1II, the eye of which is caught in stopper K Fig. III & IV.
By this screw and chain acting on the keel cranks Fig. III and with fixed lips, L Fig. V
on shafts, which land on the tongue of gripe stoppers M. Fig. V prevents the shafts
from rotating and secures the seats upright under the boat as shown in Fig. I.
The gripe stoppers are collar eyebolts, fastened through the deck, N. Fig. V, with
stop joint tongue M Fig. V to which gripe slip links aro attached as shown on
Fig. I & II.
The mode of action is as follows:-Withdraw the pin O Fig IV and press the foot
on lever P Fig. IV which instantly disconnects the gear, the boat's weight on the keel
cranks causes the shafts to rotate, laying the seats flat on the deck, at the same time
freeing the gripes, and leaving the boat suspended in davit falls ready for swinging
out as shown in Fig. V.
Dated this 26th day of November 1896.
JOHN AIKEN,
Penrhyn Marchog, Holyhead.
JOHN AIKEN, Penrhyn Marchog Holyhead Foreman Carpenter, 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 :-
This invention has for its object an arrangement for automatically releasing ships

page_text: boats in davits by instantaneously removing all seats, gripes or lashings: as shown in
drawings that were left with the Provisional Specification.
Fig. I. shows a side view of a boat on the seats with gear connected.
Fig. II. shows an end view of a boat resting on the seats with gear connected.
Fig. III. shows a view of the gear with boat off.
Fig. IV. shows a side view of the stopper connected.
Fig. V. shows a side view of the boat after the gear has been disconnected.
The invention consists in the first place, in having iron seats under the boat instead
of wood chocks: these seats are placed about one fourth her length from each end,
supporting her on both sides as shown in Fig. I & II. each seat formed with a
shaft, A. Fig. II. supported on three bracket bearings, B. Fig. II. fastened through
the deck, skids, or platform, as the case may be, having two arms on each side, C. Fig. II.
carrying bedplates jointed thereon and faced with leather to fit boats bilge, D. Fig. II.
these joints, E. Fig. II. allow bed plates to cant and clear easily from under boat when
shafts rotate.
On the centre of each shaft is fixed a crankbearing, F. Fig. I & II. with roller, on
which boats keel rests, and is secured, H. Fig. III. to these roller pins the stopper
chains are attached, and pass through fairleader under the centre of the boat, I. Fig. III.
and connected to a stretchingscrew, J. Fig. III. the eye of the said screw is caught
by the hook of a stopper under the boats bilge, K. Fig. III. & IV. By this stretching-
screw and chains acting on the keelcranks, E. Fig. III. and with fixed lips, L. Fig. V.
on the shafts which land on the tongue of gripe stoppers, M. Fig. V. prevents the
shafts from rotating and secures the seats upright under the boat as shown in Fig. I.
The gripe stoppers are collareyebolts fastened through the deck, N. Fig. V. with
stopjoint tongue, M. Fig. V. under which the gripe sliplinks are caught as shown in
Fig. I & II. and are freed when the shafts rotate. The gripes are set up by stretching-
screws instead of rope lanyards.
The mode of action of my invention is as follows:-
When the boat is to be released and swung out for lowering, withdraw the safety
pin, O. Fig IV. from under stopperlever, then press the foot on same stopper-
lever, P. Fig. IV. which instantly disconnects the stopper chains, part of the boats
weight being on the keelcranks, causes the shafts to rotate laying the seats flat ou
deck, at the same time freeing the gripes, and leaving the boat suspended in the davit
falls, ready for swinging out as shown in Fig. V.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The invention of instantaneously releasing ships boats in davits by withdrawing
a safety pin from the stopper, and pressing the foot on the same stopperlever, thus
disconnecting the stretchingscrew from stopper: the boat then automatically frees
herself from the seats and gripes, and is suspended in the davit falls ready for
swinging out.
2. The seats being constructed of iron, with bed plates faced with leather, jointed on
the arms, which are fitted on shafts rotating on bracket bearings.
3. The roller cranks on centre of shafts forming a seat for boats keel, and is the
leverage by which the boat automatically frees herself when the stopper is let go.
4. The manner in which the gripes are secured to eyebolts having a stopjoint tongue
for a twofold purpose, first to secure the gripes, and second to prevent the shaft from
rotating the seats back over the plumb, when the stopper chains are screwed tight.
Dated this 27th day of March 1897.
JOHN AIKEN.