and Disengaging Ships' Boats.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
and Disengaging Ships' Boats.
I, ARCHIBALD MACPHERSON of 5 Bothwell Terrace Shawlands, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Captain, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING LOWERING
DISENGAGING SHIPS BOATS
" to be as follows :-
AND
This Invention which relates to improvements in the means or apparatus for
launching, lowering and disengaging ships boats, consists in keying or otherwise
securing a bevel wheel to the lower portion of each of the two davits, preferably
immediately under the steadying brackets fixed to the top rail of the bulwarks, the
said bevel wheels gearing with others similarly attached to an intermediate horizontal
shaft, arranged at the interior of the bulwarks, and supported on projecting arms or
brackets cast on to the side of the vertical pedestal or footstep on which the davit pivot
revolves. The before mentioned horizontal shaft is provided, at or near the centre of
its length with a fixed lever, on moving which either backwards or forwards the
davits are made to describe an arc of a circle on their axes, thereby throwing or
swinging the boat to be lowered from the inside to the outside of the bulwarks or
vice-versa.
To allow this to be easily accomplished, even when the length of the boat is greater
than the distance between the davits the upper overhanging end of one of the davits
is adjusted at an angle relatively with the overhanging end of the other--By this
arrangement, when swinging the boat outwards and inwards all chance of fouling of
the boat with the davits is prevented.
The apparatus also comprises a second horizontal shaft, on which are fixed three
pulleys or drums, and two ratchet handles, the said shaft being by preference placed
a little lower than, and in front of, the first mentioned or intermediate shaft, and
carried on brackets secured to the deck. Painters by means of which the boat is raised
or lowered, are attached to each end of the boat then pass over pulleys at the extremity
of the overhanging end of the davits, from whence they are led and secured to the two

page_text: outer pulleys or drums, on the second horizontal shaft. The third pulley or drum is
fixed at or near the centre of the shaft, and it is provided with a rope, which when
the apparatus is not in use is fixed to a hook or catch on the top rail of the bulwarks,
and when in use acts as a means to regulate the lowering of the boat, the free end of
the rope being held by the person in charge.
When it is desired to lower the boat by means of the apparatus hereinbefore
described, if the boat is outboard the ship and above the level of the bulwark's top
rail, and the end of the last mentioned rope, disengaged from the hook or catch on the
top rail of the bulwarks and "let go," and the pawl disengaged from the ratchet
wheel, then the weight of the boat and its contents acting upon the painters rotates
the shaft, and unwinds the painters from the drums until the boat rests on the water
and the painters are then disengaged from the two hooks in the boat, to which the
painters are attached. These hooks retain a link or shackle within the forked end of
an oscillating lever, the said lever being connected to the stem of the hook by means
of a knuckle joint. A hook and its accompanying lever is placed at each end of the
ships' boat, tho said hooks being bolted or otherwise secured to the bow and stern
thwarts respectively. The upper arm of the oscillating lever, is provided with a
disengaging forked end, whilst the lower arm is a straight bar. The outer jaw of the
fork is solid, and lies in the same straight line with the lower arm of the oscillating
lever, whilst the inner jaw is an open link and projects obliquely upwards so as to
embrace and pass freely over the curved portion of the hook until it is brought to rest
on a projecting snug at the back part of the same.
The hand gear for operating the beforementioned oscillating lever and disengaging
the ships' boats, consists of a rod, (led by preference on rollers under the seats and
near the side of the boat) having a cranked lever at each end, and a handle or other
suitable contrivance secured to it at a convenient intermediate position. The end of
each of these crank lovers passes through, and operates within a slot provided in each
of the oscillating levers, near the bottom of their lower arms.
When a boat has been lowered, and it is desired to "let go," the lower ends of the
oscillating levers are raised, by means of the crank levers, through the action of the
rod and handle and simultaneously a corresponding downwards movement takes place
with the upper or forked end, which having only a small radius gives an immediate
release to the shackle by pushing it off the hook. The boat is also raised by means of
the painters, the ratchet handles already referred to being oscillated backwards and
forwards causing the lower shaft to rotate and thereby winding the painters on to the
drums and raising the boat.
Falls may also be used for suspending the boat and raising it out of the water if
desired, these being disengaged previous to lowering the boat.
It is to be understood that the apparatus for launching and lowering need not
necessarily be attached to the Bulwarks as hereinbefore described, but may be placed
in any convenient part of the ship, the lower end of the davits being fixed in sockets
or footsteps.
Dated this 7th day of 1000
D. DRYSDALE AUSTIN,
101, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Petitioner's Agent.

page_text: and Disengaging Ships' Boats.
I, ARCHIBALD MACPHERSON of 5 Bothwell Terrace, Shawlands, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Captain, 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 :-
My said Invention relates to Improvements in the means or apparatus for
expeditiously launching, lowering, and disengaging ship's boats in cases of emergency
such for example saving a life at sea and at other times.
In order that my said Invention may be most properly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the interior of a ship's Bulwarks and
deck with the davits and in conjunction therewith the Improvements in the apparatus
for Launching, Lowering and Disengaging ship's boats. Figure 2. is a transverse
section of the same on the line A. B. Figure 1. Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged views
of the coupling and disengaging apparatus.
The Invention consists in keying or otherwise securing a bevil wheel C to the
lower portion of each of the two Davits D, immediately under the steadying bracket E
fixed to the top rail F, of the bulwarks G. The bevil wheels C, gear with corre-
sponding wheels H, which are attached to an intermediate horizontal shaft J, arranged
at the interior of the bulwarks G and supported thereon by brackets K. By means of
handspikes L working in bosses M, which are keyed to the horizontal shaft J, a half
turn is given to the latter, the result of which is that the Davits D also make a half
turn and the boat N suspended from them by the painters V is shot outwards ready
to be lowered.
To enable this to be easily accomplished even when the length of the boat N is
greater than the distance between the Davits D, the upper overhanging end of one
of the Davits is adjusted at an angle relatively with the overhanging end of the
other. By this arrangement when swinging the boat N outwards & inwards all
chance of it fouling with the Davits D is prevented.
The apparatus also comprises a second horizontal shaft O, which is placed lower
than, and in front of the intermediate shaft J and is carried on brackets or pillow
blocks P, secured to the deck Q. On the lower shaft O are secured three pulleys or
drums, one R being situated in the centre of the shaft, whilst the other two Z are
placed near the ends of the shaft and immediately in front of the Davits D. The
drum R is furnished with a rope S, called a brake-rope, which is designed for
lowering or hoisting the boat N, the free end of the rope (which passes upwards
from the drum R through an eyelet or staple "a"). being held by the person in

page_text: charge. The boat N can also he hoisted by working a ratchet U at each end of the
shaft O, thereby rotating the said shaft winding the painters V on to the drums Z and
consequently raising the boat. When the apparatus is not in use, the brake-rope S is
fixed to a hook or catch T on the top rail F of the bulwarks G.
Two wire ropes or painters V attached to the coupling & disengaging hooks W, at
each end of the boat N, are rove through the ordinary blocks X in the Davits D, from
whence they are conducted over the pulley Y to the drums Z on the lower horizontal
shaft O, the end of each rope V being made fast on the drums Z.
When it is desired to lower the boat N by means of the apparatus hereinbefore
described, if the boat is outboard the ship, and above the level of the bulwarks top rail
(the operation of conducting the boat from inboard to outboard having been previously
described), the brake-rope S is disengaged from the hook or catch T and tho pawl ""
taken out of gear with the ratchet wheel C. The horizontal shaft O, which is under
the control of the man who is lowering the boat, is allowed to revolve, the painters V
are paid off the drums Z, and when the boat is water-borne it is ready to be freed
from the ship's side. It is the weight of the boat N and its contents acting through
the painters V which causes the said shaft O to revolve, its speed being regulated by
the brake-rope S, which is held by the man who is lowering the boat. The brake-
rope S being wound on to the drum R simultaneously with the unwinding of the
painters V from the drums Z.
The disengaging gear consists of two fixod hooks W, which retain a link or
shackle d, within the upper and forked end e, of an oscillating lever f, the said lever f
being pivoted on the stem y, of the hook Wat h. A hook W and its accompanying
lever is placed at each end of the ship's boat, the said hook W being bolted or
otherwise secured at i, to the bow and stern thwarts respectively. The upper arm of
the oscillating lever is provided with the already mentioned disengaging forked end e,
whilst the lower arm is furnished with a slot j to receive the end of the cranked lever k.
The outer jaw of the fork is straight and solid, whilst the inner jaw m, is an open
link and projects obliquely upwards, so as to embrace and pass freely over the curved
portion of the hook W until it is brought to rest on a projecting snug n at the back
part of the same. The hand gear for operating the beforementioned oscillating lever f
and disengaging the ships boats consists of a rod o, (led by preference on rollers under
the seat and near the side of the boat) having a cranked lever k at each end, and a
handle or other suitable contrivance secured to it at a convenient intermediate
position. The end of each of these crank lovers passes through and operates
within a slot provided in each of the oscillating levers f, near the bottom of their
lower arms.
When a boat has been lowered, and it is ready to be freed from the ship's side, the
lower ends of the oscillating levers are raised, by means of the crank lovers k, through
the action of the rod o, on lifting the handle p when simultaneously a corresponding
downward movement takes place with the upper or forked end, e, which having
only a small radius gives an intermediate release to the shackle, d, by pushing it off
the hook W.
Talls may be used for suspending the boat and raising it out of the water if
desired, these being disengaged previous to lowering the boat.
It is to be understood that the apparatus for launching and lowering need not
necessarily be attached to the Bulwarks as hereinbefore described, but may be
placed in any convenient part of the ship, the lower end of the davits being fixed
in sockets or footsteps with projecting arms or brackets cast on the same to carry
ends of the shaft J.
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,
First. The combination of the several parts constituting the Improvements in the
apparatus for launching lowering & disengaging ship's boats, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the annexed diesseince

page_text: Second. In apparatus for disengaging ship's boats the use of an oscillating lever f,
pivoted at any convenient position to a fixed hook W, the said lever f having a forked
upper end e, shaped in such a manner that it may displace, by the act of moving the
lower end of the said lever, a link or shackle d, held by the hook W, between the jaws
of the bifurcated end e, substantially as and for the purpose specified with reference
to the annexed drawings.
Third. The arrangement of the crank lever k working within the slot j, of the
oscillating lever fin combination with the rod o, and handle p, substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
D. DRYSDALE AUSTIN,
Applicant's
Agent.