IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PUTTING OUT AND LOWERING LIFEBOATS AND OTHER BOATS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Campbell, of the City of Aberdcon,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR PUTTING OUT AND LOWERING LIFEBOATS AND OTHER BOATS."
Scaled the 22nd December 1871, and dated the 27th June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Campbell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,. on
the 27th June 1871.
I, WILLIAM CAMPBELL, of the City of Aberdeen, North Britain, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OR
APPARATUS FOR PUTTING OUT AND LOWERING LIFEBOATS AND OTHER BOATS,”
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved means or apparatus for putting out
and lowering life boats and other boats from vessels in a more-simple
and effective manner than heretofore.

page_text: This Invention consists chiefly in providing the cleets at the bulwark
rail of a ship or vessel with internal rollers which will allow of the davits
being easily revolved and will prevent corrosion. The upper parts of the
cleets are also formed like ratchets, and on these ratchets work palls
attached to each of the davits, and these prevent the boat coming back
when being put out. The action is similar to that of a capstan, and on
the boat being pushed out the palls will prevent it coming back. Each
davit at a suitable point has an enlarged part fixed thereto pierced super-
ficially with holes, and round this part revolves loosely a hollow socketted
arm, by which means when a lever has been placed therein and the
inner spiked end thereof placed in the holes in the enlarged part, the
davits will be easily turned and the boat will be thereby put out in
position ready for lowering. The above-named arm may be either
stationary or may be caused to revolvo by means of a scrow or other,
equivalent means. The davits may be turned or caused to revolve by
any suitable mechanical means.
The means of lowering the boat when put out are as follows :-At
either end of the boat is placed a spiral screw block and rope leader, and
at about the centre or other convenient part of the boat is placed a
suitable holding or gripping apparatus which enables one man to
effectually control the speed at which the lowering ropes are let out.
This is done by means of a rope attached to the outer end of a lever,
and passing through a hole in the thwart, and which is provided at its
end with a ring and is actuated by the foot of the man.
The method of lowering the boat is as follows:-Place the ropos
which are attached to the outer end of each davit round the spiral block
and through the leader at either end, then lead the ropes to the holding
or gripping apparatus at about the centre, placing them in suitable
hollows therein, and put the holding or gripping lever (which is fitted
with a roller) in its place, and then fasten the ends of the lowering ropes
to the belaying pins. The man who lowers the boat being placed at
the thwart with a leg on either side, then takes a lowering rope in each
hand and places one foot in the ring to control the holding or gripping
lever and the letting out of the rope, by which means he can lower or
stop at pleasure, both ends of the boat lowering equally or alike, and on
the boat touching the water he lets go the ropes, slides the gripping or

page_text: holding lever out of its centres (which can be done instantly), and the
lowering ropes immediately disengaging themselves the boat is left
quite free from the ship or vessel, the whole operation lasting but a very
short space of time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Campbell in the Great Seal Patent.
Office on the 23rd December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
OAMPBELL, of the City of Aberdeen, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Campbell, Her
special licenco that I, the said William Campbell, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Campbell, my 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
"IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PUTTING OUT AND LOWERING LIFEBOATS
AND OTHER BOATS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Campbell, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, 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 I, the said William Campbell, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to improved means or apparatus for putting
out from a ship or vessel and for lowering into the water life and other
boats in a more simple and effective manner than hitherto.
The Invention will be readily understood 'on reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings and to the following explanation or
. description thereof.
I will first describe the arrangement by which the boat is put out from
the side of the ship or vessel.
The boat itself is placed inboard on slip chocks 1, 2, fitted on bevilled
cross beams 3 (see Fig. 1). The keel of the boat rests upon the outer
chocks 1, which are hinged (at about 6 inches or so from the keel) to
the cross beams. The outer portion of cach chock 1 is supported or
held in position, as shewn, by an iron arm 4 provided with a handle 8,
and with a projection 5, which, when the arm is in the position shewn,
rests upon the upper surface of an iron plate 6 secured to the cross
beam, and so holds the outer chock up to support the keel of the boat.
The arm 4 passes through an elongated or rectangular shaped hole or
slot 7 in the cross beam, which permits the arm to be drawn inwards
so far as to allow the projection on the arm to pass through when the
arm is pulled or let down for the purpose of letting the outer chock
down on to the beam to free the boat. At or near each end of the
boat and fixed in a frame secured to the deck or to the bulwark or
rail 9 is a wheel 10 with a hollowed or grooved periphery, round which
passes or is wound a rope of any convenient size and length, The
axle 11 of this wheel projects out on one side sufficiently far to admit
of a barrel or winch end 12 being fitted thereon (see Figs. 2 & 3).
The diameters of the wheel and barrel may be of any desired proportions
according to the power required, and the wheel may be provided with
spokes in a manner similar to a ship's steering wheel; it is also provided
with a pawl and ratchet 16, by which its action or movement can be
controlled.
The object of this last-described arrangement is to lessen the entirety
of the weight of the boat on the chocks immediately before putting out
and lowering the boat, so that the outer chocks 1 can be the more easily
lowered, when the weight of the boat is entirely borne by the davits 13,

page_text: This is accomplished by winding the ropes or falls 14 (which pass
through blocks 15 held to the davits) round the winch ends 12; and the
wheels 10 being then turned, either by the spokes or by the ropes wound
round them, the ropes 14 are tightened, and lift or partially take the
weight of the boat from the chocks, so that the outer chocks can be
casily lowered, as above described, when the boat will be entirely sup-
ported by the davits and free from the chocks, and in position ready for
being put out for lowering. These wheels and arrangements can also be
used in hoisting the boat out of the water if desired.
•
The arrangement for turning the davits, and thus putting the boat out
over the side of the ship or vessel and ready for lowering is as follows :—'
Each davit at a suitable part is provided with a ring or collar 17, which
I term the "inner handspike ring" (see Figs. 1, 7, 8, and 9), and
which is keyed or otherwise suitably held thereto. This ring is provided
with a flange 18, and at about midway its depth is perforated or pierced
superficially with holes x. Round this ring revolves loosely another
ring 19 provided with a socket arm 20 (see Figs. 1, 6, 7, and 9).
21 represents a handspike or lever which is provided at one end with a
projecting iron pin y (Fig. 16), which fits in the arm 20 (Fig. 1). When
the boat is required to be put out in position for lowering each hand-
spike is placed in its socket arm, which is turned till the pin y comes
opposito any one of the holes x in the inner handspike ring (held fast
to the davits), into which it enters and locks. The handspiko can bo.
withdrawn and moved to any other of the holes which may be more con-
venient. By this means the davits are easily turned and the boat put
out in position ready for lowering. The davits, however, may be turned-
for this purpose by any other suitable mechanical means, such as by
a pinion wheel and worm, ratchet bracc, capstan, chain wheel, or by
friction or wheel gearing; and the above-named arm may be eithor
stationary or may be caused to revolve by means of a screw or other
equivalent means. At the top of the bulwark rail or at any other suitable
position the davits are caused to pass through, and are held in position ·
by box cleets 22 (Figs. 1, 10, 11, and 12), which may be fastened or held
in the places they occupy by any suitable means (see Fig. 12). The box
clects are constructed in 2 portions, and are suitably connected or held
together. The lower portion is hollow, and is fitted internally with small.
friction rollers 23, inside which the davits revolve (see Figs. 1, 10, and 12).
These rollers prevent corrosion in the cleets, and allow of the davits

page_text: being readily turned on any emergency. The upper portion (covers
this hollow and the rollers therein and keeps them in position, and) is
provided at its upper surface with bevilled teeth z, Figs. 11 and 12.
Immediately over these teeth is a ring 24 keyed to the davit 13, and
provided with 2 projecting cheeks 25, in which are fitted pawls 26,
which act on the teeth z in such a manner as (by lifting one pawl.and
allowing the other to remain down) to allow each davit to be turned in
one direction only, and preventing it returning, so that in other words
when 1 of the pawls is lifted up the davits can be turned for the purpose
of putting out the boat, as above described, whilst the pawl down pre-
vents the boat returning; and, vice versa, when it is required to ship
the boat the pawl now down is raised and the one up is lowered, so that
when the boat is being shipped it cannot swing out, unless (in both
cases) both pawls are up, when the davits can be turned either way.
When both are down the davits are held fast and cannot be moved at
all, so that in putting out the boat every inch put out is secured and
the boat prevented from returning, and vice versa, the action being
similar to that of a capstan. After the boat is thus put out all the pawls
are lowered, when, as above mentioned, the boat is kept in position ready
for lowering. The lowering is effected by the following means :-At a
suitable distance from each end of the boat, above the thwarts c, are
placed spiral grooved blocks 27 (see Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 17); also leaders or
hooks to for guiding single lowering ropes d, which are attached to the
outer ends of the davits, and which are wound round the spiral grooved
At or
blocks, one round each, and then placed in the guide hooks w.
near the centre of the boat is placed a holding or gripping apparatus 28
(Figs. 13, 14, and 17) termed a "double fairlead cleet," which, as herein-
after described, enables one man effectually to control the speed at which
the lowering ropes are let out. In the cheeks of this double fairlead
cleet 28 works a portable and easily removable friction or gripping
lever 29 (Figs. 14 and 15), attached to which at its outer end is a small
rope v, which passes through a hole in the thwart, and has a flat ring u
below (see Fig. 14). 2 belaying hooks t are fixed at either side of the
lever, and serve to fasten and command the ropes in lowering.
The method of lowering the boat is as follows:-The lowering ropes
after being passed round the spiral block and through the leaders at
either end are led to and through the double fairlead cleet, being placed
in grooves or hollows m therein, and wound round the belaying hooks t.

page_text: The gripping lever 29 is then placed in position (see Fig. 14), and the
man who is to lower the boat sits on the thwart with a leg on either
side, and one foot in the ring u; or the action of the gripping lever may
bo regulated by his knce if desired. He then takes a lowering rope in
cach hand, and controls the grip or hold on each rope by his foot or
kncc, so that by allowing the outer end of the lever to be raised tho
grip on the ropes is diminished, and he can lower the boat (both ends
alike) with speed; or by depressing the outer end of the lever, and so
increasing the grip, he can arrest the motion of the boat and hold it in
mid-air, or allow it slowly to descend. On the boat reaching the water
he lets go of the ropes and removes the lever (which can be dono
instantly) out of its centres through slots n, when the ropes disengago
themselves from the spiral blocks, and the boat is left free of the ship
or vessel. If desired the boat may be lowered by means of the spiral
blocks and the guide hooks only, the lowering ropes being wound round
the spiral blocks as before, and 2 or more turns taken round the guide
hooks. A man at each end of the boat can then lower her with ease.
The wheel and barrel or winch end may be constructed of either wood or
iron, the axle being of iron, and the appliances for turning the davits,
also the double fairlead cleet together with the portable friction lever
may be made of either cast or malleable iron.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
Improved Means or Apparatus for Putting out and Lowering Life
Boats and other Boats," together with the manner in which the same
is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would
remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention, the novel and
peculiar construction, combination, and arrangement of the improved
means or apparatus for putting out and lowering life and other boats,
substantially as herein-before described, and as shewn on the accom.
panying Drawings, or any mere modification or variation thereof; and I
desire it to be distinctly understood that what I more particularly claim
as of my Invention is,―
1st. The application and use of the wheels with the barrel or winch
ends, and their construction and arrangement (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3)..
2nd. The appliances for turning the davits, and the application and
11
1

page_text: also the arrangement of pawls and their equivalents for keeping the
davits in any desired position (see Figs. 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12).
And, 3rd. The application and use of the spiral grooved blocks round
which the ropes are wound for lowering the boat, the double fairlead
cleets with the portable friction lever, the guide hooks, and all the
arrangements connected therewith (see Figs. 1, 4, 5, 13, 14, 15, and 17).
In witness whereof, I, the said William Campbell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-onc.