IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING OR PAYING-OUT SHIP'S CHAINS AND ANCHORS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Laurence Hill, of Port Glasgow, in the County of
: Renfrew, North Britain, Iron Ship Builder, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING OR PAYING-OUT SHIP'S CHAINS
AND ANCHORS."
Sealed the 22nd February 1859, and dated the 11th September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Laurence Hill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
September 1858.
I, LAURENCE HILL, of Port Glasgow, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Iron Ship Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING OR PAYING-OUT SHIPS' CHAINS
AND ANCHORS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to an arrangement or an addition to windlasses,
purchases, or capstans used for raising and lowering the anchors and cabels of
ships, whereby in case of lowering the anchor or giving out chain, the chain
can be stopped gradually, and without any injurious jerk or shock, and
advantage which, when a vessel is riding at anchor in a sea way, is of great
importance. To effect this a suitable friction pulley and brake must be
attached to the working barrel, which brings the chain on board. This barrel
and brake may be either a fixture on the main spindle, or left
loose, but I

page_text: prefer it loose, having a proper clutch or other catch to connect it with the
working purchase when the chain is being brought on board, and thus the
pawls or catches of the purchase or capstan do not require to be disturbed
when lowering or giving chain. One modification of this windlass or apparatus
has the main horizontal winding shaft or spindle fitted up in suitable bearings
in the usual parallel vertical bitts, and projects beyond each bitt, to carry the
purchase barrels. The central portion of the shaft or spindle carries a ratchet
wheel fitted with the usual pawls, catches, detents, and levers, for the working
of the spindle, as is now in common use. Each projecting end of the spindle
carries a loosely fitted whelped purchase barrel, formed with inclined flanges
at each end, and with a frictional brake, disc, or wheel, governed by a frictional
band and lever. Each purchase barrel is loose upon the spindle, but is
capable of being at once securely attached by screw stop pieces, clutches, or
otherwise to the purchase spindle. In this way, so long as the frictional
brakes are inert, or out of holding gear, and the purchase barrel or barrels
arc in gear with or attached to their purchase spindle, the windlass operates
when worked by its lever so as to wind up the cable. But should it be
necessary at any time to let the cable run out freely, the barrel or barrels
are disconnected from the purchase spindle, when a free run out is at once
attained, whilst at the same time the frictional brakes npon the purchase
barrels afford the means of retarding or stopping the running-out motion at
any time. The form and external position of the purchase barrels, too, allows
of the cable being thrown off the ends of the barrels, when necessary. Instead,
however, of thus arranging the purchase barrels outside the bitts, they may be
disposed inside, but the outside arrangement affords certain conveniences in
working, which the inside arrangement somewhat circumscribes.
This
Invention is also applicable to capstans.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Laurence Hill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LAURENCE
HILL, of Port Glasgow, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Iron Ship
Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Hler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Laurence Hill, Her special licence that I, the said Laurence Hill, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Laurence
Hill, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agrec
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR LOWERING OR PAYING-OUT SHIPS' CHAINS AND ANCHORS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Laurence Hill, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the 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 Laurence Hill, 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 by the
following statement (that is to say):-
The Invention consists of an improved construction of the windlass purchase
or capstan used in ships or other vessels, whereby greater facility and safety
are obtained in giving out chain or cable. To effect this I construct the
frame of the windlass, purchase, or capstan in any of the usual ways, and
communicate the working power to the main axle or shaft in any of the usual
modes. Instead, however, of placing the chain barrels (round which the
chain or cable is passed or wound) inside of or between the outer bearings
or purchase bits, and fixing the same firmly to the axle, I place the chain
barrels outside of the bearings, and bore them out so that they may run loose
on the axle. The chain barrel may be of any of the usual descriptions, but I
prefer one formed with a groove and projecting parts suited to the size of the
chain or cable. To the chain barrel I fix and unite a strong friction wheel or
brake (either by casting both in one piece or otherwise), so that the chain
barrel and friction wheel may be capable of revolving freely together on the
axle when so desired. On each of the outer ends of the axle I place and
firmly fix a purchase end, which I prefer to be whelped, and round which
chains or ropes
can be passed or wound when required. This purchase end
also serves as a collar to prevent the chain barrel and friction wheel from
coming off. By one or more suitable stop bolts capable of being projected

page_text: through the purchase end into suitable holes in the chain barrel and friction
wheel, I provide means of fixing or locking the chain barrel and friction wheel
to, and causing them to revolve with, the axle, for the purpose of heaving in
the chain or cable; and by drawing back these stop bolts, the chain barrel and
friction wheel will again revolve freely on the axle, so as to give out chain
under the regulation, when desired, of a brake or friction strap.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a capstan with my
improvements thereon; a is the spindle or axle of the capstan or purchase,
with the usual ratchet wheels; b, b, are the frames or supports of the axle,
commonly called the windlass bits; c, c, c, c, are the chain barrels and friction
wheels, with the friction straps E, E, and levers f, f, for working them; d, d,
are the whelped purchase ends; q, q, are the stop bolts for connecting the
purchase end with the chain barrel when the chain or cable is to be heaved in ;
and when the anchor is to be let go, or more chain given out, these stop
bolts are pulled back out of the chain barrel, which can then revolve freely on
the axle, under control of the friction strap E worked by the lever f. I is a
guide roller for leading the chain or cable close to the chain barrel, so as to
give it sufficient hold when it is being heaved in, and to prevent it flying off
when it is being run out. This guide roller, however, is not required when
the chain lockers are under the delivering side of the chain barrel, in
which case the weight of the chain is sufficient to keep it close to the chain
barrel.
Figure 2 is a side view of the windlass frame, shewing the chain barrel in
section, through the line 2, y, of Figure 1.
I do not claim as my Invention the use of any of the pieces of mechanism
herein-before mentioned separately; but I claim the combination of these
in the position and manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Laurence Hill, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
LAUR. HILL.
(L.S.)