IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE HOISTING IN AND OUT OF HEAVY BOATS
Year: 1885

page_text: J, PERCY GRAHAM BUCHANAN WESTMACOTT of the Elswick Works, Newcastle-
on-Tyne Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE HOISTING IN AND OUT OF HEAVY
BOATS to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for facilitating the
hoisting in and out of heavy boats.
Whilst it is being hoisted the boat is suspended by slings and by lifting tackle
from the end of a derrick or crane jib.
The slings are separate from the book of the lifting tackle and can be attached
and kept taut before the hook is caused to engage. This can be done with facility
whilst there is much motion on the boat and afterwards the hook can be made to
engage instantaneously when a suitable opportunity is found. So also in dis-
engaging the hook can be released at a suitable time or the disengagement may be
automatic.
The slings are connected to a ring which is suspended from the end of the
derrick or crane by a couple of ropes connected to a counterweight running up and
down the mast or in any other convenient position-or if preferred a hydraulic
cylinder or some other equivalent may be substituted for the counterweight. This
counterpoise rather more than balances the weight of the ring and slings so that if
the boat is in the water and the slings attached to it, they will be kept taut, the
counterpoise rising and falling as the ship rolls and the boat rises and falls on the
waves.
The tackle by which the boat is lifted or lowered can be attached to or detached
from the slings at pleasure by a link suspended from the lifting block and having a
toe lever hinged to it. These parts constitute the hook; the toe lever when turned
into a horizontal position engages with the under side of the ring but when in a
vertical position is masked by the link and passes freely through the ring which is
then independent of the hoisting tackle.
In picking up a boat the men in the boat first catch hold of a tail rope and by it
haul down the slings. The counterweight is raised to allow the men in the boat to
haul in and belay the tail rope. When this is done the slings are attached and

page_text: afterwards the tail rope is eased off. The slings are then kept taut by the counter-
weight. The hoisting tackle is now lowered and the hook is drawn down through
the ring by tail ropes attached to it. By these tail ropes the toe lever is worked
and at a suitable moment it is brought into an horizontal position so as to engage
with the ring and the hoisting is proceeded with.
In disengaging the boat after lowering the method is similar; the toe lever may
either be worked from the boat by a pair of tail ropes: or it may be arranged so as
to fall into the vertical position as soon as the boat, when being lowered, is afloat
and the strain on the lifting tackle is relieved. In that case one tail rope only is
required or there may be two so as to make the disengagement automatic or not at
pleasure.
When the lifting tackle has been disconnected as described above, the men in
the boat haul on the tail rope which is connected to the ring and thus overhaul the
counterweight and slacken the slings which can then be readily disconnected from
the boat. When this is done the tail rope is eased off by the men in the boat and
thrown overboard. The slings may if preferred be eased off by lifting the counter-
weight in which case the men in the boat have only to haul in and belay the tail.
rope until the slings are disconnected.

page_text: Apparatus IUT Facilitating the Hosting in and
out of Heavy Boats.
I PERCY GRAHAM BUCHANAN WESTMACOTT of the Elswick Works, Newcastle-
on-Tyne Engineer 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 improvements in apparatus for facilitating the
hoisting in and out of heavy boats.
Whilst it is being. hoisted the boat is suspended by slings and by lifting tackle
from the end of a derrick or crane jib.
The slings are separate from the hook of the lifting tackle and can be attached
and kept taut before the hook is caused to engage. This can be done with facility
whilst there is much motion on the boat and afterwards the hook can be made to
engage instantaneously when a suitable opportunity is found. So also in dis-
engaging the hook can be released at a suitable time or the disengagement may be
automatic.
The slings are connected to a ring which is suspended from the end of the derrick
or crane by a couple of ropes connected to a counterweight running up and down
the mast or in any other convenient position-or if preferred a hydraulic cylinder.or
some other equivalent may be substituted for the counterweight. This counterpoise
rather more than balances the weight of the ring and slings so that if the boat is in
the water and the slings attached to it, they will be kept taut, the counterpoise
rising and falling as the ship rolls and the boat rises and falls on the waves.
The tackle by which the boat is lifted or lowered can be attached to or detached
from the slings at pleasure by a link suspended from the lifting block and having
a toe lever hinged to it. These parts constitute the hook; the toe lever when
turned into a horizontal position engages with the under side of the ring but when
in a vertical position is masked by the link and passes freely through the ring
which is then independent of the hoisting tackle.
In picking up a boat the men in the boat first catch hold of a tail rope and by it
haul down the slings. The counterweight is raised to allow the men in the boat
to haul in and belay the tail rope. When this is done the slings are attached and
afterwards the tail rope is eased off. The slings are then kept taut by the counter-
weight. The hoisting tackle is now lowered and the hook is drawn down through the
ring by tail ropes attached to it. By these tail ropes the toe lever is worked and
at a suitable moment it is brought into an horizontal position so as to engage with
the ring and the hoisting is proceeded with.
In disengaging the boat after lowering the method is similar. The toe lever may
either be worked from the boat by a pair of tail ropes; or it may be arranged so as
to fall into the vertical position as soon as the boat, when being lowered, is afloat
and the strain on the lifting tackle is relieved. In that case one tail rope only is
required or there may be two so as to make the disengagement automatic or not at
pleasure.
"a

page_text: Figure 1 is-a-side elevation and Figure 2-18 an end elevation of gear for noisting
a heavy boat in or out; the boat as here shown is just afloat and ready to be either
released or lifted.
Figure 3 is a side elevation to a larger scale of a portion of the apparatus and
Figure 4 is a plan of the same. .
a is the derrick or crane jib: bis a sheave at its end. c-is the lifting chain
passing from the jib around a .block d over the sheave, 6 to hauling or winding
apparatus.
:
From the block d the apparatus shown by Figures 3 and 4 is suspended by
chain e. f is the boat. gg are the sling ropes which are made fast to the boat at
their lower ends and at their upper are connected with the ring,h. 2 are cords
attached to the ring hand passing up over small pulleys jj to a counterpoise or
counterpoise apparatus on the ship or structure carrying the derrick or crane
jib a- this counterpoise serves to keep the slings taut. k is a down haul for
slackening the slings whilst attaching them to or detaching them from the boat.
7 is a link suspended from the block d by the chain e-this link is of a size to
enter freely into the ring,h. mm are tail ropes by which the link can be drawn
down through the ring. n is the toe lever, it is attached by the joint pin n' to the
link; the tail ropes m m are attached to the toe lever at either end and by
pulling on one or other of these the toe lever can either be held in the position in
which it is shrouded by the link and can pass freely through the ring or in position
to project from the link and engage with the ring. Stops limit the movement of
the toe lever about the pin n¹ to about 90 degrees of arc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be (performed I declare that what
I claim is
3
(1.) My improvement consisting in providing slings separate from the hook
tackle and a counterpoise or its equivalent which keeps the slings taut and ready
for the engagement or disengagement of the hook tackle substantially as described.
(2.) My improvement in the hook tackle consisting in the combination of the
link, toe lever, tail rope or ropes, ropes and ring substantially as described.
(3.) My apparatus for facilitating the hoisting in and out of heavy 'boats
substantially as herein described.
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