IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PUTTING OUT, LOWERING, AND DETACHING SHIPS' LIFE AND OTHER BOATS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Jones, of 29, Elgin Street, Birkenhead,
in the County of Chester, and William Green, of 47, Brougham
Street, Tranmere, in the said County of Chester, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PUTTING OUT, LOWERING, AND
DETACHING SHIPS' LIFE AND OTHER BOATS."
Scaled the 4th October 1872, and dated the 12th April 1872.

page_text: inboard ends of plates 3 to the bolt e we fasten a grip chain 5 and pass it
through a roller or sheave pulley 6 secured to the bottom of stand c or
deck of the vessel, and thence up to a lever or slip hook 7 hinged to a
gunwale clip 8, a small chain or rope 9 being made fast to lever or slip
hook 7, and passed over the gunwale of the boat and made fast to
cleet 10 fixed to the inside of the boat. On the outboard side of the
boat we place similar grip chains secured to the stands or deck of the
vessel (see section 3).
On a vessel with houses on deck where skids are used the plates 3
would be made as shewn by dotted lines in section 3, so as to allow of
the free use of the deck of vessel underneath them.
Section 4 is another mode of working lever chocks d 3, g lever, h
catch to hold the lever up when boat is out.
On the collar 11 on each of the davits above where they are: secured
by sockets 12 to the side of the vessel we leave an opening 13, and a
pawl 14 is fixed on socket 12 and resting on collar 11 while the boat is
lying in her chocks (see Sections 1 and 3). The object of this last
arrangement being that when the boat has arrived outboard the pawls 14.
dropping into openings 13 secures the davits from returning inboard.
should the ship be rolling with the sea.
•
The arrangement by which we lower the boat from the inside is as
follows:- -On one side of the boat about one-third from the end wo place
a diagonal timber head 15 (firmly bolted to the inside of the boat, and'
strengthened by an iron bar 16 secured to the gunwale) with a sheathed
cleet 17 fixed thereon, round which we pass the hauling part of the fall'
from the tackle at one end of the boat, thence under the iron bar 16,
and secured round timber head 15. The fall from the tackle at the
other end of the boat being secured in a similar manner to the other
side of the boat (see Sections 1 and 2). This arrangement, together
with the arrangement next herein-after described, being also a means of
preventing the boat capsizing while being lowered, the fall on the timber*
head on the inboard side may be used to sheer the boat when detached,
as herein-after mentioned.
The arrangement by which we detach the boat is as follows:-On each
of the hooks attached to the bottom of the lower tackle blocks we put a
slip hook 18 with a chain 19 fastened on to the end of the handle of slip
hook 18, and passed over the hook of tacklo blocks and lead it to tho

page_text: thwart immediately in front of the timber head nearest to that end of
the boat from which the tackle fall loads. A socket hole in tho thwart
on the outboard side of the boat admits the link at the end of chain 19,
and underneath the thwart we fix a bolt or rod of iron 20 nearly tho
whole length of the thwart, worked with a lever 21 on pivot 22, another |
rod 23 worked by lever 21 passing along the inboard side of the boat
beneath the thwarts to the link of the detacher at the other end of the
boat (see sections 1, 2, and 3).
Having fully described the nature of our Invention, we next proceed
to describe the manner in which the same is to be used. The boat while
lying in her bed or chocks rests the inboard side upon stationary chocks b
and keelf, and outboard side on lever chocks d3, the weight of boat
being taken entirely of tackle and davits, when a boat is required to be
got out, and the persons going in her having got in at a command, the
ropes or chains 9 are unfastened from cleets 10, letting fall slip hooks 7, 1
detaching grip chains 5, the weight of boat coming on to lever chocks d 3,
causing them to fall, thereby transferring the weight on to the tackle
and davits a (which being placed diagonally, and having a slight fall
outboard as shewn in Section 3), giving them a direct motive power, and
enabling the boat to pass outboard (see Sections 1, 2, and 3), the davits
being secured from returning inboard by pawls 14 dropping into open-
ings 13 in collars 11, the whole operation being instantaneous. The
men who have let go the fastenings securing the boat in her bed or
chocks then lower away immediately the boat clears the ship's side by
the falls on timber heads 15; the falls travelling round the sheaves 17
enables them to lower the boat quickly. About the time the boat
reaches the water the man who has lowered her on the inboard side
pulling out lever 21 draws the rods 20 and 23 out of the links of
chains 19, and detaches slip hooks 18. The moment the boat is detached
the man at the outboard side throws the remainder of the fall (if any) :
overboard, the man on the inboard side holding on to his full until the
boat is sufficiently sheered to clear the ship.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention for
"Improvements in Apparatus for Putting Out, Lowering, and Detaching
Ships' Life and other Boats," together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, we
would have it distinctly understood that we lay no claim to the separate
parts of the apparatus which are already known and in use; but we would

page_text: remark in conclusion that we claim as our Invention, the novel and
peculiar construction, combination, and arrangement of the improve-
ments in apparatus for putting out, lowering, and detaching ships' life and
other boats, substantially as herein-before described, and as shewn in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification or variation thereof,
and we desire it to be distinctly understood that what we more particu-
larly claim as of our Invention is,—
First. The application and use of the lever or slip chocks with the
sheaves, slip hooks, and the mode of securing the same to the inside of
the boat, and their construction and arrangement according to Section 3,
also the mode of working the same by the lever shewn in Section 4.
2nd. The application and use of the tramways with the grooved wheel
fixed in travelling hooks running thereon, or their equivalents, to enable
the boat to pass out, as shewn in Sections 1 and 2.
3rd. The application and use of the timber heads and sheaves round
which the ropes are passed for lowering the boat and sheering her from
the vessel's side.
4th. The application and use of the slip hooks with the chains and
bars or rods and lever for detaching the boat, as shown in Sections 1, 2,