Improvements in or connected with the Hoisting Out and Lowering of Ships' Boats.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left; 12th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 12th May, 1900
Improvements in or connected with the Hoisting Out and Lowering
of Ships' Boats.
I, JAMES HAMILTON, of Ardedynn, Kelvinside, near Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Ship Builder and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows;-
-
This invention refers to improvements hereafter described for facilitating the
raising of ships' boats from the chocks upon which they rest, and the hoisting out
of such boats, and the object of my said invention is to provide improved means
whereby the weight of the boats may be transferred from the said supporting
chocks onto the falls of the davits, without hauling on the tackle of the falls
in order to lift such boats as is now common.
With this object in view, and according to my invention, in order to transfer
the weight of a boat from the supporting chocks to the falls of the davits, I
divide the boat cover stretcher (which extends longitudinally of the boat) about
centrally and transversely, and I provide the outer ends of the two parts with
iron shods, or hooks, which engage with ring bolts in the bow and stern respec-
tively, and when the boat rests on the hinged or other supporting chocks, the
adjacent ends of the divided boat cover stretcher are supported and held up
by suitable supports which may be readily removed when required.
Upon and at a short distance from the outer hooked end of each of the
stretcher parts, there is a cleat or hook from which a connection (such as a rod
or wire rope) extends upwards where it is fixed to the davit, thus each boat
cover stretcher part forms a lever, the connection with the davit forming the
fulcrum instead of utilizing the boat cover stretcher I may provide special or
separate levers.
The boat is further connected with the davit falls.
In order to clear away the boat, the cover is stripped off, the slip links on
the gripes holding the boat down to the chocks are released, and the falls are
supposed to be as they were left, when the boat was hoisted, that is, hand slack.
Supposing the boat is to be got out by 2 men, which can readily be effected
by means of my invention, one man enters the boat, removes the support of
one of the levers, and depresses the free end of same, thereby lifting one end
of the boat a short distance while the other man hauls over the boat chock onto
the deck, and the weight of the boat and its contents are then carried by the
falls. The man in the boat then eases up the lever and releases it from the ring
bolt, and then operates the other lever in like manner to allow of the other
boat chock being turned down and the entire weight of the boat to be supported
by the falls. The boat then in this case swings towards the centre of the ship
and is now ready for swinging out, being supported by the tackles.

page_text: By my invention a simple pressing of the levers could be caused to perform
the whole operation of clearing the boat ready for lowering. The actual lowering
is performed by tackles in the ordinary and safe way.
Improvements in or connected with the Hoisting Out and Lowering
of Ships' Boats.
1, JAMES HAMILTON, of Ardedynn, Kelvinside, near Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Ship Builder and 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, that is to say;-
This invention refers to improvements hereafter described, for facilitating
the raising of ships' boats from the chocks upon which they rest, thereby render-
ing the hoisting out of such boats capable of being effected in a shorter time,
and with the employment of less labor, than heretofore, and to this end, my
invention particularly relates to the improved means and combination of parts
as hereafter described, whereby the weight of the boats may be transferred
from the said supporting chocks onto the falls of the davits, without hauling on
the tackle of the falls in order to lift such boats as is now common.
In order that my said invention may be readily understood I will describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereon Figure 1 is an
elevation of a boat and davits, and shews my said improved devices applied
thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shewn at Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end
elevation of same drawn to a larger scale than the previous figures, and
Figure 4 shews in side elevation one end of a boat fitted with a slightly
modified arrangement or placing of some of the parts of my boat raising device.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
According to my invention, and with particular reference to Figures 1 to 3,
I divide the boat cover stretcher, which extends longitudinally of the boat A,
into two parts A1, A2, the division being about centrally and transversely of its.
length, and the outer ends of these two parts A'A I provide with metal shods
or hooks A3 A3, which engage respectively with ring bolts B B in the bow and
stern of the boat A. When the boat rests as shewn on the hinged or other
supporting chocks CC, the adjacent ends of the parts A' A2 of the divided boat
cover stretcher are supported and held up by suitable supports, which may be
readily removed when required, such as the support shewn marked D consisting
of a bar resting transversely upon the sides of the boat, and having a vertical
central member to support the two ends of the parts A¹ A².
Upon and at a short distance from the outer hooked end of each of the
stretcher parts A¹ A², there is a fitting, such as a cleat or hook from which a
connection E (such as a rod or wire rope) extends upwards where it is fixed to
the davit F, the wire rope connections E being for convenience fitted as shewn
with slip links, in order that the parts A'A² may be disconnected and passed
onto deck before easing away the tackles, thus each boat cover stretcher part A¹ A³
forms a lever, the connection E with the davit F forming the fulcrum.
The boat is further connected with the davit falls G as shewn, or in any
approved manner.

page_text: In order to clear away the boat A, the cover is stripped off, and slip links
on the gripes holding the boat down to the chocks are released. The falls G
are supposed to be as they were left, when the boat was hoisted, that is, hand
slack, and supposing the boat is to be got out by 2 men, which can readily
be effected by means of my invention, one man enters the boat, removes the
support D of the levers A'A², and depresses the free end of one of such levers,
say A', thereby lifting one end of the boat a short distance, while the other
man hauls over one of the boat chocks Conto the deck. When the boat is of
considerable weight I may employ small tackle HH for operating the levers A¹ A².
The man in the boat then eases up the lever A', when the weight of the boat
comes on the boat tackle or fall G, and releases the lever from the ring bolt B,
and the slip hook on E, and then operates the other lever A3 in like manner
to allow of the other boat chock O being turned down, and the entire weight
of the boat to be supported by the falls GG. The boat is now ready for
swinging out, being supported by the tackles. Obviously instead of utilizing
the boat cover stretcher I may provide special or separate levers AA, the
object of such in any case being to lift the weight of the boat momentarily off
the chocks, to allow of the latter. being removed from their supporting positions,
and such levers need not necessarily extend longitudinally, thus for example
as I have shewn at Figure 4, the lever such as A' may have its engaging part
connected to the boat immediately underneath the fulcrum E, the lever handle A¹
being in a nearly vertical position when the weight is on the engaged part and
the free end is not depressed.
I have shewn in the accompanying drawings, the chocks C hinged to blocks
upon the deck, and capable of being turned from their supporting positions
onto the deck, when so required, and such construction answers the purpose
well, but I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to this con-
struction of chock, or to hinging same, as the chocks may be of other construc-
tions provided the boat can be removed therefrom when slightly lifted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In hoisting out and lowering ships boats, the employment of two levers,
the ends respectively engaging with, or being detachably connected to the boat
to be lifted, the levers being each suspended between their engaging and free
ends by connections from the davits or other fixed part, in order to provide
fulcrums for the levers, so that by depressing the free ends of the said levers
the boat is lifted momentarily from the chocks, while the latter are turned
down or removed, and then by easing up the free ends of the levers, the boat
is freed and suspended from the falls ready for lowering, substantially as
described.
2. In hoisting out and lowering ships boats, the arrangement and combina-
tion of parts comprising essentially levers (consisting suitably of a divided boat
cover stretcher) shods, hooks, or eyes on the ends of the levers to engage or be
connected to ring bolts or the like on the ends of the boat, fixed connections
from the davits to form fulcrums for the levers, and chocks capable of being
wholly or partly moved to free the boat when the latter is momentarily lifted
by the levers, all arranged and acting substantially as and for the purposes
described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
D
1->
1000
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.