Improvements in Apparatus for Securing, Raising, Lowering, and Disengaging Ships' Boats.
Year: 1897

page_text: 11.
Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1897
t
3 )
Improvements in Apparatus for Securing, Raising, Lowering, and
Disengaging Ships' Boats.
i
:
We, CHARLES WENDT, Captain, of 843, Monfes de Oca, Baracas, Buenos Aires,
Argentine Republic, and EMILE SANER, Engineer of the Great Southern Railway
Company, Buenos Aires, aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of the
fastenings and the hooks of the life boats of sea-going vessels.
The arrangement comprises the following parts:-
(1) A shaft of iron or other suitable metal running horizontally from bow to stern
of such a lifeboat at a convenient height from the bottom so as not to interfere with
the rowing of the boat.
(2) Two, three, or more standards or brackets fitted with bearings for the said
shaft.
(3) A self-acting spring-arrangement on the fore and aft brackets of the shaft so.
constructed as to free the boat the moment the water takes the weight of the boat.
(4) Two safety-hooks with springs and lock-arrangement constructed in such a
manner that they can be worked from a winch on deck.
(5) A hand, steam, or other suitable winch fitted with a powerful brake for the
main drum to control the lowering of the boat and another brake for controlling.
a second drum upon which are coiled small ropes connected to the said safety-hooks
on the lowering blocks.
The side sheaves or flanges of the main drum of the winch, by means of which the
boat is lowered into the water, are each fitted with a series of curved pins or hooks,
which receive the tie-ropes when the boat is in position at its davits.
The construction and arrangement of the different parts will be fully understood
from the accompanying illustrative drawings and the following description
thereof:
Figs. 1 and 1 are respectively an elevation and a plan showing a lifeboat at its
davits and the winch on deck, and also the different ropes as they may advanta-:
geously be arranged-the arrangement of the ropes depends however, entirely on the
construction of the vessel to which the apparatus is applied.
Figs. 2 and 2 are respectively a sectional elevation and a plan of a lifeboat,
showing the horizontal shaft, its.brackets, springs, bearings and safety hooks.
Figs. 3 and 3 show an arrangement of a winch with its drums and brakes. The
form, size and position of the winch, however, depends entirely on the construction
and the conveniences of the vessel and should in each case be so arranged as to do
and control its work to the greatest advantage.

page_text: Figs. 4 and 4 show a bracket with bearing and self-acting spring for the snait
fitted in the lifeboat.
Figs. 5 and 5 represent one of the safety-hooks connected to the lowering blocks
on the boat.
Fig. 6 shows part of the main drum on the winch with its pins for hooking-on
the fastening ropes of the boat when in position at its davits on deck. As soon as
the ship has left harbour, the lifeboats hang at their respective davits with their
bows and sterns outside the davits.
The arrangement of the entire apparatus is as follows:-
The two ropes a of the tackle (see Figs. 1 and 1^) run over conveniently
arranged pulleys or snatch-blocks and are fastened to the main drum 6 of the winch,
which has a division plate in the centre so as to keep the two ropes separate. The tie-
ropes c, for fastening the boat when suspended at its davits, run from the top of the
davits over the outside of the boat and are hooked on to one of the curved pins or
hooks on the side sheaves or flanges of the main drum and are drawn tight by
means of the winch, whereby the boat is entirely prevented from moving in rough
weather.
The small ropes d, which are fastened to the catches on the safety-hooks e on
the lower blocks, run over suitably arranged pulleys and are fastened to the smaller
drum of the winch. This drum also has a division-plate in the centre, like the
main drum, for the purpose of keeping the fore and aft ropes separate. The brake
g controls the speed and stops the lowering tackle of the boat as may be required,
and the brake controls the small ropes d of the safety-hooks e.
The shaft is fitted in the brackets j in the lifeboat. This shaft has two pins,
fore and aft, from which the boat is suspended by the safety-hooks_e. The brackets
jare fitted with bearings that allow, say, half an inch of play under the shaft, and
with springs to hold the pins of the shaft in a horizontal position as long as the
weight of the boat is suspended by them. The moment the weight of the boat is
taken by the water, the shaft i will drop upon the lower portions of its bearings and
will thereby open the catch holding the springs k. The springs will then turn
outwards automatically and free the shaft-pins, and the slightest strain on the two
sets of tackle will then cause the shaft i to make a quarter of a turn and thereby
bring its pins into a vertical position so that the safety-hooks e can slide off and
the boat become free.
It generally happens that a boat does not strike the water fore and aft simul-
taneously and many boats have been swamped through the unhooking of the tackle
at one end only. This will be avoided by the new arrangement. Whichever be the
end at which the boat first strikes the water, the self-acting spring will free the pin
at the end only, but the shaft will be held in its position by the spring at the other
end until the rolling wave takes the weight of the boat at the latter end also, where-
upon the second spring will open and free the whole shaft, which, making a quarter
of a turn, will free the boat.
By the means described a lifeboat can be put to sea with its crew in less than one
minute, the whole operation being capable of being performed by a single man at
the winch.
The safety-hooks e, are specially designed for the purpose of enabling a boat
to be lowered and disengage when a vessel is going at full speed, for example if a
man falls overboard, or in case of shipwreck, when the self-acting spring-arrange-
ment might be out of order and refuse to work. In the first case the boat is lowered
by the winch as before stated but not quite down to the water and then stopped.
When the boat's crew is ready to push off, the brake h of the small drum fis
applied and the one of the drum bis slackened to allow the boat to fall into the
water. The moment part of the weight of the boat is taken by the small ropes d,
the catches of the safety hooks e will be pulled open, the hooks e being immediately
opened by their springs e¹ and liberating the boat, which will then drop into the
water

page_text: The same operation would be employed if the self-acting springs k on the
brackets should refuse to work.
Dated this 12th day of Fahru 1807
Improvements in Apparatus for Securing, Raising, Lowering, and
Disengaging Ships' Boats.
We, CHARLES WENDT, Captain, of 843 Monfes de Oca, Baracas, Buenos Aires,
Argentine Republic, and EMILE SANER, Engineer, of the Great Southern Railway
Company, Buenos Aires, aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of the fasten-
ings and the hooks of the life boats of sea-going vessels.
The arrangement comprises the following parts:-
-
(1) A shaft of iron or other suitable metal running horizontally from bow to
stern of such a life-boat at a convenient height from the bottom so as not to interfere
with the rowing of the boat.
(2) Two, three, or more standards or brackets fitted with bearings for the said
shaft.
(3) A self-acting spring-arrangement on the fore and aft brackets of the shaft so
constructed as to free the boat the moment the water takes the weight of the
boat.
(4) Two safety hooks with springs and locking-arrangement constructed in such
a manner that they can be worked from a winch on deck.
(5) A hand, steam, or other suitable winch fitted with a powerful brake for the
main drum to control the lowering of the boat and another brake for controlling a
second drum upon which are coiled small ropes connected to the said safety-hooks.
The side flanges of the main drum of the winch by means of which the boat is
lowered into the water, are each fitted with a series of curved pins or hooks, which
receive the tie-ropes when the boat is in position at its davits.
The construction and arrangement of the different parts will be fully understood
from the illustrative drawings filed with our Provisional Specification and the
following description thereof:-
Figs. 1 and 14
are respectively an elevation and a plan showing a life-boat at its
davits and the winch on deck, and also the different ropes as they may advanta-
geously be arranged--the arrangement of the ropes depends, however, entirely on the
construction of the vessel to which the apparatus is applied.
Figs. 2 and 2 are respectively a sectional elevation and a plan of a life-boat, show-
ing the horizontal shaft, its brackets, springs, bearings, and safety-hooks.
Figs. 3 and 3 show a suitable winch with its drums and brakes. The form, size,
and position of the winch, however, depends entirely on the construction and the
conveniences of the vessel and should in each case be so arranged as to do its work to
the greatest advantage and allow of proper control.
Figs. 4 and 4 show a bracket and bearing and self-acting spring for the shaft
fitted in the life-boat.

page_text: represent one of the safety-mn are
pair of lowering blocks.
Fig. 6 shows part of the main drum on the winch with its pins for hooking-on the
fastening ropes of the boat when in position at its davits on deck.
As soon as the ship has left harbour, the life-boats are caused to hang at their
respective davits with their bows and sterns outside the davits.
The arrangement of the entire apparatus is as follows:
The two ropes a of the tackle (see Figs. 1 and 14) run over conveniently arranged
pulleys or snatch-blocks and are fastened to the main drum b of the winch, which
has a division-plate in the centre so as to keep the two ropes separate.
The tie-
ropes c, for fastening the boat when suspended at its davits, run from the top of
the davits over the outside of the boat and are hooked on to one of the curved pins
or hooks on the side flanges of the main drum and are drawn tight by means of
the winch, whereby the boat is entirely prevented from moving in rough weather.
The small ropes d, which are fastened to the catches on the safety hooks e on
the lower blocks, run over suitably arranged pulleys and are fastened to the smaller
drum f of the winch. This drum also has a division-plate in the centre like the
main drum, for the purpose of keeping the fore and aft ropes separate. The brake
g controls the speed and stops the lowering tackle of the boat as may be required,
and the brake h controls the small ropes of the safety hooks e.
The shaft i is fitted in the brackets in the lifeboat. This shaft has two pins,
one fore and the other aft, from which the boat is suspended by the safety hooks e.
The brackets are fitted with bearings that allow, say, half an inch of play under
the shaft, and with springs to hold the pins of the shaft in a horizontal position
as long as the weight of the boat is suspended by them. The moment the weight
of the boat is taken by the water, the shaft i will drop upon the lower portions of its
bearings and will thereby disengage the catches located on the pins and holding the
springs (see Figs. 4 and 4^). The springs will then turn outwards auto-
matically and free the shaft-pins, and the slightest strain on the tackle will then
cause the shaft i to make a quarter of a turn and thereby bring its pins into a
vertical position so that the safety hooks e can slide off and the boat become free.
It generally happens that a boat does not strike the water fore and aft simul-
taneously and many boats have been swamped through the unhooking of the tackle
at one end only. This will be avoided by the new arrangement.
Whichever be
the end at which the boat first strikes the water, the self-acting spring will free the
pin at that end only, but the shaft will be held in its position by the spring at the
other end until the rolling wave take the weight of the boat at the latter end also,
whereupon the second spring will open and free the whole shaft, which, making a
quarter of a turn, will free the boat.
By the means described a lifeboat can be put to sea with its crew in less than one
minute, and the whole operation can be performed by a single man at the winch.
The safety-hooks e are specially designed for the purpose of enabling a boat
to be lowered and disengaged when a vessel is going at full speed-for example if a
man fall over board, or in case of shipwreck, when the self-acting spring-arrange-
ment might be out of order and refuse to work. Each of these hooks comprises
three similar parts 2 and 3 (Figs. 5 and 5) connected together by a pin et, two,
viz. e, of these parts facing in the direction opposite to that of the remaining one
viz. e³. The parts and are normally retained, against the action of a
spring e, in the overlapping position shown in Fig. 5 by a catch e, which is pivoted
at e to the parts and engages with a shoulder e on the part e³ and to which is
attached the corresponding rope d. When the safety-hooks are to be operated the
boat is first of all lowered by the winch as before stated but not quite down to the
water and is then stopped. When the boat's crew is ready to push off, the. brake h
of the small drum f is applied and the brake g of the drum b is slackened to allow
the boat to fall into the water. The moment part of the weight of the boat is taken
by the small ropes d, the catches of the safety-hooks e are pulled out of engage-

page_text: ment by the latter, whereupon the hooks e are immediately opened by their
springs and liberate the boat, which drops into the water.
The same operation would be employed if the self-acting springs on the
brackets should refuse to work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
Apparatus for securing, raising, lowering, and disengaging ships' boats con-
structed, arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to and shown in the drawings referred to.
Dated this 12th day of November 1897.
on the Anulinant