AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING DISENGAGING HOOк TO BE USED FOR MARINE PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Shepherd, of S, Osborne Place, Copeland
Road, Govan, Glasgow, Ship Builder, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
SELF-ACTING DISENGAGING HOOк TO BE USED FOR MARINE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 14th August 1877, and dated the 21st February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Shepherd at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1877.
JOHN WILLIAM SHEPHERD, of 8, Osborne Place, Copeland Road, Govan, Glasgow,
Ship Builder. "AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING DISENGAGING HOOK TO BE USED
FOR MARINE PURPOSES."
•
This Invention consists of a self-acting disengaging hook to be used for marine
purposes, by which the lowering and clearing of a boat from the tackles is more
easily and safely done than by any other existing method.
The disengaging book is a simple tumbling hook by which an ordinary bolt or
pin is held in position; this bolt or pin is pressed through a ring attached to the
lower part of the lower block of the fall instead of the ordinary hook.
The backs of the tumbling hooks, which are at each end of the boat as usual, are
attached by rods to a block of metal which is held in a position at or about the
middle of the length of the boat by two vertical rods or bars called guides which
are held at their upper and lower parts by the thwart and keel. The said metal
block slides up or down these guides when the boat is being booked on for lifting,
or when water borne, so hooking on or letting go as the case may be.
By means of my Invention, the letting-go action is purely automatic, requiring
no hand to touch the gear, the floating of the boat freeing the same; it is also
impossible for the gear to disengage at either end until the boat is afloat, when it
is done instantly.
The hooking on is done without fear or trouble to the men engaged so doing and
is secured in a few seconds, when it is impossible for either of the ends of the
boat to become unhooked without it is wished by the person in charge of the boat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John William Shepherd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st August 1877.
"
JOHN WILLIAM SHEPHERD, of 8, Osborne Place, Copeland Road, Govan, Glasgow,
Ship Builder. AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING DISENGAGING HOOK TO BE USED
FOR MARINE PURPOSES."
This Invention consists of a self-acting disengaging hook to be used for marine
purposes, by which the lowering and clearing of a boat from the tackle is more
easily and safely done than by any other existing method.
The disengaging hook is a simple tumbling hook by which an ordinary bolt or
pin is held in position; this bolt or pin is passed through a ring attached to the
lower part of the lower block of the fall instead of the ordinary hook.
The backs of the tumbling hooks, which are at each end of the boat as usual, are
attached by rods to a block of metal which is held in a position at or about the
middle of the length of the boat by two vertical rods or bars called guides which
are held at their upper and lower parts by the thwart and keel. The said metal
block slides up or down these guides when the boat is being hooked on for lifting,
or when water borne, so hooking on or letting go as the case may be.
By means of my Invention, the letting-go action is purely automatic, requiring
no hand to touch the gear, the floating of the boat freeing the same; it is also
impossible for the gear to disengage at either end until the boat is afloat, when it
is done instantly.
The hooking on is done without fear or trouble to the two men engaged so doing
and is secured in a few seconds, when it is impossible for either of the ends of
the boat to become unhooked without it is wished by the person in charge of
the boat.
And in order that my said Invention may be readily understood and carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the annexed
Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of boat, shewing my self-acting dis-
engaging hook, &c.; Figure 2 is an enlarged athwart view of hook; and Figure 3
is a fore-and-aft view of hook. The same letters of reference indicate similar parts
in all the Figures.
•
a, hook; b, bolts or pins; c, rods or tubes; d, block or weight; e, guides; f, line
leading from block to aft, by which the block is raised by the man in charge of the
boat, when the ring of the block is put over the bolts or pins; g, ring or long link
instead of the ordinary hook used for holding boat to tackle; h, bolts attached to
boat's keel, either by passing through keel or by being attached to the usual eye
bolt in keel with a pin or bolt; the dotted line in Fig. 1 shews position of gear
when unhooked.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature and object of my said Invention,
I would declare that what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is, the application of the improved self-acting dis-
engaging hook for the purpose of lowering and clearing of a boat from the tackles,
substantially as herein-before described and shown on the annexed Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Shepherd, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN WUTT TTAM SITEDHEDD
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