provements in and connected with Launching, Carrying, and otherwise Working Ships' Boats.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 14th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL DILUITIVATION
Improvements in and connected with Launching, Carrying, and
otherwise Working Ships' Boats.
I, CHARLES JAMES Fox, of Crown Cottage, Park Place, Eltham Kent,
Master Mariner, (retired), do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference, more particularly, to the carrying, launching, and
otherwise working boats on board ship.
Under this invention I carry the boat or boats of a vessel upon skids or ways,
and when in their normal position on the ship, they lie upside down; and I launch
the boats over the side by the skids or ways, and means hereinafter described,
without davits, or without davits of the ordinary kind.
The boats, at or about their gunwales, are fitted or provided with rollers or
These
wheels by which they are borne by and travel on the rails, skids, or ways.
rollers or wheels, if desired, may be on detachable or fixed stretchers across the
boat, or they may be fixed in or to the gunwale of the boat directly. When fixed
to the stretcher, such stretcher may constitute a chock with wheels on it, and
suitably secured to the boat, from which it may be detached or unshipped when the
boat is in use. They may also serve to give strength and keep the boat from
straining while lying on the skids or ways. These stretchers or chocks would
be fastened to the boat, when of the detachable kind, by convenient devices or
means.
The mode of launching a boat consists as follows:-It is moved along the skids
or ways towards the side of the ship where such skids are turned round and down-
wards. When it has arrived at a certain point, the leading side or gunwale of the
boat becomes engaged with, or in contact with, suitable means or device upon the
skids or ways, which prevent it moving further downwards. The boat is then
lowered by falls, when it moves about the formerly lower edge or gunwale and
becomes turned right side up. When in this position the boat is lowered into the
water by the falls.
The stop, catch or device by which the lower edge or gunwale of the boat is
caught and held, as described, may consist of a stop or catch on the skid or ship,
and an arm on the boat adapted to engage therewith, or vice versa.
modified means or devices may be used for the purpose.
Or other
The falls may be single ropes secured to the skids or ways and binding the boat
to the ship's side, as she descends, the wheels on the gunwale acting on the ship's
side. These falls may pass through leads or blocks in the boat, and are wound
upon the drum of a winch in the boat, the ends of the falls being so arranged on
said drum, that they will drop off when unwound. The winch may be controlled
by a brake. The above describes the nature of the releasing gear.
A
To hoist a boat, the falls are passed through the leads in the end of the boat,
and passed onto the barrel of the winch therein and the slack wound on it.
messenger is hooked onto the fall on board the ship, and led to the ship's winch.
The boat's winch or holding mechanism being "on it is then hauled up the ship's
side by the ship's winch, the rollers or wheels on the gunwales acting as fenders and
wheels combined. The boat having arrived at the stops or catches above specified,
the falls are guyed to the outer gunwale of the boat, and the boat is thus canted
(the loose gear, such as oars, etc., having been previously secured). The falls may
be led to the winch on the deck through suitable blocks or guides, that near the
outer side being so disposed that the boat will be lowered evenly, that is not
canted.

page_text: Under this invention a number of boats may be carried on the skids across the
ship, and they may be adapted to be launched on either side of her. Or, single
boats and skids or ways may be arranged along the side of the vessel. I may
employ self-righting boats in some cases on the skids or ways, and provide, in con-
nection with the boats, a peculiar cover adapted to act as a tent and prevent the
boat shipping seas when launched and at sea; and it would be also so arranged as
to render the boat self-righting if the ship foundered and left her afloat. The
boat may be lashed on the skid or ways by a band over it, having rings or equiva
lent devices on its end, and these ship over pins on a shaft or the like on the skid
or way. This shaft may have on or connected with it a float which would cause
the fastening on the band or means which holds the boats down, to be released and
so allow the boats to be free, automatically; the boats being of the self-righting
type, would of course right themselves and be ready for use for those who might
be free or in the water.
In one arrangement or modification, in the boat's lashing releaser, in the case in
which a central pin or arm holds the end of the falls, such pin might be so
extended and arranged that when the lashings were released by the operations of
the releasing mechanism, the end of the fall would be brought into the skid or way,
and such fall, when the boat is released, would then lie in the way (when of gutter
section). A slot cut in the side of the way and a sliding motion allowed to the
releasing shaft might be used to provide an efficient holdfast while the boat is
being lowered, and when hoisted, the fall could be unshackled and led to a winchi
on the deck or a messenger hooked to it.
According to this invention, ordinary davits and chocks are dispensed with, as
are also tackles, and the distribution of the weights is even and the advantages of
these, together with the general features of this invention, are, amongst other
things, that the invention may be practised with economy in respect of cost, and its
application and operation easily carried out or effected.
It is to be understood that this invention is not confined to the particular devices
and constructions of parts herein above specified and also the particular combinations,
as 'these may be modified and carried out in different ways or their equivalents used
without departing from the invention; and further the improvements under this
invention may be employed one or more of them in conjunction with gear or means
for carrying and launching ships' boats which in other respects differ from those
which I have herein described.
Dated this 19th day of May 1891
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Launching, Carrying, and
otherwise Working Ships' Boats.
I, CHARLES JAMES Fox, of Crown Cottage, Park Place, Elthain, Kent,
Master Mariner (retired), do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
be particularly described
This invention has reference, more particularly, to the carrying, launching and
otherwise working boats on board ship.
Under this invention 1 carry the boat or boats of a vessel upon skids or ways,
and when in their normal position on the ship, they lie upside down; and I launch
the 'boats over the side by the skids or ways, and means hereinafter described,
without davits, or without davits of the ordinary kind.
The boats, at or about 'their gunwales, are fitted or provided with rollers or
wheels by which they are borne by and travel on the rails, skids or ways. These

page_text: rollers or wheels, if desired, may be on detachable or fixed stretchers across the
boat, or they may be fixed in or to the gunwale of the boat directly. When fixed
to the stretcher, such stretcher may constitute a chock with wheels on it, and
suitably secured to the boat, from which it may be detached or unshipped when
the boat is in use. They may also serve to give strength and keep the boat from
straining while lying on the skids or ways. These stretchers or chocks would be
fastened to the boat, when of the detachable kind, by convenient devices
or means.
The mode of launching a boat consists as follows:-It is moved along the skids or
ways towards the side of the ship where such skids are turned round and downwards.
When it has arrived at a certain point, the leading side or gunwale of the boat
becomes engaged with, or in contact with suitable means or device upon the skids
or ways, which prevent it moving further downwards. The boat is then lowered
by falls, when it moves about the formerly lower edge or gunwale and becomes
turned right side up. When in this position the boat is lowered into the water by
the falls.
The stop, catch or device by which the lower edge or gunwale of the boat is
caught and held, as described, may consist of a stop or catch on the skid or ship, and
an arm on the boat adapted to engage therewith, or vice versa. Or other modified
means or devices may be used for the purpose.
The falls may be single ropes secured to the skids or ways and binding the boat
to the ship's side, as she descends, the wheels on the gunwale acting on the ship's
side. These falls may pass through leads or blocks in the boat, and are wound
upon the drum of a winch in the boat, the ends of the falls being so arranged on
said dium that they will drop off when unwound. The winch may be controlled by
a brake. The above describes the nature of the releasing gear.
27
To hoist a boat, the falls are passed through the leads in the end of the boat, and
passed onto the barrel of the winch therein and the slack wound on it. A messenger
is hooked onto the fall on board the ship, and led to the ship's winch,
The boat's
winch or holding mechanism being "on it is then hauled up the ship's side by the
ship's winch, the rollers or wheels on the gunwales acting as fenders and wheels
combined. The boat having arrived at the stops or catches above specified, the
falls are guyed to the outer gunwale of the boat, and the boat is thus canted (the
loose gear, such as oars, etc., having been previously secured). The falls may be
led to the winch on the deck through suitable blocks or guides, that near the outer
side being disposed so that the boat will be lowered evenly, that is not canted.
I
may
Under this invention a number of boats may be carried on the skids across the
ship, and they may be adapted to be launched on either side of her. Or, single
boats and skids or ways may be arranged along the side of the vessel.
employ self-righting boats in some cases on the skids, or ways, and provide, in
connection with the boats, a peculiar cover adapted to act as a tent and prevent the
boat shipping seas when launched and at sea; and it would be also so arranged as
to render the boat self-righting if the ship foundered and left her afloat. The boat
may be lashed on the skid or ways by a band over it, having rings or equivalent
devices on its end, and these ship over pins on a shaft or the like on the skid or
way. This shaft may have on or connected with it a floater which would cause the
fastening on the band or means which holds the boats down, to be released and so
allow the boats to be free, automatically; the boats being of the self-righting type,
would of course right themselves and be ready for use for those who might be free
or in the water.
In one arrangement or modification, in the boat's lashing releaser, in the case in
which a central pin or arm holds the end of the falls, such pin. might be so
extended and arranged that when the lashings were released by the operations of the
releasing mechanism, the end of the fall would be brought into the skid or way and
such fall, when the boat is released, would then lie in the way (when of gutter
section). A slot cut in the side of the way and a sliding motion allowed to the
releasing shaft might be used to provide an efficient holdfast while the boat is, being

page_text: lowered, and when hoisted the fall could be unshackled and led to a winch on the
deck, or a messenger hooked to it.
According to this invention, ordinary davits and chocks are dispensed with, as
are also tackles, and the distribution of the weights is even and the advantages of
these, together with the general features of this invention, are, amongst other
things, that the invention may be practised with economy in respect of cost, and its
application and operation casily carried out or effected.
It is to be understood that this invention is not confined to the particular devices
and constructions of parts herein above specified and also the particular combinations,
as these may be modified and carried out in different ways or their equivalents used
without departing from the invention; and further the improvements under this
invention may be employed one or more of them in conjunction with gear or means
for carrying and launching ship's boats which in other respects differ from those
which I have herein described.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention, I shew one arrangement
and set of details for carrying out my invention, the same figures and letters of
reference, corresponding with those used in the following explanation, being used to
shew the same or like parts wherever they occur.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a vessel provided with improvements according
to this invention, and with two sets of ways or rails, one above the other.
Figure 2 is a side elevation shewing to a larger scale, a boat provided with and
adapted to operate according to my invention.
Figure 3 is a detail shewing the means for holding the boat in position on the
rails, and for releasing same.
With reference now to the drawings, A are the boats, Bis the ship, and C and Dare
the rails or ways on which the boats are stowed and move. e are bands by which
the boats are held in position upon the ways, said belt or band being fixed to the
ways at one end (at el), whilst at the other end it is fixed by a releasing device
through a loop or link e. Said device consists of a bolt mounted in a bearing
and rotated therein by a lever or handle, a crotch being provided in the end of
the bolt and adapted to hold or release, as the case may be, a pin f³ hinged or
otherwise loosely jointed at f. Thus when the crotch is in the vertical plane,
the pin is free to move about its hinge or joint ; but when in the horizontal
plane, the pin can have no movement, and the loop or link e2 of the band e which
fits or slides over the pin, is held in position. The lever or handle" may be
worked by hand directly or through suitable gear; or, in some cases, they may be
connected with a floater so arranged that it will be lifted or operated so as to
release the boats in the case of a ship sinking or foundering. If self-righting life-
boats be used with this automatic release mechanism, such boats will of course
right themselves when released and water-borne.
3
The releasing devices of each boat may be separately worked, or connected
together, or adapted to be worked in combinations of two or more, as cases
may allow.
The form of the rails C and D shewn in the drawings is channel or ☐ section,
and said rails C or D are used at different points along the ship where desired.
The boats in their inverted position as shewn are provided with chocks fixed to
the gunwale or side of the boat, and provided with hinged rollers or wheels as
castors, which run on the bottom of the channel ways Cor D. The peripheries of
these rollers may stand outside of the side of the boats A so as to guide them
and keep them off the side of the ship when being raised and lowered, or not,
as desired.
The upper channel-way C, as will be seen, runs from side to side of the ship so
that the boats stowed thereon can be launched from either side, whilst those used
where the rails D come, can only be launched from the side on which they are
respectively stowed.
In the act of lowering a boat, its holding bands are first released by means above
described, and the boat is then moved or otherwise pushed outward, until it arrives

page_text: means.
at that point on the ways where it will move outboard of itself, when it is lowered
by falls suitably fixed in the boat, or detachably held therein, and passing over
guide wheels i, fixed on the side of the ways, the falls being controlled by a suitable
winch or brake E, shewn placed in the centre of the ways, or it may be placed in
the boat as previously stated, the falls, being led to a winch on the ship, or other
When the boat has arrived at the desired position down the vertical part
of the ways, the leading chocks engage with a catch device or stop consisting of
arms hinged at one end to the ways. The engaging of the chocks with the
stops is effected through studs fixed in the centre of the boat, and notches or
jaws on the free ends of, at which end also a wheel is provided to guide the
falls. The arms are connected together by a connecting bar j³. Then, upon
further lowering, the boat swings outward and right side up, by the action of the
stop devices j, and by again further lowering, the boat leaves the stops j, and the
boat is lowered into the water. When the boat is water-borne, it is released from
the falls by hand or automatically, and the falls are then ready to be applied to
the lowering of a second boat if required.
To hoist a boat out of the water, obviously the mode of operation will be the
reverse of that just described.
In some cases the ways C
r
and
or
D may have notches in their upper edges and
pawls hinged to the boat at a suitable part, or to the chocks thereon, and adapted
to engage with said notches, so that the boats may be firmly held in position in
which they are stowed on the ways.
In lieu of the chocks being of the form herein described with reference to the
drawings, they may consist of bars fixed and lying transversely in the boat, and
having rollers thereon to run upon the bottom of the rails or ways; in which case,
it is not necessary that the wheels be disposed at the gunwales of the boat, as it is
not necessary that the boat should touch the side of the ship when the stop or
catch device is used.
may
In the case where the latter form of chocks be used the engaging studs
be fixed on the chocks in the centre of the boat; whilst if they are of the form
shewn, these studs may be fixed to the thwart in the centre of the boat.
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. The herein described mode or means of carrying and launching ships' boats,
consisting in the employment of ways or rails such as specified, arranged transversely
on the ship or vessel, and disposing or arranging the boats thereon in an inverted
position, and providing chocks or equivalent means on and by which the boats are
moved on the said ways or rails, thereby the boats can be launched at the side of
the ship, and lowered into the sea.
2. In the arranging and means for launching ships' boats, the employment in
connection with the gunwale or side of the boat, of chocks provided with rollers,
and adapted to run on rails or ways, substantially as set forth, the boats being
carried by the rails in an inverted position.
3. In means or arrangements for carrying and launching ships' boats, arranging
said boats in an inverted position upon rails or ways extending from the horizontal
to the upright or vertical position, and providing upon the vertical parts a means
or device for catching or stopping the boats, and whereby they are caused to turn
over and come right side up.
4. In ships' boats stowing and launching apparatus or means, the herein described
mode of or means for lowering or launching said boats, consisting in the employment
of a barrel or drum on which the falls are wound and the rotation of which is
controlled by a brake; operating as or substantially as in the manner and for the
purposes described.

page_text: 5. In ships' boats stowing or launching apparatus or means, arranging said boats
in an inverted position upon and in connection with ways or rails, and employing in
connection therewith bands or straps having in connection with same releasing
means whereby the boats may be easily and quickly released; substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
6. In ships' bonts stowing and launching apparatus, wherein the boats are held
in position on ways by bands or straps, or equivalent ineans of holding same, the
combination of a floater adapted to release said holding means when water-borne ;
for the purposes set forth.
7. The means of turning over ships' boats to bring them right side up,
arranged and adapted to operate substantially as set forth with reference to the
drawings.
8. Mechanism or means for releasing the holding bands or straps of ships' boats;
substantially as set forth with reference to the drawings.
and
9. The arrangement of ships' boats A, and rails or ways C D, arranged on
the ship B; as set forth with reference to the drawings.
or
10. The chocks h, provided with rollers and fitted to the gunwale or other
part of a ship's boat; as set forth with reference to the drawings.
11. The herein described mode or means of carrying and launching ships' boats,
consisting in the employment of ways or rails such as specified, and disposing or
arranging the boats thereon in an inverted position, and lowering or launching
them from the ship's side without the use of davits, falls being employed to control
the lowering or launching in connection with the rails or ways.
Dated this 19th day of February 1892.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.