Applicable for other Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Applicable for other Purposes.
I, WILLIAM FREDERICK REES, R. N. of 23 Park Place in the parish of Greenwich
and County of Kent, Curator of the Royal Naval Museum, Greenwich, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISENGAGING
HOOKS FOR SHIPS BOATS LIKEWISE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to, be as
follows:-
By my Invention for instantly and simultaneously releasing Ships Boats when
being lowered and enabling them to take the water with safety on an even keel or
otherwise, so that both ends of the boat may be instantly freed, I take and provide
for each Boat, suitably disposed fore and aft, two of my improved arrangements of
Hooks or Couplings, each of which are formed in three parts, the Shank portion
having a slot suitably formed therein at each end, the upper portion being so shaped
as to enable the releasing Hook or part thereof working freely therein at one end
upon a pin or bolt made to receive it; to the lower end of the shank, provision is
made to shackle onto either "Sling" or "Span" as well as to Ring or Eye bolts, and
at or about the centre of the Shank I connect a forked bar or "tumbler" so as to :
work on a pin or bolt fitted therein and permitted to move freely, being weighted
at its other end. The releasing Hook or portion thereof is suitably shaped and bent
so as to enable its extreme point or end to take into the slotted portion of the
forked bar or "tumbler" when in position. To the weighted end of the forked
bar or "tumbler" of the foremost book I provide and fit a small block into which
is rove a thin line, and to the weighted end of the after forked bar or "tumbler"
a shackle is provided into which the thin line is spliced and connected from one to
the other in order to form the connection between the two disengaging hooks fore
and aft in the boat; this line being made fast in the immediate vicinity of the
person in charge of the boat to be lowered, during which process the hooks are
secure and cannot become disengaged until the boat is in the water; the moment
the weight of the boat and its contents is off the hooks and the line let go, the
"tumblers" will fall and both ends of the boat be instantly and simultaneously.
released, but so long as the line is kept fast, or in hand, neither end of the boat can
possibly be freed, although the boat may take the water unevenly, but if it were
possible for the boat to take the water at all times on an even keel, the connecting
line could be dispensed with.

page_text: At the back of the Shank of each hook I provide a small fixed or solid hook to
facilitate the hooking on and getting the boat out of the water in stormy weather.
I also provide a small safety pin which is intended to be inserted in a hole pro-
vided in the weighted "tumblers" when the boat is hooked on and in the "falls,"
rendering it impossible for the hooks to be released, but when the boat is about to
be lowered they are withdrawn.
It may be added that by my Improvements in disengaging hooks they are
capable of being fixed to the ordinary fittings of Ships Boats without alteration or
additional expense incurred.
For raising or lowering heavy weights for other purposes than Ships use, requiring
to be speedily released and where the space is clear, my Improved disengaging
Hooks may be adapted and used with slight modifications for the particular purpose
required.
Improvements in Disengaging Hooks for Ships' Boats, likewise
Applicable for other Purposes.
:
I, WILLIAM FREDERICK REES, R.N. of 28 Park Place in the parish of Greenwich
and County of Kent, Curator of the Royal Museum Greenwich, 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
and accompanying drawing:-
By my Invention for instantly and simultaneously releasing Ships Boats when
being lowered and enabling them to take the water with safety on an even keel or
otherwise so that both ends of the Boat may be immediately freed, I take and
provide for each boat and suitably disposed fore and aft, two of my improved
arrangement of Hooks or couplings (i.e, one at each end of the boat) each of which
are formed in three parts, viz, the shank portion having a slot suitably formed
therein at each eud, the upper portion being so shaped as to enable the releasing
Hook or part thereof working freely therein at one end upon a pin or bolt made to
receive it, to the lower end of the shank provision is made to shackle onto either
Sling" or "Span" as well as to "ring" or "Eye Bolts, and at or about the centre
of the shank I connect a forked bar or
'tumbler " so as to work on a pin or bolt
fitted therein and permitted to move freely, being weighted at its other end. The
releasing Hook or portion thereof is suitably shaped and bent so as to enable its
"
"

page_text: extreme point or end to freely and securely take into the slotted portion of the
forked bar or "tumbler" formed to receive it when in position.
To the weighted end of the forked bar or "tumbler" of the foremost hook
I provide and fit a small block into which is rove a thin line, and to the weighted
end of the after forked bar or tumbler a shackle is provided into which the thin
line is spliced and thereby led from one to the other in order to form the connection
between the two disengaging hooks fore and aft in the boat, this line being made
fast in the immediate vicinity of the person in charge of the boat to be lowered,
during which process the Hooks are secure and cannot become disengaged until the
boat is in the water, the moment the weight of the boat and its contents is off the
hooks and the line "let go," the tumblers will automatically fall and both ends of
the boat be instantly and simultaneously released, but so long as the line is kept
fast or in hand, neither end of the boat can possibly be freed although the boat
may take the water unevenly, but if it were possible for the boat to take the
water at all times on an even keel the connecting line could be dispensed with.
At the back of the shank of each disengaging Hook I provide a small fixed or
solid Hook to facilitate the "Hooking-on" and help getting the Boat out of the
water in stormy weather; but in ordinary fine weather this fixed "back-hook
would seldom be required to be used, as the disengaging Hook can be easily
attached and restored or held back in position until the safety pin is inserted which
again secures and prevents it from unhooking while the boat is being raised. The
small safety pin referred to which is intended to be inserted in a hole provided in
the weighted "tumblers" when the boat is "hooked on and in the "
"falls"
rendering it impossible for the hooks to be released, but when the boat is about to
be lowered they are withdrawn.
"
"
It may be added that by my Improvements in Disengaging Hooks they are
capable of being easily fixed to the usual fittings of ordinary Boats as now in use
without alteration, and are equally adapted for lowering and raising larger craft
such as Life Boats, Steam Launches and other purposes.
For raising or lowering heavy weights for other purposes than for Ships use
requiring to be speedily released at a suitable moment, and where the space is
clear, with a slight modification to suit the particular purpose intended they may
likewise be used and adapted.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1, exhibits a boat in section fitted with
my Improved Disengaging Hooks and attachments as herein described, in the
position they would occupy when about to be lowered.
Figure 2, is a view to an enlarged scale (to that of Fig. 1.) of the disengaging
Hooks and connections in position. Figure 3, shows one of the Hooks disengaged:
in which A, is the shank, wherein the releasing Hook B is coupled thereto or
works in the slot provided therein freely upon a pin or bolt at its upper part as
at A. At or about the centre of the shank A, I connect a forked bar or tumbler C
working likewise freely upon and coupled or secured to a pin or bolt on the shank A,
and weighted at its other end as at C¹. The releasing Hook B, is so shaped and
formed as to enable its extreme end or point B¹ to freely enter and take into the
slotted portion of the forked bar or tumbler C, as shewn when in position.
To the weighted end C¹ of the forked bar or "tumbler" of the foremost hook
I provide a small block as at D, into which a thin line E, is rove and to the weighted
end C of the after forked bar or tumbler C, a shackle F is connected into which
the thin line E, is spliced to form connection between the two disengaging hooks,
and the one end of the line E', is simply held in hand or made fast by the person
in charge, until the boat is seen to about take the water on an even keel (when
assuming it to have taken the water evenly) it is "let-go," then the forked bar and
weighted tumbler C, C¹ in each case will fall and release the Hooks B, B' from their
connections or supports simultaneously in each instance and so disengage the Boat
instantly.
If the Boat is allowed to take the water on an even keel the connecting line E, E¹
need not be used, it being to prevent the possibility of either end becoming

page_text: unhooked in the event of one end taking the water before the other as sometimes
happens. G, is a fixed or "back hook" connected with or part of the shank A, in
each instance for the purpose of "hooking-on" and to facilitate getting the boat
quickly out of the water in "stormy weather," or at night. I also provide a small
safety pin H, which is intended to be inserted in a hole provided in the forked bar
or tumbler C, so as to keep the releasing Hook B, in position especially when the
boat is supported, "hooked on or held in position at the davit-heads and in the
case of stormy or bad weather they should be inserted to prevent any possible
chance of becoming unhooked or disengaged by the sea striking. the boat or boats,
but when about to be lowered they should be withdrawn.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
Improvements in disengaging Hooks for Ships Boats likewise applicable for other
purposes as herein set forth illustrated and described, wherein disengaging Hooks
by my Invention can be easily applied or fixed to ordinary boats fittings without
any material alteration or expensive modification, readily adapted and effective in
action and capable of being shackled on to "sling" or "span" equally as well as
to Ring or Eye Bolts, or other means.