Improvements in and connected with Chocks for Ships' Boats.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Chocks for Ships' Boats.
I, ANDREA CAMILLERI, of 9, Salem Hill South, Sunderland, in the County of
Durham, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction of the chocks, or supports upon
which ship's boats rest when not in use, and the main objects of the said inven-
tion are to provide supports which will be firm and reliable when a boat is
resting thereon, but which, by the mere act of taking the weight of the boat
therefrom, will at once automatically fall away, leaving the boat free to be
Swung outboard.
The apparatus forming the subject of my invention, is constructed substan-
tially as follows; the supports for each end of the boat consist of two triangular
blocks of wood, or other suitable material, forming the chocks, these are pivoted
at their outer ends in a slot or opening in a horizontal frame, so that they can
swing down clear below the top of the said frame; when they are raised into
a horizontal position, a pin is passed through a transverse hole in each, and
the said pins resting on the top of the frame, hold the chocks in the said
horizontal position, in which they form a support of the required shape for the
boat. Hinged to the centre of the underside of the frame is a flap, which, when
lifted up, is held or locked by a lever catch provided with a projecting tail
piece. The flap when so raised comes under and supports the inner ends of
the chocks, and when the boat is lowered into position, the aforesaid pins having
been previously knocked out, the boat keel resting upon the tail pieces afore-
said, prevents the disengagement of the flaps and consequently the chocks
cannot fall. Now when the boat is required for use, it is merely necessary for
one man to raise the boat by the tackle just sufficiently to take its weight,
when the flaps are thereby released and the chocks at once fall down clear of
the frame, leaving the boat free to be swung outboard.
While the aforesaid pins are being removed from the chocks, the locking
levers are held in position by hand till the boat is lowered; or two chains may
be provided, each fastened at one end to the deck, or other suitable place, the
other ends being provided with a ring or hook to slip over, or engage with the
tail pieces of the locking levers and so hold them in position till the boat is
lowered, after which the said chains are disengaged from the tail pieces. In
place of chains, bolts or catches may be attached to the frames to hold the levers
temporarily in position.
When such chains or catches are employed, the aforesaid pins, may, if
desired, be dispensed with.
In addition to the above arrangements, I provide, if desired, a device by
which the lashings of the boat are so attached to the chocks, that, on the aforesaid
levers being loosened, all the lashings, as well as the chocks fall at once out
of gear.
My improved apparatus fulfils the requirements of the Board of Trade. in

page_text: regard to boat chocks, viz. that they shall be such as can be expeditiously
removed, and that when the boats are inboard and resting on the chocks, the
said chocks shall be so constructed that the boat can be at once swung outboard
without requiring to be lifted by the tackles, i.e. that it should not be necessary
to do more than take the weight of the boat.
Dated the
1000
AMBROSE MYALL,
6, Whitfield Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in and connected with Chocks for Ships' Boats.
I, ANDREA CAMILLERI, of 9, Salem Hill South, Sunderland, in the County of
Durham, Master Mariner, 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:—
My invention relates to the construction of the chocks, or supports upon
which ships' boats rest when not in use, and the main objects of the said inven-
tion are to provide supports which will be firm and reliable when a boat is
resting thereon, but which, by the mere act of taking the weight of the boat
therefrom, will at once automatically fall away, leaving the boat free to be
swung outboard.
The apparatus forming the subject of my invention, is constructed substan-
tially as follows; the supports for each end of the boat consist of two blocks
of wood, or other suitable material, approximately triangular in shape, forming
the chocks.
These are pivoted at their outer ends in a slot or opening in a horizontal
frame, so that they can swing down clear below the top of the said frame; when
they are raised into a horizontal position, a pin is passed through a transverse
hole in each, and the said pins resting on the top of the frame, hold the chocks
in the said horizontal position, in which they form a support of the required
shape for the boat. Hinged to the centre of the underside of the frame is a
flap, which, when lifted up, is held or locked by a lever catch provided with a
projecting tail piece. The flap when so raised comes under and supports the
inner ends of the chocks, and when the boat is lowered into position, the aforesaid
pins having been previously knocked out or withdrawn, the boat keel resting
upon the tail pieces aforesaid, prevents the disengagement of the flaps and
consequently the chocks cannot fall.
Now when the boat is required for use, it is merely necessary for one man to
raise the boat by the tackle just sufficiently to take its weight, when the flaps
are thereby released and the chocks at once fall down clear of the frame, leaving
the boat free to be swung outboard.
While the aforesaid pins are being removed from the chocks, the locking levers
are held in position by hand till the boat is lowered on the chocks; or two chains
may be provided, each fastened at one end to the deck, or other suitable place, the
other ends being provided with a ring or hook to slip over, or engage with the
tail pieces of the locking levers and so hold them in position till the boat is
lowered, after which the said chains are disengaged from the tail pieces. In
place of chains, bolts or catches may be attached to the frames to hold the levers
temporarily in position.
When such chains or catches are employed, the aforesaid pins, may, if
desired, be dispensed with.

page_text: In addition to the above arrangements, I provide, if desired, devices by
which the lashings of the boat are so attached to the chocks, that, on the aforesaid
levers being loosened, all the lashings, as well as the chocks fall at once out
of gear.
In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, which form part of this specifi-
cation, and illustrate the construction and operation of my invention:
Figure 1 is an end elevation, and
Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section through the line A, A, in Fig. 1
of a pair of chocks in the raised and locked position, with a boat resting
thereon.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively, shewing the
chocks and lashings released and the boat free to be swung out.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings.
B, B are the chocks, hinged at their outer ends at B, B in the horizontal
frame C. These chocks are so shaped that when in the position shewn in Figs. 1
and 2 they form a bed or support for the boat D. E, E are pins connected for
convenience to the frame C by chains E', E. E, E², are holes in the chocks
to receive the said pins for temporarily supporting the chocks in the raised
position, the ends of the pins when in the holes resting on the top of the frame C.
F is a flap hinged to the frame at F and having a curved piece F2 hinged
to its other side.
His a plate hinged to the frame at 11 and provided with a curved lower
portion H2 to engage with the piece F2, and a projecting tail piece H³, as shewn
most clearly in Figs. 2 and 4.
J is a hook adapted to engage with an eye H in the end of the tail piece H³
and connected to the deck by a chain and provided with a weight J
K, K are the lashings furnished at their lower ends with eyes K' which slip
over curved pins K2 in the ends of the chocks B, B.
It will be understood that the apparatus described is in duplicate, there being
one for each end of the boat.
It being assumed that it is required to place a boat in position on the chocks,
the operation of the parts is as follows:-the chocks are lifted from the position
shewn in Figs. 3 and 4 to that shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 and the pins E, E, inserted
in the holes E, E, the flap F is then lifted up and the tail piece H³ pulled
down and its curved end end H2 caused to engage with the piece F2 and so
support the flap F; while being held in this position it is secured by placing
the hook J in the eye H+.
The weight J puts a drag on the hook and prevents the chance of it being
shaken out of the eye. The pins E, E are now withdrawn and the same opera-
tions having been performed on the chocks at the other end of the boat, the
said boat is lowered into place, and the hooks J withdrawn, the keel D₁ of the
boat preventing the tail pieces H³ rising and thereby releasing the chocks. The
lashings K are now attached to the pins K2 and the boat is thus secured in its
place.
As before explained, the pins E, E, may be dispensed with, if desired.
To release the boat it is raised by the tackle just enough to take its weight
from the tail pieces H³, the plates H then automatically swing away, releasing
the flaps F which drop, and the chocks B, B, having no longer any support
swing down clear of the frame C, at the same time releasing the lashings K,
and the boat being thus free of any obstruction can at once be swung outboard
in the usual manner. The position of the parts when so released is shewn
clearly in Figs. 3 and 4.
:
My improved apparatus fulfills the requirements of the Board of Trade in
regard to boat chocks, viz. that they shall be such as can be expeditiously
removed, and that when the boats are inboard and resting on the chocks, the
said chocks shall be so constructed that the, boat can be at once swung outboard

page_text: without requiring to be lifted by the tackles, i.e. that it should not be necessary
to do more than take the weight of the boat.
I wish it to be understood that in carrying my invention into effect, I do
not necessarily confine myself to the precise details of construction herein
shewn and described, provided that in all cases the essential features of the
invention be retained.
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 -
1. Chocks for ships' boats, pivotted to a frame so that they can swing down
clear of the boat, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. Chocks for ships' boats pivotted to a frame, so that they can swing down
clear of the boat and devices for supporting such chocks in the raised position,
so arranged that they are kept locked by the weight of the boat and that they
and the chocks are released by relieving them of such weight, substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
3. Improved chocks for ships' boats, constructed in the manner and for the
purposes substantially as herein described and shewn in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 6th day of December 1800
AMBROSE MYALL,
Agent.