Improvements in Boat Detaching Gear.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boat Detaching Gear.
I, GEORGE THOMAS BLANCHARD LIVINGSTONE of Keeps Cottage, Ingress,
Greenhithe, in the County of Kent, Seaman Pensioner, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to boat detaching gear whereby the boat may be securely
held to the falls and may be simultaneously released at both ends when required
notwithstanding that until the release takes place the boat is securely held at both
ends notwithstanding the movement of the boat by the waves.
The invention embraces a tumbler hook at each end of the boat, and rods, chains
or equivalent for controlling the hooks both of these being controlled from one end
of the boat. The details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the
invention but the following description will sufficiently explain the nature of
the invention.
The tumbler hook may be carried in a suitable framework which may either be
rigidly fixed in the boat or as is customary with heavy men of war's boats the
position of the hook may be secured by means of chains. The tumbler hook is
pivotted in its framework and is connected by the end away from the hook with a
chain rod or equivalent which by means of suitable pulleys, levers or the like
connects it with a detent held by the releasing lever which lever may be securely
locked in its closed position by any convenient means so that until intentionally
released the hook is so held that the fall tackle cannot be displaced. Various
arrangements may be applied to prevent the fall chain from escaping from the hook
as by passing it through an aperture in or connected with the supporting frame or
around a pin or equivalent of the supporting frame and then to the hook with a
suitable means for preventing the chain link from falling so low as to get off the
hook, the required result may be attained. Any suitable means may be employed
to prevent the link from falling too low as for instance the ordinary tackle block.
The apparatus at the other end of the boat is a duplicate of that just described
and the chain or equivalent from the second hook passes preferably along the keel
of the boat and is connected to the before mentioned releasing apparatus which
would preferably be located at the stern of the boat so as to be under the control
of the officer in charge. As already explained until intentionally released the
hooks hold the boat securely to the falls but when it is desired to release the boat
the locking device is freed and by operating the releasing lever or equivalent the
person in charge can simultaneously release both ends of the boat which is then
entirely free whether water-borne or not.
Where the hook frame is not rigid but held in position by chains or the like it is
desirable to arrange one chain at the lower part of this frame in such a manner
that when the fall chain is passed round the before described pin or equivalent at
the upper part of the frame and then on to the hook the chain at the bottom will
pull against the fall chain so as to keep the hook frame in its required position
which would preferably be a vertical one.
Dated this 19th day of April 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for, the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Boat Detaching Gear.
1, GEORGE THOMAS BLANCHARD LIVINGSTONE, of Keeps Cottage, Ingress,
Greenhithe, in the County of Kent, Seaman Pensioner, 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:-
This invention will be best-understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a boat fitted with the gear, the
centre portion being broken away to reduce the length;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus at one end of the boat;
Figure 3 is a detail of the tumbler hook and
Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a boat fitted with the apparatus, but
suspended from a single set of fall tackle.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
This invention relates to boat detaching gear whereby the boat may be securely
held to the fails and may be simultaneously released at both ends when required
although until the release takes place the boat is securely held at both ends
notwithstanding the movement of the boat by the waves.
The invention embraces a tumbler hook at each end of the boat, and rods, chains
or equivalent for controlling the hooks both of these being controlled from one end
of the boat. The details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the
invention but the following description will sufficiently explain the nature of
the invention.
The tumbler hook A pivotted at A is carried in the frame B which may be
rigidly fixed in the boat or as shown may be pivotted at B₁ to the keel and retained
as to its upper part in its proper position by the holding chains B For boats
used in the inerchant service I find it convenient to fix the frame B rigidly between
the keel of the boat and the upper thwart, with which arrangement the holding
chains can be dispensed with. In some cases where required for convenience of
storage the frame B may be jointed in the middle so that it may be folded up in
small compass and put out of the way. The frame B may be provided with one or
more pulleys B³ over which the chain C connected at C¹ to the tumbler hook
passes, the other end of the chain C being connected with the link C³ which passes
round a second tumbler hook D pivotted in any suitable portion of the boat, say
the framing or thwart E. The tumbler hook D is retained in its closed position as
shown in Figures 1 and 2 by the lever F pivotted to E at F and when not required
for use, fixed in its locked position by the pin F2 passing through the lever into
the thwart E and prevented from being lost by the chain F. The lever F may be
provided with any suitable handle to operate it by conveniently upon its inner end
which will be out of the way.
The fall tackles G terminate in a link G' which passes over the tumbler hook A..
As it is desirable that the pull upon the link G should be in a direction to keep it
upon the hook A rather than to pull it off, the short chain extending from the
usual tackle block G2 passes between the pins B in the head or upper end of the
frame B as shown in Figure 1, the size of the block G2 preventing it from slipping
through between the two pins B.
The detachment of the link G¹ from the hook A is by allowing the hook to turn
upon its pivot A' and thus raise its end and allow the link to escape; this however
it cannot do so long as the chain C is held up by the tumbler D, the chain C which
after passing round the pulleys B³ of the frame B passes through the pulley
block being only long enough to reach from its attachment C' to the hook A to
the tumbler D. If it be found desirable to move one of the pins B', as for example
in calm weather when elaborate precautions against slipping need not be taken, one

page_text: of the pins B may be passed through holes in the head of the frame B and kept in
position by a pin or spike B which may also pass through a projection B6 of the
frame B and thus hold the pin B+ securely in its place. The spike B' may be
secured against loss by means of a chain.
The link C2 is connected with the chain H which passing around the block H'
extends to the other end of the boat where it joins with or in fact becomes the
chain C of that end terminating at the point, C in the hook A.
The operation of this apparatus is as follows:-
When in use and with the boat slung to the falls the position is that represented
in Figures 1 and 2, the tumbler hook A being prevented from turning by the
chain C which is prevented from slipping by the tumbler D, which in its turn is
locked by the lever ; to release the boat the lever F is turned upon its pivot F
(the pin F2 having been previously removed) thus releasing the tumbler D which
is now clear of the notch F in which it was previously retained. The link C³ falls
and, the chain C becoming slack allows the tumbler hook A. to turn upon its pivot
which it promptly does under the weight of the boat dragging upon the link G,
the parts then assuming the position shown in Figure 3, where the link G¹ is shown
just slipping off the nose of the tumbler hook A. The same result takes place
simultaneously at the other end of the boat as the chain E is released at the same
time as the chain C and thus releases the hook A at the other end of the boat.
To reconnect the boat the links G¹ are placed on to the tumbler hooks A and
the link C2 hooked on to the tumbler D which is then fastened by the lever Fand
both chains C and H are thus drawn and held taut and prevent the slipping of the
apparatus. There is only one tumbler D lever and link C as that controls
the chains at both ends of the boat.
The arrangement shown in Figure 4 is substantially the same as that already
described but as the boat is suspended from a single central point it is found
convenient to turn the tumbler hooks A the other way round so that they face
towards the ends of the boat whereas in Figures 1 and 2 they are shown facing
towards the centre of the boat. The link G¹ fits over the hook A as before but as
it is not with this arrangement of the hooks necessary to provide special means to
prevent the link G₁ from slipping off the hook A it is merely shown in the drawing
passing underneath the pulley B3 at the top of the frame B, the frame itself being
thus held up by the fall chain J. The construction and operation of the other
parts is substantially the same as before excepting that the chain C instead of
passing upon the same side of both the pulleys 133 as shown in Figure 2 passes
underneath the pulley B³ nearest to the hook so that the pull of the chain upon the
hook is in the direction to retain the hook A in the position shown. This arrange-
ment for suspending the boat from the single fall tackle is specially applicable for
men of war where the boat has often to be suspended from a single spar.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is :-
1. In a boat suspending and detaching gear the combination with a tumbler hook
such as A of a second or supplementary tumbler such as D for the purpose of
holding through the intermediary of the chain C the hook A from turning
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a boat suspending and detaching gear the combination with a tumbler hook
such as A of a chain C tumbler D and locking lever F substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a boat suspending and detaching gear the combination with two tumbler
hooks such as A one at each end of the boat of chains C and FI substantially as
and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a boat suspending and detaching gear the combination with a frame such
as B of a tumbler hook such as A and pulleys such as B³ substantially as and for
the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete boat
suspending and detaching gear substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete boat
suspending and detaching gear substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 4
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of August 1895