AN IMPROVED BOAT- DETACHING APPARATUS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED BOAT-
DETACHING APPARATUS." -A communication from abroad by Gideon
Blackburn Massey, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 12th April 1867, and dated the 20th February 1867.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Decla-
ration, on the 20th February 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED BOAT-
DETACHING APPARATUS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to
me from abroad. by Gideon Blackburn Massey, of the City, County, and
State of New York, United States of America.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings forming a part of this
Specification:-
The said Invention consists chiefly in so arranging a single rod in a boat as
to hold the boat securely in position and permit it to be simultaneously
released or detached at both ends by a single movement of the said rod.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a boat provided with my
improved detaching apparatus; Figure 2 is a top view of the same; Figures
3 and 4 represent separate portions of the said apparatus in detail. Like
letters refer to the same parts in each of the Figures.
A represents a strong metallic rod placed lengthwise of the boat, as shown
in Figures 1 and 2; this rod turns loosely in eyes formed in the upper ends of
bolts or rods B, the lower ends of which are securely fastened to the bottom
of the boat, as shown in Figure 1; this rod A bas at each end a spiral groove
or thread cut in it, as shown more clearly in Figure 3. A metallic loop a is
secured to the lower end of the blocks C, which loop a is of proper size to slip
over the end of the rod A and rest in the groove e; these grooves e are made
to run in opposite directions at the different ends of the rod A, one forming a
right and the other a left band 'thread, so that by turning the rod A the loop a
at each end will be forced outward and thrown off from the rod; these
grooves should be so arranged that a half turn will detach the loops, and the
rod A is provided with a handle h by which the said rod is turned when
required. To prevent the loops from. becoming detached accidentally by the
swaying of the boat or other means a block or rod n may be located directly
under or by the side of the rod A, where the groove is formed, as shown in
Figure 3, by which means the loop a will be prevented from slipping, off the
end of the said rod except when the latter is turned. That portion of the
rod A in which the groove is cut may be made much larger than the rest and
fastened on in the form of a head or enlarged cylinder, by which means the
groove may be formed deeper and a smaller rod may be used. By making
the groove of a depth equal to the diameter of the rod of which the loop or
ring a is formed so as to permit the loop a to rest therein and not protrude
beyond the surface of the rod A, as shown in the left-hand portion of Figure 3,
it will be observed that in case any box, barrel, or other object should by
accident or otherwise be lodged against the rod A.at. the point where the
loop a rests in the groove, the said object will not interfere with the movement

page_text: of the loop a when the rod is turned. By making the loop or ring of such a
size that it cannot be moved longitudinally on the rod A, except as it rests in
and follows the groove, it will be seen that the loop a cannot be detached from
the rod A except by the turning of the latter; when this mode of construction
is adopted the rod or block n may be dispensed with and a positive movement
is imparted to the loops a at each end. The movement of the loops at each
end of the rod must be uniform and simultaneous, both being detached at the
same instant; the boat is thus permitted to be dropped fair and on an even
keel upon the water. By using a single rigid rod there is no possibility that
one end may be rotated or turned independent of the other, and hence both
ends must be detached simultaneously. If preferred, instead of having the
groove e the ends of the rod A may be formed like a corkscrew, as shown in
Figure 4, the result being the same in either case. Separate hooks may be
provided for convenience in hitching on to raise the boat, and the rings a may
be adjusted at leisure. By these means an apparatus is produced which is
extremely simple and cheap, and that can be readily applied to any boat and
operated in the simplest possible manner. If desired, the handle h may
be arranged to be locked or fastened so that it cannot be turned except by
design.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practice, I claim the rod A provided with the
right and left hand grooves e to receive, hold, and disengage the suspending
loops or rings a by positive movements when arranged for use in connection
with a boat, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.).
。 Witness,
WM. ROB. LAKE.