Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM VINCENT SHAW of Stonefield Cottage, Hawick, in the County of
Roxburgh, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to boats and to davits for suspending the same and as
regards the construction of the boat itself the Invention has principally for its
object to enable a series of boats to be conveniently placed one within another
and so that all the boats of the series may be suspended from the same davits with
the view of economising space and of enabling passenger vessels to conveniently
carry a larger number of boats than hitherto. To this end the boats are built
with metallic keels preferably in the form of the letter U in cross section the stern
posts and gunwales being also preferably of like section although the latter may
be made of angle iron. The whole of the seats in the improved boats are movable
and the three centre seats may be in two pieces joined by a strong hinge, or they
may be in one piece. When in two pieces and joined; over the joint and at the
edges of the seats a flat bolt working in a slot is situated the slot being cut
through to correspond with the joint in the seat. These seats when in position
rest in sockets secured to and between two ribs of the boat the seats being held by
screws or equivalent means.
To distinguish the centre seat from those on each side of it especially in placing
them in position when it is dark the latter are perforated with holes or have other
distinguishing features adapted to them. The further seats towards the ends of
the boat instead of being entirely removable as above set forth are or may be
hinged at their ends so as when not in use to hang down towards the bottoin of
the boat. Each half of these seats is hinged to two ribs of the boat and when
they are required the two ends are brought together and bolted so as to render the
seat rigid throughout.
When the seats are made in one piece they rest, when in position, on stools or
supporting brackets secured to the ribs of the boat. Above these stools, clamps
are also hinged to the ribs in such a manner as to be capable of swinging down to
rest on the seat ends when the latter are in position and also of being raised when
it is desired to remove the seats, each clamp having a pinching screw to more
securely hold the seat. The seat ends may be bevelled or curved to permit of their

page_text: being raised and lowered with greater facility and to prevent endwise movement
they may have guards or downward projections passing over the edges of the
stools or supporting brackets or the brackets themselves may have stops upon them
against which the seat ends abut.
The seats of the boat are constructed as hereinbefore set forth in order that a
series of two or more boats may be placed one within another all the boats in each
series being hung from the same pair of davits each davit whilst having a similar
sweep to the ordinary davit having a separate set of pulleys and tackle for each
boat, the hoisting and lowering ropes connected to the ends of each boat being
conducted either to a separate windlass or drum placed intermediate between the
davits or wound in opposite directions on the same windlass or drum, suitable pawl
and ratchet mechanism being provided to hold the drums in any desired position.
The boats constructed as herein before described have their rudders preferably
connected in the following manner. The rudder post is composed of a bar of iron
to which the rudder is secured by straps or bands countersunk into and pinned to
the post. Between the straps or bands openings are cut in the rudder these
openings being for the purpose of receiving holding brackets secured to the stern
or stern post of the boat. The holding eyes of these brackets each consist of two
jaws with an opening between them through which, when the rudder is being
shipped, the blade passes and when the rudder has been sunk to position the
openings in the blade are opposite the brackets leaving the rudder free to be
inoved in either direction horizontally. A cleat of iron is secured to the bottom of
the sternpost to act as a rest for the rudder post. With this arrangement the
rudder is easily shipped in any weather.

page_text: Suspending the same.
I, WILLIAM VINCENT SHAW of Stonefield Cottage, Hawick, in the County of
Roxburgh, Commercial Traveller, 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 relates to boats and to davits for suspending the same and as
regards the boat itself the Invention has principally for its object to enable a series
of boats to be conveniently placed and swung one within another and so that all
the boats of the series may be suspended from the same pair of davits with the
view of economizing space and of enabling passenger vessels to carry a larger
number of boats than hitherto. To this end I propose building the boats in sets
of three, the seats of the two bottom boats of each set being movable or detachable
whilst the upper boat may have ordinary fixed seats. The keel I propose making
of steel or iron of section the stern post and gunwales being also preferably of
like section and material with the open end turned inwards, or the gunwales may
be of angle iron or steel. The ribs are also preferably made of angle iron or steel
and as shewn at figures 1 and 2 sheet 1 of the drawings which are respectively a
cross section amidships and forward of that position they may be secured to the
keel by cutting one flange of the angle iron at and in the line of its junction with
the other flange and bending the cut part down inside the vertical sides of the keel
these parts being afterwards rivetted together. The vertical parts c of the ribs
may also be overlapped and rivetted as seen at figure 2, or as indicated by the
dotted line at a figure 1, they may be butt jointed and rivetted together by fish
plates b, or as seen at figure 3, which is a vertical section in the bows, the ribs
may be moulded to fit inside the keel and be rivetted to it or all three modes may
be adopted in one and the same boat according to the position of the ribs.
Figure 4 of the drawings is a longitudinal vertical section at one side of a boat
shewing methods of adapting the seats so as to enable one boat to be placed
within the other. Figure 5 is a view of the under side and figure 6 a view of the
upper side of the centre seat which is made in two parts the seat being cut through
the middle and the parts jointed together by a strong hinge e, secured on the
under side. At the junction of the parts recesses d are made on each side of the
Beat, the recesses being covered in by channel iron straps or pieces of secured to
the upper and under surfaces of the seat. Flat bolts h are placed in the recesses in
one part of the seat and when the seat is in position for use the bolts are shot into
the other part thereby rendering the seat rigid throughout. When in place the
ends of the seat are inserted in sockets i secured between two ribs and having
each a pinching screw j to secure the seat in position or instead of being inserted
in sockets & the seat may rest upon stools or brackets k extending between and
secured to two of the ribs of the boat on each sile. When the latter arrangement
is adopted the seat is maintained in its position by a clamp hinged at m to
the ribs in such a manner as to be capable of being folded up (as indicated by the

page_text: dotted lines) when it is desired to remove the seat. Each clamp l has a pinching
screw n to more securely hold the seat in position, and with this mode the seats
instead of each being in two pieces may be in one piece, and have the ends bevelled
or curved to permit of their being raised and lowered with greater facility. To
prevent endwise movement the seat ends may also have downward projections
passing over the edges of the stools i, or the stools themselves may have stops
upon them against which the seat ends abut, or the seat ends may abut against
the back flange of the angle iron ribs. In a large boat the seats or thwarts on
each side of the centre one would also be movable and to differentiate them from
the centre seat they would be perforated or have other distinguishing marks.
The seats nearer the ends of the boat may also be entirely removable or as
indicated at figure 4 they may be made each in two parts and hinged at their ends
on pins or studs extending between two of the ribs of the boat the two parts when
brought together being secured in a continuous length by bolts as hereinbefore
described or otherwise.
Where, owing to the contour of the boat, the hanging seats when down would
not lie close to the ribs each half of the seat may be divided into two or more
portions connected together by hinge joints on or in the upper side, bolts / being
employed at these extra joints.
All the boats in each series are hung from the same pair of davits, each davit
being multiple and as seen at figures 7 and 8, furnished with a separate set of
pulleys o, for the hoisting and lowering ropes or chains for each boat the number
of sets of such pulleys corresponding to the number of boats. As seen at p,
figure 8, two windlasses or drums are also provided for each boat the bow rope
being wound on one and the stern rope on the other, or as seen at r figure.9, the
ropes or chains for both ends of any one boat may be wound on the same windlass
or drum and in that case the drums have a central collar or flange to keep the
stern and bow ropes apart.
In both arrangements the winding apparatus is situated intermediate between
the davits and in the arrangement figure 8, the two windlasses or drums for each
boat are geared together by spur wheels so that a key or handle applied to the
axis of one of them turns both simultaneously and so lowers or raises the boat on
an even keel, a ratchet wheel and pawls being provided to maintain the boat at
any desired position.
With the arrangement figure 9, the windlasses are not geared together but
a ratchet wheel is formed or secured on the axes of each of them with which a
pawl 8, is geared to prevent unwinding of the suspending ropes or chains and
maintain the boat in any desired position.
The winding apparatus is as seen at figure 10 preferably enclosed, doors or
shutters t, being provided to afford access when required and in these doors holes
are made for the passage of the key by which the drums are turned. As illus-
trated on sheet 1 of the drawings the multiple davits are stationary and the boats
are suspended outboard of the ship, but when it is desired that the boats should be
capable of being brought in-board the davits may be arranged to swing through
an arc either in the usual way, or as illustrated by the figure on sheet 2, or
otherwise.
The boats constructed as herein before described have their rudders preferably
connected as indicated by figures 11, 12, 13 and 14 sheet 1, of the appended
drawings.
As shewn by figure 11, the rudder post consists of an iron or other metal bar,
the blade v of the rudder being connected thereto by straps or bands v which are
countersunk into and pinned to the post u so as not to project beyond its surface.
Between the straps or bands v¹ openings w, are cut in the rudder blade these
openings being for the purpose of receiving holding brackets, which are secured
on the stern post of the boat in either of the ways indicated at figures 13 and 14,
accordingly as the boats stern is flat or pointed. The holding eyes of the
brackets each consist of two jaws with a space c³ between them through which

page_text: when the rudder is being shipped the blade passes down and when the rudder has
been sunk to position the openings w in the blade are opposite the brackets x,
which leaves the rudder free to be moved in either direction horizontally. A cleat
of iron is secured to the bottom of the stern post as indicated at y, figure 12, to act
as a rest for the rudder post u and in order to prevent the rudder from lifting by
the action of the water a collar or flange z may be secured on the post u as shewn,
a catch hinged to the stern post of the boat being turned so as to come above the
said collar and hold the rudder in position.
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. As a means of enabling one boat to be carried within another, arranging the
seats so that they are entirely.removable or capable of folding down substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. In a boat, seats constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to figures 4, 5 and 6 sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The multiple davits and the combination thereof with winding apparatus
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the annexed drawings
and whereby a series of boats may be hung from each pair.
4. A boats rudder arranged or constructed substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to figure 11 sheet 1, of the appended drawings.
5. The mode hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings
of connecting the rudder to the stern post of a boat.
Dated this Second day of October 1900
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.