IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR HOISTING AND LOWERING BOATS OR YARDS, AND IN THE MODE OF OPERATING THE SAME."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Bond, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR HOISTING AND LOWERING BOATS OR YARDS,
AND IN THE MODE OF OPERATING THE SAME."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Bond at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th March 1880.
"IMPROVE-
EDWARD BOND, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex.
MENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR HOISTING AND
LOWERING BOATS OR YARDS, AND IN THE MODE OF OPERATING THE SAME.'
""
In lowering and raising boats by the usual tackle great difficulty is experienced
in freezing and wet weather from the ropes getting encased with ice or swelling so
as to increase the friction greatly. Now my Invention is designed to gain or apply
the power in a better manner than heretofore.
My apparatus consists generally of a grooved wheel or pulley, on which the
loose endless rope for actuating the apparatus is held by eyes or guards, toothed or
other gearing connecting this wheel with the "boss wheel," a wheel which I call"
the "boss wheel," whose surface is so shaped as to firmly hold the links of a chain
passing over it, a framework holding the various parts, and a spring block or buffer
or its equivalent to take off sudden shocks.
The grooved pulley can be of any shape that will tightly grip the rope so that it
shall propel the grooved wheel round instead of sliding over it, and yet shall free
the rope easily after it has gone round the wheel as far as desirable and starts off
at a tangent. The gearing can be of any of the usual kinds, and toothed or friction,
but I prefer the former. The frame is preferably-of-iron or steel, and, unlike the
foundation plates of other hoists, is preferably fastened to the ship's sides, or it can
be hooked on to any bolt or bolts in her waterways, or to the base or lower part of
the davits, or on a pivot fixed to the plating and free to turn, or in any other part
of a ship on deck or aloft. It thus occupies no deck space. The eyes or guards to
keep the rope on the V pulley are so arranged that the friction rope can be used
from either side, and are firmly attached to the frame.
The spring block, in the case of boat lowering apparatus, is hung from the
extremity of the davits in the usual way, and differs from an ordinary block in

page_text: having a suspension or sustaining spring to take off sudden shocks. The chain,
accurately fitting the boss wheel, passes over a cleet or pulley, and is coiled on
deck by a boy, or hangs over the vessel's side, or is paid out by hand and held
tight over the cleet. Its own weight will do this if it hangs over the vessel's side.
The friction rope or strap working the V pulley is an endless or spliced rope passing
over the pulley to a block at a distance; by pulling at this rope the chain is wound
under the boss wheel and over the cleet in either direction. This I find far superior
to a winch handle, the sailors much preferring pulling a rope along to winding a
winch. This friction strap or rope arrangement, or the mode of actuating the
hoisting chain, can either of them be used independently of the other and employed
in ordinary hoists. If a spring block be not used I prefer to employ a spring
buffer to take sudden strains off the bolts or rivets attaching the apparatus to the
ship's sides, and I sometims add a handle as subsidiary aid to the friction rope.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Bond in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th September
1880.
EDWARD BOND, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR HOISTING AND
LOWERING BOATS OR YARDS, AND IN THE MODE OF OPERATING THE SAME."
In lowering and raising boats by the usual tackle great difficulty is experienced
in freezing and wet weather from the ropes getting encased with ice or swelling so
as to increase the friction greatly. Now my Invention is designed to gain or apply
the power in a better manner than heretofore.
My apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, and consists generally
of a grooved wheel or pulley, on which the loose endless rope for actuating the
apparatus is held by eyes or guards, toothed or other gearing connecting this wheel
with a wheel which I call the "boss wheel," whose surface is so shaped as to firmly
hold the links of a chain passing over it, a framework holding the various parts,
and a spring block or buffer or its equivalent to take off sudden shocks. In the
Drawing two modes of applying a spring block or buffer are shown. Either the
block or pulley I, from which the boat is suspended, can be supported on a spring
or buffer, as shown, or a pulley J can be held by an india-rubber or other
spring K, so as to give with undue strains, and allow the chain L to assume the
perpendicular.
The grooved pulley can be of any shape that will tightly grip the rope, so that
the rope shall propel it round instead of sliding over it, and yet shall free the rope
easily after it has gone round the wheel as far as desirable and starts off at a
tangent. The gearing can be of any of the usual kinds, and toothed or friction,
but I prefer the former (simple spur gearing, bevil gearing, or worm and wheel).
The frame is preferably of iron or steel, and, unlike the foundation plates of other
hoists, is preferably fastened to the ship's sides, or it can be hooked on to any bolt
or bolts in her waterways, or to the base or lower part of the davits, or on a pivot
fixed to the plating and free to turn, or in any other part of a ship on deck or
aloft. It thus occupies no deck space. The eyes or guards to keep the rope on the
V pulley are so arranged that the friction rope can be used from either side, and
are firmly attached to the frame.
The Drawings show my apparatus attached to a boat skid, the skid itself forming
the only frame for the apparatus.
The spring block, in the case of boat lowering apparatus, is hung from the
extremity of the davits in the usual way, and differs from an ordinary block in
having a suspension or sustaining spring to take off sudden shocks. The chain,
accurately fitting the boss wheel, passes over a cleet or pulley M, and is coiled on
deck by a boy, or hangs over the vessel's side, or is paid out by hand and held tight
over the cleet. Its own weight will do this if it hangs over the vessel's side. The
friction rope or strap working the V pulley is an endless or spliced rope passing
over the pulley to a block at a distance; by pulling at this rope the chain is wound
under the boss wheel and over the cleet in either direction. This I find far superior-
to a winch handle, the sailors much preferring pulling a rope along to winding a
winch. This friction strap or rope arrangement, or the mode of actuating the
hoisting chain, can either of them be used independently of the other, and employed
in ordinary hoists. If a spring block be not used I prefer to employ a spring
buffer, or, as in the Drawing, its equivalent, a tension pulley J, to take sudden
strains off the bolts or rivets attaching the apparatus to the ship's sides, and I
sometimes add a handle as subsidiary aid to the friction rope. In the Drawings a
boat hoist only is shown; a topsail or other yard hoist can be fixed up against the
guard rails of the ship in a similar manner.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shows a general view of boat hoisting apparatus; Fig. 2, a detailed view
of another slightly varying construction. In these A is the framing, or in Fig. 2
angle-iron leg of the boat skid used instead. B is the spur wheel driven by screw
or pinion B¹; C, support or bearing of main shaft, carrying actuating grooved
wheel E or handle N, or both; D, davit; E, actuating wheel; F, guides or fair
leaders to keep the actuating rope in the forks or grooves of the wheel; G, section of
upper strake of plating of ship, to which is attached and on which depends for
support the boat skid or frame A.; H, transverse section of ship's upper guard rail;
I, spring supported block carrying boat chain; J, pulley; K, elastic attachment of
pulley J, to take off sudden strains and to assist the spring of the block; this is
preferably made of india-rubber; L, chain supporting the boat, or sail, or other
article to be raised or lowered; M, guide pulley on chain to give it a better purchase
on the wheel B; N, handle; P, boss wheel.
Having now described my Invention, and the best modes known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new
and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. An apparatus or mechanism for hoisting or lowering boats or yards, said
apparatus being composed of a wheel such as P, formed to fit the links of the
hoisting chain, a simple form of gearing such as spur or bevil gearing, a vertical or
nearly vertical frame or its equivalent, either fastened to the ship or portable, and
a grooved or grip wheel and rope, or a crank handle, or, both, the whole being
arranged so as to take up little or no deck room, substantially as described.
Second. The mode of hoisting or lowering boats or yards, consisting in winding
a chain over a wheel made to fit or grip the links, said wheel being impelled by
gearing actuated by crank handle, grip wheel, and rope or their equivalent, and
arranged in portable framework or attached to boat skids or other vertical or nearly
vertical support, substantially as described.
Third. The special arrangement and construction of winch or apparatus and
spring block for hoisting or lowering ships' yards or boats, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Bond, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
Witness,
W*. P. THOMPSON,
of the Firm of Wm. P. Thompson, & Co.,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
& 323, High Holborn, London,
Patent Agents.
EDWARD BOND. (L.S.)