Improvements in Mechanism for Launching Ships' Boats.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1897-Accepted, 5th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Launching Ships' Boats.
I, CARL SCHNEEMANN, Director of the City Slaughter Houses, of Schlachthof
strasse, Bremen, in the Empire of Germany, 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 improved mechanism intended to replace the ordinary
ships davits as a safe and rapid means for lowering the ships life boats or gigs
into the water along side the vessel.
This invention consists in providing a set of rails and roller carriages on the
vessels deck leading to a wire rope or pivotted gangway all arranged in such a
manner that the ships boats may be kept housed upon the vessels decks, but when
wanted can be picked up by the roller carriages and launched from the wire rope
or pivotted gangway rapidly and safely even in a heavy sea.
The carrying into effect of this invention is clearly shown in the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one modification with the wire rope launching
device.
"
Figure 2 is a plan of the apparatus shown on Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same.
Figures 45 and 6 are details on a larger scale of same.
I
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively partial side and end elevations of the pivotted
gangway launching device.
Referring to the modification shown in Figures 1 to 6. The life boats are housed
upon cradles on the ships decks as shown in Figure 3; and mounted on short
pillars upon and running along either side of the decks are rails A. A having
roller carriages such as B (shown in detail on Figure 6) fitted with suitable
hooks a, to grip the life boat slings when required. At either end of the deck
and on both sides are fixed pillars bb carrying semi-circular rails E, E, these
semi-circular rails being connected at the inner sides by the rails D D parallel
with and a short distance from the rails AA, while the outer portion of the semi-
circular rails project over the ships sides and are connected by wire ropes F F.
The wire ropes are attached to suitable swivels at the ends d d, while the other
ends pass over guide pulleys H, G, on to a windlass drum J, this drum being fitted
with a brake L, and also having a second drum N fixed at the outer end of the
windlass shaft with a balance weight M attached by a suitable rope to it; the
whole arrangement of the windlass being clearly shown in Figure 4.
The operation of launching is as follows-The boat is picked up from its cradle
on the deck by the hooks a of the roller carriage B and this carriage is run along
the rail A until the roller carriage C on the rail D is reached, when by any suitable
means the boat is transferred to a spring hook e of any known construction hung
on the roller carriage C. This hook e is preferably arranged with pivotted
jaws kept open by springs but shut as long as the weight of the boat hangs
upon them. The boat is now run along the rail D round the semi-circular rail E
out upon the wire rope F, whereupon the brake L is released by hand and the weight

page_text: of the boat carries the wire rope down and launches the boat obliquely into the
water; then immediately upon touching the water the weight is taken off the spring
hooks e which fly open and at once release the boat, the balance weight M then
acts upon the windlass and winds up and makes taut again the wire rope F, the
brake I finally being put into action to make all secure. Figure 1 clearly shows
a boat in the act of being launched.
When it is desired to launch all the boats from one side of the vessel only it
is done by running the roller carriages C over the connecting rails N placed at
right angles to the rails D and crossing the deck.
Referring to Figures 7 and 8. In this modification the devices provided to take
the boats from their housings on the deck may be similar to the herein before
described modification but instead of a wire rope, a gangway P (of suitable section
such as shown at Figure 8) is arranged on brackets projecting over the sides of the
vessel in suitable lengths being pivotted on one bracket at P and lowered from a
block and tackle or crane on the other bracket at R so that the life boat is launched
into the water rapidly and safely at an oblique angle to the water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
-
1. In launching mechanism for ships boats the provision of rails and roller
carriages within the ships bulwarks connected to a wire rope without the ships
bulwarks, all arranged in such a manner that the boat may be lifted from its
housings upon the ships deck suspended to the roller carriage run along the inner
rails round out upon the wire rope, over the ships side ready for launching.
2. In launching mechanism for ships boats in which the boat is slung upon a
roller carriage and run out upon a wire rope projecting over the ships side, fastening
one end of the wire rope to a suitable projecting arm and passing the other over
a windlass drum controlled by a brake and balance weight so that upon releasing
the brake the weight of the boat pulls down the rope and launches the boat obliquely.
into the water there being released and then allowing the balance weight to pull
the wire rope taut again.
3. The boat launching device hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The boat launching device herein before described with reference to Figures 7
and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
Dotod this 1st day of October 1897.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
and