IMPROVEMENTS TY TAGER Brocks
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of the firm of
J. C. Robertson and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City
of London, Patent Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
TY TAGER Brocks "A communication
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th October 1852.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of the firm of J. C. Robertson &
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TACKLE BLOCKS" to be as follows :-
The improvements consist in banding the wooden cheek pieces with
iron hoops laid in grooves cut on the circumference of those cheek
pieces, and applied while hot so as to shrink on embracing also at the
same time the cross braces and eyes for the hook. By this means a
block is produced having several features of advantage over the old
mode; one is greater lightness, with the addition of strength; another

page_text: is diminished size of cheek as compared with the sheave; the former
being reduced nearly to the size of the latter; another is less liability
to burst under a load or by change of temperature, while in case of
bursting its checks are still held together by the band so as still to
continue as useful as before; lastly, the production of a more sightly
article to suspend in the rigging.
The construction of this improved tackle block is as follows: the
pieces of wood forming the check (a) having a groove around each on
its edge are brought to the forge; a ring of metal (6) forming the strap
is heated, and a check piece put within it; a cross strap (c) of metal
(intended to bind the checks together at the lower part and maintain
them at the right distance) is bent near the ends to fit the groove, as
shown in Figure II. at (c); an eye is formed at (d) by contracting the
metal, which causes it to firmly embrace the cheek piece, and also one
end of the cross strap (c). The outer check is then fitted in like manner,
and the block is then ready to receive its sheave or pulley (e), holes
being bored through the centre of the cheek to secure the bolt forming
the axis. The supporting hook is also inserted within the eye (d), and
the block is then complete. To make a double or triple sheaved block,
&c., it is only necessary to continue the process above described by
adding more cheeks, and straps or bands, and pulleys. An eye may
be inserted, if necessary, in the plate (c).
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of the firm of J. C. Robertson and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of Cctober, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-

page_text: teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special
licence that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Archi-
bald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TACKLE BLOCKS," communicated to me
by a foreigner residing abroad, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to tho
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
The said improvement consists in banding the wooden check pieccs
of tackle blocks with iron hoops laid in grooves cut on the circum-
ference of the check pieces, and applied while hot so as to shrink. on
embracing also at the same time the cross braces and eyes for the hook.
By this means a block is produced having several features of advantage
over those constructed according to the old mode. One is greater light-
ness, with the addition of strength; another is diminished size of cheek
as compared with the sheave, the former being reduced nearly to the
size of the latter; another is less liability to burst under a'load or by
change of temperature, while in case of bursting the cheeks are held
together by the bands so as still to continue as 'useful as before; and a
fourth is the production of a more sightly articlo to suspend in tho
rigging.

page_text: The mode of constructing the improved tackle blocks shewn in
Figures 1, and 2, of the Drawings is as follows:-The pieces of wood
forming the cheeks a, each of which has a groove around its edge, are
brought to the forge, and a ring of metal b, forming the strap is heated,
and a check piece put within it. A cross strap c, of metal intended
to bind the cheeks together at the lower part, and maintain them at
the right distanco apart, is bent near the ends to fit the groove, as shewn
in Figure 2, at c; and an eye is formed at d, by contracting the metal,
which causes it to firmly embrace the check piece and also one end of
the cross strap c.
The other check is then fitted in like manner, and the
block is then ready to receive its sheave or pulley e, holes being bored
through the centre of the check to secure the bolt forming the axis for
The supporting hook is also inserted within the eye d, and
the block is then complete. To make a double or triple sheaved block,
&c., it is only necessary to continue the process above described, by
adding more cheeks, and straps or bands, and pulleys. An eye may be
inserted, if necessary, in the plate c.
the same.
•
Figures 3, and 4, exhibit views of a "snatch block" constructed on
the above-described principle. To make this block, one of the cheek
pieces a, must be capable of revolving without disturbing the other half
or the supporting hook and sheave. For this purpose the iron bands
d, which encircle the wood of the cheeks are lengthened out so as to
form the eyes which receive the hook d', at a greater distance from the
sheave than in the other kind of block, in order to make room for
recving the rope in the snatch place. The hook is secured to one eye
by a short bolt or rivet f, leaving the other eye free to be secured
by a moveable key bolt g. When this latter bolt is withdrawn
from the eyes in the strap and hook, the cheek a', can revolve upon
the centre or sheave bolt i, a linch pin being in to keep the cheek in
place.
In Figure 4, the check is shewn in a proper position to take the
bight of the rope, and when placed on the sheave it can be instantly
secured by turning up the eye, and putting the bolt g, through the bolt
hole in the hook, as shewn in Figure 3.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
in respect thereof is,-
The construction of tackle blocks by banding the cheek pieces
with metal straps or bands, and combining therewith the cross braces
and forming the eye as represented in the Drawings, and herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)