AN IMPROVED SELF-RELEASING Hook."
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm
of Harris and Mills, of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
SELF-RELEASING Hook."-A communication from abroad by James
Leander Cathcart, Mechanical Engineer, Mosely Ezekiel, Attorney-
at-Law, and Earnest Francis Maurice Fachtz, Contractor, all of
the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph
Barnard Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 8th January 1872.
⚫ I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and
Mills, of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED SELF-RELEASING Hook," a communication to me from
abroad by James Leander Cathcart, Mechanical Engineer, Mosely

page_text: Ezekiel, Attorney-at-Law, and Earnest Francis Maurice Fachtz,
Contractor, all of the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia,
United States of America, to be as follows:-
The subject of this Invention is a hook so constructed that it will
securely hold any suspended burden so long as the weight rests upon it,
but will automatically release and become detached from the same as
soon as relieved of its weight. To this end the hook is made with a
pivotted nose or point, with an arm extending over the bend of the hook
in such position that the ring or other object will rest upon it, the parts
being so formed and applied that when the hook is relieved of its burden:
the preponderance in weight of that part of the point which projects
beyond the pivot will cause the point to fall and throw the ring out of
the hook. To assist this action a spring may be applied underneath the
arm on which the ring rests, but this is not deemed essential to the
Invention.
The hook may also be provided with a mousing, which can be
used when it is desired that the hook shall not be automatically
detachable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 35,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my exccutors, administrators,

page_text: 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 Invention for "AN IMPROVED SELF-RELEASING
Hoox," a communication to me from abroad by James Leander
Cathcart, Mechanical Engineer, Mosely Ezekiel, Attorney-at-Law,
and Earnest Francis Maurice Fachtz, Contractor, all of the City of
Washington, in the District of Columbia, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Joseph
Barnard Mills, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing. under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
-
The subject of this Invention is a hook so constructed that it will
securely hold any suspended burden so long as the weight rests upon it,
but will automatically release and become detached from the same as
soon as relieved of its weight. To this end the hook is made with a
pivotted nose or point with an arm extending over the bend of the hook
in such position that the ring or other object will rest upon it, the parts
being so formed and applied that when the hook is relieved of its
burden the preponderance in weight of that part of the point which
projects beyond the pivot will cause the point to fall and throw the ring
out of the hook. To assist this action a spring may be applied under-
neath the arm on which the ring rests, but this is not deemed essential
to the Invention.
The hook may also be provided with a mousing, which can be
used when it is desired that the hook shall not be automatically
detachable.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved hook, with a ring
upon it showing the position of the parts supposing a burden to be 5
suspended from the said ring. The dotted lines show the mousing
in position, but the full lines show it hanging loosely, leaving the hook
in condition to become automatically released when the burden comes
to rest.
Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the position of the point when 1
the ring is discharged. The dotted lines in this Figure indicate the
previous position of the point representing more clearly the projection
of the chief part thereof beyond the pivot.
A is the main body of the hook and B the moveable point thercof,
which is pivotted at C, and has formed in one piece with it an arm D 1
which fits over the concavity of the hook, as shown in Figure 1, in
position for a ring R or other object to rest upon it, and by the weight
of the burden thereto attached to retain the point B in an upright
position, compressing the spring E if such spring be used. F represents
a mousing of common form, which may be thrown over the point of the
hook if desired.
The parts being in the position shown in full lines in Figure 1,
it will be apparent that any burden suspended from the hook will
be held with perfect security, but as soon as the said burden
reaches a resting place the arm D being relieved of any weight
beyond that of the ring will allow the point B to fall by its own gravity
and throw off the ring.
The Invention thus constitutes a simple and effective device for
detaching boats from vessels, and detaching any object from a pulley
block hook or any hook in the act of lowering.
The Invention also affords great facility in hooking. This will be
apparent from an inspection of Figure 2 of the Drawings, which shows
the horizontal position of the point of the hook in readiness to insert in
a ring or other object, which can be done with much greater case than
in the case of a hook with a fixed vertical point.

page_text: The Invention also forms an excellent hook for butchers' and various
other uses, which it is not necessary to particularize.
It will be observed that no strain whatever comes upon the
pivot C, but the burden is sustained as securely as in any hook of
common form.
Having thus described the nature of tho said Invention, and the mode
in which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that
what I do claim is,―
First. A self-detaching hook constructed with a pivotted point so
formed and applied that the preponderance in weight will cause the said
point to fall and thereby release its burden.
Secondly. The pivotted point B and arm D formed together, and
applied to the hook A in manner substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Thirdly. The hook A, point B, and arm C, constructed and combined
as hercin described, so that the preponderance in weight of the said
point beyond its pivot will cause said point to fall and release the hook
when relieved of the weight of the burden.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Eighth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two.
D
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