An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Launching Ships' Boats.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 2nd July, 1897
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Launching Ships'
Boats.
JOHN HEATHCOTE The Windmill 52 Park Street Southwark, S.E. Licensed
Victualler do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An improved method of and apparatus for launching ships' boats.
The invention consists of a specially constructed and novel design combined winch
and crane, the winch having frames fastened to ship's deck at the bow and stern of
boat with the main shafts running through under the boat from one frame to
the other and having seginent arms hung on short shafts on the frame at bow and
stern.
The segments are toothed and geared into pinions on the main shaft. The top
end of the arms is connected together by a spar or rail and to this the boat is
suspended when launched by means of a single rope at the bow and stern of the boat,
passing over rollers under spar and coiled on the drums at each end of second main
shaft these ropes are provided with new, simple, and effective self-detaching gear.
The outside chocks are lowered and raised by means of shaft cranks and lever.
The boat is held firmly under the spar with stays or arms securely fastened to the
spar.
The spar and boat suspended is held and guided in the same relative position with
the ship by parallel rod motion attached to the winch frame and acts in conjunction
with the segment arms, thus preventing the boat from swinging.
The segment arms with spar and boat suspended are operated upon by a screw
pinion geared to main shafts and worked by an ordinary handle, thus the arms are
moved forward with outward and downward curve and the boat is delivered outboard
by the ship's side, ready for lowering-this is done by a brake acting on the winch
gearing, thus the boat is lowered on the water at will. The whole apparatus is
constructed so that one man can, without changing his position manipulate all the
gearings with ease and put any boat from its chocks on the water in one minute.
1st. The introduction of a novel crane attached to a specially constructed winch,
by the combined action of this crane and winch, the boat can be immediately
launched.
2nd. The application of parallel rods motion and arms, the boat is held firmly in the
same relative position with the ship while it is launched.
3rd. The drum on winding up gear, this is arranged so that any ordinary steam
winch on deck can be used as motive power to raise the boat by passing a rope from
drum through a block or sheave fixed or hooked to the deck at right angles to drum.
and that on the steam winch.
4th. The apparatus holds the boat in the chocks doing away with the ordinary
D

page_text: lashings, thus permitting one man to immediately liberate, and launch the boats in
one minute.
5th. The self-detaching gear which relieves the boat immediately the weight is on
the water.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Launching Ships'
Boats.
JOHN HEATHCOTE 52 Park Street Southwark, Wine and Spirit Merchant, 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 :-
My invention consists in a special construction and novel design combined winch
& crane, the winch having frames fastened to the ships deck at the bow & stern of
the boat the main shaft running through under the boat from one frame to the other
and having seginent arms hung on short shafts, on the frame at bow & stern the
segments are toothed and geared into pinions on the main shaft the top end of arms
is connected by a spar or rail, to this the boat is suspended (when launched) by
ineans of single rope at the bow & stern of the boat, passing over rollers under spar
and coiled on the drums at each end of second main shaft, these ropes are provided
with new simple and effective self detaching gear.
The outside chocks are lowered and raised by means of shaft cranks and lever.
The boat is held firmly under the spar with stays or arms securely fastened to the
spar.
The spar and suspended boat is held and guided in the same relative position with
the ship by parallel rod motion attached to winch frame and acts in conjunction with
the segment arms thus preventing the boat from swinging.
The segment arms with spar and suspended boat are operated upon by a screw
pinion geared to main shaft and worked by an ordinary handle thus the arms are
moved forward with outward and downward curve and the boat is delivered outboard
ready for lowering, this is done by releasing a brake acting on the winch gearing,
thus the boat is lowered on the water at will. The whole apparatus is constructed so
that one man can without changing his position manipulate all the gearing with ease
and put any boat from its chocks on the water in one minute.
Referring to the annexed drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my invention.
Fig. 2 end elevation.
Fig. 3 view of pawl & ratchet for controlling the lowering and raising mechanism.
Fig. 4 is a sectional end elevation of movable chock to enlarged scale on line ¹
Fig 1.
T
Fig. 3 view of pawl & ratchet for controlling the lowering and raising mechanism.
Fig. 4 is a sectional end elevation of movable chock to enlarged scale on line x1 y1
Fig 1.
boat.
n enlarged view of part of beam of spar showing releasing mechanism for
a is the boat which rests in the chocks b & b¹ and is maintained in position &
prevented from swinging by means of the stays or arms c secured to the spar d which
is carried at its ends by the rods e pivoted at f& having the segmental gear wheel g
upon same which gears with toothed wheel h upon spindle carrying the worm
wheel which is operated by the worm k which is operated through the medium of
the handle l. By the arrangement it will be seen that the boat can be caused to
take the position shown by the dotted lines Fig. 2, so as to hang overboard ready for
lowering. The boat is swung into this position by rotating spindle n carrying the

page_text: cam or eccentric o, by means of lever 9 which thus allows the chock b¹ pivoted at p
to fall or be lowered sufficiently for the boat to pass over same, the boat is suspended
to the spar d by means of the ropes q which pass over the rollers & are wound
round the drums 8 which are carried upon the spindle t which gears with the brake
wheel or winch u through the medium of toothed wheels v & w. being a band brake
(Figure 1) operated by lever y having a pawl z which gears with the rack 1. The
other ends of ropes q are attached to the releasing mechanism which consists of a
weight 3 which is pivotally attached to the bent lever 2; this lever 2 is pivotally
attached to the loop or eye 4 which engages upon hook 5 secured to the boat a. By
this arrangement it will be seen that when the boat is lowered into the sea & the
weight thereof supported; the continued movement of the rope q will through the
medium of weight 3 cause the lever 2 to tip & thus release the loop or eye 4
from the hook 5. It will be seen that the descent of the boat will be controlled by
band brake & lever y. The mechanism is carried in any convenient form of frame
which is securely attached to the deck of the vessel. The pivoted rods m are for the
purpose of steadying the bar d from swinging from side to side when being moved
overboard to the position shown by the dotted lines Fig. 2.
Referring to Fig. 3 this shows a form of ratchet 7 which may be employed for the
purpose of controlling the motion of the spindle carrying the winch or wheel, & to
which spindle it is secured when lowering the boat, said ratchet being arranged so as
to operate upon the ratchet wheel 8 in the desired direction of motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare what I
claim is.
1. The combined construction and arrangement of the various parts substantially
as described and illustrated herein.
2. In apparatus for lowering boats two pivoted levers having stays or arms &
controlling rods or levers carrying a spar to which the boat is suspended through the
medium of ropes passing over rollers attached to said spar and wound upon drums
upon a spindle the movement of which is controlled by means of a brake, said pivoted
arms having segmental spur wheels engaging in toothed wheels so that the levers
may be caused to partially rotate through the medium of a handle & worm gear.
3. Two or more pivoted chocks operated by means of cams or eccentrics carried
upon a spindle for the purpose of enabling the boat to be removed from same when
being launched, said apparatus being supported in suitable framing.
4. In combination with boat releasing gear of the class herein described, a loop or
eye engaging with a hook or projection upon the ends of the boat, pivotally connected
to a lever, one end of which is pivotally connected to a weight carried by the
ends of the lowering ropes, so that the boat is released when its weight is removed
from the releasing gear owing to the action of the weight aforesaid.
Dated this 1st day of April 1897.
E. EATON,
Agent for Applicant.