IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LOWERING, DETACH- ING, AND PICKING UP SHIPS' BOATS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LOWERING, DETACH-
ING, AND PICKING UP SHIPS' BOATS."-A communication from abroad by
Robert Creuzbaur, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 22nd October 1867, and dated the 17th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th May 1867.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LOWER-
ING, DETACHING, AND PICKING UP SHIPS' BOATS," to be as follows:-
For the purpose of overcoming the dangers incident to the raising, lowering,
and casting off of ships' boats, and to render the access to and from a boat.
safe, the davits are so constructed and applied to a vessel or ship that they are
capable of receiving a swinging motion toward and from the water. The
curved extremities are socketed into hinged arms to allow of their being
turned around like cranes when the davits are in upright positions, so that a
boat suspended therefrom can be swung inward over the vessel. The boat is

page_text: raised and lowered and swung round with the davits by means of ropes
applied to drums upon a shaft which is provided with a friction brake and
hand wheel, the same being constructed and arranged so that a single person
can conveniently and safely effect the swinging of the davits and the lowering
and raising of a boat. Connected with the davits are springs or weights
arranged in such manner that the tendency of the davits shall always be to
assume an upright position when unrestrained by the weight of the boat, so
that when a boat which is launched but moored to the davits rises upon a
wave the davits shall also rise and thus prevent collision and injury to pas-
sengers in the boat.
Ju order to provide a safe communication for persons between a boat which
has been lowered into the water and the vessel, ladders, and handrails or their
equivalent are applied to the vertically swinging davits. The drums an which
the ropes for suspending the boat are wound receive as they rotate an endway
motion; this enables them to spread the coils as the ropes are wound up.
The drum shaft is provided with a hand wheel for winding up the ropes on to
the drums, a ratchet wheel for maintaining the tension put on the ropes, and
a friction wheel or brake for regulating the run of the ropes.
Within the
bub of the hand and friction wheel (which are cast in one) is an elastic clutch
which is intended to neutralize all straining jars, and so ensure all the parts
against derangement or breakage. The ropes as they leave the drums pass
under pullies below the deck, thence over pullies at the top of standards
affixed to the ship's side, and then to pullies at the extremities of the davits;
these pullies and those on the standards are fitted with shields which serve to
retain the ropes in the grooves of the pullies. To prevent the slack from
running back to the drums, which would be likely to cause the ropes to over-
ride and foul, elastic pressure rollers are made to act against the ropes
beneath the pullies mounted as already mentioned below the deck; these
pressure pullies are operated by the springs which are used to restore the
davits to their elevated position. In order to neutralize any strain upon the
ropes caused by sudden jars, it will be convenient to connect the ropes to the
boat by the intervention of a coupling consisting of a cylinder, the lower end
of which is partly closed and receives the spherical termination of a pendent
tougue piece, thus forming a kind of ball and socket joint. Into the upper
end of the cylinder projects a rod which is attached to the davit rope and
carries a plunger at its inner end; the top of the cylinder is closed and the
space between the head and the plunger is packed with elastic rubber, which
serves to neutralize any jar or strain that may occur in the working of the
apparatus.

page_text: The boat is fitted with coupling apparatus which is capable of being
instantly disengaged from the pendent tongues; these tongues fit into metal
sheaths affixed to the extremities of the boat, and a slot is formed through
them and through the sheaths to admit horizontal bolts, which when pro-
pelled forward will secure the boat to the tongues and therefore to the davit
ropes; these bolts slide in suitable guides in the boat, and are actuated by a
rock lever with or without the aid of cams or excentrics, and springs are usel
to force the bolts forward when released from the retarding action of the rock.
lever and retain them in the locking position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th November 1867..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LOWERING, DETACHING, AND PICKING UP SHIPS'
BOATS," being a communication to me from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under iny, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being bad to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
For the purpose of overcoming the dangers incident to the raising, lowering,
and casting off of ships' boats, and to render the access to and from a boat
safe, the first part of this Invention consists in so constructing the davits, and
so applying them to a vessel or ship, that they shall have a swinging motion
toward and from the water, and at the same time admit of being turned
around like cranes when they are in an upright position, so that a boat can be
swung inward over the vessel.
The second part of the Invention consists in providing for raising and
lowering a boat and swinging the davits by means of ropes applied to drums
upon a shaft, which is provided with a friction brake and hand wheel, and
otherwise constructed and arranged in such manner that a single person can
conveniently and safely effect the swinging of the davits and the lowering and
raising of a boat.
The third part of the Invention consists in combining springs or weights
with vertically swinging davits in such manner that the tendency of the latter
shall always be to assume an upright position when unrestrained by the weight
of the boat, so that when a boat which is launched, but moored to the davits,
rises upon a wave the davits shall also rise, and thus prevent collision and
in jury to passengers in the boat.
The fourth part of the Invention consists in providing for a safe communi-
cation for persons between a boat which has been lowered into the water and
the vessel, by the application of ladders and handrails to the vertically swinging
davits, as will be herein-after described.
The fifth part of the Invention relates to the employment of certain
mechanical devices in conjunction with vertically swinging boats' davits for
allowing of the raising and lowering of a boat upon an even or level keel, for
preventing fouling of the ropes, for facilitating the attachment of a boat to
and its detachment from the davits or hoisting and lowering ropes, and also
for preventing severe and injurious jars and concussions of the apparatus in
manipulating it in a storm or during very rough seas.
But in order that the Invention may be more fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will now describe the manner of performing the same.
. In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, Sheet I., is a vertical sectional view.
of a portion of the deck and one side of a ship, shewing in side elevation and
in different positions the application thereto of the improved beat lowering,
detaching, and picking-up apparatus; Fig. 2 is an end view shewing the

page_text: manner of applying the band wheel (used for working the suspending ropes)
to its drum shaft by an elastic connection; Figures 3 are views shewing an
elastic pressure pulley applied to one of the standing pullies for preventing the
fouling of the davit ropes; Fig. 4 is a top view shewing the straight portions
of both davits applied to the side of a ship with their ladder attachments, and
also shewing, partly in section, the means for raising and lowering the free
ends of the davits; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a ship's boat shewing the
attaching and detaching devices applied to one end thereof; Fig. 6 is a vertical
central section taken longitudinally through the boat of Fig. 5, shewing a
side elevation, partly in section, of the attaching and detaching devices; and
Figures 7 and 8 are views shewing a slight modification in the manner
of operating the attaching and detaching devices which are applied to the
boat.
The davits A, A, are hinged or pivotted at A' to the side of the vessel by
strong connections, so that they may be vibrated in vertical planes at right
angles to the length of the vessel, as indicated by the two positions shewn in
Fig. 1; these davits are hinged separately to the vessel's side, so that they
may have independent movements, or rise and descend together. The upper
ends of the standards or straight portions of the davits A, A, are constructed
with sockets in them, in which screw threads are formed for receiving the
screw threaded lower ends of the curved overhanging portions of the davits
from which the boat is suspended. This mode of constructing the davits will
allow of the swinging of their curved portions with boat attached inward or
over the vessel, as indicated by dotted lines, position No. 1 in Fig. 1. In
position No. 2 the said curved portions of the davits are represented as turned
outward. At the extremity of the curved part of each davit is a pulley P,
over which the suspending rope R works, and upon which this rope is safely
held by the hood or shield S, which rocks freely on the axle of said pulley,
so as to conform to the different positions or directions of the rope in raising and
lowering the free end of the davit; this shield S has an eye E, through which
the rope R passes, and by which the hood or shield is caused to accommodate
itself to this rope, and by which also the rope is held safely in the groove of the
pulley P, whether the boat surges fore or aft, sideways, or in any other way.
To enable persons to pass safely down over the davit or davits to the boat
when lowered into the water a ladder or stairway is constructed upon both the
straight and curved parts of each davit. In Fig. 4 of the Drawings this is
represented as having been done by screwing rounds r, r, into the straight and
curved portions of each davit, and by connecting their opposite ends securely
to the pieces r,. The piece on the curved end of each davit is extended

page_text: so as to lap over the upper round of the main part of the davit, in order to
prevent this curved part from turning when its rounds are stepped upon by a
person entering or leaving a boat. In order to complete the passage way a
handrailing is applied to each section of each davit, which railing is formed on
the straight portion of the davit by the supporting standards b, b, Fig. 1, and
handrail c.
The standards b, b, are pivotted to the rounds r at one end and
to the rail cat the other end. The rail c is hinged by its lower or inner end
at c to the side of the vessel (above the hinged joint A³), and all the parts are
of such length that true parallelograms are formed between the several pivots,
which admit of said parts folding up compactly when the davit is brought in
an upright position, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. On the curved
portion of each davit the handrail consists simply of two standards u, u, with
a hand roped fastened to their upper ends, which rope hangs down some
distance and terminates in a float or ball to facilitate the grasping thereof,
as shown in Fig 1. The suspending rope R passes up from the pulley P to
and over a pulley F, Fig. 1, and is safely held thereon by a shield S¹ con-
structed and applied exactly as described for the shield S of the pulley P.
From thence the rope passes down the gunwale underneath the deck of the
vessel and under a pulley G, and from thence close under the deck through
a guide H to the drum K, Fig. 1. I will here state that both davits and their
appurtenances are constructed alike. The drums K, K, around which the
davit ropes R are wound, are made to rotate in unison with the shaft L, upon
which they are applied, which shaft is arranged longitudinally with and in the
centre of the vessel or ship, shown in Fig. 4. Each one of the drums K is
applied to its shaft by means of a key tenon m in one end of the former fitting
into a long groove in the latter, thereby allowing this drum to be moved
longitudinally while it is rotating with its shaft L. That end of the drum K
which is nearest the hand wheel Q has a female screw formed in it, which
receives a male screw that is formed on the circumference of a stationary
sleeve N which may be fastened to the deck in any suitable manner, and form
intermediate bearings for the shaft L; the object of this arrangement is to
guard the ropes R of both drums K, K, against fouling by causing these
drums to travel slowly endwise, so as always to present a clear space to the
ropes winding around them. Both davits being rigged precisely alike the
shaft L controls both drums K, K, and is controlled by the hand and friction
wheel and ratchet wheel U. The hand and friction wheel are arranged
conjointly and have formed within their hubs an elastic clutch which is intended
for neutralizing all straining jars, so as to insure all the parts against derange-
ment or breakage. To form this elastic clutch the hand wheel Q is firmly

page_text: fastened to its shaft L, while the ratchet wheel U sets loose upon this shaft
but has lugs u', u', Fig. 2, on that side next the hand wheel, which engage with
corresponding lugs 9', q', on the latter; rubber, cork, or other elastic blocks
t, t, intervene between said lugs and neutralize all sudden jars. This hand
wheel Q is made to serve as a friction brake wheel by means of the strap T,
which is fastened to the deck at one end and to a lever T¹ at the other end, so
that by forcibly raising this lever the band may be made to encircle the hub
Q firmly, thereby causing sufficient friction to allow one man to control the
lowering of a boat. As the vibrating davits when lowered would endanger
a boat rising suddenly upon a wave it is necessary to cause these davits to rise
out of the way of the boat when relieved of the weight thereof; for this
purpose two suspension bars V are binged to each davit close to their respec-
tive pivots, as shown in Figures 1 and 2; the upper ends of these bars are
pivotted to the outer end of the rock lever X, which is pivotted in the side of
the vessel in any suitable manner; the inner end of this lever X is pivotted to
the upper end of the rod Y which passes through a series or pile of india-
rubber springs I (and alternate plates I', and is confined to these by the screw
nut Y', by which latter the tension of the springs is regulated; the lower end
of this rod Y passes freely through an eye which is made through the fixed
bracket Z; thus these springs accommodate their position to the sweep of the
end of lever X, and the davits are made to preserve a proper distance from
the suspended boat. As the rising of the davits will slacken the ropes R it
becomes necessary to prevent the slack from running back to the drums, which
would be likely to cause these ropes to override and foul; for this purpose
the elastic pressure roller 4, Figures 1 and 3, is mado to act against the rope
beneath the pulley G, impelled against the same by the india-rubber spring 5,
which presses upon the head 4, in which the roller 4 has its bearings.
The boat detaching parts consist of the central vibrating hand lever 6,
Figures 5 and 6, Sheet II., which is pivotted centrally to one side of the boat.
At the proper distance on each side of the centre of motion of said lever
horizontally moving bars 7 are pivotted, so that they will have precisely the
same amount of motion in opposite directions imparted to them by vibrating
the hand lever 6. The outer extremities of these bars 7 are pivotted to
levers 8, which are hinged to the stern and bow seats underneath the
same so as to be out of the way. The direction of these levers 8 is so
arranged that their free ends may as nearly as practicable conform to the
curve of that part of the boat's side along which they sweep. In the middle
of the stern seat, this description applies also to the other end of the boat, a
strong bolt 9 is confined within guides 10 to the lower side of the seat in a

page_text: fore and aft direction; a pin 11 firmly fastened to this bolt extends up
through a slot in the lever 8, which controls its movement. Sufficient play
should be allowed to this pin within its slot to admit of the forcing back of
the bolt when in the position shewn in Fig. 5 by the slotted tongue piece
12, and when thus forced back the india-rubber spring 13 which is confined
between the guides 10, 10, the bolt 9, the lug 14 upon the bolt, and the
retaining plate 15, will force the bolt back into its place and into this slot in
the piece 12; this piece 12 and its corresponding bell-mouthed sheath 16
are made tapering from the slot and bolt every way in such manner as to
prevent binding of the tongue when it is within the sheath when the boat
is not horizontal. The upper end of this tongue is screwed into or otherwise
suitably secured to a ball 17 which is placed within the hollow suspension
cylinder 18, Fig. 1, so as to form a ball joint. This cylinder 18 is made
elastic by the india-rubber block 19, which is interposed between the piston 20
and the cylinder cap 21, and which surrounds the piston rod to which the
suspension rope R is fastened. By this mode of attaching the slotted tongue
piece 12 of each end of the boat to its respective suspension rope R there
will be little or no jar or concussion upon the parts. The washer 22, which
may be made of leather, is applied to the rope R as shewn in Fig. 1, to
prevent the knot of this rope from entering the eye E of the pulley
shield S.
Another mode of arranging the detaching parts so that either end may be
attached without co-operation at the other end is represented by Figures 7
and 8 of Sheet II., and consists in applying at each end of the boat a sus-
pension tongue piece A, its sheath B, the bolt rod C, C, washer D, india-
rubber spring E, abutment guide F, and the central double excentric M, M'.
At N the rod C is parted, and a space P is left between its ends so as to
allow the loose parts of it to recede toward the excentrics M when crowded
back by the entering tongue piece A. The sleeve N is firmly fastened to the
rod section C¹, and allows the end C to slide within it to the extent of the play
allowed to a key Q which passes through a slot in the rod C. The excen-
trics M and M', with handle S, move in unison, and are represented in Fig. 8
in the proper position when the tongue pieces. are to be inserted. The ends
of the rods C' at the excentrics are slotted as shown, and the central pin T
around which the excentrics turn passes through these slots, firmly holding
the rods to their positions parallel to the keel of the boat while sliding
longitudinally; these excentrics operate against shoulders Y, Y, which are
pieces rivetted upon the sides of the rods C', as shewn in Fig. 7. The
piece A has two pins 2, 2, on opposite sides of it, which are guided into the

page_text: proper place by the two bell-mouthed grooves 3 in the sheath B; this insures
the
proper position of the piece A in entering its sheath B, so that the slot
which is through the said piece A will always receive the bolt.
In order to lower a boat from the deck into the water the davits are
brought into the position No. 1, Fig. 1, with sufficient slack of rope, the boat
is hauled under them, the handle 6, Fig. 6, in the boat is brought into a
vertical position, and the tongue pieces 12 are forced down into their
sheaths 16. The ropes R are then hauled in by being wound around the
drums K by the hand wheel Q until the boat can clear or pass over the top
of the gunwale. The davits and the boat are then swung outward into the
position indicated by No. 2, Fig. 1. If the sea is smooth the davits can remain
in the upright position shown in dotted lines Fig. 1, and held so by a hook 23
catching over pins, and the boat can be lowered close alongside of the vessel
as usual, with this difference, that the two ropes R can by the present plan
be paid out equally from both drums K, and thus the boat can be lowered
upon an even keel. If the sea is rough the hooks 23 are detached from the
davits and the latter pushed off. The boat then. descends to the water as
shown in Fig. 1, and rides safely "at anchor" until released by moving the
handle 6, so as to release both the pieces 12; while thus riding "at anchor
the boat and its passengers are in no danger of striking the davits, as the
latter rise out of the way whenever the boat rises upon a wave.
them to rise to a greater or less height the springs I are brought to a greater
or less tension, more or less compressed by screwing the nut Y¹ up or down
on its rod Y. When the davits rise the ropes R are slack, but in no danger
of fouling, because they are on the outside of the davits while the ladder-
way and handrailing are on the inner side of the davits, nor can the slack of
the ropes run to the drums K, K, as the pressure pulleys 4 will arrest the
ropes at these points as above mentioned and described.
"
To cause
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improved Apparatus
for Lowering, Detaching, and Picking up Ships' Boats, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, boats' davits which are hinged in such manner as to swing in
vertical or nearly vertical planes toward and from the water, and which are
provided with ropes for suspending a boat and raising or lowering it, sub-
stantially as described.
Secondly, the application of curved sections to the upper ends of boats'
davits which are hinged at their lower ends when said curved sections are so

page_text: applied as to admit of being turned around independently of the standard
sections of the davits, substantially as described.
Thirdly, the means above described for working the drums K, K, in
combination with the boat's davits.
Fourthly, for the purpose of lowering, picking up, detaching, or moving a
ship's boat, I claim independently hinged davits which are so counterpoised by
springs or their equivalents that it shall require a weight greater than the
davits themselves to draw them down to the water, so that when a boat
attached to said davits rises upon a wave the davits shall rise beyond the
reach of the boat, substantially as described.
Fifthly, the combinations of springs I or their equivalents with davits
hinged as described, and also with means for regulating the force of said
springs.
Sixthly, constructing one or both of the davits with ladders or stairways
and handrails moving with the davits, and serving to afford a safe passage for
persons to and from a boat, substantially as described.
Seventhly, the means of guiding and controlling the suspension ropes R,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
And, lastly, the means described for effecting the attachment of the boat to
and its detachment from the suspending ropes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)