IMPROVED BOAT LOWERING APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVED BOAT LOWERING APPARATUS, to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is to provide apparatus adapted for the holding,
lowering and releasing of boats with greater precision facility and consequent
safety than heretofore.
For this purpose this apparatus is especially designed so as to be capable of
releasing a boat from her falls both ends simultaneously when water-borne on
being lowered in a seaway.
On the lower block of each fall there is an oval shaped link which is hooked to
the suspending hook in the boat. These hooks are kept in position by the fore
and after connecting part which is in two parts connected by a releaser or catch
piece with handle. Guards forming part of the suspending brackets prevent any
possibility of either fall, becoming unhooked, as long as the two parts of the fore
and after connecting part are connected.
When the boat is water borne and the releaser disconnected both falls will
become unhooked without the possibility of either remaining hooked and hanging
that end of the boat.
The releaser consists of four parts including a safety pin which passes through a
hole drilled through the upper part of a stud on the releasing lever and prevents
all possibility of the releaser becoming disengaged by any mischance when the boat
is at the davit head. This safety pin needs to be withdrawn before the apparatus
can be used if it has been inserted as it always should be when the boat is left
suspended.
There is also another releasing lever which has a stud which passes through a
slot in the releasing bolt, and the frame or loop which is secured to the after
suspending hook by a bolt and nut.
When the boat is hanging by the falls the strain on the fore and after part or
connection keeps the stud pressed against the end of the slot, and when the boat is
waterborne the strain being taken off the fore and after part the releasing lever
falls by its own weight, the releasing bolt is released and the boat is unhooked.

page_text: As as additional means of safety when the boat is at the davit head there are
two claws to each suspending hook which work on the same pin as the suspending
hook itself and are of sufficient strength to bear the weight of the boat, they are
passed by pushing them over the bottom of the link one on each side of tho
suspending hook and must of course be pushed back before the apparatus can
be used.
In the event of the releaser being disengaged by accident when the boat is at
the davit head-which could only happen if the safety pin had been withdrawn or
omitted to be inserted-they will support the boat and prevent her from falling.
When the boat is hanging by the claws in order to get ready for being lowered
the purchase or tackle connecting the fore and aft suspending parts must be
overhauled, the releaser adjusted, the safety pin inserted, and then the purchase
being hauled on the suspending hooks will take the weight of the boat off the
claws and when the purchase is secured the boat is ready for being lowered.
If it is preferred to release the boat by hand this can be effected by one of the
crew pressing down the end of the releasing lever.
When the boat is to be hoisted the claws only need be hooked to the links on
the falls and the apparatus adjusted after the boat has been hoisted, or if preferred
a common hook may be kept shackled to the boats slings and hooked to the link.
Among the advantages of this systein of this improved constructing of boat
lowering apparatus.
1st The boat can only be released both ends simultaneously with consequent
safety.
2nd It will enable the boat to be hoisted closer to the davit head.
3rd It does not release the boat until fully water-borne.
4th It can be used by hand if preferred so to be.
5th It can be used with the slings which are usually fitted to ships boats and
requires no special fittings in the boat thereby facilitating adaptation to existing
circumstances or conditions.
Dated this 13th day of June 1884.
ALFRED G. BROOKES.

page_text: I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVED BOAT LOWERING APPARATUS and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-.
The object of the invention is to provide apparatus adapted for the holding,
lowering and releasing of boats with greater precision, facility and consequent
safety than heretofore..
For this purpose my improved boat lowering apparatus is especially designed to
be capable of releasing a boat from her falls both ends simultaneously when
water-borne on being lowered in a seaway.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 indicates by side view the position and
form of the parts holding a boat for lowering or raising the dotted lines,F
indicating portions of a boat attached to the slings F connected by the loops E³ to
the suspending brackets E. Fig 2 by a similar view shews the like parts in
substantially the position they assume as soon as the locking catch is released and
the holding parts have separated, releasing the loops of the falls, leaving the boat
to be water-borne.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 shew parts of the locking or "releaser" device separately, to
the same scale as the preceding figures.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 shew the suspending parts assembled and separately to
a larger scale, for greater clearness.
On the lower block A¹ of each fall there is an oval shaped link A which is
hooked to, or engaged with, the suspending hook B of the apparatus attached to
the boat F. The hooks B, B are kept in position by the fore and aft connecting
part connected to B B¹. Guards E E¹ forming part of the suspending brackets E
prevent any possibility of either fall loop A A, becoming unhooked, as long as the
two parts B³ B of the fore and after connecting part are connected.
When the boat is water borne and the "releaser," forming the connection
between the parts B B', has been disconnected by the withdrawal of the locking
projection or stud H from the slot I' of the releasing bolt I, permitting that bolt I
to pass out and free from its engagement with the frame or loop G, which frame or
loop G is connected to the after suspending hook B by a bolt and nut at B
When the boat is hanging by the falls AA the strain on the fore and after part
between B B in connection, keeps the stud or projection H' pressed against the
end of the slot I and when the boat being. water-borne the strain is taken off the
fore and after part between B2 B² the releasing lever H falls by its weight, the
released bolt I is set free and the boat is let go by the turning over of the hooks B
and their disengagement from the falls' loops A A.
As an additional means of safety when the boat is at the davit head there are
provided two claws K K to each suspending hook B which work on the same pin
or centre of motion E' as the suspending hook B and are of sufficient strength to
bear the weight of the boat-they are brought into use by pushing, them over the
bottom of the link A one on each side of the suspending hook B and must of course
be pushed back out of use before the apparatus can be brought into operation for
releasing a boat onto the water.
The "releaser" device consists of four parts G H I including a safety pin J
which is passed through a hole at H2 drilled through the unner part of the stud Hª

page_text: on the releasing lever H and which pin J by being so applied prevents all possibility
of the "releaser" I becoming disengaged by any mischance when the boat is at the
davit head.
This safety pin J needs to be withdrawn before the apparatus can be used, if, as
should, in practice, be always the case, it has been left inserted whilst the boat
remains in its ordinary state of suspension.
This releasing lever H the projection of which H³ passes through the slot I' in
the bolt I is centred at H' to the loop G which loop again is centred at B2 to the
after suspending hook In the event of the releaser being disengaged by accident
when the boat is at the davit head-which could only happen if the safety pin has
been withdrawn or omitted to be inserted-The claws K K provided for use as an
additional security will support the boat and prevent her from falling.
When the boat is hanging by the claws K, K in order to get ready for being
lowered the purchase or tackle F³ F³ connecting the fore and aft suspending
parts should be overhauled, the releaser H adjusted, the safety pin J inserted, and
then the purchase F³ being hauled-on the suspending hooks E¹ E¹ will take the
weight of the boat off the claws K K, which fall clear and then, when the purchase
is secured the boat is ready for being lowered.
If it be preferred to release the boat by hand this can be effected by one of tho
crew pressing down the end of the releasing lever H when the like disengagement
will be effected as is effected by the boat being waterborno.
When the boat is to bo hoisted the claws K, K only need be hooked to the
links A A on the falls and the apparatus readjusted after the boat has been hoisted,
of if preferred, a common hook, such as L L may be kept shackled to the boats
slings and be hooked as required to each link of the falls.
Amongst the advantages arising out of the improved system of constructing
boat lowering apparatus described are
1° The facility with which the boat can be lowered, whilst it can only be released
at both ends simultaneously, with consequent safety.
2° Facility is afforded for hoisting the boat closer to the davit head.
3° Security is afforded against the boat becoming accidentally released until fully
waterborne.
4° The disengagement of the boat from the falls can be effected by hand if so
desired.
5° The adaptability of the improved boat lowering apparatus for use with the
slings which are usually fitted to ships' boats and no special fittings in the boat
are required thereby facilitating its adaptation to existing circumstances or
conditions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1° The combination or arrangement of parts forming a boat lowering apparatus
as and for the purposes herein set forth.
2° The construction and use of the parts for suspending and releasing a boat
from its falls in combination with a suitable "releaser" substantially as set forth.
3° The construction and use of the "releaser" for releasing the suspending parts
of boat lowering apparatus as set forth.
Dated this 9th day of March 1885.
W BROOKES & SON,
55 & 50 Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for Alfred G. Brookes.