Year: 1885

page_text: I, WALTER JOHN FORD, of 19 Duke Street Deptford, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction of safety hooks in such a way that
when the hook hangs in its normal position the entrance to it is closed by a
tongue that is locked in the closed position and is so retained by the action of the
weight of the hook itself supplemented by that of any load that may for the time
being be suspended to the hook.
An arrangement of safety hook according to my invention comprises a shackle
or connecting hook, to which are hinged, jointed or pivotted, the main hook and
also the closing tongue. These are provided with teeth that engage with one
another in such a way that the turning of the hook upon its hinge pin or pivot
will cause the tongue to turn upon its hinge pin or pivot. The main hook is
provided with a projection so arranged as to limit the movement of the hook upon
its hinge pin or pivot by coming into contact with the link to which the shackle
is suspended. The arrangement is such that in the act of connecting my apparatus
to a chain by which it is to be suspended, the main hook and the tongue will be
caused by the link to assume proper relative positions to ensure their engagement
and efficient operation and to this end one of the teeth upon the tongue is suitably
formed to be acted upon by the link whilst the shackle is being passed through it.
My invention enables me to dispense with all other kinds of shackles or connecting
links used in connecting hooks to chains.

page_text: I, WALTER JOHN FORD, of 19 Duke Street, Deptford, in the county of Kent,
Engineer, 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 relates to the construction of safety hooks in such a way that
when the hook hangs in its normal position the entrance to it is closed by a
tongue that is locked in the closed position and is so retained by the action of the
weight of the hook itself supplemented by that of any load that may for the time
being be suspended to the hook.
An arrangement of safety hook according to my invention comprises a shackle
or connecting hook to which are hinged, jointed or pivotted, the main hook and
also the closing tongue. These are provided with teeth that engage with one
another in such a way that the turning of the hook upon its hinge pin or pivot
will cause the tongue to turn upon its hinge pin or pivot. The main hook is
provided with a projection so arranged as to limit the movement of the hook upon
its hinge pin or pivot by coming into contact with a stop. My invention enables
me to dispense with all other kinds of shackles or connecting links used in
connecting hooks to chains.
Referring to the annexed sheet of illustrative drawings Fig. 1 shows in side
elevation a safety hook according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents the same
safety hook at right angles to Fig. 1 the portion to the right hand of the vertical
centre line being an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow N° 1 in Fig. 1
and the portion to the left of the said centre line being a view looking in the
direction of the arrow N° 2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the hook
open. Figs. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. and 9. are detached detailed views. A is a shackle made
with two cheeks A¹A¹ to receive between them the upper part of the hook B which
works on a hinge pin C that passes through the cheeks and through the hook.
The shackle is formed with a recess at A³ to receive a chain link and at each side
of the shackle are projections D and E to limit the movement of the chain link
when engaged with the shackle. The hook B is at its upper end provided with
teeth F. F. forming a toothed sector. The shackle A is recessed or bifurcated
at A to receive the upper end of a tongue G which works on a hinge pin H and is
formed with a tooth I that engages with the teeth F F on the hook B.
K is &
removable stop (it may be a screw) secured to the shackle: the upper part of the
hook B is recessed at B¹ and the parts B2 B3 by coming into contact with the
stop K serve to limit the movement of the hook on the pin C as required. The
stop K has to be removed to enable a chain link to be engaged with the shackle or
to be disengaged therefrom.
It will be seen that with the above described arrangement the tongue & will be
locked in the closed position represented in Fig. 1. when any load is suspended to
the hook B and will prevent accidental disengagement of the load from the hook.

page_text: 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. A safety hook with a closing tongue so constructed and arranged that when
the hook hangs down (as when a load is suspended to it) the closing tongue will
be locked in its closed position and that turning of the hook upon its hinge pin or
pivot will cause simultaneous movement of the tongue, opening the entrance to
the hook substantially as described.
2. The improved safety hook shown and described.