Improvements in Apparatus for Detaching Ships' Boats.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1891
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Detaching Ships' Boats.
I, JOHN AUCHINCLOSS GRAY, of the firm of R. R. Gray, Queen's Dock
Works, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Shipsmith, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
The invention has for its object an apparatus for releasing or casting loose a boat
when lowered from a vessel's side to the water.
It is well known that, in lowering a boat in a heavy sea, the ordinary plan of
hooking the lower blocks of the falls which are suspended from the davits into rings
at each end of the boat, or equivalent arrangement, is troublesome and inconvenient,
as a failure to detach both hooks simultaneously may lead to the swamping of the
boat. To remedy this a number of contrivances have been devised, but many of
them are too expensive for general adoption. The apparatus which I have designed
is very simple in construction and can be made and fitted at very reasonable cost,
and the devices which hold the boat cannot be released otherwise than simultaneously.
The apparatus is arranged so as to be under the entire control of the man in
charge.
In carrying out the invention, I mount, in proximity to each end of the boat, a
pivoted tumbler, cach adapted to engage a link, loop or its equivalent attached to
the falls by which the boat is suspended and lowered from the davits.
The ends of the said tumblers are adapted to be simultaneously engaged by
sockets, connected together by a rod and operated by a handle mounted preferably
under the stern sheets of the boat. The rod is mounted and slides in guides, and
the end of the handle, which is pivoted in any suitable manner, engages either the
rod, or a block mounted upon said rod. By manipulating the said handle, the
sockets on the rod can either be made to engage the tumblers which receive the links
or loops aforesaid, and thereby hold the boat suspended at each end from the davits,
or can be made to simultaneously release the said tumblers and thereby simultaneously
disengage the links at each end of the boat, and completely detach the boat from
engagement with the vessel.
In the designs I have prepared, I make one extremity of the rod with an open
frame or loop adapted to clear the tumbler, and arrange the socket for engaging
the tumbler at or near the extremity thereof. The other end of the rod is not
provided with an open frame, but has the socket at its extremity; I do not however
adhere to the above exact arrangement.
Dated this 10th day of March 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Detaching Ships' Boats.
I, JOHN AUCHINCLOSS GRAY, of the firm of R. R. Gray, Queen's Dock
Works, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Shipsmith, 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 :-
The invention has for its object an apparatus for releasing or casting loose a boat
when lowered from a vessel's side or other place to the water.
It is well known that, in casting loose a boat in a heavy sea, the well known plan
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page_text: of hooking the lower blocks of the falls which are suspended from the davits into
rings at each end of the boat, or equivalent arrangement, is troublesome, incon-
venient and often dangerous, as a failure to detach both hooks simultaneously may
lead to the swamping of the boat. To remedy this, a number of contrivances have
been devised, but many of them are too expensive for general adoption. The dis-
engaging gear which I have designed is very simple in construction and can be
made and fitted at very reasonable cost, and the devices which hold the boat cannot
be released otherwise than simultaneously. The gear is arranged so as to be under
the entire control of the man in charge of the boat.
The manner in which I carry my invention into effect is as follows, reference
being had to the accompanying drawing, in which.:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a boat, showing the position and arrangement
of the disengaging gear.
Figure 2 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of the working parts of the
gear, and
Figure 3 is a plan of the parts shown in Figure 2.
In the bottom of the boat A, in proximity to each end thereof, I mount a pair of
pivoted tumblers or cross pins B, adapted to engage links, loops or their equivalent C
attached to the respective falls by which the boat is suspended and lowered from the
davits, or attached to short chains D connected to the falls.
The ends of the said tumblers B are adapted to be simultaneously engaged by
sockets, eyes or other stops E, connected together by a rod F and operated by a
handle G mounted preferably under the stern sheets of the boat. The rod (with
its sockets) is mounted and slides in guides H H', and the end of the handle G,
which is pivoted in any suitable manner-as at 1, between the flanges of the
guide Hengages either the rod F itself or a block F' mounted upon said rod.
The engagement of the rod and handle may be conveniently made by a tail G* on
the handle engaging the side of a recess F in the block F, as shown.
By manipulating the handle G, the sockets E on the rod can either be made to
engage the tumblers B, after the latter have been inserted through the links or
loops C, and thereby hold the boat suspended at each end from the davits; or the
rod may be operated to simultaneously release the said tumblers and thereby
simultaneously disengage the links at each end of the boat, and completely detach
the boat from engagement with the vessel.
In the construction shown, one extremity of the rod is provided with an open
frame or loop F³ adapted to clear the tumbler, the socket E, for engaging the
tumbler, being attached to or formed upon the said loop at or near the extremity
thereof. The other end of the rod is not provided with an open frame, but has the
socket formed upon or attached to its extremity. I do not, however, adhere exactly
to the arrangement above described.
The pivoted tumblers B are mounted in small forked bolts B', secured to the keel
of the boat, as shown. The rod guides H may be conveniently formed of eye bolts
similarly secured to the keel. The gear is arranged to lie along the top of the
keelson or floor and to be covered over, so that it cannot be fouled by loose gear,
or damaged by people standing or moving in the boat. The chains D pass up
through holes in the thwarts or deck and remain hanging to the falls when the boat
is disengaged.
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 disengaging gear for boats, consisting of the combination of the pivoted
tumblers or cross pins B mounted on the boat, the links or loops C connected with
the falls and engaged by said tumblers, the movable stops E holding down the
tumblers, the rigid rod F connecting the stops, and the handle G adapted to operate
the rod and simultaneously release the tumblers, all arranged substantially as
described and shown.

page_text: 2. The placing of the disengaging gear along the bottom of the boat, whereby it
is out of the way and not liable to be damaged.
Dated this 9th day of January 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & CO.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.