Improvements in and in connection with Rowlocks for Oars.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 7th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 8th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Rowlocks for Oars.
A communication by HEINRICH BRINKMANN, of 12, Wörth-strasse, Munich, in the
Empire of Germany, Merchant.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
It is well known that a seaman rowing in a high sea, or through breakers, is
exposed to the danger of being thrown from his oars, if the latter are not feathered
at the right time on the passage of a wave.
This invention has for its object to overcome this drawback, and to produce a
support or rowlock for oars, by means of which the shaft of the oar, when
encountered in an unforeseen and dangerous way, may be automatically turned,
so that the oar blade is feathered and assumes a flat position, and thus cuts the
water.
The shaft of the oar is movably arranged in a holder or socket, which is attached
to the side of the boat by means of an eyelet which is horizontally movable on a
pin, and which can further also turn in a vertical plane on a support, movable on a
horizontal pin.
The socket or holder is provided with a slot in which a pin on the shaft or on
the protective collar of the shaft engages, and which finds support at the ends of
the slot. During the rowing, the shaft feathers, that is to say, the blade assumes,
when the oar is pulled forward, a vertical position, but on the reverse motion taking
place, a horizontal one.
In case waves strike against the shaft during its return, the blade assumes a flat
position, the shaft being simultaneously turned so that no surface is offered to the
attack of the water.
By the invention herein before described every danger of the kind mentioned at
the commencement of this Specification is thus not only avoided, but an oar is
produced, which is suitable for all requirements, and easily handled, the blade of
such oar when pulled forward bearing with its whole surface against the water,
but on the return movement of the oar, merely cutting the water horizontally.
Dated this Ninth day of March 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Rowlocks for Oars.
A communication by HEINRICH BRINKMANN, of 12, Wörth-strasse, Munich, in the
Empire of Germany, Merchant.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester
both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
CD
A communication by HEINRICH BRINKMANN, of 12, Wörth-strasse, Munich, in the
Empire of Germany, Merchant.
1, WILLIAM- PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester
both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner

page_text: Figure 2, a plan view, and
Figure 3 a view in perspective;
Figure 4 is a section on the line y of Figure 5 of a modification of the
invention, whilst
Figure 5 is a plan view of this modified form of rowlock.
The shaft of the oar is movably arranged in a holder or socket k which is
attached to the side of the boat by means of an eyelet, which is horizontally
movable on a pin p, Figure 1, and which can further also turn in a vertical plane
on a support, movable on a horizontal pin.
The socket or holder k is provided with a slot z in which a pin n on the shaft b
or on the protective collar of the shaft engages, and which finds support at the ends
of the slot. During the rowing, the shaft feathers, that is to say, the blade
assumes, when the oar is pulled forward, a vertical position, but on the reverse
motion taking place, a horizontal one.
In case waves strike against the shaft during its return, the blade assumes a flat
position, the shaft being simultaneously turned so that no surface is offered to the
attack of the water.
By the invention herein before described every danger of the kind mentioned at
the commencement of this Specification is thus not only avoided, but an oar is
produced, which is suitable for all requirements, and easily handled, the blade of
such oar when pulled forward bearing with its whole surface against the water, but
on the return movement of the oar, merely cutting the water horizontally.
The improved rowlock for oars herein before described can only be employed on
one side, that is to say, it must be fitted to either a right-hand or a left-hand
socket.
The following arrangement is employed where it is desirable to be able to use
the same socket on both the right and left hand. This as already stated is shown
more particularly in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. As may be
Been the holder or socket k which receives the shaft b of the oar is slotted to 180°
and not as hitherto in Figures 1 and 3 merely to 90°. This slot is divided into two
parts and in the direction of the oar shaft by means of a pin c which is fixed
in the socket k in such a way as to be easily removable, and may be secured
from being lost by means of a chain or other suitable device.
If the socket is then to be employed for one side or the other, the pin n of the
oar shaft bis moved into one or the other half of the slot by simply turning it
when the pin c has been withdrawn, and the pin n is then again secured. The
pin n which engages through the slot z¹ or 2 of the oar shaft b then finds its actual
support on the pin c or rather on the slot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is-
1. An improved rowlock for oars characterised by a holder or socket k embracing
the oar shaft and having a slot in which engages a pin or stop on the latter,

page_text: whereby the oar shaft is free to turn a quarter revolution in said socket, said
holder or socket being arranged vertically revoluble on a pin bead which revolves
in a horizontal plane on a pin p in the edge of the boat, the three hinges lying
side by side directly above the edge of the boat substantially as described and
illustrated.
2. In a rowlock such as described in Claim 1, a pin c secured to the holder or
socket (k) but adapted to be readily removed therefrom and lying parallel to the
oar shaft so as to divide the slot (1) of the socket (k) into two parts, whereby the
rowlock may be adjusted to be employed on the right or left hand side by turning
the oar shaft so that its pin or stop (n) is moved from one half of the slot to the
other as the case may be substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 6th day of November 1894
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.