Improvements in Attaching and Detaching Gear for Ships' Boats and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st Mar., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Attaching and Detaching Gear for Ships' Boats
and the like.
I, THOMAS BENNETT, of 68 King's Cross Road, Clerkenwell, in the County
of Middlesex, Seaman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to gear whereby a boat may be rapidly connected with or
disconnected from the tackles by which it is intended to suspend her and in carrying
out the invention I prefer to proceed as follows:-
I connect to the boat either by the existing apparatus or otherwise a plate or
equivalent which serves as a hook and may be provided with a notch or equivalent
for that purpose.
This plate may be fixed but prefer to pivot it, providing
it with a heel or equivalent which will act as a balance weight so as to keep it
in proper position. At the upper portion of this plate I provide a double or single
hook or claw pivotted so as to be capable of swinging about the plate in the
required manner. To the tackle I connect a shackle with a cross bar the
said shackle being connected with the tackle chain or hook by another shackle or
equivalent. This shackle however may be formed in a variety of ways and with any
required number of parts, the form above described being one which appears to give
satisfactory results.
The claw or hook is preferably connected with a line or equivalent provided in
the boat and usually passing under the gunwale so that the apparatus at the two
ends of the boat may be connected and thus work simultaneously. The operation is
as follows-
Say the boat has to be attached to the tackles. The claws are swung back
upon the plates and the shackle is hooked on to the notch of the plate so that the
cross bar or equivalent at the upper end of the shackle will come in contact with
a portion of the claw; the result of this is that the blow imparted to the claw
by the shackle or cross-bar turns the claw upon its pivot so that it falls
round and hangs, embracing the cross-bar or equivalent portion of the shackle
which is thus so held that it cannot be removed from the notch in the plate
until the claw is pulled out of the way. This would take place at each
end of the boat which is now connected with the tackles and may be hauled up
as required.
In detaching the boat the boat is lowered as required, the claws at each end
being left so as to secure the shackle as long as required, and when the time arrives
for detaching the boat, the person in charge by pulling his line turns over both
claws into the position occupied before the attaching process above described.
The boat is now merely held by the shackle at each end resting in the notches of
the two plates. As soon therefore as it touches the water and the plates apper-
taining to the boats are raised the shackles fall clear of the notches and the boat
is free.
For convenience in attaching it is desirable that the line connecting the two
claws should be disconnected when the boat is away from the tackles; it may be
connected again as soon as the boat is hoisted on the tackles.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Attaching and Detaching Gear for Ships' Boats
and the like.
I, THOMAS BENNETT of 68 King's Cross Road, Clerkenwell, in the County
of Middlesex, Seaman, 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:-
This invention relates to gear whereby a boat may be rapidly connected with
or disconnected from the tackles by which it is intended to suspend her and the
invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which
Figure 1 represents a bow and stern of a boat fitted with the gear.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of one set of the gear.
Figure 3 being the shackle appertaining thereto.
Figure 4 represents the detaching hook.
Figure is a perspective view of a modified form of the gear with the shackle in
place, and
Figures 6 and 7 show respectively the shackle and gear detached.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 A is a stanchion or keel bolt secured to the keel
either rigidly or by means of the bracket A', and B is an arm preferably jointed
at B to the bow or stern of the boat, the two parts A and being jointed together
as shown at the left hand end of Figure 1 and in Figure 2 by the pin C which
passes through the jaws of both and also through the hook plate D which can turn
on the pivot C but is prevented from being pulled too far over by the heel D'
which engages with the back of the jaw of B; or the two parts A and B may
be formed in one piece with each other as shown at the right hand end of Figure 1
as explained in connection with the modification described later on.
The con-
struction of the hook D may vary but as shown in the drawings it may conveniently
assume a triangular form with the centre portion cut away for lightness and
elegance. At the upper end or apex of the triangle is a pin or pivot D² the
outer ends of which may conveniently be formed into eyes as shown for the
attachment of supporting chains if required, and upon the pin D² is pivotted a
hook or claw E the shape of which will be seen in Figure 4.
This claw may be
either single or double, but preferably it would be single as shown in the drawings.
If double it would be practically two hooks such as shown in Figure 4 placed
side by side and the hook plate D would be placed between them.
In the
arrangement illustrated, the hook plate D is hollowed or recessed as at D³ to
accommodate the claw E which is shown in Figure 1 in its operative position holding
the shackle F.
The shackle F is conveniently formed of two links F F joined together by the
pin or pintle G, and when in operation the lower link F engages upon the nose or
hook D of the hook plate D and the claw E being turned into the position shown
in Figure 1 engages with the pintle G and thus prevents the link F from being
detached from the hook plate D. The claw E is so hung that its heavier portions
lying almost entirely upon one side of its pivot keep it in the position shown in
Figure 1 and from which it can only be detached by the exercise of sufficient
strain upon the cord or equivalent H. This cord H is secured to the claw E by
the loop E or in other convenient manner and passes around a groove E2 therein
through the loop D' and to the pulley around which it passes and may be
carried in any convenient way, but preferably along the side of the boat
under the gunwale, to the other end of the boat where its other end is suitably
connected with the similar apparatus there located; or if desired two inde-
pendent cords, one connected to the apparatus at each end of the boat, may
be used.

page_text: To the upper link F¹ is connected the tackle by which the boat is raised or
lowered and the operation is as follows:-
The apparatus being in the position shown in the left hand side of Figure 1 the
link F' is secured as previously explained and the detachment is effected by pulling
the cord H, in the direction of the arrow, which has the effect of turning the hook E
upon its pivot in the direction of the arrows upon E and thus withdrawing the
hook or claw E3 from around the pintle G so that the link F and the upper end of
the link F are free to move or to be removed. In this position all that is necessary
to effect the detachment is that the boat should be water-borne, or the weight
taken off the hook plate D when the link F being unsecured it will fall away from
the hook or nose D and the connection between the hook plate D and the link F
will be entirely severed and that end of the boat will be entirely free from the
tackle.
A similar apparatus is arranged at the other end of the boat and the cord H
being connected therewith that apparatus will have been detached in the same
manner and at the same time as the first apparatus and the disconnection of the
two mechanisms will have been simultaneously effected as soon as the boat was
water-borne.
It will be observed that the pull upon the cord H at the two ends of the boat
will be in opposite directions; this may be provided for in various ways as by a
duplicate cord at one end or the introduction of a two-armed centrally pivotted
lever in the length of the cord which could be operated by the person having
charge of the apparatus so that in moving the lever he would simultaneously
operate both ends of the cord in their respective proper directions.
The stop K Figure 2 is pivotted upon the pin C and adapted to enter the recess D³
in the hook plate D. When the link is in position upon the nose D' this
plate is drawn up, inside the hook plate D out of the way, but when the link is
detached, the stop K by its weight falls down into the position shown in Figure 2
and thus prevents the link from re-hooking itself upon D₁ when not required
and which it might possibly do in the movement of the boat and tackle. The
stop K can be easily pushed into the recess D³ when it is desired to hook on the
link For the link itself will effect this if brought down low enough so that its end
comes underneath K. By the particular shape and hanging of the hook or claw E
it is only necessary for hooking on to bring the shackle sharply against the back
of the claw to spin it round upon its pivot when it overbalances and naturally assumes
the position shown in Figures 1 and 5 of the drawings thus automatically hooking
the shackle. The out of gear position of the hook E is shown in Figures 2 and 7
and to turn it over into the position of Figure 1 it is merely necessary to bring the
shackle sharply against the back of the hook—the heavy part-when it will at
once turn over into the operative position of Figures 1 and 5 locking the shackle
to the hook plate.
Eyes or loops such as D2 D' E' and others may be provided wherever required
for the purpose of attaching cords chains and the like.
The whole apparatus shown at the left hand side of Figure 1 can be removed
by taking out the pin C, and by jointing the stanchions A and B these parts can
fold down the one upon the keel and the other against the bow or stern of the boat
out of the way.
In the modified form shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 the general arrangement of
the apparatus is the same as in the former case, but a single link shown in Figure 6
is employed instead of the double link shown in the earlier figures. In this case
the pin G engages with the nose D as before, but instead of the hook plate D
being jointed to the stanchion A. as shown at the left hand side of Figure 1
and in Figure 2 it is formed in part with it similarly to that shown at the
right hand side of Figure 1, the hook E being pivotted in D at D as before.
The rod A may be jointed at the bottom and may be supported at the top by the
horizontal rod B as before or may be rigidly connected with the keel of the boat
without the horizontal support as also may the stanchion A in the arrangement

page_text: first described. The operation of the modified apparatus is the same as that of
the original apparatus the hook E being turned upon its pivot by the cord Has
before and thus released from the pin G which then is in engagement with the
nose D just as the bottom of the link F was in Figure 1 and would be similarly
detached from D4 as soon as the vessel was water-borne.
The details of construction may be varied without departing from the spirit of
the invention, for example, the hook or claw E could be pivotted upon the shackle
that is the removable portion of the device instead of upon the hook plate Dor
fixed portion of the device. This would merely be reversing the position of the
parts and the operation would be substantially the same but the arrangement
previously described is considered preferable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In apparatus such as described a hook or claw such as E operating
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In apparatus such as described the combination with a hook plate such as
DD of a pivotted claw such as E the parts being combined and operating
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus such as described the combination with a hook plate such as
D D and hook or claw such as E of a double shackle F F G substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In apparatus such as described a hook plate such as D D recessed or
hollowed as at D³ substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
5. In apparatus such as described the combination with a hook plate such as
DD of a stop such as K substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In apparatus such as described the combination and arrangement of parts
constituting the complete gear substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In apparatus such as described the combination and arrangement of parts
constituting the complete gear substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of March 1892.
THOS.
BENNETT,
W. P. Thompson & Boult.
Agents for the Applicant.