Improvements in Ships' Boat Disengaging Gear.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 'st May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 31st Jan., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' Boat Disengaging Gear.
I, HENRY JOHN SIMPSON, of Beach House, Hoylake, in the County of Chester,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that kind of gear by which ships boats are disengaged
or disconnected from the tackle by which they are supported and lowered from the
davits, or by which they are raised.
According to this invention the gear or means by which ships' boats are dis-
engaged from their lowering or raising gear, connected with the davits, consists of
two hooks, one at each end of the boat and connected or coupled together by a
rod or tube, said hooks being mounted in bearings and adapted to be turned
therein. The backs of the hooks are inclined in such a manner that, when the
rod which connects said hooks together is turned, they press the hooks or rings,
which they are in gear with, away, and so free themselves therefrom.
In one arrangement according to this invention the hooks and their connecting
bar are mounted in the boat, in a suitable position, such as below the thwarts, or at
the botton thereof, and pass through the davit tackle hooks or rings. In another
arrangement the hooks and their connecting bar are held by and in the davit tackle,
and pass through and engage with other hooks or rings in the boat.
In either case
the bar or the hooks are provided with one or more handles or other equivalent
means, by which, when it is desired to release or disengage the boat, they are turned
and freed from the hook or ring with which they are in gear. The hooks are
also so constructed that when in their attached or fixed position they are closed
and cannot become disengaged; this may be provided for by having a fixed
platform, bar, or projection, against which the end of the hook comes. The said
platform may be disposed in the bottom of a well, so as to prevent any possibility of
the davit tackle becoming fouled when released.
The hooks may be so arranged in connection with the bar that they require a
certain amount of force to be exerted by the person operating then to free them
and the boat; or they may be so arranged that the weight of the boat causes theni
to turn, when it is required to disengage the boat. In the latter case the hooks or
their connecting har are or is held in position by a suitable catch or holding
mechanisin, which when operated releases such hooks, and the weight of the boat
causes them to turn and free themselves. These two modes of arranging the hooks
consist in disposing the bearing edge of the hooks either above or coincident with
the axis of their bearing, or below same.
The gear used to raise or lower the boat from the davits may consist of any known
suitable kind and be operated in any suitable way.
Dated this 30th day of April 1890.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15. Water Street. Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' Boat Disengaging Gear.
I, HENRY JOHN SIMPSON, of Beach Ilouse, Hoylake, in the County of Chester,
Merchant, 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 has reference to that kind of gear by which ships' boats are

page_text: disengaged or disconnected from the tackle by which they are supported and lowered
from the davits, or by which they are raised.
According to this invention the gear or means by which ships boats are disengaged
from their lowering or raising gear, connected with the davits, consists of two looks,
one at each end of the boat and connected or coupled together by a rad or tube,
said hooks being mounted in hearings and adapted to be turned therein. The back-
of the hooks are inclined in such a manner that when the rol which connects said
hooks together is turned, they press the hooks or rings, which they are in gear with,
away, and so free themselves therefrom.
In one arrangement according to this invention the hook- and their commeeting
bar are mounted in the lat, in a suitable position, such as below the thwarts, or
at the bottom thereof, and pass through the davit tackle hooks or rings, In
another arrangement the hooks and their connecting bar are held by and in the
duvit tackle, and pass through and engage with other hunks or rings in the boat.
In either ease the bar or the hooks are provided with one or more handles or other
equivalent means, by which, when it is desired to release or disengage the boat,
they are turned and freed from the hook or ring with which they are in gear. The
hooks are also so constructed that when in their attached or fixed position they are
closed and caunot become disengaged; this may be provided for by having a fixed
platform, bar, or projection, against which the end of the hook comes. The said
platform may be disposed in the bottom of a well, so as to prevent any possibility of
the davit tackle becoming fouled when released.
The hooks may be so arranged in connection with the bar that they require a
certain amount of fore to be exerted by the person operating them to free them
and the boat or they may be so arranged that the weight of the boat causes them
to turn, when it is required to disengage the host. In the latter case the hook-
or their connecting bar are or is held in position by a suitable ratch or holding
mechanism, which when operated releases such hooks, and the weight of the boat
uses them to turn and free themselves. These two modes of arranging the looks
consist in disposing the bearing edge of the looks either above or coincident with
the axis of their bearing or below same.
The gear used to raise or lower the boat from the day its may consist of any known
suitable kind and be operated in any suitable way,
In the drawings which serve to illustrate this invention, Figure 1 is a view illus
trating the invention in elevation, Figure being an end view of same; Figure 3
is a detail illustrating the invention according to a modified construction: and
Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the invention as applied to a boat having
a partial deck.
'
With reference to the drawings, a is a longitudinal bar having at each end a
hook ; is a hearing in which the hooks and ends of the bar are supported
and work: d is a rod or bar fixed at its lower end to the keel of the boat, and
supporting the bearing; is a pawl projecting upwards and hinged at, such
paw being adapted to move about its hinge inwaids towards the bearing but
not further outwards than the position shown in the figures. is a handle formed
on the bar by which it is turned in its bearings: is a projection on the bar a by
which said bar is held or locked in position is a latch adapted to engage with
:j
the projection, said latch having movement in an upward direction, as shewn in
dotted lines in Figure 3. represents the thwarts of the boat; represents portions
of the lower blocks of the raising and lowering tackle, by which the boats are lowered
from or rai-ed towards the davit heads; mare rings secured to the blocks / (as
shewn in Figure 1), and which are engaged by the looks b of the disengaging gear,
and by which the boat is suspended.
With reference mainly to Figure 1, it will be seen, the position of the hooks
and pawls take, when the boat is suspended by the rings by the davit tackles;
that is to say, the hooks in conjunction with the pawl keep under all circum-
stances, the rings in from becoming disengaged of themselves. When, however,
the bar a in the act of releasing or disengaging, is rotated by moving the handle h

page_text: upwards (the locking latch having of course been first raised off the projection i),
until the points of the hooks bare approaching or past the horizontal planes in
which the axis of the bearings C lies, then the rings m will naturally tend to move
off the hooks b, and the weight of the boat on the hooks will instantly turn them up
and complete their disengaging movement, and they will release themselves from
the tackle rings m. This completes the operation of disengagement.
It will be seen that the construction of the details or parts can be carried out in
various different ways; as for instance, in Figure 1, the bearing c is solid, having a
bush of gun or other suitable metal in it, so as to prevent the bar a from corroding
up in its bearings and rendering the operation defective. In Figure 3 the bearing c
is a divided one, the two parts being connected together by bolts c¹. In the appli-
cation shewn in Figure + the bearings are divided and of the form shewn in Figure 3,
the invention being in this case applied to a boat having a partial deck o with a
hole o' therein, through which the ring m of the tackle blocks is passed when
shipping the tackle rings m onto the hooks b.
The joint of the pawl fat f' is an ordinary pin knuckle joint, it being of such a
construction that it is free to move inwards about such joint, but not further
outwards than shewn in the drawings. The bar a may be in one continuous length,
or of parts coupled up in any suitable way, and may be disposed ceither under or
over the said thwarts accordingly as the different application of the invention may
render it desirable or necessary.
The bearing in Figure 3 is connected to the bar d by a cotter d, a sleeve
formed on the underside of the bearing, being provided and shipping over the
upper end of the bar. To this portione, in this case, the hinged pawl fis mounted.
The advantages attending the use of this invention are, that when a boat is
released, both blocks of the tackle which suspend the boat, must, of necessity, be
released simultaneously; and when the rings or hooks m as the case may be, of
the tackle blocks, are in position that is engaged with the hooks b, it is impossible
for such rings to become disengaged of themselves. Further, the gear is simple,
cheaply made, safe, and very casily worked.
In lieu of the pawls, the hooks may be so arranged and constructed in con-
nection with a thwart or other part or provision of a boat, that when they are
turned down, and the ring or hook m is engaged with such hooks or rings, the rings
cannot of themselves pass the ends of the hooks and become disengaged. In such
cases, in the action of engaging the rings with the hooks b, such rings will have to
be placed in position under the hooks, and then the hooks turned down.
It will be noticed that in the drawings given herein, that the underside of the
hooks, on which the inner surface of the rings m hear, lies below the axis of
the bar a, that is, the centre of the bearings of said bar. This construction, how-
ever, may be modified, if desired, and carried above said axis, in which case the
operation of releasing the boat would require a certain amount of force to be exerted
upon the lever h to accomplish it.
It will be seen, that in the action of releasing, i.e. when the bar a is rotated, the
inclination of the back of the books tends to press and causes the ring to move
towards the point of the hook, and so, as it were, automatically press the rings
out of gear with them. The inclination of the backs of the hooks are intentionally
so formed as to effect this result.
What I claim in respect of the herein described invention is :—
1. The herein described boat disengaging gear, consisting of a bar lying and
supported longitudinally in the boat directly above or under the thwarts, and having
a hook at each end, and adapted to operate substantially as described.
2. In a ship's boats disengaging gear, a rod or bar supported by or mounted
directly on or under the thwarts substantially as described, and having at each end
a hook, said hooks being combined or engaging with the ring (or hook) of that is
a ring (or hook) connected directly to-the lower end of the lower blocks of the
raising and lowering tackle in the manner shewn; for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 3. In a ship's boat disengaging gear, a hook provided at each end of the boat,
such hooks being of the construction specified ail so arranged in the boat, or having
means operating in connection with them, whereby the tackle block ring or hook,
as the case may be, cannot become disengaged therefrom until the said hooks are
rotated or receive a partial rotation in their bearings: operating substantially as
set forth.
4. The combination in a ship's boat disengaging gear, of hooks mounted in bearings,
the axes of which are disposed in the horizontal plane and longitudinally; and a
pawl, projection, or equivalent provision arranged in connection with said hooks
substantially as described, whereby the tackle rings or hooks cannot become dis-
engaged until said disengaging hooks are worked in their bearings.
5. The disengaging gear constructed and adapted to operate as set forth with
reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
6. The disengaging gear constructed and adapted to operate as set forth with
reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.
Dated this 30th day of January 1891.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street. Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.