IMPROVEMENTS IN ROWLOCKS
Year: 1884

page_text: I CHARLES FRANK WOOSNAM of York House, High Street, Southend in the
County of Essex, Wine Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROWLOCKS" to be as follows:-
My Invention is designed to enable rowlocks to be readily and safely stowed
when not required for use. For this purpose I provide at or in the side of the
boat a frame narrow chamber or case, furnished with a cover or lid. The rowlock
resembles a fork with a stein able to turn on a hinge pin or pivot arranged
crosswise of the frame chamber or case, and between this hinge pin or pivot and
the fork I provide a swivel. Thus the fork is able to be turned in a rotary sense
about the axis of its stem, and also is capable of radial or angular movement in a
vertical or approximately vertical plane about the hinge pin or pivot. When in
use the fork is turned up on the hinge pin or pivot so that the bifurcated portion
is above the top of the frame chamber or case, in which position it is retained by
the cover or lid which then acts as a stop or locking piece. When not required for
use the fork is turned down into the frame chamber or case, the cover or lid being
first raised to allow the bifurcated end to pass and being afterwards again
closed.

page_text: I, CHARLES FRANK WOOSNAM, of York House, High Street, Southend, in the
County of Essex, Wine Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN ROWLOCKS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My Invention is designed to enable rowlocks to be readily and safely stowed
when not required for use. For this purpose I provide at or in the side of the
boat a frame narrow chamber or case furnished with a cover or lid. The rowlock
resembles a fork with a stem able to turn on a hinge pin or pivot arranged
crosswise of the frame chamber or case and between this hinge pin or pivot and
the fork I provide a swivel. Thus the fork is able to be turned in a rotary sense
about the axis of its stem, and also is capable of radial or angular movement in a
vertical or approximately vertical plane about the hinge pin or pivot. When in
use the fork is turned up on the hinge pin or pivot so that the bifurcated portion
is above the top of the frame chamber or case, in which position it is retained by
the cover or lid which then acts as a stop or locking piece. When not required for
use the fork is turned down into the frame chamber or case, the cover or lid being
first raised to allow the bifurcated end to pass and being afterwards again
closed.
In the accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings Fig. 1 shews in side
elevation a "stowaway" rowlock according to my Invention, Fig. 2 is a plan of the
same with the bifurcated part c in a position at right angles to that shewn in
Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section with the rowlock proper lowered or stowed
away as when not required for use.
In
a is a frame, chamber or case to be fixed in or to the side or gunwale of the
boat with its top edge flush with the top of the gunwale. bis a cover or stop
piece hinged or pivotted at b¹ to the frame or chamber a. c is the rowlock having
a stem c¹ swivel-jointed at d to a tumbling block or piece e pivotted at e¹ to a
lower extension a' of the frame or chamber a. The cover or stop piece bis
constructed with projections b³, bª taking when the cover or stop piece is closed
into similarly shaped recesses formed in each side of the frame or chamber a.
Fig. 1 the rowlock is shewn in position for use being kept firmly in that position
by the end of the cover or stop piece b bearing against its stein c'. To lower or
stow away the rowlock it is turned about its axis into the position shown in Fig. 2,
then the cover or stop-piece b is raised by means of the link or ring b³ as shewn in
dotted lines Fig. 1. The rowlock is then turned about its axis back to the position
shown in Fig. 1 and afterwards is turned on the pin or pivot el so as to fall into
the position indicated in Fig. 3 below the top edge of the gunwale whereupon the
cover is closed. When the rowlock is again required to be used the cover b is
raised and the rowlock c is turned upon its pin or pivot e¹ into the position shewn
in Fig. 1 and afterwards into the position shown in Fig. 2, then b is closed and
locks the rowlock in its vertical position, so that when the rowlock has been
turned about its vertical axis into the position shewn in Fig. 1 it is ready
for use.
The apparatus being fixed to the gunwale of the boat the rowlocks are not liable
to be lost or stolen and may be shipped or unshipped at a moment's notice.

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. The use in conjunction with a pivotted rowlock of a frame chamber or case in
which the rowlock can be lowered when not required for use, such frame chamber
or case being provided with a movable cover lid or locking-piece such as b that
serves to lock the rowlock in a position for use substantially as described and
illustrated.
2. The combination of parts constructed arranged and operating as shewn and
described for the purpose set forth.