Improved System of Launching and Taking on Board Ship's Life- boats from the Lee Side of the Ship.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug.,
1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved System of Launching and Taking on Board Ship's Life-
boats from the Lee Side of the Ship.
•
I, JAMES BAIRD, Draughtsman, of Clyde Villa, Prestwick, in the County of
Ayr, 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 applies more particularly to sailing ships, and can be fitted up in
them without much alteration to the skids, or beams that support the boats, other
than laying the rails, hereafter described, upon them.
In cases of shipwreck and the like, when a vessel is hove to, or on her beam
ends, it is impossible to launch the weather lifeboats with safety as (1.) The
difficulty of swinging out the boats to windward, owing to the inclined position of
the ship, pressure of wind, and seas breaking over the weather side, (2.) The
danger of their being capsized, or stove in against the ship's side.
!
My invention has for its object, a quick and ready method of launching the
weather lifeboats from the lee side of the ship, and when a lee boat is launched, it
may be taken in on the opposite side of the ship, should the lee side have changed
to the weather side, thereby avoiding the dangers above mentioned.
In carrying out my said invention, the boats rest on a carriage, which runs from
one side of the ship to the other, on rails let into the skids, or beams, and if the
skids run over a deck-house or bridge deck, as in sailing-ships, such obstacles as a
galley funnel or staunchions of rails, must be made to unship.
The skids for the forward boats, are always laid over the deck-house, but a
bridge deck is usually laid over the skids for the after boats, in which case, the
deck D. must be fixed and supported by a fillet F. as shewn in Fig. 5. Drawing No. 2.
so as not to intercept the movement of the boat-carriage.
be
In order that my said invention, and the manner of performing the same may
properly understood, I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings, to be
hereinafter referred to, and shewing in detail my foresaid invention.
Fig. 1. Drawing No. 1. shews in elevation, a little more than half of the forward
side of the after part of one of the boat-carriages C' resting on the after skid O..
shewing the boat chock C. in position.
The lower part of the chock C. is hollowed out amidships, to fit over the raised
portion of the roller R.
After the chock C. is pushed in under the boat, it is kept in position, in the usual
manner, by the hardwood key K. shewn.
The iron roller R. in. its bearings, works in a hollow cut in the top of the
carriage C and the upper part of the roller, upon which rests the keel of the boat,
projects a little above the carriage.
In ships where the skids are opposite the davits, the roller is not necessary, but
where the skids are a considerable distance forward of the davits, the roller is
necessary, as the boat has to be hauled over the after skid to reach the davits.
The roller is also necessary in the forward boat's carriages, as they also have to
be hauled over their after skid to reach the tackles.
The roller is not necessary in the part of the carriage resting on the forward
skid, in both the forward and after boats.
The forward part of the boat-carriages, with the exception of the roller being
omitted, as before described, is the same as the after part.

page_text: The wheels of the carriage have their axles bolted through the iron plates, shewn
on both sides of the carriage C' and have a raised rib in the centres of the tyres,
which fits into the rail R¹.
In vessels with angle or Tiron skids, the carriage must run on roller wheels R"
as shewn in Fig. 6. Drawing No. 2. because rails cannot be laid upon the iron skids
without difficulty.
The wedges E. are knocked in under the carriage as shewn, when the boat is in
its place on the skids, this keeps the carriage from moving, and also takes the
strain off the axles of the wheels, when the boat gripes are put on.
The forward and after parts of the carriage Care connected by a beam B. shewn
in cross section, hung in an iron shoe L. so as not to weaken the centre of the
earriage by being tenoned into it, and is trussed by iron bands T. as shewn.
Fig. 2. Drawing No. 1. is a cross section through the skid, and an end elevation
of the chock and boat-carriage, shewing the construction described.
Fig. 3. Drawing No. 1. is a plan of the boat-carriage with the chocks removed,
shewing the roller R and beam B. in plan.
Fig. 4. Drawing No. 2. shews the plan of the boat-carriage, with the chocks C.
in position, also the beam B. the trussing T. and the guys G. hooked to the ring-
bolts in the centre of the beam.
:
Fig. 5. Drawing No. 2. shews a method of laying the planking of the bridge
deck D. supported by a fillet F. so as not to intercept the movement of the boat-
carriage.
Fig. 6. Drawing No. 2. shews the roller wheels R of the boat-carriage, in
vessels with iron skids.
When the lee boat has been launched, its carriage is lifted over the forward skid
on to the deck below, and temporarily secured by the guys, to prevent its being
washed about and doing damage.
The weather boat on its carriage, is then run over to the lee side, the weather
guy is paid out, and the slack taken in on the lee side, to prevent the boat on its
carriage from taking charge, should the ship lurch.
The davit tackles are then hooked on, and the boat swung out.
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 method of launching and taking on board ship's life-boats, from the lee
side of the ship, substantially and for the purpose as herein described and set forth,
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination, general construction, and application of the mechanism to
the launching and taking on board of ship's life-boats from the lee side of the ship,
substantially and for the purpose as herein described and set forth, and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
* Dated this 22nd day of July 1895
'
JAMES BAIRD.