AN IMPROVED GRAPNEL FOR NAVAL, MILITARY, AND OTHER USE APPLICABLE ALSO FOR SUSPENDING ARTICLES, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I NESBIT WILLOUGHBY WALLACE, Major late Kings Royal Rifles of Southsea in
the County of Hants, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN
IMPROVED GRAPNEL FOR NAVAL, MILITARY, AND OTHER USE APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
SUSPENDING ARTICLES, AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved grapnel for naval, military, fishing, boating
and other uses, applicable also for suspending articles and other purposes.
The grapnel consists of a number of pivoted arms, say three or more, jointed to
a common centre plate or frame, said arms terminating at their free ends or points
in a hooked form adapted to readily become engaged with the ground or with
trees or objects near which the grapnel may be thrown. The arms are adapted to
fold together towards one side of the plate or frame with their points directed
inwards, the hooked ends of the arms overlapping in such manner that their points
are guarded for transport and the arms are also adapted to swing towards the
opposite side of the plate or frame to which they are jointed and to fly out more or
less radially therefrom with their hooked and pointed ends directed outwards and
in a position to readily grapple any object against which the grapnel may be
thrown,
A pivoted locking plate is provided on the centre plate or frame, said locking
plate being adapted to engage in or bear against notches, shoulders or other
abutments formed in or on the heels ends of the arms whereby the arms when in
their closed position are locked and prevented from flying out or when in their
expanded or operative position are prevented from closing together as the case
may be.
The locking plate would be notched or otherwise formed so that when turned
into a certain position relatively to the arms it would leave them free to fly out or
turn on their pivots.
This locking plate may be itself retained in its operative or inoperative position
by a spring catch or by a set screw.
This locking plate turns on a swivelling eye bolt as a centre through the eye of
which passes the rope or line to which the grapnel is attached. For convenience in
throwing the grapnel and to avoid liability of accident by the grapnel arms flying
out prematurely and so fouling objects in the neighbourhood of the spot from which
it is thrown I prefer to encircle the shanks of the grapnel arms with a slip knot or
with a sliding collar or band attached to the end of the grapnel line which would
run through the eye bolt above mentioned and which slip knot or collar would
prevent the arms flying out until by the strain on the line the slip knot or collar
would be drawn clear off and leave the arms free.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
C
I, NESBIT WILLOUGHBY WALLACE, Major late King's Royal Rifles, of Southsea,
in the County of Hants, do, hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"AN IMPROVED GRAPNEL FOR NAVAL, MILITARY AND OTHER USE APPLICABLE ALSO
FOR SUSPENDING ARTICLES, AND OTHER PURPOSES," and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
1
1
My Invention relates to an improved grapnel for naval, military, fishing, boating
and other purposes;
:
The grapnel consists of a number of pivoted arms, say three or more, jointed to
a common centre plate or frame, said arms being at their free ends or points of a
hooked form adapted to readily become engaged with the ground or with trees or
objects near which the grapnel may be thrown with the points of the arms directed
outwards: The arms are so pivoted as to be capable of being reversed, or folded
together with their points directed inwards;, the hooked ends of the arms then
overlapping in such manner that their points are mutually guarded for transport.
A rotating locking plate is provided on the centre plate or frame said locking
plate being adapted either to leave the arms free to engage in or bear against
notches, shoulders or other abutments formed in or on the heel ends of the arms
whereby the arms when in their closed position may be locked and prevented from
flying out; and if desired whereby also the arms when in their expanded or
operative position may be prevented from closing together.
E
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification wherein―
Figure 1 is an elevation of the grapnel open for use.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the same closed for transport.
Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Figure 4 is a section across the joint of one of the arms.
Figure 5 is a plan showing a modified locking plate.
A
In all these figures the same letters of reference indicate the same parts.
The example here illustrated is furnished with three arms a but a greater number
may be used. These arms are of the hooked form shown and are pivoted at 6 in
equidistant notches of a common centre plate c which is of a form corresponding to
the number of the arms. The points of the arms when in the closed position
mutually overlap and guard each other as shown in figure 2. d is a swivelling eye
bolt rivetted or otherwise secured centrally in the plate c, and e is a locking, plate
turning on bolt d as a centre for the purpose of locking the arms in the closed and
guarded position.. This plate may either. be a circular disc as in figure 3, and
have notches f which when turned into position correspond to the, notches of, the
centre plate c and offer no obstruction to the arms a turning on their centres; and
which in other positions abuts against shoulders g on the heel ends of, the arms a
and prevents them. flying out or the plate e may be of the form shown in figure 5
and have relatively large recesses of which permit the arms a to turn, and small
segments terminated at one side by stops h which abut against the shoulders g of
the arms a and ensure the locking of the arms in the closed position, a spring i being
in this case recessed in the face of plate c and bearing against the underface of
plate e to retain it in its operative or inoperative position. This locking plate has
a bowl by which it is turned and by which the grapnel is suspended when not in
m is the line to which the grapnel is attached preferably by a slip knot formed
on the end of the line and encircling the shanks of the arms a so as to prevent
use.

page_text: them flying out radially in the act of throwing the grapnel, the line also passing
through the eye of bolt d. In this way the line is securely attached and the arms
prevented from flying out prematurely and so fouling objects in the neighbourhood
of the spot from which it is thrown. Instead of a slip knot a sliding collar might
be used but I prefer the former.
The locking plate e might also be used for retaining the arms in the open position
by forming in the shank of each arm a notch with which the said plate would
engage when the arms are in the position shown in figure
The grapnel may be made of tempered steel and of any desired size and with
any required number of arms, say three, four or five.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1st A grapnel for naval, military, fishing, boating and other purposes, constructed
of hooked arms pivoted to a common centre plate so as to be adapted to be turned
points inward for carriage and points outwards for use substantially as shown and
described.
'
2nd A grapnel constructed of hooked arms pivoted to a centre plate as herein
shown and described and of a locking plate adapted to engage with the arms and
lock them in the closed position substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 8th day of October 1884
N. W. WALLACE.
By his Agents,
A. M. & W™ Clark.