AN IMPROVEMENT IN SHIP'S RIDING BITTS
Year: 1885

page_text: I EDWIN JAMES EYRES of the firm Emerson, Walker and Thompson Brothers
Limited, 11 Leadenhall Street, London and of Gateshead on Tyne, Durham
Patentees and Manufacturers of Ship's Windlasses, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SHIP'S RIDING BITTS
" to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to make ships riding bitts in such a manner that
they may yield to extra strain that may be put upon them while the ship is riding
at anchor or at moorings.
For the purpose of my invention I make the bitt proper, separate from the bed
plate or other appliance, in, on, or to which it may have a sliding motion within
certain limits and compress or otherwise act upon springs placed within or so
enclosed as to be protected against injury, wet, or other objectionable influence.
The bitt proper may have a straight action imparted to it or it may be arranged to
swivel to meet the line of pull or strain that may be put upon it.
H. GARDNER,
Agent for the said E. J. Eyres.

page_text: An Improvement in Ships' Riding Bitts.
I, EDWIN JAMES EYRES of the firm Emerson Walker and Thompson Brothers
Limited, 11 Leadenhall Street, London, and of Gateshead on Tyne, Durham,
l'atentees and Manufacturers of Ships Windlasses, 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:-
The object of my invention, is to make ships riding bitts or bollards in such a
manner that they may yield to extra strain that may be put upon them while the
ship is riding at anchor or at moorings.
For the purpose of my invention, I make the bitt proper separate from the bed
late or other appliance in, on, or to which it may have a sliding motion within
c. rtain limits and compress or otherwise act upon springs placed within or 80
enclosed as to be protected against injury, wet and other objectionable influences.;
The bitt proper may have a straight action imparted to it (or it may be arranged
to swivel, to meet the line of pull or strain that may be put upon it).
My invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a sectional elevation of a bollard.
The outside frame A is bolted to deck of the vessel, B is a plate (which can
swivel in frame A round a centre A') prevented from being pulled out by the
Hange C and is held up in place by brackets D which also serve as thrust pins for
the springs E. The other ends of springs E are fastened between flanges cast on
the plate B.
The plate A may have 2, 3 or 4 bitts F F F cast on it and 1,2,3 or more springs
may be used. By this arrangement of springs a maximum amount of travel of the
Bitts F F to a minimum compression of the springs E may be obtained, that is to
say, supposing the bitts to have a travel of 6 inches the spring may be arranged to
have only a compression of 1 inch. When there are 3 or 4 bitts used a direct pull
tending to swivel the plate A and so compress the springs, may always be obtained
whatever the position of the rope.
The springs may be compressed to any desired strain in the apparatus before
being placed in position on the ship so that plate B will not swivel before that
strain is reached.
The arrangement shown at Figure 3 is generally similar to Figures 1 and 2
except that the plate A can swivel in either direction and only one spring E is in
compression at a time. In this case there is no compression on the spring before
the strain comes on it.
In the arrangement of which Figure 4 is a plan and Figure 5 a sectional
elevation the pull may be in any direction, sufficient clearance being left in the
hole G which is cast in outside frame A. The plate B instead of acting direct on
the springs as in the former arrangements now first acts on levers H which are
pivoted at I, to the other ends J of the levers the springs E Ẹ are pivoted. The
other ends of springs E E are pivoted in brackets D which are fastened to outside
frame A. The plate K which takes the upward strain is fastened to boss L.

page_text: Figure 6 shows an arrangement that may be pulled in three directions as shown
by the arrows. When the pull is at right angles to the riding bitt F, the dotted
projection M which is cast on plate B bears against the outside frame A and acts
as a pivot. The general construction is the same as shown in section at Figure 5.
The ends I and D of levers and springs are pivoted in outside frame A.
Figure 7 is a plan and Figure 8 a sectional elevation of a swivelled ships riding
bitt working from a pivot A' and the bitts F F themselves having a straight
action with the line from within the bottom plate or box B controlled by a
spring E working on a bar N which acts as a guide in combination with the side
walls or slots in which the bitts F F have a motion. The box with the bitts can
adjust themselves to any radii within range of the abutment plate P against which
the box B has resistance by the rollers QQ. The bitts F F riding on the bar N
necessitates a space between its front end and the box B, which space is protected
by a plate a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
-
1. The construction and arrangement of swivelled frames of ships riding bitts
shown in the annexed drawings at Figures 1 and 2 having a motion in one direction
only for compressing the springs enclosed in the casing as set forth.
2. The particular arrangement of ships riding bitts in which the bitts frame has
a motion in two directions circular recoverable by springs as shown by Figure 3 of
the annexed drawings.
3. The particular arrangement of ships riding bitts in which the bitts frame has
a motion in any direction and except in the circular direction is recoverable by
springs as shown by Figures 4 and 5 of the annexed drawings.
4. The particular arrangement of ships riding bitts in which the bitts frame has
a straight motion in three directions at right angles but recoverable by springs as
indicated by the arrows at Figure 6.
5. The particular arrangement of straight motion riding bitts recoverable by
springs and having adjustable motion from a pivot according to the line of pull as
described.