IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PUTTING OUT SHIPS' BOATS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME, AND FOR RETAINING THE BOATS IN POSITION ON THE SHIP WHEN NOT REQUIRED TO BE USED." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hudson, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PUTTING OUT SHIPS'
BOATS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME, AND FOR RETAINING
THE BOATS IN POSITION ON THE SHIP WHEN NOT REQUIRED TO BE USED."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hudson at the Office
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1879.
JOHN HUDSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
THE MODE OF PUTTING OUT SHIPS' BOATS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING
THE SAME, AND FOR RETAINING THE BOATS IN POSITION ON THE SHIP WHEN
NOT REQUIRED TO BE USED."
This Invention is designed to enable a crew to almost immediately launch the
boats when required, without having to swing round the davits or pull on the
falls.
It consists, 1st, in always placing the boat outside the davits; 2nd, in making
the davits slide on gantries or beams. For this purpose the davit has a stout base,
preferably armed with rollers above and below the gantry. The gantry is preferably
hollow, and contains or has to one side of it a notched support for the keel of the
boat to rest on. This support is attached or hinged to the davit stand, and slides
with it. It rests on a rail or support which dips down close to the ship side, so
that when the support, boat, and davits slide out, as hereafter described, the
support will sink down and the boat be loose. On the gantry I place a ratchet
rack, and place a pawl on the davit stand. The gantry itself, or a downward
support projecting from it, is hinged below, preferably to the deck, and it has a
rack and pinion at the other end, so that the inner end can be raised by a wench
handle till the gantry is level or inclines to the sea, as will be more fully described
further on. Between the gantries and attached to them is a flat form with inner
chocks only, and in place of outer chocks I have a simple catch at each end catching
the keel, and worked by a handle so as to be instantly released when required.
The mode of action is as follows:-If the ship is lying broadside on the rocks or a
lee shore, the platform is raised by the rack and pinion till it is level; in other

page_text: cases this action is rarely required. The handles working the aforementioned
catches, and acting as stops or fasteners for the davits by standing in grooves in
the davit sides, are then lowered, releasing the keel and davits simultaneously; the
davits with the boat resting on the sliding supports are slid outward to the edge
of the ship, when the supports sink down and the boat bangs freely on the falls and
can be lowered in the usual way. When the ship is rocking the ratchet pawl
prevents the davits from coming back, so that at each lurch the boat can be allowed
to slide out a little until it hangs freely outside, the pawls preventing any return
action.
The gantries can if desirable be continued across the ship, and in long voyages
the chocks can be removed and the boats drawn back till they lie alongside each
other in the centre of the ship, a pin in ordinary cases preventing the davits from
passing beyond the movable part of the gantry. The movable part as a rule is
firmly locked in place by a catch to prevent rising in case of a very deep lurch.
Two catches on the davits are sometimes arranged to catch the gunwale and hold
the boat rigid. The rests on which the boat rests when being pushed out are made
to swivel, so that one side can be put out in advance of the other without any fear
of the sides of the notch hurting the keel. The davits are movable in the davit
stands, so that they can be taken out if desired or swung round.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Hudson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st April
1880.
JOHN HUDSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF PUTTING OUT SHIPS' BOATS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING
THE SAME, AND FOR RETAINING THE BOATS IN POSITION ON THE SHIP WHEN NOT
REQUIRED TO BE USED."
Fig. 1 is end elevation boat at rest; Fig. 2, sectional elevation boat put out;
Fig. 3, plan; Fig. 4, a front view of gearing for raising and lowering the
gantries.
This Invention is designed to enable a crew to almost immediately launch the
boats when required without having to swing round the davits or pull on the
falls.
In carrying out my Invention I always place the boat outside the davits, and
make the davits slide on gantries or beams C. For this purpose the davit A has a
stout base a, preferably armed with rollers B, B, above and below the gantry. The
gantry C is preferably hollow, and contains or has to one side of it a notched
support D for the keel of the boat to rest on. This support is attached or hinged
to the davit stand, and slides with it. It rests on a rail or support E, which dips
down close to the ship's side at F, so that when the support D, boat G, and davits
A, A, slide out, as hereinafter described, the support D will sink down and the boat
be loose. On the gantry C I place a ratchet rack H, and place a pawi h on the
davit stand a. The gantry itself, or a downward support I projecting from it, is
hinged below at i, preferably to the deck, and it has a rack and pinion or its
equivalent at the other end, so that the inner end can bo raised by a winch handle
till the gantry is level or inclines to the sea, as will be more fully described further
on. In the Drawing the "rack and pinion" is represented by its mechanical
equivalent, a worm J and wheel j, with the wheel working on a screw j² supporting
the gantry. The bearings of the wheel j are hung on a hinge ja so as to take any
inclined position required by screw 7. Between the gantries and attached to them
is a platform K, with inner chocks K¹ only, and in place of outer chocks I have a
simple catch L at each end catching the keel, and worked by a handle M. so as to
instantly released when required. The mode of action is as follows:-If the
ship is lying broadside on the rocks or a lee shore the platform is raised by the
rack and pinion or their mechanical equivalent till it is level; in other cases this
action is rarely required. The handles M working the afore mentioned catches,
and acting as stops or fasteners for the davits by standing in grooves in the davit
sides, are then turned, releasing the keel and davits simultaneously; the davits
with the boat resting on the sliding supports are slid outwards to the edge of the
ship, when the supports sink down and the boat hangs freely on the falls, and can
be lowered in the usual way. When the ship is rocking the ratchet pawl prevents
the davits from coming back, so that at each lurch the the boat can be allowed to
slide out a little until it hangs freely outside, the pawls preventing any return
action. In large boats, instead of pulling the boat out by hand, endless chains N,N,
are attached to the davits, and pass over the rollers n, n, at each end with a double
turn, and wind the winch o. By this means the boats and davits can be brought
forward by the winch o. The gantries can if desirable be continued across the ship,
and in long voyages the chocks can be removed, and the boats drawn back till they
lie alongside each other in the centre of the ship, a pin Q in ordinary cases pre-
venting the davits from passing beyond the movable part of the gantry. The
movable part as a rule is firmly locked in place by a catch R to prevent rising in
case of a very deep lurch. Two catches on the davits are sometimes arranged to
catch the gunwale and hold the boat rigid. These catches are let loose simulta-
neously with the keel catches L by means of stirrups T attached by rope or chain

page_text: to the barrel of handle M, so that when the handle M and consequently catch L is
lowered the chain or rope will wind round the barrel of M and pull down the catch
S till it slides off the end of the prolongation of the catch. The catch can be so
wedge shaped on the outside as to slide up the gunwale side, and catch the boat
automatically when the boat is brought against it; the stirrup will however in any
case have to be replaced by hand if allowed to slip quite off. The supports on
which the boat rests when being pushed out are made to swivel, so that one end
can be put out in advance of the other without any fear of the sides of the notch
hurting the keel. The davits are movable in the davit stands, so that they can be
taken out if desired or swung round.
Having now described my Invention, and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I am well aware that it has been
previously proposed to make the davits sliding so as to be brought further back, or
hinged so as to hang further out over the water, and though I am not aware that
either of these ideas have been carried into practice I do not lay any claim to them
in the abstract, but that what I believe to be new and desire to protect under the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The mode of, also the apparatus for putting out boats, substantially as
herein described, in which the work is performed without the sailors having to
touch a rope except the falls or to swing the davits.
Second. The improved retaining and releasing gear, consisting of catches L and S,
handle M, and stirrup T, or their mechanical equivalents, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
Third. The keel support working on a roller or rollers or their mechanical
equivalent, travelling upon a bed or course E parallel with the gantry or nearly so
for a large part of the distance, and curving down inside the ship's side so as to be
quite clear of the ship when lowering.
Fourth. The combination of the gantrics C, rail or support E, pawl h, and ratchet
rack H, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fifth. The combination of a gantry C carrying the traversing davits, support I,
hinge i, and mechanism consisting of rack and pinion or worm wheel and screw, as
shown, or their mechanical equivalents.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hudson, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
ALFRED J. BOULT,
Of the Firm of W. P. Thompson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
6, Lord St., Liverpool, and
323, High Holborn,
London.
JOHN HUDSON. (L.S.)