A NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT FOR DETACHING BOATS FROM THEIR DAVITS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and Foreign
Patent Offices, 38, Porchester Terrace, Bayswater, in the County of
Middlesex, and 24, Rue du Mont Thabor, Paris, in the Empire of France,
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "A NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT FOR
DETACHING BOATS FROM THEIR DAVITS."-A communication from Thomas
Huntington, residing at New York City, in the United States of America..
Sealed the 21st December 1866, and dated the 3rd September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd September 1866.
I, HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices,
38, Porchester Terrace, Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, and 24,
Rue du Mont Thabor, Paris, in the Empire of France, Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW AND USEFUL
IMPROVEMENT FOR DETACHING BOATS FROM THEIR DAVITS," a communication
from Thomas Huntington, a person resident at New York City, in the
United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new and improved means for detaching ships'
boats from their davits," and has for its object the simultaneous detachment of
the hooks of both the front and rear tackle blocks from the boat, so that the
latter may be set free upon the water without the liability of being swamped

page_text: or capsized in a swell or sea, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings.
The apparatus is attached to the front and rear thwarts of the boat, and is
constructed of a metal plate A let in the thwarts, one in each, and firmly
bolted in position, and having two upright lugs or ears a, a, between which
a right angular bar or hook B is secured by a pin 6, the former being allowed
to work or turn freely on the latter. The hooks B extend down through
holes or openings in the plates A, and have shoulders d upon the upper edges
of their lower ends for arms e on a shaft C to abut against and keep the
upper ends of the hooks in about a horizontal position, and near the upper
ends of projections f on the plates A, two on each plate, one at each side of
the hole or opening existing in the said plate A. When the hook B is thus
secured in position, the hooks D of the davit tackle may be fitted under the
hooks B and without the possibility of becoming detached unless the arms & are
moved down by turning the shaft C suspended to the pendants 9, as shown
in red outline; by means of a bar E, and a handle F, which is turned down
in a recess in the thwart so as to be flush with the upper surface of the same
when not in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI
ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 38, Porchester
Terrace, Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, and 24, Rue du Mont
Thabor, Paris, in the Empire of France, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign
did, for, Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henri Adrien Bonneville, Her special licence that I, the said Henri
Adrien Bonneville, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should in any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-

page_text: tion for "A NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT FOR DETACHING BOATS FROM
THEIR DAVITS," a communication from Thomas Huntington, a person
residing at New York City, in the United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a new and improved means for detaching ships'
boats from their davits, and has for its object the simultaneous detachment
of the hooks of both the front and rear tackle blocks from the boat, so that
the latter may be set free upon the water without the liability of being swamped
or capsized in a swell or sea, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 1 of which is a side view of the Invention, or the portion thereof which
is attached to one thwart; Figure 2, a front view of the same; Figure 3, a
plan or top view of the same; and Figure 4 a view of a boat with my
Invention applied to it.
The apparatus is attached to the front and rear thwarts of the boat, and is
constructed of a metal plate A, let in the thwarts, one in each, and firmly
bolted in position, and having two upright lugs or ears a, a, between which a
right angular bar or hook B is secured by a pin 6, the former being allowed
to work or turn freely on the latter. The books B extend down through
holes or openings in the plates A and have shoulders d upon the upper edges
of their lower ends for arms e on a shaft C to abut against and keep the upper
ends of the hooks in about a horizontal position and near the upper ends of
projections on the plates A, two on each plate, one at each side of the hole
or opening existing in the said plate A. When the hook B is thus secured
in position the hooks D of the davit tackle may be fitted under the hooks B.
and without the possibility of becoming detached unless the arms e are moved
down by turning the shaft C suspended to the pendants 9, as shown in red
outline in Figure 2, by means of a bar E, and a handle F, which is turned
down in a recess in the thwart so as to be flush with the upper surface of
the same when not in use. The shaft C has its bearings in pendants g, which

page_text: means.
may be cast with the plates A, one at each side of the holes or openings c,
said pendants extending down below the thwarts A*. The shaft C has a
longitudinal position within the boat B* underneath the thwarts, extending
from the front to the rear thwart, see Figure 4, and both arms e are attached
to the same shaft C, so that both arms will be moved at the same time or
by the same movement of the shaft C, and the hooks D of both tackle blocks
liberated at the same time. The shaft C may be turned by any convenient
In the Drawing an apparatus is shown consisting of a bar E pivoted
to the outer end of the arm e under the rear thwart, and extending through
a hole in said thwart, and having a handle F attached by a pivot h to admit
of the handle being turned down in a recess in the thwart, so as to be flush
with the upper surface of the same when not in use. In order to attach the
hooks D of the tackle blocks to the front and rear thwarts the arnis e; e, are
turned down so as to release the hooks B, and the hooks D are then inserted
under the hooks B; the tops or upper ends of the latter pressed down and
the arms e, e, raised or turned up against the shoulders d to hold the hooks B
in position. When the boat is lowered so that it touches or nearly touches
the water, the shaft C is turned by the cockswain, or other proper person
in the boat, and both hooks D, D, are instantly liberated from the hooks B, B,
and the boat set free.
By this improvement a simultaneous liberation of both ends of the boat is
effected; not by any contingency can one hook D be released before the
other, and this is a very important feature, for in case one end of the boat
should be liberated before the other end, it would, in case of a swell or sea, be
be very liable to be capsized or swamped; the hooks D also cannot become
casually detached from the hooks B in lowering the boat.
I would remark that the bolts which secure the plates A on the thwarts
may be provided with shoulders i for the plates to rest or bear upon, and the
bolts pass down through the keel of the boat in order to support firmly tho
plates A and the bearings of the shaft C.
I would further remark that the projections f on the upper surfaces of the
plates A are not indispensably necessary, they may be dispensed with by having
the upper ends of the hooks B made somewhat longer; this however would
involve a greater play or movement of the hooks B to liberate the davit
hooks D. The ends of the arms E against which the lower ends of the
hooks B bear should be segments of circles of which the shaft C is the centre,
in order to avoid any unnecessary friction between the lower ends of the books B
and the arms e in turning down the latter to liberate the hooks B.
Having now described and fully ascertained the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not restrict myself to the precise details above enumerated, which
may obviously be modified without departing from the principle of the Inven-
tion; but what I claim is, the hooks B suspended or fitted in the plates A, in
combination with the arms e attached to or fitted on the shaft C, all being
applied to the boat and arranged to operate substantially in the manner as
and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
H. BONNEVILLE.
(L.S.)