Improvements in Hooks for Supporting and Releasing Weights.
Year: 1896

page_text: RICHARD BIRCH WEST Livadia Mill Hill Cowes Isle of Wight, Master
Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This automatic tumbler hook is attached to block, and will release heavy weights
such as ships boats, when lowered in rough sea. The instant they strike the water
the weight is off the tackle. The hook tumbles and the boat or other weight
is free.
The iron strop, internal, is made with a longish swivel neck, with two lugs at the
bottom end. The steel hook, is fixed to thease lugs with a bolt. The hook is
made a little different from the shape of an ordinary hook with a role of steel
above which causes the hook to tumble when the weight is off. The hook can be
kept in position by a pin at the back of the lugs and used as an ordinary block
hook when required.
Dated this 21st day of September 1896.
Improvements in Hooks for Supporting and Releasing Weights.
I, RICHARD BIRCH WEST, of Livadia, Mill Hill, Cowes, Isle of Wight,
Master Mariner, 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 :-
My invention relates to hooks for supporting and releasing weights, more
especially to tackle block hooks such as are used with ships boats for supporting,
lowering into, releasing, and raising same from the water.
The main object of my said invention is to provide such hooks that will be self
freeing, upon the boat to which they are attached, becoming waterborne.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1. is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a boat shewing same suspended
from, and by my improved hooks.
Fig. 2. is a view of the hooks and attached parts corresponding to that shewn at
Fig. 1. but to enlarged scale.
Fig. 3. is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 2.
Fig. 4. is a view of the book in position hereafter fully described.
Like letters in the various views indicate corresponding parts throughout the
drawings.
In making hooks according to my invention, more especially for use in supporting,
lowering, rele sing, and raising ships boats, I provide a hook A, weighted at the
upper part b, and connect the hook to the strop or strap c, of the block B, the said
strap finishes at the outer part in a jaw d, formed by the lugs e, e, in which the

page_text: hook A, pivots on a pin ƒ, passing through the lugs and the hook, the latter is so
pivotted, and weighted at b, that when disengaged and not supporting any weight
it falls into the position shewn at Fig. 4.
When it is desired to engage a boat to the lower blocks B, B, of the davit
tackles the block books A, A, are engaged with the eyebolts or rings E, E, fitted
to the boat, and upon the tackles being set up the books are brought into the
engaged position as shewn at Figs. 1, 2, & 3, and while the weight of boat is on the
hooks they remain in that position but directly the boat is waterborne, and
the weight thus taken off the hooks and tackles the hooks, without being in any
way handled, fall into the position as shewn at Fig. 4. thereby releasing themselves
from their connection with the eyebolts or rings E, E, and consequently from
the boat.
For the purpose of preventing the boat from being disengaged from the blocks
except at will I provide and connect to the upper part of each hook at b, a line F, F,
and in lowering a boat the free end of these lines will be held by a man stationed
at about the centre of the boat, and while the man holds the lines tightly the hooks
and the boat will be held in the engaged position, but directly the boat is water-
borne and one or both of the lines are released, one or both of the ends of the boat
as the case may be, will be instantly released from the connection to the davit
tackle block, or blocks B, and consequently from the davit, or davits.
I can also prevent the hooks from pivoting, if so desired by passing a pin h,
through the eye G, formed in the back of the hook; when the hook is thus locked
the block can be used as if an ordinary fixed hook was fitted to same.
The block hook is fitted to swivel at H, so as to avoid turns being taken in the
falls C.
It is obvious my improved hooks can be used for other purposes than that of
supporting, lowering, releasing, and raising boats, and that such hooks need not
necessarily be attached to a pulley block.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said. inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The improvements in hooks for supporting and releasing weights, consisting
of the parts constructed, arranged, and combined, substantially as in manner
herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and operating
as, and for the purposes specified.
2nd. For boat engaging and disengaging purposes, a hook attached to the strap
of the lower blocks of the davit tackles, substantially as in manner hereinbefore
described for the purposes specified.
Dated this 12th day of March 1897
HERBERT P. BLAKE, M.I.N.A.,
70 High Street, Southanipton, Agent for the Applicant.