Improvements in Holding and Disengaging Gear for Boats. Carried by Vessels.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Holding and Disengaging Gear for Boats. Carried
by Vessels.
I, WILLIAM JOHN GELL, of 3, West Seacombe Terrace, Percy Road, Seacombe,
in the County of Chester, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention is for improvements on my former invention set forth in Letters
Patent No. 6618 of 1886, and has for its object a boat disengaging apparatus which
shall not be liable to the various defects of existing arrangements which are either
to let one end of the boat loose before the other or else liability to be disengaged
by accident.
By my invention, I form a safety hook, that is a hook with a weighted or spring
catch, so that the eye or link of the block can be inserted into the hook in all
positions, and also can be withdrawn by using both hands, one to depress or raise
the spring catch or weighted lever, and the other to pull the eye or link out of the
hook, but otherwise cannot be disengaged except by the movement of a lever or its
equivalent, whereby the hooks on both ends are instantly released, and so arranged
that when released by the lever, a spring or weighted catch comes out of gear and
the eye or link is absolutely bound to slip off.
In carrying out my invention, I form at each end on the last thwart a bracket.
On this is pivotted a compound hook. This hook is fastened down by a link
or eye, through which the disengaging bolt passes and holds it down so that
any amount of vertical pull on the eye or link of the block will not disengage
it from the hook, but only tend to engage it faster. The passage to the hook
is filled up by a weighted pawl or pawls, suspended from a projection below
the hook, but formed in one with it. These pawls stand up and allow an eye
or link to enter the hook without difficulty, but, the moment the hook is passed,
fall back and fill up the place and any amount of pulling of the eye or link
Fagainst the back of the pawl will not enable-one-to-extract-the-eye-or-link, as
the pawl cannot travel beyond a given point. It is, however, pivotted so freely
in the other direction that it can rotate backwards until clear of the eye or
link, then the latter is free to fall off. On the opposite side of the pedestal I
place a second hook, so that if, by any chance, the spring or weighted pawl
On
was out of order, this other hook could be used in the ordinary manner.
the base of the bracket is a hole corresponding to a slot in the link attached
One of
to the hook. A bolt through these two holds the hook in position.
these hooks is placed at each end of the boat, and the two bolts pass on or
under the thwarts to the two eyes of a lever. This lever is arranged so that
by pulling it in one direction both bolts are simultaneously withdrawn from
the links, or by pulling it in the other direction both links are secured.
In order to still further defend the hooks and for other purposes, I place the
two end thwarts at a considerable distance above the level of the ordinary
thwarts. By this means I can place belaying pins or other fastenings below
these two thwarts, and thus can fasten a rope to these fastenings without having
to bring it round the thwart of the boat. This is especially desirable at the bow
of the boat.
10th 1 Tune 1800
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Holding and Disengaging Gear for Boats Carried
by Vessels.
I, WILLIAM JOHN GELL, of 3, West Seacombe Terrace, Percy Road, Seacombe,
in the County of Chester, 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 :-
This invention is for improvements on my former invention set forth in Letters
Patent No. 6618 of 1886, and has for its object a boat disengaging apparatus
which shall not be liable to the various defects of existing arrangements, which
are either to let one end of the boat loose before the other or else liability to
be disengaged by accident.
By my invention, I form a safety hook, that is, a hook with a weighted or
spring catch or pawl, so that the eye or link of the block can be inserted into
the hook in all positions, and also can be withdrawn by using both hands, one
to depress or raise the spring catch or weighted pawl, and the other to pull the
eye or link out of the hook, but otherwise cannot be disengaged except by the
movement of a lever or its equivalent, whereby the hooks on both ends are
instantly and simultaneously released, and so arranged that, when released by
the lever, the spring or weighted catch comes out of gear and the eye or link
is absolutely bound to slip off.
The manner in which I carry my invention into effect is as follows, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
:-
Figure 1 is a plan of a boat, showing the position and arrangement of my
improved disengaging gear.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same.
Figure 3 is a front view, on an enlarged scale, of working parts of the gear,
showing the eye or link of the block inserted in the hook, and prevented froin
being accidentally disengaged by the weighted catch.
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively front and side views of the working parts
illustrated in the preceding figure, but showing the eye of the block disengaged
from the hook.
Figure 6 is a front view of the disengaged lever and a portion of the dis-
engaging rods for releasing the blocks at each end simultaneously.
On the last thwart A, at each end of the boat B, I mount a bracket C,
which is fastened down by a bolt E and a holder or bedplate E¹ in the bottom
of the boat or in other suitable manner. On each of these brackets C is
pivotted a safety hook D. These hooks are fastened down by pivotted links or
eyes H, through which the disengaging bolts F pass, and hold them down so
that any amount of vertical pull on the links or eyes H will not disengage
them from the hooks, but only tend to engage them faster.
The passage to
the respective hooks D is filled by a weighted pawl G, suspended or pivotted
on the projecting arm d¹ below the claw d of the hook, and formed in one with
it. These pawls stand up, and, in the position shown in Figure 3, fill the passage
to the hooks, but, being pivotted, they allow the eyes or links of the respective
falls H, by which the boat is suspended and lowered from the davits, to enter
the hooks without difficulty. The moment, however, that the entrance to the
hooks is passed, the pawls fall back and fill up the place, and any amount of
pulling of the eyes or links against the back of the pawls will not enable one
to extract the eyes or links, as the pawls cannot travel beyond a given point.
They are, however, so pivotted that they can rotate backwards until clear of
the eyes or links, then the latter are free to fall off. On the opposite side of
the hook, I may place a second hook, so that if, by any chance, the weighted pawl
is out of order, this other hook could be used in the ordinary manner. in the
base of each of the brackets is a hole I, corresponding to the links H. The

page_text: bolts F, through these two, hold the hooks in position. The two bolts F pass
on or under the thwarts, or, if desired, they may be placed immediately on top of
the keelson, to the two eyes of the lever J. This lever is so arranged that, by
pulling it in one direction, the bolts F simultaneously engage the links H. of the
falls, and thereby hold the boat suspended at each end from the davits, (see
Figure 3) or, by pulling in the other direction, the bolts are simultaneously with-
drawn from the links H, and thereby disengage the falls at each end of the boat,
and completely detach the boat from engagement with the vessel (see Figure 6).
When the links are engaged by the bolts, the lever J can be fastened down and
secured in a horizontal position by a pin passed under the bolt F (Figure 2) in
order to prevent the said lever being accidentally operated. By the arrangement
above described, the respective links H of the falls are coupled (when the gear is in
use) in close proximity to the pivots or fulcrums on which the hooks D turn, while
the links H, which retain the hooks in engagement with their respective links H',
are applied at some considerable distance from the fulcrums aforesaid.
In order to still further defend the hooks and for other purposes, I prefer to
place the two end thwarts at a considerable distance above the level of the ordinary
thwarts. By this means, I can place belaying pins or other fastenings below these
two thwarts, and thus can fasten a rope to these fastenings without having to bring
it round the thwart of the boat. This is especially desirable at the bow of the
boat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a disengaging gear for boats, the combination of the pivotted hook or clawa
adapted to receive the eye or link of the falls, the projecting arm a formed in one
with the claw, a suitable retaining device for holding the claw in its operative position
against the pull of the falls, and a weighted pawl G so pivotted to the said arm d
as to permit the free entrance of the said eye or link into the claw in all positions of
the latter, and its free exit therefrom on the withdrawal of the retaining device, but
otherwise adapted to prevent the withdrawal of the link except by advertently
lifting the pawl substantially as described.
-Dated-this-10th-day-of-March-1891––
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.