Improvements in Detaching Apparatus for Ships' Boats and other Objects.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Nov., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Detaching Apparatus for Ships' Boats and other
Objects.
I, ALEXANDER MCCRACKIN, of Fairfield, Jefferson County, State of Iowa, United
States of America, Lieutenant in the United States Navy, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to apparatus chiefly designed for use in connection with
ships' boats; and it has for object to enable the boat to be quickly detached at the
required moment, to avoid liability of one end of the boat being released before the
other, and to secure other advantages.
The apparatus consists essentially of a shackle, ring, or link adapted to be connected
to a hoisting sling, span, ring or eyebolt in the boat, and carrying a hook that is
mounted to turn upon the bow of the shackle, said hook having a straight point or
end that fits into a keeper on a sliding bolt which passes beneath a transverse bar on
the shackle. A key fits within an aperture in the bolt, the arrangement being such
that when the key is in position the bolt or bar will be locked in place upon the
shackle.
Two of these devices are employed, one at each end of the boat, and these two
devices are connected by a chain or its equivalent which is formed in two sections
that are joined by a slip hook of ordinary construction, said slip hook being provided
with a ring adapted to slip over the point of the hook. A small line or lanyard is
fastened to the chain and arranged so that it may be slipped behind the ring and then
brought forward about the ring and between the point of the hook and the link upon
which the ring rides, the end of the line or lanyard being hitched to the chain. The
lanyard is employed to prevent the accidental displacement of the ring and the
consequent slipping of the hook. The length of the chain is regulated by means of
a shackle. When the boat is suspended from the tackles, the two sections of the
chain are connected by the slip hook and the chain is drawn taut and the two bolts or
bars are held together and prevented from slipping outward to relieve the hooks.

page_text: In operation, when the boat is to be lowered and detached, the crew being in her,
the lanyard is cast off so that at the desired moment the ring may be slipped off the
hook and the keys having been previously removed the weight of the boat and crew
will thereupon turn the hooks, the chain will drop on the thwarts out of the way of
the masts and oars, and the boat will be disengaged, the bolts at this time moving
outwardly so as to release both hooks simultaneously. In attaching the boat, the
hooks are turned down and brought into engagement with the keepers, the keys are
inserted, and the ends of the bolts or bars are connected by means of the chain, the
ring being bound to place by the lanyard. The hoisting tackles may then be brought
into engagement with the hooks after which the boat may be hoisted up.
Dated this 10th day of Jul. 1800
A. MCCRACKIN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Detaching Apparatus for Ships' Boats and other
Objects:
I, ALEXANDER MCCRACKIN, of Fairfield, Jefferson County State of Iowa, United
States of America Lieutenant in the United States Navy, 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 detaching apparatus for detaching ships' boats and other
objects: The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus' that is safe, simple,
light, and compact, which will not stick, hang, or jam, that is not liable to get out of
order by rust or ice; that does not require lubrication, that will not interfere with the
stepping of masts; that can be readily adapted to any boat without change, (not
requiring special fittings on boat or hoisting tackles, but which can be shackled on to
the sling, span, ring, or eyebolts, already in the boat) that has few parts, is direct
acting, with no sheaves or rollers; and thus quick in action, that will not disengage
by any motion of boat or vessel, that can be adapted to a boat in any position on side,
quarter, or stern of a vessel, that can be used in any state of sea or weather and
whether the vessel is at rest, going ahead, or astern, that will detach both ends of
the boat absolutely at the same required instant-whether the boat is lowered level
or not and when the boat is in or out of the water and if one or both ends of the
boat are water-borne, and that will not detach in any case whatever unless it is
desired.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification in which figure 1 represents my apparatus as it appears when applied to
a boat, the boat being shewn in central longitudinal section; Figure 2 is a perspective
view of one of my improved attaching and detaching appliances; Figure 3 is a
central longitudinal sectional view of the same, the parts being represented in full
lines as they appear when in the open position, and in dotted lines as they appear
when in the closed position: Figure 4' is a detail view of the sliding claw employed
in my apparatus; Figure 5 is a side view of the slip hook and connections, the parts
being represented as they appear when the slip-hook is bound to place; and figure 6
is a sectional plan view, taken upon a line corresponding with that of the line
figure 3. Similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
The apparatus illustrated in the drawings above referred to, consists essentially of
a shackle, ring, or link, 10 (the drawing represents a shackle) which is arranged for
connection with a hoisting sling, span, ring, or eyebolt, in the bow and stern of the
boat. In the drawings 1 have represented an eye-bolt, which is shewn at 11, the
shackle being connected to the eye-bolt by a bolt 12. The shackle 10 carries a loose
hook 13 that is mounted to turn upon the bow of the shackle said hook having a
straight point or end 14 that fits into a keeper 15 on a sliding bar or bolt 16 which
of

page_text: passes beneath a transverse bar 17 that is bolted or rivetted or otherwise secured to
the arms of the shackle 10. A key 18 is arranged to fit within a proper aperture 19
in the bolt 16, the arrangement being such that when the key is in position the bolt
or bar will be locked to place upon the shackle.
In practice, two such devices as those described are employed and these two devices
are connected by a small chain 20 or its equivalent. This chain is formed in two
parts joined by a slip hook of ordinary construction, such as the one shewn at 21
(Figure 5) said slip hook being provided with a ring 22 that slides upon the closed
link of the hook and is adapted to slip over the point of the hook proper. A small
line or lanyard 24 is fastened to the chain 20 and arranged so that it may be slipped
behind the ring 22, and then brought forward about the ring and between the point
of the hook proper and the link upon which the ring 22 rides, the end of the line or
lanyard being hitched to the chain 20, as indicated. The lanyard is employed to
prevent the accidental displacement of the ring and the consequent slipping of the
hook 21. The length of the chain 20 is regulated by means of a small shackle 23
which is shewn in figure 5.
From the construction described, it will be seen that when the two sections of the
chain 20 are connected by the slip-hook 21 and the chain is drawn taut, the two bolts or
bars 16 will be held together and prevented from slipping outwards to relieve the
hooks 13, so that if suspending tackles 25 are brought into engagement with said
hooks, the boat in connection with which the attachments are arranged may be
suspended, as indicated in figure 1.
When the boat is to be lowered and detached, the crew being in her, the boat-
officer or coxswain casts off the lanyard 24 when at any desired time the ring 22
may be slipped off from engagement with the point of the hook 21 and the keys 18
having been previously removed, the weight of the boat and crew will turn the
hooks 13 to the position in which they are shewn in full lines in figure 3, the chain 20
will drop harmlessly on the thwarts out of the way of the masts and oars, and the
boat will be free to drop into the water, the bolts or bars 16 at this time moving to
the position in which they are shewn in full lines in figure 3, thus releasing both
hooks 13 instantly and simultaneously.
To attach the boat, the hooks 13 are turned down and brought into engagement
with the keepers 15, the keys 18 are inserted, and the ends of the bolts or bars 16
are connected by means of the chain 20, the ring 22 being bound to place by the
lanyard 24. The hoisting tackles 25 may then be brought into engagement with the
hooks 13, after which the boat may be hoisted up. In order that the attachment
may be in condition for immediate use, it is desirable that the keys 18 be removed
immediately after the ring 22 has been bound to place. If desired, the chain 20 need
not be connected until after the boat is hoisted, or the hoisting tackle may be hooked
directly into the shackle 10; this might be desirable when the boat is to be hoisted at
night or in stormy weather.
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 ;
1. In a boat detaching apparatus, the combination with the shackle or its stated
equivalent, having a transverse cross-piece and a hook pivoting on upper part of the
shackle or its stated equivalent, of a sliding bar or bolt passed through the space
below the said cross bar and having at one end an upward projecting keeper to
receive the free end of the hook when said end is swung down and the keeper
moved towards the shackle, substantially as set forth.
2. In a boat detaching apparatus, the combination with the shackle 10 or its stated
equivalent having a transverse cross-piece and a hook 13 pivoting on the upper part
of the shackle of the sliding bar or bolt 16 passed through the space under said
cross piece and having an upward extending open keeper 15 on its end at the other
side of the shackle, to receive the free end of the hook 13 and an aperture 19 to
receive the key 18 at the inner side of the shackle, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 3. A boat detaching apparatus, comprising the two shackles 10 or the stated
equivalents thereof, having transverse cross-pieces 17 and oppositely facing hooks 13
pivoting on the upper parts of the shackles, the two bars or bolts 16 passing through
the spaces below the cross pieces and having on their outer ends upwardly projecting
keepers 15 open on their sides next to the shackles to receive the free ends of the
hooks when the bars or bolts are slid towards each other, and apertures 19 to receive
keys 18 at the inner sides of the shackles a chain connecting the inner ends of said
bars or bolts and provided with a slip hook and a lanyard 24 for securing the ring 22
of the slip hook from longitudinal movement, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the boat having the usual eyebolts 11, at its ends, of the
shackles 10 or their stated equivalents pivoted to the eyes of said bolts by transverse
pivots and having transverse cross-pieces 17 above the pivots, and the hooks 13 on the
upper ends of the shackles and facing the ends of the boat, the sliding bars or bolts 16
extending through the spaces under the cross-pieces 17 and having keepers 15 on their
outer ends open on their sides next to the shackles to slide over the free ends 14 of
the hooks when the said bars or bolts are drawn towards each other, the locking keys
for the bolts at the inner sides of the shackles, and the connecting chain having a slip
link whereby the boat may be suspended by the swinging hooks or directly by the
shackles 10, substantially as set forth.
Dad thi okth dose of antenho 1000