IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, SECURING, AND LOWERING SHIPS' BOATS AND OTHER BOATS OR VESSELS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hamnet Holditch Share, of Penryn, in the County
of Cornwall, Merchant, and Samuel Calley, of Kentish Town, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, SECURING, AND LOWERING SHIPS' BOATS
AND OTHER BOATS OR VESSELS."
Sealed the 18th June 1875, and dated the 2nd February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hamnet Holditch Share
and Samuel Calley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 2nd February 1875.
We, HAMNET HOLDITCH SHARE, of Penryn, in the County of Cornwall,
Merchant, and SAMUEL CALLEY, of Kentish Town, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, SECURING, AND LOWERING
SHIPS' BOATS AND OTHER BOATS OR VESSELS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate for above purposes the
handling of boats on board ship, and alsó lifeboats and other boats.

page_text: In carrying out our Invention we prefer to adopt the following arrange-
ments :-In case of boats on board ship, we construct a framework of
iron or other metal, which is secured to the outside of the ship by hinges
or otherwise, on which the framework is free to revolve or to travel in
slide or slides fixed to the ship's side, the ends of the framework travelling
in such slides to form hinges at any required distance in such slides by
bolts passed through the ends of the framework and the sides of the
slides. The other ends of this framework are formed with chocks or
notches, in which the boat when not in use rests. The said framework
is to be formed of two sides secured together by cross rods or arms, and
said sides are constructed so far apart as to take the boat between
them.
To both ends of the boat projections are fixed to enable the boat to
rest in the chocks; or sliding frame or frames may be fixed near the ends
of the boat, through which a bolt or bolts secured by screws may slide
and be withdrawn as required.
To secure the bolt in position holes may be made through the keel or
other part of the boat through which ropes or chains may be fastened to
the frame or ship's rail or otherwise.
The chains or ropes that secure the frame and boat to the ship may be
'used by hand, and they may be attached to windlass or other . winding
apparatus, and the boat is lowered by that means, the frame turning
on the hinge, so that when the frame is let go it carries the boat with it,
which at a suitable depth slides off the chocks or notches into the
sea.
For other boats or vessels the arrangements above described are sub-
stantially adopted, and if desired the above arrangements may be fixed
to a pier, jetty, or sea wall so as to launch lifeboats and other boats or
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 30
filed by the said Hamnet Holditch Share and Samuel Calley in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd August 1875.

page_text: .
SAMUEL CALLEY, of Kentish Town, in the County of w
man, send greeting.
+
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Hamnet Holditch Share and Samuel
Calley, Her special licence that we, the said Hamnet Holditch Share.
and Samuel Calley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Hamnet Holditch Share and Samuel Calley, our-
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at 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 Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, SECURING, AND LOWERING. SHIPS' BOATS AND
OTHER BOATS OR VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Hamnet Holditch Share and Samuel Calley, our executors or:
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 we, the said Hamnet Holditch Share and
Samuel Calley, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
The object of this Invention is to facilitate for the above purposes the
handling of boats on board ship, and also lifeboats and other boats or
vessels.
In carrying out our Invention we prefer to adopt the following arrange-
ments -In case of boats on board ship we construct a framework which
is secured to the outside of the ship by hinges or otherwise, on which the
framework is free to revolve or to travel in slide or slides fixed to the
ship's side, the ends of the framework travelling in such slide or slides
to form hinges at any required distances in such slide or slides by bolts
:

page_text: passed through the ends of the framework and the sides of the slide or
slides. The other ends of the framework are formed with chocks or:
notches in which the boat when not in use rests. The said framework
should be formed of two sides secured together by cross rods or arms,
`and said sides are constructed as far apart as to take the boat or vessel 5
between them.
To both ends of the boat projections are fixed to enable the boat' to
rest in the chocks. A sliding frame or frames may be fixed near the
ends of the boat, through which a bolt or bolts secured by screws may,
slide and be withdrawn as required, a frame being fixed at bow and stern 1
to allow the rudder to be always shipped ready for use..
To secure the boat in position holes may be made through the keel or
other part of the boat, through which ropes or chains may be fastened to
the frame or ship's rail or otherwise.
The chains or ropes that secure the frame and boat to the ship may be 1
used by hand, and they may be attached to a windlass or other winding.
apparatus, and the boat is lowered by that means, and by the same
means can be raised. The frame turns on the hinge, so that when the.
frame is let go it carries the boat with it, which at a suitable depth slides
off the chocks or notches into the water.
For other boats or vessels the arrangements above described are sub-
stantially adopted, and if desired the above arrangements may be fixed
to a pier, jetty, or sea wall, so as to launch lifeboats and other boats or
vessels from land.
20
Figure 1 represents the side view of our improvements with boat in
position.
Figure 2 is end view of Figure 1. .
Figure 3 is plan of boat in position.
Figure 4 is a modified form of frame (in end elevation) with crank or 3
eccentric arrangements.
a is the boat; b, davits; c, hinges on which davits turn, said hinges
being fitted when required to slides fixed at the sides of the ship or other.
structures to allow. of same being raised or lowered in such slides and

page_text: secured in any other position in such slides; d, frame to unite the davits;
e, notches for boat to rest in; f, top of frame for boats, to hoist up boat
into the notches (e); g, spills fixed to the boat to allow of hanging in
the notches, said spills being shewn as forming part of connection which
runs the length of the boat, securing the whole length of same, said
spills being so formed as to rest in the notches, and also for purposes of
hoisting the boat; / (Figure 4) is second frame made so as to form a
clip for the spills when same rest in the notches when boat is in place,
this being done by having two centrés (c and i), one being a little behind
and above the other on which the frame turns, said frame being furnished
with a eccentric action (j), as shown.
It will be understood from the foregoing statements that the Invention
consists of parts of hinges or other mechanism or appliances to turn on
in lieu of the same made to receive corresponding parts of hinges or
other mechanism to be attached to the lower ends of a moveable frame'
herein-after described, and to which the same shall be attached and turn
on, or of slides having holes at any required distances on both sides of
the same, shaped and made to receive such hinges or mechanism, and to
which hinges or niechanism at the ends of such frame may be attached
´ in such a manner that the frame may turn on freely and travel free in the
slides, whereby the frame can be raised or lowered therein at any height
required, and be kept in place therein by bolts or otherwise. These parts
of hinges or the slides above described should be bolted or otherwise
secured to outsides of ships or vessels, quays, piers, pileing, or other
5 structures where the above apparatus for raising and lowering is
adopted.
:
The moveable frame for raising and lowering by this Invention con-
sists of what may be termed two davits framed or connected firmly
together, a part of their lengths similar to the example shewn in the
accompanying Drawing, or on any other approved shape or arrangement
having substantially the same effect, and being provided near both the
upper ends of the frame or davits with chocks or notches in the same, in
. which boats or vessels can rest when not in use, or until the frame be
sufficiently lowered to enable boats or vessels to slide off from the back
5 of the frame by the turning of the frame on the joints or mechanism
before described, and the notches could be so formed that boats or vessels
would slide off the notches of the frame at any angle required when the
frame was sufficiently lowered. These frames should be sufficiently wide

page_text: at the notches to allow boats or vessels to be suspended between said
notches by spills overhanging each end of the boats or vessels that rest
in the same.
The davits or main members of the frame may each of them be of one
solid bar, or of two or more plates of flat metal or other suitable
materials framed and connected together in any approved manner, and
having at their lower ends parts of hinges or other mechanism, as before
described, to connect with the parts of hinges or other mechanism that
are fastened to structures or to apparatus travelling in the slides before
named, and these davits may be made straight or bent to any shape to
fit the sterns or sides of ships and vessels or other structures where
adopted, or all or part of the davits between the points marked B and C
in the Drawing (Figure 1) may be circular or other shape required to
carry boats over ships' decks, and the upper parts of the davits between
the points C and D in the Drawings (Figure 1) may be made of any shape
preferred, and the last named may be made to swivel round in sockets
formed in the davits above the point C in the Drawings.
'
Chambers or boxes should be placed in cach davit at right angles with
the davits near the point C in the Drawings (Figure 1) to receive moveable
spills or bolts to slide in, which spills should be kept in their places
therein by flat, bent, or spiral springs unless required to be pressed back-
wards, and holes should be formed at the points D in the Drawings
(Figure 1) to hook tackles in for hoisting boats on to the frame by
tackles or otherwise, when the spills can be pressed towards the outer
sides of the davits by levers or by any other means when necessary, to
allow the spills of the boat to pass between the frame and rest in the
notches before described, or a bar of sufficient size- and length, either
hollow or solid, should be fitted with parts of hinges or turning appliances
similar to those for the moveable frame, and such parts or turning
appliances should be fixed to structures between or adjoining the two
davits of such frame, and at the top part of such bar a crank or eccentric
⚫ should be rivetted so as to travel freely on those rivets, and those cranks
'or eccentrics should also be rivetted in like manner to the davits near the
notches C in the Drawings (Figure 1), and the hinges or turning
appliances and cranks or eccentrics should be so arranged that when
the raising or lowering frame is upright the spills at the ends of the
boats resting on the notches should be securely held by the crank or
eccentric closing over them, but that when the lowering of the frame
.

page_text: commences the cranks or eccentrics would be drawn back clear from the
spills of the boat before the boat descends to a level line, as will be seen
by referring to Figure 4 of the Drawings.
A bar of. any metal, with or without a swivel to the same, or chains of
any metal or ropes, should be fixed to both davits of the frame at any
height above the top cross bar of the frame, or to the top bar of the
frame itself for raising and lowering boats on the same, which bar chains
or ropes should be so arranged that one man could work them, or chains
or ropes should be fixed to each of the davits, as before described, and
wound round a winch, capstan, windlass, or other winding gear,
and be worked from the same for raising and lowering boats, and the
winches, capstans, or other winding gear may be placed either vertically
or horizontally, and by preference should be as near the frame as possible.
When boats are required to be hoisted up by tackles the frames should
be slackened off sufficiently from an upright position to allow the boats
being hoisted up without rubbing against 'the sides of ship or vessel.
The moveable frame when raised in place ready for lowering can be
secured to structures by a panel moving on a hinge and passed round the
davits of the frame, or by the davits falling into chocks or notches, or by
any other mechanical contrivance for fastening the frame to the structures,
and such panels or other mechanical contrivances should be firmly secured
to those structures by bolts, screws, or other mechanical appliances.
The boats or vessels to be raised or lowered by this Invention may be
of any size, shape, or description, but by preference they should have.
plenty of rake at both stem and stern, and may be fitted with rudders
secured in the ordinary way or otherwise. They should be also fitted
with spills or projections of iron or other material to overhang both ends
of the boats, to enable the boats to rest in the chocks of the moveable
frame, by which plan spills or projections should be fixed at the bow and
stern of the boat, and should project over the same the length required,
but a plate or apparatus should be fixed to the stern of the boat through
which bolt or bolts should slide or travel a sufficient distance, to rest in
the notches from the stern of the boat, and be withdrawn as required;
or the boats may be fitted both at bow and stern by bars to form spills to
project over both ends of the boat, which spills should extend sufficiently
to carry the boat when resting on the notches of the moveable frame,
and which bars could also extend inside some distance from both ends of

page_text: the boat, and then be so turned and shaped as to be fastened to a part or
the whole of the boat's length inside, and at the stern of the boat these
spills and bars should be sufficiently high above the rail of the boat to
allow tillers and tiller ropes to travel freely between the same and the
boat's stern, and this spill bar should be welded or otherwise fastened
crosswise to other iron or metal of any shape, which said iron should be
carried to both outer sides of the stern of the boat, but so fitted that
'these cross irons should be slightly under the spills in the lowering frame
when the boat is in place to prevent the boat being jerked out of the
notches when resting in the same before being lowered, and these cross
irons should be carried to both outer top sides of the stern frame of the
boat, and thence downwards towards the keel or under the keel of the
boat, and the same should be securely fastened to the stern frame, keel,
or frames of the boat by bolts or nails, or in any other approved way or
manner, and at the bow of the boat a similar bar should be fixed in the
'same manner of somewhat about the same height above the bow of the
boat as the stern one is above the stern, and this spill bar should be
securely fixed and fastened to the stern, keel, and floors of the boat, as
before described, so that the boat may rest horizontally in the chocks of
the lowering frame, and this spill bar should be fitted crosswise if
_necessary, with projections of iron or other metal sufficiently long to
hold the boat in place on the frame and prevent its jerking off the same,
and so arranged that the same should be near and underneath the spills
fixed as before described in the moveable frame when the boat is in
place.
Clips should be in rail to fasten keel of boat and holes in boats in keel,
stern, or stern post of boats to fasten same to structures; also the frame
carrying the boat when lowered should be arrested before it descends to
the perpendicular line with the hinges, and the boat is launched off some
distance from the ship's side.
: All the parts of the Invention can be made of steel, iron, or other
metals, or of wood or other suitable materials. And where in above
statements boats only are mentioned boats and vessels must be under-
stood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed or put in practice, we hereby declare that we claim the said

page_text: Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Raising, Securing, and
Lowering Ships' Boats and other Boats or Vessels," substantially as the'
same is herein-before set forth and described, in which Invention principal
peculiarities are the use of what we have termed davits, framed and
secured together as described, the same moving on hinges or turning
centres, such davits having notches and catches and spills, so arranged as
to keep all secure when turning is not required, and to effect release
action immediately upon the davits and frame being sufficiently lowered,
and by reverse operation raising can be effected.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Calley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
1
SAMUEL CALLEY. (L.S.)
Witness,
T. MORGAN,
Secretary, Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
Charing Cross,
S.W.