Certain Improvements in Drum Attachments for Pin-rails.
Year: 1886

page_text: :
Certain Improvements in Drum Attachments for Pin-rails.
I, ALEXANDER FULTON SPEAR, residing at No 2908 Folsom Street, in the city
and county of San Francisco, and State of California, one of the United States of
America, Stevedore, 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 a new and useful drum attachment for the pin-rails of
vessels; and my invention consists in a cylindrical piece or drum, and means for
attaching it readily to the pin-rail.
It consists, further, in novel means for attaching and holding it, comprising a
clamp on one end, secured by a pin passing through it and the pin-rail, and, a
jack-screw bearing under the lower arm of said clamp, all of which I shall
hereinafter fully describe.
In unloading a vessel there is rigged up to the end of the yard which extends
over the side, a tackle known as a "burton," one end of which is attached, to the
fall of the engine or lifting-rope, and the other end is usually passed back and forth
over several belaying-pins in the pin-rail, which is protected by a bent plate, called
a "rail-box." The function of the burton, as is well known, is to guide the load
over to the side and slack it away, and this is done by the operator hauling in the
slack of the burton as the load is hoisted, and slacking away again when in proper
position to be lowered.
So much friction is caused by the burton slipping on the belaying-pins that it
wears out in a short time, and is rendered useless.
A new rope, or as is generally the case, a fresh portion of a whole coil of rope,
has to be then rigged up. There is, therefore, considerable expense resulting from
this frequent, wear of the burton.
It is the object of my invention to obviate this expense by providing a drum
for the guiding-rope or burton, which takes the place of the ordinary rail-box, and
is adapted to be readily and quickly placed in the most convenient position, namely,
on the pin-rail.
71
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing
a portion of the bulwark and deck of a ship, with the drum secured to the pin-rail,
and a portion of the guide-rope or burton.
Figure 2 is a cross-section through the pin-rail, showing the attachment of the
drum thereto, and the jack-screw for holding it.

page_text: Figure 3 is a perspective view of the drum, showing the clamp upon its
inner end.
A is the deck, and B the bulwark of a vessel.
C is the pin-rail, and D the belaying-pins therein. E is a smooth-surfaced drum,
on one end of which is formed or secured the clamp F, consisting of two separated
arms having elongated holes or slots f made therein.
The clamp embraces the pin-rail, as shown clearly in Figure 2, while one of the
belaying-pins D is passed through the holes of the clamp.
The holes are made elongated, for the purpose of adjusting the clamp to various
pin-rails, as the pins in some of the rails are farther in than those in other rails,
and, therefore, by having the elongated holes in the clamp, the pin may pass
through them without any trouble.
G is a jack-screw, the upper end of which bears under the clamp, the under
surface of which should be slightly roughened, and is tightened up so as to bind
said clamp firmly to the pin-rail, and 'thus to hold 'the' druin solidly.
H is the guide-rope or burton, which is passed one or more times, as may be
required, around the drum. The remainder of the rope, though not here shown, is
supposed to be rigged properly to the yard, and to be attached to the fall of the
engine-rope. It will be seen that the rope, in slipping back and forth on. the drum,
is not subjected to much friction, and will therefore last a long time.
By loosening the jack-screw, and removing the belaying-pin, the drum may be
taken from the pin-rail, and as easily replaced when necessary.
I ain aware that a drum has been used for this purpose, but it is not attached in
the same manner, nor in the same place as mine, both points of difference resulting
in a disadvantage in the use of the former.
It is located on the monkey-rail, and has an arm projecting from it, which is
chained at the outer end to the channels of the vessel, and at its inner end to the
pin-rail.
This location, and manner of attachment, renders it very hard to adjust, and
much time is lost in fixing it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is-
1. The improved drum-attachment for pin-rails, consisting of a cylinder or drum
to receive the guide-rope, and secured suitably to the pin-rail, as by the jaws on its
end, embracing said rail, and receiving the be'aying-pin either through round holes,
or through elongated holes for adjusting it to various sizes of pin-rails, substantially
as herein described.
2. The attachment for the pin-rails of vessels, consisting of the drum secured
suitably to the pin-rail, as by the jaws on its end, embracing said rail and receiving
the belaying-pin, and the jack-screw below binding the drum to the rail, substan-
tially as described.