Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM RICHARD MIDDLEMORE THOMSON, of 96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow,
Lanarkshire, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
which has been communicated to me from abroad by Reginald Heber Earl of
Newfoundland, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is, to say :-
October 28
1881
This Invention consists substantially of improvements upon the boat lowering
and raising apparatus for which Letters Patent N° 4729
were granted to
Alexander Melville Clark, as a communication from the said Reginald Heber Earl,
all with the object of making this apparatus more perfect in construction and
action than formerly.
And in order that the whole nature, novelty and improvements of this Invention
may be fully understood, and also the mode of putting the same into effect or
practice, I shall now proceed to describe the several figures on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for that purpose, the same
reference letters indicating the corresponding parts in the different figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are an end view, and a side elevation from the back and deck of
the ship, and Figure 3 is a plan corresponding to Figure 2 all of one construction
or modification of this improved boat lowering and raising apparatus.
Referring to these Figures, A and A¹, indicate respectively the deck and side of a
ship, and near which the improved apparatus is shown as secured and erected at
a part where the bulworks A² are cut away, the whole consisting as follows:-Of
two strong short frames or standards B, B, formed singly in this new arrangement,
each screwed by a broad basement flange B¹ to the deck A at each extreme end of
the apparatus. The swinging frame D; D1, D2 (which carries the cradle E by a
strong joint pin g at top) is in this case formed of two long strong T-section steel
side bars D, D, and a shorter central bar D₁ all secured together by longitudinal
tubes d with nuts on each side of the bars D, D', having also a strong longi-
tudinal tie bar D² secured to the end frames D, D, and central rib bar D¹; all so

page_text: as to form a strong ridged frame made to oscillate outwards at top, on a strong
longitudinal tube or axle D¹¹ secured to the extreme lower and outer ends of the
side arms D, D, and the central rib D¹ and turning in strong bearing eyes B" in
the outer ends of the side standards B B on deck This swing frame is straight
above, but is curved outwards below towards its oscillating stay D". The curved
parts of the end frames D D resting in correspondingly curved webs B2 of the end
stands B B, so that the straight part D D of the frame stands perpendicular when
in its normal position with the boat all in-board, as shown in sharp lines in all the
figures. This lower curved part of the swing frame D is preferably covered with
wirework or rope netting at d² as a screen, to prevent objects being washed over-
board through this open frame where there is no bulwark or deck railing. The
frame D and cradle E with the boat z on it are secured in this raised position by
the swivelling hand spindle b and catches b1, b2, mounted on the upper end of the
end standards B B, and which also secure the two vertical hand levers F, fulcrumed
at f to the lower part of these standards B, where they have hooked ends F' to
which are secured the lashing ropes q securing the boat to its cradle E. The cradle
frame is formed of the two side bars E E secured together by the longitudinal
bars E¹, E2, at its lower curved cradle part, where the keel of the boat rests on the
knee iron bar E' and is stayed by the bar E' at the outer ends of the cradle frame,
all inboard within the curve of the cradle and its carrying swing frame D. The
cradle frame E E is hung by strong joint pins g g to open joint eyes D³ at the
upper end of the swing frame D so as to gravitate outwards beyond the ship's side
when unlocked by the catch lever b¹, 62, and the frame D carrying it is swung out
also, as shown dotted in at 21, Figure 1, and which insures that the boat & would
always be level while being lowered by the swing frame D and its cradle E to the
position shown dotted in at 22 also in Figure 1. Chains e are attached to the
upper curved ends E³ of the cradle frame E, E, one to each, and they are carried
through eyes el and guide pulleys e², down the back of the swing frames D D and
along to near the centre of the upper bar D2, where they are each attached by eyes
to the lower blocks H, of the rope tackle H, H¹, having their upper blocks H¹, hung
to eyes H2, on each side or it may be by one set of blocks and tackle H, H, h, hung
to one eye H³ instead of two sets as shown at the upper outer end C¹ of a
swivelling strong steel davit C secured to and swivelling in a deep socket
standard C² screwed to the deck A by a broad sole C with a strengthening
feather in front. A pin passed through holes in the broad bearing flange c at the
lower part of the swivelling davit C, into the holes in the top of the standard C
can fix the davit C in any desired position. The ropes h from the tackle H, H³,
áre brought down to securing and lowering "blay" pins or other attachments at c¹
on each side of the standard C of the davit near the deck. The ropes q having
their ends secured to eyes Q on the bar D" or to the deck below the cradle, are
passed over the boat and the lower part of the cradle E, and under the hook
arms F1, of the levers F, which tighten up the ropes when the levers F, are raised
and then secured by the lock arm 6. To lower the boat when it is all loaded and
ready, the locking arms b, 61, 62, are turned out to release the frame D D and the
levers F, which are then turned down on deck, so that the hooks F¹ release the
ropes q and leave the boat and cradle free to swing out by their own weight as
before stated, when the tackle H, H', is pulled upon to draw out the top D³ of the
swing frame D D past the perpendicular and top C¹ of the davit C. The slackening
out of the tackle H, H¹, h, then lowers the swing frame D, cradle E and boat z on
it all as before described, leaving the swing frame D out beyond or down the side
of the ship. The boat & would of course float away from off its cradle E as soon as
it reached the water W. The frame D D when thus lowered forms a strong ladder
for lowering people or articles into the boats alongside or taking people or articles
on board the ship out of the boats or picking them up out of the water.
This swing frame D D may also be raised by the tackle H, H', h, so as to raise
the cradle E E with the boat floated on to it up to near the vertical position under
the outer end C¹, of the davit C, from which position it may be drawn on to its

page_text: resting frames B B2 by any rope or tackle attached to the upper part of the
frame D and to an eye in the lower part of the standard C² or the deck A. The
swing frame D D may have the cradle frame E secured to it by slide catches O
mounted on one of the stays d¹, as shown dotted in at Es, and then lowered out
horizontally over the side of the ship and used for towing boats attached by ropes
to the eyes at the joint pins g; or otherwise hoisting blocks and tackle may be
attached to these eyes g, as dotted in at G in Figure 1, and have the frames D D
lowered out at any desired angle over the side of the ship to act as a jib or derrick
crane by the tackle H, H¹, h, as the raising and lowering jib stay as dotted at E³
Fig. 1, and a bar stay I might be jointed at one end to the sole C₁ of the davit C
and have the other taking into notches, or coupled by a pin taking into holes,
in the curved part of the central rib D' of the frame D to fix it at any desired
angle to raise or lower boats or other heavy articles on board or over the side
of the ship. All the raising and lowering frames and other parts are much
simplified compared with those of the said former patented apparatus and only
one simple davit is now used instead of the two swing davits formerly required,
and all the frame parts are designed to be made of steel of web and feather or
tubular sections, to give the greatest possible strength with lightness.
Having now particularly described the nature of the said invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire
to secure by Letters Patent is
"
1. The improved construction or combination of the fixed central davit C and
swing cradle and supporting frames D, E, and B, with the lowering and raising
'chains, ropes, and tackle, and securing and releasing mechanism, all substantially
as and for being operated as described in reference to and shown in the Drawings.
2. In boat lowering apparatus, the combination of a swing frame and cradle D
and E mounted over the deck and operated by a fixed central davit C, all
substantially as herein described and shown in the Drawings.
3. The combination of a swing frame D with cradle E mounted over the deck,
and operated by a fixed central davit C, either as a boat housing, lowering, and
raising apparatus or as a jib crane for raising and lowering heavy boats or other
articles, all substantially as herein described and shown in the Drawings.
4. In boat lowering apparatus the combination and arrangement of a single
central davit C for operating a swing frame D, as a jib crane, all substantially as
herein described and shown in the Drawings.
5. In a boat lowering apparatus the combination of the levers F, F, and locking
and disengaging swivelling catch arm's b, 61, 62, with end frames B B, operated as
and for the purposes substantially as herein described and shown in the Drawings.