Improved Means for Securing Boats on Board Ship and elsewhere, and for Expeditiously Releasing and Rendering them Ready for Lowering.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Securing Boats on Board Ship and elsewhere,
and for Expeditiously Releasing and Rendering them Ready for
Lowering.
I, CARL JOHANN FRIEDRICH DE Vos, of 70, Goudsche-Straat, Rotterdam,
in the Kingdom of Holland, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means for securing boats on board ship, on
landing stages, or elsewhere, and for instantly releasing the same ready for running
out and lowering.
Ships' boats are sometimes carried at davits, but are more commonly placed on
chocks which rest on the deck. In either case, it is necessary to apply lashings to
secure the boat against injury in a sea-way. When the boat is about to be launched,
the lashings have to be cast off, the davit-tackles attached, if not already connected,
and the boat swung out, or hoisted and swung out, over the ship's side, time being
lost, which, in cases of emergency, might be of the utmost value.
The primary object of my invention is to berth a boat when not in use in such a
manner that it may be instantly released and rendered ready for launching.
In carrying out my invention, I prefer to employ two chocks shaped to fit the
bottom of the boat and arranged to slide vertically between guides secured to the deck
of the vessel or staging as the case may be. These chocks in their normal attitude are
erect and are supported in a raised position by means of cams or levers mounted on
two parallel shafts which are geared together and are capable of being partially
rotated in opposite directions by a single hand-lever. The chocks when in their
inoperative position lie horizontally after turning laterally on gudgeons which work.
in slots formed in the chock-guides. By operating the hand-lever which is keyed
to one of the shafts, both shafts are caused to partake of a rotative movement with
the effect that support is withdrawn from the chocks, which thereupon fall vertically
and turn laterally, clear of the bottom of the boat; the latter thereupon becoming
suspended by the davit-tackles. The lashings are arranged in such a manner that
they become slackened by the slight lowering of the boat, above referred to, and
may be instantly cast off; the boat being now borne by the davit-tackles, ready to
be swung over the side and lowered. After the boat has been raised by the tackles
and swung inboard above the chocks, and the lashing chains have been hooked or
otherwise placed in position, the hand-lever is moved into its normal position, thus
restoring the chocks to a vertical position, raising them to bear against the bottom
of the boat, and at the same time tightening the lashing chains and finally securing
the boat in position upon the chocks. Each lashing chain may be furnished with a
clip at one end for engaging with the side of the boat and with a hook at the other
end for engaging with a sliding pin; these pins being connected to the shafts and
operated by the same hand-lever. One of the davits is preferably furnished with
a worm-wheel which is actuated by a worm and hand-wheel. The other davit
works in unison in the usual manner.
Instead of two parallel shafts geared together, a single shaft provided with cams
or other mechanical devices adapted to raise and lower the chocks may be
employed.
Dated the 24th day of October 1893.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Securing Boats on Board Ship and elsewhere,
and for Expeditiously Releasing and Rendering them Ready for
Lowering.
I, CARL JOHANN FRIEDRICH DE Vos, of 70, Goudsche-Straat, Rotterdam,
in the Kingdom of Holland, Merchant, 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 relates to improved means for securing boats on board ship, on
landing stages or elsewhere, and for instantly releasing the same ready for running
out and lowering.
Ships' boats are sometimes carried at davits, but are more commonly placed on
chocks which rest on the deck. In either case, it is necessary to apply lashings to
secure the boat against injury in a sea-way. When the boat is about to be launched,
the lashings have to be cast off, the davit-tackles attached, if not already connected,
and the boat swung out, or hoisted and swung out, over the ship's side, time being
lost, which, in cases of emergency, might be of the utmost value.
The primary object of my invention is to berth a boat when not in use in such
a manner that it may be instantly released and rendered ready for launching.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a view showing in side elevation a boat berthed in accordance with my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the chocks and the apparatus employed for raising and lowering
same and releasing the lashing chains.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation corresponding with Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 represents the chocks in their lowest position and the lashing chains
released.
Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views.
Fig. 7 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in section illustrating a portion
of the actuating mechanism.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the cams.
Figs. 9 and 10 are corresponding end views.
Fig. 11 represents a mrdified form of construction.
Fig. 12 is a corresponding plan.
In carrying out my invention, I prefer to employ two chocks A and A' shaped
to fit the bottom of the boat B and arranged to slide vertically between guides C
and C¹ secured to the deck of the vessel or staging as the case may be. These chocks
in their normal attitude are erect, as represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, 11 and 12, and
are supported in a raised position by means of cams or levers such as D D¹ mounted
on two parallel shafts E and E' which are geared together by quadrants F and Fi
and are capable of being partially rotated in opposite directions by a single hand-
lever G. The part D of the cam D D' serves for lifting the chock and the part D'
bears against a ledge a' on the chock when the latter is erect. The chocks A
and A', when in their inoperative position, lie horizontally, as indicated in Figs. 1
and 2 and shown in Fig. 4. These chocks turn laterally on gudgeons c which work
in slots a formed in the chocks. The gudgeons may however project from the'
chocks and work in slots in the chock-guides. By operating the hand-lever G,.
which is keyed to the shaft E¹, both shafts E and E₁ are caused to rock,
with the effect that support is withdrawn from the chocks A and A¹
which thereupon fall vertically to the extent permitted by the slots a and
then turn laterally clear of the bottom of the boat B; the latter thereupon
becoming suspended by the davit-tackles H. The lashings K are arranged in such
a manner that they become slackened by the slight lowering of the boat, above

page_text: referred to, and may be instantly cast off; the boat being then ready to be swung
over the side and lowered. After the boat has been raised by the tackles H and
swung inboard above the chocks A and A', and the lashing chains K have been
hooked or otherwise placed in position, the hand-lever G is moved into its normal
position, thus restoring the chocks A and A' to their vertical position, raising them
to bear against the bottom of the bout, and at the same time tightening the lashing
chains K and finally securing the boat in position upon the chocks. Each lashing
chain K may be furnished with a clip k at one end for engaging with the side of
the boat B-and with a hook k¹ at the other end for engaging with a sliding pin L;
the pin L being connected to an arm on one of the shafts (E or E') by a link /
and is therefore operated by the hand-lever G. The davit H is furnished with a
worm-wheel M which is actuated by a worm N and hand-wheel N'. The other
davit H works with the davit H' in the usual manner; being coupled to that davit
by a rod H. In order to swing out the boat, the hand-wheel N' is rotated so as to
cause the davit H' to turn inwards; the davit H' turning outwards. The movement
in continued, until the davit H' has drawn the davit H' inwards again and the bow
of the boat has passed between the davits; the rod H being then nearly in the
same vertical plane as the davit H. The rod H³ is thereupon pushed outwardly by
hand and the motion of the hand-wheel N' reversed; the davit H¹ being turned
until the davit H' has taken the stern of the boat far enough over the side. In
bringing in the boat, the operations are reversed.
Instead of two parallel shafts E and El geared together, a single shaft Ex
(Figs. 11 and 12) provided with cams D D or with other mechanical devices
adapted to raise and lower the chocks A or A' may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :--
1. The improved means substantially as herein described for securing boats on
board ship or elsewhere and for expeditiously releasing and rendering them ready
for lowering.
2. The improved means for securing boats on board ship or elsewhere, arranged
in such a manner that, upon moving a single hand-lever, the boat is released and
left banging from the davit-tackles, ready to be swung out and lowered, substantially
as herein described.
3. For securing boats on board ship or elsewhere, the employment of chocks,
such as A and A, mounted in such a manner that, by moving a single hand-lever,
they are released from the vertical and assume a recumbent position, leaving
the boat pendent and the way for its movement clear, substantially as herein
described.
4. The improved means, substantially as herein described, for swinging out a
boat suspended from davits; the same comprising a rigid rod connecting the davit-
heads and worm or other suitable gear applied to one of the davits whereby it may
be rotated first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, the other davit
moving to correspond.
Dated the 24th day of July 1894.
Dated the 24th day of July 1894.
For the Applicant,
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.