PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND DISENGAGING SHIPS' BOATS AND FOR TAKING THEM INBOARD AND PUTTING THEM OUT, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE RAISING AND LOWERING OF HEAVY BODIES GENERALLY
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Harrold Barry, of the City of Limerick, Ireland,
"
and of 14, Southampton Buildings; in the County of Middlesex, Master
Mariner, and Lieutenant, Royal Naval Reserve, for the Invention of IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND DISENGAGING
SHIPS' BOATS AND FOR TAKING THEM INBOARD AND PUTTING THEM OUT, PARTS
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE RAISING AND LOWERING
OF HEAVY BODIES GENERALLY."
Sealed the 22nd November 1878, and dated the 14th September 1878.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Harrold Barry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th September 1878.
JAMES HARROLD BARRY, of the City of Limerick,' Ireland, and of 14, South-
ampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Master Mariner, and Lieutenant,
Royal Naval Reserve. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING,
AND DISENGAGING SHIPS' BOATS AND FOR TAKING THEM INBOARD AND PUTTING
THEM OUT, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE RAISING AND
LOWERING OF HEAVY BODIES GENERALLY."
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements of the
davits for ships' boats, whereby, according to one arrangement, facility is afforded for
running the boats in and out on the davits, and by another arrangement the boats
may be readily turned in and out. Also to an improved hoisting gear contained within
or connected with the lower pulley block or attached to the rail or between the
davits, and used in the latter case in conjunction or not with mechanism for turning
the davits in or out: The hoisting gear pulley block may also be employed for
hoisting and lowering other heavy bodies generally. Also to a peculiar combination
and arrangement of lowering gear situate within the boat itself; and, lastly, to,
improved disengaging apparatus working automatically or otherwise.

page_text: The main objects of my said improvements are, the more speedy raising, lowering,
(by hand or automatically) and detaching boats and running them in and out
quickly from their chocks secured for sea, all this being accomplished by the crew
of the boat alone, so that vessels whose boats' crews are detailed to them can turn
out the whole of their boats as quickly as a single boat. Also the turning in the
boats on swing davits, as herein-after described, so that the action of hoisting and
turning in may be performed at any stage of the hoist. An ordinary boat with its
crew of four men can thus along with the crew be readily and speedily hoisted up
and turned in and secured for sea. This hoisting gear is also applicable to many
other purposes where heavy weights are to be raised or lowered, and where a
portable winch in conjunction with the purchase can be used; it can moreover be
made of any power, and takes up for export less room than one-tenth the ordinary
winch.
My arrangement of davits and parts connected therewith for running in and out
ships' boats consists as follows:-I construct the davits in two ways, the first being
intended for use on the bridge, poop, or hurricane deck, which I shall now proceed
to describe. These davits are fitted and shipped the breadth of the boat from the
rails, are curved to the shoulder as in the ordinary davit, and at the end of such
curve a hinge joint (single or double) is provided. From this joint outwards the
davit assumes a very slight arch, and along this arch there is provided a slide
groove within and along which a traveller works, such traveller being attached to
the upper block, thus allowing the boat to be run in or out, which can be effected
by two men, who can thus turn out a boat which is secured for sea in less than
3 minutes, and turn inboard the same boat and secure it for sea in the same time.
As this davit has a longer arm than ordinary I place another davit where the
present davits are situate, but more fore and aft of the boats in order to allow them
to run in or out freely. The said davit is hinge-jointed at the top and made with
a screw leg at the bottom so as to be adjustable vertically and serves to support
the other davit whilst giving it the angle required for running in or out. "Any
well-known means may be used for raising or lowering the legs of the davit. The
slide grooves on the inner davits are formed with a hollow or recess at each end in
which the blocks rest when in or out, and in this hollow or recess there is a lover
with handle, to be used with a chain or rope for throwing the upper block on the
slide. On the top of the davits are two sheaves for checking the run in or out in
a seaway, one sheave at the inner end and one at the outer end, with an endless
chain or rope rove in them and fast to the traveller to which the block is fast.
I sometimes make the bottom of the inner davits so as to work in a slide in order
to turn them in, the hinge joint before referred to on the moveable davit being also
made to work along a short slide or groove.
In my arrangement of davits for turning in and out boats I use the ordinary
davit, constructed so as to work with my improved hoisting and lowering apparatus
in one, the same as the lower block which I will now describe.
This block is similar to the ordinary block in shape, with two of the sheaves
working slack as they do now. The other sheave is provided with claws, teeth,
or groove, and serves to nip the rope it is fast on to the pin of the block, which acts
as the axle and protrudes sufficiently through the block to ship winch handles
thereon. The "fall" is the ordinary "fall" now in use and is rove in the block in
the usual manner, but when put round the purchase sheave it is brought through a
hollow groove or tube in the top, and is acted on by the wheels working with the
handle which pulls it through, and when through, a paul with hinge on the top
prevents it slipping. To this I add the necessary gearing for turning round the
davits, namely, a spindle and pinion working with the above gear and connecting
with the gearing on the davits.
The said gearing consists of a slide on the rail with teeth to fit the pinion, also
with holes rounded and made to gear with teeth or studs placed spirally round the
davits. The davits work in a slide box outside the ship's rail and ship into a
sliding block fitted to this box, and moving perfectly free at any angle of the davit

page_text: and working on pivots in the slide. The bottom of the davit is fitted with a
knuckle joint or rounded point and socket. The block for hoisting, previously
described, is the power used on the rails in conjunction with this arrangement for
turning and in conjunction with the lowering, apparatus. The "fall" after being
passed round the sheave and through the paul tube is taken down through the
rail, through rollers, and along underneath the rail through two more rollers, which
are acted on by a common compressor or break, and the boats are thus lowered
perfectly level at both ends.
The disengaging gear when used in conjunction with the hoisting and lowering
inboard is fitted with a double or clip hook of any ordinary pattern, or one made
with a ball and cup and with a link across to keep the hooks closed, also with a
wedge piece of iron pendant or on a pivot in this link and working between the
hooks. This link may be used or not at will, as found desirable. The hooks are
acted on by springs in the bottom of the block strap, which springs are sufficient
in themselves either automatically or by hand to disengage the hooks, as the object
is to keep the hooks open when they are separated by the wedge link or when
acting by themselves. These springs will open and keep open and will shut and
keep shut, as there is a rod provided running through them to act in setting the
springs at a tension or not, at will, consequently making the arrangement either
automatic or so as to work by hand. The other arrangement which would have to
be used when the hoisting and lowering is done in the boat would be one of the
following, either with claw catch and cross bar attached to a guarded hook or with
a hook having a ball to fit into a cup either with the assistance of a spring and
weight or with either alone. It revolves round when the strain is taken off the
falls, and with a piece of thin line running from a lever handle at each block and
connected in the middle of the boat at any part of which by pulling on it, it
throws the ball or bar out by hand, and with the assistance of the spring very little
pressure is required to do so when not locked.
For lowering and disengaging in the boat, when my lower block is used as before
described, the "fall" is to be taken down round a sheave or small barrel of wood
or metal, round which the bight of the rope can be put, consequently there is no
reeving or unreeving to do. A metal case in two halves encloses the barrel, and it
is made with a passage through or a pipe in two halves fitted with metal rollers,
one on each side of each half, forming a circle with the two rollers within. One of
these apertures is at the top and the other at the side, through which the rope runs
freely when not compressed, and when both halves are tightened together by means
of a screw on the top of the metal case the rope is compressed by forcing or
pressing the whole of the rollers together.
This lowering apparatus is also acted on by common breaks, the foremost break
working with a small chain or wire rope with the after break, so that one man can
at any time lower away a boat, it requiring only two men to clear her away.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Harrold Barry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
March 1879.
JAMES HARROLD BARRY, of the City of Limerick, Ireland, and of 14, South-
ampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Master Mariner, and Lieutenant,
Royal Naval Reserve. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING,
AND DISENGAGING. SHIPS' BOATS AND FOR TAKING THEM INBOARD AND PUTTING
THEM OUT, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE RAISING AND
LOWERING OF HEAVY BODIES GENERALLY."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for the raising and
lowering of ships' boats and for detaching the same either by hand or automatically
with far greater ease and facility than has hitherto been practicable, so as to allow
of such boats being speedily hoisted and run in and out from their chocks and
secured for sea by the crew of the boat alone.
And in order that my said Invention may be better understood and readily
carried into effect, I will now, with the aid of the accompanying Drawings, proceed
more particularly to describe and ascertain the same.
The first part of my Invention relates to an improved construction and arrange-
ment of the davits, of which Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shews a view
in end elevation. The davits are fitted and shipped the breadth of the boat from
the ship's rail, while the feet of such davits work upon suitable metal guide rails
affixed to the deck in any convenient position. An independent view of a portion
of one of such guide rails is shewn at Figure 2. The davits are curved at the
shoulder b in a similar manner as the ordinary davit, and at the end of such curve
a suitable hinge joint b' is provided which connects a long projecting arm 62 to the
other portion of the davit. Such projecting arm is longer than the arm of the
ordinary davit, and when it is desired to run the boat in it assumes a slightly
upward angular position, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 1. Such arm is
provided with a slide groove within, and along which an ordinary traveller c works;
this traveller is attached to the upper block d, and so allows the boat to be easily
run in or out and secured by any two men in less than 3 minutes. Two sheaves e, e,
are placed one at either end of the projecting arm 62, over which sheaves an endless
chain or rope is rove and made fast to the traveller c so as to check the run of the
boat in or out in a seaway, and in order to compress the rope or chain I have the
inner sheave. working in a short slide f to which is attached a curved compresser f¹
actuated by a rope.
When it is desired to run the boat out such projecting arm assumes a downward
slanting position, as shewn in the Drawing, and when it is desired to secure the
boat the bases of the davits travel round on the guide plates, and the projecting
arms assume an horizontal position and pass under and remain in a line with a
supplementary or additional davit e¹ which is placed where the present davits are
situate, but fore-and-aft of the boat in order to allow it to run in and out freely.
Such additional davit is either jointed at the top or continued to the other davit,
and is fixed at the bottom so that it serves to support the other davit.
I employ any well-known means for raising or lowering the inner legs of such
davits while the outer legs are made rigid.
In order to be able to readily turn on the inner davits I make the bottoms of
such inner davits to work on a slide and with a pinion and tooth rack arrangement,
as shewn in Figures 2 and 4, or with any other convenient mechanism. I construct
the foot of the davit with a roller foot and slide, as indicated at Figure 3, and with
any convenient mechanical elevator, one arrangement of which is illustrated at Z,
Figure 1.
The second part of my Invention relates to an improved hoisting block, which
may either be attached to the rail or between the davits, or contained within or

page_text: connected with the lower pulley block which I also form of an improved con-
struction. Figure 9 is a view in side elevation of my improved hoisting block
which is similar to the ordinary block in shape, with one of the sheaves working
slack while the other sheave is provided with claws, teeth, or a corrugated spiral
groove which serves to nip the rope. Such sheave is made fast to the pin of the
block which acts as the axle, and projects sufficiently through the block to allow of
a winch handle being placed thereon. The "fall" is the ordinary fall now in use
and is rove in the block in the ordinary way, but when rove round the purchase
sheave it is taken up again round the upper block and brought down through the
shell in the top of the lower block, and is actuated by the wheels working with the
handles which pull it through, and when through, a pawl fitted with a suitable
lever effectually prevents its slipping. Suitable hooks are affixed to the bottom of
the block, which books are actuated by springs fitted in the bottom of the block
strap, and which springs are sufficient in themselves either automatically or by
hand to disengage the hooks and to keep them open when they are separated.
Such springs are so constructed that they open or shut and remain in either
position as required. A rod passes through them which either sets them at a
tension or not, as desired, so that the arrangement may be worked either auto-
matically or by hand. In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 9, h is the sheave
working slack; i, the purchase. sheave provided with corrugated spiral groove;
j, the pin of the block; %, the sheave for feeding the rope; 7, compresser and sheave
working slack; m, the pawl and lever for nipping the rope; n, the springs; and o,
the rod. The purchase sheave is worked with an annular wheel and pinion shewn
at Figure 10. I fit my improved block either for chain or rope, as may be desired.
Such improved hoisting gear is also applicable to many other purposes where heavy
weights are to be raised or lowered.
The third part of my Invention relates to an improved lowering gear situate
within the boat itself, illustrated at Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings, and
which may either be used alone or in conjunction with the improved block already
described. When it is desired to lower and disengage the boat the fall or a pendant
is taken down round a grooved sheave J round which the bight of the rope is
placed, whereby the operations of reeving and unreeving are entirely dispensed
with. A suitable metal stand L is fitted with two metal rollers M, Figure 6, on
each side placed one above the other in front of each sheave. Through such rollers
the rope runs freely when not compressed, but when they are brought together,
which is effected by means of a screw N on the top of the metal stand L, the rope
is compressed owing to the rollers being forced or pressed together. This lowering
apparatus is also acted on by common brakes, the foremost brake working with a
small chain or wire rope with the after brake, so that one man can at any time
readily lower away a boat; or preferably the two sheaves may be placed together
in the centre of the boat, as shewn in the Drawing, so that one brake placed
between them will compress both sheaves and the pendants after being placed
around them are brought back through the compresser rollers, as also shewn in the
same Figure, so as to be under the immediate control of the officer. The screw is
then tightened and the boat is ready for lowering. The pendants are made of
chain and rope so as to prevent stretching while the lower block hooks on to these
pendants.
In the accompanying Figure, K is the pendant; J, the grooved sheave; L, the
metal stand fitted with rollers M, while N is the compressing screw, and 2 is the
brake with lever leading aft.
If desired double rollers may be employed at the bottom so as to obtain a greater
pressure by the top roller compressing the rope between them.
The fourth part of my Invention relates to an improved disengaging apparatus
which consists of a block fitted either with a claw catch and cross bar attached to
a guarded or other hook, or with a hook having a ball to fit into a cup where it
may be retained either by a catch and weight or with either alone. When the
strain is taken off the falls the hook revolves round, and by pulling on a thin line

page_text: running from an ear or lug at each block and connected in the middle of the boat
at any convenient part, the ball or bar is readily thrown out by hand, very little
pressure being required to do so when it is not secured by the catch. In Figure 7
of the accompanying Drawings A is the weight and lever; B and C, the ball and
cup or knuckle and socket; D, the hinge catch to secure the weight; E, the ring
to slip the weight; F, the raised piece through which a piece of rope is made fast
to the ring; P, the safety pin; and L, the rope. Fig. 8 shews a view of a shackle
which may be used instead of the hook shewn in Figure 7. The weight or lever A
falls down on the boat touching the water, and the weight being taken off the
⚫ tackles it is released by hand by pulling on the small line L, which throws out the
hook and pulls down the weight as already mentioned.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I claim,-
Firstly. The improved construction and arrangement of the davits for ships'
boats, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
Secondly. The improved construction and arrangement of hoisting gear, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The improved arrangement of lowering gear, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated, and
Fourthly. The improved arrangement of disengaging apparatus, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Harrold Barry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
ELT & Co.,
33, Southampton Buildings,
Holborn,
London, W.C.
JAMES H. BARKY. (L.S.)