AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC DISCONNECTING GEAR FOR SHIPS' BOATS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Sample, of Blyth, in the County of Northumber-
land, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC DISCONNECTING GEAR
FOR SHIPS' BOATS."
Sealed the 28th November 1879, and dated the 16th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Sample at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th June 1879.
JAMES SAMPLE, of Blyth, in the County of Northumberland.
AUTOMATIC DISCONNECTING GEAR FOR SHIPS' BOATS."
"AN IMPROVED
My Invention has the advantage of dispensing with the connecting rope passing
from fall to fall as is usually the case, and may consist of the following parts:-
Along the centre and at the bottom of the ship's boat runs a longitudinal rod,
having an eyejoint at the middle of its length, and rising upward at the stem and
stern to a disconnecting apparatus suitable secured to each end of the boat. Each
apparatus consists of a sheath and hinged hook, but the hook being hinged to the
upper part of the sheath is incapable of acting in the manner of a hook until it is
brought down and so held by a strap working upon a centre pin and encircling the
sheath. The outer arm of this so called strap is hinged to the end of the aforesaid
longitudinal rod.
When my automatic disconnecting gear is in operation the hinged hook of each
apparatus is brought down over the fall hook hanging, from the ship's davits, and
secured by the said strap being brought up over the poiut of the hinged hook.
Upon the weight of the ship's boat and its content being brought to bear upon the
davits, the strain upon the hinged hooks would tend to open them and set the fall
hooks free, but as the straps are connected together by the longitudinal rod, one
strap cannot operate before the other, and this can only be effected by the boat being
uniformly supported, and the strain taken off the stem and stern simultaneously.
[Price 6d 1

page_text: This being done the eye joint of the longitudinal rod falls, which by any ordinary
system of levers and fulcra depresses the inner arms of the straps and sets both ends
of the boat free from the davits.
For the purpose of lowering boats aft a spring may be employed within the
sheath of the disconnecting apparatus to act upon the strap and tend to set the
hinged hook free when the weight is off the ship's davits. In this modified arrange-
ment of my automatic disconnecting gear no longitudinal rod would be employed,
and the apparatus would be suspended by the fall ropes from the ship's davits ;
consequently the hinged hook would be attached or hinged to the lower part of the
sheath.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Sample in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th December
1879.
JAMES SAMPLE, of Blyth, in the County of Northumberland.
AUTOMATIC DISCONNECTING GEAR FOR SHIPS' BOATS."
"AN IMPROVED
My Invention relates to the means employed for lowering a ship's boat at sea,
when upon an emergency it is found necessary to lower the saine at a moment's
notice or in a rough sea.
On such occasions much valuable time may be lost and life sacrificed by the
entanglement or inflexibility of the ropes used, or the ignorance of the working of
any complicated apparatus.
The construction and automatic action of my Invention remedy these and other
evils, and avoid the occurrence of those distressing accidents which so frequently
occur during the hurried act of lowering a ship's life boat.
The means I employ to carry out my Invention may be thus generally
explained :—
Along the centre and at the bottom of the ship's boat to which my apparatus is
fitted runs a longitudinal rod or bar, having an eye-joint at the middle of its length
and rising upward at each end, is connected to a disconnecting apparatus suitably
secured at the stem and stern ends of the boat. Each disconnecting apparatus
consists of a sheath and hinged hook, but this hook being hinged to the upper part
of the sheath is unfitted to act in the capacity of a hook until it is brought down
and held by a lever strap working upon a centre pin passing through the said
sheath, so as to prevent the said book rising. The outer lever arm of this so called
lever strap is jointed by a pin or bolt to the upper end of the aforesaid longitudinal
rod, which necessarily connects together the disconnecting apparatus fixed at each
end of the boat, and thus prevent the one coming into action before the other, but
produces when brought into action a simultaneous operation of the whole gearing.
The longitudinal rod is supported by and rocks upon two fulcrums, suitably placed
on either side of the eye-joint, in the middle, so that when both the disconnecting
apparatus are not in use, the eye-joint shall fall by its own weight, and raising the
outer ends of the said longitudinal rod, communicate a rocking motion to the lever
straps, which motion, raising the outer arm and depressing the inner one, sets free
the hook of each apparatus to open its hinge and release itself from any connections
to which it was previously attached.
When however the apparatus is in action, the hinged hooks having a tendency to
open exert a strain upon the straps antagonistic to and in excess of that exerted by
the weight of the jointed portion of the said longitudinal rod; consequently the
latter is retained in a horizontal position so long as there is any strain upon either
of the hinged hooks, but immediately they are relieved of their load the longitudinal
rod drops at the eye joint, and rocking or turning upon its fulcrums sets the hinged
hooks free as before explained.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown at Figure 1 a longitudinal section
of a ship's life boat fitted with my Invention, Figure 2 being a transverse section
of the same on line 1, 2; Figures 3 and 4 respectively are similar views of a modi-
fication of my Invention, Figure 5 being a transverse section on line 5, 6, Figure 4,
the remaining Figures being enlarged details of various parts, as will be hereinafter
fully explained.
In Figures 1 and 2, a, a, are the two fulcrums or carriers carrying the jointed
lever rods b, b, the outer end or extremeties of each rod being connected to a
disconnecting apparatus by the link bar e, e, rising upward and working the lever
strap or attachments f,f, which latter, when the apparatus is in action, embraces the
hinged hook g, g, and prevent the hook opening while the weight of the boat is
upon either of the ship's davits.

page_text: To retain the longitudinal rods in a longitudinal position previous to attaching to
the boat the fall hooks hanging from the davits, a key or pin is inserted in a pin
hole at h (see details at c). This pin supports the weighted portion of the said
longitudinal rod, and also prevents the misuse of the automatic principle.
The longitudinal rod may be weighted as shown in the Drawing, Figures 6, to
any desired extent.
In lieu of the jointed rod b, b, as in Figure 1, a rocking shaft b*, b*, supported in
bearings a*, a*, a*, may be substituted, as shewn in Figures 3, 4, and 5. In this
modification it will be observed that at each end of the rocking shaft is keyed or
fitted a bell crank lever, one arm weighted and free, and the other connected to the
link bar ex, ex, which communicates motion to the lever strap or attachment, as
already explained. When the boat to which this apparatus is attached is water
borne, the weighted arins W, W, of the bell cranks lever drop; this action putting
the lever straps in the position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 9, releases the
hinged hook of each disconnecting apparatus and sets the boat at liberty.
Figure 3 also illustrates how, when the boat is only partly water borne, the hinged
hook at the stem, although relieved of its load, is still retained in position by the
lever strap until both are relieved of their load.
Figures 6 are enlarged details at A (Figure 1), y and being cross sections on
lines m, n, and o, p, Figure 7 being a plan of Figure 6; Figure 8 is an elevation
and plan of the eye-joint at B (Figure 1), drawn to an enlarged scale; and Figures
11 and 12, enlarged views of the working parts at D (Figure 4); Figures 9 and 10
are respectively side and end view of the disconnecting apparatus. One of these is
fixed at each end of the boat, and rendered automatic by the longitudinal connecting
rods b, b, (Figure 1), or by the working shaft b*, 6*, (Figure 4).
For the purpose of lowering boats aft a spring may be employed within the
sheath of the disconnecting apparatus to act upon the strap, and tending to set the
hinged hook free when the weight is off the ship's davits. In this case, there being
but one attachment, no longitudinal connecting rod would be required, and by
reversing the apparatus it could be employed for other purposes than lowering
boats.
Having now particularly described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with means of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
understood that I claim as my Invention secured to me by the above in part recited
Letters Patent, the arrangement and construction of automatic detaching or discon-
necting gear for lowering ships' boats, substantially as and in the manner above
described and illustrated upon the accompanying Drawing, or any mere modifications
of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Sample, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.