IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING SHIPS' BOATS
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS ALFRED HARPER at the Office for Patents, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of my
said invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING SHIPS' BOATS," to be as
follows:-
Ships' boats are at present usually lowered from davits from which they are
slung by ropes. This necessitates the lowering of the boat alongside the ship and
in rough or heavy weather entails considerable danger and risk there being often
great difficulty experienced in getting the boat clear of the ship from which it has
been lowered.
This invention is designed to do away with davits and rope tackle, and to
provide an apparatus from which the boat can be launched clear of the ships side.
It consists of a cradle mounted on a swivelling or revolving stand and supported
at each end by chocks or stays. The cradle is made to correspond with the contour
of the boat and of sufficient length to carry the boat while laid thereon without
straining it. It may be made of wood or of a framework of metal or other
material. Beneath at about the centre of its length it is pivoted to a supporting
stud or stem so as to be capable of being raised or lowered at either end. This
stud is securely held in a support fixed to the deck in which it has a swivelling
movement. When at rest the two ends of the cradle are stayed by rods attached
by pins, lashing, or other suitable catch or device, these stay rods are at their other
ends held in position against the fixed support by a strap or collar but free to
swivel round it as the cradle is moved.
The boat may be secured to the cradle by lashing if found necessary. When it
is required to lower or launch the boat the cradle is turned round until the bow of
the boat projects out over the rail or bulwark the stay rod at that end of the cradle
having first been removed. The boat is then manned and the second stay rod
released, the cradle canted or tilted over towards the outside, and when a suitable
moment occurs the boat is launched into the water, where it at once rights itself
and being clear of the ships' side is under the command of the oars without any
hindrance. To prevent the boat shipping water it may be decked over for a short
distance at the bow.
WP. THOMPSON & Co.,
Per J. O. O'Brien,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool;
Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: ”
I THOMAS ALFRED HARPER at the Office for Patents 6 Lord Street Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster, Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of my
said invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING SHIP'S BOATS and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Ship's boats are at present usually lowered from davits from which they are
slung by ropes.
This necessitates the lowering of the boat alongside the ship, and
in rough or heavy weather entails considerable danger and risk, there being often
great difficulty experienced in getting the boat clear of the ship from which it has
been lowered.
This invention is designed to do away with davits and rope tackle, and to
provide an apparatus from which the boat can be launched clear of the ship's side.
The invention is set forth in the drawings annexed hereto, in which Figure 1 is
a side elevation of the boat and apparatus with the front stay removed, Figure 2
sectional transverse elevation of the apparatus. In these A is a cradle which in
practice will preferably be made of a stout framework of timber, iron and timber
or wrought iron. It is depicted only in outline or as a solid structure, as the
details of its construction form no part of my invention, and it can be varied to
suit the taste of the ship builder or engineer. This cradle is mounted on a
support B swivelling or revolving on a standard C so as to be capable of taking
any suitable angle for launching. It is preferably stayed by stays D D¹ laterally,
and by stays E E¹ fore and aft. The cradle is made to correspond with the contour
of the boat (F) which has to rest thereon without straining the latter. When at
rest its two ends are stayed by rods E E¹ or by lashings, pins or other suitable
catch or device or two or more of these. Stay rods D D¹E E¹ are at their lower
ends held in position against the fixed standard C by a strap or collar G, but are
free to swivel round the standard as the cradle is moved.
The boat may be secured to the cradle by lashing or ordinary grips if found
necessary. When it is required to launch the boat, the cradle with its support B
and stays D D E E' is turned round until the bow or stern of the boat projects
out over the rail or bulwark, the stay rod E or E¹ at that end of the cradle having
first been removed. The boat is then manned and the second stay rod (E' or E)
released, the cradle canted or tilted over towards the outside, and when a suitable
moment occurs the boat is launched into the water, at once rights, and being clear
of the ship's side is under the command of the oars without any hindrance. To
prevent the boat shipping water, it may be decked over for a short distance at
the bow and stern as shown. 1
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The improved apparatus for launching ship's boats consisting of a cradle
pivoted on a column or standard, and stayed in such manner that it can be made
to swivel round horizontally, and when unstayed to swivel also in a vertical plane
to a convenient angle for launching, substantially as described.
1

page_text: 2nd. In combination with a cradle for launching ship's boats, the diagonal
removable stays E E' linking the cradle with a collar or its equivalent round the
axis of the standard, whereby the cradle is kept in a horizontal position, yet be
free to swivel round, and can be released at a moment's notice so as to dip for
launching.
3rd. In apparatus for launching ship's boats the combination with a cradle
having a central fixed pin upon which it is hung or swivels, of a fixed standard
provided with socket to receive and support the pin, substantially as described and
shown,