IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING AND DETACHING BOATS AND OTHER OBJECTS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Jacob Hill and Josiah Latimer Clark, both of
Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING AND DETACHING BOATS AND OTHER
OBJECTS"
Sealed the 12th December 1879, and dated the 26th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Jacob Hill and
Josiah Latimer Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
26th September 1879.
EDWARD JACOB HILL and JOSIAH LATIMER CLARK, both of Victoria Street, in the
City of Westminster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING AND
DETACHING BOATS AND OTHER OBJECTS."
Our Invention consists of a simple hook attached to the boat or other object to
be lowered by a rigid or slightly jointed attachment, having the upper or curved
part of the book expanded on each side or on the top, the expansion forming two
horizontal projections like horns, the breadth of the horns being such that they
cannot pass through the ring, link, or shackle, hereafter described, which is used in
connection with the hook. The horns are placed in such a position that when the
ring, link, or shackle is engaged in the hook the horns compel the ring to hang
somewhat out of the vertical position by pressing against the two sides of the ring,
link, or shackle, thus ensuring that when the ring is allowed to fall it will clear
itself from the hook and not be liable to engage itself again.
The ring used may be made in the form of a figure 8, as described in Hill's
Patent, No. 1007, April 6th, 1870, or may be a simple ring or link, or a bell shaped
or ordinary shackle. The ring, link, or shackle is attached to the falls by which
the boat is suspended by means of the hook link, hereafter described.
We also employ a peculiarly constructed hook-link resembling a figure of 8 with
the smaller eye downwards, and having on each side a small curved hook pointing
downwards and lying in the same plane as the eyes of the link. This hook link is
attached to the falls and carries the ring link or shackle above described. The
hooks on the hook link are used for the attachment of the fore and aft line,
described in Hill's Patent, No. 242, January 24th 1872, for the purpose of ensuring
the simultaneous disengagement of the two ends of the boat. The hook link may

page_text: if preferred be made with a curved hook on one side only, as described in Hill's
Patent above mentioned.
The apparatus above described resembles and is used in precisely the same
manner as the boat detaching apparatus of the Patent of 1872 and therefore needs
no further description.
To prevent the ring or shackle from becoming prematurely disconnected before
the boat is properly lowered, a locking claw may be jointed to the back or side of
the hook, which working horizontally passes round and fills up the aperture
beneath the curve of the hook so as to prevent the ring from falling out until it is
withdrawn; or the claw may be double and made to work vertically, being
pivotted so as to work up and down on each side of the hook, and it may be so
weighted at the back as to be made to act automatically; or preferably the ring
may be secured in its place by a safety pin or key thrust through the bottom part
of the hook, thereby closing up the aperture after the ring is inserted, or this may
be done by a piece of rope of suitable form.
It is obvious that the hook and ring above described may be used for the
lowering and detachment of packages or objects of any form or weight.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Jacob Hill and Josiah Latimer Clark in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th March 1880.
EDWARD JACOB HILL and JOSIAH LATIMER CLARK, both of Victoria Street, in
the City of Westminster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING AND
DETACHING BOATS AND OTHER OBJECTS."
Our Invention relates to improvements in the apparatus for suspending and
detaching ships' boats and other objects, for which former Letters Patent were
granted to the said Edward Jabob Hill, dated January 24th, 1872, No. 242, and
consists, first, in the employment of a simple or ordinary form of hook, except that
it has the upper or curved part swelled or expanded on the top or sides in the form
of horn like projections, which cannot pass through the ring, link, or shackle used
in connection with the hook, and which are placed in such a position that the ring,
link, or shackle when engaged upon the hook is compelled to assume an inclined
position, so that when the ring, link, or shackle is allowed to fall it will clear itself
from the point of the hook and not be liable to again engage itself therewith.
The hook is attached to the boat or other object in an inverted position by a rigid
or slightly jointed connection, and in the case of a boat there would be one at each
end as usual. The ring used may be made in the form of a figure 8, as described in
Hill's Patent, No. 1007, April 6th 1870, or may be a simple ring or link, or a bell
shaped or ordinary shackle. This ring, link, or shackle is attached to the lower
block of the tackle by which the boat is suspended by means of a link, which we
term a hook-link, in the form of a figure of 8, with the smaller eye downwards and

page_text: having a small curved hook on each side. These hooks point downwards and lie
in the same plane as the eyes of the link. This book-link is attached to the lower
block of the tackle and carries the ring, link, or shackle above described. The
hooks on the hook-link are used for the attachment of the fore and aft safety line,
described in Hill's Patent first mentioned, for the purpose of ensuring the simul-
taneous disengagement of the two ends of the boat, and the object of having a hook
on each side is to avoid the necessity of turning the link round to hook on the fore
and aft line, but if preferred there may be a curved hook on one side only.
The apparatus above described resembles and is used in precisely the same
manner as the boat detaching apparatus described in the Patent before mentioned,
and therefore needs no further description.
To prevent the ring, link, or shackle from becoming prematurely disconnected
before the boat is properly lowered, a locking claw may be jointed to the back or
side of the hook so as to work horizontally and pass round beneath the point of the
hook so as to prevent the ring from falling out until it is withdrawn; or the claw
may be double and pivoted so as to work up and down on each side of the hook,
and it may be so weighted at the back as to be made to act automatically. Instead
of a locking claw a safety pin or key may be thrust through a hole in the bottom
part of the hook, thereby closing it after the ring is inserted. This is the device
we prefer, but the same end may be accomplished by means of a piece of rope of
suitable form.
It is obvious that the hook and ring above described may be used for the
lowering and detachment of packages or objects of any kind.
In the accompanying Drawings the Invention is illustrated as applied to a ship's
boat. Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a ship's boat with the improve-
ments applied, showing the boat hanging from the davit tackles. Figure 2
represents the same boat as water-borne and disengaged from the tackles.
Figure 3 represents the two ends of a boat with their respective gear drawn to a
larger scale, the hooks being attached to the boat in different ways. The remaining
Figures show the hooks and connections separately and on a larger scale. Figures 4,
5, 6, 7, and 8 show side and edge views of slightly different forms of hooks, the ring,
link, or shackle that engages therewith being represented in Figure 5, in dotted
lines, in the position it assumes when hooked on and supporting the weight of the
boat. Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 represent face and edge views of different
forms of these rings, links, or shackles separately. Figures 14 and 15 represent
face views of alternative forms of hook-liuks by which the ring, link, or shackle is
connected to the tackle block. Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 show side and edge
views of one of the forms of hooks above described with different forms of safety
devices applied.
A is the hook; B, the ring, link, or shackle; and C, the hook-link. A hook A is
attached at each end of the boat by a keel bolt, as in Figures 1 and 2, or by a
crutch bolt, as at the stern end, Figure 3, or by slings, as at the bow end in the
same Figure. Each hook A is placed in an inverted position with its point towards
the middle of the boat. It is connected to the bolt or sling by which it is attached
to the boat preferably by a pivot joint at A¹, upon which it is capable of movement
in the direction of the plane of the hook to an extent not exceeding 15 or 20
degrees. These hooks are of different forms to accomplish the same object, and
according to the form of ring, link, or shackle used in connection therewith. In
Figure 4 the curved part or top a of the hook is simply swelled sufficiently to
prevent the ring B passing over it. In Figures 5, 6, and 7, the top of the hook is
forged with a pair of upwardly and laterally projecting horns a² for the same
purpose, these horns being made shorter or longer according as a ring, link, or
shackle is used. In Figure 8 a cross pin a³ is passed through a hole in the head of
the hook and projects at either side to serve the same end. Figure 9 shows a bell
shackle; Figure 10 shows a circular ring link; Figure 11 slows an oval link;
Figure 12 shows a figure of 8 link; Figure 13 shows a similar link, except that the
two eyes are in one. Either one of these may be attached to the lower eye of the

page_text: hook-link, Figure 14 or 15, for use in connection with one or other of the above
described hooks A. Figure 14 shows a hook-link C with but one downwardly
curved hook c for the attachment of the fore and aft line d, as described in the
former Patent aforesaid, and Figure 15 shows the improved hook-link with two
such hooks c, one at each side. In Figure 16, D is a safety device to prevent the
ring, link, or shackle B becoming prematurely disengaged from the hook A. It
consists of a claw shaped stop working horizontally on a vertical pivot d', by which
it is attached to one side of the hook A. When in the full linė position it closes the
hook A and prevents the disengagement of the ring, link, or shackle B, but when
swung back to the dotted position it leaves the latter free to slip off at the proper
moment. The form of this claw is more clearly shown in Figure 16. In
Figure 17, the claw D is in the form of a double elbow lever, one at either side of
the hook A, working in a vertical direction on a cross pin d². The two levers are
united by a cross piece passing round at the back of the hook so as to work
together. To this end a cord e may be attached, which is fastened to a small
projection on the hook A to hold the device in the closed position. In this position
the other limbs of the levers D embrace the point of the hook A and prevent the
ring, link, or shackle B slipping off; when the cord e is released the weight of this
end throws the levers D back to the dotted position, leaving the hook A free.
Figures 18 and 19 will be understood without description.
Having described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing the
same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The employment of a hook of the form described provided with a swelling,
expansion, or horn like projections, in combination with a ring, link, or shackle
applied and engaging therewith, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The hook-link C in the form of a figure of 8 and provided with a down-
wardly pointed hook at one or both sides, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
3rd. In a boat lowering and disconnecting apparatus, the combination of a pair of
hooks constructed and applied as herein specified, the rings, links, or shackles
respectively connecting therewith a fore and aft line and hook links, each provided
with two downwardly pointed hooks, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the Edward Jacob Hill, on behalf of myself and
the said Josiah Latimer Clark, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty.
-
EDWARD J. HILL. (L.S.)