IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISENGAGING SHIPS' BOATS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISENGAGING SHIPS' BOATS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by William Reid Douglas, of Dunedin, New
Zealand.
Sealed the 23rd May 1873, and dated the 26th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th November 1872.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR DISENGAGING SHIPS' BOATS,"
a communication to me from abroad by William Reid Douglas, of
Dunedin, New Zealand, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a simple and effective combination of
apparatus for detaching ships' boats, and consists in combining together
a ball and socket or their equivalent at each end of the boat, the ball or
its equivalent being attached to the lowering tackle, and the socket to
the thwart or other convenient part of the boat. The balls are main-

page_text: tained in their sockets by the upper ends of two levers hinged to the
sides of the sockets, the lower ends of these levers being drawn towards
each other and held in that position by a combination of rods and a
short length of slip chain, the end of which chain is engaged with a
"let-go” lever catch so long as the boat. is to remain engaged with the
tackle, but when the disengagement is to be effected the "let-go" lever
catch is released by disengaging a loop thereon from a holding pin,
whereupon the strain on the chain will instantly tip up the hooked end
of the "let-go" lever catch and become disengaged, and by allowing the
socket levers to release the balls or their equivalent from the sockets will
effect the instant disengagement of the boat at both ends simultaneously.
The rods above mentioned are respectively jointed to the lower ends of
the levers, and extend along the boat close to the bottom thereof. In
the end of one rod à pulley is fitted, and a second pulley is fitted into a
bracket piece screwed to the bottom of the boat. The short slip chain
is attached at one end to one of the said rods; it then passes round the
pulley in the end of the other rod, thence round the stationary guide
and up to the "let-go" catch lever. If preferred, the rods may be
dispensed with, and the chain may be connected to both levers directly,
one of such levers having a pulley in the end thereof for the chain to
pass round before being connected to the "let-go" lever catch.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN 2
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
-sex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, 'bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the 3
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree 3

page_text: with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, excr-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DISENGAGING SHIPS' BOATS," a communication to me from
abroad by William Reid Douglas, of Dunedin, New Zealand, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
The said Invention relates to a simple and effective combination of
apparatus for detaching ships' boats.
Figure 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents a longitudinal
section of a ship's boat suspended from its davits by the said improved
combination of disengaging tackle; Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged details
of part of the disengaging apparatus; and Figure 4 is an enlarged detail
side elevation of an improved "let-go" lever catch which is to be used
in combination with the disengaging apparatus shown in Figures 2
and 3. In all these Figures the corresponding parts are indicated by
corresponding letters of reference.
According to this Invention I combine together a ball A and socket
B or their equivalent at each end of the boat, the ball A or its equi-
valent being attached to the lowering tackle b, and the socket B' to the
thwart F or other convenient part of the boat by a flange E and screws
or otherwise, a central bolt or tie rod c passing down through the bottom.
of the socket, serving to secure or brace it firmly to the keel G. The
balls are maintained in their sockets by the upper ends C¹, C¹, of two
levers C, C, hinged to the sides of the sockets at a, the lower ends of these
levers being drawn towards each other and held in that position by a

page_text: $6
combination of rods D, D¹, and a short length of slip chain H, the end
of which chain is engaged with a peculiar let-go "lever catch I
(Figure 4) so long as the boat is to remain engaged with the tackle.
This "let-go" lever catch, which forms an essential part of my
Invention, consists of a short lever I (Figure 4) hinged at d to a fixed
piece e screwed or otherwise attached to the thwart F. A handle fis
formed at one end of the lever I for the purpose of adjusting or setting
the same, and a loop g is provided for holding down the free end of the
said lever when set, by engaging the said loop over the end of a pin or
projection on the fixed piece e. The opposite end of the lever I is
turned up or hooked, as shown at k, and is notched to receive the end of
the short chain H, a small weight or knob / being secured to the end
of the chain to prevent it from accidentally slipping through the holding
notch. The chain H passes under a fixed guide pulley m secured to
the keel G of the boat, thence round a pulley n in the end of the rod
D', and back to the end of the rod D, to which it is permanently secured.
When the disengagement of the boat is to be effected the "let-go" lever
catch I is released by disengaging the loop g from the holding pin or pro-
jection h, whereupon the strain on the chain H will instantly cause the
hooked end k of the lever to tip over, thereby releasing the chain H from
its holding notch, and allowing the socket levers C, C, to release the
balls A, A, or their equivalent from the sockets B, B, thus effecting
the instantaneous disengagement of the boat at both ends simultaneously.
The rods D, D', above mentioned are respectively connected to the
lower ends of the levers C, C, and extend along the boat close to the
bottom or keel G. If preferred the rods may be dispensed with, and
the chain H may be connected to both levers C, C, directly, one of such
levers having a pulley in the end thereof for the chain to pass round
before being connected to the " let-go" lever catch I, herein-before
described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The peculiar construction and arrangement of "let-go " lever
catch, as and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by
the Drawings annexed.

page_text: Second. The combination of the said "let-go" lever catch with the
ball and socket arrangement, or its equivalent, substantially as and for
the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings
annexed.
Third. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of
apparatus for disengaging ships' boats, as herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of
May One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.