IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE BOATS FOR SHIPS' USE, AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING, DISCONNECTING, AND RAISING THE SAME, SUCH APPARATUS BEING APPLICABLE FOR LOWERING, DISCONNECTING, AND RAISING OTHER SHIPS' BOATS
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Richardson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st October 1878.
WILLIAM RICHARDSON, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, Ship Builder.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE BOATS FOR SHIPS' USE, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR LOWERING, DISCONNECTING, AND RAISING THE SAME, SUCH
APPARATUS BEING APPLICABLE FOR LOWERING, DISCONNECTING, AND RAISING
OTHER SHIPS' BOATS,"
The object of this Invention is, firstly, the construction of an improved life boat
for ships' use which shall occupy but little space when not in use, and which when
required can be easily and quickly expanded to the full size of an ordinary life
boat, either on deck or in the water. Secondly, my Invention has for object the
construction of improved apparatus for lowering, disconnecting, and raising such
improved life boats, such apparatus being equally applicable for the lowering, dis-
connecting, and raising of other ships' boats.
My improved life boat is constructed in sections, sliding telescope-wise one within
the other, the outer sections having longitudinal dovetail grooves in which slide
dovetails on the inner sections. The sections are opened out when required for use
by means of a screw operated by a hand wheel or otherwise, the said screw being
right and left handed so as to act on both ends or sections at the same time. Dove-
tail end stops are provided so as to form water tight joints and give increased
strength to the structure. The seats and planks to form the platforms are loose and
are placed in position after the boat is opened out, and are so arranged as to further
contribute to the rigidity of the boat. The sides of the sections as well as the head
and stern are made hollow and water tight so as to increase the buoyancy of the
boat.
The improved lowering, disconnecting, and raising apparatus is constructed as
follows:-
I may employ the ordinary davits, to which the boat is connected in the usual
manner. On the deck between the darits I provide a pair of purchase wheels,
which may be operated simultaneously by a pawl and lever. From a drum on one
of these wheels passes on either side a line to the davits and over pullies to the

page_text: boat, the ends of the said lines being provided with a metal loop, which loops take
on to double slotted wheels fixed in the keel of the boat, which are so arranged
that when the boat reaches the water they may be simultaneously acted upon by a
lever in the centre of the boat so as to disconnect the said loops from the wheels,
when the boat will be free. To the said lever a line may be attached which can be
operated either from the deck or on board the boat. The davits are preferably
hinged at their lower ends so that as the boat is lowered by the operation of the
hereinbefore described purchase wheels they will move from the ship's side so as to
carry the boat clear thereof; and springs are provided so that immediately the boat
is released the davits are raised back into their normal position. To raise the boat
the loops are connected to the said slotted wheels and the boat is raised by operating
the said purchase wheels in the opposite direction to that required for lowering the
boat, springs being provided to retain the said loops in position.
It will be understood from this construction that when the boat is lowered or
raised it is always kept in a horizontal position from the fact of the purchase wheels
working simultaneously, the boat being at the same time under perfect control.
For heavy boats instead of the ordinary davits I prefer to employ davits which
may be operated from a screw attached to the purchase wheels, so that the said.
davits, and with them the boat, may be moved inwards from the ship's side when
raised, and outwards therefrom when required to be lowered. Wheels are placed
at the lower ends of the angle of the davits, which when the boat is moved out-
wards fall into recesses so as to allow the davits to roll outwards and carry the boat
clear of the ship..