Improved Disengaging Gear for Releasing Ships' Boats from Davit Tackle.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Disengaging Gear for Releasing Ships' Boats from
Davit Tackle.
I, JOSEPH BOYD, of 367, East India Dock Road, London, Shipwright, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to improved disengaging gear for automatically releasing
ships' boats from the lowering gear or davit-tackle upon the boat being waterborne.
On the accompanying drawings;
Fig. 1, represents the improved device in connection with, and supporting the
boat from, the davit-tackle;
Fig. 2, represents the automatic operation of the releasing gear in freeing the
boat from the lowering gear, on the boat being waterborne.
Fig. 3, represents an end elevation of the releasing gear in the position shown
in Fig. 1; & Fig. 4, represents a like view thereof in the position shown in
Fig. 2.
The improved disengaging gear consists, essentially, of a peculiarly formed
hook A, by one of which, at each end of the boat, the boat is suspended from the
lowering gear or davit-tackle represented by the rings B.
the
The peculiarity of each hook A, consists in its being so formed at
parts a 1, a 2, and pivotally applied to a forked bolt C, that its greater weight is
always on one and the same side of its centre of motion, that of the fore hook
being on its fore side, and that of the aft hook being on its aft side, vide Fig. 1, so
that each hook, consequently, has a constant tendency to fall away from engagement
with the lowering gear B, when free or uncontrolled by the means tending to keep
it in engagement therewith.
Each bolt, C, is continued down through an underthwart D, and through the
keel d 1, and is clinched or otherwise suitably made fast at the underside of the
latter. Each bolt is forked at c 2, and formed with an inclined bottom c 3, adapted
to engage with the flattened part a 2, of the eye of the hook A, in its boat-
suspending position, vide Fig. 1, and to arrest and support the back of the hook in
its disengaged position, vide Fig. 2.
The two hooks A, are oppositely placed, vide Fig. 1, and, when suspended over
the ship's sides, are connected by a lanyard or lanyards E, the outer ends of which
connect with links F, pivotally connected to the hooks at f1, and the inner ends
of which connect with sliplinks under the control of the officer in charge of the
boat when being lowered.
While the boat is suspended from the davit-tackle, the weight of the boat
causes the hooks A, to remain engaged with the tackle-rings B, vide Fig. 1.
When lowering the boat, the lanyard or lanyards E, is or are held by the officer
in charge, who is stationed amidships, so as to keep the hooks A, in engagement
with the lowering gear B, even though the boat should be waterborne, until, in his
opinion, the propitious moment for releasing the boat has arrived, when he lets go
the lanyards, whereupon, the links F, instantly fall to the positions indicated by
the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and then, the boat, being waterborne (the upward
pressure of the water being indicated by the arrows x, Fig. 2), is lifted and its
weight taken off the lowering gear, whereupon, the excess of weight of the one
side of each of the hooks A, causes them respectively to fall over to the positions

page_text: indicated in Fig. 2, automatically and simultaneously freeing both ends of the
boat from the lowering gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Disengaging gear for automatically releasing ships' boats from the lowering gear
or davit-tackle, consisting of hooks A, which are so formed and applied to forked
bolts or the like connecting them to the boat, that the greater part of the weight
of each thereof is always on one and the same side of its centre of motion, so that
each book is kept engaged with the lowering gear by the depending weight of the
boat, and automatically falls away therefrom and releases the boat therefrom upon
the boat being waterborne, when the hooks are freed from the control of connecting
lanyards by the officer in charge at the propitious time for disconnection.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1896.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.