AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISENGAGING SHIPS' BOATS, SUSPENDING, FIXING, HOISTING, AND LOWERING HEAVY GOODS AND MERCHANDISE, APPLICABLE ALSO AS A MEANS FOR ESCAPE FROM FIRE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Mark Henry Howard King, of No. 88, Albert
Road, Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISENGAGING SHIPS'
BOATS, SUSPENDING, FIXING, HOISTING, AND LOWERING HEAVY GOODS AND
MERCHANDISE, APPLICABLE ALSO AS A MEANS FOR ESCAPE FROM FIRE, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION :left by the said Mark Henry Howard
King at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd November 1875.
I, MARK HENRY HOWARD KING, of No. 88, Albert Road, Croydon,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
DISENGAGING SHIPS' BOATS, SUSPENDING, FIXING, HOISTING, AND LOWERING
HEAVY GOODS AND MERCHANDISE, APPLICABLE ALSO AS A MEANS FOR ESCAPE FROM
FIRE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:--
The object of my Invention is to facilitate the immediate disengaging
1-

page_text: means of simple and efficient arrangements, part of which is also
applicable as a means to escape from fire; also it can be used alone or
in conjunction with apparatus now used at wharfs, collieries, factories,
warehouses, and for building, and for other purposes.
Firstly. My Invention consists in the construction of automatic hooks,
catches, or disengaging gear, made of iron or other suitable metal or
material, having a preponderating weight at the end furthest from the
hook or catch. One or more of these hooks I pivot to a suitable frame
of like material; and place them in a suitable part of the boat to be
suspended. The boat is suspended by a suitable apparatus hereafter
described, having ropes or gear from the ship's side or deck. On the
boat reaching the water the buoyancy relieves the hooks of the weight
of the boat, and thus the boat immediately becomes released and dis-
engaged.
Secondly. My Invention relates also and consists in an improved
method of and apparatus for suspending boats from ships' sides or decks,
and for lowering and hoisting the same. Such gear I manufacture by
preference in the following manner (the details in some instances may be
modified): I use a frame made of iron or other suitable metal or material
composed of uprights, the said frame having rods or shafts, and consists
of two parts, one rigid, and the other part moving upon pivots, hinges,
or knuckle joints, and placed and fixed near the aforesaid rigid part in
such a manner to fold inward and to extend outward, according to
requirements. I place and fix the said frame to the ship's side or other
suitable part of the vessel. The rigid part of the said frame is provided
with a shaft having thereon rollers, drums, and wheels, and the
moveable part is provided with grooved wheels or pullies running
loosely upon its shaft or rod, for the lowering and hoisting gear to pass
through or over, and if necessary I attach one or more grooved wheels
fixed in a suitable frame, having a swivel hook or ring attached thereto,
to the ends of the gear, for the purpose of suspending the boat. The
shaft attached to the rigid part of the frame, when made to revolve by.
any suitable appliance, winds up the gear with the boat suspended
thereto from the water to the ship's side or deck. The shaft fitted with
the rollers or drums may be made to revolve by endless bands or ropes
passing over-grooved wheels fitted to and at each end of the shaft, or by
winches. The lowering of the boat may be under the control of a brake,
or by a rope or chain (acting as such) by passing round one or more of

page_text: the aforesaid drums. To guard against the possibility of one end of the
boat being disengaged before another, in the event of the boat being
waterbourne, and to ensure both ends being disengaged simultaneously, I
block the said hooks fixed in the boat by means of levers or arms
connected with and by means of wire cranks or rods; these means I fix
to handles placed and fixed to suitable parts inside the boat, which when
pulled or drawn raises the said levers or arms, preventing the hooks
being disengaged until released by the aforesaid levers or arms.
Thirdly. According to another modification I employ and manu-
facture the same hooks aforesaid, and pivot them to a suitable and
portable frame, and make them applicable to and as a means for escape
from fire; also they can be used, as aforesaid, alone, or in conjunction
with apparatus employed at wharfs, collieries, factories, warehouses, and
buildings and other purposes. I also employ this same modification as a
means for disengaging ships' boats, attaching the same to the hoisting
and lowering gear employed, and suspend the boat by the means rings,
chain, and gear already fitted to the boats.
Fourthly. I also add and attach to the afore-named frame mentioned,
under heading "thirdly," wheels, swivel hooks or rings, according to
requirements and employments, conjointly with the disengaging and
hoisting and lowering apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Mark Henry Howard King in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 20th May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARK
HENRY HOWARD KING, of No. 88, Albert Road, Croydon, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
in the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Mark Henry Howard
King, Her special licence that I, the said Mark Henry Howard
King, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
:

page_text: hooks of the weight of the boat, and thus the boat immediately becomes
released and disengaged.
Secondly. My Invention relates also and consists in an improved
method of and apparatus for suspending boats from ships' sides or deck
and for lowering and hoisting the same, and the gear employed. Such
gear I manufacture by preference in the following manner (the details
in some instances may be modified) :-I use a frame made of iron or
other suitable metal or material composed of uprights, with rods and
shafts. The frame consists of two parts, one part being rigid, and the
other part moving upon pivots, hinges, or knuckle joints, and fitted to
the aforesaid fixed part in such a manner to fold inward and to extend
outward, according to requirements. I place and fix the said frame to
the ship's side or other suitable part of the vessel. The fixed part of the
said frame is provided with a shaft having thercon rollers or drums and
wheels, and the moveable part is provided with grooved wheels or
pullies running loosely upon its shaft or rod for the lowering or hoisting
gear to pass through or over, and if necessary I attach one or more
grooved wheels fitted to a suitable frame, having a swivelled hook or
ring attached thereto to the ends of the gear for the purpose of sus-
pending the boat. The said shafts fitted to the rigid part, when made to
revolve by any suitable appliance, winds up the gear with the boat
suspended thereto from the water to the ship's side. The shaft fitted.
with the rollers or drums may be made to revolve by endless bands or
ropes passing over grooved wheels fitted to and at each end of the shaft,
or by winches. The lowering of the boat may be under the control of
a break, or by a rope or chain acting as such passing round one of the
afore-named drums. To guard against the possibility of one end of the
boat being disengaged before another, and to ensure of both ends being
disengaged simultaneously, I block the said hooks fixed in the boat by
means of levers or arms connected with and by means of wire cranks
and rods. These means I fix to handles placed and fixed to suitable
parts inside the boat, which when pulled or drawn raises the said levers
or arms, preventing the hooks being disengaged until released by the
aforesaid levers or arms.
Thirdly. According to another modification I employ and manu-
facture the same hooks aforesaid, and pivot them to a suitable and
portable frame, and make them applicable to and as a means for escape
from fire; also they can be used, as aforesaid, alone or in conjunction

page_text: with apparatus employed at wharfs, collieries, factories, warehouses,
and for building, and for other purposes. I also employ this same
modification as a means for disengaging ships' boats, attaching the same
to the hoisting and lowering gear employed, suspending thereby the
boat by the means of rings, chains, or such gear therewith fitted.
Fourthly. I also add and attach to the afore-named frame, mentioned
under heading "thirdly," wheels, swivelled hooks, or rings, according
to requirements and employments, conjointly with the disengaging and
hoisting and lowering apparatu .
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which it is to
be performed, I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The peculair construction of flat hooks, catches, or disengaging
gear, having a preponderating weight at its further end, so that the
article carried may be released automatic, substantially as set forth and
for the purposes set forth in my Specification, and as illustrated in the
Drawing hereunto annexed, Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.
Secondly. Also the method of lowering and hoisting of ships' boats by
apparatus in connection with the hooks or catches from the ship's side
or deck, as substantially described in the above Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Mark Henry Howard King, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
MARK HENRY HOWARD KING. (L.S.)