IMPROVED BOAT-DETACHING APPARATUS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil.
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED BOAT-DETACHING APPARATUS."
-A communication from abroad by Chares Henry Nye, of Stam-
ford, in the State of Connecticut, and Sidney Sweet, of Dansville,
in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 17th January 1871, and dated the 16th August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th August 1870.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED BOAT-DETACHING APPARATUS,"
to be as follows:-
--
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple and efficient means
(free from excessive wear and liability to become inoperative, but certain
as regards its action both under light and heavy loads,) of detaching
ship's boats when suspended by davits or cranes over the side of a ship

page_text: or vessel. To this end the Invention consists in a combination with
suitably guided shoulder bolts (attached to the davits, chains, or tackle)
of recessed or lip-shaped levers arranged at or near either end of the
boat and connected by a rod or rods running lengthwise of the boat in
proximity to its bottom with a tripping lever. These long rods are
under the control of an intermediate or tripping and hand lever, which
is capable of being readily locked or released as required to allow of the
recessed or end levers biting on or over (and holding between them
and suitably braced stanchions) the shoulder bolts attached to the fall
or tackle by which the boat is suspended. Or by the release of the end
levers from the shoulder bolts the detachment of both ends of the boat
simultaneously from the davit tackles will be insured, so that the boat
by or through its weight, whether light or heavy, will without fail fall
into or towards the water horizontally, and in so falling will not be liable
to be swamped in a seaway, or when the vessel is forging ahead. A
prominent and advantageous feature of this apparatus is its simplicity
and absence of numerous joints or working parts, likewise the shoulder
bolts by means of slots in their sides and fixed guide pins fitting therein
are readily entered to their places for grasp of them by the recessed
levers herein-before referred to, and whereby they have a free and casy
run when detaching the boat.
In the operation of the Invention the boat is lowered nearly to the
water, when the tripping lever is raised from its seat by one of the
occupants of the boat; both shoulder bolts then become simultaneously
detached, and the boat falls into the water without disaster.
When the boat is to be hooked on and hoisted, the shoulder bolts are
inserted in place, being directed by the guide pins. A hand lever is
moved to bring the catch levers to clasp the bolts, after which the
tripping lever is set to hold the hand lever stationary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors;
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVED BOAT-DETACHING APPARÁTUS," being a communication to nie from
abroad by Charles Henry Nye, of Stamford, in the State of Connecticut,
and Sidney Sweet, of Dansville, in the State. of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures.marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple and efficient means
(free from excessive wear and liability to become inoperative; but certain
as regards its action both under light and heavy loads;) of detaching
ships' boats when suspended by davits or cranes over the side of a ship
or vessel. To this end the Invention consists in a combination with
suitably guided shoulder bolts (attached to the davits, chains, or tackle) of
recessed or lip-shaped levers arranged at or near either end of the boat and
connected by a rod or rods running lengthwise of the boat in proximity
to its bottom. These rods are under the control of an intermediate lever
made capable of being readily locked or released as required to allow of

page_text: the recessed or end levers biting on or over (and holding between them
and suitably braced stanchions) the shoulders bolts attached to the fall
or tackle by which the boat is suspended. Or by the release of the
end levers from the shoulder bolts the detachment of both ends of the
boat simultaneously from the davit tackles will be insured, so that the
boat by or through its weight, whether light or heavy, will without fail
fall into or towards the water horizontally, and in so falling will not
be liable to be swamped in a seaway, or when the vessel is forging
ahead. A prominent and advantageous feature of this apparatus is its
simplicity and absence of numerous joints or working parts, likewise
the shoulder bolts by means of slots in their sides and fixed guide pins
fitting therein are readily entered to their places for grasp of them by
the recessed levers herein-before referred to, and whereby they have a
free and easy run when detaching the boat.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal
_vertical_section_of_a_boat_fitted_with_the_improved detaching_apparatus.;_
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same showing the boat as suspended
from a ship's davits, and as lowered preparatory to being detached; and
Figures 3 and 4 are a sectional side elevation and horizontal section
(on a larger scale than the previous Figures) of one end portion of the
detaching apparatus.
In Figures 1 and 2 A is the boat, and B, B, the chains or tackles by
which it is suspended from the davits of a ship. The chains or tackles
are connected below to solid metal shoulder bolts a, a, which are clasped
by notched or recessed metal levers b, b, against the heads of metal a
stanchions c, c. The levers are actuated (to so clasp the shoulder bolts)
by means of a rod or rods & which connect the lower ends of the levers
with an intermediate lever e pivotted on a fulcrum pin f, which passes
through it and through two lug plates g, g, arranged on each side of
the lever e, and affixed to the midship thwart h of the boat. The lower
end of this lever may be pivotted in a mortice made in a connecting
block or swell of the rods d to provide a swivel attachment for the latter.
The thwart his affixed in the usual manner to two ribs i of the boat.
Connected with the lever e is a tripping lever k pivotted to the thwart h.
This tripping lever is for the purpose of locking or holding the lever e 3
vertical or thereabouts, and thus keeping the levers b, b, clasped upon
the shoulder bolts a, a, and for liberating the lever e, and thus allowing
the levers b, b, to be moved back from the shoulder bolts, whereby the

page_text: escape of the shoulder bolts is permitted and the boat is detached from
the tackles B, B. The stanchions c, c, project from the keel of the
boat and are braced by iron plates 1, 1, or strap-like braces secured to
the stanchions and to the stern and stern post of the boat respectively.
This construction affords a solid resistance to the action of the
levers b, b, in clasping against the shoulder bolts. The plates 1, 1, of
this brace project beyond the stanchions thereby affording bearing for
a pivot pin m of or to each lever 6 respectively, and also forming cheeks
to aid in keeping the shoulder bolts from working out laterally from
the clasp of the levers b. Pins n, n, are inserted through such cheeks
and made as guides to enter vertical slots s, s, in the sides of the
shoulder bolts to facilitate the entry of the shoulder bolts between the
braces or cheeks thereof, and to steady and relieve the bolts of friction
when released from grip by the levers b, b, which is important to secure
a prompt and perfect action. The shoulder bolts are formed tapering on
one side (that is, where they are clasped by the levers b,) and straight on
the other where they bear against the head of the stanchions, and the
tapering side of each bolt terminating in a shoulder on which the lips
or ribs o or corresponding shoulder of the notches in the lever b catch.
The shoulders on the bolts and lips or ribs of the levers b, b, are not at
right angles to the vertical line of the tackles but are inclined thereto,
as shown, so that whether the boat be loaded heavily or lightly, the
bolts themselves will actuate the levers backward from them when the
levers are left free to fly from the bolts by the liberation of the lever e.
The bottoms of the shoulder bolts and lower portions of the notches in
the levers b, b, are also suitably shaped to restrain the clasping action of
the levers from restricting the release of the bolts when the levers are
let loose, the construction preferably being such as to cause the levers
to lift on the bolts, which being guided as described by the pins n, n,
are thus free to make the detachment, and are readily directed again
when required to make the attachment. The tripping lever k when
holding the lever e is seated in notches in the lug plates 9, 9, as shown.
r, r, are rings formed on the shoulder bolts a, a, to provide attachment
for the tackle or chains B, B. The outer ends of the rod or rods d are
forked to enclose the ends of the levers b, b, which are pivotted thereto,
and one of these forks clips loosely one of the stanchions c, as shewn.
The rod or rods dit is purposed to enclose by the flooring of the boat,
and the lever e is made to sit back into a notch or recess cut in the
thwart / when the levers b, b, are clasped upon the shoulder bolts a, a,

page_text: and are held in that position by the tripping lever / which is arranged
across the notch.
In the operation of the Invention the boat is lowered nearly to the
water when the tripping lever kis raised from its seat or notches by one
of the occupants of the boat. Both shoulder bolts then become
simultaneously detached, and the boat falls into the water without
disaster.
When the boat is to be hooked on and hoisted the shoulder bolts
are to be inserted in their places, being directed by the guide pins n, n,
and the levere is moved to bring the levers b, b, to clasp them, after
which the tripping lever k is set to hold the lever e stationary.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me as aforesaid, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent,-
First. The combination of mechanism herein set forth, or any mere
modification thereof for connecting and disconnecting the suspension
ropes to and from boats, such mechanism consisting mainly of the
shoulder bolts a, a, the recessed levers b, b, the stanchions c, c, with
their braces 1, 1, the rod or rods d, d, and the operating lever e with
its lug plates g, g, and suitable locking or tripping device.
I also claim the guide pins n, n, in the checks or side plates through
which the shoulder bolts a, a, move when attaching or detaching the
bolt in combination with the slots s, s, in the shoulder bolts, as and for
the purpose or purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.