Automatic Connecting аци Disconnecting Gear for Ships' Boats.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1887
Complete Left, 20th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1888
впитав али
WC Automatic Connecting аци
Disconnecting Gear for Ships' Boats.
GEORGE ROCKLIFFE Mariner 1 Grosvenor Street Southwick Sunderland Durhamı
WILLIAM KEY 109 High Street Innkeeper American Hotel, Sunderland do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
At a required distance from each end of the boat fastened to the keel inside, is an
Iron bar placed vertical, on each of the bars to slide or shift up & down is placed a
weight, one of the said weights preponderates the other. The lighter weight is at
the fore end of the boat & the heavy weight after end of the boat. At the top of the
aforsaid iron bars are placed Swivle hooks also connected to a cast iron or brass plate
in which there is a Slot to admit the link attached to the tackle block, the aforesaid
Plate being secured to the Seating or Casing at each end of the boat. At the fore
end of the boat the hook has one transversly placed arm or Lever, the hook & said
arm or lever being in one. To the end of the said arm or lever is attached the end
of a wire rope or chain & rove through a small Pully block attached to the underneath
part of the Seating or Casing then through a small Pully block attached to the keel,
led along the top of the keel to the after end of the boat rove through a small Pully
block attached to the keel, then through a small Pully block attached to the under-
neath part of the Seating or Casing made fast to one of the arms or levers of the
hook at the top of the iron bar, which is provided with two. To the other arm or
lever is attached the end of a wire line or Chain rove through a smali Pully block
connected to the aforesaid iron bar and made fast to the heavy Sliding & Shifting
weight. To which also is attached another small line or chain for raising & lowering
the said weight. The light weight is connected to the arm or lever of the before

page_text: mentioned hook at the fore end of the boat by a working joint. When the heavy
weight is raised, the hooks ar brought into possition underneath the aforsaid Slot
ready for connecting, by the weight of the light weight which slides down the iron
bar, the connecting being done by inserting the link in the Slot. When the boat is
hanging to the davids or while she is being lowered the automatic disconnecter which
is the heavy weight is let free by lowering it & leaving the small line attached to it
loose. As soon as the boat takes the water & the strain is off both tackles, the weight
of the sliding weight will cant the hooks out of the links & the boat is set free.
The fundamenal principle of this invention is the sliding & shifting weights & the
line or chain led along the bottom of the boat & made fast to each hook.

page_text: A Sliding and Shifting Weight Automatic Connecting and
Disconnecting Gear for Ships' Boats.
GEORGE ROCKLIFFE No. 1 Grosvenor Street Southwick, Mariner, Sunderland,
County of Durham WILLIAM KEY High Street East Sunderland, County of Durham
Innkeeper do hereby declare the nature of this invention for AUTOMATICALLY CON-
NECTING AND DISCONNECTING SHIPS BOATS 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 essentially to a gear whereby ships boats may be safely and
automatically connected and disconnected by the use of two vertical uprights, two
shifting weights, two transverse lever hooks, two counterbalance lever locks, and
a line.
Upon reference to the accompanying drawings, the several parts referred to will
be identified. Figure I, represents a side view for the purpose of showing the
position of the hook and counterbalance lever lock, when pivoted to the said vertical-
uprights which have an opening between from top to bottom, the top part being bent
back so as to form two cheeks, leaving the beak part of the hook only projecting, the
bottom of the said beak, being a correct radius from the centre of the pivot hole, for
the purpose of giving it a clean draw through the connecting link. Figure II is a
front view.-Figure III a back view for the purpose of showing clearly the position
of the hook and counter balance lever lock in the opening between the uprights.
A. A. are the sides of the upright connected at the top to slotted plate "B," which
acts as a guide to the connecting link when inserted for connecting, "C" is the
opening between the uprights. "D D" is the hook pivoted at "E" conjointly with
counterbalance lever lock "F F." By the action of inserting a link through the
slotted plate "B" the top part of the counter balance lever lock "F F," is carried
downwards, and the bottom part upwards, until the bottom part of the link has
passed the point of hook beak "G," when it falls downwards into its normal position,
throwing the link well onto beak "G." holding it there. Figure IV is the gear in
full shewing the course of the line, and the position of the weights, one of which is
heavier than the other, the object of the heavier one being to simultaneously open
both hooks, and at the same time to pull up the lighter weight, the object of the
lighter weight being to close the hooks after the heavier weight has been disconnected
and left resting on a bolt put through the uprights a few inches clear of the sheave.
It also represents the position of the gear when the boat is hanging at the Davits
ready for lowering with the disconnecting weight set. Figure V represents the
position of the gear when the boat bas become water borne, shewing the automatic
and simultaneous action at both ends. As soon as the boat becomes water borne the
strain is taken off the hooks "DDD" and the heavier weight falls down pulling up
the lighter one thereby simultaneously drawing back both hooks leaving the boat free,
the heavier weight then disconnected, and the lighter one brings the hooks back

page_text: into position again. Figure VI shews the gear converted into hand or automatic
with the disconnecting weight taken off and resting on a bolt let into the keel at one
side of the line, which at any desired moment can be picked up and hooked on to
hand hold "H," when the gear becomes at once automatic. If the gear is dis-
connected by hand the disconnecting weight is not used, and the hand hold "H”
is taken hold of and pulled, which causes a simultaneous action as shown in
Figure V.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is,
1st. Two vertical uprights with an opening between and bent back at the top to
form two cheeks, as herein before described, for the purpose set forth.
2nd. A single or double transverse lever hook formed in the manner herein before
described, for the purpose set forth.
3rd. A counterbalance lever lock pivoted conjointly with the hook with a counter
motion to the said hook, for the purpose set forth.
4th. The use of two shifting weights conjointly with a line so contrived and
applied, that they act simultaneously on the hooks herein before described, for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 10th day of
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