IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR SUSPENDING. HOISTING LOWERING AND DISCONNECTING HEAVY WEIGHTS SUCH AS BOATS AND IN SHACKLES FOR SAME, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1882

page_text: :
LETTERS PATENT to Solwyn Schofield Sugden of: Woodford in the County of
Essex Lieutenant in the Royal Navy for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR SUSPENDING. HOISTING LOWERING AND
DISCONNECTING HEAVY WEIGHTS SUCH AS BOATS AND IN SHACKLES FOR SAME,
PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Selwyn Schofield Sugden
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th November 1882.
SELWYN SCHOFIELD SUGDEN of Woodford in the County of Essex Lieutenant in
the Royal Navy
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR SUSPENDING,
HOISTING, LOWERING AND DISCONNECTING HEAVY WEIGHTS SUCH AS BOATS AND
IN SHACKLES FOR SAME, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES,”.
The chief object of my Invention is to provide ready and. efficient means for
suspending hoisting, lowering and disconnecting heavy weights...
According to my invention I employ a disc in or on the face of which there is a
slot; this disc is mounted on a spindle or axis which is operated by a lever, stud,
spanner or other convenient means so that the disc and its axis can be turned
when required, and consequently the position of the slot in or on the face of saine
can be changed as required; in some cases the axis is short, in othors it is com-
paratively long but the length would of course be regulated according to the
purpose.to which the invention is to be applied; a hinged bolt is free to drop or
to take into the slot or groove in the disc so that when the disc is turned in one
direction the bolt is retained in the slot or groove but when turned in the contrary.
direction the bolt is free from. the disc. I. will now describe this part of my:
invention as applied to boat lowering apparatus; for this purpose I provide a long
rod or axle supported in bearings near each end and outside theso bearings the
discs are fitted one at each end of the rod; the, bearings and rod are preferably
placed at the bottom of the boat; beyond the discs and on each side thereof I place
[Price 6d1

page_text: the bolts hinged to a block provided there for that purpose; the bolts are free to
rise and fall on the blocks and to enter or to become disengaged from the grooves
or slots in the discs. The axis is operated by a lever placed in the most convenient
position on the rod and this lever may be operated from the deck of the vessel or
from the boat itself. It will be seen that a hook placed under the bolt would
be there retained until the bolt is released and this is effected by turning the rod,
which is operated by the lever and with it the disc into such position that the
bolt is free. An ordinary hook may be used but I prefer to employ a shackle which
is self-acting and what may be termed a "dab shackle"; it consists in hinging to
one side of the shackle hook a cross bar or lever opening inwards so that by
dabbing" or placing this shackle on the bolt or other place to which it is to bo
attached it immediately opens and returning as quickly to its normal position the
shackle is fastened. Shackles of this description are connected to the usual falls or
pendents for boat lowering gear. As applied to lashings for long boats, spars or
such like fittings the invention is particularly applicable by lashing to the shackles
or links placed over or round the disconnecting bolts. Sometimes I apply a disc as
before described to one side of the "dab shackle" before mentioned, the operation of
which is similar to that before described with reference to the boat lowering
apparatus; this is suitable for fore and aft sheets, it is hooked on to the claw
of the sail in an instant and released as quickly.
"
According to another arrangement the shackle may be made with two distinct
bolts meeting or nearly so at or about the centre; according to another arrange-
_ment the drop bolt falls on a small or short movable flap, both of which are hinged
-to-the-base of the shackle; the-short-bolt or flap may be operated by a trigger
line,.and this shackle saves labour in unhooking-goods-and-will-without aid free
anything attached to it directly-the-strain-is-taken_off; it is very useful for
slipping weights at the bottom of the sea. As applied to anchors an apparatus
similar to that before described for boat lowering is attached to the side of the
ship in the immediate vicinity for the stowage of anchors and both anchor
stoppers are connected to the disconnecting bolts before referred to whereby the
instantaneous and simultaneous disconnection of the above stoppers is effected.
As applied to carriages a similar apparatus is fitted to the front of the same to
which the traces are connected preferably by my shackles and the disconnection is
effected by the action of a lever or treadle for operating the rod as before or it may
be operated in any other convenient way.
According to my invention it does not matter what weight the disconnection
may have to support or drag, this weight will never have the slightest tendency
towards turning the discs. If the lugs in which the drop bolts work are made the
proper length the bolts must work exactly in the discs centre; supposing the bolts
could move either to the right or left from the central line then the discs must
move. When the lever is 15° from the perpendicular the help required for turning
the disc is obtained. The whole of the parts being preferably circular and when
fitted in boats nothing can prevent the simultaneous severance at both ends.
When fitted to boats the boat can be detached from the tackles either by the
officer in the boat or by an officer from the ships deck, in the latter case the crew
can have nothing to do with the lowering.
When fitted to carriages the horses can be freed by the coachman or occupants.
According to this invention the boats from a ship on fire cannot be stolen.
It affords perfect safety when in tow, under sail, or if the after tackle is
hooked first, The boat can be freed when waterborne or be retained at will.
From the moment a boat is hooked on she is ready for disconnection and
when hoisted up there is no hanging of the boat to fit the apparatus. The
apparatus may be fitted at the bottom of the boat or under the thwarts. It
enables the smallest boy in the ship to let go the heaviest anchor and one
lever is used instead of two. The anchor also is bound to fall in the best
position for obtaining a grip of the bottom. When fitted to boats and spar
lashings it saves in a case of emergency the use of the axe for eulting lashings and

page_text: so forth For farm furniture and other waggons and carriages where lashings are
required, much time will be saved by the application of my invention to such
purpose.
One form of shackle is very useful for omnibuses and carriage traces. In the
event of horses falling one touch of the lever frees the trace and allows the horse
to rise; if the collar chain is loosed and not the trace directly the beast tries to get
up the trace pulls him backward. The trace is quickly connected.
It is a splendid shackle for dropping stone in the building of breakwaters and
the like for directly the stone is over its bed a pull of the trigger line releases it.
This shackle may be applied to boats when not fitted with the disconnector as
either end can be disconnected at once or one end at a time. This shackle is also
valuable for fore and aft sheets in rough weather the sheet is attachable to the
clews of the sail instantly and as quickly disconnected for brailing up. The "dab
shackle" is only intended for use with the disconnector or for a permanent
connection. The double bolt shackle is useful for bags, sacks, or bale work.
These shackles are applicable to almost all purposes where shackles are required
to be used, one case not before referred to being to the connecting and disconnecting
of railway trucks and carriages without the necessity of going between the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Selwyn Schofield Sugden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th May 1883.
SELWYN SCHOFIELD SUGDEN of Woodford in the County of Essex Lieutenant in
the Royal Navy "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR SUSPENDING,
HOISTING, LOWERING AND DISCONNECTING HEAVY WEIGHTS SUCH AS BOATS AND
IN SHACKLES FOR SAME, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
The chief object of my Invention is to provide ready and effective means for
suspending hoisting lowering and disconnecting heavy weights According to my
Invention I employ a disc in or on the face of which there is a slot, this disc is
mounted on a spindle or axis which is operated by a lever, stud, spanner or other
convenient means so that the disc and its axis can be turned when required and
consequently the position of the slot in or on the face of same can be changed, as
required; in some cases the axis is short in others it is comparatively long but the
length would of course be regulated according to the purpose to which tho
Invention is to be applied; a hinged bolt is free to drop or to take.into the-slot or
groove in the disc so that when the disc is turned in-one direction the bolt is
retained in the slot or groove but when turned-in the contrary direction the bolt is
free from the disc. I prefer to employ-a-shackle which is self acting and what
may be termed a "dab-shackle" it consists-in hinging to one side of tho shackle
hook a cross-bar or-lever opening inwards so that by "dabbing" or placing this
_shackle-on the bolt.or other place to which it is to be attached it immediately
opens and-returning as quickly to its normal position the shackle is fastened.
-Shackles of this description are connected to the usual falls for boat lowering gear.
In order that my Invention may be more fully understood I will describe it with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which the same letters of reference refer
to like parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the
releasing shackle constructed according to my Invention and Figure 3 shows this
shackle in perspective Figure 4 is a sectional elovation and Figure 5 a vertical
transverso section of the "Dab shackle" Figure 6 being a perspective view
showing a slightly modified form of the latter.
Figure 7 shows a front elevation partly in section of a modified form of the
shackle especially adapted for hoisting sacks bales &c. Figure 8 shows in front
elevation partly in section an arrangement (particularly useful in warehouse work)
by which weights on reaching the ground may be released from the shacklo by an
attendant abovo
Figures 9 and 10 show in sectional side elevation and horizontal section
respectively (on line A B of Figure 9) an adaptation of my shackle to be used for
securing horses traces to vehicles.
Figure 11 shows in front elevation another arrangement of my Invention to bo
used for securing ships boats to the decks of vessels; and Figure 11ª is a part
transverse section on line C D of figure 11
Figure 12 shows in side elevation an application of the before mentioned
arrangement or modification of my Invention used for releasing or letting go
anchors.
Figures 13 and 14 are diagraphical views (in sectional side elevation and vertical
transverse section respectively) showing the particular application of my Invention
to lowering and releasing boats and Figure 15 illustrates another application for
"

page_text: securing horses traces to a carriage by which the horse may be released by any
occupant of the said carriage
Figure 16 shows the Invention as applied to wire rope fencing.
In the shackle shown at Figures 1, 2 and 3 a is the disc, b the pivot or axis
which in this example passes through one end of the shackle, c is the slot in the
disc, d is the lever for operating the disc, in this case made in a piece with the
disc a;e is the hinged bolt pivotted at f on the arm of shackle opposite the disc;
d' is a ring for securing the lever in position.
Referring now to Figures 4, 5 and 6, 9 is the cross bar or lever pivotted at h;
at Figure 6 the cross bar is shown open and at Figure 4 it is shown closed with the
addition to the end of the cross bar g of a noso pieco i which in some cases affords
greater security and passes through the shackle as shown.
Referring to Figure 7; kk are the two bolts which are prevented from dropping
by the pieces at the base of the shackle. This shackle is particularly applicable
for hoisting bales of goods, sacks and the like, it is obvious that by forcing a piece
of canvas upwards between the bolts k and k¹ that on hoisting, a gripping action
takes place and holds the articles to be suspended.
I do not limit myself to the position of the bolts k k¹ they may for example be
placed at an angle to one another as shown by the dotted lines.
Referring to Figuro 8; e is the bolt as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8; e¹ is the
small or short movable flap on which one end of the bolt e rests, is the stop piece
corresponding with a similar piece shown at Figure 7; m is the trigger line.
I will now describe my Invention as applied to boat lowering apparatus with
reference to Figures 13 and 14 for this purpose according to one arrangement
I provide a long rod or axle n supported in bearings n³ near each end and outside
these bearings the discs a, a are fitted one at each end of the rod n the bearings
and rod are or may bo placed at the bottom of the boat as shown at Figuro 14;
beyond the discs and on each side thereof I place the bolts e hingod to blocks q¹
provided there for that purpose, the bolts e are free to rise and fall and to enter or
to become disengaged from the grooves or slots c in the discs. The axis n is
operated by a lever o placed in the most convenient position on the rod n or on the
disc a as shown, this lever may be operated from the deck of the vessel or from
the boat itself by a trigger line n' as shown. It will be seen that a hook placed
under the bolt e would be there retained until the bolt e is released and this is
effected by turning the rod n which is operated by the lever and with it the disc a
into such position that the bolt is free.
An ordinary hook may be used but I prefer my dab shackle.
At Figure 14 I have shown this apparatus at the bottom of the boat and fitted
with steadying lines p p which at bottom are made with an eye through which the
bolt passes. These lines are carried up and passed through metal eyes or roller
bolts qq and their ends secured to the lower block tackle. The trigger line n' is fitted
in a similar manner but the end passes up through a thimble seized or secured onto
the end of the lever o and thence to the deck. The dab shackle (shown detached
at Figures 4, 5 and 6) is secured to the end of wire rope or chain r long enough to
reach from the lower block 1 of the tackle to the bolte By pulling the trigger
line n' from the ship or by turning or operating the lever o from the boat the
disengagement of the latter is effected and the act of the dab shackle slipping off
the bolt brings with it the steadying and trigger lines. This disengaging gear
may be fitted in any convenient position for example it may be placed under the
thwarts of the boat or between the two lower blocks of the tackles without
bearings. For a connecting and disconnecting shackle a rod or other connection
may be fitted between the discs or in connection therewith when a lever placed at
any convenient point on the connection or disc would operate same either from the
boat or ship or pendants.
As applied to lashings for boats spars or such like fittings the invention is
particularly applicable by lashing to the shackles or links placed over or round the
disconnecting bolts.

page_text: This is suitable for fore and aft sheets it is hooked on to the clew of the sail in
an instant and released as quickly.
According to another arrangement the shackle may be made with two distinct
bolts meeting or nearly so at or about the 'centre.
According to another arrangement the drop bolt falls on a small or short
movable flap both of which are hinged to the base of the shackle the short bolt
or flap may be operated by a trigger line and this shackle saves labour in unhooking
.goods.
As applied to anchors an apparatus similar to that before described for Boat
lowering and particularly shown with reference to Figure 12 is attached to the side
of the ship in the immediate vicinity for the stowage of anchor and both anchor
stoppers t, are connected to the disconnecting bolts e as shown and before referred
to whereby the instantaneous and simultaneous disconnection of the above stoppers
are effected.
As applied to carriages and shown at Figure 15 a similar apparatus is fitted to
the front of the same to which the traces are connected preferably by my dab
shackles and the disconnection is effected by the action of a lever d or treadle for
operating the rod or it may be operated in any other convenient way.
According to my Invention it does not matter what weight the disconnector
may have to support or drag; this weight will never have the slightest tendency
towards turning the discs a. If the lugs in which the drop bolts e work are made
the proper length the bolts must work exactly in the discs centre; supposing the
bolts could move either to the right or left from the central line then the discs
must move. When the lever is 15° from the perpendicular the help required for
turning the disc is obtained. The whole of the parts being preferably circular so
that when fitted in boats nothing can prevent the simultaneous severance at both
ends of the boat. __
_ When-fitted-to-boats, the boat can be detached from the tackles either_by_the_
officer in the boat-or-by-an-officer from the ships deck in the latter case the crew
can have nothing to do with the lowering.
According to this invention the boats from a ship on fire cannot be stolen. It
affords perfect safety when in tow under sail or if the after tackle is hooked first
the boat can be freed when water-borne or be retained at will. From the moment
a boat is hooked on she is ready for disconnection and when hoisted up there is no
hanging of the boat to fit the apparatus. It enables the smallest boy in the ship
to let go the heaviest anchor and one lever is used instead of two. The anchor
also is bound to fall in the best position for obtaining a grip of the bottom. When
fitted to boats for example as in figures 11 and 11 and spar lashings it
saves in a case of emergency the use of the axe for cutting lashings and
so forth.
For farm furniture and other waggons and carriages where lashings are
required much time will be saved by the application of my Invention to such
purpose.
One form of shackle as shown at Figures 9 and 10 is very useful for omnibuses
and carriage traces; s is the splinter bar to which the shackle s' is bolted. The
disc a is in this case of elongated form, in other respects the general arrangement
of the shackle is similar to that shown at Figures 1, 2, and 3. In the event of
horses falling by turning the lever or elongated disc a the trace is freed and the
horse is allowed to rise whereas at present if the collar chain is loose and not 'the
trace, directly the beast tries to get up the trace pulls him backward. The trace is
quickly connected.
It is a splendid shackle, for dropping stones in the building of breakwaters
and the like for directly the stone is over its bed a pull of the trigger line
releases it.
These shackles shown at Figures 1, 2, 3 may be applied to boats when not fitted
with the arrangement 'shown at Figures 12, 13 and 14 as either and can be
disconnected at once or one end at a time. This shackle is also valuable for fore

page_text: and aft sheets in rough weather the sheet is attachable to the clews of the sail
instantly, and as quickly disconnected for brailing up.
"
The "dab-shackle is only intended for use with the disconnector or for a
permanent connection. The double bolt shackle Figure 7 is useful for bags sacks
or bale work.
Figure 16 shews the application of the shackle to the securing of wire fencing.
These shackles are applicable to almost all purposes where shackles are
required to be used one case not before referred to being to the connecting and
disconnecting of railway trucks and carriages without the necessity of going
between the same.

page_text: described and particularly with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accom-
panying drawings.
Second-The dab shackle comprising a drop bolt g constructed and operated
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and particularly with
reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6, of the accompanying drawings.
Third-The shackles comprising two drop bolts kk¹ constructed and operating
substantially as described and illustrated with reference to Figure 7 of the
accompanying drawings.
Fourth-The shackle comprising the bolt e and stop piece e¹ constructed and
operating substantially as set forth with reference to Figure 8 of the accompanying
drawings.
Fifth-The various applications of the shackles before claimed together with
any mere modifications thereof to the purposes before described and particularly
with reference to those shown at Figures 9, 10, 11, 11ª, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 of
the accompanying drawings.
In Witness whereof I tho said Selwyn Schofield Sugden have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Eleventh day of May in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
2
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