GB2024749A - Safety equipment for boats - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides safety equipment to enable a person to work and move freely around on deck in all weathers while being securely attached to the boat and to enable recovery of a person overboard by other crew members. The equipment comprises a lifeline (11) secured along both sides of the boat (19). At the intermediate attachment points the life-line is secured by latchways (1) which allow a lanyard hook clipped onto the life-line to traverse each such attachment point. When a person goes overboard, the drag force on the lanyard causes the lanyard hook to move to the aft-most stanchion from where the person overboard is towed and removed by other crew members. In another embodiment, the person overboard is towed by pendants at the stern of the boat. A hoist is provided to haul the pendant inboard for recovery of the person overboard. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Safety equipment for boats This invention relates to safety equipment for use in small boats.

It is already standard practice to provide safety harness for use by anyone on the deck of a boat, particularly a sailing craft. By means of a lanyard and hooks one can be clipped to secure points of the craft or specially rigged lifelines. This is not entirely satisfactory since movement about the deck is thereby considerably restricted, thus discouraging use of the equipment; danger exists whilst moving the attaching hook or clip from point to point and "strong" points in craft are prone to failure under stress.

It is also known to instal a guard rail system of wires and stanchions around the periphery of boats decks in order to help obstruct falls overboard.

However these systems provide only a modest degree of security because of inherent boat design limitations.

Given such fallible existing arrangements a boat has to be put about in order to recover a person who does fall overboard. This manoeuvre, particularly under sail, often presents extreme difficulty and is sometimes impossible in heavy weather, and is of course out of the question in a single-handed craft.

Even if the manoeuvre is completed, the task of hauling a person back into the boat in waterlogged clothing and perhaps unconscious will often present considerable difficulties.

According to the invention, there is provided safetyequipmentfora boat, which equipment comprises a life-line for location along a peripheral portion of a boat, the life-line being secured, in use of the equipment, to a boat at a pluraity of attachment points by fittings which hold the line so as to conform to any configuration required by marine design, to which life-line a person can be attached by means of a safety harness including a lanyard and an associated attachment means; and at least one latchway for enabling a lanyard attachment means to traverse each intermediate line-attachment point in either direction whether the wearer is inboard or overside of the boat. The invention also provides a marine craft fitted with such safety equipment.

An advantage of the invention is that it makes it possible to provide equipment for use in small boats, particularly sailing craft, which enables anyone to work on deck in all weathers in a condition of continuous secured attachment to the boat, with ease and with confidence in his recovery either by the efforts of his crew-mates or, in some embodiments, by an automatic system should be inadvertantly go overboard.

The life-line can be made of any suitable material, for instance a metal or a man-made fibre, and can be mono- or multi-strand. It must be strong enough to take all calculable strains with a good safety factor, and long enough so that when it is secured to the chosen terminal stanchions a person clipped to it will have access to the whole length of the boat.

It is in use attached to stanch ions or other fittings securely bolted or otherwise secured to the deck or other part of the structure of the boat, at a suitably height which will keep the lanyard of the safety harness clear of deck gear as far as possible but not foul the sails, stays, etc. The stanchions are located at or near each end of the boat and at intermediate points along both sides as necessary to keep the life-line fairly taut.

In some embodiments, the latchway which enables a lanyard to traverse a life-line attachment point such as a stanchion without fouling or jamming may be mounted on each intermediate stanchion so that any force in an outward and downward direction causes it to topple. Such a force would be exerted on the life-line by a man going overboard and the hook would be enabled to pass each latchway in its reversed presentation to it. Preferably the latchways would be integrated into the design of the stanchions themselves. Latchways of the type which can be used in embodiments of the present invention are described and claimed in my copending Application No. 12342/78.

an embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and2 show a side and end view respectively of the main components of a latchway which serves as a life-line attachment point to a stanchion, not shown on a boat; Figures 3 and 4 show a plan and sectional view; Figures 5 and 6 show side and end views respectively of a latchway with a protective casing.

Figure 7shows another latchway attachment for a lanyard; Figures 8 and 9 illustrate safety equipment according to the invention mounted on a yacht; Figure 10 shows a hook transfer device of the equipment of Figures 8 and 9; figure 11 shows another hook transfer device for the equipment of Figures 8 and 9; and Figure 12 shows another embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing a wheel 1 is made up of discs 2 and 3 with a central core 4 through which a hole 5 passes. The wheel is mounted by means of an axle through the hole 5 on a stanchion (not shown in Figures 1 to 4). Each disc has six U-shaped recessed 6 and corresponding triangular projecting parts 7 and each projecting part has a flange 8. Awire guide member 9 is grooved to fit flanges 8 as shown and has a longitudinal hole 10 through which a wire 11 being a life-line running from end to end on both sides of a boat, is passed..ln Figures 5 and 6 a casing 12 is shown provided with bearings 13 for the shaft on which the wheel is mounted, and the casing is pivotally mounted by trunnions 13a on a housing 14 for attaching the device to a post, stanchion or other supportfitting on a boat.The flange 14a on the casing 12 maintains the latchway vertical when a person is located inboard but allows the iatchway to topple outwardly and downwardly when a person goes overboard as described with reference to Figure 9.

The number of recesses provixded in the latchway may be different in other embodiments depending on factors such as the possible loading on the latchway. One particularly attractive embodiment is a four-leaf self-indexing latchway in which the four projecting parts are rounded and shaped so that the wheel is rotated whenever engaged by a hook moving on the life-line whatever the angular position of the wheel, e.g. of the type illustrated in Figure 10.

In use, when a hook slides from right to left (with reference to Figure 1) along wire 11 it moves into recess 6 in reel 1. In doing so it comes into contact with projecting part 7 of the wheel and causes the wheel to rotate in a counter clockwise direction. As it does so part 7 moves away from the right hand end of guide 9 and the hook slides on to guide 9. It is moved over and along the guide, by the pull of the load. When part 7 clears the left hand end of the guide the hook moves on to the wire from the guide and the wheel is ready for the next traversing operation.

In another embodiment, instead of having a latchway at each intermediate stanchion, a latchway can be provided on the safety harness lanyard in addition to or in replacement of the safety hook. This latchway will tranverse simple attachment points 18a in a converse manner to that which has been described. An illustration of the principles of such operation is shown in Figure 7 in which the guide 9 is fitted with a free-running wheel 15 and load 16 attached to axle 18 represents the lanyard attached to the man on deck. When a person goes overboard the latchway is re-oriented on the life-line as a result of the force applied thereto by the lanyard, in an outward and downward direction.

By means of the latchway as described a person is secured to the life-line and is enabled to move along the whole length of the line without fouling either the attachment points or the deck gear, although he is held by only a relatively short lanyard.

Any suitable safety harness can be used, preferably one which is in conformity with B.S. 4224:1975.

The length of the lanyard is kept as short as possible with reference to the dimensions of the boat and the hooks or clips which secure it to the harness and the life-line must be strong but detachable. In the embodiment in which the latchway is located on the lanyard it can be in addition to or instead ofthe hook or clip.

The means for transferring the lanyard from the life-line to a towing pennant only comes into operation when a person wearing the harness goes overboard. The water drag on the person will cause the lanyard to move aft along the lifeline past the attachment points whether it is attached to the life-line by means of a hook or latchway. On reaching a selected position according to the rig of the boat the device at the end of the lanyard is brought into secure engagement with a hook which is connected by a fixed length wire pendant to a ring disposed on a selected part of the boat's standing rigging. The lanyard is then automatically released from the life-line to allow the man overboard to be towed astern from the said ring in a head-up position.

This aspect of two angle which is determined by the height of the ring on the rigging, usually a back stay, will ensure safety from drowning for a person so deployed overboard from boats such as displacement sailing craft where the ultimate water speed is below 15 knots.

The means for recovering a person from the towed overboard situation is such as to enable one other person inboard to exert in favourable circumstancexs some 200 to 250 Kg lift in an upwards and onboard direction. Such a device may comprise a multi-part tackle alone or in combination with a simple purchase (such as a double whip), means for securely attaching the upper ends of the tackle or combination to a back stay or mast head of a boat, a container/guide tube through which the moving blocks and associated cordage can slide, a roller shackle to act upon a lanyard when secured bythe pendant to the lower moving block and a lower fairlead ring with means for securing the said tube and ring to a back stay, which ring provides guiding means for the downhaul line of the tackle and a bight of a lanyard whens it is being drawn up through the tube when the equipment is being used.

Suitable line tensioning means can be inciuded, also caps for each end of the guide tube and cleats and blocks for guiding the downhaul line into the boat when it is being hauled in.

An essential dimension of the tackle/purchase combination is that sufficient fleeting length is available on the standing rigging to effect recovery in one deployment. This will normally be approximately one boat's length.

The tackle used must be light in weight, exposureresistant yet sufficiently strong to withstand the weight and/or drag of a water-logged clothed person. An example of a suitable tackle is the "HAL TRAC" Mini Hoist marketed by Messrs. Halfords which weighs 1 Ib., has a breaking strain of 1500 Ibs.

and a recommended working load of 500 Ibs. this would give a good margin over the loads likely to be experienced, particularly when used in combination with another tackle of suitable velocity ratio such as a double whip.

Further mechanical advantages by enhancement or substitution can be incorporated if required by such means as geared bollards, sheet winches geared purchases, etc.

The tackle system can suitably be secured to the masthead by means of a wire pendant. the pendant is of such a length thatthe fleeting length of the system over the chosen standing rigging is roughly equal to the length of the life-line.

Alternatively recovery can be effected by the automatic or manual engagement of an electric winch upon a hoist system which is energized from either the boat's batteries or a separate battery system reserved for this purpose. Such an alternative would be required for a single-handed yachtsman.

Additionally the forces brought into play on the equipment described, such for example as those upon the back-stay two ring when the weight of the person is taken up, are such as to allow for the simple automatic triggering of such ancillary rescue devices as air blast klaxons to alertthe crew off watch, deck illumination and soon.

A fundamental feature of the invention is that upon falling overboard, a person retains throughout a secure attachment to the boat, thus eliminating the need for the difficult and hazardous manoeuvre of putting the boat about in order to effect his recovery.

Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings show perspective views of a boat with the safety gear of the invention installed. The boat 19 is fitted with stanchions 20 at intervals along both sides and each stanchion carries a latchway 1 through which a life-line 11 is passed. A pendant 21 is attached to the aftermost stanchion on each side, the other ends of the pendants being attached to a tow ring 22 secured to the backstay 23. A device 24 for transferring the lanyard hook from the life-line to a pendant is provided at the said stanchions and a hoist system 25 is provided on the said back stay. In Figure 9 it is shown how the latchways topple to a lower position when a person goes overboard and the position of a person overboard deployed to the tow ring via the pendant and harness lanyard 26 being towed with an upward component which helps to keep the head above the water.The movement of the two ring 22 on the hoist 25 is also shown with part of the downhaul 27 of the hoist leading into the cockpit which downhaul is operated manually or automatically on a signal when the pendant breaks away from the stanchion. Reference numeral 21a and 22a shows the pendant and tow ring respectively in the recovered position.

Figure 10 shows one form of hook transfer device 24, which comprises a four-leaf self indexing latchway 40 which has two spaced wheels and is mounted in a casing (not shown) on a boat stanchion so that it can topple in a similar fashion to the latchway shown in Figures 5 and 6. A ratchet device is provided between the latchway and the casing which prevents rotation of the latchway in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 10. The guide member 41 of the latchway has arcuate grooves 42 in its opposite faces which are engaged by arcuate projections on opposed faces of the aligned leaves or projections of the latchway wheels so that the wheels can rotate relative to the guide member. One end of the life-line 11 extends into a bore in the guide member and is secured therein.A towing pendant 21 is secured at its free end to a transfer hook 43 which is freely located between the wheels of the latchway with a straight portion of hook engaged in a groove provided in the upper face of the guide member 41.

At its other end the hook 43 has a spring clip 44 which resiliently bears against the underside of the guide member to provide a frictional location of the hook in the latchway until it is engaged by a lanyard attachment device. When a person goes overboard and the lanyard hook slides along the life-line 11 to engage latchway 40, the lanyard hook rotates the wheels of latchway 40 allowing it to pass from the life-line over the guide member 41 and to engage transfer hook 43 thereby detaching the hook from the latchway. When so detached the spring clip 44 serves to retain the hookto hook engagement.

This type of safety equipment is particularly suitable for single handed sailing craft where a winch recovery is used. A similar rig can be used for other craft where a winch recovery is not used, e.g.

in motor boars, and the rotation of the latchway by passage therethrough of a lanyard hook can be used to trigger various actions, e.g. release of a dinghy, lifebuoy, ladder or flare.

Figure 11 shows another transfer hook device which comprises a latchway 50 which has two spaced wheels and is mounted in a casing (not shown) which in turn is pivotally mounted on a boat stanchion to allow the latchway to topple. In the construction, the guide member 51, to which one end of the life-line 11, is held in position between the wheels of the latchway by the transfer hook device 52 which is in the form of a resilient element which embraces a portion of the periphery of the latchway.

When a lanyard hook passes through the latchway to engage the transfer hook, which is then removed from the latchway, the guide member 51 is also released from the latchway. In this construction there is also a ratchet mechanism between the latchway and its casing to prevent rotation of the latchway in a clockwise direction.

The embodiment shown in Figure 12 is similar to that shown in Figures 8 and 9 except that no towing pendants are provided at the stern of the boat. This embodiment is suitable for use on boats having a plurality of crew members. The water drag on a person overboard will cause the lanyard to move aft along the life-line past its intermediate attachment points. On reaching a stanchion 30 to which one end of the life-line is secured, the lanyard attachment means, which may be a hook or similar device, or in other embodiments may be or include a latchway device, as described above, is secured at that stanchion so that the person overboard is towed with an upward component to help keep his head out of the water. The person overboard can then be hauled inboard from this towed position by the other crew members.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS:

1. Safety equipment for a boat, which equipment comprises a life-line for location along a peripheral portion of a boat, the life-line being secured, in use of the equipment, to a boat at a plurality of attachment points by fittings which hold the line so as to conform to any configuration required by marine design, to which life-line a person can be attached by means of a safety harness including a lanyard and an associated attachment means; and at least one latchway for enabling a lanyard attachment means to tranverse each intermediate lineattachment point in either direction whether the wearer is inboard or overside of the boat.

2. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the, or each, latchway comprises a rotatable wheel which is formed with recesses in its periphery, the recesses being evenly spaced around the wheel and adjacent recesses being separated by a projecting part of the wheel; and a cooperating guide member supported at a peripheral part of the wheel, and adapted to allow rotation of the wheel about its axis with respect to the guide member while locating the life-line with respect to the wheel whereby a lanyard attachment device, engaged with the life-line, or a boat fitting supporting the latchway can be received, guided and passed through the latchway in a recess in the wheel which rotates relative to the guide member.

3. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2furthercomprising meansfortransferring a lanyard with its load which, in use of the equipment, has arrived at the aft end of the life-line, to a towing pendant secured, in use, to the rigging and means for recovering a person from the towed overboard position.

4. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 3 wherein a latchway is provided for securing the life-line to a boat fitting at each intermediate life-line attachment point.

5. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 4 wherein means are provided to pivotally mount each latchway at a respective life-line attachment point such that the latchway is free, in use, to topple outwardly and downwardly of a boat on which the equipment is mounted when the life-line is subjected to the drag force of a person overboard who is attached to the life-line.

6. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 3 wherein the latchway constitutes a means for attaching a lanyard to the lifel-line and in use allows the lanyard to move along the life-line traversing each intermediate life-line attachment point.

7. Safety equipment as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6 wherein the recovery means is manually operable.

8. Safety equipment as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6 wherein the recovery means includes an electrically operated winch and means to set the winch in motion automatically when a single handed sailor goes overboard.

9. Safety equipment as claimed in any of claims 3 to 8 wherein the recovery means comprises a multi-part tackle alone or in combination with a simple purchase (e.g. a double whip), means for securely attaching the upper ends of the tackle or combination to a back stay or masthead of a boat, a container/guide tube through which the mov8ing blocks and associated cordage can slide, a roller shackle to act upon a lanyard when secured by the pendant to the lower moving block and a lower fiarlead ring with means for securing the said tube and ring to a back stay, which ring provides guiding means for the down haul line of the tackle and a bight of a lanyard when it is being drawn up through the tube when the equipment is being used.

10. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the latchway constitutes a means for attaching a lanyard to the life-line and in use allows the life-line to move along the life-line traversing each intermediate life-line attachment point.

11. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a latchway is provided for securing the life-line to a boat fitting at each intermediate life-line attachment point.

12. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 11 wherein means are provided to pivotally mount each latchway at a respective life-line attachment point such that the latchway is free, in use, to topple outwardly and downwardly of a boat on which the equipment is mounted when the life-line is subject to the drag force of a person overboard who is attached to the life-line.

13. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. Safety equipment as claimed in claim 3 and substantially as hereinbefore described with refer- ence to the accompanying drawings.

15. A boat fitted with safety equipment as claimed in any preceding claim.