US2199393A - Lifeboat launching and releasing device - Google Patents

Description

y 194% J. 'r. DAHL LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING AND RELEASING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1938 ran Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING AND RELEAS-ING DEVICE James T. Dahl, Seattle, Wash., assignor of twenty-five per cent to William Winslow, Wash.

E. Lovell,

Application August s, 1998, Serial No. 223,685

1 Claim. (01. 9-22) tackle releasing device for a lifeboat which can be readily secured thereto, which comprises a minimum of parts, which is fool proof and which can be easily operated to effect the prompt and positive release of the lifeboat after it is afloat.

Another object of this invention is to provide a launching device for lifeboats on sea going ves sels comprising a chuck for supporting the lifeboat and a releasing and launching device fitted to the chuck for locking engagement with the gunwale and keel of the lifeboat which comprises a minimum of parts, which is fool proof and which can be easily operated to effect the prompt and positive release of the lifeboat.

With the foregoing and other objects in View,

' the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment'of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where-' in:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lifeboat showing details of the tackle releasing mechanism.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing the lifeboat launching mechanism with a transverse portion of the lifeboat shown in section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and designated in the several views of the accompanying drawing, by similar reference characters.

In Figure 1 of the drawing, the keel, bow and sternposts of a lifeboat are designated respectively IO, N and I 2. The lifeboat releasing device embodies similar units of which one is secured to the bow post II and the other to the stern post l2. Each unit comprises a bracket [3 fixed to the post by rivets or bolts M, at the upper end of which is formed a latch support l5, and at the lower end of which is formed a lever support l6.

Arranged for pivotal movement on the base I! of the latch support I 5 is a trigger bar I 8,

provided intermediate its ends with an opening I9 through which is adapted to extend the arm 2| of a latch 20. The latch is of right angle 7 form comprising a vertical arm 2| and a horizontal arm 22, whichextends between upstanding ears 2 3 of the latch support l5 and pivotally connected thereto as at 24. Carried by the latch 20 is a chain link of a lifeboat tackle line 26, only the lower end of which is shown.

Pivotally mounted as at 28 on the lower support [6 is a bell crank lever 29 which in the normal inoperative position thereof provides an upstanding arm 30 and an inclined arm 3i. Pivotally connected as at 32 and 33, respectively, to the ends of the trigger bar I8 and inclined arm 3| is a link 34.

Attached on the keel In of the lifeboat are spaced guide blocks 35 and a pedestal 36, which pivotally supports as at 31 an operating arm 38, comprising a horizontal handle 39 and oppositely extending lugs 40 and 4|. Extending through the guide blocks 35 is a slide bar 42, rendered adjustable in length through" the intermediary of a turnbuckle 43. The end of the slide bar 42 adjacent the bow post H is connected to the end of the upstanding arm 30 of the bell crank lever 29 by a link 45, and in a like manner the other end of the slide bar 42 is connected by means of a link 46 to the end of the mg 40 of the operating armp The other lug M of the'operating arm 38' is connected by a link 41 to the end of the upstanding arm 30 of the bell crank lever 29 mounted on the stern post i 2.

The parts of the releasing device shown In Figure 1 are in their normal inoperative position, i. e. for locked connection with the tackle lines 26. Thus the trigger bar I8 is in a horizontal position withthe depending latch arm 2| projecting through the opening I 9 therein. As long as the trigger bar l8 retains this horizontal position the tackle line 26 is positively connected with the latch 20 for supporting the lifeboat. After the lifeboat is lowered and floats on the water the same is released from its tackle lines by merely pulling upwardly on the handle 39 of the operating arm 38 in the direction of the arrow, which movement will impart to the links 34 a downward movement to release the trigger bars I8 from their engagement with the latch arms 2! to thereby effect an automatic release of the chain links 25 with the latches 20, the same readily becoming disengaged.

In Figure 2 is shown the launching mechanism for the lifeboat.

Mounted on the deck of the ship is a chock 50, shaped as at 5| to seat one side of the lifeboat and at 52 to seat the keel l0 thereof. Se-

cured to the upper end of the chock 50 is a .5

bracket 53 to the free end 54 of which is rigidly secured an inclined post 55, the upper end of which is adjacent the gunwale 56 of the lifeboat. Pivotally connected as at 51 to the upper end of the post is a gunwale latch 58 which extends across the gunwale 56 and is provided with a depending holding lug 59 engaging the inside of the gunwale in the manner shown.

On the lower end of the post 55 is provided a pin 60 on which is adapted to slide the slotted end SI of a keel latch bar 62, the other end of' which is formed with an upstanding holding lug- 63 for engagement with the keel ll). Connecting the lower end of the post 55 with a, bracket 64 fixed to the deck is a strutv 65 which serves to increase the rigidity of the post as well as to retain the slotted end 61 of the keel latch bar on the pin 60.

Supporting the other end of the keel latch bar 52 is a link 66 pivoted at its upper end to said keel latch bar as at 61, the lower end of the link it being pivotally connected as at 68 to a bracket support 69 mounted on the deck, the arrangement of said link being such that forward movement of the keel latch bar, in the manner to be hereinafter described, will cause the link 66 to swing on its pivot 68 whereby to guide the keel latch bar downwardly out of engagement with the keel I 0 to a position where the holding lug 63 wholly clears the same.

At a suitable point on the keel latch bar 62 is pivotally connected as at 10, the lower end of a control link H, the upper end of which is pivotally connected as at 12 to an intermediate portion of the operating handle 13 arranged substantially co-extensive with the control link H. Pivotally connected to the lowermost end of the operating handle as at 15 (see dotted line position of parts) is the lower end of an upper control link 76, the upper end of which is pivotally connected as at IT to a suitable portion of the gunwale latch 52 adjacent its pivotal mounting 51.

The position of the parts of the launching mechanism is that for its locked engagement with the lifeboat; thus, the gunwale latch 52 engages the gunwale 56 and the keel latchbar engages the keel I0, both latch elements. hold-.-

ing the lifeboat in position on the chock 50. To release the launching mechanism, all that is necessary is to merely pull the operating handle 13 down as far as it will go, see dotted line position. This downward movement will simultaneously release the gunwale latch 58 and the keel latch bar 62, through the medium ofthe movements imparted respectively to the upper control link 16 and the lower control link H. The upper control link 16 operates to raise the gunwale latch 58 to effect disengagement thereof with the gunwale, see dotted lines, while the lower control link 16, imparts a forward and downward movement to the keel latch bar to effect disengagement thereof with the keel H3 in the manner as described above. When so released by this simple movement of the operating handle 13-, the lifeboat will quickly slide off of the chock to be launched in the manner well known.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A lifeboat launching device comprising a chock seating the keel and one side of said lifeboat, a bracket fixed to said chock, a post carried by said bracket, a gunwale latch pivotally connected to the upper end of said post for engagement with the gunwale of the lifeboat, a keel latch bar slidably mounted on the lower end. of said post and engagingthe keel. alinkage mechanism operatively connecting said gunwale latch and said keel latch bar, an operating handle for said linkage mechanism, said linkage mechanism comprising an upper control link pivotally connected at its upper end to said gun- Wale latch and a lower control link pivotallyv connected at its lower end to said keel latch bar, the lower control link being pivotally connected at its upper end to an intermediate portion of said handle, the upper control link being pivotally connected at its lower end to an end portion of said handle at a point below the pivotal connection of said lower control link thereto, the arrangement of said control links and handle being such that a downward movement of said handle will impart an upward movement of the upper control link and a downward movement. of. the lower controllink.

JAMES T; DAHL.

Images