US845477A - Boat-releasing device. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

H! G. OLIVER. BOAT RELEASING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 1330.15, 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

IN V5 N TOR WITNZ'SSES 1 Varr G. 0/2267 A TTORNEVS No. 845,477.. PATENTBD maze, 1907.

H. G. 0LIVER.

BOAT RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLIOATIOK FILED DEG-16! 1905.

2 SEEBT8SHBET 2.

721 "mu Z d IIWEN TOR I i} I 0/19.??- I A TTORNEYS HARRY G. OLIVER, OF NEW YORK, N Y.

BOAT-RELE'ASING D EVICE.

Specification of *Letters Patent.

-Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed December 15, 1905. Serial No. 291,860-

To all whom it may concern:

l .Be it known that I, HARRYG. OLIVER,L citizen of the United States, and residing at l\ew York, in the county of New York and State of l\ew Xork, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Boat-Releasing Devices, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

'lhis invention relates to boat-releasing devices for use in lowering a life-boat or other boat from a steamer'or other vessel at sea; and the object thereof is to provide improved devices of this class which are so constructed as to release both ends of the boat at the same time, so as to prevent the serious and sometimes fatal accidents which frequently occur by reason of one end of the boat being released before the other.

'lhe invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate par ts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Bigure 1 is a sectional side view of a lifeboat provided with my improved releasing devices, shown in connection with an ordinary hoisting or lowering tackle, which in practice is connected with the davits with which steamships and other vessels are provided, said davits being not shown; Fig. 2, a

view similar to l 'ig. 1 of the releasing devices, but showing said releasing devices attached and on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, forming part of this specification, reference being made to Fig. 1, I have shown at a an ordinary life-boat or other heat of this class, such as is usually carried by steamships and other vessels, and in the practice of my invention I pass upwardly through the hull of the boat and through the longitudinal central portion thereof and adj arent to each end thereof a red b. The rods I) pass through the keel of the vessel, and also through the stays or brace-bars or similar devices b arranged transversely of the hull of the boat, and the upper ends of said rods are provided with heads 6 having transverse apertures Z), said heads 5 being flat in form in the form of construction shown and being so positioned as to range transversely of the boat, and the rods 1) are also provided below the heads 6 thereof with flattened and enlarged portions 5 through which'bol-ts'c are passed, and mounted on the bolts-c are hooks (1, having jaws (1 through which-the'bolts carealso passed. The hooks d are substantially semicircular inform, the pivoted ends thereof being larger than the free ends, which are tapered, as shown at (i said pivoted ends being adapted to pass through the apertures b in theheads b of the rods 1). r

The convex sides of the hooks d are directed toward each other and are provided with weights d, which project radially therefrom, and the outer sides of the heads b of the rods b are provided with pivotedlatches or looks 6, adapted to rest in transverse notches or recesses e in the projecting ends d of the hooks d, and said heads are also provided with keepers 6 adapted to receive the free ends of said latches when in their operative position, as shown in Fig. 3.

The bolts 0 are considerably longer than the combined thickness of the flattened por tion b of the rods 1) and the jaws of" of the hooks d, as shown in Fig. 3, and'said bolts are provided at one end with a head 0 and at the opposite end with a nut 0 and mounted on said bolts are pulley-wheels f, which are free to move longitudinally of the bolts c when necessary, but which when in their operative position are keyed to said bolts, as shown at f and said bolts are also provided with keys 9, which are passed therethrough, and which prevent the longitudinal movement of the pulley-wheelsf on said bolts.

Mounted in the bottom portion of the boat a inwardly of the rods 1) and at a predetermined distance from each are pulley-wheels g and 7t, and one of the pulley wheels fthat at the left-hand "end of the boat, as shown in the dr awingsis provided with two chains 4, and 4?, which are secured to the opposite side faces thereof and in the grooves with which said pulley-wheel is provided, and the other pulley-wheel f is provided with similar chains j and 3' which are secured to the op posite side faces thereof and in the groove with which said pulley-wheel is provided, and the chains j and j are passed around the pulley h in the same direction, while the chains 'i and t are passed around the pulley g in the same direction. The pulleys g and h are double pulleys or are provided with separate grooves in which the chains i and i and and j are placed, and said pulleys, in the form of construction shown, are so made IIO that one of said grooves in each, or the groove in which the chains i and 3' are placed, are of less diameter than the other grooves in which the chains 41 and j are placed. The

chains 01 and 7' are connected between the pulleys g and h by a rod k, while the chains i and are connected by a rod m; but this connection may be made by means of chains, if desired.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a part of the tackle carried by steamships and other vessels for lowering boats into the water and for raising said boats out of water, said part of said tackle comprising blocks n, which are adapted to be connected with the hooks d by links 17, or similar devices and other blocks 0, which in ractice are suspended from the davits with which vessels of the class specifled are provided, said davits being not shown, and said blocks n and 0 are connected by ropes or cables 10, which are woven therethrough in the usual manner and provided with end members 19 by means of which the boat may be lowered or raised when desired.

In the operation of my improved boat-releasing devices the hooks d are passed through the links M, and the pointed ends d thereof are passed through the heads b of the rods 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the lock-latches e are dropped into position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The boat may now be raised and swung free of the ship and lowered into the water in the usual manner; but before lowering the boat the lock-latches e are raised and turned backwardly, so that they will not engage the free ends d of the hooks d, and when the boat strikes the water, the weight of the boat being released from the links m the hooks (1 will be turned downwardly by the weights at, and it will be understood that the movement of one of said hooks operates both by reason of the arrangement of the chains & and i and j and j thereon.

With my construction it will be seen that it is impossible for one of the hooks d to drop downwardly without both of said hooks so dropping, and it is therefore impossible for either end of the boat to be released separately from the other, and the dropping of one end of the boat independently of the other is thus avoided. It will be seen that the shape of the hooks d at the point 0 whereby the links a engage therewith, is such that as long as the weight of the boat is on said hooks the said hooks will be held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by the links n but as soon as the weight of the boat is removed from the links 11* by the boat striking the water the hooks d drop downwardly, as hereinbefore described.

The chain 'i, in the form of construction shown, is provided with a spiral spring 1", the object of which is to prevent the breaking of said chain and permit the same to yield if too great a strain is thrown thereon at any particular time, and the chain "i is provided with a turn-buckle 1*, by which the length of said chain may be adjusted.

In the foregoing description I have described the chains i and i and j and j as sep arate, the chains i and y' being connected by a rod 7c between the pulleys g and h and the chains j and i by a rod m; but it will be apparent that all of said parts may be composed of a single chain passed around the pulley-wheels] and around the pulleys g and h, said chain being secured to-said pulleywheels by a suitable pin, nail, or similar device r (shown in Fig. 3,) and the operation of this form of construction will be the same as with that shown in Fig. 2.

The object of making the pulley-wheels f movable longitudinally of the bolts 0 is to facilitate the attachment of the boat to the tackle by which it is suspended; but in order to move said wheels longitudinally of the bolts 0 the key-pins g must be removed, and when the parts are in operative position the wheels f may be moved back into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which position they are locked to the bolts 0 and the hooks (Z turned with said bolts.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the rods b form uprights with which the releasing devices are connected, and said uprights also carry the weight of the boat when suspended by the tackle with which the ship or vessel is provided, and it will also be apparent that my improved releasing devices, together with the uprights or supports 5, may be attached to or connected with any kind or class of boats carried by ships or vessels of the class specified.

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described boat-releasing device consisting of uprights secured in the boat, weighted hooks pivoted to said uprights near the upper ends thereof and the points of which are adapted to pass through apertures formed in the ends of said uprights, means for locking said hooks in their closed position, pulley-wheels connected with the pivoted portions of said hooks, and flexible devices connected with the opposite side faces of said pulley-wheels and passing beneath pulleys mounted in the bottom of the boat and connected between said pulleys, substantially as shown and described.

2. The herein-described boat-releasing device consisting of uprights secured in the boat, weighted hooks pivoted to said u)- rights near the upper ends thereof and t e points of which are adapted to pass through apertures formed in the ends of said uprights, means for locking said hooks in their closed position, pulley-wheels connected with the pivoted portions of said hooks, flexible de vices connected with the opposite side faces of said pulley-wheels and passing beneath pulleys mounted in the bottom of the boat and connected between said pulleys, and hoisting-tackle provided with blocks having links adapted to engage said hooks, substantially as shown and described.

3. An apparatus of the class described,

comprising rods or supports adapted to be secured in a boat and provided at their upper ends with apertures, weighted hooks pivoted to said rods or supports and the free ends of which are adapted to pass through said apertui es, means for locking said hooks in their closed position, pulley-wheels connected with the pivoted ends of said hooks, and flexible devices connected with the opposite side faces of the pulley-wheels and adapted to be passed around pulleys mounted in the bottom of the boat, substantially as shown and described. e

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising rods or supports adapted to be secured in a boat and. provided at their upper ends with apertures, weighted hooks pivoted to said rods or supports and the free ends of which are adapted. to pass through said apertures, means for locking said hooks in their closed position, pulley-wheels connected with the pivoted ends of said hooks, and

flexible devices connected with the opposite side faces of the pulley-wheels and adapted to be passed around pulleys mounted in the bottom of the boat, the connection of the pulley-wheels with the hooks being made by means of bolts which are passed through said hooks and through the uprights or supports and through said Wheels and on which said wheels are longitudinally movable, and means for locking said wheels to said bolts,

substantially as shown and described.

5. A boat provided with uprights, weighted hooks pivoted near the upper ends of said uprights and the free ends of which are adapted to pass through apertures in said uprights, the pivotal connection of said hooks with said uprights being made by means of bolts which are passed therethrough, pulleywheels mounted on said bolts, pulleys mounted in the bottom of said boat, and flexible devices connected with the opposite side faces of said pulley-wheels and passed around the pulleys in the bottom of the boat, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 13th day of December, 1905.

HARRY G. OLIVER.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, O. J. KLEIN.

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