US276446A - Davit and chair for life-boats - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. H. F. MEYER.

-DAVIT A ND CHAIR FOR LIFE BOATS.

Patented Apr.24, 1883.

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

J. H. F. MEYER.

DAVVIT ANDGHAIR FOR LIFE BOATS. No. 276,446. PatentedAprQZ I', 1883.

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UNITE STATES PATENT Garrett;

JOHN H. F. MEYER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DAVII AND CHAIR FOR LIFE-BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,446, dated April 24, 1883.

l Applicationfiled Decemher15,1882. (No modeLf a To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN H. F. MEYER, of

Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Davit and Chair for Life- Boats, of which the following is a full,clear,

and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved davit and chair for lifeboats, so constructed that the life-boat can be raised and swung from the side of the ship and lowered very easily and rapidly by one or two men.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 shows part of a cross-sectional elevation of a vessel provided with my improved davits and chairs for life-boats, one life-boat being shown lowered and the other in position on the chair. Fig. 2 is a like elevation, showing the life-boat on the chair and themechanism for releasing the tackle. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal outer elevation of a life-boat, showing the same resting on the chair, part of the boat being broken out to show the Windlass for raising the boat. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal elevation of one end of a life-boat, showing the manner in which the same is released, parts being broken out.

The life-boat A is supported at each end by two blocks, B B, hinged to frames or end pieces, 0, which. are hinged on a cross-piece, B, connecting the braces C extending from the top of the deck-house D to the bulwarkrail D. The upper edges of the blocksB are curved and notched, so as to fit closely against the planking of the boat. The two blocks B B, hinged to each swinging piece (3, are independent of each other, and between them arecess is formed for thekeel of a boat. The upper ends of the swinging pieces 0 are connected by a rod, E, provided at the middle with a knuckle-joint, a, which is above the longitudinal central line of the rods E,- and at which knuckle-joint an arm, E, extends downward from one of the rods E, to the lower end of which arm E a rope can be attached. At its lower end the arm Eis provided with a pin or projection, b, which can be passed under a hook or analogous device, a, on the crosspiece B, on which the end pieces, G, are hinged. The davits F are hinged to the sides of the deck-house, directly above the deck, and are adapted to swing between the two braces 0 to which braces a butter-spring, F, of some suitable construction, is held, against which the davit strikes when it swings outward, as will be described hereinafter. Each davit F is held in an upright position by a l1ook,G, pivotedto the davit and adapted to pass into a catch,- H, on one of the braces 0 The hinge-bolts c of the swinging pieces 0 are provided at the lower ends with fingers or projections I, which are adapted to catch the hooks G and raise them in a manner that will be describedhereinafter. TheropesJpassoverpulleys J and J of which the former are hooked on the upper end of the davit, and from the pulleys J the ropes pass to Windlass-drums K on a shaft, K, journaled in the two correspondingdavits, which shaft is provided at the end with a ratchet-wheel, L, with which a gravity-pawl, L, engages, pivoted to one of the davits. The said pawl is provided with a weight, g, which presses its otherend against the teeth of the ratchet-wheel L.

A connecting-rod, M, pivoted to the pawl L, is pivoted to a vertical bolt, M, sliding on the the davit, and having its lower end beveled, as shown.

One of the braces C is provided on its up I per surface with a cam-ridge, N, which has the upper end slightly tapered or beveled, and over which cam-ridge the lower beveled end of the bolt M is adapted to pass.

At that end of the shaft K opposite the one on which the ratchet-wheel L is mounted a brake-disk, O, is mounted, whichis surrounded by a brake-band, 0, connected with a lever, P, for pressing the said brake-band against the brakedisk. The blocks B on the same side of the life-boat are connected by a rod, Q, provided at the ends with heads which pass into vertical slots in the outer end surfaces of the blocks B, whereby the said blocks can swing on the ends of the rods Q. Preferably the'rods Q are made removable, but can be pivoted to the blocks B in any-suitable manner.

To each lower pulley, J a hook, R, is pivoted, which is adapted to catch on an eye or loop, S, securely fastened on across-piece, S, of the boat and to the keel. The hook R is provided at the otherend of its shank Wit-h a weight, T, which is sufficient to raise the said hook. A wedge, h, is connected by means of a chain, Z, with the upper pulley, J. -A windlass, N, is provided on the deck-house for raisin g the boats from the water. Rubber bumpers V are provided for the swinging pieces 0 on the cross-pieces B.

The operation is as follows: Ordinarily the swinging end pieces, 0, and the blocks B are in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the end pieces being inclined upward, the blocks B, that form the chair for the boat, being vertical, and the jointed rods E being in a horizontal position. The jointed rod E locks the parts in this position, as its joint is above the central longitudinal line. The davits are held in an upright position by the latches or books G, which catch in the catches H. The hooks R are in the eyes S, and the weights T are raised. To prevent them from dropping, the wedges h are passed in between the shanks of the hooks and the bottom parts of the pulleyblocks. The lifeboat is thus properly supported, is provided with a cover, and is tied down in the usual manner. If the boat is to be lowered, the strings by which the boat is tied down are cut, and the arm E is pulled in the direction of the arrow at by means of a rope, or in any other suitable manner, whereby the said rod E will be bent at its joint, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the swinging pieces 0 will be swung downward toward each other, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3, and the blocks 13 will be swung by'the rods Q in the direction of their arrows, and thereby the blocks B will be moved from under the boat, which thus hangs freely from the davits. As the swinging pieces 0 swing downward the projections or fingers I at the lower ends of the same swing upward and raise the latches G from the catches H, thereby releasing the davits to swing in the direction of the arrow a, Fig. 1, and whereby the life-boat will be swung beyond the side of the ship. As the davits swing in the above-mentioned direction the bolt M slides over the cam-ridge N and is moved upward, and thus causes the connecting-rod M to lift the weighted end of the pawl L, thereby disengaging the pawl from the ratchet-wheel L, permitting the ropes J to unwind from the drums K. The boat A descends, and the wedge his automatically drawn from between the pulley-block J and the hookRby the chain 1, which is drawn taut. As the weight of the life-boatis greater than the we'ightsTon the ends of the hooks R, the said weights cannot raise the hooks or draw them out of the eyes S; but as soon as the boat A floats the weight will be removed from the hook end of the hooks R and the weights T will drop or swing downward, thereby withdrawing the hooks R from the eyes S, and thus releasing the boat from the pulley-block J The boat is thus lowered and released automatically. If the boat descends too rapidly, its speed can be checked by means of the brake-band O. The blocks B, the swinging pieces 0, and the devices for operating them can also be attached to vessels in which the davits are not pivoted to swing, but to turn, or in which they are fixed altogether.

Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced, before lowering a boat, in raising the same from its seat or chair and in swinging the said boat clear of the side of the ship, and for a twenty-foot boat from ten to twelve men were required for raising the same.

If my improved device is used, the boat can be swung out very easily, as the same need not be raised, for I remove the support from under the boat. The two davits from which the boat is supported are preferably connected by suitable ties.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The supports for life-boats, constructed of two swinging pieces adapted to swing toward each other, to the upper ends of which swinging pieces swinging blocks are pivoted, on which the boat is adapted to rest, in combination with the rod Q, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. A support for life-boats, constructed of two swinging pieces connected by a jointed rod, and blocks pivoted to the upper ends of the swinging pieces, which blocks -fit against the bottom of the boat, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In supports forlife-boats, the combination, with two swinging pieces united by a jointed rod, of supporting-blocks pivoted to the upper ends of the swinging pieces, and united by a rod pivoted thereto, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In supports forlife-boats, the combination, with davits pivoted to swing toward the sides of the vessel, of latches pivoted to the davits, of swinging pieces for supporting the boat, and of projections at the lower joints of the swinging pieces, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose of raising the hooks pivoted to the davits and releasing the davits as soon as the support of the boat is swung down.

5. In supports forlife-boats,thecombination, with the davits F, of the hooks G, the catches H, the swinging pieces G for supporting the boat, and the projections I at the lower ends of the swinging pieces, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. Insupportsfor life-boats,thecombination, with davits adapted to swing toward the side of the vessel, of a Windlass-shaft journaled on the davits, a ratchet-wheel on one end of the shaft, a pawl engaging with the ratchet-wheel,

with the davits F, of the life-boat A, the pulleys J, supported from the ends of the davits, the pulleys J at the life-boats, the rope J, passing over the said pulleys, the hook R, the weight T, attached to an arm of said hook, the wedge h, attached to a chain, 1, fastened to the upper pulley, J, and an eye, S, secured to the life-boat, into which eye the hook R is adapted to pass, as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN H. F. MEYER.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, O. SEDGWICK.

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