Untitled record

Application filed February 11,1896. Serial No, 578,915, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bart Lobee, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, 5 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Protecting-Covers for Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and improved , means whereby a canvas covering may be io convenient^ and quickly secured to a life or other boat and instantly released therefrom when required, all of which will be fully and . clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying 15 drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boat suspended to the davits of a vessel, showing my improved canvas cover and the means for securing it thereto or releasing it therefrom.

Fig. 2 represents a side elevation showing the canvas cover in place thereon. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section on or about line a a, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a boat, showing a plan of the canvas cover 25 and the means for securing it in place on the boat or instantly releasing it therefrom.

My invention is more particularly adapted for life-boats, with which it is often of vital importance to release the boat from its cov30 ering in the shortest possible time.

A life-boat is generally provided with a covering of canvas to protect it from the weather. Such a cover as ordinarily constructed is laced and tied to the boat in a manner that 35 often requires considerable time to release it.

Half an hour is many times lost in this way, when every instant is of the utmost importance. The knots in many cases being difficult and sometimes impossible to untie, un40 der such conditions a knife is required to cut the rope, which, if not instantly at hand, in an emergency, results in the loss of considerable valuable time, and often when a delay of two or three minutes would be fatal.

Referring to the details of the construction shown in said drawings, the boat 1 is represented as connected with the ordinary davits 2 and 2^a of a steam or other vessel, to which it is suspended by the usual tackle-blocks 3 and 3“ and ropes 4. (See Fig. 1.)

The canvas cover 5 is provided with a se- I ries of rings G, secured by sewing or in any way well known to the sailmaker. These rings maybe the usual metal rings constructed in the ordinary way, or they can be in the 55 form of loops made of cord or rope secured to the edges of the canvas by sewing in the well-known manner.

Around the gunwale of the boat is secured a series of loops or staples 7, made either in 60 the form of iron staples driven into the boat or otherwise secured thereto, or they may be made in the form of rope loops secured in any well-known way to the . boat. The number of these staples or loops 7 correspond 65 with the number of the rings or loops 6.

The canvas top 5 at the point 8, where the tackle-hook passes through, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) is cut through the canvas from the point 8 to the point of the cover. (See dotted lines 70 9 in Fig. 4.) A flap 10 is then sewed to one edge, so as to lay over the pointed portion of the boat-cover that lies under it and thereby cover the slit shown by the dotted lines 9. Rings 6 are secured to the top flap 10 and 75 rings 11 to the under portion, the object of which will appear farther on. The rear end of the canvas cover is also cut from the point 8^a to the end, so as to leave an upper portion or flap 12 (see Fig. 1) to cover the slit or open- 80 ing below it.

To one side 13 of the slotted portion is sewed or otherwise secured an under flap, which extends laterally to the side of the boat (see dotted lines 14 in Fig. 4) and is provided with 85 rings 15 at the side and end. (Shown in said Fig. 4.)

When the canvas cover 5 is put onto the boat, it is secured thereto by metal rods. In the drawings, Fig. 4,1 have shown two rods 1G and 90 16^a and 17 and 17^a, one pair on each side of the boat; but a single rod may be used on each side, if desired. The outer ends of the rods 16 and 16^a and 17 and 17^a are provided with a ring or eyepiece 18, a rope 21 being 95 passed through the eyepiece to secure them. The rods 16 and 16ⁿ are passed in a direction from the bow of the boat toward the stern, passing alternately through the rings 6 on the canvas cover and the staples or loops 7 on 100 the boat. The rod 16^a also passes through the rings 11 on the under loop at the bow of

558,401 the boat, so that all parts are secured. The rods 17 and 17^a are then passed in a direction forward from the stern of the boat alternately through the rings 6 and staples 7. The 5 rod 17^a also passes through the rings 15 on the under loop, thereby holding that as well as the upper lap 12, on which some of the rings 6 are secured. At the rear end of the cover and stern of the boat a transverse rod io 19 is passed through the eyepieces 18 and through the rings 6 and staples 7 at that end of the boat. The rod 19 is provided at one end with an eyepiece 20. (See Fig. 4.) These rods may then be secured at the bow and 15 stern by a piece of rope 21, substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

From the above-described construction it will be seen that when it becomes necessary to instantly remove the boat-cover all that is 20 required is to remove the rods 16 and 16^a and 17 and 17% which can be very quickly done by one operator pulling them forward by means of the rope 21 while another is removing the transverse rod 19 and the rods 17 and 25 17^a, all of which can be done in a very short time. The cover 5 can be lifted up out of the way by a rope 22, -which passes through a pulley 24, secured to the supporting-rope 23. (Shownin Fig. 1.) An equivalent for the rods 30 16 and 16^a and 17 and 17^a and the transverse rod 19 would be a piece of rope having the ends secured, so as to prevent them from unwinding. A close - fitting ferrule secured thereto in the well-known way would answer 35 a good purpose. This could be put through the rings and staples in the same way and then secured. These ropes could be quickly pulled out from the loops or rings and staples when required to release the cover. The operation in both instances would be substantially the 40 same.