US55309A - Improved rowlock - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. KELLY, OF KENDALLVILLE, `INDIANA.

IMPRovED ROwLooK.

Specification forming-part of Letters Patent No. 55,309, dated June 5, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. KELLY, of Kendallville,in the countyof Noble and State of 1ndiana,have invented anew and Improved Rowlock; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view of my improved rowlock having an oar applied to it. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the saine. Fig. 3 is section taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the three figures.

The object of this invention is to support oars upon the gunwale of a boat by means of an anti friction rowlock which is constructed in such manner as to allow of a free play being given to an oar with little or no friction at its point of support, as will be hereinafter y described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its con struction and operation.

A represents the gunwale of a boat, and B a circular plate ofinetal, which is firmly bolted upon this gunwale at a proper point for using an oar.

lhe plate B vis constructed with a centralv stud, c, projecting perpendicularly from it, also with a central circular depression, which leaves an annular elevation, b, the upper surface of which inclines outward, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This plate B may be made of wrought or cast metal, and its central pin, a, 1n ay form apart of the plate, or it may be made separate and secured by bolts 0r otherwise to this plate.

A circular plate, G, having an annular beveled portion, b', and a central openin g through it, is secured rigidly to the oar D at a suitable point by means of bolts or otherwise.

An opening, c, of a daring form should be made through the oar D, just over the opening which is through the plate C, for the purpose of receiving through it the fixed pin a when the plate C is placed upon the two antifriction rollers G G, as shown in the drawings. This pin is the fulerum about which the oar D isallowed to'vibrate horizontally.

The rollers G G are conical, and constructed with annular flanges e e on their inner ends, which latter turn within the annular projections b b', and keep the rollers from moving outward out of place.

An axle, J, which is pivoted loosely to the stud a, is used for keeping the rollers G- G diametrieally opposite each other and to allow 'thelnto roll freely between the two plates B and C. The ends of the axle J pass loosely speed.

lt will be seen from the above description that theoarD is allowed to move freely in anydesired direct-ion, that the rowlock allows its ends to receive a vertical or a horizontal motion ora diagonal movement without bringing anyfrictional or rubbing surfaces together. The weight of the oaris sustained by the anti friction rollers at all times, and much of the lateral strain upon the oar during its acting strokes will be received by the flangesfe c on the rollers, thus relieving the stud a on the plate B from undue strain.

By having the stud c of the proper length the oar need not have any other fastening than that afforded by this stud; hence it will be seen that the oar can be shipped and unshipped at pleasure without stopping to unfasten anything.

My invention will be found very useful for large boats used on rivers as well as for small boats.

Having thus described my invention, what ters Patent, is-

l. The combination of circular plates B and O, havin grollersinterposed between them, with an oar, D, substantially as described. 2. Constructing the base-plate B with a central stud, a, for receiving, centering, and keeping in place the movable plate C, to which the oar is affixed, substantially as described.

3. Constructing the anti-friction rollers G G with langes e e on them, in combination with the annular projections on the plates B and C substantially as described.

JAMES B. KELLY. -Witnessesz THoMAs L. GRAVES, Lucius E. GOODWIN.

through the axes of the rollers G G, so that bot-h rollers move together and with the same I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-v

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