GB1594814A - Hook - Google Patents

Description

(54) HOOK (71) We, DECCA LIMITED, a British Company, of Decca House, 9 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7SW, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to a hook which is particularly, though not exclusively, intended for the lowering of loads into turbulent water. In its preferred form, the hook is intended to hold a load captive and thereby prevent the load's premature release owing to its buoyancy, but to ensure release of the load subsequently.

According to the invention, a hook has a resilient ejector which is anchored so as to extend between the shank and the bill of the hook and is thereby disposed to be stressed on reception of a shackle, eye, closed bight of a rope or the like, and a retaining member, which is capable of remote release, disposed to close the hook and thereby retain the shackle or the like against the force of the ejector.

Preferably, the retaining member is a pin which extends between the shank and the bill. nearer the mouth of the hook than the resilient ejector. In a preferred form, the hook is disposed so that the bill can hang wholly beneath the shank, a slot between the bill and the shank being disposed obliquely to a line between the pivot point of the hook and the bottom of the slot. The aforementioned retaining member may comprise a pin which is carried in aligned channels in the shank and the tip of the bill.

There follows a description, by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, of a particular and preferred embodiment of a hook according to the invention. In the drawing Figures 1 and 2 are a side view and a sectional view respectively of the hook and Figure 3 illustrates a release pin.

The particular hook comprises a block A of aluminium alloy, stainless steel, a suitable rigid plastics or other material which preferably. though not essentially, has the shape and configuration indicated in the drawing. In the main part of the block A is a hole B for the attachment of a lowering cable. The block A includes a slot C which is oblique to a line joining ther centre of the hole B to the centre of curvature of an arc K defining the bottom of the slot C. The slot C partially divides the hook into a shank L and a bill M.

The slot is intended for the reception of a shackle, loop of rope, wire or rigid bar which is attached to the load and intended to remain at the bottom of the sea with the load.

Before the shackle or the like is inserted, the mouth of the slot C is blocked by an elastic band D which is anchored, at each end, by pins E in the shank and bill. When the shackle is inserted into the slot, the band is stretched as the shackle proceeds towards the bottom of the slot C and tends to resile to eject the shackle. A pin F is disposed between the anchorage E on the bill and the slot to prevent chafing of the band on the shoulder of the slot.

A retaining member is constituted by a pin G (Figure 3) which is long enough to extend through aligned channels H in the shank and the bill nearer the mouth of the slot than the position of the band when the latter is unstressed. When the pin is inserted in the bores, it mouses the hook namely closes it and prevents the ejection of the shackle, loop of rope or the like by the band D.

The hook may be used as follows. A load may be attached to the hook by a shackle, the pin of which is a loose fit in the slot. The angle of the slot is such that while the load is in air, the weight of the load supported on the hook is sufficient to allow the pin of the shackle to repose at the bottom of the slot against the force of relaxation of the elastic band. The main cable which passes through the hole B supports the hook, and consequently the load attached to it by the shackle, so long as the load remains in air. When the load is lowered into water, the effective loss of weight due to the buoyancy of the load and the effects of swell or of the roll of a ship from which the hook is lowered, make the load liable to float off the hook. However, premature release of the load is prevented by the pin G which holds the shackle pin captive in the slot.Normally, when the load has been lowered to a depth of ten metres or such like, the effects of the swell of the sea and the roll of a ship are sufficiently reduced to enable the load to remain on the hook under its own, albeit reduced, weight. Accordingly, the pin G may then be withdrawn from the bores H by a light connecting line and the load may then be lowered to the bottom of the sea, whereupon the relief of the weight of the package causes the shackle pin to be ejected from the slot C by the ejector constituted by the band D. The release of the load enables the hook to be recovered and used again for another task.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A hook which includes an elastic member which is anchored so as to extend between the shank and the bill of the hook and is thereby disposed to be stretched when the hook receives a shackle or the like, and a retaining member, which is capable of remote release, disposed to close the hook and thereby retain the shackle or the like against the force of the elastic member.

2. A hook according to claim I in which the retaining member comprises a pin which extends between the shank and the bill of the hook.

3. A hook according to claim 2 in which the pin is carried in aligned channels in the shank and the tip of the bill.

4. A hook according to any foregoing claim, in which the hook is disposed such that the bill can hang wholly beneath the shank, the mouth of the hook being constituted by a slot which extends obliquely to a line between a pivot point of the hook and the bottom of the slot.

5. A hook substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the pin G which holds the shackle pin captive in the slot. Normally, when the load has been lowered to a depth of ten metres or such like, the effects of the swell of the sea and the roll of a ship are sufficiently reduced to enable the load to remain on the hook under its own, albeit reduced, weight. Accordingly, the pin G may then be withdrawn from the bores H by a light connecting line and the load may then be lowered to the bottom of the sea, whereupon the relief of the weight of the package causes the shackle pin to be ejected from the slot C by the ejector constituted by the band D. The release of the load enables the hook to be recovered and used again for another task. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A hook which includes an elastic member which is anchored so as to extend between the shank and the bill of the hook and is thereby disposed to be stretched when the hook receives a shackle or the like, and a retaining member, which is capable of remote release, disposed to close the hook and thereby retain the shackle or the like against the force of the elastic member.

2. A hook according to claim I in which the retaining member comprises a pin which extends between the shank and the bill of the hook.

3. A hook according to claim 2 in which the pin is carried in aligned channels in the shank and the tip of the bill.

4. A hook according to any foregoing claim, in which the hook is disposed such that the bill can hang wholly beneath the shank, the mouth of the hook being constituted by a slot which extends obliquely to a line between a pivot point of the hook and the bottom of the slot.

5. A hook substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.