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THE RYAN-TANNING DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING LIFE BOATS. It is only within recent years that any commendable change has_ been made in life boat handling equipment aboard ship. Though for a decade little atention was given tto the im- TRE MARINE REVIEW Line, at the company's pier on the East river, New York. This apparatus, which is compara- tively inexpensive and can be easily installed on any vessel fitted with the ordinary davit and chocks, consists of two rock shafts fastened one under each set of chocks upon which the 'provement of this most nécessary ap- paratus, in spite of the fact that ves- sels were rapidly increasing in size, speed and passenger accommodation, several devices, each having its indi- vidual merits, are now on the market. Among others may be mentioned the Ryan-Tanning boat handling device, an apparatus which recently under- went a series of interesting tests on the steamer Havana of the Ward RYAN-TANNING BOAT HANDLING GEAR. boat rests, these rock shafts having nollers mounted at the end of short arms upon which the keel rests when locked in position, the roller arms be- ing inclined towards each other at an angle of 32 degrees from the perpen- dicular. On the keel are fastened two small lugs or stops against which the rollers fit snugly when the boat is in place. At each end of the shafts are cams or hooks to which the lower ends of the chain gripes are fastened, the gripes being slacked or set up at will by means of turnbuckles with which each is fitted. To release the boat, operating ley- ers, which are fastened on the inboard end of each shaft in a vertical posi- tion of sufficient length to insure the proper leverage, are pulled down, this movement operating the roller arms, raising the boat about 1 in., simulta- neously lowering the chocks and _ re- This is partly automatic, as once the roller has passed the perpendicular the weight of the boat will cause the lever to drop to the deck, entirely disengag- ing the boat and leaving it hanging in the falls, ready to swing out. leasing the chain gripes. action