Whale Hoist Patent Model

After some species of whales were killed, their carcasses sank. Other species, like the right whale, floated. A whale that sank represented a major loss to the whaleship crews, who had risked their lives to capture the creatures.

To prevent this sort of loss and maximize a whaleship’s efficiency, Thomas Roys of the whaling port of Southampton, on Long Island, N.Y., patented an apparatus for “Raising Dead Whales From the Bottom of the Sea.” There is little evidence that many American whalers tried the device or that it found widespread use in the industry.

ID Number:

AG*332326

Material:

metal, steel

Date:

1862

Dimensions:

3 in x 12 1/2 in x 2 in; 7.62 cm x 31.75 cm x 5.08 cm

Source:

Transfer from Patent Office