Improvements in Apparatus for Locating Sunken Vessels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Locating Sunken Vessels.
A communication by ALVAH J. CARSON, of the City of Kalamazoo, in the County
of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to buoys which are designed to locate sunken vessels
after a wreck has occurred.
The objects of this invention are first, to provide a buoy with a line attached
in which there shall be no difficulty in the unreeling of the line or cable attached
thereto and unwound from a reel or spool upon the vessel; second, to provide im-
proved means of guiding the line from the reel which shall prevent cutting or
wearing of the same by providing a suitable passage therefor through the deck
or other covering placed over the reel; third, to provide a buoy which shall be
convenient for the receipt of valuable packages and valuable papers which shall
have a convenient chart within and attached to the door thereof on which definite
information as to the location of the vessel at the time of foundering, both as
to latitude and longitude may be quickly added by the proper officer of the vessel
so that this information may be quickly furnished at the latest possible moment
in a perfectly safe and practical manner, and further objects appearing in the
detailed description.
These objects of the invention are accomplished by the devices and means
described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing, in which-
Figure 1 is an enlarged elevation of a buoy detachably supported on suitable
arms on the deck of the vessel.
Figure 2 is a vertical detail sectional view on line a-a of Figure 1 showing
the structure of the buoy.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the plates around the aperture
through the deck showing the projecting anti-friction balls.
Figure 4 is a detail view showing the reel and a part of the deck above and
the opening through the deck for the passage of the line, the upper portion being
a sectional view on line 6-6 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a sectional end view of the reel taken on line c-c of Figure 4
looking from the left.
Figure 6 shows a sunken vessel with a buoy floating above the same on the
surface of the water.
Referring to the drawing, the same numerals represent the same parts through-
out the same views.
3 represents the buoy which is hollow and made of any suitable material and
DQ17

page_text: is preferred oval in form and is supported upon the deck 14 of the vessel point
downward in a suitable chair 13. In the side of the buoy which is of light
buoyant material is an opening 4 over which is a suitable door 5 securely hinged
thereto having a suitable packing around its outer edge to prevent the entrance
of water. Hasps 7 7 are on one side of the door to engage the staples 88 through
which a bolt 9 extends to lock the same. On the interior of this door is a
suitable chart 11, wherein the name of the vessel and its captain are marked with
suitable spaces to indicate the longitude and latitude of the vessel with a space
for remarks to indicate more definitely if possible her position and to indicate
the condition of the vessel at the time and other matters of moment. This is
provided upon the inside of the door of the buoy at a point convenient for the
latest possible notice of the facts of this character. The interior of the buoy can
be used for the ship's papers and other articles of value. This is of value in case
the guide line 12 becomes broken. The buoy may be made of any suitable
buoyant material. It is preferred to make it of sheet steel with air-tight com-
partments as illustrated having a casing 30 at the centre, and partitions,31
extending therefrom. to the shell. Secured to the lower end of the buoy 3 is a
line or cable 12 which extends through an opening in the deck 14 to the reel 17
below, this reel is a spool or windlass of sufficient size to hold line or cable of
sufficient length to extend from the surface to the depths to which the vessel
might sink upon the voyage.
The reel 17 is suitably supported on standards 19 19 and carries a ratchet
wheel 25. To each end of the reel is a spring 20, convex in form and held by
suitable pins 23, 23, on the head of the spool in slots 22 22. These springs 20,
press outwardly against the boxes which carry the shaft 18, of the reel 17, and
serve as a drag or brake to prevent the line being unwound more rapidly than
needed.
The opening through the deck is provided with protecting plates 27, the upper
one of which is beveled to the aperture to permit the line to pass freely. Around
the opening of the centre of the plates are formed suitable oppositely facing
grooves in which are placed anti-friction balls 28, which are allowed to project
inwardly and form a suitable bearing for the line as it passes through the hole.
The upper plate being beveled and rounded toward the centre will be relieved
from any friction directly from the line or cable 12, and the points of contact
of the line or cable will be at the opening which is protected by the inwardly
projecting surfaces of the balls. These being round present no sharp corners
to engage the cable or line and they present a perfectly smooth and practically
frictionless surface for the line to pass over.
From this description it will be seen that a vessel provided with the improved
locating buoy will be substantially protected from loss so far as that is practical in
case of wrecked and sunken vessels. If the vessel becomes injured and sinks
below the surface, the buoy 3 will rise and draw out the line or cable in rising.
This it is enabled to do owing to the fact that the line is properly guided by the
ball bearings in the plate surrounding the hole through which the line passes
The line is prevented from tangling by the brake upon the reel and owing to the
perfect protection of the line and when it is being paid out the buoy will rise
with certainty to the surface where the line will serve as a guide to the location
of the vessel below or in case the line should become broken the directions found
on the chart within the buoy will serve substantially the same purpose.
Having thus described the new improved locating buoy, my correspondent
desires to state that it is capable of considerable variation in the details of
construction without departing from his invention. In place of the chair 13
shown for supporting the buoy there are various other' means which could be
devised. In place of putting the reel below the deck it might be placed above
the deck and protected by a hood or casing through which the line might be paid
out and in place of passing the line through the deck it might be passed out
through a hole in the side of the vessel having the protection which is here

page_text: indicated; and where the rigging of the vessel is complicated the entire apparatus
could be supported at a convenient and unobstructed position above the deck.
A buoy constructed as indicated with the chart attached would be of great value
upon a vessel without the connecting line attached so that it would rise and float
away in case of accident to the vessel or in convenient position to be thrown
overboard in case of accident.
A communication by ALVAH J. CARSON, of the City of Kalamazoo, in the County,
of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
:-
This invention relates to buoys which are designed to locate sunken vessels
after a wreck has occurred.
The objects of this invention are first, to provide a buoy with a line attached
in which there shall be no difficulty in the unreeling of the line or cable attached
thereto and unwound from a reel or spool upon the vessel; second, to provide im-
proved means of guiding the line from the reel which shall prevent, cutting or
wearing of the same by providing a suitable passage therefor through the deck
or other covering placed over the reel; third, to provide a buoy which shall be
convenient for the receipt of valuable packages and valuable papers which shall
have a convenient chart within and attached to the door thereof on which definite
information as to the location of the vessel at the time of foundering, both as
to latitude and longitude may be quickly added by the proper officer of the vessel
so that this information may be quickly furnished at the latest possible moment
in a perfectly safe and practical manner, and further objects appearing in the
detailed description.
These objects of the invention are accomplished by the devices and means
described in the following specification and illustrated in the drawings accom-
panying the Provisional Specification, in which―
Figure 1 is an enlarged elevation of a buoy detachably supported on suitable
arms on the deck of the vessel.
Figure 2 is a vertical detail sectional view on line a-a of Figure 1 showing
the structure of the buoy.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the plates around the aperture
through the deck showing the projecting anti-friction balls.
Figure 4 is a detail view showing the reel and a part of the deck above and
the opening through the deck for the passage of the line, the upper portion being
a sectional view on line b-b of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a sectional end view of the reel taken on line - of Figure 4
looking from the left.

page_text: Figure 6 shows a sunken vessel with a buoy floating above the same on the
surface of the water.
Referring to the drawings, the same numerals represent the same parts through-
out the same views.
3 represents the buoy which is hollow and made of any suitable material and
is preferred oval in form and is supported upon the deck 14 of the vessel point
downward in a suitable chair 13. In the side of the buoy which is of light
buoyant material is an opening 4 over which is a suitable door 5 securely hinged
thereto having a suitable packing around its outer edge to prevent the entrance
of water. Hasps 7 7 are on one side of the door to engage the staples 88 through
On the interior of this door is a
which a bolt 9 extends to lock the same.
suitable chart 11, wherein the name of the vessel and its captain are marked with
suitable spaces to indicate the longitude and latitude of the vessel with a space
for remarks to indicate more definitely if possible her position and to indicate
the condition of the vessel at the time and other matters of moment. This is
provided upon the inside of the door of the buoy at a point convenient for the
latest possible notice of the facts of this character. The interior of the buoy can
be used for the ship's papers and other articles of value. This is of value in case
the guide line 12 becomes broken. The buoy may be made of any suitable
buoyant material. It is preferred to make it of sheet steel with air-tight com-
partments as illustrated having a casing 30 at the centre and partitions 31
extending therefrom to the shell. Secured to the lower end of the buoy 3 is a
line or cable 12 which extends through an opening in the deck 14 to the reel 17
below, this reel is a spool or windlass of sufficient size to hold line or cable of
sufficient length to extend from the surface to the depths to which the vessel
might sink upon the voyage.
The reel 17 is suitably supported on standards 19 19 and carries a ratchet
wheel 25. To each end of the reel is a spring 20, convex in form and held by
suitable pins 23, 23, on the head of the spool in slots 22 22. These springs 20,
press outwardly against the boxes which carry the shaft 18, of the reel 17, and
serve as a drag or brake to prevent the line being unwound more rapidly than
needed.
The opening through the deck is provided with protecting plates 27, the upper
one of which is bevelled to the aperture to permit the line to pass freely. Around
the opening of the centre of the plates are formed suitable oppositely facing
grooves in which are placed anti-friction balls 28, which are allowed to project
inwardly and form a suitable bearing for the line as it passes through the hole.
The upper plate being bevelled and rounded towards the centre will be relieved
'from any friction directly from the line or cable 12, and the points of contact
of the line or cable will be at the opening which is protected by the inwardly
'projecting surfaces of the balls. These being round present no sharp corners
to engage the cable or line and they present a perfectly smooth and practically
frictionless surface for the line to pass over.
From this description it will be seen that a vessel provided with the improved
locating buoy will be substantially protected from loss so far as that is practical in
case of wrecked and sunken vessels. If the vessel becomes injured and sinks
below the surface, the buoy 3 will rise and draw out the line or cable in rising.
This it is enabled to do owing to the fact that the line is properly guided by the
ball bearings in the plate surrounding the hole through which the line passes.
The line is prevented from tangling by the brake upon the reel and owing to the
perfect protection of the line and when it is being paid out the buoy will rise
with certainty to the surface where the line will serve as a guide to the location
of the vessel below or in case the line should become broken the directions found
on the chart within the buoy will serve substantially the same purpose.
Having thus described the new improved locating buoy, my correspondent
desires to state that it is capable of considerable variation in the details of
construction without departing from his invention. In place of the chair 13

page_text: shown for supporting the buoy there are various other means which could be
devised. In place of putting the reel below the deck it might be placed above
the deck and protected by a hood or casing through which the line might be paid
out and in place of passing the line through the deck it might be passed out
through a hole in the side of the vessel having the protection which is here
indicated; and where the rigging of the vessel is complicated the entire apparatus
could be supported at a convenient and unobstructed position above the deck.
A buoy constructed as indicated with the chart attached would be of great value
upon a vessel without the connecting line attached so that it would rise and float
away in case of accident to the vessel or in convenient position to be thrown
overboard in case of accident.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is:
1. The combination of the buoy 3, suitably supported upon the deck, a line 12,
extending therefrom, through an opening in the deck, protecting plates 27 around
said hole, the upper one of which is bevelled and rounded into the centre and
which contain grooves in which are anti-friction balls 28, projecting toward the
centre to serve as an anti-friction bearing for the line 12; the reel 17, below for
storing the line 12, having convex springs 23, at each end to press against the
supports of the same and serve as a brake or drag to prevent too rapid playing
out of the line for the purpose specified.
2. In a device for locating sunken vessels, the buoy 3, made of light buoyant
material with a door opening into the same made of light buoyant material and
securely attached thereto by hinge connections, a suitable gasket or packing 6,
around the door, and a chart for information secured to the interior of the door
where it can be conveniently placed and exactly in position needed at the time
for use as specified.
3. In a device for locating sunken vessels, the combination of a buoy 3, a line
extending therefrom to a suitable reel below, plates surrounding the line to
protect and guide the same, the upper plate of which is bevelled and rounded
toward the centre and containing grooves in which are located anti-friction balls
that project toward the centre as specified.
4. In a buoy for locating sunken vessels, an outer casing of sheet metal, an inner
box or receptacle 30, partitions 31 extending to the exterior forming air tight
compartments, and a door 5 to one side having an air tight compartment as
specified.
Dated thin 1
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