Improvements in or Applicable to Life-saving Buoys or Buoyant Devices.
Year: 1889

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to Life-saving Buoys or Buoyant
Devices.
I, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of 93, Regent Street, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Manufacturer of Life Saving Buoyant Appliances, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in or applicable to the construction
of life-saving buoys or analogous buoyant devices and to the application thereof in
the improved manner herein referred to under the seats of boats and life craft or in a
fore and aft direction along the sides between the thwarts of boats (in which latter
case they will increase the seat accommodation), according to which they will be
automatically effective in rendering the boat unsinkable in case of emergency and will
be available for instant removal and use should it become necessary or advisable to
abandon the boat or required for the use of any person or persons in the water.
In carrying the Invention into effect, I take a sufficiently strong top hoard about.
the width and length of the seat under which it is intended to be placed or of any
other suitable width and length, two shaped or other suitably shaped end pieces of
board the length of the straight or top side of each of which is about the same or
slightly less than the width of the said top board, and a sheet of plain or perforated
metal of the same length as the desired length of the buoy and in width slightly
exceeding the length of the contour of the curved part of one of the said end pieces
around both of which it is subsequently bent its superfluous side edges being turned
over and nailed or otherwise suitably secured to the under or upper side or to the
edges of the top board, one of the said end boards being also simultaneously secured
in position and to the metal sheet. The chamber thus formed is then filled under
prossure with elastic baked cork or with the cork concrete describer in the Complete
Specification of my application for Letters Patent No. 14 of 1888. after which the
other end piece is fitted in the open end of the buoy and is similarly secured as afore-
said. Similar intermediate pieces may be similarly applic.l during the filling of the
device if required, or a central one may be firstly fixed and the filling take place from
both ends. If of an angular formation the enclosing case may be made entirely of
wood. The device is then painted and furnished with attached life lines as described.
Such buoys may be made in any suitable continuous lengths, or a buoy of say
about 4 feet or thereabouts in length may be made as aforesaid in say four separate.
lengths hinged or otherwise united together in such manner as to permit of the buoy
being stowed away as aforesaid in a straight form preferably under a seat and of its
being folded and fastened around the body when required for use in the water.
The said top board of the buoy is made with projecting side or end edges which
respectively permit of the buoy being slid endways or sideways into flanged slides or
slips secured to the underside or to the opposite edges of the seats or thwarts in such
a manner as to be supported thereby, and it may be secured in such position by any
suitable means which will permit of its ready removal for use if required by any
person in the water, and when thus secured in position such improved buoys add to
the buoyancy of the boat or craft to which they are applied and being applied in
sufficient number render the latter unsinkable while they are at all times instantly
ready for removal and use in the water.
A further special advantage of the Invention is that well constructed efficient
buoys can be made in a comparatively short time and at a comparatively small cost
as they need not be airtight and their not being airtight will not materially affect
their buoyant quality.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicani

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to Life-saving Buoys or Buoyant
Devices.
1, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of 93, Regent Street, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Manufacturer of Life Saving Buoyant Appliances, do hereby declare the
nature of my said 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 certain improvements in the construction of Life Saving
Buoys and to the application thereof to under the transverse and fore-and-aft-disposed
seats of boats and the like craft in the improved manner hereinafter referred to, according
to which they will be automatically effective in rendering the boat unsinkable in case of
emergency and will be available for instant removal and use should it become necessary
or advisable to abandon the boat or should they be required for the use of any person
or persons in the water or such improved buoys may be applied in like manner to
under any existing removable seats, or they may be so applied as that the top of the
buoy itself forms the seat in which latter events they will float off should the boat upset
or be swamped and will also at all times be available for instant use as aforesaid.
On the accompanying drawings; Fig. 1. represents a midship section of a boat fitted
with the improved life-saving buoys. Fig. 2. represents a side elevation of one of the
buoys fitting between the thwarts along the side of the boat and forming additional
seat accommodation; Fig. 3 is a cross section of such buoy; Fig 4 is a longitudinal
section of one of the buoys fitting under the thwarts; Fig. 5. is a cross section thereof;
Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of another modification adapted to be applied to under
the thwarts or fore-and-aft-disposed seats; and Fig. 7. is a plan view of a stowaway life-
buoy adapted to be folded and fastened around the body when in use by any person
in the water.
In constructing buoys according to the modifications illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 and 7
of the accompanying drawings I take a sufficiently strong top board, 8, about the
width and length of the seat, 9, under which it is intended to be placed, or of any
other suitable length and width; two shaped or other suitably shaped bulkheads or
end pieces, 10, of board, the length of the straight or top side of each of which is
about the same as the width of the said top board, 8; and (vide Figs. 4. and 5), a
sheet 11. of plain or perforated or corrugated metal of about the same length as the
desired length of the buoy, and in width slightly exceeding the length of the contour
of the curved part of one of the said end pieces 10. around both of which latter it is
subsequently bent, its superfluous side edges being turned into a side groove, 12,
running along the top board and being nailed thereto or being otherwise suitably
secured thereto, as at 28, one of the said end boards 10. being also simultaneously
secured in position and to the metal sheet. The chamber thus formed is then filled
under pressure with baked cork or with the cork concrete described in the Specification
of Letters Patent No. 144 of 1888 granted to me on the 4th day of January, 1888,
after which the other end piece, 10, is fitted in the open eud of the buoy and is
similarly secured as aforesaid. Similar intermediate pieces 10. may be similarly
applied during the filling of the device if required; or a central one may be firstly
fixed and the filling take place from both ends. If of an angular formation, the
enclosing case may be made partly of wood, 13, vide Figs. 2. and 3; or it may be
made wholly of wood. The device is then painted and furnished with life lines, 14, as
desired.
Such buoys may be made in any suitable continuous lengths, or a buoy of say
about four feet or thereabouts in length may be made as aforesaid in say four separate
lengths, hinged or otherwise united together, as at 15. Fig. 7. in such a manner as to
permit of the buoy being stowed away as aforesaid in a straight form under a seat,
and of its being folded and fastened, as at, 16, around the body when required for
use in the water, or it may be made in two pieces connected by lines so as to be held
under the armpits with the connecting cords across the back and chest.

page_text: The said top board of the buoy is made with projecting side or end edges, 27. which
respectively permit of the buoy being slid end ways or side ways into flanged slides or
slips 17. secured to the underside of the thwarts, 9, in such a manner as to be sup-
ported thereby, or such projecting ends may be fitted with depending studs, 18, adapted
to drop into corresponding recesses in the opposite edges of the thwarts, 9, or they
may be otherwise suitably secured in place.
In the modification represented in Fig. 6. the buoy is made of a cylindrical forma-
tion of corrugated metal, not necessarily watertight as its buoyancy is wholly dependent.
upon the packing of practically non-absorbent baked cork or cork-concrete herein before
referred to, its ends being preferably distended into a bell mouthed or cylindrical
formation and heing closed with correspondingly shaped bulkheads, 1. Or the
bulkhe ul at one end may be projected some distance within the cylinder or casing so
as to have a chamber, 19. in which is coiled a line, 20, one end of which is secured to
an eye, 21, secured in or to the adjacent bulkhead and the other end of which is
secured to another eye 22. secured in or to the inner side of a flanged cap or cover, 23.
adapted to close the chamber and to be secured by a bayonet slot and pin joint,
as at 24. or by any other suitable means and being recessed at 30. and fitted with a
drop handle 29. so that it can he secured by the thrower when thrown to any one in
the water and guided or drawn hack if thrown amiss. The top side of such buoys is
fitted with bridge-pieces 25. screwed to the inner bulkheads, and to which are secured
lateral extensions, 27, adapted to engage with the slides, 17, secured to the underside
of the seats as aforesaid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The construction of life buoys in the improved manner hereinbefore described
with reference to Figs. 1. to 5. of the accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of life buoys in the improved manner hereinbefore described
with reference to Fig. 6. of the accompanying drawings.
3. The construction of life buoys in the improved manner hereinbefore described
with reference to Fig. 7. of the accompanying drawings.
4. The application of the improved life buoys to under the seats of boats and like
craft in the improved manner hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1. 4. 5.
and 7. of the accompanying drawings.
5. The application of the improved life buoys in such manner as to afford additional
sent accommodation in boats and like craft, as hereinbefore described with reference
to Figs. 1. to . of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of October 1839
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.