Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, Sth Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1895
I FRANK PIERCE DABELL of Lucerne, Sandown, Isle of Wight, Marine
Salvage Superintendent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is a buoy or float containing, having attached to it
or connected with it a revolving line reel, a line box or other suitable contrivance, by
means of which a line may be readily paid out from the buoy or float when it is
carried forward by the action of the wind, tide waves or other force.
It may be used for obtaining a line connection between ship & shore, ship and
boat ship and man overboard or other similar positions.
The buoy or float may be of wood, cork or other buoyant substance, or it may
be made of rubber, canvas, iron or other metal, or other suitable materials, as an
air receptacle or air receptacles. It may be constructed as a life buoy or life belt,
or in a spherical or other shape.
As a buoy, belt or float it may contain or have connected with it, a line reel or
box which may readily pay out a line (one end of which may be left on board a
ship), as the float is carried forward by tide, wind, waves or other force, or by the
action of a person using the life buoy belt or float.
Dated this 9th day of November 1894.
I, FRANK PIERCE DABELL of "Lucerne," Sandown, in the Isle of Wight,
Marine Salvage Superintendent, 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 floats life buoys and analogous appliances and has for
its object to provide each of them with a line-reel or line-box or equivalent device
by means of which a line may be readily paid out when the buoy or float is
carried along by the action of the wind, tide, waves or other force.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a plan of a life-buoy of ordinary form with my invention applied
thereto, the reel being shown empty.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing it floating and the line partly payed out
from the reel.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another form of buoy or float arranged according
to my invention.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same as when floating and
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another arrangement of the apparatus.
The various views are drawn to different scales.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

page_text: Tu rigs.
and 2 A is a float or life-buoy which, if desired, may be strengthened
by a hoop or ring embedded within its substance and otherwise may be of ordinary
construction.
B is a reel on which is wound the line C Fig. 2 and is free to rotate within the
opening A' of the buoy A on the rod or shaft Ď rigidly attached to the buoy A by
the brackets or clamps D'.
The reel B may be mounted on or connected to the life-buoy A in any con-
venient manner but I find the arrangements shown in Figs. 1 and 2 give
satisfactory results; in this arrangement the shaft D is cylindrical throughout its
length excepting at its ends where it is conveniently flattened so as to fit between
the ends of the clamps D' and be attached thereto by bolts or equivalent D'. Or
the clamps and axle may be in one piece and the reel divided. E is an eye or loop
secured to the float A, through which the line C is guided to prevent it from
passing over the ends of the reel B.
The device shown in Figs. 3 and 4 comprises an air-tight vessel or float A
generally of cylindrical form and having a pocket or recess E in which a reel B
is mounted so as to be capable of rotating freely therein. For this purpose the
reel B may be mounted on a shaft D suitably supported in bearings secured to
the walls constituting the ends of the recess E¹ or other means may be employed
for this purpose. E³ is a lid or cover hinged to the vessel or float A and adapted
to close in the recess E¹ except as regards the slot E* hereinafter described.
or near its free edge the cover E is provided with one or more apertures Es
adapted to engage with the turn buttons or equivalent E' which are pivoted to
the float or vessel A so that after they have entered the apertures E³ their heads
may be turned round so as to secure the cover E³ to the vessel A.
At
The before mentioned slot E extends nearly from one to the other end of the
cover E³ and is of sufficient width to allow of the line C passing freely through it
as shown.
F is a curved or bent bar secured as by rivets and flanges F' to the outside of the
float or vessel A at a part preferably diametrically opposite the cover E³. This
bar serves to throw the line off the vessel A should it pass across it, and also
enables the vessel to be readily picked up by a boat-hook or equivalent device,
moreover it provides a hold for a swimmer to assist the device through the water.
The float or vessel A instead of being of generally cylindrical form as shown
may be of other shape for example it may approximate to the shape of a barrel or
□ ophers.
In Fig. 5 I have shown a reel B connected by standards or brackets G to an
ordinary cask to which it can be screwed as shown, in an emergency.
Devices constructed according to this invention may be used for obtaining a
line-connection between ship and shore, ship and tug or other boat, between two
ships, ship and a man-overboard or between other parts or objects separated by
water.
The buoy or float in whatever form it is made may be constructed of any
desired buoyant material, or it may be made of metal or other air and watertight
material.
The float may be in the form of a life-belt of any desired shape and size, and the
line C may be of any desired thickness and the reel or line-carrier of any
convenient size according to the size or floating capacity of the float.
Instead of the line C being wound on a reel in the arrangement shown in Figs. 3
and 4, the reel may be dispensed with and the line may be wound in the form of a
ball or cop; the line C is wound upon the reel B and the free end being made fast
to the vessel or to the rope to be subsequently drawn from the vessel, the whole
apparatus is thrown overboard and driven by the wind and waves from the vessel
to the shore, the line offering no opposition to its progress as the reel unwinds as
the buoy progresses so that the buoy has not to drag the whole length of the line
through the water, as with the common forms at present in use. The invention
may be used from pier heads, dock walls and other places as well as from vessels,

page_text: but it is peculiarly fitted for use from a vessel in a gale upon a lee shore as the
set of tide and wind will then quickly carry it to the shore. The line can then be
detached from the reel and by hauling it in, a stronger rope can be pulled ashore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. The combination with a float life-buoy or the like of a reel or line-carrier.
2. The combination with a life-buoy of a reel such as B mounted so as to rotate
freely in the central opening thereof substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete line-
carrying device substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. The combination with a float such as A having a recess or pocket such as E
of a reel mounted so as to rotate freely in the pocket substantially as described
and illustrated in Figures 3 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination with a float such as A having a recess or pocket such as El
of a slotted lid or cover such as E3 E' substantially as and for the purpose described
and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete line-
carrying device substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete line-
carrying device substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of February 1895.
FRANK PIERCE DABELL.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.