IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSTAINING AND RAISING SHIPS OR VESSELS, APPLICABLE ALSO AS LIFE BUOYS
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Rosselet at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th October
1863.
I, GEORGE ROSSELET, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris, Empire of France;
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SUSTAINING AND RAISING SHIPS OR VESSELS, APPLICABLE ALSO AS
LIFE BUOYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the employment of the trunk end of conically
shaped vessels (by preference made of metal) closed at their smaller ends, and
terminating at the other in different ways as hereafter described according
to the purposes for which they are required to be used. These vessels are
stowed away when not in use one within the other so as
space as possible.
to occupy as little
First, according to one arrangement the mouth of the vessels are fitted
with bands of some elastic material to form a hermetic joint; when two vessels
are placed with their large ends together, they will be then full of air and
water-tight. By placing a sufficient number of these vessels thus closed
under the deck of a ship she could not sink whatever apertures there may be
to admit water into her hold.
Second, according to another arrangement the mouth of the vessels are
provided with some waterproof material occupying the whole length of the
vessel, with a second metal bottom having an aperture in it closed by a slide
which when open admits air and expands the material fitted inside; rods, by

page_text: preference three, keep this second bottom at the desired distance from the
entrance or opening of the metal conical vessel; they may be used as those
before described.
Third, the conical vessels before described may with advantage be attached
to landing stages to prevent their being submerged.
Fourth, when the conical vessels are employed for raising a sunken ship
the double metal conical vessels fitted with impermeable material are employed,
and for this purpose the vessels which have rings at bottom are attached to
the sunken ship. The movable bottom is provided with a pipe in commu-
nication with the atmosphere and in such manner that after being placed in
the water (the vessels being closed) they may be opened to admit air, and
when full the buoyancy of the vessels will raise the sunken ship.
Fifth, a ship is often of necessity abandoned at sea. In order to mark the
place she occupies I fit on the deck a floating buoy the lower end of which
is attached to a cord or rope wound on a bobbin or reel in such manner that
this cord will unwind as the ship sinks, and in order that the buoy may be
easily seen it carries a series of by preference crossed levers thus X, which
are laid on the deck under ordinary circumstances, but when the buoy is
afloat they open. The upper part of these levers carry flags which rise
above the surface of the water sufficiently to be seen at a considerable
distance and thus enable the position of the lost or sunken ship to be with
comparative facility ascertained.
Sixth, the conical vessels before described are also used as life buoys.
They are for this purpose made unsinkable of metal with double sides, for
example wholly or partially and with or without internal fittings. The
fittings may consist of a shirt with sleeves, arms, oars, spades, books, reservoirs
for containing provisions, signals, and other useful articles in order to enable
a shipwrecked mariner or mariners to make his or their position known and
thus to be rescued.