AN IMPROVED BUOY FOR SAVING GOLD, BANK NOTES, BILLS, AND OTHER PRECIOUS ARTICLES."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis François Gosselin, of Boulevard de
Strasbourg, No. 23, at Paris, Merchant, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED BUOY FOR SAVING GOLD, BANK NOTES, BILLS, AND OTHER PRECIOUS
ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis François
Gosselin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st August 1874.
-
I; LOUIS FRANÇOIS GOSSELIN, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, No. 23;
at Paris, Mercliant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED BUOY FOR SAVING GOLD; BANK NOTES, BILLS, AND OTHER
PRECIOUS ARTICLES," to be as follows :-

page_text: goods, when the latter founder in mid ocean, far from the reach of all
succour. In such circumstances it has hitherto been impossiblo even to
think of saving the most precious objects, such as papers, bills, securities,
pieces of gold and silver, and others. It is to obviate this that I have
invented the following system of buoy.
My Invention consists in a new and special arrangement of buoy
forming receptacles; and in the installation of theso buoys in an open
chimney or passage formed in the vessel near to the post of the
captain.
The buoy is of copper to avoid oxydation. It is in the form of a 1
hollow sphere prolonged at its lower part by a cylindrical appendix,
also hollow. It is open at the top and receives a screw cover with
the interposition of a caoutchouc washer in order to render the
closing more stanch. The spherical part of the buoy constitutes an air
reservoir, the volume of which is calculated in relation to the weight of 1
the precious articles which it is intended should be enclosed in the
appendix so as to be assured that the loaded buoy will float.
In order to protect the contents of the buoy from all fraud tho closing
is assured by a sealing or soldering applied upon the extremity of a
band, which bearing upon tho cover is wedged into a socket formed 2
upon the buoy. The buoy is surmounted by a rod bearing a flag to
attract attention from a distance. Several buoys of this description
being on board a vessel they are charged with precious things and are
placed one upon another in an open chimney which is arranged in the
neighbourhood of the bridge of the vessel so as to remain constantly 2
under the immediate surveillance of the captain or the officer of the
watch. The buoys are covered at their middle with a girdle of india-
rubber to soften shocks. If in a shipwreck the vessel foundered the
water penetrating through the spaces in the chimney would lift all tho
buoys, which emerging from the vessel would float in the sea.
The 3
buoys could be united by a chain, and the group of buoys thus formed.
would constitute a sort of flotilla much more visible than a single
buoy.
I complete my Invention by arranging at the base of the
"

page_text: and will thus serve by remaining floating
place where the vessel has foundered.
on the surface to indicate the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Louis François Gosselin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LOUIS
FRANÇOIS GOSSELIN, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, 23, at Paris, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Louis François Gossolin, Her
special licence, that I, tho said Louis François Gosselin, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said.
Louis François Gosselin, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United.
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED BUOY FOR SAVING GOLD,
BANK NOTES, BILLS, AND OTHER PRECIOUS ARTICLES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Louis François Gosselin, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Louis François Gosselin, do:
boreby declare the nature of mu said Invention and in what manne

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :—
The title which I give to my Invention indicates the object which it
seeks to attain. It is well known that the greater portion of maritime 5
catastrophes result unfortunately in the loss of vessels, bodies, and
goods, when the latter founder in mid ocean, far from the reach of all
In such circumstances it has hitherto been impossible oven to
think of saving the most precious objects, such as papers, bonds,
securities, gold and silver coins, plate, and the like. It is to obviato 1
this that I have invented the following system of buoy.
succour.
My Invention consists in a new and special arrangement of buoys
forming receptacles, and in placing these buoys in an open chimney or
passage formed in the vessel near to the post of the captain.
The Drawing annexed will enable my Invention to be readily under- 1
stood. Figure 1 is an exterior elevation of the buoy, and Figure 2 is a
vertical section.
The buoy is of copper to avoid oxydation. It is, as will be seen, in
the form of a hollow sphere a prolonged at its lower part by a cylindrical
appendix, also hollow. It is open at the top and receives a screw 20
cover c with the interposition of a caoutchouc washer d in order to
render the closing more staunch. The spherical part a of the buoy
constitutes an air reservoir, the volume of which is calculated in
relation to the weight of the precious articles which it is intended should
be enclosed in the appendix b so as to render it certain that the loaded 2
buoy will float.
In order to protect the contents of the buoy from all fraud the closing
is assured by a scaling or soldering applied upon the extremity of a
band, which bearing upon the cover is wedged into a socket formed
upon the buoy at g. The buoy is surmounted by a rod bearing a flag to 3
attract attention from a distance. Several buoys of this description
being on board a vessel they are charged with precious things and aro
placed one upon another in an open shaft or chimney-like casing which
is arranged in the neighbourhood of the bridge of the vessel so as to
remain constantly under the immediate surveillance of the captain or 3!
the officer of the vessel. The buoys are covered at their middle with a

page_text: girdle of india-rubber to soften shocks. If in a shipwreck the vessel
foundered the water penetrating through the spaces in the chimney
would lift all the buoys, which emerging from the vessel would float in
the sea. The buoys could be united by a chain, and the group of buoys
_thus formed_would constitute a sort of floatillo much more visible_than a
single buoy (see Figure 4).
I complete my Invention by arranging at the base of the open-worked
chimney ha supplementary buoy a¹, Figure 3, which is hollow and
completely spherical, and this buoy is connected to the vessel by a very
long cord ƒ, and will thus serve by remaining floating on the surface to
indicate the place where the vessel has foundered.
Certain objects too large to be enclosed in the interior of the buoys
can be suspended from them and thus kept from sinking.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. The improved buoy shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accom-
panying Drawings for saving bonds, securities, gold and silver coin, and
other articles, as described.
Secondly. The method of arranging my improved buoys on board
ship in an open shaft or chimney-like casing, as herein-before described
and as shown in the Drawings.
And, Thirdly. I claim arranging a supplementary buoy within a
shaft or chimney-like casing connected to a ship to mark the spot where
she has foundered, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis François Gosselin, havo
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
0
CH. ARMENGAUD,
Civil Engineer,
L. F. GOSSELIN. (L.S.)
Boulevard de Strasbourg, No. 23,
à Paris.