Improvements in and relating to Life-saving Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Life-saving Apparatus.
WILLIAM SCHERMULY, 62, Stainsby Road, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex,
Rope Splicer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in and relating to life saving apparatus
in the form of a standard and holder for firing rockets and lines from point to
point, such as from one ship to another, and consists of a trough in which the
rocket is placed before firing, the trough is fixed to a stem which is fitted at the
lower end with a ball and socket joint which allows the trough to be elevated in
any desired direction and retained in that direction by means of a suitable
mechanism. The ball and socket joint is fitted to a clamp or clamps which can be
adjusted to grip either on to a wood or iron rail, or upon anything convenient.
The trough is constructed so that it will collapse when not in use.
D 10th day of Lonury 1809
WM. SCHERMULY.
Improvements in and relating to Life-saving Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM SCHERMULY, of 62, Stainsby Road, Poplar, in the County of Middle-
sex, Rope Splicer, 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:-
My invention relates to apparatus for discharging rockets or the like for the
purpose of throwing a line from one point to another-such as between a ship
and shore or between two ships or objects, or analogous purposes-and has for
its object to provide means whereby the apparatus may be readily clamped to any
suitable object and the direction of the rocket-trough speedily adjusted while the
whole, when stowed away, occupies a minimum amount of space.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 shows my improved apparatus in elevation.
Figure 2 is a sectional detail on the line - Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2 illustrating a modification.
Figure 4 illustrates an alternative form of ball-and-socket clamp.
Figure 5 illustrates an alternative arrangement of screw for clamping the
apparatus to a convenient support, and
Figure 6 shows the rocket applicable for use with my invention.
Like letters of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
According to my invention the apparatus consists of a clamp a for attachment

page_text: g
to the gunwale, taff-rail, or other convenient part 6 of a vessel or object by means
of a clamping screw c. The clamp is provided with a boss d to which is
attached the lower part e of the ball-and-socket connection f. The upper half
of the socket is hinged at h to the lower part e and is provided, at a point opposite
the hinge, with a suitable clamping screw i pivoted to the part e and adapted to
engage an open slot in the upper half'g so that the ball k may be clamped between
them by means of the wing nut j. The ball k is provided with a stem m adapted
to support the rocket-trough 'n whose inclination and direction is adjustable by
means of the ball-and-socket connection above described. The trough n is pre-
freably collapsible in order that it may be more compactly stowed away, for
which purpose it may be telescopic as shown in Figure 2. According to this
construction the rim of the outer extensible portion n³ is adapted to slide
within the hollow rim 3 of the main portion of the trough.
According to a modification as shown in Figure 3 the trough n is hinged
longitudinally at to its stemm so as to permit its being folded.
As illustrated in Figure 4 the lower part e, of the ball-and-socket connection
may be provided with a threaded stem with which co-operates a wingeil nut j
bell-mouthed at its inner end and adapted to engage a part conical projection
'attached to the upper part by which means the said parts are clamped together
when the nut is screwed on, and separated by means of a spring when the
nut is withdrawn.
Figure 5 illustrates an alternative arrangement of screw for clamping the
apparatus to a convenient part. An ordinary nut c¹ is located in a recess in the
lower limb of the clamp and engages the screw c which passes freely through
holes In this case the clamp is operated by turning the nut c¹ instead of
the screw c.
..
When in use, the rocket o, shown in Figure 6, is placed in the trough n,
shown in dotted lines, so that its fuse o¹ extends through the opening 2 (see in
Figures 2 and 3). The line is attached by means of a swivel connection of any
well-known or suitable form, to a wire q which is attached to the stick r by means
of a loop q¹ and staples or other suitable connections.
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. In a line-throwing apparatus a ball-and-socket connection between the
rocket-trough and its support substantially as set forth.
2. In a line-throwing apparatus, a collapsible rocket-trough substantially as set
forth.
3. The combination, in a line-throwing apparatus, of a collapsible rocket-trough
and a ball-and-socket connection between such trough and its support substantially
as set forth.
4. The line-throwing apparatus constructed substantially as set forth and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1800
A. F. SPOONER,
323, High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicant.