IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MOORING OF Buoys, BEACONS, AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SOUNDING ALARMS BY GONGS AND BELLS FIXED THEREON
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Daniel Davis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd October 1871.
I, GEORGE DANIEL DAVIS, of No. 16, Woodstock Road, Poplar, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MOORING OF Buoys,
BEACONS, AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SOUNDING ALARMS
BY GONGS AND BELLS FIXED THEREON," to be as follows:-
For these purposes when the buoy or beacon is to carry a gong or
bell I prefer to construct the buoy of a drum shaped, cylindroid, or
hemispherical form. When the buoy is of a drum or cylindrical shape
I provide it at its ends with central spindles on which it may revolve.
These spindles are received into bearings in arms forming part of a
mooring frame, and to each side of the bottom of this frame is attached
the mooring bridle and swivel. By thus mooring the drum or buoy the
axis of the drum will always be at right angles to the tideway or current.
On the drum spindles is fitted a frame which passes down below the
buoy, and has attached a counterbalance keel of a boat-like form; the

page_text: frame also rises up above the buoy, and at its upper end is hung the
bell or other alarum. By this arrangement the bell or alarum is always
maintained in a vertical position, or nearly so. To the periphery of the
drum are fixed paddles or floats, and the action of the tide or current
upon these floats causes the drum to revolve. On each side of the bell
or alarum is suspended a hammer. On each hammer spindle is a tongue
or tail piece; on the bell frame is also a tongue or double tail piece, the
lower tail being so placed as to be acted on or raised by the floats when
the buoy revolves, which causes the upper tail to descend and come in
contact with the hammer tails, thus raising the hammers and as the:
drum revolves and its floats pass the tail the hammers strike the bell.
When the buoy is of a hemispherical form a gut or water way is
formed through the centre of its upper part and has two keels on its
bottom. The buoy is moored in the same manner as before mentioned
by spindles, which are at right angles to the gut or water way. In the 1
gut or water way is fitted a paddle wheel which is caused to revolve by
the water as it flows through the water way. On the upper part of the
buoy is the bell frame, on which is hung a bell as above described, and
on each side of the bell is fitted a hammer with tails so constructed as
to be acted on or raised by the floats of the paddle wheel when the 2
wheel revolves. The hammer tails have a joint similar to a rule joint
to allow the paddle wheel to revolve in opposite directions.
When necessary to suit some positions, I place the buoy in a universal
joint, thus allowing it to oscillate every way. The floats of the drum
buoy are protected by a guard iron placed round the buoy near the 2
water line, and attached to which is the counterbalance keel. The
floats of the hemispherical buoy-are protected by an oval or V shaped
grating at each end of the gut or water way.
In place of a bell or alarum being carried by the frame which is
mounted on the spindles of the buoy as above described, any desired 30
form of beacon may be carried by such frame, and the buoy may be of
other forms than those above mentioned, and be moored by spindles at
its axis, or nearly so, as above described.