Improvements in and Connected with Buoys for Taking Soundings at Sea and Inland Waters and in Life-buoys.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 4th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 4th Feb., 1888
Improvements in and Connected with Buoys for Taking Soundings
at Sea and Inland Waters and in Life-buoys.
CHARLES WEEKES Civil Engineer 75 Windsor Road Penarth do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A hollow cylinder of Sheet-Metal, Papier Mache, or other suitable material, say
three or four feet long and from three to six or eight inches in diameter, but may be
of larger or smaller proportions if necessary, is divided into two or more compartments
by divisions, or bulkheads, one of which is made air-tight, which shall be called the
upper and one the lower, which when in action can open at the end and will contain
a loose weight of iron, or other inctal, to which is attached some fathoms of light
strong line, or wire cord, coiled so as to " pay out" freely; this weight will drop out
freely when the cylinder reaches the water. The outside of the cylinder is coloured
conspicuously so as to be discernable at a distance, or a rod carrying a small flag or
signal disc may be inserted in the upper portion. In those for use at night a
receptacle will be arranged for carrying a signal-light such as at present used on
Ships' Life-buoys, for which purpose also the cylinders can be used. For use in Fogs
a detonating cartridge with a Time-fuse will be inserted instead of a light as used for
night-work.
One of these cylinders is connected to a Rocket or a part of the cylinder may be
constructed as a rocket, and fired in the required direction. If the depth of water
exceeds the length of the line in the cylinder it will sink, owing to the weight attached,
but if less it will float after the manner of a buoy. By varying the length of line any
depth of water may be ascertained. In Fog the detonation will be heard if the water
is shallow and the cylinder floating, but if the water is deep and the cylinder sinks it
will not be heard.
Stronger cylinders can be fitted for being fired from guns, similar to cylindrical
shells, which can be sent a much greater distance than by Rocket.
For Life-buoy purposes specially, the buoys used would be made of two plain air-
tight cylinders connected together end to end with a rod, or cylindrical piece of
smaller diameter, to permit of its being grasped easily with the hand and will not
require weight or line.
Dated this 31st day of December 1886.
CHARLES WEEKES,
75, Windsor Road, Penarth,
Civil Engineer.

page_text: Improvements in an onnected with Buoys for Taking Soundings
at Sea and Inland Waters and in Life-buoys.
I CHARLES WEEKES of 74 Windsor Road Penarth near Cardiff in the County of
Glamorgan Engineer 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 improvements in buoys for taking soundings at long or
short distances from a vessel or other object at sea or inland waters and as a prompt
means of saving life.
A cylindre of papiermache or other convenient and suitable substance 2 ins. to 3 ins.
or thereabouts in diameter and 2 ft. in length closed at both ends so as to make it
airtight is fastened end on to the top of a box of like substance 4 ins. to 5 ins. square
at top and bottom and having a depth of 1 ft. or thereabouts and open at the
bottoin.
Referring to the accompanying illustrative sheet of drawings Figure I. thereof:-
A is the cylindre and B the box, into the box B is introduced a reel or spool C of
papiermache or any other substance or metal this reel or spool turning freely on a
spindle D of metal or stout wire passed into and through the centre of one side and
about 3 ins. from the top of the box B. and into and out of the opposite side at a like
distance from the top fastened at each end on the outer sides of the box so as to
prevent its slipping from its place. On the reel or spool C a thin strong line E is
wound of any given or required length one end thereof being attached to the drum of
the reel or spool C and the other end thereof to the hook or ring F in the plumb F
this plumb should be of lead and may be of any shape and size as may be found
convenient care being taken that its weight is sufficient to submerge the float or
cylindre A. The open end of the box B being closed by a perforated plug G of
papiermache or other suitable substance having a washer of dry paper pulp or other
suitable and easily softened or soluble substance G'around it. The box B may also
be perforated.
To the top of the cylindre A Figure I is secured a short rod A Figure II., bearing
a flag B. Figure II. or disc of any conspicuous colour, by means of a tin or other
metal disc C. Figure II. fastened to the bottom of the rod, the disc having the same
diameter as that of the cylinder A Figure 1 the tin or other metal out of which this
disc is made is cut or stamped with arms protruding beyond its edge these arms being
bent downwards and inwards as shewn at D Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 represents the same means of attachment which supports the metal case A
Fig. 3 containing an explosive or blue or other light and having an unextinguishable
fuse attached shewn at B Fig. 3.
Two cylinders A and A¹ Figure 4 of papiermâche or other suitable, substance each
having a diameter of 48 ins, or thereabouts and a length of 1 ft. 6 ins. or thereabouts

page_text: but which may be of any greater or lesser size, are to be connected with each other by
means of a strong tube B Fig. 4 of papiermache or other substance or metal having a
length of 3 ft. 9 ins. or thereabouts the bore thereof being about 1 in. on the inside
thereof a hole being made in the ends of each cylinder A & A' Fig. 4. sufficiently
large to enable them to be passed on to the opposite ends of the tube B. Fig. 4 the
cylinders A & A. Fig. 4 being again made airtight care being taken not to close or
interfere with the bore of the tube B. Fig. 4.
This last apparatus as represented by Fig. 4 is to be connected with an ordinary
rocket by passing the rocket stick through the tube B Fig. 4 and secured by means of
wire or other binding and this forms the life saving apparatus.
The apparatus represented by Fig. I with or without its attachments Fig. 2 & 3 is
to be secured to an ordinary rocket by a binding of wire or by any other means that
may be found convenient and this apparatus either with or without the attachments
Figs. 2 & 3 forms the sounding apparatus.
Both the life saving apparatus and the sounding apparatus should be painted in
conspicuous colours the coating used being capable of resisting the action of water
and fire and the life apparatus should have a light handline secured to its
cylinders A & A¹ Fig. 4.
Figure 5 represents a form of sounding apparatus; in this the cylinder A Figure 5
should be made of sheet Iron or steel the box B Fig. 5 being a continuation of the
cylinders & made of the same metal containing the same mechanism and fitted with
a similar plug as the apparatus represented in Fig. 1. This form of sounding buoy is
suitable for firing to great distances from an ordinary ship's gun care being taken that
it is fired with the box B forward. In this form of sounding apparatus the blue or
other light or explosive is contained in the chamber C at the head of the cylinder
and D is an unextinguishable time fuse connected therewith.
Both the sounding apparatus and the life saving apparatus are to be fired either
with or without a line attached thereto from a rocket Tube and can by means of the
rocket attached to them be discharged to a required distance and in the case of the
life apparatus can be placed within the reach of any person requiring assistance in
the course of a few seconds.
In the case of the sounding buoy the perforated plug G. and Box B Fig. 1 admits
the water into the Box B Fig. 1 the washer of Dry paper pulp G₁ becomes softened
the plumb F Fig. 1 by its own weight dislodges the plug G. and being thereby
released from the box B Fig. 1 descends by its own weight unwinding the line E on
the reel C Fig. 1, should the depth of the water be greater than the length of the line
the whole apparatus will be submerged and lost to sight and hearing should however
the depth of the water be less than the length of the line the plumb F Fig. 1 will lie
on the bottom and the apparatus will float on the surface of the water, when used in
the daytime the apparatus shewn by Fig. 2 should be attached to the cylinder A Fig. 1.
At night or in foggy weather the attachment shewn by Fig. 3 should be used instead
of that shewn by Fig. 2 for night soundings the case A Fig. 3 containing a blue or
other light whilst in foggy weather the case should contain an explosive.
If the apparatus floats it can be easily seen by day or night by means of the flag or
Blue or other light whilst in a fog that fact is ascertained by the sound caused by the
explosion of the explosive.
By this means it can be ascertained whether there exists a given or required depth
of water at any spot or point situate within a radius of one mile or thereabouts from
the firing point and in the case of the apparatus shewn by Fig. 5 within a radius of
3 miles or thereabouts from the firing point.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said invention &
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
I. The use of rockets for the purpose of discharging sounding buoys and life buoys
to any required distance substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose
specified.

page_text: II. The use of the form of life Buoy Fig. suitable for attachment to a rocket
substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
-
III. The use of the form of sounding buoy suitable for attachment to a rocket such
as Fig. 1 having the float A and the Box B and the mechanism therein contained
and the several attachments to be affixed thereto such as Figs. 2 & 3 and substantially
as described and for the purpose specified.
IV. The use of the form of sounding buoy suitable for firing from a gun such as
Fig. 5 having the float A and the box B. and the mechanism therein contained and
substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
V. The combination of the rocket with the life saving and sounding buoys and the
latter's attachments arranged and operating substantially as herein before described
and shewn in the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Datad this 1st day of October 1887
CHARLES WEEKES,
.74, Windsor Road, Penarth, near Cardiff.