Improved Life and Property Saving Buoys.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Life and Property Saving Buoys.
I, JOHN DRISCOLL, Inspector of the Calcutta River Police, Kaila Ghat,
Calcutta, India, 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 consists in the manufacture of metal buoys of a form and design
hitherto unknown. For the saving of life, the ordinary apparatus in use on ships
and steamers is made of cork, circular in form and covered over with canvas.
This besides being a most unreliable contrivance possesses the disadvantage of
soon getting worn out and rendered useless from frequent immersion in water.
Now my invention overcomes these disadvantages by being made of metal, while
the shape given to the buoy admits of its being easily gripped. The contrivance
is furthermore particularly simple, being formed of only two copper balls 12 inches
in diameter with a wooden bar 24 inches thick to connect thein. This bar runs
through the centre of the copper balls leaving a space of 18 inches between them
for the person using it to hold on to, and attached to this bar is a whistle to enable
such person to attract attention to his perilous condition. The buoy is capable of
floating a dead weight of 21 stone.
To further explain the invention drawings are attached in which (Figure 1).
a a are the two balls, b, the wooden bar and Ċ the whistle.
The buoy I have designed for effecting the saving of both life and property in
cargo boats especially is shewn in sectional elevation in Fig. 2 of the drawings in
which a is the body of the buoy made of thin light steel and kept from collapsing
by four bars of the same metal placed within at the point marked. Encircling
the body of the buoy outside is a steel band or ring f projecting about three inches
to which boatmen and others suddenly thrown into the water may cling to save
themselves from a watery grave & which is supported or carried by rings g
attached to the buoy.
In the position markede is a water-tight pocket in which the boat's papers may
be kept in safety, while at d is a bar running through the bottom of the buoy to
which the mooring rope is attached. This bar is kept in its place & secured by
means of a nut e.
One end of the mooring rope is fastened to same part of the boat so that in
case of the boat meeting with an accident and going down, the buoy immediately
floats up and affords assistance to the crew, and being fastened to the boat, drifts
along with it and indicates the exact position of the boat enabling owners and shippers
to send down divers for the recovery of property which would otherwise be lost.
Fig. 3 is an elevation, Fig. 4 section of submerged portion of the buoy and
Fig. 5 is a plan of buoy.
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
The improved life and property saving buoys as described and illustrated in the
drawings hereto attached."
Dated at Calcutta, this Fourth day of November 1891.
Dated this 26th day of November 1891.
JOHN DRISCOLL.
Hughes, Eli & Hughes,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.