IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BUOYS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Tyndale Greenfield, of the Royal Regiment
of Artillery, residing at 10, Pencester Street, Dover, in the County
of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BUOYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Tyndale Greenfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th February 1870.
.
I, JOHN TYNDALE GREENFIELD, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery,
residing at 10, Pencester Street, Dover, in the. County of Kent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LIFE BUOYS," to be as follows :—
My improvements in life buoys consist of the following arrangements
whereby the security and comfort of the persons using the buoys are
increased by maintaining them altogether out of the water instead of
leaving them partly immersed, and so that they shall be kept secure in
position. Also providing for the supply of extra clothing and provisions
in case of extreme weather, and for keeping others from sinking by hold-
ing on and fastening themselves to the sides of my improved life buoy.

page_text: As an exemplar of the means of carrying the said Invention into
effect I have to state that I construct a platform or deck of a triangular
shape to carry a mast, which should be telescopic, and a seat which serves
also as a receptacle for food, water, clothing, valuables, and so forth.
Around this seat also I affix a moveable cage or support to the person
using the raft to be raised around him when seated, so that he may be
kept secure. The platform or raft proper is floated by means of a caison
enclosed beneath it by sides constructed on a mathematical curve and a
wooden base. Under the seat and passing below the deck or platform
I fix a water-tight well or chamber in which I place provisions, clothes,
and other necessaries. To keep the buoy steady and to prevent its capsiz-
ing by any undue weight at any part I fix a weight to the platform by
means of chains affixed to the sides of the deck or platform. To prevent
the breaking of the chains by a sudden strain on them by the weight
when lowering the buoy to the water I provide a hook or catch at any
convenient portion of the buoy, so that the weight being looped on to it,
and the buoy always taking a certain position when being lowered, the
weight is not released until the buoy has reached the water and assumed
its proper position, when the chains and weight are released; loops or
handles extending several feet from the side of the buoy to afford a hold
for persons immersed in the water should also be provided.
I have also an apparatus by means of which the buoy is never parted
from the ship, thereby preventing the danger of having to lower a boat
in heavy seas. This apparatus consists of a drum or winch worked by
levers in the stern of the ship round which is coiled a rope 500 or 600
fathoms in length and fastened to the life buoy. By this means the buoy
is always secured to the ship. The buoy when lowered into the water
remains stationary the ship paying out rope till she is stationary, so that a
person overboard can make for the lifebuoy during the time that the ropo
is being payed out; at the end of that time the rope is coiled up on the
winch, and the person and life buoy brought inboard.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Tyndale Greenfield in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN 35
TYNDALE GREENFIELD, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, residing at
10, Pencester Street, Dover, in the County of Kent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Tyndale Greenfield, Her special
licence that I, the said John Tyndale Greenfield, my executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho said John Tyndale Green-
field, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times. there-
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BUOYS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Tyndale Greenfield, 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 John Tyndale Greenfield, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
-
My improvements in life buoys consist of the following arrangements
whereby the security and comfort of the persons using the buoys are
increased by maintaining them altogether out of the water instead, of.
leaving them partly immersed, and so that they shall be kept secure in..
position. Also providing for the supply of extra clothing and provisions.
in case of extreme weather, and for keeping others from sinking by
holding on and fastening themselves to the sides of my improved life.
buoy.
As an exemplar of the means of carrying the said. Invention into
effect I have to state that I construct a platform, deck, or raft of a
triangular shape-to-carry-a-mast, which should be telescopic, and a seat
which-forms a lid-of-a-receptacle_for_food, water, clothing, valuables,
and so forth. The sides also of the caisson or buoy are protected by
wooden latticework. Under the 'seat and passing below the deck

page_text: platform or raft, I fit a water-tight well or chamber in which I placo
provisions, clothes, and other necessaries. To keep the life buoy and
raft steady and to prevent its capsizing by any undue weight at any
part I fix a weight to the platform by means of chains attached to the
sides of the deck, platform, or raft. To prevent the breaking of the 5
chains by a sudden strain on them by effect of the weight when lowering
the life buoys to the water I provide a hook or catch at any convenient
portion of the life buoy or raft, so that the weight being looped on to it,
and the life buoy always taking a level position when being lowered,
the weight is not released until the buoy has reached the water and 1
assumed its proper position, when the chains and weight are released;
loops or handles extending several feet from the side of the buoy to
afford a hold for persons immersed in the water should also be provided.
I have also an apparatus by means of which the buoy is never parted
from the ship, thereby preventing the danger of having to lower a boat ]
in heavy seas. This apparatus consists of a drum or winch worked by
levers in the stern of the ship, round which is coiled a rope 500 or 600
fathoms in length and fastened to the life buoy. By this means the
buoy is always secured to the ship. The life buoy or raft when lowered
into the water remains stationary, the ship paying out rope till she is
stationary, so that a person overboard can make for the life buoy or raft
during the time that the rope is being payed out. At the end of that
time the rope is coiled upon the winch, and the person and life buoy
or raft brought inboard.
The caisson or buoy I construct of india-rubber, (inflated with
air), metal, or other air-tight and water-tight material, so as to add
buoyant power, a main constituent feature of my life buoy or raft.
Around the scat I affix a moveable cage or support to the person
using the raft, with buoy attached to be raised around him when seated,
so that he may be kept secured in position. The platform or raft
proper is supported and floated by means of a caisson or buoy enclosed
beneath it by sides constructed on a mathematical curve, and has a
wooden base or similar platform to the deck platform or raft above
the caisson; these two platforms I fasten together and keep relatively
in position by means of angle iron braces secured to each platform by
screw ends with nuts applied thereto. In the middle of my caisson I
have a large circular space to contain a box or bag, generally of tho
same material as the caisson, which box or bag is intended to contain

page_text: and keep water-tight provisions and fresh water, with space for
miscellaneous effects, such as ship's papers and other valuables.
The use of my life buoy or raft is primarily to save any human being
who has got into the sea, far from shore, who can by its aid be saved
from drowning by catching hold and pulling himself on to it, and upon
it he can stand, sit, or kneel, and find provisions to keep him alive.
It can also be used to save a number of men, say, any number up to
fourteen, (that is a good size boat's crew when upset), which they can
do by clinging to the life buoy or raft, by ropes and floats which I affix
to the sides. It can likewise be used in case of the foundering of a ship
and the record of the ship's fate may thus be conveyed by placing her
papers and notes in the said bag or box, so that when habitually kept
in this way if the ship struck a leak or foundered, the papers together
with a note of her latitude and longitude when foundering would be
the means of conveying intelligence of her fate. A principal point is
that I provide the seat with an adjustable metal cage or railing for the
sitter using my life buoy or raft, by which he can be maintained in a
sitting posture and cannot be swept off by the force of the waves, and
can hold the mast between his legs.

page_text: "
orifice 6¹ made for it through the caisson, and is secured to the under
platform; Ow, chains for suspension of balancing weight w.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and in what manner the same may be
performed or carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the
Improvements in Life Buoys," comprising an upper deck, a caisson,
an under platform, fitted and secured together as herein-before explained,
a seat with adjustable cage, a mast and other appendages, the whole
kept steady in the water by a balancing weight suspended by chains, as
herein-before stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Tyndale Greenfield, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
Спа". Т. АвмITAGE,
JOHN TYNDALE GREENFIELD. (L.S.)
Lieutenant Royal Artillery.
12, Pencester Street,
Dover..