Improvements in Life Buoys and in Apparatus connected therewith.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1890-Accepted, 9th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life Buoys and in Apparatus connected
therewith.
I, ROBERT WHITBY of 2 Forest Terrace Capel Road Forest Gate in the County of
Essex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me dated the 24th day of February
1881, No. 797 I described a life buoy having pivotted to its sides two standards
carrying lights which were ignited by coming into contact with the water. This
arrangement has the objection of exposing the man supported by the buoy to the fumes
of the lights.
According to this Invention I dispense with the pivotted side standards and have
the light separate from the buoy and suspend it from the ship in such a manner that
when the buoy is let go the light also is freed and drops into the water floating near
the buoy. The bottom of the case containing the light is supported by a projection
on a hanging rod whose upper end is pivotted to the ships side and the top of the
light case is steadied by a ring fixed to the ship. The hanging rod passes through
an eye or eyes fixed to the buoy and is not quite vertical inclining slightly to one
side so that as the buoy drops it is turned through a small angle. The buoy is
supported in a similar manner to that described in my former Specification being
suspended from the ships side by a chain or chains and being steadied by two vertical.
rods whose upper ends are fixed to the ships side and which pass through eyes fixed
to the buoy. The chain or chains by which the buoy is suspended are also attached
to a rod passing through the case containing the light. The action of the apparatus
is as follows
When the chain or chains supporting the buoy are freed, the buoy as it falls
carries with it the rod passing through the case containing the light causing it to
tear or cut the top and bottom so as to expose the composition. As the buoy falls
vertically it causes the hanging rod to turn about its pivot thus freeing the light case
which drops into the water after the buoy and the water coming into contact with the
composition ignites it.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life Buoys and in Apparatus connected
therewith.
1, ROBERT WHITBY, of 2 Forest Terrace, Capel Road, Forest Gate, in the County
of Essex, 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 :-
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me dated the 24th day of February
1881 No. 797 I described a life buoy having pivotted to its sides two standards
carrying lights which were ignited by coming into contact with the water. This
arrangement has the objection of exposing the man supported by the buoy to the
fumes of the lights.
According to this invention I dispense with the pivotted side standards and have
the light separate from the buoy and suspend it from the ship in such a manner
that when the buoy is let go the light also is freed and drops into the water floating
near the buoy being connected to it if necessary by a line. The bottom of the case
containing the light is supported by a projection on a hanging rod whose upper end
Price/1

page_text: is pivotted to the ships side and the light case is held in a cylinder fixed to the ship.
The hanging rod passes through an eye or eyes fixed to the buoy and is not quite
vertical inclining slightly to one side so that as the buoy drops it is turned through
a small angle. The buoy is supported in a similar manner to that described in my
former Specification being suspended from the ships side by a chain or chains and
being steadied by a vertical rod or rods whose upper ends are fixed to the ships
side and which pass through eyes fixed to the buoy. The buoy is also attached to a
rod passing through the case containing the light.
In order that ny said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation of a buoy supported
to a ship's side in accordance with my invention.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views showing the buoy in the act of falling just after
it has been released.
A is the ship and B the buoy-C, C, are eyes carried by the buoy which pass
over the rod D fixed at its upper end to the ship's side, the buoy is also steadied by
projections E fixed to the ship. The lower end of the rod D is steadied by a pivotted
and swivelling bracket F which is supported by a chain connecting it to a short
tube G which takes the weight of the buoy and is held in place by the chain H. K is
the cylinder containing the light case Land K¹ is its bottom. M is the rod passing
through the light case and connected by a chain M' to the buoy. N is a rod pivotted
at N and passing through eyes OŎ on the buoy a projection N2 on it coming
beneath and supporting the bottom K¹ of the cylinder K.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the chain H supporting the buoy is freed the tube G slips off the rod D, the
swivelling and pivotted bracket F giving way to allow of this, and the buoy as it falls
carries with it the rod M passing through the case L containing the light causing it
to tear or cut the top and bottom of the light case L so as to expose the composition.
As the buoy falls vertically it causes the rod N to turn about its pivot N¹, thus
freeing the bottom K¹ of the cylinder K, which opens, thus freeing the light case.
which drops into the water after the buoy and the water coming into contact with
the composition ignites it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination with a buoy of mechanism which when the buoy is released
releases a light which falls into the water independently of the buoy substantially as
described.
2. The combination with a buoy of mechanism which when the buoy is released
releases a light which falls into the water independently of the buoy and mechanism
which exposes the composition of the light substantially as described.
3. The combination of a buoy, the eye or eyes O upon it, the bent lever N passing
through the eyes and supporting the light and the rod M passing through the light
substantially as described.
4. Buoys and apparatus connected therewith substantially as described and shown
in the drawings.
Data: AL 1
2 T
1000
ROBERT WHITBY.