IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE SAVING APPARATUS FOR MARINE COAST SERVICE
Year: 1884

page_text: DIECIFICATION.
I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE SAVING APPARATUS FOR MARINE
COAST SERVICE" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
The object of this Invention is to provide a novel and efficient life saving
apparatus, for marinė coast service, especially adapted for use in situations, and
under circumstances, in which the life saving expedients now in use
unserviceable and inapplicable.
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The methods now in use, on dangerous coasts, extensive shoals, or bars, to reach
vessels in distress, involve the employment of what is known as the life line.
When a wrecked vessel is near enough to the shore to render the life line available,
such line is thrown over the wreck from the shore, by the use of a mortar, to the
shot from which the line is attached. After this line has been fixed to the vessel
another line or bridge is arranged and the persons on board the vessel aro brought
to the shore in conveyances adapted to travel on said bridge. The use of this
method is limited, and, in many instances, altogether unserviceable, for the reason
that the life line can only be thrown to vessels very near the shore. The use of
boats, in these instances, is frequently impossible, as the vessel is usually wrecked
in heavy or stormy weather, when the sea is so high, or the breakers of such
magnitude, that a small boat cannot live in thein.
•
The said Invention comprises apparatus which may be brought into requisition
under the most violent conditions of weather, and which may be made to reach
vessels lying altogether beyond the reach of life lines, and it consists partly in the
provision of what may be termed a marine carriage, the same being a rolling
vehicle, mounted on wheels and furnished with propelling devices which are
actuated by the waves, and which cause the wheels to travel in any desired
direction, upon the shoal bottom or bar.

page_text: It further partly consists in the combination with the marine carriage, of means
whereby the same may be propelled upon the shore or in the water, when the
action of the waves is insufficient to effect propulsion.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus constructed according to this Invention. &
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, and
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a modification hereinafter described.
A indicates the body of the carriage or vehicle, consisting of a box or boat
shaped compartment, made of sheet metal, wood, or other suitable material, and
preferably of skeleton or open work, in order to offer but little resistance to the 1
sea or waves. The box A is mounted on large wheels B, which are independently
journalled, so that they may turn in the same or opposite directions. For the
purpose of my Invention, these wheels may be toothed on their peripheries, for the
engagement of the propelling dogs; or separate toothed wheels C may be employed,
as shown in the Drawing; in the latter case the plain wheel and the adjacent
toothed wheel are conveniently secured to the one hub so as to turn together. The
wheels B B are adapted to travel upon the surface of the bar or shoal, and are
placed sufficiently far apart to enable the vehicle to accommodate itself to inequalities
in the bar or shoal without danger of tilting or upsetting.
D, D' indicate the propelling levers, consisting of the thill or shaft like frames
of unequal length; the frame lever D is secured at its inner end to the depending
sides of the body A and supports at, and between, its outer ends a large float D
The levers D' are mounted loosely on the axle E, outside the arins or lovers D, and
extending beyond the outer extremity of the latter, support a similar float D³.
The levers D also extend lengthwise on the opposite side of the axle, as shown
at d, and the arrangement of the lever frames is such that their outer and float
carrying ends will alternately rise and fall with the action of the waves, the float
on one frame being in the trough of the sea while the other float is on the crest of
the wave.
r
F, F, indicate pawls or dogs pivotted to each of the levers D, on opposite sides
respectively of the two propelling wheels, and adapted to engage with teeth thereof,
so as to turn the wheel a short distance with each movement of the lever; only
one of the said pawls or dogs on each lever is in use at one time, the other being
thrown out of engagement; as shown in Figure 1 the pawl F is being utilized,
hence the vehicle is under propulsion in a backward direction. As the levers D¹
fall the pawl F rides over several teeth of the wheel, and upon their rise, takes
hold of a tooth and turns the wheel until the float D³ reaches its highest limit.
The Boat D³ then falls, while the float D² rises, causing the pawls a, which are
pivotted to the sides of the carriage, to engage with the toothed wheels and turn
the same while the float D³ is falling. The alternating movement of the floats and
lever arms, thus produces a continuous movement of the vehicle. To reverso the
vehicle, the pawls or dogs F' are thrown into engagement with the toothed wheels
while the pawls F are disengaged therefrom. At the same time, the position of
the pawls a is reversed, it being necessary that the point of the pawl a should be
on the opposite side of the axle from the pawl on the lever. Should it become
necessary to turn the wheels in opposite directions for the purpose of guiding the
vehicle in an irregular line, the pawls on either side may be placed in different
positions.
H, H indicate pinions mounted on pivotal frames or standards H¹ attached to
the sides of the body A, and I I indicate cranks fitted to the shafts of said pinions
for the purpose of turning the same. By adjusting the pivotal frame or standard
the pinions may be brought into engagement with one or both of the toothed
wheels, so that by turning the crank the vehicle may be propelled by hand. By
the addition of an idler or intermediate gear wheel, the power may be applied to the
propelling wheels by persons in the body of the vehicle.
In some cases it may be desirable and expedient to dispense with the floats and
to construct the vehicle so that it may be propelled independently of the action of
the waves.

page_text: In Figure 3 I have shown a marine waggon supported on three wheels, but any
number may be used, and in this case, as well as in cases where the floats are
used, the hand-propelling devices may consist of levers arranged on the body and
connected by rods with levers on the axle, to which are attached pawls engaging
with the toothed wheels. By raising and lowering the levers on the body, the
pawls alternately take hold of, and release, the toothed wheel and so effect an
intermittent rotation of the same.
"
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my snid
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A life-saving vehicle consisting of a body or frame provided with wheels,
and having buoyant or floating levers which turn said wheels through the action
of the waves, and cause the vehicle to move, substantially as set forth.
Second. .The combination of the body A, mounted on wheels B, B, with
mechanism substantially as described, whereby the said wheels are turned and the
vessel propelled through the action of the waves.
Third. The combination of the body A mounted on the wheels B, B, to which
are connected the toothed wheels C, with the floating or buoyant levers D D'
carrying pawls which engage with the toothed wheels and effect propulsion of the
vehicle as described.
Fourth. The combination with the body A provided with the toothed propelling
wheels and devices for turning the same through the action of the waves, of an
adjustable pinion adapted to engage with the toothed propelling wheel and
provided with means of operation, substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination with a marine waggon adapted to run or travel on the
bar or shoal-bottom, and provided with toothed propelling wheels and floating or
buoyant levers for moving said wheels through the action of the waves, of
mechanism substantially as set forth, whereby the said vehicle may be operated
from the body of the waggon or by hand, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1881.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.