Year: 1889

page_text: I, JOSEPH ROBERT HOLMES Managing Director of the Holmes Lights Company
Limited of 18 Adam Street Adelphi in the County of Middlesex 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 has reference to apparatus for holding perforating and letting go a
canister such as those known as Holme's Lights or flare signals and a life buoy
attached to such canister, and as described in the Specification of our Patent No. 1438
of 1888.
Now according to my invention I employ the so called toggle or knuckle joint action
links for the purpose of piercing the two ends of the canister, for withdrawing the
piercing instruments and for letting go the life buoy which then drops into the sea
dragging with it the pierced canister which is attached thereto by a rope. I also in
some cases with the piercing appliance combine a device having a lost motion for
actuating the part for casting loose the life buoy attached to the canister after the
latter has been pierced.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated three modes of carrying out my
invention.
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a longitudinal section through an apparatus
adapted for a canister laid on its side. A is the plank for carrying the apparatus
and which reaches over the ships side or stern. B is a casing or housing over
the canister C such casing being hinged to the plank A at one side and fixed to
the plank at the other side by a pege put through an eye c¹ or in any other
suitable ready way for enabling the casing to be conveniently opened or raised for
inserting a fresh canister and conveniently closed. The canister rests on a slide D
formed with a slot D' and which works in staple guides D and to which is connected
a bolt E that works in the slot D¹. The belt E can work freely in a slot A' in the
plank A, and has connected to it a rod F around one end of which is passed the
n

page_text: bight of the rope G to the life buoy the plank A having a slot A for the rope to
puss through. The boli E is by means of two links connected to two lovers I
oach turning on a fulerum pin which pins are fixed to the board A. Ench lover
is formed with a piercer 12 on the end for piercing each end of the canister C, the
casing B having openings large enough for the piercers to enter.
The action of this apparatus is as follows. To pierce the canister and let it go
along with the boy the rod F is pulled in the direction of the arrow by means of
a cord from the bridge or other part of the ship or by any other suitable means
such as levers or cranks near the apparatus or lovers or cranks and rods or cords
from a distaner. The links IT_H_will thereby first assum a straight central position
indicated by the dotted line XX whereby the levors I will be moved so that the
piercors pierce the two opposite ends of the ennister. By the further pulling of
the rod F into the position indicated by the two converging lines Y Y the piercers [
will be withdrawn again and the holt E having come to the bottom of its slot D₁
in the slide D will draw the latter lack and away from under the canister C, while
simultaneously the rod F is pulled out of the bight of the rope G. The life buoy
being thus free will drop and drag the canister down with it.
24
Figure is a sectional side view Figure 4 an end view and Figure 5 a plan of
another arrangement especially suitable for small canisters. The canister ('rests on
its bottom on the plank A and is parily surrounded by the casing frame or cage B
which has a piercer B' at the top. The bottom piercer I is on a peg projecting
from a piston 1 that can work up and down in a short rectangular cylinder" K
fixed under the plank A. To the piston I is jointed a toggle joint link [I the lower
ond of the other link H being pivoted to a bracket I, which is formed in one with or
fixed to the "cylinder" K or fixed to the hoard A. The piston I has also a peg F
the slanting upper side of which can act against the correspondingly formed rod F
the upper end of which is slotted and is pin jointed to the box bracket B. Pulling
nction being smartly applied to the eye H by any suitable means the knuckle links
will first assume the straight central position thus raising the piston I and causing the
piercing of the two ends of the canister C. The rod will at the same time raise
the rod and finally release the buoy rope G. When the quick pull is continued
and before the buoy has had time to fall the piercer I will descend so that the
buoy can freely drag the canistor down overhourd with it.
Figures 6 and 7 are a sectional side view and an end view of another form of
apparatus the upper part of which is similar to the one just described. The bottom
To the
piercor 1 is jointed to the upper one of the toggle joint links II B.
joint pin E is also jointed a rod Mf the slotted part of which takes onto the
joint pin E of another set of togglo joint links H* H* to the upper pin of which
is jointed the rod F1 which serves to raise the rod F that holds the hight of the
life buoy rope. Pulling action being applied to the cyo H the links while
assuming a straight direction will produce piercing of both ends of the canister C.
The end of slotted link M' having meanwhile come into contact with the pin E³ the
rod M will pull the pin E along with it. The links H H will come into the position
indicated by the linas Y Y whereby the piercer I is withdrawn again while tho
links H H by means of the pin E are being brought into the straight position
indicated by the line X whereby the rod F is pushed up and the life buoy cast
loose.
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
First The application of toggle or knuckle joint links to the piercing and dis-
charging of a Holine's Light or other inextinguishable marino light or signal canister
substantially as set forth.
Socon! The application of means for piercing a Holmes Light or other inextin-
guishablo marino light or signal canister in combination with a dovice having a lost.

page_text: motion for actuating the part for casting loose the life buoy attached to the canister
when the latter has been pierced substantially as set forth.
Third The application of toggle joint links for actuating the part for casting
loose a life buoy substantially as set forth.
Fourth-The construction of apparatus shewn on the drawing.
Dated this 9th day of February 1889.
JOSEPH ROBERT HOLMES.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancory Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.