Improvements in Current-actuated Bell-buoys.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Current-actuated Bell-buoys.
1, ALBERT LEWIS WOODWORTH, a citizen of the United States of America
residing at Norfolk, County of Norfolk, State of Virginia, United States of
America, Gentleman, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a buoy of improved construction having
a blade or fin and a superstructure carrying a hell which is sounded when the buoy
lists or its position is shifted by the action of either the tide or waves, and the
invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of the parts
embodying the construction of the float and location of the blade or fin thereon,
the blade or fin depending from the underside of the float and attached thereto 80
that a greater portion will be to one side of the center of said float and at right
angles with a tube carrying a ball which strikes the bell.
The invention further consists in placing the mooring-eye at or slightly above
the water-line of the buoy and in the employment of improved means of ballasting
the buoy and in the arrangement and combination of the parts, as will be horein-
after fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bell or alarm buoy constructed in accordance
with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the alarm mechanism which is carried by the
superstructure.
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the buoy.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the float with the upper section removed and the
superstructure shown in dotted lines, and
Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5, 5, of Fig. 3.
A designates the float, which is approximately hemispherical and is provided
with an inner deck or diaphragın A and an upper deck A 2, presenting two
compartments, either one of which is of sufficient capacity to float the buoy should
the other become filled with water by reason of an accident. The part of the
float below the diaphragm A' is of the usual shape while the sides above the
diaphragm incline inwardly as shown. B designates the fin or blade which is
attached to the bottom of the float by means of angle-plates b. The angle-plates
are riveted to the float and are provided with bolt-holes which register with bolt-
holes in the upper part of the fin or blade so that bolts may be employed to provido
for removing the fin or blade when desired. The blade or fin is attached to the
bottom of the float so that a greater portion thereof will be to one side of the
vertical center of said float, the greater portion being located on the same side of
the float to which the mooring-eye C is attached. The mooring-eye is located to
one side of a line drawn on the vertical edge of the fin and above the water-line
of the float. On the side of the float opposite the mooring-eye C is attached un
eye D, to which is connected a short chain D' which may be employed in lifting
and towing the buoy, and on the deck A 2 is secured a cleat d, to provide an
additional fastening means for a ropo or other connection.
The inuer deck or diaphragm A has rigidly secured thereon a curved bar or
T-rail E adapted to receive weights E, said weights having recesses which
correspond with the upper part of the rail. The weights are movable on the rail
and are held in place by being bolted or otherwise connected thereto. These

page_text: weights are for the purpose of properly balancing the buoy, the set of the buoy
being tested in still water before being put into service. The upper and lower
decks of the float are provided with manholes to provide for access to the inside
of said float, the manholes having suitable covers.
G designates the superstructure which is secured to the deck A 2 of the float
and is braced by angle-pieces G¹ reinforced at their córners by plates g, riveted to
the webs of said angle-pieces. To the upper end of the superstructure is attached
the bell G 2 so that it will he suspended within the same. The superstructure is
provided with cross-bars gl and g 2, and to the cross-bars g2 is connected, by.
means of U-bolts and nute, a plate I having upwardly-projecting portions h, to
which a tube I is secured. The bottom of the tube I is inclined downwardly at
each end, leaving an intermediate horizontal plane, and within this tube is located
a ball which will normally rest on one of the inclined surfaces of suid tube. To
the plate H are attached springs H which are bent in the form of a loop and the
free ends being bent to lie within the ends of the tube I adjacent to the lower edge
of the bell. It will be noted that the upper part of the ends of the tube or ball-
guide 1.are cut away so that the tube will not come in contact with the bell. The
Ball-guide or tube is mounted on the plate H so that it will be at right angles with
the blade or ɓn B. K desiguates the mooring-cable, which consists of end soctions
or chaius K' and K 2 and intermediate short scations K 3 of wire cable. The end
or chain section K' is coupled to the mooring-eye C of the buoy and the chain
arction K 2 is attached to the mooring-anchor or stone. The intermediate wire-
cable sections are connected to each other and to the chain-sections by rings or
links k, an eye or grommet being let into the ends of the wire cables so that the
rings will engage therewith. One or more of the wire cable sections are provided
with a swivel-joint k¹.
kl
Many advantages arise from this particular construction of the mooring-cable :
First, such a cable is lighter than the ordinary chain cable of the same strength;
second, it is more easily handled, as the sections may be placed parallel with each
other and in paying out there will be no liability of kinking or twisting, the swivel-
joint permitting the cable to straighten out. The rings also provide means for
connecting handling-irons to the cable. Chain-sections are provided at the ends
of the cable, as wire-cable sections would not answer at these points for the reason
that at the upper end the fin or blade of the buoy would be likely to cut the strands
by contact therewith and at the lower end of the cable the anchor or mooring stone
would do the same thing.
Having described the construction of my invention the operation is as follows:
When the buoy is properly ballasted and moored it will be extremely sensitive to
the action of the waves and tidal currents, and the tidal currents acting upon the
blade or, fin will cause the buoy to swerve and list from side to side, thus actuating
the ball to sound an alarm.
The bottom of the tube in which the ball is located presents two inclined
surfaces and an intermediate horizontal plane, and provides for the retention of
the ball at one end until the buoy has assumed a considerable inclination, when
said ball will race down the tube and strike the bell with great force. This
construction prevents the ball creeping from one end of the tube to the other, which
it would do if a stra.ght tube was provided.
The configuration of the float is such as to provide sufficient free board so that
the deck will not be submerged, and the position of the blade or fin enables the
buoy to regain its equilibrium after being swerved to one side by the current
and gives an automatic listing movement from side to side, it being noted
that the current influences on the blade cause the buoy to sheer and throw the
blade across the line of the current, in which position the current will act to cause
the buoy to list.
I am aware that heretofore it has beeu proposed to provide a nautical alarm-
buoy having a plate with a horizontal central portion and inclined surfaces
extending therefrom, said plate or table being grooved and adapted to carry a

page_text: ball for striking the bell, the table being also provided with retracting-springs..
I am also aware that a bell-buoy has been provided with a plurality of balls confined
in separate guides or housings. I lay no claim broadly to such inventions, as
I employ but a single tube or housing for the ball and position it at right angles.
to the blade or fin, so that the ball which sounds the alarm is actuated by the oscil-
lation or listing of the buoy caused by the current or tidal influences acting on the
blade or fin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a bell-buoy, the combination of a float having a blade or fin attached to the
bottom thereof so as to extend on each side of the center, the greater area of the
blade or fin being on the side to which the mooring-chain is attached, for the purpose
Bet forth.
2. The combination in a bell-buoy, of a float, a blade or fiu attached to the bottoin.
of the float so that a greater area will be to one side of the vertical center thereof,
a mooring-eye attached to the float on the side having the greater aroa of fin and to
one side of a line drawn on the vertical edge of said fin, and bell-sounding mechanism.
carried by the deck of the float, substantially as shown and for the purpose set
forth.
3. In combination with a buoy or float having a flat blade or fin attached so as
to depend from the bottom thereof, said blade having a greator area to one side of
the center of the buoy, a mooring-eye secured on one side of the float, and adjustable
counterbalancing-weights located within the float, substantially as shown and for
the purpose set forth.
4. The combination with a bell-buoy having a superstructure mounted thoreon
which carries a fixed bell and a platform, of a tube carried by the platform, said
tube lying partially within the bell and having an unimpeded passage from end to.
end, the base of the central portion of the passage being horizontal and the enda.
inclined downward, together with a single ball located within the tube, and springs
attached to the platform upon which the tube is mounted, the springs being bent so-
that their free ends will enter the space between the bell and tube, substantially as
shown.
5. A sounding mechanism for bell-buoys consisting of a single tube supported.
below the bell said tube having a central horizontal plane and downwardly-inclined
surfaces leading therefrom to the ends of the tube, a ball located within the tube,.
and springs carried by the plate which supports the tube, said springs being bent
Bo as to extend below the lower edge of the bell and into the tube, substantially as-
shown.
6. In a bell-buoy, the combination of a float having a deck or diaphragm A', and.
upper deck A 2 upon which is mounted a superstructure carrying a bell and alarm
mechanism, a fin or blade attached to the bottom of the float so as to depend there.
from, and a rail E secured to the deck A' and carrying adjustable weights E',.
substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.
7. In combination with a bell-buoy having a fin, B, attached to the bottom.
thereof so as to extend ou each side of the center of the buoy, the greater area of
the fin being to one side of the center thereof, of a mooring-eye secured to the body
portion of the buoy above the water line and out of line with the vertical edge of
the fiu, and on the side of the buoy having the greater area of fin, the sides of the-
buoy above the normal water-line and mooring-eye "tumbling home" substantially
as shown and for the purpose set forth.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant..