Improvements in and connected with Oil-distributing Apparatus for Calming the Force of the Waves.
Year: 1892

page_text: GOMFLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Oil-distributing Apparatus for
Calming the Force of the Waves.
I, SIDNEY IRVIN PRESCOTT, of 154, Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn, in the County
of Kings, and State of New York, United States of America, Seaman, 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 :-
My invention relates to a device adapted to be connected with a vessel and to
distribute oil upon the water in the event of a storm to allay or to modify the force
of the waves, and the object of the invention is to provide a device of simple durable
and economic construction, wherein the waves will act upon a piston contained in
the device and through that medium regulate the amount of oil to be distributed.
Another object of the invention is to construct the device in a manner whereby a
valve will control the outlet of the oil, which valve may be manipulated to feed
more or less of the oil forced to it by pressure from the piston above referred to.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the device illustrated as attached to a vessel and in
operative position.
Figure 2 is a central vertical section through the device, the water-line being
shewn in dotted lines.
Figure 3, is a plan view of the device on a larger scale than shown in Figure 1..
Figure 4 is a transverse section, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section through one end of the oil chamber and the valve
controlling the amount of oil to be distributed, and
Figure 6 is a horizontal section through the opposite end of the oil chamber and
the piston which is adapted to act upon the oil, being in its turn acted upon by the
waves.
It is an established fact that if oil is deposited upon the surface of water, it will
distribute itself in the form of a thin film and reduce the violence of heavy seas.
In order to obtain the best results, it is necessary that the oil should be delivered
continuously and evenly far to the windward of the ship in connection with which
the device or apparatus is to be employed, and the apparatus or device containing
the oil must be so arranged that water cannot enter the oil chamber, otherwise the
oil will thicken in cold weather and lose much of its effectiveness. It is further
necessary that the device or apparatus should be of such a character that it may be
used in all of the evolutions wherein a ship may be placed in a dangerous position
by reason of heavy seas, such as running, sailing free, close hauled, lying to, lying
to under the lee of a drag, wearing, towing, launching and hoisting in boats, etc.
The device which I employ to obtain the above named results consists of a body A
constructed of material adapted to readily float, as for instance wood, cork, or a
combination of such materials. Upon the under side of this float or body section A.
a tube B is secured the said tube being adapted to extend practically from one end
of the float or body to the other. In constructing the float or body the under
surface at its ends is beveled. The tube B acts as an oil chamber and it is adapted
to contain oil. At the rear end of the tube a valve C is located. This valve in.
connection with a suitable head is adapted to thoroughly close the rear end of the