Improvements relating to Life Buoys and other Life-saving Appliances.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application. 24th Mar., 1888
Complete Left, 18th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
Improvements relating to Life Buoys and other Life-saving
Appliances.
We, FREDERICK WILLIAM PLEYDELL BOUVERIE, of 30 Longridge Road, South
Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Vice Admiral, and WILLIAM BALCH, of
51, Chatsworth Road, Clapton Park, in the County of Middlesex, Pensioner Royal
Navy, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to life buoys, life rafts, and other life-saving appliances, and
has for its object to provide means for maintaining them as steady as possible when
in the water.
For this purpose we arrange in connection with life buoys and the like, a bag,
tube, or other receptacle adapted to contain oil.
The said receptacle is preferably closed by means of a stopper or its equivalent
which is secured to some part of the vessel carrying the buoy in such a manner that
when the buoy is released so that it may drop into the water, the said stopper or its
equivalent is automatically withdrawn from the receptacle, thereby allowing the oil
to flow therefrom. Or the stopper may be removed by hand before allowing the buoy
to drop.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Life Buoys and other Life-saving
Appliances.
We, FREDERICK WILLIAM PLEYDELL BOUVERIE, of 30, Longridge Road, South
Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Vice Admiral, and WILLIAM BALCH, of
51, Chatsworth Road, Clapton Park, in the County of Middlesex, Pensioner Royal
Navy, 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 :-
Our invention relates to life buoys, life rafts, and other life-saving appliances, and
has for its object to provide means for maintaining them as steady as possible when
in the water.
For this purpose we arrange in connection with life buoys and the like, a bag,
tube, or other receptacle adapted to contain oil.
The said receptacle is preferably closed by means of a stopper or its equivalent,
which is secured to some part of the vessel carrying the buoy, in such a manner that
when the buoy is released so that it may drop into the water, the said stopper or its
equivalent is automatically withdrawn from the receptacle, thereby allowing the oil
to flow therefrom. Or the stopper may be removed by hand before allowing the buoy
to drop.
To enable our invention to be clearly understood we will describe how it may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice by reference to the accompanying
drawing in which
Figure 1 is an elevation of a life buoy of the kind frequently used in the British
Navy and provided with an oil receptacle, and
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
a, a, are the floats of the life buoy, which are secured upon the shaft b which is
hollow. This shaft forms an oil receptacle and is closed at its ends by the plugs or
stoppers 6,6
c is a stirrup which is freely supported at d, d'upon the shaft b, so that it will
hang in a vertical position when in the water, notwithstanding the position of
the floats.
e is a hollow standard secured to the stirrup c and supported by the socket f on
the shaft so that the latter can turn therein.
g is a flagstaff which is located within the hollow standard and held in its raised
position by means of a spring h. In order to hold the flagstaff within the standard
an eye i is secured to the latter through which a cord secured to the end of the
flagstaff can run. When the flagstaff is depressed within the standard a pin k is
inserted into the eye i so that the rope is held between the latter and the pin. When
however the pin is removed the flagstaff is free to rise under the pressure of the
spring.

page_text: I is a socket which is attached to the buoy by a cord m and which is provided with
a float n to keep it at the surface of the water. This socket is adapted to receive a
tin or vessel containing phosphate of calcium or other material which will ignite in
contact with air or water to give a light for showing the position of the buoy at night.
The said vessel is hermetically closed by a stopper which is connected by a cord or
the like to the ship so that it will be torn off or removed as the buoy drops. When
the buoy is attached to the stern of the ship the socket is connected to the buoy ;
when however the latter enters the water the said socket is adapted to float at a
distance from the buoy so that the light will not inconvenience any person or persons
on the buoy.
o is a chain by means of which the buoy can be suspended from a vessel. After
the buoy has been suspended in position, cords or chains attached to the stoppers b',,
the pink, and the stopper of the vessel containing the material for the light are
firmly secured to the vessel so that when the buoy is dropped into the water the said
stoppers and pin will be removed from their respective positions.
pare life lines which are attached to the floats of the buoy.
The operation of our invention is as follows, that is to say, when the buoy is
released from the chain o so that it can drop into the water, the oil in the tubular
receptacle b is allowed to flow out owing to the removal of the stoppers 6', 6", whereby
the water immediately around the buoy will be calmned. At the same time the flag
is caused to rise under the action of the spring owing to the removal of the pin k
and the material in the vessel 1, is ignited owing to the removal of the stopper n, n.
We wish it understood that we do not confine our invention to use with the
particular class of live-saving apparatus hereinbefore described as it is obvious that
our improvements are also applicable to other forms of life-saving apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The application to a life buoy or other life saving appliance, of a receptacle
adapted to contain oil and constructed in such a manner that when the buoy or other
apparatus is lowered into the water the outlet for the oil will be automatically opened
so as to allow the escape of the oil, for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with a life buoy of a tube forming an oil receptacle which is
adapted to be automatically opened as the buoy falls into the water, substantially as
and for the purpose, described.
3. The improved life buoy constructed substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.