AN IMPROVED FLOATING RECEPTACLE OR HOLDER FOR PRESERVING THE RECORDS OF SHIPS WRECKED OR OTHERWISE LOST AT SEA
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Win. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVED
FLOATING RECEPTACLE OR HOLDER FOR PRESERVING THE RECORDS OF SHIPS
WRECKED OR OTHERWISE LOST AT SEA a communication to me from abroad by
Duncan Sinclair, of Wai Nui, Omata, Wellington New Zealand to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a convenient and reliable means for
preserving the records of ships wrecked or otherwise lost at sea.
The invention consists in a marine record preserver constructed with outer and
inner cases connected at their open lower ends by an annular plate, and provided
with a cork filling, and a separable tube attached at its lower end to a cap plate
screwing into the annular bottom plate, and provided at its upper end with a
screw cap.
The preservor is protected from accidental injury by rubber or rubber cloth
sheathing plates applied to its outer case; and is made more buoyant and is further
protected from accidental injury by cork blocks strung upon a wire, and secured to
the outer case, and the sheathing plates by eye rivets.
The outer case is made of thin sheet copper the top of the case being made
convex, dome shaped, or semi-spherical, and the body of the said case is tapered
downward. The convexed top of the case is connected with the conical body of the
said case by a scam.
The body of the case is strengthened against injury by external sheathing plates
of rubber or rubber cloth fitted to the said case and having their edges bent
outward and sewed to each other by wire or secured by other suitable means.
The bottom edge of the case is soldered or otherwise secured air and water tight,
to an internal ring to the inner edge of which is soldered or otherwise secured air
and water tight the open lower end of a close tapped inner tubular case. By this
construction an air and water tight space is formed between the inner and outer

page_text: cases which space is designed to be filled when the preserver is being made, with
cork cut into such a shape as to fit snugly into the said.space and thus make the
preserver very buoyant so that the preserver will float even should the outer case
be injured or even perforated.
The bottom ring is screw threaded internally to receive a screw threaded tubular
plug formed upon a bottom cap plate. The external flange of the cap plate
overlaps the outer side of the ring and has a packing of leather or other suitable
material interposed between it and the said ring so as to make the joint air and
water tight.
To the upper edge of the screwed plug is soldered or otherwise secured, air and
water tight, the lower end of a third innermost tubular case the open upper end of
which is closed by a screw cap, the joint being made air and water tight by a
packing plate, laid upon the upper end of the tube and upon which the cap is
screwed down.
In the bottom of this tubular case is placed a cork plate, for the roll of records
to rest upon.
Around the outside of the preserver is placed a ring of corks, strung upon a wire
or chain which passes through the eyes of eye rivets, secured to the said preserver
at the water line, so as to make the preserver more buoyant, and further protect it
from accidental injury.
Upon the bottom of the cap plate, is formed a flange or keel which has a bole
formed through it to receive a lever for screwing the cap plate off and on.
The preserver is designed to have a roll of records giving the name of the vessel,
the termini of the intended voyage, the names of the officers and crew, and any
other desired information and an ink pencil, placed in the innermost detachable
case so that in case of accident to the vessel, the person having the preserver in
charge, can take out the record roll write in it a brief account of the accident,
reinsert the record, and throw the preserver overboard, with the expectation that it
will be picked up by some vessel or driven ashore by the wind and waves, to give
an account of the fate of the vessel and crew in case anyone should be saved.
The preserver should be kept upon the deck of the vessel and secured in such a
manner that it cannot become detached by the rolling of the vessel, but will become
detached and float, should the vessel suddenly sink before the person in charge of
the preserver can make an entry and throw the preserver overboard.
The top of the preserver is designed to be conted with luminous paint, so that
the preserver when floating in the sea will be visible by night and the painted top
of the preserver is to be covered and protected by a plate of glass horn or other
transparent substance, the edge of which is secured by a flango soldered or otherwise
secured to the said top.
The brass cap plates are designed to have legibly engraved upon them, the name
of the vessel and of the country or port to which the said vessel belongs, and also
the date of the building or launching of the said vessel.

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
FLOATING RECEPTACLE OR HOLDER FOR PRESERVING THE RECORDS OF SHIPS
"
WRECKED OR OTHERWISE LOST AT SEA (a cominunication to ine from abroad by
Duncan Sinclair of Wai Nui, Omata, Wellington, New Zealand,) 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 convenient and reliable means for
preserving the records of ships wrecked or otherwise lost at sea.
The invention consists in a marine record preserver constructed with outer and
inner cases connected at their open lower ends by an annular plate, and provided
with a cork filling, and a separable tube attached at its lower end to a cap plate
screwing into the annular bottom plate, and provided at its upper end with a
screw cap.
The preserver is protected from accidental injury by rubber or rubber cloth
sheathing plates applied to its outer case and is made moro buoyant and is further
protected from accidental injury by cork blocks strung upon a wire, and secured
to the outer case, and the sheathing plates by eye rivets as will be hereinafter fully
described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement.
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same taken through the line x x
figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of the same taken through the line y. y,
figure 2.
A represents a case made of thin sheet copper. The top of the case A is made
convex, dome shaped or semi-spherical, and the body of the said case is tapered
downward as shown in figures 1 and 2.
The convexed top of the case A is connected with the body of the said case by a
seam B.
The body of the case A is strengthened against injury by sheathing plates D of
rubber or rubber cloth fitted to the said case and having their edges bent outward
and sewed to each other by wire or secured by other suitable means.
The edge of the case A is soldered or otherwise secured air and water tight, to
an annular plate E to the inner side of which is soldered or otherwise secured air
and water tight, the open lower end of the close topped tubular case F By this

page_text: construction an air and water tight space is formed between the cases A. F. which
space is designed to be filled when the preserver is being made with cork R cut
into such a shape as to fit snugly into the said space and thus make the preserver
very buoyant, so that the preserver will float even should the case A be injured or
even perforated.
In the inner edge of the annular plate E is forined a screw thread into which fits
the screw thread formed in the outer surface of the tubular flange G formed upon
the plate H. A flange upon the cap plate H overlaps the outer side of the annular
plate E, and has a packing 1 of leather or other suitable material interposed
between it and the said annular plate E, so as to make the joint between the said
plates H. E. air and water tight.
To the upper edge of the annular flange G is soldered or otherwise secured, air
and water tight, the lower end of a tubular case J, the open upper end of which
is closed by a screw cap K, the joint being made air and water tight by a packing
plate L, laid upon the upper end of the tube J and upon which the cap K is
screwed down.
In the bottom of the tubular case J, is placed a cork plate. M, for the roll of
records to rest upon.
Around the outside of the preserver is placed a ring of corks N strung upon a
wire or chain O, which passes through the eyes of eye-rivets P secured to the said
preserver at the water line, so as to make the preserver more buoyant, and further
protect it from accidental injury.
Upon the bottom of the cap plate H is formed a flange or keel Q which has a
hole formed through it to receive a lever for screwing the cap plate H off and on.
The preserver is designed to have a roll of records giving the name of the vessel,
the termini of the intended voyage, the names of the Officers and crew, and any
other desired information and an ink pencil placed in the innermost detachable
case J, so that in case of accident to the vessel, the person having the preserver in
charge, can take out the record roll write in it a brief account of the accident,
reinsert the record, and throw the preserver overboard, with the expectation that it
will be picked up by some vessel, or driven ashore by the wind and waves, to give
an account of the fate of the vessel and crew, in case any-one should be saved.
The preserver should be kept upon the deck of the vessel, and secured in such a
manner that it cannot become detached by the rolling of the vessel, but will
become detached and float, should the vessel suddenly sink before the person in
charge of the preserver can make an entry and throw the preserver overboard.
The top of the preserver is designed to be coated with luminous paint, so that
the preserver when floating in the sea will be visible by night and the painted top
of the preserver is to be covered and protected by a plate S of glass, horn or other
transparent substance as indicated by dotted lines figure 1, the edge of which is
secured by a flange C soldered or otherwise secured to the said top.
The brass plates H and K are designed to have legibly engraved upon thein, the
name of the vessel and of the country or port to which the said vessel belongs, and
also the date of the building or launching of the said vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A marine record preserver constructed substantially as herein shown and
described, and consisting of the outer and inner cases A. F connected at their open
lower ends by an annular plate E, and provided with a cork filling R, and the
separable tube J, attached at its lower end to a cap plate H, screwing into the
annular plate E, and provided at its upper end with a screw cap K, as set forth.
2. In a marine record preserver, the combination with the top of the case A
baving a coat of luminous paint, of the transparent covering S, and the flange C,
substantially as herein shown and described.

page_text: 3. In a marine record preserver, the combination with the outer case A, and the
sheathing plates D, of the cork blocks N, the connecting wire O, and the eye
rivets P, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the preserver is
made more buoyant, and is protected from accidental blows, as set forth.