Improvements in Life-buoys.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1893-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1893
OUMI LEIE DIETEICATION.
Improvements in Life-buoys.
I, JOHANNES CARL LOBEGOTT MELLER, Retired Captain of the Imperial
German Navy, of 6 Lornsen Strasse, Kiel, in the German Empire, 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 present invention relates to life buoys and its object is to provide a more
adequate device for saving life in the event of catastrophies at sea, than has hitherto
been the case.
In order to attain this object I provide the buoy with an electric light, capable
of burning two or three nights or more, according to the power of the battery, said
light being fed by a primary or secondary battery also fitted to the buoy.
The invention further consists in the method of attachment of the life buoy to
the ship's side so as to allow of the same being easily slipped in case of
necessity.
In order to make this Specification more easily intelligible, reference is had to
the accompanying drawings forming part of the same and in which similar letters
denote similar parts throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the buoy,
Fig. 2 a plan,
Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sections,
Figs. 5 to 9 are details of the lamp,
Figs. 10 to 12 details of the chamber for the reception of the electric battery,
Figs. 13 and 14 are plan and elevation of the buoy when suspended from its
davit on the ships side,
Fig. 15 is a side elevation of Fig. 14.
Figs. 16 and 17 show a modified form of life buoy,
Figs. 18 and 19 are detail views of a device for slipping the buoy by means of
electricity, and
Fig. 20 is an elevation of the bow of a vessel having the life buoys attached
thereto.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2: The buoy A may be of cork or it may also be
provided with an internal stiffening ring of wood or metal as shown at Fig. 3, or
it may also be hollow and made of sheet metal (Fig. 4). In the centre of the
ring A. and attached thereto by three ties a a a is a ring b having pivotally mounted
within it a second ring e; within this ring c and pivoted to it at right angles to the
pivots between b and c is a collar embracing the hollow or solid rod C, said collar
being firmly fixed to the rod C. At the upper end of the said rod C the electric
lamp B, whilst to the lower end is attached a chamber containing the battery. This
latter chamber D is adapted to counterpoise the weight of the lamp, so that the
latter although free to swing in the rings cb, will always be held in a vertical
position in the floating ring A. Small Hoats d d may be arranged at suitable
intervals around the ring A to facilitate reaching the buoy and saving any persons
who may be in the water near the said buoy. At the upper part of the rod C
two arms m m are provided by means of which the whole apparatus is attached
to the ships side as herein after more particularly described with reference to
Figs. 15 to 20. N is a switch by means of which the current to the lamp may
be interrupted at day break in case those clinging to the buoy have not been
picked up during the night, thus enabling an economical use of the electric
battery.

page_text: I will now proceed to describe one method of constructing the life buoy on the
principle of the present invention and will begin by describing the lamp B.
The glass globe or lens a' of the ordinary construction is secured between the
upper and lower plates and e' the latter being attached to the rod C and the former
containing the electric connections from the battery at D to the lamp e' (Figs.
to 9). Mounted at the top of the cover is an insulating plate A' to the under
side of which are fixed the brackets.D' D' carrying the sleeve F for the reception
of the lamp e. C'B' are the contacts for the electric conductors and are mounted
in the plate A being hollow as shown at Fig. so that in case a secondary. battery
is employed at D the same can be easily charged by opening the hinged cover d
above the insulating plate A' and inserting the conductors from above at Chand B'.
A conducting plate E is also mounted underneath the insulating plate A¹ the same
however being insulated from the brackets D' D' as may be clearly seen at Fig. 9.
Of the two attachments B'C' for the electric conductors to the lamp e¹, B' stands
in connection with the brackets D'and C¹ with the plate E. The circuit to the
lamp is closed or broken by means of the sliding switch rod having a plate H
adapted to close on to the conducting plate E and normally depressed again the
action of its spring J and thus held out of contact with the plate E by means of
an exterior spring e² in connection with the davit (Fig. 15) as herein after more
particularly described. Thus the connection to the pole C¹ will be formed by the
contact of the plates H and E and to the other pole by means of the guide
sleeve K of the switch rod to the center of which the plate H is attached.
G is an
insulating plate on which the spring J is mounted.
The top cover is closed watertight by the gland L.
The conductors may be carried down inside or outside the rod C to the battery
contained in the chamber D, the construction of which I will now proceed to
describe, remarking however that I do not confine myself to the particular con-
struction herein after described, but merely show the same as having proved itself
advantageous in the practice.
Referring to Figs. 10 to 12-The vessel A' of suitable metal is provided
round its upper rim with a flange B2 to which is attached the cover C by
means of screws or clamps. A tubular stay D² extends from the bottom of the
said vessel into which it is screwed up to the cover, said tube being adapted to
stiffen the chamber and also to receive the lower end of the rod C, this latter has
a flange which closes down onto the top of the cover and against which it is
tightened up by the nut E' at the bottom of the chamber. Two tubes G G₁
extend from the top of the cover C to the hollow rod C and serve as a
protection for the electric conductors from the battery inside of the chamber to
the lamp. In Fig. 12 a modification is shown in which the tubes G¹ G' are omitted
and the conductors taken direct through the cover into the hollow rod C. The
E' closes the rod C watertight at the bottom.
cap
The method of attaching the buoy to its davit at the ships side as illustrated in
Figs. 13, 14 and 15 is especially designed to permit of the same being easily and
quickly slipped in case of necessity. According to this method the lower part of
the davit is provided with a fork a² having at the end of its two prongs, slots, as
may be seen in the plan view Fig. 13. Into these slots, when the buoy is hoisted
up, the ends of the arms m m.pass and are retained in place by means of the slip
bolt a. This bolt is operated by the hand lever e² carrying a spring e² which latter
when the buoy is in position in the fork, depresses the switch H as previously
mentioned and breaks the current to the lamp. The hooks a are for hoisting the
buoy into position. In order to prevent the lever e² from being inadvertently
slipped a tie rod d³ is provided which retains the same in place. Any well known
suitable means must be provided to prevent the buoy from swinging when the ship
lurches. From the above description it will be evident that the life buoy can be
easily and quickly slipped by simply withdrawing the bolt a whereby the electric
lamp will be simultaneously lighted owing to the removal of the spring e from the
switch rod.

page_text: In Figs. 18 and 19 a device is illustrated in which the life buoy can be slipped
by the aid of electricity. In this case the bolt a³ is actuated by a spring which
normally holds the said bolt withdrawn from the eyes of the arms m m, but when
the buoy is suspended kept in position by means of a cylinder preferably of glass
and within which a small cartridge is located, said cartridge being adapted to be
exploded by an electric current and thus to break the glass stop a Fig. 19 and
release the spring a of the bolt a whereby the latter will be withdrawn from the
eyes of the arms m m and the buoy will be free to fall.
Any suitable number of such buoys may be attached to the ships sides as shown
at Fig. 20.
Figs. 16 and 17 show a simplified form of the buoy in which the rod C is replaced
by a bow or hoop A³ having floats B³ and C³. A simplified form of lamp is also
employed at the top of the bow A³ which may be lighted by means of the switch G.
A seat is provided at the lower part of the bow, whilst belts (Fig. 16) serve to
hold the person in place on the same. The buoy is kept upright in water by the
weight of the battery chamber D.
The life buoy Figs. 1 and 2 may also be provided with a flag as a day signal as
also with arms for protection against sharks, and if desired with provisions.
The primary or secondary battery employed is advantageously arranged to
supply an electric lamp of 6 candle power for 24 hours, so that by putting out the
lamp at daybreak by means of the switch N sufficient electricity will be present
for 2 to 3 nights.
I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not confine myself to the details of
construction herein before described, reserving to myself the right of modifying the
same in any manner which may appear advantageous.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A life buoy having an elevated electric lighting device and a battery arranged
to counterbalance the said lamp in the manner and for purpose substantially as
described.
2. The arrangement of the electric lamp and switch device substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8 and Fig. 15.
3. The combination of the lamp B on rod C the battery chamber D to counter-
balance same and the attachment of the rod C to the float A by means of stays a a a
and rings be substantially as described.
4. An accumulator or battery chamber substantially as described and shown in
Figs. 10 and 11.
5. The modified form of buoy consisting of the hoop A³ having floats B³ C³,
battery and lamp arranged as described with reference to Figs. 16 and 17.
6. The attachment of the buoy to the davit consisting of the fork a' on the said
davit, slip bolt a lever c³ having spring e' for the purpose substantially as
described.
7. Means for electrically slipping the buoy consisting of the spring slip
bolt a³ a and a glass or other tube at having cartridge substantially as described
and shown.
Dated this 28th day of July 1893.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.